Disclaimer: All I own in this is my friend's characters, nothing else is mine.

Chapter 18

Dracula walked confidently down the corridors of the castle his many Dwergi servants scattering out of his way. Somewhere below him a werewolf's agonised cries and the laughter of his brides reached his sensitive ears, he shook his head in amusement; they so loved to torment the creature.

The Count would have been with them on a normal night but tonight he had business elsewhere.

The gleeful sounds of his Brides faded as he entered one of the furthest corridors of the castle. No Dwergi were in this area of the castle on his orders and the silence was broken only by the sound of pitiful sobs coming from the last room. Dracula smiled happily, his new bride was awake.

As he walked only the dark corridor the torches along the walls sprung to life, he had no need of the extra light they provided but still he found the flames fascinating, they gave him the illusion of feeling warmth once more. But for him fire would forever be cold.

As he approached the door he heard the sobs abruptly stop and the sound of someone struggling to get to their feet. She had heard him approach and was determined to meet him face to face, he smiled in approval there was nothing as boring as a victim.

Dramatically he opened the door and swept into the room giving an elegant bow in the doorway. "My lady has awakened." He said silkily smiling as he raised his head. He took in the destruction around him with a casual glance before his icy gaze fell on to the girl opposite him. "Ah and it appears she didn't approve of the décor?"

He grinned, his gaze sweeping over his newest bride her blond hair fell loosely to rest on her shoulders the colour making her pale skin look impossibly white in contrast, she stood facing him her arms folded tightly over her exposed midriff.

The white gown she wore was similar to that of his other brides. A thin white top barely covered her breasts gold trimming lined the material crossing in a halter design around the back of her neck. Gold armbands circled her upper arms holding up the elaborate white flowing silk sleeves that acted as a cloak. The skirt was little more than a thin sheet split on either side up on to her thighs.

Sarah shifted uncomfortably under his lustful gaze "Pervert" she muttered. Dracula blinked in surprise at the comment looking almost comical for a brief moment before maintaining his menacing presence.

"I was merely admiring you my dear. It seems death suits you." He said wickedly watching as her dazzling blue eyes glinted with pain.

"What did you do to me?" she asked quietly her voice shaking.

Dracula smirked and suddenly he had pinned her against the wall, his face inches from her own with one hand he had forced her arms painfully behind her back. She cried out in shock and fear looking away from his hypnotic stare.

"You know very well what I've done to you!" he hissed, a loose strand of hair fell on to her cheek and she shivered from the sensation, closing her eyes tightly. She bit back a cry of pain as a long nail pierced the delicate skin on her wrist.

Dracula's gaze followed the thin trail of blood that began to creep from the wound; gently he released her and took a step back. A moment later she stood straight and blinked at the blood on her wrist.

"It's cold." She whispered eyes shimmering with tears.

Unconsciously she lifted the wound to her mouth and then pulled it away in disgust at her actions shaking with emotion.

"It is my blood." Dracula said seriously.

Sarah glanced up meeting his gaze. "It fills you now, not fully yet but eventually it will take you over." He raised a hand to her face, smiling in approval as she didn't flinch and move away, his fingers brushed away the golden locks covering the right side of her neck revealing the twin puncture scars over the artery. She gasped sharply as he brushed the sensitive skin with his fingertips. "You are mine now."

Those four words hit Sarah like a fist; "No!" she screamed pulling away from him. "I'm not yours! I won't let you do this to me!" she ran past him, through the door and on through the corridor beyond.

He appeared leaning against one of the walls a few meters ahead of her, she ignored him and kept running. "Where are you running too? You can't escape what you are!" he yelled after her in amusement.

Dwergi scattered as the girl entered the lab, frantically she raced towards the window. A platform extended out to look over the sheer drop below. Here she stopped looking out at the Transylvanian landscape spread out beneath the bright waning moon, looking at the drop she wondered if the fall would be powerful enough to kill a newborn vampire.

Tears streamed down her face as a soft wind blew her hair and silky clothes to one side, she imagined anyone from the ground would see her as a ghost pale and white and …dead.

She felt weak suddenly, a deep weariness descending over her limbs. She glanced at the drop off again. She could end it all now, even if the fall didn't kill her she could stay out until sunrise the world would be less one vampire and her soul would be safe.

Another fear gripped her then: Death, real death was something she had never feared. Her beliefs made her certain of a life beyond death, of questions answered, of peace among friends and family. Now doubt ceased her in an icy grip, if she died here in another universe would that place be there for her? Would she simply not exist or be trapped forever in limbo? Her courage had failed her and she sunk to the floor, her legs unable to bare her weight much longer, sobbing she faced the sky unable to even move a limb to wipe away her tears.

The moon hovered above her, the familiar silver glow giving her comfort in her fear and loneliness. Breathlessly she muttered a small protection spell feeling a cocoon of warm energy surround her, sadly she realised the familiar cool disc of her pentagram was missing from her chest and she mourned its loss.

In the distance she heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching, Dracula was coming for her. "Goddess guide and protect me." She whispered to the silent silver orb above her.

Dracula heard the prayer as he stepped on to the balcony, "Interesting, it's not often I come across a pagan." He muttered bending to kneel over her.

"You arrogant bastard!" she spat bitterly "Why can't I move? What have you done?"

He shook his head patiently scooping her up into his arms "You brought this on yourself, you're still weak it will take at least another night for your body to fully change." He informed her walking along another narrow passage of the castle. "Until then your body will have its limits as you have just found out."

He entered a chamber, which was little more than cell; a large bed dominated one wall and a single chair and dresser stood beside it. A candle flickered on the dressers surface casting dark shadows over the walls.

There were no windows here Sarah noted briefly as Dracula laid her on the bed, she expected him to leave but to her dismay he also climbed on, seductively spooning her helpless body with his own.

"Don't touch me!" she yelled disgusted as his arm wrapped around her waist, hand splayed across her bare stomach. She squirmed weakly lacking the strength to struggle properly. He let her try though, amused by her feeble attempts to resist him.

Leaning over her he positioned his mouth over her ear "Hush, you must drink." He whispered.

Her eyes widened as he lifted his wrist to his mouth and bit down hard, the metallic smell of blood filled the air and Sarah's vampire senses went on overdrive a sickly hunger awakening in her stomach.

She fought against it wilfully but could not suppress the hunger as the Count pressed the fresh wound to her lips, she found that her mouth opened to accept it and her teeth elongated into vicious fangs digging in for a better purchase. Behind her Dracula hissed and cold blood began to flow down her throat, she drank deeply sobbing at her own weakness to the vampire inside herself. When he finally pulled his arm away he stood and moved her up the bed covering her with a blanket.

"Rest now, I will come again in two nights then you will be stronger." He said brushing her hair off her face. She refused to look at him and he smiled leaving the room and locking the door behind him.

Anna Valerius stared at the huge antique map on the wall in front of her, scrutinising the landmass that was her homeland; the small triangle that represented castle Frankenstein was what held her gaze now. On the map it almost merged with the boarders of her own village of Vaseria reminding her of just how close her hated enemy was to her home.

Angrily she forced her gaze away and on to the edge of the map where the beginnings of the Adriatic Sea had been expertly illustrated. Sighing with longing she traced the image with her fingers.

"It's a beautiful map." Said a deep voice startling her. She spun and found Van Helsing in the doorway of the library regarding her with amusement.

"Don't you ever make a noise when you enter a room?" she asked angrily.

He raised an eyebrow "Not usually" he answered smirking.

The Princess rolled her eyes and returned her attention to the map glancing at the hunter as he stepped up next to her. She gestured towards the diagram of castle Frankenstein. "It's frustrating to know he's so near and yet I can do little to challenge him." She said regretfully.

Van Helsing nodded in understanding "You would not help your family by getting yourself killed, rushing in there without a plan would be suicide." He said.

Anna gritted her teeth annoyed. "Do you think I don't know that?" she asked sharply.

Van Helsing narrowed his eyes "I think when we first met that was exactly what you were about to do! You let your anger and passion for revenge override your judgement, if I hadn't of stopped you, you would have been dead by morning and you're no use to me dead."

Anna glared at him. "The Valerius family have always fought Dracula alone, it is the way of things and I will gladly give up my life to see that monster dead."

"Do you have nothing to live for?" Van Helsing asked sadly.

The princess's gaze moved then to rest on another point on the map. Van Helsing noted that they fell on a point on the coast mark in Gealic, which read. "Go Brach, Go Deo" he frowned confused as the meaning of the words echoed in his head "by the wave's side forever." It meant something to him. The princess gazed longingly at the illustration of the coast.

"I have never seen the sea." Anna whispered sounding for once like the young girl she might have been had she been born into another family. "I'll bet it's beautiful." She said sadly.

The hunter mourned the loss of such an innocent girl trapped in the body of the warrior before him, she didn't deserve this hellish life, to see those she loved slaughtered brutally one after the other, to know with absolute certainty that she may well face the same fate.

"If we live through this…" He said placing a hand tenderly on her shoulder "I'll take you there." He promised. Anna faced him hope in her eyes and he smiled

"Looks like I might have something to live for after all." She said returning his grin with one of her own before leaving the room.

Van Helsing was still smiling long after she'd gone; the smile disappeared as he felt a new shift in his emotions towards the girl. He sighed and rubbed at the bridge of his nose "Great, as if things weren't complicated enough" he muttered.

Before he left the room his gaze was once again drawn to castle Frankenstein, Sarah's smiling face seemed to hover over it and then fade in to that of Dracula's grinning brides. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you." He whispered to the spirit of a girl he had only known briefly. As was his custom he muttered a Latin prayer and crossed himself wishing her well in the next life before leaving the room.

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Note: forcing myself to stop updating there for today lol leaving you after a nice longchapter till i update tomorrow. keep reading and reviewing!!