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25. The promise

"I remember now that the girl in the convent Verona´s sister is. Probably you know that she came in my palace every week. But it has nothing to do with love. I needed her. Only she could show me the way to get immortal life. She also knows that I´m a vampire now."

Vladislaus gave me a few seconds to think. "Is that the reason for betraying me now?", I asked him.

He shook his head. "Verona didn´t come to me willingly. I had to promise something."

"What? That she will belong to you because she loves you?" - "I told you already that it´s not love that brought us together. I promised to make her my bride", he explained.

I didn´t understand: "What shall that mean?" - "Titiana, don´t act dumb! Do you expect that it´s easy for me to tell you that! I promised to give her immortality! To make her a vampire!", he was nearly yelling.

"No! Tell me that it´s not true! I can´t live with you when she´s standing between us!" And I was nearly crying. I threw myself in his arms. Still I couldn´t believe my ears.

Softly he stroked my hair and whispered: "I´m sorry. But I promised. You don´t know what it means to her if I wouldn´t turn her."

"Probably you don´t know what it means to me!", I said. "Even if you would want it I would never turn you." - "But I want it! I want to stay with you forever!"

I cried bitter tears. "No, you don´t. You don´t know what it means to have a soul wich belongs to the devil. I could never do this to you. I could never send you to hell that you have to be there for all eternity", he said softly, "And now you have to promise something."

I looked up to him. "Promise that you won´t be jealous." - "To say the truth: I´m already jealous!" - "Then don´t show it! Don´t make it even harder for me to do that!"

"So you didn´t bite her yet?", I asked with a sparkle of hope. "No, I didn´t. But soon I will."

I freed myself from the embrace and walked to the window. It rained. "But I have something for you", he said. I turned back to him.

Vladislaus took a ring out of his pocket. He took my hand and slipped it over my ringfinger. As I looked closer at it I saw a dragon on it. "What stands the dragon for?", I asked.

"The dragon stands for our family. My father gave me this. And now it belongs to you. It will remind you of me." It took a while for me to understand his words.

"So you want me to go", I said quitly. "I´m sorry", he said, "But you can´t stay here because..." - "...of Verona, I know. Then... farewell!", I said and went to door. But before I was able to open it he grabbed my arm and pulled me in a powerful kiss. Maybe the last one for a very long time. I opened the door and went outside.

I walked down the stairs as Verona appeared behind me and said: "I´m sorry." I faked a laugh. "No you are not!", I said and left the castle.

The rain wet my clothes and soon my whole body. I was so happy as I thought I hadn´t to return to Van Helsing. But now I had to.

He waited for me in the doorway in order not to get wet. "I thought the convent lies in the opposite direction. Or did you visit him again?"

I said nothing and walked inside. But before I was able to get away from him he grabbed my arm and ripped nearly my finger of as he got hold of my ring.

"How fitting that he gave you this. I have always wanted to get such a ring. Thank you very much!", he said with an evil smirk and slipped it over his finger. But that were enough reasons to lose my temper.

I jumped on him and pushed him to the ground. He was surprised only for a moment until he realised what I had done. "Give it back to me!", I yelled at him.

"That wasnot kindof you!", he said and rose from the ground. I still lay there but he kicked at first in my stomach and then in my back. My wounds reopened.

I could only wince in pain as he kept on kicking my form. I could feel the dirt getting into my wounds. "Stop it! Please!", I cried in pain.

Thank god he did so. Van Helsing left me alone there for the whole night. Again I had terrible nightmares. But this time death spoke to me...

"Soon you are dead. It will take only one more day until your destiny is fulfilled and you will go to hell. But I have to tell you something, too. Someday you will be born again. Like your whole family as wolves and your brother as a werewolf will be a part of this circle... someday..."

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