Chapter 24
"What are you doing?" Dracula said simply, keeping his gaze secure on me. "You can't kill me with that foolish thing." He continued. My worried gaze soon locked on Christopher, who, despite the newest revelation made to him, still retained the weapon on the Count.
The hisses and growls of the people surrounding us could be heard as everything was happening. I looked about, trying to find a means of escape. I backed away and hit Velkan. I had forgotten he was even there. I felt his hand touch my shoulder to steady me.
"Velkan. Outside. Look." I heard Anna's quiet whisper. She gestured toward an enormous window. The moon was rising, and it was rising full. I felt my heart jump into my chest. We were going to be ripped apart if we remained.
The growls were slowly becoming louder, and I noticed Anna backing away. Christopher looked about us in confusion. He didn't understand at all. He didn't know what was happening. I noticed his gaze one again shifted towards the Count. He cocked the gun, and in one swift movement I saw the Count rip it from his hands, throwing it across the room. Christopher backed away in amazement, his arms searching about him to find some other means of protection. I took a deep breath in hesitation.
The crowds of people surrounding all of us slowly began to turn their blank gazes to the ceiling, their eyes glowing a bright yellow. I heard a sly laugh as this was occurring. William looked at them with a silent smile on his face. Aleera noticed my gaze and approached my cousin, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him gently on the cheek.
"He is ours now, Christine." She said with a hint of amusement in her voice. "He is ours." I threw a furious glance at her, and slowly returned my attentions to the people around us. Their screams were slowly growing louder, as if something was ripping through their very bodies. Then Dracula spoke above them all.
"What fools you all were, coming to this ball." Dracula said. He laughed loudly as the first cries of the transformations were happening. "Now you all are going to die!" he screamed. Christopher looked up, gesturing for the first shots to be fired.
I felt Velkan's hand travel down my arm and to my wrist, readying us to flee. Marishka noticed and smiled. "Such a gentleman you are, Prince of the Gypsies." She said. Hissing she approached us and ripped me away from Velkan's grip. "You always think of everyone but yourself." She smiled briefly at Velkan, and then turned her attention to me.
"Why wait for the master when I could make you one of us myself." She said. I heard her hum a small melody, turning to the Count. "Such friends we could be. You do not need these humans!" Marishka said angrily, gesturing to my family and Anna. Christopher had hurried to Anna's side, untying her bound hands. Dracula turned away from us and was slowly making his exit.
"Marishka!" he called. "Bring Christine. Leave the others for the wolves. Verona, William may yet be of some use, bring him as well." He continued. Marishka sneered and turned her gaze back to me.
"You see? Your God smiles down on you today, Christine." Marishka said. I smiled angrily at her in response.
"Yes, I can tell." I answered. It was then that I heard the first real cry. My eyes shot around the room, looking for the source. I found it climbing on the wall, its penetrating gaze on us. Aleera giggled despite the situation and slowly slinked away in pursuit of the Count. I noticed William had gone as well, Verona most likely having taken him.
"Would you rather remain here, with them?" she asked, gesturing to the others. I nodded my head, pulling away from her angrily.
"Have it your way then." Marishka said simply. She disappeared as quickly as she had appeared. I looked around myself, surprised at what was occurring. We were completely surrounded by werewolves, and there was nothing we could do.
"Fire!" I heard Christopher call suddenly. I shot my gaze to the werewolf, and found him seconds away from us, running at full speed. Shots rang out everywhere, as I reached up instinctually to cover my ears. The bullets hit everything but the target. The werewolf growled angrily, and jumped suddenly from the wall, throwing itself at full speed towards us. Landing with a loud thump on the ground, it slowly locked its gaze on Christopher and Anna. Anna immediately pulled out a dagger. Christopher noticed this and smiled.
"I hardly think that will work, sweet heart." He said simply. Anna glared at him angrily. She threw it, stabbing the beast in the neck. She looked back at Christopher and smiled.
"Good shot." He said with an amused expression on his face. The werewolf growled angrily, pulling the dagger from its body. They looked at each other in panic. "I think we should be making our exit." He finished. They ran, fighting their way through the crowd that was transforming.
"Velkan!" Anna screamed. "Velkan! Take Christine and run! We will see you in the church!" she yelled.
"Wait!" I called to them, panic stricken. I felt Velkan's hand suddenly grab my arm. I turned to him, surprised.
"I think it is best if we follow their example." He said, looking past me. The clicking of nails on the tile floor was all I needed to hear. As I took a brief look out the large window, I noticed the moon had risen completely. All the people had transformed. We were in a room full of bloodthirsty hounds. I strained to hear voices of our men, the voices of someone familiar, but I heard nothing. The shots were slowly becoming far and few between. The men were fleeing.
"Run!" Velkan said suddenly. I felt the brush of cool air against my cheek, the blur of an enormous object barely grazing my throat. I yelled in surprise, and felt Velkan pull me violently towards the hallway. He slowly released my hand and ran slightly ahead, trying to find some sort of escape. I looked back towards the ballroom, noticing an army of werewolves in pursuit.
"Where do we go? Where do we go?!" I yelled to Velkan, my voice reaching its peak as he stopped suddenly at the end of a hallway. The wolves were approaching quickly. I reached blindly for his hand once again, holding it tightly. Velkan remained looking about us for some sort of exit. The werewolves were only yards away.
"This way!" he screamed. He gestured towards an open door. I nodded and ran ahead, him following not far behind. The bloodthirsty howls was all I heard as Velkan locked the door behind us, falling to the ground as the animals threw themselves against the heavy oak frame. I paced back and forth, holding my heaving chest in terror. We had just imprisoned ourselves in a room without an escape.
"What do we do Velkan!" I yelled above the howls. Velkan had risen from the floor and quickly began to search the room, trying his hardest to find some way of escape. He looked to me, his eyes shining with horror.
"Help me find some sort of exit!" he yelled in response. I glared at him in confusion.
"Escape?! Escape?????" I don't think I see any escape from this room, Velkan!" I screamed in terror. He approached me suddenly and took my shoulders, shaking me into silence.
"Now is not the time to panic, Christine!" he said. A screeching howl of triumph was heard as the heavy oak frame creaked and groaned in submission. It was going to be moments before the beasts found their way inside. I immediately silenced myself and set to finding some sort of exit.
"Here!" Velkan screamed. I ran immediately to his side. He had found a hidden door. We had not noticed it because it had been painted the same color of the wall, the molding decorating it making it seem as if it were merely a relief of the Goddess Athena. I heard the door give way suddenly, and I turned back to see the large claws of the werewolves fighting to widen the opening. I looked back to Velkan in fear.
"Open it!" I screamed. He nodded and immediately set to the task, breaking the lock with a shot from his gun.
"Come on!" he screamed. We ran through it just as the wolves had begun to enter the room. Velkan quietly closed the door behind us. I took a deep breath in relief. We were safe, if only for a little while.
After a few moments of calming my shattered nerves, I looked about myself in surprise. We had found ourselves in the great library of the house. Books surrounded us as far as the eye could see. It was the room that owner of the house had kept locked. It was the room that our father had told us of. So engrossed I had become with looking about that I almost forgot the werewolves that lay only in the next room. I jumped in surprise as I heard them.
I could hear the screams of disappointment as they realized we were no longer in the room. They didn't know where else to look for us. The clicking of the nails on the hard wood floors as they searched for us in the next room was the only indication that we were not alone. I looked to Velkan in surprise.
"Where do we go now?" I whispered quietly. Velkan merely shrugged his shoulders in confusion.
"I don't know." He responded quietly. "At least they don't know we are here." He continued. I nodded my head in assent. It was a very good thing. I turned away after a moment, trying to find a door, something that we flee through. It was a few minutes before I found my answer. A window.
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A/N:Soooo……what did you guys think so far???? I didn't like what I was writing at the beginning, because it sort of didn't sound exiting enough. But, I think I like it now!!!! I hope I was able to put across the feeling of action and adventure. I really did. Be honest in your reviews if you don't think so!!
Countess Alana: Heheheheehehe. I'm not done yet with this!!! I decided to end this chapter here because it seemed like the most interesting place to leave it off at. Let me know whether you like this chapter or not!
Widow Dracula: As always, I love your reviews, and I am so very glad you like my story. I'm also wondering what you think of the action in this chapter!! I've really tried to write it well! Hope I succeeded. BTW, what did you think of the brides and Dracula? Were they written well? I would love to know!!!!
Luthien Anwamane: Hope you like the latest installment! Tell me what you think of the characters!! Anyone you like particularly, I would love to know!!!!!