Chapter 8-

A/N: Sorry for the time it took to get chapter 7 up. For some reason it wasn't loading so I went back and attacked the problem and ended up rewriting the entire chapter because I didn't like what I saw when I read it. Hopefully this one will not be such a long time in the works.

The Helsing crew and the teens stood outside, the night was, lit by the light of a full moon; most everyone looked wearily at Watcher, it was also very cool and the stars where shining brightly above them. Kate placed her hat on her head and Van Helsing looked annoyedly at her but she just stuck her tongue out at the hunter and steps onto the wooded walking path, the rest followed suit. Watcher kept glancing up at the moon every so often, making Libby and James rather nervous, having encountered a werewolf once already.

"I am not going to turn into a blood thirsty wolf." Watcher said frowning at the two young people next to him.

"Well...you know we where just wonder why you kept looking at the moon so much." James said.

"I like how it looks, I never get to see it this way." Watcher replied.

"Why?" Libby said.

"The moon is blood red."

James and Libby stopped in their tracks and both looked up at the man before them.

"Huh?" The said together.

"My time, the moon is blood red because of something Dracula did." Watcher replied. "A pure moon is so beautiful to watch."

The two teens blinked in confusion but continued walking with no further questions. At that moment Van Helsing and Kate came to an abrupt halt, causing everyone behind them to bump into one another.

"What the?" Alice said, after slamming into Anna.

"Shh!" Van said holding his hand up.

Silence fell over the group. The light wind rustled through the trees, shaking what was left of the leaves lose, the sound of a dog barking off a little way back floated through the night. All was quite, very quite.

"Why did you make us notice this??" James hissed from the back of the group. "Now I'm freaked out!"

"Shh!! I heard something." Kate said, looking back at her cousin.

The group listened for a few minuets; nothing reached their ears, nothing. Not the wind, not late walkers, not even the sounds of the last few squirrels gathering food for the winter.

"Why did it get so quite all of a sudden?" Kevin said to no one directly, peering around his friends.

"I don't know...." Anna said.

"Vell why don't I show you why!" A deep Romanian accented voice from somewhere in front of them, hidden in the deep shadows, thrown by the sudden and disorienting cloud cover.

"AH!! Dracula's back!!!" James yelped.

The deep accented laughter echoed around them, penetrating the thick dark silence. "You foolish young ones.... You need not fear him...yet, just us." The voice seemed to float around everyone.

"Show yourselves!" Van Helsing said.

"As you wish...." The voice said this the clouds where pulled away from the light of the moon.

Standing in the middle of the path about a hundred yards away was two unknown figures. Both had long black hair, glowing yellow eyes and they were wrapped up within the very shadows of the night.

"Remove your.... shadows." Anna said, seeming a bit confused about the shadow part.

"Why should we?" Said a female voice, accented with Italian.

"Now, now, sister ve must show courtesy to our friends." Said the male voice. "After all...these are the holders of the tear drop amulet."

"But, my brother, you said that we would not have to deal with people." The female said.

"I did not know we would arrive so late." The male argued back.

"Fine. Do what you must; be courteous but I am growing impatient."

"Hate to interrupt you two but.... who are you?!" Kate said, an edge to her voice.

"So rude of me to get wrapped up in one of our debates, young one." He removed himself from the tangle of the shadows. "I am Corbett and that is my sister, Adriana. We are...travelers, seeking a very rare amulet. I believe that you have heard of it....you, the smaller one with the hat. Who are you?"

Now that Corbett could be seen clearly it was revealed that he did not have glowing yellow eyes, like his sister, but it was merely an illusion. In truth he had eyes of a deep blue gray, his skin was white, almost a porcelain color. He was dressed in a black shirt with a long black coat over that, white ruffles protruded from the folds over his chest. White gloves covered his hands and a red rose was clutched in one of them. A small smile played over his features, making him look slightly cocky. His other hand was bent behind his back. Corbett's pants where long and also black, shined black shoes covered his feet.

Kate narrowed her eyes at Corbett.

"How can I trust you?" She said.

"I only ask for your name young one....nothing more." Corbett replied a bit taken back.

"I'm not deaf, I heard what you said when you where being all ghostie." Kate took a step back and nudged Helsing discreetly. "You said something about fearing you, I'm not going to do that, I don't fear."

"Then why do you back away?"

"I don't trust you."

"I just want your name."

"Corbett, this is a waste of time! Leave this to me." Adriana said curtly, disengaging herself from the shadows. She, now exposed in the bright moonlight, was the one with the glowing yellow eyes. Her hands where covered in blood colored gloves, her shirt was the color of the night, as was the rest of her attire. It was wrapped up in metal chains, rings and a thin layer of chain mail covered her shirt and covering that was a trench coat with silver buttons that started just below her sternum. Her mouth was set in an impatient line of disgust and determination.

"Fine, Adriana." Corbett said, crossing his arms and melting back into the shadows.

"Child, give me the amulet before I take it from your cold dead body." Adriana said curtly, stepping from the slightly covering shadows of a tree and back into the full light of the moon.

"Your real nice." Kate said stopping and planting her feet in the path. "EVERYBODY SLIDE TO DA LEFT!!!"

The Helsing crew and the teens bolted in every direction, leaving the evil siblings slightly confused about what had just been said, for a few seconds. Adriana let out a furred scream and Corbett's blue gray eyes flared to match the intensity of his sister's, now positively flaming eyes. He let out a low growl and they both burst into shadows.

Kate's P.O.V-

I booked into the forest, having slipped the amulet to Van Helsing unknown to the gruesome twosome. I could hear the two moving through the darkness close behind me, I knew even though their infuriated screams had faded away and the night was once again quite. Some unknown force told me not to stop, that the quite was just a facade and that danger was close.

What the hell is happening to me?!

I suddenly stopped and doubled over, clutching my stomach. It felt as though it was on fire. I began to shake uncontrollably, as if someone was standing there, shaking me. I can see, through the pitch dark of the now covered moon. I can see perfectly, as though something has just lit my way. I fell to my knees as the Italian accented voice of Adriana rang out, laughing at my pain.

"What is wrong little one? Can't get up?" Her voice came from the darkness.

I could do nothing, the pain in my stomach was just too great.

"Give me the amulet and I will release you from my mind-hold."

"I could resist Dracula." I spat pathetically from the ground.

"Vlad wasn't trying."

My arms gave way and I hit the ground and curled up in a ball.

"If he was you would be falling at his feet." She laughed a bit. "Now where is the amulet?"

"Go to hell."

"You'll be there before me, child."

I let out a scream as the pain intensified.

James's P.O.V-

"YARRRRRRRRRGH!!!!" That weird guy, Corbett had shown up.

I made a quickie turn and flew over some rocks. I tripped over something unseen and fell flat on my face.

"Ow..."

Corbett's Romanian accented voice filtered through the night and he walked in front of me.

"Meep!"

He picked me up by my shirt and plopped me on my feet.

"I won't attack a fallen person." He said, waiting for me to get my bearings.

Ah, shit I have to do something!

"POKIEWA!!!!" I poked him roughly in the side and ran like heck.

Suddenly I was grabbed around the waist and a hand was clamped over my mouth, my eyes went wide and I began to kick widely.

"MMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!"

A low groan came from behind me and I was dropped. I turned around to see Helsing curled up in a ball on the ground and Libby gaping.

Oh...shit...Anna's gonna kill me...

"Oops...."

Alice's P.O.V-

I was up in a tree holding onto a branch like my life depended on it.

Meep...I think I hear someone coming!!

I could hear cautious footsteps over the crunchy leaves.

I can't just sit here...I know!! I'll land on him and run like Drac outta heck.

The steps came closer and closer and stopped right...under...my....tree!! I closed my eyes and dropped down.

"IEEEEE!!!!" I landed hard and a female screamed in surprise, I opened my eyes to see Anna!

She was glaring at me from the ground.

"Heh, heh...sorry."

Anna got up and dusted herself off and looked at me for a second.

"What was that for?" She said.

"I thought you where someone else."

"Come on."

We began to move through the night, we had no weapons.

"I thought that Kate said nothing would go wrong."

"Usually nothing like this happens...."

"Where are the others?"

"I think I heard James scream Pokiewa a while ago...."

"Pokiewa??"

"Poking someone very hard in the side."

"Is that even a real word?"

"Is now."

Suddenly we heard light moving off to our left, a bush was shaking. I drew back a bit and stepped behind Anna, she looked back at me blandly and picked up a stick, she handed it to me. We walked forward and a head popped out of the bush.

I had brought the stick down in sheer freight but stopped it several inches before hitting the friar. "Carl!!"

"Eep..." He squeaked out before falling forward out of the bush.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Anna whispered.

I just stood with the stick behind my back and softly whistled.

"Whoopsie..."