Chapter 3: Explanations to Riddles

Once again, I don't own, which thoroughly sucks. sniff

AN: Okay, this is the last chapter for a few days, at least until I finish writing chapter eight. I need to keep ahead of myself and not post so fast that I end up with no ready-made chapters and writer's block (funny how those two always seem to go together). But I'll either post weekly, or put up a reserve chapter for every new chapter i complete (if that makes any sense). TY for the reviews. I feel so loved.

Oh, and in answer to one of the reviews: I never said she was necessarily a vampire. : )

"Thank you," I said, out of habit. In hindsight, I really didn't think vampires were too concerned with such petty things as saying "please" and "thank you". I tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but Dracula kept me securely in place.

"Really my Lord, I'm fine!" But my protests fell on deaf ears as he began to kiss my neck. I tried again, more bluntly.

"Count Dracula," I said firmly, "I beg you, please stop!"

"Come now my dear," he said, amusement tingeing his voice, "do not be coy. I will not be denied by one of mine."

"One of yours?" I managed to pry myself from his embrace and backed up a few paces. "Denied what? You speak it riddles!"

Dracula regarded me with interest. "No one ever told you?"

I shook my head in confusion. He smiled and licked a stray drop of my blood from his lips.

"A curious thing, angel's blood," he remarked. "It can lie dormant in a family for generations on end and no one would be the wiser. But upon contact with vampiric blood, as I have found out, it must awake and purge the body of such poison, effectively dominating over any mortal blood one might possess. Resulting in," he gazed at me with such intensity that I squirmed, "the creation of an angel."

"If what you say is indeed true," and I was skeptical, even though it would explain the wings, "then why aren't I up there, behind the Gates?" I indicated the sky with a sweep of my hand.

"Two things." He grasped my hand so I couldn't jerk away and kissed the palm. "One, mortal blood, however small a percentage now, still flows through your veins. And," he smiled, "I have bonded your mind to mine. Oh no," he added, seeing my look of horror, "you are not a vampire. You have true immortal life, complete with a beating heart, the ability to forgive, to feel love, all the things vampires lack."

Interestingly, his voice sounded almost bitter. But he'd know the deal when he'd sold his soul, so what was he upset about? He continued, "But I will always know where you are, your thoughts, your feelings. So you see my love, you are mine."

I was drawn into his embrace once more and he firmly kissed my lips, which were trembling in the effort not to cry. But as my eyes filled, a tear escaped and rolled down the curve of my cheek leaving a wet salty trail behind it. More inevitably followed in silent succession.

"Tears," murmured the Count, wiping them away with a thumb as if they were foreign objects. "Are you really so saddened by this fate, of staying here in my castle, being well provided for? I would think it much more preferable to living out your days serving another family until old age renders you useless for even the most menial task. Now you will never be useless."

I stumbled away from him as if stung, my expression one of incredulous disbelief.

"Preferable? Preferable! I am immortal against my will, doomed to live forever in a vampiric ice castle with a demon-man who can read my mind and his three fanged WHORES!" As I talked, my voice rose in pitch until I was nearly screaming at him. Infuriated, I spun violently away from him and fled down the hall. Suddenly the Count was standing in my path. I was seized from front and slammed against the wall.

"You will not speak that way to me or about my brides!" Dracula roared. "I may have need of you, but that does not mean I will stand for that behavior! I am the master here and you WILL OBEY THAT!"

I gave a piercing shriek in response to the pain, for he was strongly reinforcing the message in my head with his mind, and nearly passed out. Somehow, I managed to remain conscious.

"Do you understand?" he hissed, fangs slightly elongated in rage. I shrank back in fear, nodded tearfully. This calmed him slightly and I felt the pressure on my mind ease, thought he still maintained his grip on my upper arms. My breath came in ragged gasps as I stared at him, wondering what to expect next. Clearly he was a master of mood shifts.

"Hush," Dracula said softly, placing one cold finger on my lips to still them. "There is no need for fright." His voice had an odd soothing quality to it and I felt my trembling stop as tense muscles relaxed.

"Come, the sun is rising and it is time to sleep." My eyelids felt kind of heavy all of a sudden and I was forced to lean on Dracula for support, resting a hand on his shoulder. As he picked me up and walked down another hallway, I realized that this peaceful, sleepy feeling was his doing. Rage boiled up at the thought of him tampering with my mind, but this feeling was pushed to the back of my mind for future use. I was dimly aware of being laid onto a satin surface before sleep overcame me.

Heehee. The alternate name for this chapter was "Temper Tantrums". Now, you know the drill:

Reviews = happy author = happy author's muse = inspiration = more chapters for you. (and cookies which, well, I'll eat and pretend I gave to you.)