Read Bathory's Secret: When All The Time In The World Is Not Enough (Affliction Vampires Book 1) for Free Online

survive infancy, and she often wondered if she had harmed her by being too tender. Nonsense , she thought to herself as she climbed up the grassy incline, affection is never a disadvantage. Katalina is a smart girl and she’ll find her place in the world.
     
    Approaching the clearing their house was located in, she put the basket on the ground in order to catch her breath.
     
    “There you are!” Kati shouted from the front of the house and ran towards her, jumping into her arms.
     
    Her mother was startled to see her, but overjoyed at the same time.
     
    Pulling her back she stroked her face, “Let me look at you,” she demanded examining the girl closely.
     
    “Mother, I’ve only been gone a few days, I’m fine, look!” She did a twirl in her new servant dress.
     
    “You look well, you cheeks are filled out! You must be eating well.”
     
    “Yes Mother, the food is very good at the castle.”
     
    “My hard working girl! I’m so proud of you, even though I didn’t want you to leave at first.”
     
    “I know Mother,” said Kati and gave her mother a tight hug.
     
    “Come inside, let’s catch up, how is it there?”
     
    “Mama I need your help with something, and I don’t think I can stay very long, I left without permission,” she said ignoring the question.
     
    “Nonsense! I’m sure you can stay for lunch, though what I have to offer is probably nowhere near the fancy food the Countess is feeding you.”
     
    “Whatever you have will be fine, Mama. I grew up on that remember?”
     
    Sitting down to an early lunch of vegetable broth and some bread, Kati told her mother all about the real reason the Countess had employed her and the fact that she could remember very little about book binding, which could have been more detrimental to her than leaving the castle without permission. As soon as they finished their meal, they went to the barn where her uncle’s old equipment was kept and her mother reminded Kati of everything she needed to know about binding a book.
     
    “You see it’s not so hard. It’s coming back to you now, you hardly need me.”
     
    “The Countess has machines that I’ve never seen before,” Kati said, looking a little worried.
     
    “Does she have a book press, a sewing frame, cutters and glue?”
     
    “Yes.”
     
    “Then you’ll be fine. Just because she has equipment that is different than this, it doesn’t mean you can’t do the work. As long as you remember all the steps then the equipment is irrelevant. In fact if it’s more advanced than this then your results might be better. Knowhow is all you need. Your uncle’s tools were old and broken in some cases. She bought you brand new things, don't complain.”
     
    Kati was silent. Her mother stroked her face.
     
    “Katalina Bosko I’ve raised you to believe in yourself above all things. This is not hard, it is knowledge you have and which the Countess needs. Use it to your advantage! I wish I could have taught you more, or even sent you to school, but this is all I could do. Be patient and work hard and you’ll see you’ll be rewarded. And I don’t just mean rewarded from her, I mean life in general. You’ve grown now and you can slowly make a life for yourself, and like you said when you went with her, this is good for us as a family.”
     
    Kati nodded and her mother hoped she had helped ease her concerns.
     
    “That’s my girl. Besides you can always come back if you don’t like it. Just be a little patient, you’ll get used to it, I know you will.”
     
    Kati smiled a broad grin at hearing she could come home.
     
    “They are treating you well though?”
     
    “Yes Mother, it’s fine.” She lied, suddenly missing home.
     
    “And you haven’t noticed anything unusual, have you?”
     
    “No Mother, there aren’t that many people there…”
     
    “The fewer people to contend with if you ask me. I’m sure you haven’t missed going to market to sell vegetables, have you?" Kati