I know this chapter has taken a while. I couldn't find much time to write over the festive period. Besides that, this chapter has been the hardest to write so far. It's mainly dialogue between Gabriel and Lucia, and keeping them in character was hard.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except what I made up. Fair enough.
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The garden of the castle was a large and beautiful affair, especially when illuminated by moonlight. Yet to Lucia, the groves of trees, the knotted flowerbeds, the dark surface of the pond, bathed in silver light, were part of her prison. The prison she found herself in now was more metaphorical, a prison in her mind. A prison which linked her to this place, to the monsters in her blood, to Dracula himself.
He had allowed her to walk out here. She hadn't questioned his reasoning. It would be pointless of her to leave. She would have to return. She was bound to this place now.
She found that it wasn't as scary as she had first thought. Sure, there was the prospect of being damned to hell, but she wasn't sure how easy she'd be to kill with her new taints. She hadn't turned into a fully-fledged homicidal monster, so perhaps she could control the beasts.
She trailed an idle hand across the rosebushes as she walked past them slowly. She had to admit that the Count's garden was very beautiful, especially when there was snow everywhere. Lucia had been changed again, though when she wasn't quite sure. It had been a blur of a night. The dress she found herself in now was perfectly fitting; a simple, tight black gown, low on the shoulders with a skirt which trailed the floor. She was wearing heeled boots. Her hair was in a bun, so that the scratch on her shoulder and the fresh bite on her neck were visible.
She was at the very edge of the garden now. A plain, six-feet high hedge seperated her from the world. She slowly extended her hand, letting her fingers brush over the hedge. If this world was her prison, this was the bars.
A hand closed around her wrist.
She opened her mouth to scream automatically, but another hand covered her lips tightly.
Brown gloved hands belonging to someone wearing a brown leather coat. As Lucia's heart sped up, Gabriel Van Helsing stepped out of the hedge. Joy flooded through her as she looked at him. Underneath his tilted hat, his brown eyes were twinkling.
"Hello," he whispered, releasing her. He smiled down at her.
"You took your time," she replied. "Carl and I could be dead by now. Some Hunter you are."
Gabriel merely grinned. "Dracula doesn't play like that. Trust me, I know him."
Lucia rolled her sapphire eyes. "You were prepared to bargain our lives on his past actions?" He said nothing, still smirking. She sighed. "I'm glad you came."
He cupped her cheek his hand. "Did you really think I wouldn't?"
She sighed again, turning her face into those calloused fingers. "I didn't think about it much, to be honest," she admitted in a whisper, her lips brushing his fingers.
He didn't appear bothered by this. Instead, he smiled warmly, a smile which faded as his eyes found her shoulder. "Lucia? What's this?" She closed her eyes as he touched it. It hurt her. His fingers travelled up her neck, to the bite. He stepped back, dropping his hands to his sides. "Lucia?" His voice was firm now.
She reluctantly looked at him. She didn't want to have to tell him. She was ashamed, ashamed of her weaknesses. "It's a werewolf scratch. I got it during a fight. I was helping Dracula. The other thing... is a bite."
"He bit you?" There was cold fury in Gabriel's eyes now. "He took your blood?"
She had to confess. Tears flowed down her cheeks but she did not wipe them away. "Yes. He took my blood... and I took his."
Gabriel looked like he was about to cry too. "Lucia..." he whispered, stepping forward to wipe her tears away himself.
"I'm a monster," she whispered.
He pressed a kiss to her forehead, soft lips brushing her skin. "You are anything but. The fact that we're having this conversation means that you aren't a monster. You're Lucia Craft, and I love you."
She looked up at him. "Do you mean that?" she asked.
"Of course." He scooped her up in his arms, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder. "Let's get out of here. This place does things to you."
He walked into the hedge, and Lucia closed her eyes as the tiny sharp spores scraped at her bare skin. She felt so safe, so warm, despite the cutting Transylvania breeze. She nestled closer into him as they exited the hedge. They went into the woods. His boots crunched on the loose surface.
"You can put me down if you like," she whispered. "I suppose I'm quite heavy, especially with this dress on."
"We're at the horse now anyway," Gabriel said, dropping her lightly to her feet. "Not that you're remotely near heavy, by the way."
They had indeed come to a small clearing. A sleek, black, Transylvanian horse stood there, soft brown eyes fixed on Lucia. Lucia felt uncomfortable. The horse could see her taints, she knew it. She forced her eyes back to Gabriel and slid her fingers through his, looking up at him.
"Thank you," she said sincerely, a small smile gracing her face as she looked into his face.
He returned the smile under his hat. "Oh? What for, exactly?" He pressed a kiss to her forehead, then looked at her carefully.
"For loving me, despite what I am." She gave his fingers a gentle squeeze, and he tugged her towards the horse.
"What you are? What you are is perfect. Now, do you need a lift up onto the horse?"
She laughed, lifting herself lightly onto the horse's back, both legs over one side, fingers through its silky mane. She smirked down at Gabriel. "You're talking to a Hunter of the Order, you know, not one of your regular damsels in distress."
"Don't I know it," he chuckled, climbing up behind her, slipping his arms around her tiny waist and holding her flat against him. He kicked the horse off, and they were soon speeding off through the thick, frosty branches.
Lucia closed her eyes. She felt a peace. The monsters didn't matter. Gabriel still loved her. He sighed into her soft hair, his warm breath tickling her. Part of her thought of Dracula, but somehow he seemed distant, a part of another world which was pale when she was in this one with Gabriel.
"How far is it?" she asked, noticing for the first time it was snowing. The white flakes landed on her pale skin, surrounding her in cold.
"Not far," he assured her, as they came into a quiet village. Everyone was asleep here, as was proper at this hour. "A small house at the edge of this village, Vaseria."
Sure enough, they were soon approaching a beautiful cottage just out of the village. It only had one story, a thatched roof, snowdrops growing in the garden. Lucia lowered her eyebrows as she saw it. It had a look of innocence about it. A small image popped into her head. She saw herself stood at the door, wearing an apron over a plain dress, clutching a small baby, being kissed by Gabriel as the sun shone down on them.
Tears filled her eyes as she forced the image away. She knew it would never be like that. Never.
"Lucia?" he asked, gently turning her head so he could see her face. "Are you crying? What's wrong? I'm not that bad, am I?"
His small grin faded as she turned away. "I'm fine." She leapt down from the horse, landing perfectly on her heels, and heading towards the house. There was a small wooden step up to the door. Lucia climbed up and pushed the door.
"It's locked." She turned to see that Gabriel was standing on the ground. Because of the step, their faces were level, and Gabriel could see every tear in her blue eyes. "Tell me what's troubling you, Lucia. I want to know. I want to help."
His warm eyes flickered with love. She wanted to tell him. "I.... We aren't going to live happily ever after, Gabriel. We can't."
"Of course we can," Gabriel sighed, reaching around her to unlock the door. It opened with a small creak, and Lucia spun to see a small hall, illuminated by a flickering candle. She stepped in carefully, looking around.
"It's very...." Lucia couldn't find the words to sum up the warm, comfortable feeling she got in this house. Gabriel closed the door, and walked around her, sliding his arms around her waist and standing in front of her, holding her close.
"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I shouldn't have let him take you again. I'm sorry he hurt you."
"I love him," she said flatly, turning her face away. "What he has done to me.... Maybe it should have hurt me. But it didn't. Not really."
"I don't understand." His voice was earnest, caring. He wanted to understand, Lucia knew this, but she knew he could never understand. Nobody could, not even herself. She moved out of his embrace and walked towards the nearest door.
"Of course you don't," she said coldly. Somewhere inside of her, she always tried to hide her emotion behind a wall of frostiness. Emotions had always made her weak, and the emotions she had right now were the worst, most weakening emotions she had ever had.
She stepped into the lounge. A large fire was roaring in the grate. A sofa was opposite. Nothing out of the ordinary. There was a small portrait on the wall of a pretty young woman with curly auburn hair and green eyes. Lucia walked over to it, and looked up at it. She heard Gabriel walk up behind her.
"She's beautiful, isn't she?" she asked quietly.
"We don't know that. True beauty lies inside, in our hearts, in our souls. The same place love resides." His answer was a soft whisper that tickled her ear.
"I didn't know you had such a poetic tongue." She turned to face him, sapphire eyes holding his brown ones steadily. She sighed. "I'm sorry for locking you out, Gabriel."
He captured her left hand in his right hand. "I already knew you loved him. I know I will never understand it, but I will not let him use it against you."
A ripple of anger flowed through Lucia. "He would not use it against me! He loves me, Gabriel."
"One thing I do understand is Dracula, Lucia. And believe me, he would use it against you. He is a monster, and no amount of loving you will ever change that." His voice was firm, and he tightened his grip on her hand.
"You do not hesitate to call him a monster. And yet, I have his taint in my veins." Tears filled her eyes. She was a monster, she knew it. Just remembering Carl's poor face as she attacked him...
Gabriel closed his eyes and chewed his lip. "It's different, Lucia. He is evil. You know that, despite your feelings for him, he is still going to be evil."
"Even the evil can love," she said defensively, letting go of his hand.
He did not stop her as she stormed away from him. She collapsed onto the couch, placing her elbow on the arm, and propping her forehead in her hand. She glared at Gabriel, fighting the urge to cry. He was still facing the portrait, his back to her. She noticed he was still wearing his hat and coat. She suddenly felt very guilty. He was only trying to help her.
"Gabriel...." She called out softly to him, and to her relief he turned around.
"I'm sorry," he sighed, pulling off his hat and tossing it across the room. He crossed to the couch, shrugging off his coat and sitting down beside her. "I only want what's best for you. I love you, Lucia."
"I know, I know. I'm sorry too. I love you." She closed her eyes. She was exhausted. Her neck was throbbing. "Gabriel, Dracula will be made King of the armies of Hell if he kills you and destroys the Church." She would not tell Gabriel of Dracula's plan to make her his Queen. She doubted Gabriel would take it very well.
But Gabriel detected she was missing something out. He narrowed his eyes. "And what of you, Lucia?"
She held his suspicious gaze defiantly. "And what of me? Whatever do you mean, Gabriel?"
Gabriel sighed. "You know very well what I mean," he said bluntly. "Dracula would take you with him, wouldn't he? Make you his Queen?" His face twisted into a cold sneer.
"What are you sneering at?" she asked heatedly.
"Do you realise that the last time Dracula was married he had three wives?"
She shrugged. "It must have been different. He loves me. He clearly did not love them."
Gabriel fiddled with a strand of her hair which had escaped from the bun. "I can see I'm not going to make you understand. I'm going to stop, because I can see it is hurting you."
He reached under the couch and pulled out a silver bar, round, about one and a half feet long. There was a button in the centre of it. He pressed it, and Lucia watched in interest as two pointed ends slid out of the bar.
"Retractable, double-ended silver stake," he explained lightly. "One of Carl's inventions."
She gave a sharp gasp at the mention of Carl. Gabriel grabbed her hand again. "Gabriel.... I hurt Carl. He pushed me to anger. And the taints..... I could have killed him."
She began to sob uncontrollably. Gabriel pulled her into a tight hug. "Hey, it'll be alright. I did far worse when I had the werewolf taint in me."
"Werewolf?" she croaked into his chest.
"That's how I killed Dracula last time. But the woman who was supposed to put the cure into me..... I killed her just as she did. She was the first woman I loved."
Lucia looked up to see that his eyes were misted over with tears.
TBC.
