Disclaimer: Is applicable to all chapters. Story not intended for profit.

Chapter 5 – Anger in Blood

After breakfast, I took to exploring the castle. Since the count hardly ever slept, I was careful to stay away from any doors that might lead outside. I didn't want him to think that I was planning to escape, despite the fact that I missed Tynan dreadfully.

The castle was huge; I soon realized that there were at least four floors, and every floor had a different atmosphere. Floors 2-4 were ominously quiet, but I got no immediate sense of danger while I was there. Floor 1, however, was dark and cold. I presumed that it was underground, for the entire area was made of ice. The air was so bone-chilling I didn't think there was a chance that anything could survive in such harsh conditions. I wondered why the count would have an entire floor dedicated to the remembrance of the Ice Age. What was snow to him?

It had been two days and I had not seen the count. I started to grow concerned, so to keep my mind off of his absence I took to reading in the library and exploring. Each time I went to the dining hall, there was food laid out for me. I wondered if he did this, or if he had some inside help. I hadn't seen anyone else, but sometimes, at night, I thought I heard noises that couldn't have been made by just one person. But then again, the castle was menacing and remote at night, even more so than in the day. I was careful to stay in my chambers past midnight.

One day I was passing through the parlor when I heard something move behind me. Presuming it was the count, I turned around to greet him and ask him where the hell he had been. But no one was there. Perplexed, I waited for a moment, and when nothing happened, I shrugged and proceeded out of the parlor. I then heard soft footsteps and felt a cold, icy hand rest on my shoulder. I froze and spun around slowly, coming face to face with a seven foot tall cloaked spirit. In his hand, the demon was holding a long, silver rapier. His hood was so deep I could not see his face.

"Isabelle..." the demon's voice rasped. My shoulder started to shake under his hand; his abnormal strength was making my legs quiver.

"Isabelle..." the demon hissed again. I tore my eyes away from the rapier and to the empty void that I presumed was his face.

"Now you know what it is like to be seconds away from death..." he chuckled loudly; his voice was so grating I flinched.

"Just like your mother..." Before I even had time to blink, the demon was raising the rapier. I stared blankly at it, for my mind had already submitted to his overwhelming power and I realized there was no way I could counter it. I waited.

Just before the rapier came in contact with my neck, a huge bat came bursting in through an opaque window. I ducked as the demon whirled around, tracing a line of fire with his rapier. The bat ripped out the glass that was embedded in his skin and flexed his wings as he glared fiercely at the evil spirit.

"Ah... Vlad... nice to make your acquaintance. I am sure you know who I am," he said smoothly. The bat snarled and lunged at the demon, his fangs and claws lashing. He grabbed the rapier and bit it in two, and then threw it out the broken window. The demon laughed; his voice hurt so much I had to cover my ears to keep my mind sane.

"Not wise, Vlad not wise... You have angered my master, Vlad, and betrayed him. My master does not hold traitors in the highest respect..." the spirit mused. "You were resurrected with one simple job to do. But you let her..." The demon pointed a skeleton hand at me, "... and your past get in the way. This is your warning. Pull yourself together, or I will be inclined to make you pay the price." With that, the demon vanished, leaving a sliver of smoke behind to mark his presence.

I groaned and tried to sit up by leaning my back against the wall. My entire body was throbbing and the wound on the back of my head had reopened. My face contorted in pain and I fell over, hitting the glass covered floor. My eyes fluttered and I watched as the bat-like creature morphed into the count. His eyes were red with fury and he had a long scratch mark on his face, which marred his fathomless beauty. As he approached me, the wound healed, restoring his enigmatic and seductive aura. He bent down and offered me his hand, but I scowled and slid away from him.

"Where the hell were you?" I asked, hatred brewing inside of me. "That 'thing' would have had my head if you'd been a second late."

The count stood and narrowed his eyes. "Do you really want to know?" he said soothingly.

"Yes," I growled. I was in no mood for any excuses.

"I was... I was hunting." He took of his cape and set it down on the floor. His sword was hanging from his waist, naked. It was stained with blood.

"YOU WERE WHAT?" I cried as I eyed the sword. "You didn't bother to tell me this before hand? I was worried. I thought something terrible had happened."

"You were...worried, Isabelle? About me? That's awfully kind of you, but I was the one who should have been doing the worrying. If the Grim Reaper had killed you, my plans would have been annihilated." He took off the sword and placed it next to his cloak.

"That was the Grim Reaper? What was he talking about? What's going on?" I yelled. "I have the right to know!" My heart was beating furiously and I was so angry my body started to tremble.

"Unfortunately for you, my dear, I am not granting you that right," he said swiftly, ignoring my protests. "You are...too young to understand." He headed towards the exit.

"I AM NOT A CHILD! AND DON'T YOU CALL ME DEAR EVER AGAIN! I HATE YOU! I HATED YOU THE MOMENT I SAW YOU! YOU SLAUGHTER PEOPLE JUST TO DRINK THEIR BLOOD! HOW MANY LIVES HAVE YOU TAKEN? 500? 600? YOU ARE A MUDERER AND I WISH THE GRIM REAPER HAD KILLED ME! ANYPLACE IS BETTER THAN BEING HERE WITH YOU!" I screamed at him.

Without thinking, I strode over to the table, grabbed the sword, and charged at him. The blade was an inch from his chest when I hesitated. Beads of sweat started to line my forehead and my hand shook. To my horror, I realized that no matter how much I hated him, I could not extinguish his presence.

"Can't do it, can you?" he said softly. "That's a trait you got from your mother." He smiled and took hold of the sword. Blood spilled from his hand but he didn't even cringe. Instead, he pulled the blade closer, so the tip of it was right on top of where his heart would have been, if the demon had one.

"Do it," he commanded, his eyes flashing dangerously. "You know you want to." He flicked his head back to get a dark strand of hair out of his face as he watched me closely. I was under his charm again. I could feel it.

I shook my head and tried to back away, but he grabbed my waist and dragged me to him, so that my body was in direct contact with his. I had never been this close to the count before and the power that was generating from him was insurmountable. I was well aware that he was attempting to seduce me and I wanted none of it. Then again...

"I won't send you back to hell," I sneered. "You have no heart, anyway... that must be a grave punishment. Therefore, I refuse." To prove my point, I dropped the sword to the ground. He chuckled faintly and did not let me go. My brain told me to fight his embrace, but my body was exhausted and my head hurt tremendously. I did not struggle and to my dismay, I felt my legs buckle as I collapsed against his chest. He caught me before I hit the ground and I tried to think about what was happening but I couldn't. My brain was fuzzy and my vision was dotted with little black circles.

"Isabelle, you're bleeding to death..." he whispered. He picked me up swiftly and my world started to spin out of control as my perception of gravity changed. I sensed that he was walking, carrying me in his arms, but I wasn't sure because my eyesight was so disarranged. All I thought of was my father and how much I would miss him...

Author's Note: Don't worry, I am well aware that even if Isabelle had stabbed Vladislaus, he wouldn't have died. He knew that too, that's why he was taunting her about it.