A/N:
Thank you so much for your reviews!! I appreciate the support you have given me in writing this. I hope you think that it is keeping within the storyline and personalities of all the characters! This is my newest chapter, and I hope it will be as good as the others! Please let me know what you guys think….I was even thinking of Van Helsing entering the story somehow…I have an idea how!!! Please review and let me think!
Chapter 10
I awoke with a start. I looked around myself, finding that I was still in the carriage. It had all been a dream, or so I thought. I looked out the window, finding the bright light of day streaming through it. It took a moment before I breathed a sigh of relief.
The sudden jolt of the carriage send a shock of pain through my head, rekindling my dream from the night before. Images of his dark face still haunted me. Visions of his cold hand on my arm sent chills racing throughout my pain racked body. How could he have allowed me to live?
I reached up with my hand, touching the back of my head. I felt the gash exactly where I expected it to be. The wound had been cleaned. No longer could I feel the hot liquid seeping from the cut. My heart had begun to race. I looked down at myself and found that I wore the blue gown. My eyes widened in alarm. My confused gaze shot around the carriage, dreading the moment that my eyes should meet his. I found lying beside me a single note, the stamp of the Dracula family ornately decorating the front of it. I looked intently at it for what seemed like an eternity. So afraid I was to pick it up, that I imagined some calamity to befall me if I did. It took minutes before I finally resolved myself to do it.
I took the note gently in my hand, feeling the wax seal with my hand. In moments I had tore the note open, and found his elegant handwriting greeting my feverish gaze. I read the note once, then again. I could not even remember a single word of what it said. It wasn't until the third time that I finally understood what I read.
"My dear Christine," it said simply. I cringed as I read my name on the letter. "It is with great regret that I allow you to leave me, if only for a short while. My services are needed elsewhere and I know if I were to leave you alone, you would only attempt to escape. My warnings would mean nothing to you, and I'm sure you would find yourself at the attacking end of a werewolf or demon. Perhaps even my brides as well. They are quite jealous of you…but I will save that explanation for another time." He continued. I stopped and took a deep breath before reading on. Tears had begun to stream down my face.
"I cannot risk that chance of your death," he said. "You mean far to much to my plans to allow that to happen. And it is with this letter that I give you your freedom. Do not worry, my pet, because this will not be my last visit to you. I will make a point of calling on you very soon." I shook my head in disbelief.
"You, on the other hand, may do what you like. You may go and visit your new friends, the Valerious, or…you may simply want to wait for me to come to you. It is purely your decision. Until then, I remain forever yours." I glanced down and found a large letter 'D' as a signature. I cringed and threw the letter from me. I screamed in anger and looked down at my gown in disgust. I found around my neck the necklace he had given me, a hauntingly beautiful treasure. I reached up and ripped it from my neck and threw it from the window, watching it land carelessly on the ground as I passed. I looked behind me, out the window, to find it sparkling in the early morning sun.
"Where am I to take you?" a voice asked. I looked around to find that I had a conductor of the carriage. I turned and seated myself properly. My cheeks reddened in embarrassment. I heard his voice once again. "Do not be embarrassed." The voice said simply. "It is perfectly understandable for you to act that way under the circumstances." He said.
"Help me." I said feebly. "Can you help me?" I asked. He laughed.
"Me?! Oh no!" he said. "I only will help take you as far as you want to go!" he grew silent for a few moments, then his voice continued again. "Is there no one that will help you?" he whispered. "I'm sure you know of someone…" he ventured. I looked away and out the window.
"There is no one." I said simply. "No one at all."
"Rest child." He said simply. "Rest and I will take you to where you need to be." I could feel the sympathy in his voice as he said this, bringing tears to my eyes. I closed my eyes and he began to hum a calming melody, drifting me off into sleep.
I awoke what seemed like hours later. The carriage jolted to a sudden stop. I looked around myself to see a dilapidated village surrounding me. People walked huddled in the streets, fear guiding their every footstep. Mud lay in the streets, the houses looked to be in shambles. I heard the footsteps of the carriage man as he walked around and reached to open the door. He was only a humble old man.
"Come." He said simply. He reached his hand out for me to take, and I gently took it as he guided me out. I looked around and found in the center square a large communal well. The cold air was biting, and I felt my ears grow numb with cold. I looked away and met his gaze.
"Where am I?" I asked him. He smiled in response.
"You are where you need to be. You are where you will find help." He said in response. He walked around to the end of the carriage. In there he found a coat. "I was told for you to wear this. It is rather cold this time of year, and it would be terribly unfortunate if you were to catch your death." He said. He waddled over to me, holding the coat out for me to take.
"It will not bite you." He said simply. "Take it. It will keep you warm." I took it hesitantly, pulling my arms through the sleeves. He smiled. "It suites you." He said.
"Thank you." I replied. "Where am I to go?" I asked as he turned away and began to climb onto the carriage. He looked back only once.
"That lane directly in front of you will bring you exactly to wear you need to be. Your things have already been brought there, it appears. You will follow that road, and you will see a clearing. At the end of the clearing you will see a mansion. Head to the front doors, there will be someone awaiting your arrival." He said simply. "God be with you." He said sadly. With that, he called to the horses, sending him and the carriage off.
After the kind old man had left, I looked around myself, not knowing where I was. The small amount of villagers out and about regarded me with a curious gaze, averting it when I met theirs. I took a step forward, and quickly began to make my way down the lane, towards the large home I found peeking through the trees and brush. More than anything I wanted to escape from that shamble of a town.
"There it is." I muttered to myself as I saw the grand old structure greeting me. I crossed the clearing, and reached the large front entrance of the door. I found no one there awaiting my arrival. The old man was wrong. I looked about myself, finding large curtained windows. They were far to high for me to peek through. It took a few moments before I finally knocked on the door, hearing the hollow sound echo through the hallways inside of it. No one came to answer the door. Pulling the ragged ends of my courage, I carefully reached out and took the handle of the door, pushing it open. Surprised, I found it yield effortlessly. Dark hallways greeted my entrance.
I shut the door quietly behind me, and remained standing for some moments. I walked around the room, perusing the furniture and finding a rather large bookshelf near the door. I walked towards it and reached up, brushing my fingers through the volumes. After a moment, I turned away and looked down the empty hallway, fighting with myself as to whether I should venture in that direction. My answer was abrupt. I heard voices at the door. It opened suddenly, and I found entering, of all people, Anna Valerious.
Her eyes widened in shock as she met my gaze. My feet stood planted to the ground. Her hair was in total disarray, her clothing muddied completely. I could hear the voice of her brother outside. His laugh could be heard echoing throughout the clearing. Anna turned towards the bright entryway, calling out to him.
"Velkan!" she screamed.
"Yes, Anna?" he called back. She turned once again to meet my gaze. I heard Velkan's loud steps as he reached the doorway. He entered quickly, pulling the black gloves off his hands, and brushing back stray hairs from his blue eyes. I noticed his chest heaving with exhaustion. He smiled to Anna with a questioning glint in his eyes. "What is it?" he asked.
"She is here." Anna replied simply, looking to me. His gaze slowly drifted from her, resting on me. My heart skipped a beat as I met his stare. It seemed almost as if he was not surprised to see me at all. Velkan said not a word, and all I could do in answer was look at him. It was a few moments before I finally spoke. My hands were tightly clenched at my side in fear.
"I need your help." I said simply. It was all I could muster. Tears began streaming down my face. "I need your help more than you can ever imagine." He did not reply. Anna stood rooted to her spot in surprise, never releasing me from her strong eyes. It was Velkan who replied.
"What happened?" he asked simply. My heart seemed to stop at hearing his voice. My face reddened in embarrassment and shame. He remained standing where he was, awaiting my answer. My eyes I kept locked on him, and he looked away for a moment. It seemed as if he had been running through the woods the whole night and had only just returned home. His eyes seemed brightened by the exercise, or perhaps something else.
"I need your help..." I murmured. I walked towards a small table, resting myself against it. I looked to Anna. "It was the Count." I said. Tears had begun to stream down my face as relief flooded through my body. My strength had up until this point kept me fighting, and as I felt it fail me, I sensed my knees collapse from beneath me. I fell to the floor. "Help me, please…" I pleaded.