Chapter 6

"This can't be possible…" I said under my breath as Anna read the translation of the text that she had been reading. I shook my head in disbelief, not understanding why the sins of my ancestors had been visited on my head. Velkan glanced at me at every opportunity, wanting to see my reaction to all that I was learning, all that had been kept from me as a child.

"How is this my fault?" I asked angrily, after Anna had finished reading the text. Anna did not reply. I looked down at my gown, the same gown I wore last night. I stood, heading directly to the door. "How dare he deem himself lord and master over my family! How dare he decide when it is time for us to die!" I said angrily. Most of my family had fallen, died at the hands of monsters under his command. They had not fallen one right after another in short succession. It was always a few each generation, all of them dieing randomly at different points in their lives. Only now I slowly began to realize why. I hurried to the door.

"Where are you going!?" Velkan said hurriedly. I opened the door and looked back at him only momentarily.

"I'm going home to my family. If he failed in his work to finish me, then I feel he will finish his work with them!" I opened the door, but Anna rushed to my side, holding it shut.

"What can you do? You cannot kill him! Your family has been his target for generations! If he had wanted to kill your family, he would have done that long ago." She said. I looked past her for a moment, finding Velkan's strong gaze on me. I looked down.

"Why haven't they told me?" I asked. Anna shrugged her shoulders.

"Perhaps you were not meant to know. Perhaps they have told you, only in there own way, so as not to frighten you." Anna replied. I opened the door and she looked at me, surprised.

"Please, let me go, Anna." I said pleadingly. "I must go to my family. I don't know what I would feel if I were to lose them. I cannot allow the Count to find them before me." I continued. Velkan interrupted suddenly.

"You go and you will surely die." Velkan said simply. "How can you stop him? I hardly thi--" I glared at him angrily.

"Anna is your only family, true?" I said simply, interrupting him suddenly. He grew silent. "What would you feel had you found that your only family, the only strong link in this life for you, was torn away from you so quickly, all because you had not been there to help her? How would you feel if you knew that there was something that you could do? A small little deed that could have possibly led to her salvation?" Anna remained silent, stunned beyond belief. Velkan did not reply to my inquiry. His eyes had glazed over with unshed tears before replying.

"I feel that every day of my life." He replied simply. "More than you can ever know." I did not answer his simply reply. I turned away and crossed the threshold. Turning to them, I smiled.

"I have to do all that I can to help my family. I thank you so much for your help." I smiled tenderly at Velkan, and smiled at Anna, before closing the door behind me. They did not bother to follow me as I hurried quickly down the hallway, noticing out of the corner of my eye as I passed, the carnage from the night before. The men that worked there cleaned as if it were merely food stains and not blood that decorated the floor. I walked by slightly faster not wanting to remember that incident.

In a few moments I had reached the front doors of the building. I opened them quickly, hurrying down the front stairs and out into day. How warm the sun felt on my skin as opposed to the night before, where I lay frozen and cold. I wrapped my arms around me habitually, trying to pretend as if nothing bad had happened, that I had not felt death's cold fingers at my neck…

I walked down the street, still feeling the slight pain in my neck from the cut once again. It took a small amount of time walking before I reached my apartments. I arrived quickly, packing the belongings I had brought with me, in a race against time. I called hurriedly for carriage arrangements, and before the end of the day, I was in a race against time to hurry to my home. Hoping against hope that the Count had not found them first.

The carriage ride was cold and bumpy. As I rode along, I hoped trying so hard to get to my family, that I would find them alive and well. My heart beat loudly in my chest as I watched the passing scenery and the slow departure of the sun from the sky. It was slowly beginning to become dark once again. And as night's cold shadows once again began to press in on my body, my heart began to beat only faster, knowing that at any moment, Dracula could show himself to me. For protection, I wore a silver cross around my neck, it's cool metal a slight comfort in this quickly growing time of desperation.

So engrossed was I in the race to get home that I had not realized that it had now become almost completely dark. A figure quickly appeared on the other side of the window, it's cold eyes smiling. I jumped as I recognized who it was.

"Christine." He hissed, breaking through the glass. I screamed for the driver to stop, but the Count interrupted me. "He is already dead, my dear." I shuttered as I felt him lean in close.

"How dare you!?" I whispered angrily at him. He sneered as he leaned in closer to me. I moved as far away from him as I could, my full body pressed against the side of the carriage." Reaching for my hair, like he had only the night before, he took a lock and brought it to his nose, smelling it.

"You smell sweet, Christine. The same blood as your dear ancestor…" he continued. I reached for my cross holding it tightly in my hand. "What is this?" he asked, letting my hair go and forcing my hand open. "A crucifix, how will that aide you?" he said angrily, tearing it away from me. Smoke came from his hand as he tossed it quickly out the window.

"Leave us be!" I screamed. He smiled, and pulled away, taking a seat beside me and looking out the window. To me, but for a moment, it seemed almost as if he was nothing but a fellow passenger.

"How can I?" he said after a moment, turning and staring straight at me, his eyes glowing with hatred. "You and your own, the family that betrayed me to Van Helsing!" he screamed angrily. He moved so quickly towards me that I had not even realized that he had moved. I jumped in surprise as he began to raise his hand, as if to hit me. He lowered his hand suddenly, and sneered at me. "You are quite the beauty." He said simply. "It is a pity I have to kill you." He moved in quickly, kissing me. I tried so hard to push him away, but he resisted.

"You've spoken to the Valerious clan. I can taste it in you." He said as we parted. I glared at him in surprise, not knowing how to respond. "You are quite taken with the male, Velkan Valerious, ehh?" he asked. I shook my head vigorously in denial.

"Perhaps I will keep you alive a bit longer." He said simply. "How ironic, isn't it?" he asked, looking to me. His gaze was penetrating, almost calming. "Perhaps we can play a little game."

I heard his laugh as I slowly began to drift off into sleep.

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A/N: Another chapter for my story!!! I hope it isn't sounding too rushed! I know that when you read it I didn't really add in any background as to why Dracula has a vendetta against her family…but you'll find out soon. I want Dracula himself to tell!! Mwahahahahaha!!! I know this chapter was kinda short and rushed, but I'm planning a huge chapter for the next installment!!!! Please let me know what you guys think!