Dracula's laugh sent ripples of fear down Gabriel's spine. Now that he had been found, he had to think of a new plan to get Anna out of there, and fast. He took another look at his wife, she was still unconscious, then he turned to face the devil. He looked uneasily cool about the situation. He's been waiting for me he thought in shock. He knew I'd come for Anna.
"What now, Gabriel?" He stepped closer to the distressed husband, making Gabriel step backwards, keeping the distance between them as large as possible. On the upside, the closer he was to Gabriel, the further away he was from Anna. "Have you come to save her?"
"You knew I'd come for her now what do you want?" He said forcefully.
"What I have always wanted, Gabriel. The end of the Valerious bloodline." Dracula rushed forward, so quickly that Gabriel only realised he had been hit when he fell to the ground after hitting the wall. Pain radiated from his ribs as he landed with a thud on the floor. Something landed on his head and he felt himself loosing into the darkness. Anna… He thought as he blacked out.
Anna was now looking into the fountain. Her father had told he that it had been built so that families could watch their loved ones from heaven. She was watching with fear as Gabriel sneaked into her cell with Dracula close in front of him. She turned to her father. "See, I told you he'd come for me!" She said with anticipation. She turned back to the fountain, In time to see Dracula trick him and throw him into the wall. "NO!"
She screamed aloud as Gabriel was injured. Her own heart breaking as she watched his battered body fall to the stony ground. She was helpless as she watched Dracula walk over to her own body. Her father put a hand on her shoulder. She started praying as he lifted her up by the throat, shaking her around roughly. At the same time, she felt her body being pulled around.
"Dad what's –" She began asking, but he already knew what she was going to ask.
"Our time here is ending, Anna." He told her sombrely. He hugged her, yet she could not feel him now, his outline was fading, or was it hers?
"No, father, I can't do this alone." She said, her voice thick with her shed tears.
"You will not do it alone, my darling, you are returning to your love. He was drifting away from her now, returning into the distance he had come from. "Remember we all love you." He said as he faded completely.
Anna sobbed uncontrollably. She didn't want to return to her own world. She wanted to be reunited with Gabriel, yes, but she didn't want to face Dracula. She was afraid, terrified, of what he would do to her, to Gabriel.
Gabriel awoke with an incredible grogginess clouding his mind. He remembered Anna, lying unconscious, and Dracula, smiling evilly at him. He tried to reach out a hand, wishing to end his constant headache, but he found himself unable to stretch. His vision cleared, and he looked down to see himself chained at the wrists to the ground. He summoned all of his strength to try and break the manacles but it was useless. He looked around him, and almost screamed in heartbreak.
Anna was lying on the ground, not six feet from him. Her body was completely naked, and he could now see every bruise and cut on her porcelain skin. What skin wasn't bruised was covered with dirt and grime. She was still unconscious, but her lips were slightly parted, and she had dried tears on her cheeks. He had never seen her in such a way. He struggled to his feet, fighting off the dizziness, and used his anger to try at break the chains.
The manacles cut him off when he was just out of reach from Anna. He pulled desperately on the chains to try and get to his wife. He eventually gave up, with no strength left to continue pulling. He collapsed on the ground as close as he could to Anna. She started to moan a little. His head jerked up from the ground.
"Anna, sweetheart, can you hear me?" He called out to her, forgetting the pain in his wrists he felt from pulling on the manacles, which had cut into his skin.
She opened her eyes a fraction and looked around her. She realised from the grim stonewall nearby that she was no longer in the Plain of the Lost with her father, and that she was back in Dracula's fortress. She saw Gabriel collapsed on the ground, sweating and breathing hard beside her. She crawled over to him, and no sooner had she moved, she felt an enormous pain between her legs.
Now that she was closer, he caught her in his embrace as she fell sobbing. Anna looked down at her naked body, covered in fingerprint shaped bruises, which confirmed her worst fears. She had hoped that her encounter with Dracula had been a nightmare, and nothing more. Only the markings on her thighs proved otherwise. Gabriel also noticed the marks and held her closer. "Oh Anna," He said, tears leaking uncontrollably from his own eyes. "Baby, I'm sorry."
How long he held her for, he did not know, but after she stopped crying she pulled away from him, she spoke. "You came for me." Her voice was hoarse and scratchy.
"Of course I did," He said. "I'm only sorry I didn't find you sooner." He traced a bruise on her cheek and she winced in pain. "I'm so sorry." He apologized over and over.
A ringed hand pulled Anna's shoulder away and threw her backwards, making her land on the floor several feet away. Dracula walked over and stood above her. "I told you not to move!" He roared at her. "You know what happens when you defy my orders Anna!" Anna recoiled in horror and pain in remembrance of what he did to her before.
"No." She whimpered, shielding herself with her arms. "No, please not again." Gabriel fought tooth and nail against his bonds, hating Dracula being so close to Anna and threatening her. He watched as Dracula kicked her in the stomach, he yelled constantly in protest, threatening Dracula.
"I'll kill you!" He swore. "I swear to God, I will kill you for hurting her!"
Dracula left a sobbing Anna on the floor and walked over to Gabriel, standing just out of reach of the enraged warrior. He signalled some Dwergi over, who unlocked his manacles. Gabriel did not hesitate in leaping forwards at Dracula, intending to fulfil his promise.