Chapter 18: My Turn
AN: Here you are my lovelies! The next installment that, according to many of you, I needed to put up…and fast! (kekeke) Here are the results of the timeline vote: an overwhelming majority of you voted NO on the movie timeline, mostly because you think I shouldn't wreck my awesome story with a movie overlap (sniff. I love you guys). Fine by me cause it allows me a lot more freedom with my writing. Here are cookies to all of you who voted and sent me reviews. (sprays many cookies into the air)
Remember: send me ideas if you'd like to see something particular in the sequel. Thanks!
And, has anyone else every wondered why Dracula wears those gold hoop earrings? Where'd he get them? I stuck my hypothesis in the story. (heehee)
Oh, and CrackpotJoe? Love the bunny you snuck into my backpack (thought I wouldn't notice huh? You forget, I'm the writer. I hear all. I see all. )
PS: I got a 97 on my speech and might be going to the school speech contest (where they give cash prizes) WEEE!
Midnight cloaked the mountains in shadow. I knew that in villages all over Romania, every person would be sleeping soundly in their beds after a hard day's work. Six months ago, that would have been me.
I propped my elbows up on the windowsill and rested my chin on them, smiling at the irony of it all. Six months seemed like too short a time for so much change. And to think that I, who had once longed for change and adventure for years, was now a five-month-pregnant angel with the First Vampire for a lover and had engineered the escape of a werewolf not two weeks earlier.
I shook my head, smiling. It was all very confusing, and yet, very exciting at the same time. And now it would all change yet again. So far, I had not gone so far as to earn death as a punishment, but I was not so sure that my luck would hold out this time. Like with Sven, I would get only one chance. The rest of the night however, I had to keep up a normal appearance.
Many days I spent with Verona, when I was not haunting the library or sewing. Today was no exception, and I did want to see her one last time before I left. Rising, I left the window and crossed my room to the wardrobe. Midnight already and I hadn't gotten dressed. I was getting so lazy.
There was really only one dress that fit my current mood. Made of a light, floating material, the dress had a curving V-neck and sheer half-sleeves that split at my elbow and hung loose around my wrists. While it had the smallest hint of embroidery around the neck, it was for the most part plain white that gathered under my breasts and fell gracefully to the floor.
Wearing it made me feel ghostlike and with my pale coloring, I probably looked the part. But that's what I was in this castle: a wraith, drifting silently along the cold stone corridors, drifting through the days and weeks.
The door to her chamber creaked slightly as I pushed it open. "Hello Verona," I said, stepping into her room. The vampire queen was reclined on a couch, sipping blood from a goblet. Seeing me standing in the doorway, she smiled and licked the blood from around her mouth.
"Hello Destiny. I trust you are well?"
"Of course," I lied, smiling at her. Sitting myself on a chair next to her, I glanced at the liquid in her cup.
"Is that a special vintage or something? You usually prefer it straight from the source." Verona smiled at this remark.
"How well you know me Destiny. Yes, it is 200 years old, a rare treat. And a child's blood is always so sweet." I hid my disgust carefully. "How are they?" There was no need to ask whom she meant.
"Just fine Verona. I can feel them move a tiny bit. Not much really, but faintly, once in a while."
I spent the rest of the night with her, chatting about meaningless things, until morning came and it was time to retire.
It was noon when I woke again. I had discovered that the farther it was from night, the sounder a vampire slept, so I was not overly afraid of my movements waking Dracula up. I simply stood beside his coffin for a few minutes and watched the candlelight play across his features, etching them into my memory.
Reaching up, I removed my earrings and placed them beside him. They were simple, just small gold hoops, but they were from me. Gently, I brushed loose hairs out of his face.
"Rest love," I murmured. "Enjoy one last day of peace before the race begins." Brushing away a tear, I re-covered the coffin and stole silently out of the room.
I had left a small bag of the things I would be taking with me in the lesser library. In the bag I had packed two easily compressed dresses, the completed embroidery, and two books from the library. One was on herbs and healing, the other on mythical creatures and magic. If I ever got settled somewhere safe, they could prove useful.
Stepping out into the daylight, I grew my feathery wings and walked to the edge of the cliff on which the ground level of the castle was situated. It was snowing lightly, as always here, and the sky was dotted with patches of alternating cloud and sky. My gown would also serve as camouflage against this bright background.
My freedom was just a leap away, and yet, I was loath to leave and return to a world in which I no longer had a place. But it had to be done now, or never. Every second I tarried here was one less that I could spend in unpersued flight. So I leapt off the ledge, spread my wings, and flew off without a backward glance, fighting tears.
I know not how long I flew, nor exactly how far. When one is flying over continuous mountains and valleys, you tend to feel as if you're just flying in place. The trap of this type of flying is that you relax too much and let your mind wander, you forget to be vigilant. So with one part of my mind, I kept a mental ear out for any sigh that Dracula was waking.
I flew for a few hours at a steady pace, conserving my energy and praying I wouldn't be followed yet. I had capabilities for a short, fast sprint, but Dracula and the Brides had their unholy speed that could be used for great distances.
After what seemed like forever, I spied a town big enough to hide, but not so big that I would likely find other vampires. Above it rested a large stone castle, backing up to the mountains. Folding my wings, I sped towards the town. Below my, a villager screamed, attracting the attention of others.
Oh. Not good. I thought. I landed in front of the church and then it hit me. They had thought I was one of the Brides. Dressed in white, flying, coming from the direction of Dracula's fortress…but that meant that Dracula and the Brides had visited this town before.
I ignored the people that were beginning to venture into the central square and raced up the steps to the wooden church as I retracted my wings. My sudden appearance must have startled the priest out of at least two years of his life, for he nearly fell off his pew. Racing up the aisle to him, I knelt and clasped my hands in front of me.
"Father, grant me sanctuary!" I pleaded. This surprised him even more.
"My child, what –"
"Please Father! I will be safe if I am granted protection from the church!" I begged. It was then that he noticed the gentle swell of my stomach and his face softened.
"Of course I will grant you sanctuary." He took my hands and lifted me from where I knelt on the floor. "Now, you'd best tell me your story."
I was unsure of exactly how much to tell the priest for fear of being denied help. "It started with Dracula."
The priest blanched and made the sign of the cross.
"I'm trying to escape from his castle, where I have been held for six months. Please help me get far away from here."
The priest stroked his short white and gray beard. "If I can get you to Rome, the Vatican might be able to protect you. They are the only ones who will stand any chance against that monster."
"I know," I said. "Thank you. My name is Destiny."
He studied me for a second. "And indeed, the Lord has placed an important destiny upon you. It will not be easy, but you will find your peace I believe. I am called Father Dimitri. Come," He started walking towards the front door. "I must get you to the castle before nightfall."
I followed closely behind him as we reentered the town. Now that I was not in so much of a hurry to gain protection, I was free to look around. There was not much to see really, just gray houses covered in gray snow under gray clouds. So somber. It weighed heavily upon my mood.
We cleared the last buildings of the town when I noticed the sun beginning to sink in the sky. Anxiety stabbed through my gut and I turned worriedly to Father Dimitri.
"How long until we reach the castle?" It did not look very far, but distance could be deceiving. "Any moment, Dracula will –" My words were cut off by a piercing shriek of fury that resounded in my skull. With an agonized cry, I dropped to the icy ground, futilely covering my ears to block out the sound.
"He knows!" My voice came out as a strangled sob, thickly laced with pain. "He knows! Oh God, they're coming!"
I was blind to my surroundings, deaf to Father Dimitri's concerned voice. I did not feel when, with surprising strength for a man past his prime, he lifted me up and carried me the last lengths to the castle.
All my thoughts were turned to a condemned ice fortress where my enraged lover had finally awoken.
Eeeheeheehee! Bet none of you saw that coming! What will happen next? Only my muse knows (and I found out that if I stand up to her, she hits me over the head with a plushie, not a wheel of cheese) Review please!