Author's Note: Unedited and long in coming but blame Gabriel. Everytime I try and write this, he gets touchy-feeling with Vlad and I am trying to make this non-slash. I know, Aku, I've failed miserably but hey- nobody's prefect. Review and tell me you love me!

Chapter Nine: In Exodus

Gabriel had been preparing himself mentally for this confrontation all morning but somehow the image of Anne and Intessar joining forces to confront him chilled him more then he was prepared to admit. Still, he set his jaw and walked out to meet them, closing Vlad's door behind him and raising his hands to ward them off.

"He won't see you." He told them before either woman had a chance to speak. "And please don't ask wh…"

"Why has he sent us to Budapest!" Anne demanded, angrily. "My place is by my husband!"

"Why Vilkova Palace?" Intessar picked up right where Anne left off. "It makes no sense, why would he order his family away from Vaseria? We should be standing our ground, not running."

For a moment, looking into the eyes of the two women Vladislaus loved most in the world, Gabriel was tempted to tell the truth and shame the Devil. But it was that same truth that kept him silent. He knew would happened if word that Vladislaus had been bitten by the werewolf got out. Trust in the Valerious line would cease and anarchy would prevail. The Gypsy pagans would overrun the manor, take the family and kill them. Without Valerious the Elder to rule, the region would be vulnerable to the Moors. And that would not an option for the rest of Europe. Transylvania was the only thing keeping the Muslims at bay and Hungary's King would do anything to keep it securely within Christian hands. Even it meant keeping Vaseria and the region under an iron fist.

Vladislaus wouldn't want that, and so Gabriel couldn't allow it.

"Vlad has his reasons." Gabriel said simply. "And he expects me to carry out his orders to the best of my abilities. He has told me to move the family to Vilkova and I'm going to do that."

"But the summer palace is so far…" Anne began then stopped. She wrung her hands together and inhaled to keep composure. "Gabriel, let me see him! It's been two weeks since anyone has seen him."

"I've seen him." Gabriel countered.

Intessar's eyes were burning into Gabriel's head. "And you are the only one."

"And he's fine." He continued with some effort. "Nico's death was hard on him, and he is running out of time to plot another attack. The full moon is fast approaching…"

"Which is why we should be allowed to stay." Intessar determined. "He has to keep the people encouraged that he has everything under control…"

"I do have everything under control." Gabriel muttered, then realized the mistake in words a moment later. He inhaled. "I am working as his hand in these matters…"

Intessar narrowed her eyes. "I can see that." She hissed dangerously. "Are you now the Hand of God?"

"I am Vladislaus' servant."

"You weren't before Nicolae died."

"But I am now." Gabriel said, folding his arms across his chest. "And that should be enough for you." He told her. "Now go."

"It is not enough for me!"

"I said go." He said again, harsher and then turned to walk back into Vlad's rooms. He knew Anne would take this quietly and go with Count Valerious, his son and the servants to Vilkova. Gabriel wanted his Aunt Catherine and Feodor to be with him. That only left Intessar, who would fight for her right to remain in the manor. He couldn't really blame her either, without Vlad's protection, Intessar would have been shamed, killed or both by now.

But even she would not be safe here if the moon had it's way come the next time it appeared full in the sky.

And Gabriel knew that too. Inhaling, he rubbed his brow to keep the sweat from his eyes, or maybe to wipe away tears, he doubted he knew the difference anymore. He was tired and frightened for his friend. He wanted Catherine's guidance, wanted Vladislaus' strength, wanted security and peace of mind- all things he could not have. Not now.

Now he had to be the strength, the wisdom, the security and peace for the unbreakable Count Dracula. It seemed odd, even now when Gabriel had been juggling this for two weeks, that Vlad would need his help so completely. It seemed impossible that anything short of death could make Vlad weak…

"Gabriel?" Called Dracula's frail voice from the darkened room. "Is that you?"

"Yes, Vlad. It's me."

Dracula looked small in his bed, in the way, he was shirtless and writhing in the bed, with a fever that flushed the color from his body, and made him look ghostly. He looked dead, with his fair skin beyond pale and tight around the eyes, with sweat that matted his hair to his head. His lips, once so lush and full, were trembling and cracked, with blue touching the corners of his mouth.

Gabriel swallowed down his pain and walked to the bed, sitting beside him and forcing Vlad to relax and expose his wound to him. The wolf bite had become infected and with it, had come a deep fever that ravaged Vlad's mind, and took him to the edges of delirium at times. As the fever raged for longer and longer, it became harder and harder for Gabriel to pull Vlad out of it but he refused to admit Vlad was dying, even to himself. To admit that would be like claiming God could be destroyed.

"I saw him," Vladislaus was mumbling, sometimes in Romany, sometimes Hungarian and other times in something that was probably gibberish. "I saw the Devil."

"Don't say such things, Vlad." Gabriel whispered, as he began to change the dressing on the wound.

"He whispers things in my ear." Vlad mumbled. "Big words …words like betrayal and murder…and damnation, and…the devil speaks Romany."

"We always knew the Devil was a Gypsy." Gabriel mused at an attempt to lighten the mood.

Vladislaus to his credit, chuckled, but soon whatever demons the fever had conjured up, attacked again. "He means to make me Strigoi."

"Strigoi" Gabriel repeated, frowning. He knew that word, it was Gypsy but the meaning was escaping him.

"Nosferatu." Vlad repeated, his eyes cleared and he took hold of Gabriel's hand. His face twisted into pain as his body seized up in pain. "It hurts so much, Gabriel...why must it hurt so much!"

"I don't know, Vlad. But I have you, I got you." Gabriel swore, as he leaned down to brush the hair from Vlad's face. He suddenly met those fevered eyes that had once captured him so completely those years ago and held the gaze till he felt his resolve weaken. He wanted to surrender and take Vlad away from this mess and his obligations. He longed to take away every pain from his friend's being but could not. So instead, Gabriel took a deep breath and fought to compose his voice before speaking again. "I swear it."

Vlad's face became drawn and haunted but terror or the fever stole whatever words he meant to speak. His eyes fluttered close as another bout of fitful sleep took over. Closing his eyes, Gabriel buried his face in one hand while the other groped his side and he struggled to develop a plan. He didn't know if the werewolf venom or the infection that was causing the bouts of dementia but he wasn't looking forward to the results. The full moon was coming. He would have to release Vladislaus from this, but found that he could not. He dropped the dagger he realized he was holding and stood.

He didn't know what stayed his hand: love or cowardice but it was enough. It was enough to show him that no matter what, not even for mercy's sake, he could not kill Vlad.

And heaven help him if he couldn't.

"What are you planning, mother?" Feodor asked as his mother led him into Armory. "With Gabriel's foolish decree…we're being sending to Vilkova and there go our…"

"Don't be so impatient, dear one." Catherine rebuked as she brought him before the huge map of the area.

Feodor exhaled angrily. He knew his mother had often come down to view this map as if gave her some sort of inspiration that he could never handle. He preferred action when he came to thinking. He preferred to race through uneven terrain, or spar with some soldier to train his body and soothe his soul.

"I am staying here, Gabriel wants me close." Catherine said, running her hand over the edge of the map, and muttering words he could not hear. "You will come to me by the sky ways, to finish what you started."

"I don't understand…" He whispered as he watched the map shimmer and disappear to reveal a gold frame and what appeared to be a mirror. A mirror he had no reflection in. He shuttered and stepped back. "What magic is this?"

"This is your sky way." Catherine told him and stepped closer to the mirror. "Vilkova." She told the mirror and gradually the scene changed, becoming the mirror that hung from the Great Hall in the palace. Feodor shuttered in awe as he stared into the darkened ballroom, hundred of miles away. He licked his lips and stepped closer to his mother. She smiled at him. "You are certain Vlad is bitten?"

"Yes, mother. He will become wolf next full moon."

"Good. I will be there when he first transforms, take his will. I will use to kill Gabriel, and then come morning, turn him over to Kolos…his fate and that of Intessar's will be sealed then."

"Gabriel?" Feodor whispered, frowning. "You mean to kill Gabriel?"

"Oh my son…don't be troubled. His death will not be in vain…" She looked down, before taking Feodor's hand into hers and holding it below her chest. "But I will need you too. If Vlad resists at first, I'll need protection." She looked at him, longingly. "Tell me I have fully in this."

"But Gabriel…" Feodor began before looking away and nodded. "Yes, mother. You'll have me."

"Then go now, attend to Anne and my husband. You're journey will be long." Catherine watched as he disappeared unto his errand and she shook her head. He had been useful, and the only source of comfort for many years. But he would also become a loose end if her planned work. She could not allow that. So she would miss him but she would not mourn for long.

After all, soon she'd have a Kingdom to rule.