They had failed.
They had come prepared with the necessary weapons and knowledge to help them defeated the dreaded king of vampires. They were ready to send him back to hell along with his brides and free Mina Harker from the same fate that had befell her deceased friend Lucy Westenra.
They had failed, however, to account for how strong he was.
Dracula came bursting through the lid of the coffin, his eyes blazing like hellfire as he grabbed Arthur Holmwood by the throat. The snarl emitting from his throat made the sound of a roaring train engine seem like a mewing kitten compared to it as he tossed Arthur through the wall of the castle. Mina shrieked as she watched her friend crash through the stone as if it were made of glass. The vampire's gaze then locked on Mina and, with a smirk drawing itself on his face, began to make his way towards her, his haunting gaze causing her to stand rooted in place.
"Come to me, Mina," the Count purred, her name rolling off his tongue, "Leave these men and come to me. My arms hunger for you. Come, and we can rule the night together. Come, my bride, come!"
Mina struggled to remain free from the spell his words were putting her under, trying to fight it as her arms opened wide and she began to step towards Dracula. She was then jolted from the trance when the Count let out a shriek of pain as Dr. Gabriel Van Helsing lept forward, throwing Holy Water in the vampire's face. As if on cue, Mina's husband Jonathan Harker lept onto the count's back, digging a knife deep into his neck.
"Van Helsing! Get Mina out of here!" Jonathan cried as Dr. John Seward and Quincey Morris threw themselves at the vampire as well, "Get her to safety! Hurry!"
Mina then found herself thrown ontop of a horse as Van Helsing mounted behind her and bolted for the woods, hanging onto the reins for dear life as she watched her husband and their friends battle the count, the tears streaming down her face as she prayed for their safety.
Van Helsing managed to put a great amount of distance between them before an unholy shriek echoed. Snapping their heads to look behind them, Mina and Van Helsing saw a dark figure leap into the air, sprouting wings. It was no guessing game to figure out who that could be. Van Helsing quickly dismounted and shoved the remaining bottle of holy water in her hands.
"Go," he commanded, "There should be a blacksmith not far from here. Grab one of the metal tools he uses from a brazier and cauterise the wound on your neck before dousing it in the holy water, then run far from here as fast as you can!"
"What good would that do?!" She cried in despair.
"If anything, Madam Mina, it should buy you more time for your humanity! Now go!"
"I can't leave you here!" Mina exclaimed as she tried to drag Van Helsing back into the saddle.
Van Helsing looked up at her with pain in his eyes before striking the horse in the flank, sending it bolting down the path with Mina hanging on tightly for dear life. She squeezed her eyes shut as she heard the roar of Dracula and the battle cry of Van Helsing. Part of her wanted to pull the reins to see if she could run back and help her friends, but fear over took as she proceeded to hold on to the horse as it sped through the trees.
A chorus of demonic cries caused Mina to snap her eyes open and glance behind her. In pursuit were Dracula's three brides. She could hear their names echo inside her head-Verona, Marishka, and Aleera. Mina winced as the names were repeated over and over, the count's droning echoing in her skull. Telling her to come back to him. Promising her all the love and affection she ever hoped for.
I bet you promised your brides the exact same things, Mina thought bitterly, How could I love a monster that has more then likely slaughtered my friends and beloved?
She was met with a sharp pain that felt as if a hot knife had been shoved into her, causing her to fall off the horse and down a slope. She desperatly tore at the ground, trying to grab ahold of something to break her fall. Mina came to an abrupt halt as she collided into something hard. Laying on the ground dazed for several seconds, she glanced up to see she had collided into the blacksmith's stables. She quickly got to her feet and hurried inside, her heart beating rapidly as she searched for what she needed. Grabbing the iron, she hesitated for a moment before plunging it directly onto the wound on her neck, crying out in pain as the heat burned her flesh. The iron fell to the ground from her shaking hands as she fumbled with the canteen of holy water. A hissing noise filled the air as she poured its contents onto the now blistering patch on her neck. In an instant, the voices in her head died down, the finals sounds being of the brides cursing that they couldn't find her. Mina slumped to the ground in a heap, tears filling her eyes as she wept for her friends and beloved husband.
After she had gathered her strength from her escaping the Count, Mina managed to seek refuge in the convent that Jonathan had recovered in from his first encounter with Dracula. Less then a month following that she discovered she was with child and, within nine months, gave birth to a boy-the last connection she had to Jonathan. She had named the child after all four of her friends that had apparently perished, but she called him Quincey. Once she had gathered her strength and the child was well enough, the nuns of the convent helped her purchase a train ticket that would allow her to return to London. From there she managed to acquire lodgings with an old friend of the Westenra family, who was kind enough to take in the grieving widow and her child.
Four years past since that dreadful day. Quincey had grown into quite an energetic child who possessed the firey spirit his father once had before his trip to Translyvania. He was practically the center of Mina's world and she doted on the young boy. Despite the fact her son brought her great joy in life, the grief of her husband and friends' supposed demise hung heavy on her heart.
One autumn night, as Quincey slept in the room next to hers, Mina found herself overcome with a deep sleep.
In her dreams she found herself standing alone in a moonlit field. A cold wind surrounded her as she shivered, hugging her arms tightly. The only sound she could hear was that of her own breathing and the sound of crickets. Suddenly a voice broke the silence, causing her to freeze in shock.
"Wilhelmina...I knew I would find you."
Mina turned around and nearly let out a shriek. Standing in front of her was Vladislaus Dracula- the very Count that had taken everything from her. The vampire smirked slightly as he made his way towards her.
"N-No!" she cried, stumbling backwards, "How did you find me?! I thought I lost you for good!"
"Did you really think cauterizing the wound on your pretty neck would free you from me?" he laughed, raising a hand up to stroke the side of her face, "I merely lost the scent. But now, I've found you once more, my precious bride."
He snarled when Mina's hand connected with his face.
"I am no prize for you to win!" she snapped, rage contorting her features, "You have no claim to me, vampire! You have taken my friends and my beloved Jonathan from me! I want nothing else to do with you!"
The count's eyes flashed a dark blue, gritting his teeth as he glared at her. That expression was soon replaced by a smug look.
"Perhaps I need to convince you otherwise, my dear Mina."
At that moment, Quincey appeared in his arms, the child struggling in the count's iron grasp. Mina attempted to move to retrieve her son, only to find herself frozen in place.
"If you wish to see your cherished son returned to you safely," the vampire said with a sneer, "Then I suggest returning to Transylvania, my bride."
With that, the count took to the sky, her son crying out, "MOMMY!"
Mina awoke with a jolt, her brow slick with prespiration. Worried for Quincey, she quickly got to her feet and raced to his room, skidding to a stop as she stared in horror.
Blankets were strewn across the floor, the window that had overlooked Quincey's bed shattered. Shards of glass littered the ground, shining in the moonlight as Mina struggled to keep her composure.
"No..." she whimpered, tears trickling down her face as she struggled to take this all in.
Suddenly, Mina felt something boil inside of her, something quite similar to the anger she had shown towards the count in her dream. Without a word, she grabbed her coat and hurried out of the house, determination on her face.
Dracula had her son and was using him as bait to get Mina to return to him.
She planned on confronting him, alright. But not unarmed.