Author's Note: Thank you once again to all of my fabulous reviewers who have encouraged and supported me beyond belief. Your guidance, suggestions, and criticism mean everything to me. Merci beaucoup!
If anyone knows where I can find quality Snape/Hermione or Sirius/Hermione stories, please let me know. I have been searching for the past three months and I have only stumbled upon one. I'd really appreciate it! :)
NOTE: I have changed my name from Tristram's Iseult to Healer of the Sword because Tristram's Iseult was kind of a temporary name for me while I contemplated what my new pen name would be. I apologize for any inconvenience.
Chapter 18 – Of the Last Three Pages
"So you came back."
I was greeted by the count in the library, where Jovan had dropped me off and now stood behind me, his warm breath on my neck. Vladislaus was staring into the fire, his eyes glittering maliciously.
"No," I said, no longer afraid. "I was brought back against my will, by YOUR orders." I put my hands on my hips.
"I see you are still wearing the necklace I gave you," he said. "Did it prove useful?"
I raised my hand to my throat. I had forgotten all about the necklace, even though it had been with me all that time.
"I guess so. Although, in the end, it still could not keep me free from this demon's unmerciful clutches." I heard Jovan snort angrily behind me.
"Jovan was and still is a very effective warhorse," Vladislaus said, turning. "He is frightened by no one, not even your pathetic excuse for a god."
I narrowed my eyes. "You know not of whom you speak," I said angrily.
"Do I? Have you seen this god of yours?"
I chose not to answer him. I had been so close to escape and now I was back to where I started. My only hopes of keeping my father from an unnecessary death were now terminated forever.
"You are deeply troubled, Isabelle. Is it something I've done?" Vladislaus asked mockingly. He smiled, his long fangs glittering softly in the light from the fire.
"You killed my mother," I growled softly. "That is something I can never forgive you for; no matter how hard you try to redeem yourself."
"Oh, it was never my true intention to kill her," he said. "I made her into a vampire before I took her prisoner, but she always fought the transformation. I think she figured if she married Van Helsing she could try to pursue a normal life, but I never let something I cherish out of my sight, no matter what."
"You've lied to me all of this time," I said, ignoring the tears in my eyes. "You've lied to me about everything: Gabriel, my mother, Jovan. I cannot trust you."
"Appearances can be deceiving, Isabelle. It seems to me you can't make up your mind whether you will trust me or not. Is that your final conclusion?" He crossed his arms.
"Yes," I said, staring defiantly at him. "I know who you truly are now. A liar and a heartless demon. You will NEVER be able to change my perspective, no matter how hard you try. I've lost all of my respect for you."
Vladislaus did not say anything at first. He glanced over my shoulder, obviously at Jovan, and then looked down at me. His eyes were twinkling.
"Well, Isabelle..."
"You have not explained to me why you killed my mother," I interrupted. "If you refuse to tell me, I will leave."
"Stay," he warned, raising a hand. "Or you will loose something very precious to you."
I sat down, ignoring the fact that Jovan refused to let me wander too far away from him. He stood behind me like a protective father watching his daughter play in the ocean.
Vladislaus stared a long time at me before speaking. The silence hung heavy on my mind, and I tried to think of my father coming in and rescuing me from him. But Gabriel really didn't stand a chance...
"The reason I possessed your mother and forced her to change, which resulted in her death, is because if I couldn't have her, no one would." He turned back to the fire. "I knew Van Helsing would kill her in an effort to protect you."
I stared at him openmouthed. "So that is your reasoning? How selfish can you get? You let my poor unsuspecting father take the blame for her murder so you wouldn't have to? Why?" Jovan nuzzled my shoulder, but I slapped him hard across the nose. He shrank back and snorted.
"Because I loved your mother." He sighed and continued to stare into the fire.
"Love? How dare you speak of love. You know nothing of it!" I cried as I stood, my legs wobbling slightly. I pointed a finger accusingly at him. "Everything that you are consists of lies! Lies and deceit! You are lower than the dirt I walk upon! I don't know who is worse: the vampire who cheated me to get me on his side, or..." I faced Jovan, "the demon who acted like dear Tynan to win my trust!" I faced Dracula again. "You're both the same. You lack compassion and empathy. You both have a heart of lead. I cannot believe my own foolishness!"
I stole a quick glance at Jovan. He had transformed back into a black horse, his red eye color changing to a warm forest brown. Dracula had not moved.
"WHAT SAY YOU TO THAT?" I challenged, turning to Vladislaus. "Do you have some explanation for your actions?"
"You trusted a vampire," he said slyly, fangs curling. "Lack of better judgment. But what say you to this: I spared your life when I could have made Aurora easily slaughter you, which would have destroyed your father entirely. But I didn't. I must have some sympathy, no?"
I glared at him fiercely through half-closed eyelids. "You spared me then because you need me now to lure Gabriel to Castle Dracula," I said smoothly. "That is why you have saved my life so many times. Because you need me to kill my father."
"Very good, Isabelle. I am impressed," he said slowly, like he was weighing every word. "I don't suppose you have ever read the last pages of Dracula's Demise, now have you?"
He withdrew a withered piece of parchment from within his garment and handed it to me. It was the last three pages of Dracula's Demise, the ones that had been torn out by Vladislaus himself, no doubt.
"I removed them because I felt you were not ready to read the secrets they conceal," he said flatly. "They speak of a prophecy and the final damnation of Van Helsing. You see, Isabelle, with Jovan on my side, I am unstoppable. Not even the wrath of God himself can stop me now."
Desperate, I turned to Jovan to see if what Dracula was saying was true. He refused to meet my eye contact and took a step backward. My face flushed with humiliation of his final betrayal.
"Very well," I said nonchalantly. I was determined not to let any emotion into my voice. "We shall see who wins, no?"
Dorian stumbled down the deserted road, coated in dust. He was running like a blind man, wild and frazzled, but all he knew was that he had to find Gabriel before it was too late. The sun shone hard on his back, but he ignored the pain. All that mattered was that he reached Gabriel Van Helsing before something terrible happened to his daughter.
All of his life Dorian never believed in the supernatural. They were stories, myths designed to frighten little children and make them behave. He had never believed the tales of the damned to be real. But after seeing Jovan, Dorian knew that Isabelle had not been lying.
He bent down to wipe some dirt off his pants, and when he looked up, he spotted two riders on horseback. One was mounted on a grand palomino horse and rode tall in the saddle. The other was on a smaller horse and was hunched over, like he was hiding his face from view.
Dorian raced forward, waving his hands frantically. As the riders drew nearer, he saw that the man on the proud yellow stallion bore a familiar resemblance to Isabelle. Convinced that this was her father, relief washed over him, and he collapsed on the road.
I closed the book Le Morte d'Arthur and looked out my window. It was a beautiful Monday morning, fresh and with a sure sign of spring approaching. I had already tried on my gown for the ball and Havard had made the necessary adjustments. Valdemar had been in and out, discussing the food preparation and various other things of insignificance. I was careful to stay out of both his and Vladislaus's way.
Sighing, I took out the torn pages of Dracula's Demise for the umpteenth time. What it spoke of lay heavy on my heart. My father was destined to fail against Vladislaus. I had always suspected this, known it, even, but the fact that it was now in writing, so clear and out in the open was a major blow to my confidence in my father and my confidence in God himself.
It went like this: Dracula would refuse to give me his blood, knowing that Gabriel would do anything for me. Vladislaus wanted a trade: my life for his. He would give me blood with the knowledge that once I had chosen my direction, he could take Gabriel's life, right before my very eyes. Then the Lord of the Vampires would receive his much coveted seat next to the devil.
What was Jovan's role in all of this? Protect the swords from any celestial interference.
There was no way to escape it. It was a fool proof plan, for no one had ever gotten past Jovan and survived, according to the last few pages. My father would certainly make the trade, even against my better wishes. We were all doomed to failure.
"Miss?" I raised my head and came face to face with Havard. His tiny ears were drooping and he looked exhausted.
"HE wishes to speak with Miss," Havard said quietly, his frail voice trembling. "He wishes to tell you something of great importance."
I groaned. "I wish not to speak with any more traitors at this moment, especially not Jovan. Tell him to leave me in peace."
Havard bowed and patted my hand, and then left my side. He made to exit, but really he just stood in the doorframe, his minuscule body shaking. I watched him as he turned around slowly, his stare rested on the ground. He refused to meet my eyes.
"He also wishes to add his most sincere apologies," he said shortly, his gaze trained on his feet. "He never meant for it to end this way." And with that, the tiny creature left, his footfalls making hardly a sound.
Author's Note: With school, I am going to find it more difficult to write chapters as consistently and update them as quickly as I did over the summer. Please be patient with me and I promise I will try my hardest to update in a timely fashion! Cheers!