A/N- I hope everyone enjoyed that last chapter! I also hope I explained everything clearly. Okay, things in this fic are winding down. I estimate there will only be, including this chapter, about four more chapters left. HOWEVER, in my special tradition, there will be a sequel by the name of "Little Red Riding Hood." Keep an eye out for it when this is finished. Okay, enjoy!

Disclaimer- I promise, I don't own it!

Chapter 10

Sage ran as fast as her feet could carry her. In fact, it seemed to her that she was flying down the staircases as she headed toward the second floor of the castle. All of a sudden, it dawned on her. Adrian had never disclosed the location of his quarters to her.

"Adrian?" she whispered a bit foolishly.

Realizing that there was no possible way he could hear her, she placed her hands on her hips and sighed. A door behind her opened. A hand reached out and pulled her within. She opened her mouth to cry out, but she was silenced by the same hand.

"Quiet, Sage. It's just me," Adrian said, removing his hand from her mouth.

"Adrian!" she whispered feverishly. She threw her arms around him and buried her face in his neck.

"Sage? What's wrong?" he asked, patting her on the back.

"Oh, God! Adrian, he's going to kill me!" she whispered in the same feverish voice.

"What? Who? My father?" Adrian asked, pushing her back so that he could look her in the eye.

"Yes. He and someone else was discussing it. It's why he wants me to do magic…he needs my blood to be stronger," Sage said, fighting tears. She really hated to cry in front of anybody.

"He's going to bleed you? Why? When?"

"He's going to use my blood to resurrect as many vampires as he can to destroy the Belmont clan. I don't know when he plans to do it, though."

Adrian hugged her close but seemed to be so far away, thinking about what had to be done. Finally, he pushed her gently back and said, "We have to leave…or at least, you do."

This shocked Sage. She would've never thought running would be an option for the infamous Alucard, son of Dracula. Then again, he was mostly suggesting that only she run.

"No…we have to find Maria," Sage said, tears and fears gone. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and stood, resolutely in front of him.

"Sage…he could do this any night now, steal you right from your bed. You must go now!"

"No! I will do the spell first. Then we will set Maria's soul free and then we will leave together,"

"That's not good enough, Sage."

"Well, it will have to be! I'm going back to my quarters to prepare for the spell. Meet me in Orlox's quarters--" Adrian started to protest "And that's final."

Without another word, Sage strode from the room and back to her quarters. There, she did exactly as she said she would do. She gathered the ingredients she would need for the spell and packed them away in a bag. It was then that she realized that she hadn't discovered what had went wrong with the spell. So she shoved the book into the bag as well; she would check it as she set up. There had to be something that she had missed.

Suddenly, the room went dark. She could feel cloth being tied around her eyes. She was being blindfolded! She tried to scream out for Adrian, a leather gloved hand covered her mouth while the other arm restricted her moment. Her kidnapper was very strong.

She struggled against this strange person as she felt him--as she was confident that it was a he--drag her down several flights of stairs. She struggled even harder when he had to loosen his grip to open a door. His grip tightened once more as he dragged her through the door.

The night's chill hit her. She was outside; why? Her captor dragged her a bit further, and then she felt his leg go out to kick something. She heard a clinking noise and something being released. The drawbridge? Swiftly, her hijacker put both arms around her waist and hurled her sideways. She flew a short distance--her toes lightly scraping the stone ground--and abruptly hit something hard.

"Oomph!" she said as she hit the ground.

"Oh, God! Sage, are you alright?" she heard a voice say. Now that voice she knew!

She took off the blindfold to see Adrian standing before her, his hands covered in black leather gloves.

"Adrian! Adrian, what the bloody hell do you think you are doing!" she all but screamed at him.

He hung his head in shame. "I had to get you to leave. I can't have you killed…simply because you love me. I had to get you out of here, even if it meant by force," he explained as he helped her to her feet. She drew her hand away quickly.

"And throwing me into a damn wall is how you help me?" she said, rubbing her side for emphasis--as it actually had hurt.

"Sage, there is no wall there. There must be some sort of magical force field here to keep the two of us in here."

Adrian motioned behind her. True, there was nothing but an archway that led out to the drawbridge. Sage put her hand out and walked toward it. A purple energy showed when she had reached the limits.

"So that's why your father wasn't so worried about that spell," she said.

"Forgive me, Sage. I had to try."

She shook her head. "Forgiven. We have more important things to worry about now. Let's get my things and go to Orlox's quarters. The sooner we find and free Maria, the sooner we can break this force field and leave."

"Yes. But, Sage, I am sorry. I just couldn't see you killed. I would give the blood from my heart to save your life. I'm sorry."

"Adrian, stop apologizing, you silly--" she stopped. The blood from my heart…she grasped his arm. "Adrian, the spell! That's it! Come on!"

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They had ran and gotten the supplies for the spell from Sage's quarters. Of course, on her orders, Adrian had added a new item to the inventory--a dagger. They were now in Orlox's quarters, and the spell was once again set up, all except the handkerchief and the map.

"I don't understand. Why do we need the dagger?" Adrian asked, unsheathing it.

She took the blade from him. "The spell said that we needed something from the heart, remember? I took it to mean that it meant in the sentimental value…and in a way it does," she said.

"I still don't understand."

"Blood. Or more specifically, your blood. Something from the heart, literally means blood. Add in the sentimental thought of mine, and you get the blood of someone who loved Maria. Now, give me your wrist."

Sage slit Adrian's wrist and allowed a few drops of blood into the bowl. She then lent him the handkerchief to tend to the minor wound. Now she placed the map over the bowl and began to chant. As before, she stopped the chanting and eventually swung the crystal. Again a wall length visual of the castle map appeared before Sage and Adrian. However, this time it did not die out on them. A dot appeared on the map.

"Where is that, Adrian?" she asked as she marked the spot on the spare map she had thought to bring this time. She placed it into one of her pockets and noticed that the Dhampire had not answered her question. "Adrian?"

A foot appeared beneath the map and tipped the bowl over. The spell was ended. A bald, sickly pale man in a purple suit of armor grabbed Sage and restricted her arms.

"Adrian has been removed from the room. His father has words for him…and for you, dear Sage," the man said. Sage recognized his voice to be that of the man Dracula had been speaking to in the room. Orlox.

"He had better not be hurt!" she cried as Orlox began to drag her from his quarters.

"Oh, he won't be. He is too valuable to the Master to be hurt. However, I believe you will bleed this evening."

"No!" Sage screamed, trying in vain to break free from the vampire's grip. "No! Adrian!"

End Notes: Oooooh! I like this chapter! Sorry for the long update. I still don't have internet at home and a lot of stuff is popping up this year at school. Please R & R! Thanks!