An extremely-extremely short-short chapter...
Eris, trust me, something EXTREMELY nice will happen to Carl :) depending on how you look at it that is...
RogueCajun, I didn't know there was a Tamerlaine in the Poe canon. The name came from my sister jumbling people's names up "Tabithan— Tamerlaine— Tristaine— what is that woman's name anyway?" (The name was Marie or something like that)
Fanfictionfanatic you write the shortest reviews I've ever seen. :) Glad you like it though.
And the rest of you, thanks for reviewing. Sorry again this chapter is so short!
Chapter Twenty-Four: Truth
"I never had a wish to die!"
I scream at the assembled throng
What if?
Sometime in the night, Van Helsing dreamed.
Anna stood beside him; she reached out and touched his hand, letting her fingers linger on his before curving her grasp, curving her hand to fit in his grip. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it, holding on to the last vestiges of a love that would, someday, die.
Just as she had.
His shoulders shook and he bent his forehead to her hand, his tears running warm onto her fingers. With her other hand she touched his hair, running it through her fingers— then her touch moved down his face, coming to rest just below his chin, lifting his head so he looked full on her.
In her face he saw the emotions he'd seen a year ago— the tiny, fighting love, the black, all-encompassing fear, the dearth of peace, the life-will. It twisted at his heart like a knife.
He looked still on her, though it pained him.
And in her eyes, he saw truth.
In her eyes, he saw the truth.