Hello all,

Thank you for the lovely reviews. Well here is the next chapter.


It had been a long infuriating wait, but now the moment of truth had arrived. The moment of truth was irritatingly disappointing. The moon was blood red and had eclipsed but no girl, only disappointed hunters that were complaining. Dracula glared down at the scene and clearing from his spot in the tree high above. With his abilities he could hear thoughts, but why bother? They had no thoughts of value, however his super sensitive hearing picked up a voiced thought making him listen more intently. "The prophet made no mention that the girl was from Transylvania, did he?"

The question was not really relevant until the one asked the question turned to one of the other hunters, a look of horror on his face. "Lec sweetie keep your hood up." The hunter advised in what was meant for her ears alone, but he heard him. Then he turned to two others. "Get her out of here now!"

Dracula zeroed in on the hooded figure that was now obviously a woman, she would die painfully. He was about to attack when he was reminded Renfield's servants that were coming to slaughter the hunters and girl. Another hunter distracted him from his target by calling out and pointing out a young woman in a shawl. He looked back to the other two hunters when he heard the girl speak. "You had me worried for a second there Uncle."

The man her uncle was relaxing and smiling. "For a second I was terrified I had put you in needless danger."

Dracula grinned viciously none of them were going to leave this clearing alive. Then the girl in the shawl one of Renfield's servants ripped out the throat of the hunter which signalled the other vampires to enter the clearing. Soon the clearing erupted into a frenzied chaos, as the hunters pulled their weapons. Dracula decided to see how good the hunters really were before he would slaughter everyone. He watched as the concerned uncle pulled a crossbow and started shooting vampires left and right, his niece pulled twin short swords and moved about the battlefield like a graceful dancer. Most the hunters used silver blades, and maces. A few used bows, or crossbows, and a select few used pistols. The more well trained hunters easily held their own against the vampires, the weaklings fell easily.

It was when many of the vampires were dusted and a some of the hunters lay dying or dead that he decided to eradicate all in the clearing. Now they would learn that to defy him meant death.

The ambush and fight felt like the longest time ever to Lecura even if mere minutes had only passed. With an ambush like this she knew there would be casualties, and prayed it was not her friends dying. Sadly she had no time to worry over that, it was a fight to survive, and one they were miraculously winning. Then suddenly the battle stopped, the vampire that had been about to charge her stopped and looked up in fear. This got Lecura to look up and see a sea of bats overhead, everyone's gaze was on the strange sight. Then without warning the bats descended on them in a giant wave. She heard the screams and cries of those around her and felt her feet leave the ground. She was in the air and being thrown around like a rag doll.

Instinct made her close her eyes and try to shield her face, but she knew everyone in the clearing was in the air too and at the mercy of the winged creatures. She could hear their cries and screams as the bats bit and scratched them all over. The pain of being bitten by dozens of the winged beasts forced a scream out of her as they were thrown about violently. Lecura preyed to god that the nightmare of this moment would end, and fortunately her prayers were answered. She hit the ground hard on her side knocking the wind out of her, she also had struck her head on a small rock sticking up.

Slowly she took in air and forced her eyes open to find her friends and fellow hunters on the ground about the clearing. Some were moving, which led her to believe that many of them were alive yet. Amidst the many hunters she found her uncle as he struggled to shake off what had just happened. However the figure that stood over him frightened her, something in her rational mind screamed he was dangerous. A moment later it was confirmed as the figure reached down and picked her uncle up by the throat. 'No! Leave my uncle alone monster!' Lecura thought wishing she could speak the words. Fighting through the screaming pain from the bites, her side, and her head injury, Lecura pulled one of her boat daggers. 'Please god. Do not let my aim be off.'

A second later she threw the blade, normally she could throw a small dagger with pinpoint accuracy and rarely missed. Unfortunately her aim was not spot on, but still managed to cut the figure's face. By then black spots were invading her vision, but she saw enough to know the figure had dropped her uncle. However now she had the figure's full attention and was moving towards her. 'That is right monster! Do not touch my uncle!' She thought, then groaned; 'I wish everything would stop spinning. I am really... tired.' With that thought everything went black, just as the figure got to her and reached down for her.

The remaining vampires Renfield had sent were dead, and the fight knocked out of the hunters lying about the clearing. No he intended to kill every last one, but doing so in bat form seemed too quick. The vampires would have recovered faster, and he wanted their interference dealt with so he could leave the hunters as 'examples'. The one in the trench coat seemed to be their leader, so he could die first in front of the others, and his niece. He grinned down at the man who tried to call out for his niece afraid that she was seriously injured or worse. Dracula shook his head as he did not bother to mention that his niece would be joining him soon. Reaching down he lifted the man by the throat, and he feebly struggled. 'No! Leave my uncle alone monster!' The thought came from the man's niece, but he ignored it in favour of wanting to make the man's screams echo around the clearing. However before he could do anything the next thought from the girl made him frown. 'Please god. Do not let my aim be off.'

Dracula turned in the direction the thoughts had come from in time to see the dagger, but unfortunately for the girl her aim was off. Still the idea that the blade sliced his cheek even injured as she was made him focus on her as he dropped her uncle to the ground. Absent-mindedly he reached up to touch where the blade had cut and found his hand covered in blood. 'Very well if she wishes to die first who am I to deny her.' Dracula moved towards the girl hearing her thoughts, he had to admire her bravery. Not many had the courage to face up to him so many cowered. Then he reached the girl. Her hood had fallen down, and Dracula was taken back over a hundred years to the same emerald eyes and blood red hair.

Dracula stared shocked to find his beloved once again, it was her thoughts that brought him back to the moment. 'That is right monster! Do not touch my uncle!' He was frozen as she groaned, 'I wish everything would stop spinning. I am really... tired.' It was then he realised with horror he had hurt her when he attacked. Without thinking he reached down running a hand over her cheek and seeing the many small cuts from his attack. "Elora."

A moment later the sweet scent of her blood made him snap back to reality, she was bleeding, injured. Gently he picked her up into his arms much to the displeasure of her companions, but he did not care what they wanted. Frankly they were lucky he was leaving them alive at all, if not for the girl in his arms they would all be dead. "Consider yourselves lucky and leave my lands."

"No...Lec...let her go..." The girl's uncle barely managed as he tried to crawl their way, but Dracula ignored him. Instead he turned away and disappeared into a sea of bats. When Dracula next materialized holding an unconscious Lecura it was on a large balcony that led into a large cavernous hall of his castle. The large double doors were open as were the dark red curtains and there stood Captain Aiden. The captain had expected to see his master, not the young woman in his arms. Aiden looked at her then gasped as he saw her face more clearly.

"Princess..." Aiden gasped making Dracula smile. "My lord how is this possible?"

"I do not know, but she is returned to us."

"The prophet, he was right?" Aiden asked shocked.

"Partially, she will not be my downfall but she will be mine." Dracula replied calmly. Taking her further into the castle, he brought her to a large bedchamber and laid her on the bed. He sent for servants to clean her up and tend to her injuries as well. They dressed her up in a lovely white night dress and quickly left, leaving Dracula alone in the room with her.


Hours Later...

The first thing Lecura noticed was she laid on something soft, it felt like silk beneath her fingertips. She wanted to open her eyes but her head hurt and spun, she felt ill or suffering from a hangover. What happened? They were not prepared for it, she knew that much. It slowly came back to her, they had prepared at the mentioned place where the girl the prophet spoke of would show up. They made it to Sighisoara, there they waited. She remembered vaguely a girl in a shawl, was that the girl? Lecura tried to remember more clearly, but from there her memory became fuzzy. She vaguely recalled an ambush and bats? It all happened so fast, the others they were not dead they could not be dead. 'Uncle!' The thought of Abraham being hurt made a soft gasp escape her lips. She wanted to get up but everything hurt. 'Open your eyes Lecura!' She yelled at herself, and did just that. She was in a large room on a large soft bed that had a canopy. What was she doing here? Where was Uncle, Rorke, Thrask, Demetri, Cordric, Morris, and Wesley? Gritting her teeth she sat up ignoring the pain and looked around. What was she doing in the nightdress? Where were her clothes? Who bandaged her up? She was alone in the large room, or so she thought. "Uncle." She whispered and winced at her dry throat.

Dracula kept to the shadows after laying the strange girl on the bed, and having had his servants tend to her numberous injuries. He could only stare at the beauty that looked identical to his love Elora. He grinned as he heard her thoughts, her name was Lecura a strange exotic and beautiful name, then winced as his nose picked up the sweet scent of her blood as she sat up reopening some of the wounds unintentionally. Like before when he brought her to the castle he ignored the call of it, telling himself not yet. She was thirsty it was obvious when she tried to call for her uncle, she needed water. Luckily the pitcher had been filled before she awoke, swallowing hard Dracula stepped forward calmly. He approached her slowly purposely making noise that humans do, and even still the girl rose quickly and tried to hide behind the bed post despite her injured weakened body.

"Who are you?" She rasped out, as she took in his appearance, black shoulder lenght hair and piercing blue eyes. He looked dangerous in his black clothes and the way he looked at her just then, but he was breathtakingly handsome.

"Relax, you are safe. Here you sound parched." Dracula picked up the pitcher and a cup and poured her a drink, then offered it to her. She was a cautious person her eyes moved from the cup to him, then back again before taking it. Even then she was looking at the contents carefully before taking a small sip, then a bigger one. Lastly she drained the cup and set it down.

"Who are you?" Lecura asked, now her voice was equally as beautiful to Dracula. He had heard her before, but now that he knew she was identical to Elora everything about her was beautiful. He licked his lips torn between telling the truth and lying. With luck she did not know him by this name.

"My name is Vlad Tepes, and yours?" Dracula asked keeping up the role of a normal person. Luckily she did not seem to know his real name, no his true name had long since been forgotten.

"I am Lecura Winters." The girl still seemed nervous, and was she avoiding eye contact? "Where are my friends and uncle?"

Dracula blinked, he had not thought this through. Of course she would ask about her friends. Swallowing Dracula played dumb. "I am sorry but I only found you. There were others?"

Playing dumb turned out to be a mistake too, for Lecura's eyes widened horrified. "No! What did those monsters do to them?!" She asked outraged, then seemed to remember him. "I thank you Vlad for saving me, but I must go now. I must find my Uncle and friends."

She turned away and headed for the door not thinking straight when he rushed forward and caught her arm just as she doubled over from the pain. "You can not go anywhere injured as you are, and under dressed. You will stay here until you have recovered."

"No my uncle-" Lecura started to protest.

"I will send men out to search for them, but you are not leaving." Dracula said firmly.

"Please I have to go, they are all I have left." Lecura pleaded trying to get out of his grasp. Dracula sighed as he gripped Lecura behind the neck and pinched a particular spot knocking her out. Immediately she gave a soft gasp and he caught her in his arms. Carrying her to the bed Dracula laid next to her watching her sleep. He watched her chest rise and fall and placed a hand there to feel her heart beat softly. He listened to her obscure thoughts and brushed her hair from her face. For a moment he wondered what it would be like to kiss her, then seemed to wake from his daydreaming. Getting up he left the room quickly locking the door mostly to keep others from her room, but also to keep her from leaving. Moving down the hall, it was quickly approaching dawn. However his thoughts were not on sleep, but on the willful girl he had left.

As he descended further down into the castles depths he found himself comparing her to his beloved Elora. The two women looked identical, but could not be further apart from each other. Elora was a gentle sweet woman who never defied him, one he still loved even after all this time. Lecura however was anything but gentle, she was too much of a fighter to be gentle. Something told him she could be sweet when she wished, but if Elora was sugar, then Lecura was definately spice. Lastly Elora was never so defiant, however Lecura he was certain would be very defiant. "My lord are you well?"

Dracula almost jumped at the voice of his loyal guard captain. "Yes Aiden. However I have a task for you."

"Anything my lord."

"The girl that I brought home. Her name is Lecura and she is in the royal suite upstairs. I have locked the door, but she is untouched I want her to stay that way for now." Dracula replied.

"Understood my lord. My most trusted and I shall guard her with our lives." Aiden promised and bowed before moving up the stairs to guard Dracula's guest. Dracula continued downwards until he reached a cellar room furnished much like the rooms upstairs, but with no windows. Only candles and torches. His bed lay against the far back wall of the room with red blankets and a canopy over it. On the wall to the right were a weapons and armour rack. To the left a desk and bookshelf sat, there were also other furniture such as a large comfertable arm chairs, and soft rugs on the floors. Most of the furniture was situated around a fireplace further into the room on the left. On the wall by his bed sat the image of Elora painted in loving detail. Moving to his bed he laid down and closed his eyes as dawn's light came.


Author's Notes:

Well here is chapter seven, and now Lecura has been kidnapped by Dracula. For now Lecura's memory is patchy at best so that there is the interactions between her and Dracula are cordial. After all she did hit her head after being thrown around by a sea of bats.

Anyway please review away.

Lesliezin