Anna shuddered with the trauma of looking at Iilana's torn-off wings-and
the fear of what could have happened to her. Gabriel sorely wished he could
hold her in his arms to comfort her forever. But that was a luxury they
could not afford. Not now at least. Placing her in the coach, he took hold
of the reins and rode towards Castle Dracula at full speed once more.
Xxxxxxxx
Anna sternly reined in her emotions and took Gabriel's hand as they reached their destination. Both silently walked (not an easy task when holding a bag with two 'werewolf potions' and their antidotes) towards the castle. Anna then thought of an idea to save time.
"Hold on to this,"
she whispered, passing the bag of potions to Gabriel-before grabbing him by the scruff of his shirt and leaping towards the highest room in the castle.
"Demon blood,"
she explained. However, her exhilaration at being more powerful died when she heard giggling. They were not alone.
"Anna-
"Hush, Gabriel, we're not-
Before she could finish, a trapdoor under them opened.
"ALLLLLLOOOOOOOONNNNNNE!!!"
8888888888888
Anna fell rear first onto a hard stone ground.She was in a dark chamber. The door was tantalizingly open before her. She silently cursed before getting up. Her heart skipped a hundred beats like an Irish jig when she heard a cool, melodious masculine voice croon,
"Hello, my pretty,"
Into her ear. She looked into the face of a blond-haired, gray-eyed youth, grinning. His sharp canines betrayed his dark metamorphis. She backhanded him and gave him a roundhouse kick to the nose. She ran towards the door- only to be yanked back.
"Now, now, my pretty, can't have such a beauty leaving my sight-
She kneed him in the groin.
"Bi---!"
He growled, backhanding her.
This was going to be a LONG day.
8888888888888888
Gabriel studied hi surroundings. Fine, so he was in a dark chamber-and the door was open. And guarded by a female vampire. Great.
"At last, the famous Van Helsing,"
she purred, like a sucumbus out of Hell-though the irony was largely lost on her.
"You look better than I thought."
"Compliments, Miss, get you nowhere."
"On the contrary."
With that, she flung herself at him.
"Say goodbye!"
He jerked aside-and she slammed into the wall.
"Goodbye,"
he replied wryly, before running towards freedom. However, she grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt-and struck him painfully.
"Play. With. Me!"
She cackled.
Gabriel muttered,
"Sorry,"
before striking her. She was a good fighter apparently, for she deflected his blows. As she sent him flying face-first into a wall, she retracted her fangs and licked her lips in anticipation of a good feast.
Gabriel searched through his pockets for a second weapon. His crossbow was out of his reach.
"I shall become lovelier with your blood,"
she sneered before attacking.
No chance. Gabriel whipped out a vial of garlic juice, uncorked it in one fluid motion and flung the contents into Darla's mouth. She retreated, clutching her throat, gasping and crying in pain, before her head exploded into bloody pieces all over Gabriel. Making a sign of the cross, he wiped the pieces off his clothes, picked up his crossbow, grabbed a torch and went to search for Anna.
88888888888888888
Anna wiped the blood that trickled down her pretty lips. Roma (that was the name he gave) licked his lips as he leered at Anna .
"What is your name, Angel?"
"I don't give my name to Evil scum like you."
(A/N: OUCH!)
He drew his claws and slashed at her. Anna sucker-punched him before grabbing her scimitar and slamming it into his shoulder. Make no mistake, she wanted him dead. But first, she needed to find Iilana and Carl-and of course, Gabriel.
"Where is Van Helsing?"
"Why should I tell you?"
Big Mistake. Using her palm, she slammed the scimitar deeper into his shoulder blade, making him scream. Before he had time to heal, Anna had reopened his wounds, adding on to the agony.
"Every time you lie or don't answer, you'll get it from me. Now talk. Where is Gabriel? And where is Dracula?"
"I don't know-
"Spill! Or it's your blood that spills. Try not to lie to me."
When he hesitated, she sighed-and TURNED the blade.
He howled.
"Alright, alright1 I'll talk!"
She stopped.
"Gabriel's in the adjoining cell-its unguarded I swear. As for Dracula, he's in the ballroom."
"Where's the friar?"
"What friar?"
She reached for the blade with her free hand.
"Wait! I really don't know I swear!"
She looked into his eyes. He wasn't lying.
Yanking out the blade, she cleaned it and turned to go.
"You little Gypsy trash,"
snarled Roma, throwing himself with all his might at her, fangs and claws bared. Anna was prepared for that. She yanked out the pin of the contraption (courtesy of Carl) that gave out light with the intensity of the Sun-and in one swift, inhuman motion, flung it directly at Roma. As she ran out of the chamber, there was a blast of bright light-and the smell of rotten flesh burning. She stopped to catch her breath, grabbed a torch too- and went to search for Gabriel.
8888888888888888888888
Dracula had stopped abruptly as they made their way to look for Carl.
"What-
"Intruders."
He had hissed. To his anger, Iilana smiled-he knew at once that it was Gabriel and Anna. He then spoke in Romanian, ordering Roma and Darla (damn her) to play with their visitors-but keep the blood in their body. She nearly cried out in horror-only for Dracula to press her lips against his to shut her up. One part of her wanted to murder him-the other wanted this. In the end, she simply waited for him to stop kissing her before following him.
88888888888888888888
She paused.
"What is it-
She ran to the door and broke it down-and screamed with horror. The room was filled with blood-soaked strings. Blood covered the floor-but Carl was not there. The tears she had shed for Dracula's dark fate had turned cold at this sight-and turned to tears of hate (A/N: Don't you just LOVE Phantom Of The Opera?).
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM, MONSTER?!!"
She was not afraid of him. At all.
"To think I pitied you,"
she spat coldly, her fists clenched in unspeakable rage and grief.
"Oh what a deal of scorn looks beautiful in the contempt and anger of her lip! A murd'rous guilt shows not itself more soon that Love would seem hid."
Thought Dracula, quoting the bard. It appeared the more she despised him, the more he desired her.
"I am here, Iilana. You need not yell."
She turned around-and saw a blond-haired man, his clothes bloody and all- but otherwise-unhurt, standing before them both.
"Carl?"
8888888888888
Anna stiffened as she heard movement before her. Unsheathing her scimitar, she counted to three before leaping out of the darkness, ready to attack her foe...
8888888888
Gabriel readied his crossbow as he saw a shadowy figure approaching. Counting to three, he did likewise- and came face-to-face with the love of his life, battered and bleeding a little but otherwise alright. Anna laughed nervously before sheathing her scimitar and hugging Gabriel with her free hand.
"You're hurt,"
she said, looking at the claw marks on his cheek.
"So are you."
"I'm fine,"
she reassured him.
"Likewise."
Throwing her torch to one side, she flung her arms around him and kissed him. For a while at least, both forgot their problems and were in Heaven. But then, it ended all too soon.
"Let's go. Iilana and Carl need us."
And they left.
Xxxxxxxx
Anna sternly reined in her emotions and took Gabriel's hand as they reached their destination. Both silently walked (not an easy task when holding a bag with two 'werewolf potions' and their antidotes) towards the castle. Anna then thought of an idea to save time.
"Hold on to this,"
she whispered, passing the bag of potions to Gabriel-before grabbing him by the scruff of his shirt and leaping towards the highest room in the castle.
"Demon blood,"
she explained. However, her exhilaration at being more powerful died when she heard giggling. They were not alone.
"Anna-
"Hush, Gabriel, we're not-
Before she could finish, a trapdoor under them opened.
"ALLLLLLOOOOOOOONNNNNNE!!!"
8888888888888
Anna fell rear first onto a hard stone ground.She was in a dark chamber. The door was tantalizingly open before her. She silently cursed before getting up. Her heart skipped a hundred beats like an Irish jig when she heard a cool, melodious masculine voice croon,
"Hello, my pretty,"
Into her ear. She looked into the face of a blond-haired, gray-eyed youth, grinning. His sharp canines betrayed his dark metamorphis. She backhanded him and gave him a roundhouse kick to the nose. She ran towards the door- only to be yanked back.
"Now, now, my pretty, can't have such a beauty leaving my sight-
She kneed him in the groin.
"Bi---!"
He growled, backhanding her.
This was going to be a LONG day.
8888888888888888
Gabriel studied hi surroundings. Fine, so he was in a dark chamber-and the door was open. And guarded by a female vampire. Great.
"At last, the famous Van Helsing,"
she purred, like a sucumbus out of Hell-though the irony was largely lost on her.
"You look better than I thought."
"Compliments, Miss, get you nowhere."
"On the contrary."
With that, she flung herself at him.
"Say goodbye!"
He jerked aside-and she slammed into the wall.
"Goodbye,"
he replied wryly, before running towards freedom. However, she grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt-and struck him painfully.
"Play. With. Me!"
She cackled.
Gabriel muttered,
"Sorry,"
before striking her. She was a good fighter apparently, for she deflected his blows. As she sent him flying face-first into a wall, she retracted her fangs and licked her lips in anticipation of a good feast.
Gabriel searched through his pockets for a second weapon. His crossbow was out of his reach.
"I shall become lovelier with your blood,"
she sneered before attacking.
No chance. Gabriel whipped out a vial of garlic juice, uncorked it in one fluid motion and flung the contents into Darla's mouth. She retreated, clutching her throat, gasping and crying in pain, before her head exploded into bloody pieces all over Gabriel. Making a sign of the cross, he wiped the pieces off his clothes, picked up his crossbow, grabbed a torch and went to search for Anna.
88888888888888888
Anna wiped the blood that trickled down her pretty lips. Roma (that was the name he gave) licked his lips as he leered at Anna .
"What is your name, Angel?"
"I don't give my name to Evil scum like you."
(A/N: OUCH!)
He drew his claws and slashed at her. Anna sucker-punched him before grabbing her scimitar and slamming it into his shoulder. Make no mistake, she wanted him dead. But first, she needed to find Iilana and Carl-and of course, Gabriel.
"Where is Van Helsing?"
"Why should I tell you?"
Big Mistake. Using her palm, she slammed the scimitar deeper into his shoulder blade, making him scream. Before he had time to heal, Anna had reopened his wounds, adding on to the agony.
"Every time you lie or don't answer, you'll get it from me. Now talk. Where is Gabriel? And where is Dracula?"
"I don't know-
"Spill! Or it's your blood that spills. Try not to lie to me."
When he hesitated, she sighed-and TURNED the blade.
He howled.
"Alright, alright1 I'll talk!"
She stopped.
"Gabriel's in the adjoining cell-its unguarded I swear. As for Dracula, he's in the ballroom."
"Where's the friar?"
"What friar?"
She reached for the blade with her free hand.
"Wait! I really don't know I swear!"
She looked into his eyes. He wasn't lying.
Yanking out the blade, she cleaned it and turned to go.
"You little Gypsy trash,"
snarled Roma, throwing himself with all his might at her, fangs and claws bared. Anna was prepared for that. She yanked out the pin of the contraption (courtesy of Carl) that gave out light with the intensity of the Sun-and in one swift, inhuman motion, flung it directly at Roma. As she ran out of the chamber, there was a blast of bright light-and the smell of rotten flesh burning. She stopped to catch her breath, grabbed a torch too- and went to search for Gabriel.
8888888888888888888888
Dracula had stopped abruptly as they made their way to look for Carl.
"What-
"Intruders."
He had hissed. To his anger, Iilana smiled-he knew at once that it was Gabriel and Anna. He then spoke in Romanian, ordering Roma and Darla (damn her) to play with their visitors-but keep the blood in their body. She nearly cried out in horror-only for Dracula to press her lips against his to shut her up. One part of her wanted to murder him-the other wanted this. In the end, she simply waited for him to stop kissing her before following him.
88888888888888888888
She paused.
"What is it-
She ran to the door and broke it down-and screamed with horror. The room was filled with blood-soaked strings. Blood covered the floor-but Carl was not there. The tears she had shed for Dracula's dark fate had turned cold at this sight-and turned to tears of hate (A/N: Don't you just LOVE Phantom Of The Opera?).
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM, MONSTER?!!"
She was not afraid of him. At all.
"To think I pitied you,"
she spat coldly, her fists clenched in unspeakable rage and grief.
"Oh what a deal of scorn looks beautiful in the contempt and anger of her lip! A murd'rous guilt shows not itself more soon that Love would seem hid."
Thought Dracula, quoting the bard. It appeared the more she despised him, the more he desired her.
"I am here, Iilana. You need not yell."
She turned around-and saw a blond-haired man, his clothes bloody and all- but otherwise-unhurt, standing before them both.
"Carl?"
8888888888888
Anna stiffened as she heard movement before her. Unsheathing her scimitar, she counted to three before leaping out of the darkness, ready to attack her foe...
8888888888
Gabriel readied his crossbow as he saw a shadowy figure approaching. Counting to three, he did likewise- and came face-to-face with the love of his life, battered and bleeding a little but otherwise alright. Anna laughed nervously before sheathing her scimitar and hugging Gabriel with her free hand.
"You're hurt,"
she said, looking at the claw marks on his cheek.
"So are you."
"I'm fine,"
she reassured him.
"Likewise."
Throwing her torch to one side, she flung her arms around him and kissed him. For a while at least, both forgot their problems and were in Heaven. But then, it ended all too soon.
"Let's go. Iilana and Carl need us."
And they left.