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Chapter 76

Jory swore as Marston bandaged his wrists. His friend laughed shaking his long blond hair out of his eyes.

"Language Jory." Marston scolded playfully, grinning at his pale friend.

Jory glared at him and clenched his fist only to have it forced down and pinned to the arm of the chair by Tony, who intervened to keep him from decking Marston.

They had arrived back at Valerius manor with hours to spare before dawn, still concerned that any amount of sunlight might continue to have a harmful effect on Sarah who lay clammy and pale in her bed upstairs, away from the make shift medical room that the large foyer had become.

A warm fire crackled in the hearth casting dancing shadows over the figure under the bed clothes, her blond hair splayed across the pillow once again the frail human child who balanced at the edge of death. She had not regained consciousness on the journey back or in the hours since which greatly concerned Carl, who informed Van Helsing quietly that he doubted she would last the night.

Van Helsing was hunched wearily in an armchair beside the fire, his hand absently rubbing the bloodstained bandage at his side while he watched the pale girl in the bed across the room. It was up to her now, her choice whether she would live or die.

Amie looked on her friend with concern as she murmured and twisted in her sleep. "What's happening to her?" she asked Carl quietly. The friar knelt beside the sleeping girl and felt her pulse, frowning in concentration.

Anna entered the room carrying a wash basin and a cloth. She sighed and placed the water beside the bed, wringing the cloth out and using it to dab at the light sheen of sweat that had accumulated on Sarah's forehead.

"She has a fever." She explained quietly, removing the cloth quickly when Sarah gave a sudden jerk, her eyes moving frantically beneath the lids.

"She delirious at the moment, the most we can do is keeping her comfortable and hope it passes." Carl said standing.

"And if it doesn't pass?" asked Bob cautiously from his position behind Amie.

"It WILL pass." Carl said sharply.

Another moan brought their attention back to the girl. Amie crossed around and touched her friend's hand, closing her eyes when she felt warmth instead of the deathly cold she had become so used too.

"I wonder what she's dreaming about."

The noise was deafening.

A huge bloody battle raged between humans and devils, screams of mortal terror echoed around the enclosed valley mingling with the roar of the flames and the clashing of metal on metal.

Sarah found herself overlooking the valley from a high rocky platform on the surrounding mountains, glancing down she was shocked to find herself in her favourite jeans and t-shirt, the very ones she had been wearing when Dracula first took her into his arms. Her hair whipped about her as a sudden wind whipped up, carrying the sights and smells of the battle to where she stood.

Even from this height she felt the heat from the fires and gagged as the tangy scent of spilt blood and viscous was carried up with the smoke.

"Is this hell?" she asked herself suddenly afraid.

A dry chuckle reached her ears "No my dear this is not hell, although the resemblance is striking."

She spun quickly to confront the shadows behind her, stumbling back slightly as Dracula stepped into the light. Fear and shock made her stagger backwards and she felt the edge of the platform disappear from under her feet.

With a startled cry she began to fall.

Lunging forwards impossibly fast Dracula seized her shoulders and yanked her roughly back onto the ledge and into his arms.

She began to struggle pushing against him but he held her tightly.

"I suggest you calm down…unless you want to fall to your death?" he said calmly.

Sarah became still in his grasp but glared up at him defiantly; he met her gaze with a grin and made a big show of releasing her and stepping back with an elegant bow.

Sarah frowned noticing his clothes for the first time.

His usual aristocratic coat and trousers had been replaced with the royal armour of a knight which reflected the orange glow of the burning valley; his hair was loose falling gracefully below his chin and framing his pale features with ebony curls.

"Where are we?" she demanded. "What have you done?

He looked mildly put out by her accusation, an expression strangely human in its innocence appeared over his handsome features causing her to falter slightly.

He frowned "This is not of my doing."

Stepping around her he stood on the very edge of the platform and regarded the battle scene below sighing sadly. "As to where we are…I've dreamt of this place for four hundred years."

"That doesn't make me want to be here." She pointed out scanning the platform for away off.

He turned back to her a look of surprise on his face. "You really have no idea what's happened do you?"

Sarah frowned at him fear in her eyes. "What…what's happened, what do you mean?" she asked her voice slightly high with panic.

He regarded her seriously, all the arrogance and amusement gone from his eyes. Curiously she studied his expression, once again struck by the change in it…the humanity. But it was his eyes that held her entranced, the dark fathomless orbs of his eyes stared at her but no longer burned into her soul.

They were no longer empty pools of darkness, now something shone within their depths.

"Oh my God" she gasped "You…your…your human!" he gave her a wry smile and walked towards her removing his glove to caress her cheek with warm fingers.

She was too stunned to move away or to ask questions.

He tenderly brushed her hair away from her face catching her as she swayed and easing her to the ground, where she sat limp with shock.

"How?" she whispered as he lowered himself down next to her.

"What do you remember?" he asked quietly.

Sarah closed her eyes and concentrated "I was arguing with Tony, the sun was coming up…a grassy hillside…the Sun." she gasped and opened her eyes.

The very meadow of grass from her memory was stretched out before her, pale blue in the twilight before the dawn. She turned to look questioningly at Dracula who shook his head and indicated that she be silent. As reluctant as she was to follow any of his instructions she grudgingly held her tongue and watched as a dark shape approached from the west.

Her eyes widened as the vampire approached and dropped onto the grass, transforming into her human self. Sarah almost screamed as she watched herself settle to wait for the sun.

This wasn't possible; she couldn't possibly be seeing this.

Shaking she stood and watched the events unfold before her, grimacing as she saw herself burning in agony.

"I died…didn't I?" she asked as Dracula stood behind her, she didn't fight him as he wrapped his arms around her trembling body.

"You wanted to die." He whispered.

Sarah nodded closing her eyes against the terrible vision. "Yes…it was the right thing to do. I had no choice." Tears began to fall from her eyes creating glittering trails along her skin.

"Is this what you're trying to tell me? That I'm dead?" she asked harshly. "That even in death I'm not free of you!" suddenly angry she pulled herself out of his embrace and turned to face him furiously.

He shook his head "There's more than this." He whispered gesturing behind her.

Hesitantly she turned and saw another dark figure descending on to the ground to stand over the unrecognisable body.

Sarah shook her head in denial fresh tears of horror filling her eyes. "No" she whispered bringing her hands up to her face.

She watched trembling as Dracula picked her body up.

"No, no, no, no!!" she screamed rushing towards them.

She stumbled as she got close and reached out to grasp the creature's arm, in a moment of confusion she watched as her outstretched hand passed through him and she fell to land in a heap at his feet, tears of anger and fear coursing down her face as she watched him take flight.

"How could you do this!" she screamed leaping to her feet and rounding on her guide.

He stood impassive as she threw herself at him, her fists flying into his face and chest mercilessly. "How could you? How could you? You evil bastard!!" she screamed over and over until finally she sagged into his arms exhausted and sobbing.

He silently held her as she cried, his face clouded with guilt and frustration at the actions he could not amend. "You still think I'm evil?" he asked quietly.

Sarah froze and furiously pulled away to glare at him with contempt. "Of course your evil…you enjoyed being the monster. You tortured and you maimed and you loved it!" she spat in disgust.

Dracula shook his head sadly. "The creature I became loved it, and I'm ashamed to say that more of that creature was me than I care to admit. You were completely consumed by the vampire within you, you had no memories no conscience…I was aware of everything, I had my memories, I knew who I was and I knew what I was doing. But I had no conscience, felt almost nothing…I'm here to help you make a choice, before I move on to whatever awaits me." A brief flicker of fear flashed in his eyes at the thought before he turned to meet her accusing gaze again.

He regarded her with patience. "Vampire's are evil creatures, but are humans that much different? Men kill, they maim, they rape, they torture…whether they admit it or not it gives them pleasure." He paused and with a small smile said "Just ask Van Helsing… when he takes a life he feels like a god."

Sarah shook her head weakly as he continued. "Vampire's are evil…it is their nature they have no choice. Humans have a choice…I wonder. Who is the real monster here? It would make life so much simpler if we could believe that vampires are the darkness and that humans are the light…but there are always shades of grey…the moment of indecision where you are neither one thing nor the other. Here a choice must be made." He paused and stroked her pale cheek. "You made yours and stepped into the light."

She glared at him her eyes cold "And you pulled me back…that is what makes you the monster."

Silently they watched as Van Helsing rode up, closely followed by Sarah's friends. She walked around them silently as they grieved, reaching out to touch them as they passed her and watching miserably, as they passed through her fingers.

"This is only a memory" he whispered.

She nodded once watching as Van Helsing rode back to the manor.

The scene faded and she found herself alone and in darkness.

"Dracula?" she stammered to the flickering shadows.

But her only answer was a faint cackle and glimmering shapes began to float around her, some tangible, some not. She fought to stay calm as utter chaos burst out of the darkness.