Arene moved as fast as she could up the winding staircase. She knew in her heart that she had to save the others from a horrible fate, but she had to let Dracula live for Nicola's sake. She reached the door to the lab and very carefully pulled it open. Her heart almost stopped. Tons of Dwergi were running around, taking orders from Igor to get ready. Arene quickly moved up the stairs and looked at her surroundings. Over looking the lab she saw every single one of the girls, standing as if they were in a trance, together a kind of cord, which looked as though it had been placed to each of the girls' necks. Arene's mind raced. "That's it!" she thought, "He's going to bite them and then pump his blood through all of them in order to save time! I have to tell Nicola!" But just as she was going to run to find her friend, she turned around to find Igor, smiling evilly, and several Dwergi (all of whom had weapons) standing in front of her.
"Hello miss," he hissed.
Arene's
heart pounded faster as she started looking for a plausible way out
of this mess. She knew that if she tried to escape, it would probably
mean her own death and if she jumped from the catwalk she would also
die. She would have to stand and fight.
"I'll die before
I'll obey your master," Arene informed him.
"Oh,
we're not here to kill you," Igor said, smiling a deformed
smile. "The master wants to see you die. Since your family has
been taking such pleasure in the killing of his kind!"
Arene's
courage suddenly turned to curiosity.
"My
family? My family has never even met Dracula."
"Not
that YOU know," Igor said and pulled out the same long electric
cattle prod he had used on Velkan. "I too have a little score to
settle."
Igor tried to ram her with the cattle prod as
if to stun her, but something inside of Arene seem to alert her. She
jumped out of the way and smacked Igor in the face. She backed away
in fear as she realized what just happened.
"Where did
THAT come from?" she wondered. However, her waiting took at
little too long.
Igor managed to jab her for a split second,
run up behind her and hold her still while they quickly bound her
arms to keep her from moving.
"How does it feel to be the
captured one for once?" Igor hissed.
"I don't know
what you're talking about!" Arene spat.
"Don't
worry," Igor chuckled as he and Dwergi pulled her away, "my
master will refresh your memory."
Nicola lay
in her lord's arms, contented. Soon though she found her mind
straying to Arene and wondering what was happening. She tried to
suppress these thoughts before her master detected them.
"Too
late for that. I have known since you flew up her that the girl was
not dead," said Dracula viciously, pulling them both to their
feet. "You lied well, my bride, but did you think I wouldn't
hear her heartbeat!"
Dracula grasped Nicola around her
neck and held up and away from him.
"So you would betray
me?" he questioned as he watched her struggle.
"No,
my lord, never," she managed to say eventually and his grip
loosened on her, letting her drop to the floor.
"I agreed
only to help her get the other girls out," she continued. "I
made her promise that no harm would come to you. I only want for the
two of us to live together forever!"
Dracula regarded her
for a moment before speaking.
"I believe you but I have
no intention of changing my plans. As punishment for your
disobedience you will be the one to kill this Arene and you had
better do it this time."
Nicola hung her head for a
moment then sorrowfully nodded to him.
"Good! Come then -
it is time."
Dracula opened the door and he and Nicola
headed towards the laboratory.
