A Dowry of Blood

In 1919, Dracula, Magdalena, and Constanta arrive in Petrograd, Russia. The city grapples with the aftermath of the Bolshevik revolution, and Magdalena is jealous of the political connections that Dracula makes. She and Constanta both grow restless. Constanta is afraid of Dracula’s anger, so she does her best to comfort Magdalena and keep her calm. Dracula eventually takes them both to an artist’s studio, where they meet the artist’s model, a beautiful 19-year-old boy named Alexi. Constanta immediately realizes that Dracula intends to turn Alexi. She can see that Magdalena and Dracula are both attracted to him. She speaks privately with Dracula, expressly forbidding him from drawing Alexi into their lives. Dracula insists that he found Alexi by accident and that Magdalena clearly wants him, too. He points out that Magdalena is smiling for the first time in a long time. Constanta argues that Alexi is too young. Dracula rebuffs this; life is bleak in Russia, and Alexi is poor and will likely die young of starvation. They could save him and give him a better life.

Constanta reluctantly agrees to let Dracula turn Alexi for Magdalena’s sake, but she makes it clear that she does not want him to remain with the family forever.