Author's Note: Unedited, I'll fix it tomorrow. Show me love.

Chapter Ten: Under the Full Moon

"You look pale."

Gabriel jumped as he spun around to face the entrance where Dracula stood smiling weakly at his friend. Dracula's color had returned to his face, but from either laziness or a need to show off, Vlad had yet to don a shirt and stood now in the fading sunlight shirtless with black pants and his long hair pulled into a lazy ponytail. He had donned his gold earrings again and now looked healthy but flushed as if fresh from training and happy. Had this been any other time, any other day, Dracula would have crept into Gabriel's room, ready to assail Gabriel with some sort of game to save him from his studies and as Vlad put it "complete despair."

But this was not any other time. This was the night of the full moon and Dracula had come, not to Gabriel's room, but to the Armory, where Gabriel stood polishing a silver sword for later tonight.

Vlad's eyes flickered to the sword before settling back on Gabriel. He tried to smile again but couldn't, knowing the purpose behind Gabriel's actions. He turned to the window and stared into the sky before speaking idly. "You should be resting. Tonight you will fight a demon."

"I couldn't rest even if I wanted." Gabriel whispered quietly as he walked to Dracula. Reaching out with one hand, he cupped Vlad's cheek and brought him closer, resting his forehead against Vlad's. "Not when I know you may suffer so."

"But will you have the strength to save me when you need to?" Dracula returned mournfully.

"There's nothing I need to save you from…" Gabriel said, pulling away and readjusting the grip on his sword.

"You don't believe that, or else you wouldn't be preparing your sword."

"Precautions against the werewolf."

"I'm standing right here. You don't need to be cautious."

"Don't say such things. You're not a werewolf."

"Gabriel, please listen to me…if I am lost…"

"No, no. I refuse to accept this. I refuse to acknowledge that black magic or the Devil has you. I won't lose…"

"Don't let your love for me cloud your judgment."

"My love for you is all I have that keeps me here!" Gabriel shouted, not realizing he had till he had spun about and seen Dracula's torn face.

His friend looked tired, and weak but despite himself, he walked towards Gabriel and stopped short of returning the earlier touch. Instead of touching him, Dracula offered him a weak, slow smile before walking over to the opposite wall, and choosing a sword to his liking. He turned and swung his sword a little at Gabriel, like a snake.

"If we can't talk." He told Van Helsing. "Can we at least dance? One last time."

Gabriel frowned and motioned to speak again but before he could, Dracula had attacked. Vlad had tucked on hand behind his back and stood sideways, in the way the English fought and smiled playfully as he swung his sword in various parries and thrusts that Gabriel blocked with ease. He countered, and took the offensive, pushing Vladislaus back and sidestepping his friend's attempts to get into his stance.

It was ridiculous game that neither person really wanted to play but it didn't matter. They both desperately wanted to forget fate and duty, God and Goddess for a moment and live as they had before the Crusades, the wives and the demons. They wanted nothing more then to be friends and brothers. No more wars, and games that the rich or powerful played. Let them have it. Let the Gods battle their own wars and leave them out of it. Gabriel and Vlad would be content together, as brothers, till natural death parted them. But this was not their fate and Gabriel knew it. Vlad was destined for power and ruling, and his were a life devoted to God.

Even if the events of the past month had not happened, they would have still been parted. Their youth was over. Innocence had failed and the games boys played were no longer games.

And this truth made the steel of the swords as they clashed even more damning to Gabriel. But still he fought, not against Vlad per say, but against the truth. He swung out at the stupidity of men and the vanity of Gods. He fought against the Angels of Heaven, and Demons of Hell, and those of the Earth that dared claimed they knew which side was right. Salty tears began to sting his eyes, but Gabriel ignored them, determined to defeat the unfairness of the whole situation.

He felt his arm shake from the impact of the other's sword against his, and Gabriel struck out. He took one sharp swipe at the other's hand and heard rather then saw the blade come free and fall to the ground. He heard the enemy's startled yelp, and ducked down, swinging at his legs and letting him fall. Gabriel brought his sword up and then leveled it on the neck, ready to make the kill.

"Gadjo, enough! You win!"

Gabriel blinked out of his dream and realized his place. He was still in the Armory, and underneath his blade was Count Dracula, his beautiful brown eyes staring wildly into Gabriel's.

"Or is this how you'll do it?" Dracula whispered. He had put his arms behind him and pushed up from the ground, to position the sword tip in the center of the blade. He looked up, softly and Gabriel saw that his eyes too were filled with tears. "Tell me, Gadjo. Is this how you thought to save me?"

Gabriel pulled away, and turned, surprised at himself. His body was still pumped, still energized from the revelation of his holy quest but he was shocked at who his dreams had turned him against. Dracula was no villain.

But he found that even as he told himself this, he wasn't believing it anymore.

Something caught his eye, in the sword he still held. Looking down at the polished metal, he saw a reflection in the blade. Reflecting from the doorway was the shining, warped image of the full moon shining surreally down on him. His heart skipped a beat and he was only vaguely aware of seeing Catherine appear in the blade's mirror like surface before sharp pain erupted through his back and threw him down.

He heard the sound of a demonic wolf-like cry before impacting the ground and succumbing to darkness…

"Gabriel!"

It had happened so fast, Vlad hadn't realized what was happening at first. He had realized the moon had risen at the same time Gabriel had, but was too awe-struck at the fact he hadn't transformed to speak. He rose to his feet, meaning to touch Gabriel's back and show to him that Gabriel had indeed been right but two things had stopped him.

One, was the unexpected appearance of Catherine at the doorway to the Armory, and the other was the sensation of being pushed aside by a huge creature lunging from behind him. Dracula watched in horror as the Werewolf threw Gabriel to the ground, before bounding over him, towards Catherine. He gripped his sword, meaning to run towards his stepmother to protect her but another surprise awaited him.

The Monster circled in front of Catherine, and kneeled.

Finally, Dracula found words to speak. "What…what magic is this?"

Catherine's head snapped up, she also seemed to have been surprised by the turn of events. She glared at him, then stood, glancing at the werewolf. "You said he was bitten, you stupid boy! Finish it now!"

"…it's you?" Dracula said dumbly, backing away from her. He lifted his sword, feeling his whole body well up with anger and hate. He felt like a curtain had been pulled away from his eyes, as everything began to shift in his mind, turning against Catherine. "You're the Witch who has conjured this demon!"

"Don't act so surprised, you foul creature!" She shouted back. "Your filthy race thrives on stories of demons and monsters! How can you be so shocked to realize your father has slept with one!"

"I'll kill you for your treachery." Vlad swore, anger replacing where his strength had failed. "You killed Nicolae and the others! You'll pay for their deaths!"

"You won't have the chance to avenge those deaths, boy. My familiar will finish you off tonight and for eternity you'll burn in hell like the rest of your kind. While I," And Catherine paused here to smile a cruel savage smile. "And I will make your Kingdom mine after I impaled your wretched family on stakes as you did Grigore…"

Upon hearing this threat, Vladislaus screamed violently and jumped forward- intent to rent Catherine to pieces with or without his sword as aid. But Catherine's wolf was faster and jumped between them, batting Vlad away. Dracula flew back, against the rack of swords and screamed as he felt them slice his exposed back. He slumped to his knees and howled in pain as the wolf's mighty paw tore his chest, making blood ooze over his already tender body.

"I don't know how you avoided the curse," Catherine was muttering. "Gypsy magic perhaps…Goddess' mercy, but it will make little difference. You'll no longer be a threat after tonight." She walked over, and crouched down to brush Gabriel's prone body. "Tell me, boy…do you think Gabriel can scream like Grigore did?"

Dracula stared at the blood on his hands. His blood and he shuttered. His mind was racing from pain, and delirium and utter despair. It could not end like this, he told himself, it can't. He could not fail, in this his only mission. Damn the world. He would not lose!

Then don't.

The voice came and whispered in his ear quietly, and for a moment he thought it was his own. But it was not. This voice was new, but familiar, haunting but firm. Vladislaus closed his eyes, and waited. He stopped short of naming the voice, but knew, even if he did not speak it, who had come to him now when all else had abandoned him.

Take your blood. The Voice instructed. Your impurity, the impurity of all your people and use it. That is your weapon. That is your cure. Your blood.

Blood is life.

Not fully understand the words, Dracula opened his eyes and pushed his hands down to find his sword again. His palm smeared his blood over his blade as he found it and he barely had time to find the hilt and thrust the sword up as the werewolf jumped unto the blade.

It was a clean cut, slicing through the arm of the creature and causing it to jolt back. Dracula forced himself up, and rose his sword, readying for another attack. But his hand stayed as something happened.

Beginning at where Dracula's blood had touched the wolf's arm, the skin of the creature began to tremble as if something was moving under the skin. Bathed in the silver moonlight, the tremors moved through the wolf's entire frame, causing the creature to howl in pain and begin to tear at itself. Vlad stepped back in revulsion, as skin and fur began to peel away to reveal a man. The creature's howls became less inhumane and more recognizable as words almost seemed to form between sobs and pitches of pain. Until finally, breathing heavily, and looking around in pure shock, Feodor stood where the wolf once had.

Feodor touched his arm, which was still damp with Dracula's blood and turned to his mother. "Wha…"

The words died on his lips as his body convulsed and tensed. Dracula had pushed his sword through his brother's chest, as far as it could go and then with almost savage pleasure, he withdrew it. Feodor's body went rigid as the sword withdrew and then slumped to the floor.

Dracula watched it fall, and smiled with his own brand of cruelty as he stepped over Gabriel, to get closer to Feodor's remains. Catherine had backed away, to the doorframe. She stared first at Feodor, her mouth opening to as if she meant to strain out words, before turning to Vlad, and finally, looking behind at Gabriel. She must have seen something in her nephew's body because she turned back to Vlad.

What devilry was this?" She asked quietly, backing up to begin to climb the stairs.

"Devilry, mother?" Vladislaus asked maliciously. He smiled at her, allowing stray locks of his hair to fall over his wild eyes. There was a look within them that had been there before and Dracula felt it. It was like his hate had become a demon that possessed him, and despite himself- he could not find the will to be afraid. Instead, he gave this demon full control and allowed it to speak.

"No devilry." It continued. Dracula raised his hand to show his bloody palm to her. "If anything I am like God. My blood covers sins, heals and gives life…" He reached out to her, offering his hand to her. "I wonder," He whispered. "Do you think I can defy death itself now?"

"Let us see." She whispered, then inhaled. "Murder!" She cried. "Men, to Arms!"

Vladislaus hissed and stepped back, uncertain of what Catherine was doing. He still held the sword in one hand and lifted it to remind her of it.

But Catherine ignored him, she backed up another step, and instantly her demeanor changed from coldness to one of utter terror. She tugged at her chest and wrapped her arms around, creating sobs to rack her voice and testify to her fear. "To Arms!" She screamed again. "Vladislaus has the Devil in him! He's killed Feodor!"

"No one will save you here!" Vlad shouted, and jolted forward but was pulled back by a firm grasp of someone behind. At first, he was confused. With no back way into the Armory, no one could have entered in from behind Vlad. He swung about, half-expecting to see Feodor rise again. But his strength and hatred drained when he saw his attacker.

Gabriel had a sword in his free hand and was holding it dangerously close to Dracula's ribcage. On Van Helsing's face was a look of complete pain, coupled with something Vladislaus hadn't seen before. A deep-seated resolve that did not rest with Vladislaus. Gabriel was staring at him as if Dracula were a strange, new creation that he no longer recognized and no longer loved.

"Gabriel." He whispered, dropping his sword even as he did. "I am not the monster here."

Gabriel's voice came to him distant and impassive. "Tell that to Feodor."

Dracula's mind became a jumble as he was stunned into silence. He didn't resist Gabriel or the other soldiers when they rushed down the stairs and gaped at the grisly scene before them. Without his shirt, he knew they would see his wolf bite, and gazing out the window he saw the clouded moon. His hands were sticky with blood, and he knew what it must look like but he didn't care.

He lost it all. In one fell swoop, with one cry from a woman, his whole world had been taken from him.

"He's a Witch!" Dracula heard one of the soldiers cry as they clamped down irons over his wrists.

"No, his woman is! Intessar…the Moor! She's brought this to us!"

Dracula began to choke. He turned, franticly. "My bride." He pleaded with Gabriel. "Protect her, please!"

But his friend's face showed no sign of mercy as Dracula was pulled away. He strained to keep eye contact with Gabriel as long as he could, knowing that he could win his friend back. He only needed the chance. But the chance did not come then, and Dracula knew Catherine would not give it to him later. Her victory had been complete. His Kingdom stolen, and his friends turned against him, he had nowhere to turn to. He was alone.

No…

The voice returned.

I am here…