A week passed, then two. Every day I brought Anna something to eat and told her details from my dream. Some days she was attentive, even asking questions. Most of the time, however, she was silent, refusing to even look at me. It frustrated and saddened me that I couldn't reach her, that I couldn't make her see that I was on her side. I wanted her to live.
Besides Anna, there were other issues that vexed me. Dracula and I had not slept in the same bed since that morning when I had tried to leave the castle. I knew that at some point, we would make love, and I was afraid of what would happen when we did. The desire I felt for him was something otherworldly, not like the pure, wholesome need I'd felt for Velkan. If our bodies ever met, I was frightened of the consequences.
The ball was approaching quickly, and Aleera and I had much to do. She modified an old gown of mine, adding gems and delicate embroidery, while I sewed together a gown for Anna. My heart sank as the needle flashed through the crimson fabric, and even Aleera's cheerful talk would not lift it. She would not be attending the ball, as she was pregnant and would be giving birth soon. After she finished my dress, she gave me an elaborate necklace, the wide, black band hugging my throat while strings of black pearls and teardrops of ebony cascaded onto my chest.
The day before the ball, Aleera and I were to meet Van Helsing and his traveling companions in the town square of Budapest. I was to remain hidden, as both Carl and Van Helsing knew my face, and Aleera would present the bargain. It was a simple trade; the creature in return for the princess. But we knew that Dracula would never release his greatest enemy, and we also knew that Van Helsing would never allow the creature to land in Dracula's hands. Both intended to end up with the whole prize.
We flew to Budapest under heavy clouds, Aleera clutched in my arms. Owing to the several hundreds of offspring in her womb, she could not change out of her human form. I held her carefully, knowing that at any moment, the birth pains could start.
At last, we reached the square. Aleera floated onto the roof of a stable while I crept around to hide behind a vegetable cart. As Aleera entered his sight, Van Helsing reached for his gun, and his movement stirred the still air. I smelled human blood, doubly strong, and moaned silently at the alluring, irresistible scent. Mixed with the sanguine aroma were Carl and Van Helsing's own scents, and I caught a trace of something else, something unpleasant.
The scent of Van Helsing's blood was much stronger than Carl's, as if he had an open wound; the strange odor must be coming from it. I sniffed again. It was woodsy, damp, like a rotting stump, with hints of an almost animal smell. I recognized that scent; it was the scent of a werewolf. Suddenly, it made sense. Van Helsing must have been bitten by a werewolf; Velkan, no doubt. I raised my hand to my mouth, both to cover my gasp and to mask the seductive smell of blood and the repellant odor of werewolf. Just then, I heard a rapid tsking noise come from Aleera, as if she were chastising them. I glanced at her, and she was crouched, waving one finger at the three of them.
"So much trouble to my master. So much trouble."
Van Helsing's voice was angry as he spoke. "What do you want?"
"The master commands a trade; the monster for the princess."
Van Helsing replied as expected. "Somewhere public, lots of people. Some place where your master will be less inclined to expose his…his other side."
Aleera and I smiled in synchronization. She pretended to think of a meeting place. "Tomorrow night is All Hallow's Eve here in Budapest. There is a wonderful masquerade ball." She laughed, a high, mocking titter, and leapt over the other side of the adjacent barn. I went to her side, making sure that Van Helsing's, Carl's, and the monster's attentions were diverted elsewhere. She was doubled over in pain; the birthing process would begin soon. Vampire women didn't show their pregnancies as human mothers did, but the births lasted longer and were considerably more painful. Aleera would be in agony for the next thirty-six hours, spitting out birthing sacs the entire time.
I carried her back as quickly and as gently as I could, then laid her down on the pallet in the birthing room. She wasn't sure at first if I should be there, but I insisted that I stay by her side. She held my hand as she began to give birth, and when the pain grew unbearable, she squeezed it so tightly that I could feel my bones being fractured multiple times, healed and broken again. At last, she demanded that I leave her and begin to prepare for the ball. A lot rode on this one night; either side could quickly gain the advantage. As I dressed, I felt the weight of trying to keep both sides alive on my shoulders like a physical burden. I had never carried anything this heavy, either as a human or vampire.
I'm sorry it's short, that's just kind of the way it works out, y'know? Read and review, please! Cheers, dear friends!