Hello, sweet reviewers! I am back with chapter 3 and i hope the wait wasn't to bad this time hehe! Ok, i'm still gettin this rule thing about thanking people on here, but i will still thank you by...ur name...thingies...hehe! this chapter will give you a little glimpse of how Cassidy came to work at the castle so i hope you enjoy it:D

Recently: "This is quite an odd place to find such a lovely lady as yourself within," a voice whispered lowly from behind. I gasped in shock, fear, and surprise and spun around to see…Oh God…I can't even say his name. "Cassidy," Dracula breathed desperately, "how I have missed you."

CASSIDY'S POV:

As I was finishing up the last of my Master's family's dishes, I thought about my upcoming birthday. I would be ten years old tomorrow morning. I silently shed a tear, knowing that I would never have a real birthday with my parents like most children. My father left for war before I was born and my mother died giving birth to me. I was lucky a friend of my parents took me in and gave me shelter. Count Dougane with his wife and three children.

Sarah, the head maid of the household, stepped into the little kitchen and wiped her hands on her thick white apron. "Cassidy, darling, go and fetch some wood. We are coming dreadfully short on firewood. I am chilled straight to the bone!" she said, rubbing her arms carefully. Sarah's black hair was tumbling out of her hairpins, dropping little curls here and there.

"Oh…I must finish these dishes." I said quietly, gesturing to the last few plates. "No worries, dear, I can finish them up for you," she said, "run along before it gets too dark." I sighed within myself, perfectly dreading the thought of going into the woods after sunset. Obediently, I nodded my head and grabbed my ratty cloak off the wooden peg upon the wall.

I cautiously stepped out of the large estate and gazed out across the hill where the sun was dying, drizzling colors of purple and orange over the tips of the dewy grass. The birds had sung their last and had all nestled cozily into their nests and all the livestock were now sleeping in the fields across the grounds. Slowly, I turned my head to the edge of the woods on the other side of the estate.

Where it started, it was dark and unwelcoming, daring me to enter and risk my life to the evil monsters that waited inside. I drew in a shuddery breath and whispered stubbornly, "Make the nine year old get the firewood when there is no light…" Well, ten years old to be exact, I reminded myself with a small amount of pride.

Mustering up all the courage I could, I pursed my lips and stomped over to the beginning of the woods. I could do this. This was simple. All grown ups go into the woods after sunset. I am almost ten! Why should I worry? When I entered the forest, darkness consumed me and distorted sounds snapped and whispered around me. I yelped and jumped back into the lighter part of the background.

Easier said than done, I thought bitterly. Come now, Cass. The quicker you go in and retrieve the wood, the quicker you'll get to get back into your cozy little nook in the pantry, I told myself. I nodded defiantly and headed back into the woods. Dear Lord in Heaven!

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An hour later, I had already gathered plenty of wood and was now straining to see over the top of it to see where I was going. Everything around me was different and darker than it was before. I knew long before that thatI had gotten lost, but I was trying so hard to grasp a small thread of hope that I would be home soon.

I shivered as the cold, bitter breeze stung my cheeks and blew my cloak away from my pale arms. My knees and elbows felt stiff and my arms were beginning to get sore from carrying all the wood this long. Sudden swooshes of air pulled me from my pain and I stopped. I looked around me with wide eyes; silently hoping that that was an awkward breeze.

Voices seemed to whisper tauntingly around me and my heart sped up within my numb chest. I wanted nothing more than to be back in the kitchen at the estate making fresh bread with Sarah. "Are you lost, little girl?" a feminine voice asked from behind me. I shrieked with fear and dropped all of the wood at my feet. The voice was icy and I couldn't help but detect the slightest bit of malice behind it.

I slowly turned to see three young women as white as snow, all wearing thin showy dresses. One had curly flame red hair, one with long straight black hair, and the other with wavy blond hair. They were strikingly beautiful with clear violet eyes that looked right through my soul. My breathing quickened and I stumbled back.

"Aww, she is so cute, Verona," the blond one said with a cheeky grin. The one named Verona nodded and looked me over, "Yes, indeed she is." I looked them over in shock. Thank you? "Were you gathering wood all by yourself little one?" the red headed one asked with a Cheshire grin. I swallowed and found myself nodding. "Aleera. Marishka. I believe we found ourselves an orphan." Verona said slowly, looking on me with sad eyes.

"How…how did you know…?" I whispered desperately. Verona slowly glided to me and I gasped at how she seemed to float across the ground. She caressed my cheek with a frozen hand and smiled. "Because your eyes speak it…" she said quietly. "I wish to keep her!" Aleera cried happily. "Perhaps...the Master would allow us to?" Marishka asked herself. Master? What Master?

I already have a Master! I don't need another one! "She can work! We have always wanted someone to keep the castle tidied," Aleera pressed on. I could tell that I was not going to like this particular one at all. "Let us take her to the castle and there we will ask the Master of our wishes," Verona declared suddenly, and then enveloped me into her arms.

I almost passed out when she changed into a horrible winged creature. Her teeth were long and sharp and I noticed the claws protruding from her fingers. Dear God, I thought as the others turned into the ghastly beasts as well, they are Vampires!

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I sat in a cold dank room with old tattered tapestries hanging from the old brick walls and little to no furniture. I was huddled on the floor in a dark corner of the room, my legs curled into my chest and my head resting on them. I was still shaking from the flight. I always did have a problem with heights. I could never stand sweeping the leaves off of the roof at the estate, flying across the mountains didn't help me any better.

The three women, er, vampires left me in this room and I heard them mention something about "pleading" with their Master for me to stay. I shuddered and tugged on my brown curls nervously. I wasn't so sure if I wanted to meet this Master of theirs. I hardly liked my last Master as it was!

Just then, a loud thundering growl erupted from around me and I gasped and covered my ears with my hands. What was that? I heard whimpering from the room next door and supposed them to be coming from the women. After a few more treacherous moments of silence, the long wooden door across from me swung open violently and I slowly looked up to see a very handsome man. His midnight black hair was pulled back into a ponytail and a golden earring graced his slightly pointed left ear.

His icy blue eyes looked me over a few moments before he gave me a small smirk and clasped his hands behind his back. "Well, Miss Cassidy, welcome to my castle," he said huskily. I knew that this would be the last day of my original life and a beginning to a new life of blood and…one day…love.

But now…it was over…and yet…he was standing right in front of me. Dracula. Count Vladislaus Dracula. "At least you remember my name. I was beginning to think you didn't remember me at all, love," he said with a grin. A sudden wave of painful anger bit into my senses and I quickly stood and strode across the room to him. I raised my hand and let it connect with the side of his cold face, sending a bitter echo through the room.

I glared daggers at his turned face, but fear slightly edged its way into me as he slowly turned back to me with a furious hiss. I gasped as he shoved me against the hard wall and I winced as the coat hooks jammed into my backbone. "That wasn't exactly the greeting I was expecting of my first love…my sweet," he growled mockingly before crushing his lips onto mine. I groaned in disgust andpushed at his chest so he would get off of me.

He merely grabbed my hands and pinned them above my head with his as he lowered his lips down my neck. I shuddered in fear and disgusted anticipation as his tongue flicked over the two little scars he left me with three years ago. "Your blood is still mine," he hissed into my ear, "you belong to me!" I cried out in shock and pain as I felt his teeth slip into my neck, reopening the scars that had only just healed.

I felt my blood quickly rushing to where he was clamped onto my neck and his hands finally dropped mine and came around my waist and I could not fight back even if I wanted to.All myenergy was slowly being taken away from me. When he finally pulled away, he placed a tender bloody kiss to my forehead. "You bastard…" I whispered before I slipped unconscious.

Big Special Thanks To: Lady Kathrin, Maddie, Count Kendra, DirtyBlondHeroine, Ethlena, KaindeAmedha419, TranslucentFlame, Ethalas Tuath'an, BW-girl, AnotherBlastedRomantic, Velfin, VampyGirl, CaptainDuckula, Almost-Lost-Hope6, JillyBean4813, GarnetTears, x lake of tears x, shero003, Fortune Zyne, Ivory Core, Lily Black! Thanx all so so much! I'll try to send some personal thanx tomorrow hehe! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! REVIEW:D