Page 58 of The Doctor and the Devil
“What is this all about, Derais?” Daphne cut in. She’d cleaned Étienne’s wound and was wrapping it with a strip of clean linen from some secret pocket.
Monsieur Derais seemed to have some ounce of respect or fear for the duchess, because he frowned apologetically as he approached her cell.
“His Majesty wants someone brought to justice for the blood plague. He believes the growing restlessness of the commoners can be…redirected…toward a shared enemy. We know the plague hails from the Dracul curse, and frankly, we don’t care who initially brought it over the border. We will present the king with both brothers and have him try them publicly for execution. Crimes against humanity—and the crown,” Derais said matter-of-factly.
Laszlo turned to him, shock written on his gaunt face.
“You said we would go free! My wife and I—we could return to Dunkirk after we brought Rafael to you! It was promised!”
“You fool,” I snarled, shoving Laszlo to the ground. “You believed the word of these cowardly maniacs?”
“I’m sorry,” Laszlo mumbled, his voice a strangled sob. “I just wanted to return home with Marguerite. They ambushed me in Dunkirk. After days of torture, they sent word to her and offered the bargain. If we could bring you out from hiding, they would let us go.”
Derais whirled on Laszlo, a cruel smile lighting his face. “You don’t expect us to let you continue roaming our country, poisoning everything with your vile infection. You and your blasphemous family and wretched blood offspring will burn on earth before burning in Hell. The Order will see to it.Iwill see to it. You and all your kind will be punished.”
“You have done more to poison this country than vampires ever did,” Daphne growled. “I regret that I was blind to your true aims for so long. I only hoped to steer you toward a more moderate and peaceful existence between human and vampire alike.”
Crouching to better meet her furious gaze, Derais sneered and spat through the bars of her cell. “Filthysanguisuges!There was never going to be a peaceful existence between vampires and humans. Vampires are an abomination—a crime against God. We will cleanse your kind from our country just as God cleansed the wicked from the Earth with the great flood.”
From his cell, Antoine stretched out his long legs and grunted. “Sounds pretty blasphemous to me.”
“Right you are,mon cher.Derais, you cannot simply hold us here. Daphne and I have the protection of the king. He would be furious if he found out you were holding us without just cause,” Charlotte pointed out.
Derais rose and crossed back to stand above Mina, then tried to shift her with his foot. Rage ignited in my blood, first white hot, then fathomless black.
“You willnottouch her,” I snarled, my voice coming out like a demon’s. Derais raised a supercilious eyebrow, challenging me.
“You think the king can save you? You were breaking in to release our prisoner, who represents the greatest threat to mankind. I think His Majesty would find that was cause enough,” Derais replied.
Mina began to rouse herself with a groan, clutching at her head.
“Doctor, so glad you could join us,” Derais offered, malice sparking in his gaze. “As much as we have enjoyed your services, I’m afraid they are no longer required. We won’t need doctors for supernatural threats after we manage to eliminate them entirely.”
He tugged a pistol from his waistcoat pocket and hauled Mina up from the floor by her hair. I reached deep into myself to transform, to mesmerize—anything—but was entirely impotent.Almost human. At her yelp of pain, I screamed in abject horror.
“Derais!” I shouted. “Stop! I will give you anything—do anything. Please do not hurt her. She is innocent. She isgood.” The words caught in my throat, and I hated myself for the begging in my tone, but I would do it for her every time. “Please.”
Derais looked at me for a moment—considering.
“No,” Mina whispered, looking at me. “Rafael, no. I…I’m sorry. For everything. I just…thought we would have more time to figure things out, but…I love you.”
Tears of blood leaked from my eyes, and the more I wanted to scream and rage and unleash brutal violence, the weaker I felt.
“I will not say goodbye to you again, Mina,” I said. “Derais, please. I will serve you. I will help destroy your enemies. I will give you wealth, land, armies…Anything.”
The pause of deliberation was enough for a breath of hope. In one swift move, Mina stamped hard on Derais’s foot. He screamed, dropping the pistol and releasing Mina’s hair. She leapt up and ran for the door, hauling up the stairs two at a time.
Derais shrieked at Laszlo. “Go after her, Dracul, and Imightspare your wife.”
“No, Laszlo! Brother, please!” I shouted, launching myself at Derais.
But Laszlo was off like a shot, hobbling up the stairs after Mina. I had Derais in my hands, but I felt the sharp edge of a blade at the back of my neck. Marguerite stood behind me, holding a short sword.
“Let him go, Rafael,” she said, her voice trembling. “He cannot grant us safe passage if he is dead.”
Blind rage gripped me as Derais smiled. I knew Marguerite would behead me with one stroke if I so much as breathed wrong. Seething, I let go of Derais and stepped back slowly.
“Hear me now,” I growled. “There is no place on earth you can hide that I will not find you. I have visited torment on lesser men than you for lesser injustices, so believe me when I say that you, Derais, will reap what you sow. I will have you begging for death when I’ve only just begun with you.”
