Van Helsing's eyes flickered around the hall, taking in all possible exits, and hiding places.
"You mean... Dracula?" whispered Carl.
Anna nodded. "That bastard's here all right."
"What does he want?" hissed Gabriel.
"You. Or rather, your life," she said.
"My God be damned if he's getting that," Van Helsing growled, pulling out a silver stake.
Carl muttered something. Gabriel walked forward slowly, his eyes taking in every corner, every crack. Carl and Anna followed him, covering his back, Carl arming himself with his pistol.
Van Helsing walked into the dining hall. Carl disappeared behind some bookcases. Anna stood at the doorway of the hall.
"Gabriel," she said. "He isn't in-"
She stopped abruptly as strong arms grabbed her around the waist from behind. She felt incredible coldness, and overwhelming weakness. She knew it was him, even without looking up into his cold face.
"Vladislaus," she said, making Gabriel spin around and freeze.
"Hello, Anna," he said softly, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
"Let go of her, Dracula," said Gabriel angrily.
"I suggest you listen to me for once, Gabriel," came the bitter reply. "Or I'll snap Anna Valerious in two."
"She's already dead," Gabriel snapped.
"And who do we blame for that?" asked Dracula, a small smile playing about his face.
He tightened his hold on her slim body, gently stroked it with his fingers. Her face became relaxed, her eyes distant, and Gabriel realised she was in a trance. Dracula laughed softly.
"Such a beautiful girl..." he murmured.
"Unhand her!" charged Gabriel, unable to keep the fear out of his voice.
"I thought you believed I could not hurt her," Dracula smiled. "In truth... I would quite like to make her... a different kind of undead."
One of his hands moved slowly, seductively up to her neck, which he rubbed with his long fingers. Her head fell onto her other shoulder, revealing more of her neck. She gave a feeble moan.
"Dracula, no!" said Van Helsing, panic gripping him as he realised he could nothing.
Dracula lowered his mouth to Anna's neck, and kissed it gently. His kissing became more passionate, and Gabriel saw his long teeth appear...
Suddenly, it stopped. Dracula stood frozen for a second, before falling back, vanishing before he reached the floor. This revealed Carl, clutching the pistol he had smashed over Dracula's head.
Gabriel ran to Anna, grabbed her shoulders. "Anna! Anna!" he cried, his eyes on the purple-yellow mark on her neck made by Dracula.
She gave a sharp gasp. "I HATE it when he does that!" she snarled.
"I'm so sorry," he said, stroking her hair.
"It isn't your fault," she shrugged. "Thank you, Carl."
He smiled proudly.
"Now," he said. "I think its time you told us what you know."
"You mean... Dracula?" whispered Carl.
Anna nodded. "That bastard's here all right."
"What does he want?" hissed Gabriel.
"You. Or rather, your life," she said.
"My God be damned if he's getting that," Van Helsing growled, pulling out a silver stake.
Carl muttered something. Gabriel walked forward slowly, his eyes taking in every corner, every crack. Carl and Anna followed him, covering his back, Carl arming himself with his pistol.
Van Helsing walked into the dining hall. Carl disappeared behind some bookcases. Anna stood at the doorway of the hall.
"Gabriel," she said. "He isn't in-"
She stopped abruptly as strong arms grabbed her around the waist from behind. She felt incredible coldness, and overwhelming weakness. She knew it was him, even without looking up into his cold face.
"Vladislaus," she said, making Gabriel spin around and freeze.
"Hello, Anna," he said softly, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
"Let go of her, Dracula," said Gabriel angrily.
"I suggest you listen to me for once, Gabriel," came the bitter reply. "Or I'll snap Anna Valerious in two."
"She's already dead," Gabriel snapped.
"And who do we blame for that?" asked Dracula, a small smile playing about his face.
He tightened his hold on her slim body, gently stroked it with his fingers. Her face became relaxed, her eyes distant, and Gabriel realised she was in a trance. Dracula laughed softly.
"Such a beautiful girl..." he murmured.
"Unhand her!" charged Gabriel, unable to keep the fear out of his voice.
"I thought you believed I could not hurt her," Dracula smiled. "In truth... I would quite like to make her... a different kind of undead."
One of his hands moved slowly, seductively up to her neck, which he rubbed with his long fingers. Her head fell onto her other shoulder, revealing more of her neck. She gave a feeble moan.
"Dracula, no!" said Van Helsing, panic gripping him as he realised he could nothing.
Dracula lowered his mouth to Anna's neck, and kissed it gently. His kissing became more passionate, and Gabriel saw his long teeth appear...
Suddenly, it stopped. Dracula stood frozen for a second, before falling back, vanishing before he reached the floor. This revealed Carl, clutching the pistol he had smashed over Dracula's head.
Gabriel ran to Anna, grabbed her shoulders. "Anna! Anna!" he cried, his eyes on the purple-yellow mark on her neck made by Dracula.
She gave a sharp gasp. "I HATE it when he does that!" she snarled.
"I'm so sorry," he said, stroking her hair.
"It isn't your fault," she shrugged. "Thank you, Carl."
He smiled proudly.
"Now," he said. "I think its time you told us what you know."