Disclaimer: Do not own or profit from Van Helsing as it is the property of Universal and Steven Summers

Chapter 23

Van Helsing watched silently from his place beside the fire as Marston and Chris practiced their skills with their swords.

For the last four days each of the young adults had thrown themselves into training eager to feel that they could make a difference in the battle against Dracula and his brides.

Carl had locked himself away in the tower surrounded by Anna's collection of archaic books desperately searching for away to defeat the Count. Without his constant presence Van Helsing had found himself becoming more and more attached to his young charges, pride filled him now as he watched the two boys spar before him.

Their triumph was a bitter sweet however and Van Helsing missed the banter that had been almost constant the first night they had met, any laughter now sounded forced and wrong and was quickly stifled.

At night he'd often walk past their rooms noting that they chose to sleep in one room together as opposed to being separated.

The Hunter sighed weary of the grief that hung constantly in the air. His gaze was drawn to the mantle piece where a black book lay, and a picture stood facing him of Sarah laughing surrounded by those she loved the most.

He hadn't known the girl for very long but had enjoyed her humour and noted her presence in the group. Even to him it seemed that when they were all together someone was missing.

Goosebumps began to appear on his arms and he shivered slightly suddenly uneasy. Alert he glanced around the room, the boys continued to battle as he stood and walked to the main doors. As he approached them the feeling increased and the hair at the back of his neck stood on end. Evil was approaching them.

Hurriedly he ran from the room Marston and Chris watched him go in shock.

"Something's up." Chris said Marston nodded and they ran after the retreating hunter.

Anna and Amie jumped when Van Helsing burst into the library, and Bob gave a tiny squeak dropping the book he had been reading.

"Their coming" The Hunter said darkly Marston and Chris appearing beside him.

Anna crossed to the window and looked down at the village; she stiffened as she saw four shapes appearing in the distance and bearing down upon the houses.

The screaming started and echoed up to the house, Van Helsing wasted little time.

"Amie you stay here, help Carl gather medical supplies and meet us down in the village in an hour."

The girl went pale and nodded pulling Bob into a quick embrace before rushing out of the room.

Van Helsing watched her go before turning to the rest "Anna and I will go down first, follow a few minutes after and for god's sake put on some sort of body armour, it's time to see what you can do."

Anna was already past him and in the armoury strapping on her many weapons, when the boys hurried off to find Tony and Jory.

"You think their ready?" she asked him as he pulled on his long coat and hat.

"Nope, but I know it would be useless to ask them to stay behind, better that they're where we can see them." He responded.

Leading the way out of the doors his crossbow slung over his shoulder. Anna ran at his side "There were four of them." She reported meeting his gaze.

"Sarah's one of them?" he asked not breaking his pace.

Anna considered for a moment "we'll see."

Sarah began to panic as the village of Vaseria appeared below her.

Aleera cackled gleefully. "Watch them run like rabbits!" she yelled spotting a group of unlucky men and women walking across the square towards the inn.

Sarah scanned the group and saw one of the men holding what looked like a small child asleep in his arms.

Aleera and Verona swooped joyfully towards the group who scattered, the women screaming as Aleera zeroed in on the slowest. Which just happened to be the man with the child.

She roared in anticipation about to get a firm hold on the man when something barrelled into her from behind sending her painfully into the wall of a building.

Sarah was thrown by the impact and laid still for a moment on the cobbled floor of the square a small smile of relief on her face as she saw Aleera hit the wall.

Verona spat in disgust as she watched Sarah fly straight into her sister. Dracula snarled and flew towards the girl, mentally ordering Verona to continue the hunt. Grinning coldly she managed to prevent the group from entering the inn, they had no-where to run, of the six of them she left four stunned and had her fill of two of the men relishing the way they fought uselessly against her grasp.

Another silent command entered her mind and she laughed out loud moving towards the smallest of the unconscious bodies at her feet.

Aleera advanced on the new bride talons out, eyes glowing a luminous blue, a low predatory growl vibrated in her throat.

Sarah scrambled to her feet and faced the advancing bride; her head was snapped brutally to the side as Aleera's claws ripped the skin across her face. Blood gushed from the deep gashes and Sarah shuddered as they immediately began to heal.

Dracula landed in the shadows and watched amazed at the girl's bravery, she hadn't uttered a cry as Aleera took her revenge. Even in the face of such agony the girl had remained silent and was now regaining eye contact with the bride, just looking at her with a silent dignity wiping the blood off her now healed face casually with her hand.

Aleera made to strike again but was stopped by Dracula placing himself between her and the younger bride.

"You look famished my dear, I believe Verona has saved you someone." He said meaningfully.

The bride stared at him appalled before grudgingly taking flight and disappearing into the shadows.

Sarah watched the count save her from Aleera's second attack and felt herself begin to quake with fear as he sent the bride away. Forcing her body to stop trembling she waited for him to turn.

To her horror she felt him none to gently take control over her body, she gave a small cry as cold penetrated her limbs freezing her blood.

The Count sighed dramatically and turned to tower over her.

"Why must you try my patience?" he asked his voice calm almost regretful.

When she didn't answer a sharp pain shot up the girl's spine, her eyes flashed violent purple at the sensation but she did not cry out, her jaw was set and she steadily held his gaze.

"Answer me!" he commanded, his voice boomed around her and his eyes became completely black for a moment.

Another sharp pain accompanied his words ceasing when Sarah opened her mouth to respond.

"Are you trying to make me obedient like an animal? Pain if I disobey, love if I do as you say?" she asked disgusted, her voice concealing her fear and righteous anger lending strength to her words.

Dracula laughed anger momentarily fading in his amusement. "Do you not know that that is all you or any of brides are to me? You're my dogs, my pets and I am your master!"

"You are not my Master." The girl spat.

Dracula's eyes narrowed and Sarah screamed as her body suddenly felt like it was on fire, she dropped helplessly to her knees. Sobbing pitifully as the pain subsided.

The Count grasped her by her hair and roughly turned her head up to look at him. He claimed her mouth in a brutal kiss and then flung her from him. He laughed as she laid on the cobbled street her hair falling about her face in a golden curtain behind which she began to cry silently.

Shakily she got to her feet and faced him the wind pulling at her skirt and hair. She found that she couldn't move again and stood silently as Dracula circled her stopping behind her, to pull her tightly against his chest.

He directed her attention to one of the houses across the square. "I have power over everyone." He whispered to her.

She stood silently as the door of the house was slowly opened and a young girl about Sarah's age walked out.

She was dressed in a simple linen nightgown and her long brown hair had been pulled into twin plaits at the side of her face. She seemed dazed her eyes clouded and empty as she approached them. Sarah tried to cry out a warning but found that she couldn't utter a sound.

The Count left her and met the girl, who gave a small courtesy to greet him. Sarah was sickened by the display as Dracula began to play a sordid game with his prey.

He would spin her away from him and allow her to awaken briefly and run a few meters away letting her see the safety of her house but at the last second replacing his control over her body so she was forced to walk back to him.

The third time he did this he allowed the girls to be awake when he brought her back, placing his control only over her legs. The girl was too terrified even to scream as she found herself walking in to the arms of her murderer. Her eyes met Sarah's and a silent plea shone from their depths.

Sarah fought against Dracula's hold on her as she saw him grin at her his mouth becoming impossibly wide.

She would not witness this! Not for his pleasure! Her mind screamed helplessly.

Dracula roared like a primal beast and his mouth filled with razor sharp teeth, which he buried into the girl's neck tearing it out brutally, and sending a fountain of blood forth from the wound.

Sarah would have vomited had she been able to at that moment.

The body dropped to the floor a crimson pool spreading beneath it.

Against her will the sight of the blood stirred Sarah's vampiric nature and she felt it begin to claw to the surface clouding her mind. She fought it closing her eyes and forcing the images of death and blood to leave her mind.

Dracula swept gracefully over to her sensing her internal struggle; 'Good' he thought 'it has begun to take hold'.

Through his mental link to his brides he called Aleera and Verona back to him. "Bring the boy!" he commanded silently.

Sarah opened her eyes and found him stood before her, he released his hold over her and now free to move or talk she could only stare at him.

He touched her face lovingly with blood soaked fingers and kissed her pushing some of the dead girl's blood into her mouth with his tongue.

Sarah was weak; her concentration on her internal battle and so was helpless against this action.

His hand covered her mouth preventing her from spitting the liquid back at him she was forced to swallow.

It was the most amazing sensation the blood slid warmly down her throat and a pink glow appeared on her cheeks. She shuddered in pleasure and he removed his hand.

Sarah suddenly realised what had happened and her eyes widened in horror. Dracula grinned at her through blood stained teeth. She stepped away from him appalled.

Aleera and Verona appeared wraith like on either side of her then, their skins glowing pink with the stolen life within. Sarah was reminded of a mosquito she had once caught on her arm. She had succeeded in squashing the insect and all that remained was a patch of her own blood on her shirt from within its bloated belly.

Aleera grasped her arm in a falsely affectionate way, as if she were a small child needing direction.

"Your turn sister." She said gleefully.

Sarah tensed as she realised that Verona was concealing something beneath the white fabric of her flowing sleeves. Horror filled her as she realised what it must be.

Dracula wrapped an ice-cold arm around her bare shoulders; she went rigid in his grasp.

With an otherworldly grace he reached out and withdrew the white fabric revealing what Sarah had dreaded.

A small boy barely four years old was cradled semi-conscious within Verona's grasp.

He stirred now whimpering slightly.

Sarah stared at him bile rising to the back of her throat. Only Dracula's grip kept her from sinking to the cold stones of the now deserted square.

Within her a struggle began to play out, her vampire side sensed fresh blood and was hungry. For the moment Sarah's human side was dominant and her will allowed her to withstand the urge to sink her fangs into the boy's soft throat.

Dracula sensed her resistance, slowly so as not to alert her to his intensions he entered her mind.

Sarah blinked and shook her head, as everything seemed to go out of focus. When her vision had cleared she felt unbelievable hunger.

Watching as if in a dream, she saw herself begin to lean over the helpless boy, her fangs lengthening.

She tried to scream, to pull herself away from him but the vampire's will was too strong. She knew that to taste the boy's blood would complete her transformation; there would be no coming back from that.

Suddenly a sharp pain in her side distracted her vampire half for the few precious seconds it took for her human side to take control.

She surfaced into her body as one from the depths of a deep pool.

Dracula's hold on her, physical and mental was gone for the moment.

Without a care for what had distracted her demonic family she darted forward impossibly fast and snatched the boy from Verona's grasp.

Then she ran like hell.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note: right to save my sanity I'm gonna stop there for 2nite read and review and I'll update tomorrow!!