Initium: INVITED

By Jerrimiah Stonecastle

In 1631 Sebastian Barbaneagra and Bianca Lupei were in love and planning their wedding day. That is until an Emperor Vampire named Lord Lucian Dascălu appeared one night and informed Bianca that she was his heir. To ensure that his bloodline would continue, Lucian bites Bianca, thus transferring the curse to her. But Sebastian refuses to go through life without Bianca and voluntarily chooses to be damned with her. The lovers find a witch's book that holds the key to ending the curse, but they must run from an army of Jesuit Priests who are bent on sending them to hell.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stonecastle Publications LLC
• Release date: Apr 16, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201660864

Jerrimiah Stonecastle

Jerrimiah Stonecastle was born and raised in the South Bronx, New York to a single parent. His mom is a retired New York City educator who always pushed him to reach for excellence in all that he did. In 2002 he retired from New York City civil service and relocated to North Florida. There he started his writing career with a trilogy series called UC 630 Cop or Criminal:The Crack Wars. In 2016 he formed his own Indie publishing company Stonecastle Publications whose slogan is "Throwing Stones At A Glass House". He now has published 4 books and is currently working on his 5th which is due to be released in January 2018.

Book preview

INVITED

Initium

––––––––

Jerrimiah Stonecastle

Stonecastle Publications LLC

P.O. Box 880576

Boca Raton, Fl 33488-0576

USA

[phone]

Copyright © 2021 Jerrimiah Stonecastle

All rights reserved.

ISBN:

ISBN-13: 9798714624353

DEDICATION

For my beloved sister, Mary

––––––––

R.I.P.

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CONTENTS

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Joanna Penn, your YouTube videos were so informative and inspiring for me. I discovered the ups and downs of this career through your experiences.

Bob Proctor’s speeches changed the way

I viewed my world as a writer and businessman.

My friend and Copy Editor, Ms. Elaine McCarthy.

Special shout out to

Julie Broad

Of Book Launchers

Your inspirational videos were valuable to me.

1 The first bite

S

ebastian Barbaneagra and Bianca Lupei held hands as they walked in the woods along the Varteju’ trail. The sun was beginning to set over Romania when the two young lovers spied a small pond a few yards off the path.

Let’s go toss a few rocks for luck, Sebastian, Bianca said, tugging at his hand.

I think we should be getting back to town, Bianca. Your father will skin me alive if I bring you home after dark. Especially with that nasty business that happened last week. 

We’ve got at least an hour more of sunlight, Sebastian. Come, we will only be a moment.

The couple sat on a fallen tree by the water’s edge. Sebastian wrapped his arm around Bianca, who was enjoying the sight of their reflections in the water. When she saw Sebastian’s head turn toward her, she twisted her face and met his lips. They feverishly kissed until their need for oxygen overwhelmed their passion.

I love you so much, Bianca. When I saw you at the market two years ago, something told me that you and I would be together.

I felt it too, my love. Even though I was dating Antonio, I couldn’t take my eyes off of you. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it would burst through my chest.

I felt it as well, Bianca. When you and Antonio walked away, I felt a searing pain in my chest.

Me too! I remember grabbing my chest and Antonio asking me if I was alright. When I looked up and saw you were standing close by, the pain magically disappeared.

It was the same for me. That is why I followed you as you walked through the market, never more than a few feet away, but where you couldn’t see me. I became a ghost.

Well, not a very good one because I knew where you were at all times. You never caught me staring at you because I had to do it without Antonio noticing.

But you didn’t notice me following you home, Bianca, or you wouldn’t have asked me how I found your house that night.

You’re right, I didn’t see you following me, but I knew you were near. I could feel you.

I must have sat in that tree for two hours before Antonio left.

It seemed like five hours before I could get him to leave.

I saw when he tried to kiss you, and you pushed him away. What did you say to him that made him so angry?

I don’t know what came over me. We had been seeing each other for over six months. I can assure you we had kissed a few times and always when he was about to leave. When he tried to kiss me, he smelled like rotted meat. That’s when I shoved him and said my lips were for my husband. Had I known that some wild animal would attack and kill him that night, I would have been kinder.

Yes, I remember hearing what sounded like a pack of wolves attacking a screaming lamb they had cornered.

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Antonio struck the horse sharply with the riding crop as he tore through the woods. The rumble of the wheels and clopping of the horse’s hooves drowned out the sound of Sebastian hitting the ground. The horse and buggy were well out of view when Bianca ran over to her new love.

The moon was full when Antonio entered a small clearing.

The little harlot, Antonio swore. This is what I get for messing with a peasant girl. I treat her like a princess, introduce her to my family, and she repays me by treating me like a beggar. Why would I think she could ever be part of royalty? I’ll show her. The next time we’re alone, I’ll treat her like the little whore that she is.

There won’t be a next time, a deep, ominous voice said.

Antonio turned around and stared into the blood-filled eyes of a man whose skin was pale white. His ears were pointy and pinned back like a wolf before it strikes. He had shoulder-length, jet black hair that seemed to blend in with his black cape.

The creature grabbed Antonio by the top of his head and opened its mouth. His fangs extended while saliva dripped on Antonio’s face. The horse whinnied, coming to an abrupt stop.

Who are you? Antonio cried.

I’m Bianca’s father, and these are my children.

A loud shrill filled the air causing the horse to rear up on its hind legs and shadow box the unseen predators in front. But the attack came from the side, bowling the horse over as hideous, bat-like creatures with human arms and legs tore through its belly.

The impact turned over the buggy as well, but Antonio was not in it. The creature was floating in the air with a firm grip on his skull. With his other hand, he punctured Antonio’s neck and licked the bloodied claw.

Yum, you’re so right. There’s nothing like royal blood.

Antonio let out a blood-curdling scream as the creature sank his fangs deep into the side of his throat. Antonio started to convulse when his spinal cord was punctured. The horse wasn’t faring any better as the last drop of life was drained from him. The creature descended onto the overturned carriage holding Antonio in a death grip.

Here, my children is a feast for a king, he said, tossing Antonio’s still twitching body to the horde.

Antonio was torn limb from limb during the feeding frenzy. At one point, a creature’s bite caused a glass-shattering squeal that made dogs on nearby farms howl.

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The only thing I heard was the rustling of the tree followed by the thump of you falling on your head.

And I remember you rushing over to see if I was alright, Sebastian said, taking one of