Disclaimer: I don't own Van Helsing nor anything associated with it, it is the property of Universal and the brain child of Steven Summers

Chapter 39

Van Helsing paced the tower, impatiently shoving the piles of manuscripts and books that littered the floor, out of his path.

With a jolt Carl awoke, sitting up sharply from where his head had been resting on his scattered notes, Van Helsing smiled in amusement as he turned to see a large piece of paper hanging unnoticed from his colleague's cheek.

"You've got a little something…" he gestured towards the paper.

With a grunt the friar brushed the offending page away and held it up to the light, he frowned with annoyance on finding the ink smudged with his own drool.

"Damn it!" he cursed screwing the page up and throwing it over his shoulder, to join its fellow discards in a large pile.

Van Helsing regarded the mess with a raised eyebrow. "I don't think Anna would be to happy with what you've done to her father's tower." He pointed out.

Carl shrugged seemingly unconcerned and waved the comment aside easily.

The Hunter sighed as the friar returned to his notes, turning he scanned the various paintings that adorned the walls of the chamber. He paused when he spotted one of Anna as a small child, maybe five, sitting proudly beside a young boy who could only be Velkan.

Even then she looked like the warrior she would become, a child's short sword hung at her hip within easy reach, exactly as her sabre was hung today.

Behind the children the artist had captured the manor library, even incorporating the image of the large Transylvanian map on the back wall.

Van Helsing stared at it recalling the brief conversation he had shared with the princess a few days ago in that very room.

"Go Brach, Go Deo" he murmured.

Carl raised his head sharply. "Gaelic…You know Gaelic?" he asked in surprise.

Van Helsing nodded not taking his eyes of the painting "Apparently… It means something to me…something I should remember…an important place."

Carl opened his mouth to comment when the door to the tower flew open and Amie rushed into the room.

The wolfman growled low in his throat as the intoxicating scent of his prey drifted around him in the darkened and vaguely familiar corridor.

The man he had once been knew this place, he had known it very well which served the werewolf's needs greatly as his master had anticipated.

His hulking shadow drifted silently along the walls, caressing the doors of the bedchambers as he passed, he entertained the idea of crashing through the wood to the room beyond and having his fill of the sleeping occupants, whose scent was tantalisingly close.

He even went as far as to pause in front of the door, behind which the woman slept; the man in him ached to see her and conflictingly to keep her safe from him.

It was vaguely entertaining for the beast to feel the struggle within. A tiny ripple of energy in his abdomen now and again that set his mind racing with possibilities, a distraction from servitude to his masters will but not enough to overcome it.

With a small whine of regret, he continued on to where the scent of dead flesh drifted faintly around the last door at the far end of the corridor.

Situated away from the other rooms on the landing, it stank of fear and self loathing, and faintly of his master whose scent still lingered on the occupant.

"Anna." A voice whispered.

Anna stirred in her sleep as an image of Velkan entered her dreams.

He was standing before her in the deserted square, his clothes, little more than rags, were draped around him, barely saving his dignity as he beckoned her towards him.

"Velkan? Is it really you?" she asked cautiously, not daring to hope that her brother had returned to her.

He gave her a sad smile and nodded his ascent, with tears on her cheeks the princess ran to her brother and enfolded him in her embrace.

They were children again covered in mud and trembling next to the body of an old man who a moment ago was a slave to the lycan curse of the wolfman.

But unlike the reality it was not fourteen year old Velkan who sank to his knees in relief and shock but Anna herself.

"I thought I'd lost you…" she sobbed echoing her brother's words long ago.

The child Velkan knelt beside his young sister brushing her long hair lovingly off her face. She tilted up her head to look at him and drew back as something primal glittered in his eyes.

"You have lost me, Anna." He whispered, his brow creasing in grief as she shook her young head in denial, the innocence of her youthful mind unwilling to understand what the woman in her knew.

"You have to kill me." He continued gently but earnestly as he brought her to her feet. "Kill me Anna." He whispered. "Before I kill you."

Then he was gone, leaving her, a woman once more, alone in the darkness.

Anna lay wide eyed in her bed, tears still making their trails on her skin, 'A dream' she thought sadly.

Sighing she sat up and put her head in her hands willing his words to leave her mind, she took some deep breaths to calm her frantic heart and suddenly tensed as an barely audible whine sounded outside her door.

Reaching across the other side of the mattress, her fingers closed around the hilt of her sword, the comforting weight and feel of the leather in her palm gave her the courage to slip silently from beneath the covers.

As quickly and silently as she could she slipped on her shirt, trousers and boots edging towards the door.

Cautiously she pressed her ear against the wood and heard the faint sounds of movement in the corridor beyond, the scent of the werewolf drifted to her from the other side and her heart sank as she remembered her brother's words.

"Kill me Anna." How could she? He was her brother, her best friend, the last of her family.

She closed her eyes as in her mind she saw herself on the edge of the cliff turning to confront the approaching werewolf, to die facing her foe. A worthy fate for a Valerius Princess, leaving her brother to finish their families work as she knew he would, he'd always been the strong one.

She had prepared herself as the wolf rushed forward to claim his prize…then the impossible had happened.

Velkan ran from the forest and pushed her from the wolf's path; taking its attack on to himself and feeling its fangs puncture his shoulder.

Velkan Valerius the last Prince of the gypsies had passed. Leaving his beloved sister alone in the world.

Anna could not believe he was truly gone, he lived on in the beast of the wolf, she had seen him fight it from within.

During her captivity Sarah had seen him within the depths of the creature's eyes.

Could she kill her own brother? Even to save him from such torment?

Holding her breath, her eyes cold she gripped the doors ancient handle, she had no choice.

Quickly she threw the door ajar and ran at the figure in the hallway, her sword impaling it and pinning it to the wall.

Anna's eyes grew wide as a very human gasp of shock and pain followed her actions, her gaze met the startled eyes of the girl before her.

For a moment time stood still as they regarded each other in surprise and then Anna jumped back pulling her sword quickly from the body.

Sarah dropped to her knees in shock and pain even as the wound healed.

Anna knelt beside her trembling and holding her in a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry are you alright?" she asked in concern.

Sarah ran a hand over the newly healed skin and sagged in relief. "Good thing that wasn't permanent." she whispered.

Anna grinned "Usually I look before I leap, I've been living alone too long." She said in apology.

They got to their feet and smiled at each other before a low growl reached their ears.

They froze and turned their heads slowly to look down the corridor.

The werewolf rose to its full height like a bear and gave an almighty roar before it charged at them.