Arene
struggled as hard as she could against the Dwergi, but they were
stronger than they looked and there were more of them than there was
of her. She watched the moon rise higher and higher into the sky.
Again, her mind slipped into a different form, why was this so
familiar for her? She had never been here before in her life.
Suddenly, the door opened and the Dwergi forced her to bow before
their master, though Arene once again put up a strong fight. Dracula
smiled and he and Nicola moved closer.
"Struggle all you
want," Dracula informed her, "YOU are not as
strong."
"What do you want... more to the point how
do you know me?" Arene spat, trying to raise a hand to strike
him. Nicola walked forward, but Dracula held her back slightly.
"I
will let you know when. I have waited too long for this."
Both
girls wondered what he was talking about and he circled Arene. His
eyes never left her face.
"Yes," he whispered, "you
have the eyes and hair of your mother, but you can not escape your
great-grandfather's face and presence."
"What?"
Arene asked. "I never knew my great-grandfather."
"None
of your family knew him, not even his son," Dracula laughed.
"I've waited years to see his final descendant. Pity your mother
and father are not alive to see this. Tell me, Arene, what's it like
to live your life never really knowing your family? Is it anything
like what I feel? That's all I want, Arene, a real family. And with
Nicola by my side, I shall achieve that."
"I'll
never let you!" Arene cried, tears began to show in her eyes at
the mention of her dead family. "How do you know about them??!?!
How do you know me!?!?!"
"Would
you like me to refresh your memory, hmm?" Dracula asked as he
stepped closer to her. "A few details from your family's sordid
past?"
Arene looked up at him fiercely.
"You
are lying!" she stated as she watched him approach.
Nicola
wasn't sure what to make of what was happening but then it clicked.
What she'd thought earlier in the evening and her lord's words came
back to her. Van Helsing. The girl really was descended from Van
Helsing. How ironic it all was. Nicola couldn't decide whether to
laugh or cry.
"I think I understand now, my lord,"
she declared as she followed behind him.
"Of course you
do, my dear," he replied, never taking his eyes off Arene, "you
are no fool."
"Why bother with her though?"
Nicola questioned. "She doesn't know the truth after all. Why
not just keep her prisoner till your plans are completed then let her
go?"
Nicola knew she was taking a risk stating this after
her lord's earlier anger at her but she still didn't want to see the
other woman killed. She knew she couldn't do anything about the other
girls now without betraying her master but if she could save her
friend it would be something.
"No!" replied Dracula,
forcefully. "Tonight I end this girl's bloodline forever. She is
my enemy as much as Gabriel ever was!"
"Very well,
my lord," replied Nicola quietly, looking at her friend. Perhaps
if she were to realise her own strength she would be able to free
herself and get out of here. Nicola didn't dare to try and
communicate anything to her though for fear of her lord's wrath. So
she had to just stand there and wait while Dracula made his next
move.
Arene
would not believe what she was hearing. It was impossible. Her family
had never met Dracula. Why was he telling her this lie? She struggled
against the strength of the Dwergi again and looked at him.
"Lies!"
she said, tears streaming down her face. "All of them! You never
even knew my family!"
Dracula looked at her calmly.
"Oh,
I can assure you that I have known and hunted your family for years.
Why do you think I sent you the invitation? To finally, after so many
years, find Gabriel's last descendant. To be able to kill her with my
own two hands... with the help of my new bride."
"I
don't know any Gabriel!" Arene spat, "Whatever it is my
family did to you-"
"Your family hunted me for five
hundred years!" Dracula said, looking into her eyes, boring into
her soul. "All beginning with your great-grandfather."
"It's
all lies!" she cried, looking up at Nicola. "He was a
traveller from the church, assigned to make sure other lands
were-"
"He was a hunter from the church assigned to
kill me!" Dracula said and something clicked inside Arene. Both
Nicola and Dracula could feel it. She sank to her knees and looked up
at Dracula, tears filled her eyes.
"No!" she almost
sounded like she was pleading. "My family..... I'm
not...."
"Yes," Dracula continued, his voice
soft and smooth, like the last time he had spoken to Gabriel, "you
are...." He went into a regal bow.
"Arene Van
Helsing."
