Arene, Carl and Van Helsing sat in silence as Dracula described his plan. Nicola slept soundly as the conversation went on, unaware of anything happening. Every so often Dracula would try to look Arene in the eyes but she would turn her head away sharply, indicating she would have none of it. The Count rolled his eyes and continued. Once he finished, both Carl and Arene turned to Van Helsing.

"So, by using each of us as bait, at one point or another, we can draw each of the brides out and kill them?" Carl asked.

"That is the general idea, my young friar," Dracula said, looking at him. It had been the first time Carl had ever spoken to him. "Any objections?"

"Well, I'm not crazy about the 'use ourselves as bait' bit, but it is a wise plan," Carl said and, even though he hated to admit it, Van Helsing nodded in consent.

"When would be the best time to start?" he asked. "Preferably the sooner the better."

"Why Gabriel, I get the feeling you don't want me here!" Dracula said in a mocked hurt voice.

Arene rolled her eyes. "Whoever you took those acting lessons from Count, you really wasted your money," she thought to herself.

"Actually he was the best in Transylvania," Dracula said, looking right at her. Van Helsing and Carl both looked at Arene, who was shocked herself.

"How did you-" she started.

The Count did nothing but smile as his eyes flickered to the wound on her arm. Arene's hand clenched into a fist.

"Oh... right..."

He gave her a very pleased smile and continued.

"We should begin tonight because of the full moon, they will be active and try to kill my dear one again."

"Fine," Gabriel said, looking right at him, "but who do we draw out first?"

"Aleera!" Arene said at once, making all the men look at her.

"She's the one with the darkest heart, insanely jealousy, and that will be her downfall!"

"How can you tell?" Carl asked, curious to know.

"Jealousy eventually leads to many downfalls," she said. "Look at Shakespeare's Othello."

The Count looked up at her.

"Shakespeare?"

Arene nodded, remembering all the times she and Nicola had told each other how much they loved the Bard.

Dracula's eyes turned to her yet again and yet again she looked away. The Count did nothing but speak.

"I follow thee... You that look pale or tremble at this chance, that are but mutes or audience to this act.... If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart, absent thee from felicity awhile, and in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain to tell my story... The rest is silence."

Arene turned back to look at him, she couldn't believe what she just heard. She did not smile but spoke gently.

"What a piece of work is man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculty, in form in moving how expressive and admirable. In action, how like an angel, in apprehension, how like a God. The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals and yet to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me."

Both Carl and Van Helsing could do nothing but stand in silence, those words flickering in the room.