Hours passed, Elizabeth nervously watched over her ailing friend while praying that her fiance and his comrades would succeed in finding away to save her friend.
"Elizabeth." Charlotte said weakly.
"I'm right here. What is it that you need?"
"Please remove the garlic from that window."
"I can't. Dr. Utterson told me not to."
"It's torturing me Elizabeth! It makes me feel as if my entire body on fire! Please if you truly care for me you'll remove that garlic."
Poor Elizabeth wasn't sure what to do. She couldn't stand to see her best friend suffer but Dr. Utterson had told her not to remove any of the garlic no matter what.
"Why don't I get you some water? And something to eat? Lisa." Elizabeth called in Charlotte's maid Lisa.
"Yes Miss Carew?" The maid said.
"Could you please fix some bread and jam for Charlotte?"
"Of course."
When Lisa returned with a tray of bread and jam, Elizabeth took a cup and went into the other room to fill it with water leaving Lisa to watch Charlotte.
"Lisa." Charlotte moaned.
"Yes Miss Harris?"
"Oh Lisa I beg you. Please remove the garlic from that window. It makes me ache so."
"Yes Miss Harris."
Poor Lisa did not understand the importance of the garlic and as soon as she removed from the window a great evil entered the bedroom. Lisa screamed which alerted Elizabeth who came running into the bedroom. There she found Charlotte gone and Lisa lying dead on the floor.
"Oh my God." She whispered in horror.
She heard the sound of horse shoes and realized that James and the others had returned. She was just about to go outside and tell them what had happened when out of nowhere a hand was clapped over her mouth. A hand that belonged to Thanatos.
"Don't bother to scream." He told her fiercely. "If you do I'll tear out your throat just as I did to the maid."
When she nodded he removed his hand from her mouth but kept a firm grip on her arm.
"Where's Charlotte?" Elizabeth asked while trembling. "What did you do to her?"
"Her fate has been sealed."
"What does that mean?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
"What are you going to do to me? Are you going to kill me?"'
"Not quite. I have something very special in mind for you."
Outside just as Elizabeth had suspected, Samuel, James, and Dr. Utterson had returned from their search.
"Mr. Warren I'm sorry to tell you this." Dr. Utterson said. "But I believe that we may be too late. I think that we must-"
"No!" Samuel shouted. "It's not too late! It just can't be too late!"
"The week is almost over and we haven't found the vampire who attacked her. Please Samuel, let us end her misery."
"But I-"
"Oh no!" James shouted in horror.
"What is it James?" Dr. Utterson asked.
"The window is open!" James pointed toward where the window to Charlotte's room was and it was wide open. "Elizabeth!"
The three men immediately rushed into the bedroom, hoping and praying that they weren't too late only to realize that they were once they saw that Lisa was dead and that both Elizabeth and Charlotte were gone.
"The bastard's come back." Dr. Utterson said. "He's come back for his mate."
"But why take Elizabeth?" James asked as his heart beat with fear.
At first Archibald wasn't sure until he spotted the trail of blood outside.
"Food." He concluded. "He plans to feed her to himself, his mate, and his followers."
"Feed?!" James gasped.
"Yes. But he was sloppy during the abduction. Look!" He pointed to the trail.
"Oh my God! Is that her blood?!" James wasn't sure weather to puke or pass out. "What did he do to her?!"
"There's still time! We might be able to save her!" Dr. Utterson assured him. "Quick to the horses! Follow that trail!"
At once they got on their horses and followed the trail of blood which led to an underground tomb. The trail continued down cold, stone stairs and at the end was pure darkness. Entering the room they lit lanterns to see better and they continued downward until they found a coffin. Just next to the coffin, they found Elizabeth lying unconscious, the side of her body bleeding from a nasty gash.
"No! No! Elizabeth!" James ran to her and took her into his arms. Believing her to be dead, he started to cry. "Oh dear God no! Not my Elizabeth! Please no!"
Dr. Utterson kneeled down to the weeping man and checked Elizabeth's neck. There were no bite marks, for extra measures he dripped some holy water on to her but there was no effect.
"Don't mourn yet James. She's still alive and she's still human. Thanks to the necklace she wears they weren't able to get to her neck."
"Oh God be praised."
With relief in his heart, he kissed her forehead. She began to stir.
"James?" She said.
"Yes my love, it's me. I'm here."
"Oh James." She collapsed into tears. "I was so frightened!"
"Don't cry Elizabeth. Everything's going to be fine."
"That horrible creature will pay for harming you like this." Samuel said.
"No." She breathed. "He didn't do this to me."
"Then who did?"
"Oh Samuel." More tears fell from her eyes. "It was Charlotte."
"What?!"
"She's not the person we know and love anymore! She's one of them! And she almost killed me!"
James embraced his heartbroken and betrayed fiance as she wept into his shoulder. Samuel just couldn't believe what Elizabeth was saying. Charlotte actually tried to kill her? That was impossible. How was she even capable of doing that?
Just the coffin opening and rising out of it was Charlotte who had now become as white as paper. She opened her eyes which were now crimson red and she smiled at Samuel exposing her fangs.
As she stepped out of her coffin James clutched Elizabeth protectively, Dr. Utterson prepared his weapons, Samuel could only stand there completely stunned.
"Samuel, you came for me I knew you would." She said. "Come to me my darling. My arms hunger for you."
She reached out for him, he wasn't sure how to react. On one hand this was a blood thirsty monster but on the other hand this was also the woman he loved. Just then Dr. Utterson raised up a large wooden cross. Charlotte hissed and backed away from him.
"Back! Get back!" Dr. Utterson shouted.
"Samuel help me!" She shrieked. "Samuel he's hurting me! Please make him stop!"
"Put it away!" Samuel demanded.
"Samuel this is not the woman you love anymore!" He said. "The real Charlotte Harris is dead, this is just a demon that has taken her body! We must destroy it!"
"I said put it away!"
"Dear God let her rest in peace you devils!" James cried not removing his arms from Elizabeth for one second.
"You must strike her through the heart with a wooden stake! Please Samuel!"
"Stop it!"
Samuel punched Dr. Utterson causing him to drop the cross and get knocked out. He then went to embrace Charlotte. She embraced him back but unknown to him she was preparing to bite him in the neck.
"I knew you wouldn't let him destroy me." She smiled vindictively and moved her fangs toward his neck.
"How could I let him do it? I love you Charlotte."
Hearing his words the demon known as the vampire who controlled her body was briefly weakened and her human soul started to briefly resurface. She broke away from Samuel, picked up the mallet and wooden stake, and handed it to him.
"Do it!" She said. "Do it!"
"Do what?"
"Kill me! Stake me! Hurry while I'm still in control!"
"I don't understand!"
"Dr. Utterson is right! I am dying in this body Samuel! He's controlling me! He won't let me go! You have to destroy me! Before he forces me to turn you!"
"I can't! I can't!"
"You have to! Please Samuel! If you truly love me you'll do this!"
Tears stung Samuel's eyes, he was being asked to do the unthinkable. He was being asked to kill the woman he loved. He didn't want to do it. He didn't think he could do it.
Suddenly the vampire gained control again. She lunged for his throat, then giving out a cry of anguish Samuel drove a wooden stake straight into his beloved's heart. She fell down dead. At long last her suffering was over.
