Mina could not help but feel a great warmth for this strange man, this powerful man many times her age who had taken her across the snow-swept peaks of the Borgo Pass and had helped her put the loss of her mother temporarily in the back of her mind and heart.  It reminded her of the way that she used to feel towards her father before he left for the war and never returned.  She felt ashamed for the way that she had consumed the rumors about Lord Tepes and his cruelty, and about referring to him by his nickname “Dracul” or devil.  She wondered about the rumors concerning Prince Vlad’s escape from the Turks and hoped that they were true.  A younger man of his bloodline could do much to warm a young girl’s heart.

Mina did not doubt the man was capable of great vio...

Please subscribe to keep reading.