Hello people!

Copperstring: Wow, thank you! Never think that I wouldn't want to hear your opinion; your reasons for liking my story are always welcome because then I know what I am doing right! It's also helpful because I can make my other stories better. I hope this update came soon enough!

Vee017: Thank you so much! The story is going quite slowly at present but I assure you after the next chapter the pace quickens and your incentive will be rewarded!

Elena and theangelofcrimsontears: Updated as commanded! hands out Dracula shaped biscuits because Elena and theangelofcrimsontears have been patient and waited for this chapter.

Luthien Anwamane: I'm glad you like the story! Lol, much better late than never! Thank you for reviewing!

And thank you to everyone who reviewed in earlier chapters! I realised I haven't been replying to you all individually so I have gone back and re-uploaded all the previous chapters with personal comments. So if you're interested go back and have a look!

Well, it's time for another exciting episode in the lives of Dracula and Annora! Today we will be experiencing some interesting sunsets, a description of summer nights, a lot of shouting and gain a small amount of information.

CHAPTER 7- LET ME LIVE

The Count paused outside Annora's door, listening to her movements inside. Her heartbeat was steady; she was standing still... somewhere on the other side of the room... He pushed open the door and paused. Annora was leaning on the window sill, looking out over the mountains. The last rays of the fading sun melted into the room, casting a golden aura about her. Dracula winced a little and raised his hand to protect his eyes from the fiery glare then he walked slowly over to where she stood and followed her gaze. The snow was stained pink and orange, the sky streaked with colour and the clouds were on fire. The Count looked at Annora; her face was calm and her pale skin reflected the light of sunset. Her grey eyes were fixed on the horizon, a faraway look on her face. For a while he let peace descend in his mind and the fire died a little in his breast. He could wait awhile before doing what he came intending to do. They stood side by side for a long time, until the sunlight had faded away completely, leaving the room dark and the sky a deep inky blue.

"It has been many centuries since I last stood under the light of a dying sun."

Annora glanced at the Count but didn't comment on this strange statement. He looked down at her and then wondered if his passionate approach was appropriate to the current situation. Perhaps his original idea of a softer, sweeter seduction would be more effective.

"I thought you could withstand the sunlight," she said suddenly.

"I can, I have just never walked at this hour."

"Oh."

The Count glanced down at her hands. Annora had found her rosary and was holding it now, running her fingers absentmindedly over each pearl bead. She ran her thumb over the crucifix and Dracula winced with mild pain and hatred for God and all he had been cursed with.

"I want to apologise..." Annora said hesitantly, still gazing out at the horizon. The Count followed her gaze and listened patiently.

"I have been acting unnecessarily rude and somewhat childishly too. You have shown me nothing but kindness and I have been ungrateful and scorned your hospitality. You saved my life and sought my friendship and I have spurned you. I believed that what I said and did, I did for the best. I believed that God would never forgive me if I shown compassion or friendship towards a... a... creature like you. But, now, I understand, if there is to be hope for your soul then I must overcome these thoughts, which, thinking about it again aren't all that true anyway. I mean... God says to pray for sinners and Jesus says we should love our neighbour... it would be hypocritical of me to say "I will not talk with this man, he is a sinner in the eyes of God." When I myself am not living how he asks me to. And besides, does he not tell us to judge others, lest we should, be judged ourselves? And so, I have reached the conclusion that I should apologise to you and try to make a fresh start... I'm sorry."

The Count listened to this sermon and couldn't stop a slightly evil smile spreading across his face. Finally he turned to her and smiled. To Annora it was a real smile, a smile of pure and honest happiness. To Dracula, it was a smile of triumph and wicked glee. God had been outwitted; he had lost Annora through his own teachings! Dracula laughed. Annora, smiled, a bemused but nevertheless amused smile and she gave a laughed herself, a little laugh of joy and relief.

"Ah, I have waited two months to here you say that." He smiled again and correctly interpreting the look on her face added, "Yes, it has been two months since we first met. It is now August."

"But we met at the end of June," Annora corrected.

"It seems longer." He looked at her and then he took her hand in his.

"A fresh start you say?" he asked, "well then let us start over, we shall forget the morbid past, start anew... grow new skin, purify our hearts and empty our minds. Forget the deaths and the bleeding. Forget the hate felt and the words spoken and remember only the summer nights when I flew you to places of wonder and beauty, where the stars seemed brighter and the moon was large and bathed the world in silver. From now on, every night will be like those."

A single tear escaped from her eyes. Glowing milky white as it caught the moonlight, it fell to the stone floor where splashed and shattered onto the stones and with it fell away the doubt and the fear, the hate and the uncertainty was washed away and she looked at him and saw him once more as the dark stranger in the night, strong and mysterious, with an aura of power that she could never tame and he alone could control. Yet still there was that barrier and it had to be broken down, brick by brick he would destroy that wall and leave her heart unguarded.

Dracula's eyes were burning with a fire that made Annora suddenly wonder if his words had a deeper, more subtle meaning. Was Dracula was being literal or metaphorical when he spoke about beautiful places in the night? She looked at his face and the suspicion that he really wasn't being literal grew stronger in her mind.

Dracula took a step nearer and Annora felt her breath quicken and she felt sure that kissing the son of the devil would not be pleasing in the eyes of the Lord.

The Count was indeed burning. Passion had taken control and now he moved towards her, ready to do what he had come to do.

You will be mine… The words were as clear on his face as though he had spoken them. But Annora didn't see this, all she saw was a roaring, empty blackness and somewhere above an angel screamed and the saints prayed and the whole world was tense with mingled despair and hope.

The doors burst open and the noise died away with a faint sigh. The blackness faded and Dracula's face materialised out of the gloom. He did not look pleased. Annora turned to see what he was looking at. There, in the doorway, stood the three women who had tended Annora when she was unwell. They had an air of cold satisfaction about them which was the exact opposite of Dracula's face.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, controlling the fury in his voice with great constraint.

"You never come to see us any more," said Aleera.

"You have abandoned us," whispered Verona. Dracula gave a sigh of great annoyance and leaving Annora where she stood he marched over to them, ushered them out of the door and shut it behind him, leaving Annora alone and relieved in the dark room. She strained to hear what he was saying but his voice was too quiet. The brides however were not troubling to keep their voices down and she caught the gist of the conversation.

Murmurings from the Count.

"You have! You have!" wailed Marishka, "You have abandoned us!"

More soothing murmurs.

"Don't call us 'your Darlings'!" screeched Verona, "you do not care for us at all!"

A sigh and further murmurs.

"No! I will not be patient! You will spend more time with me or I leave!" Aleera yelled.

"Silence! I don not want Annora to hear this!" The Count said in a piercing whisper that carried clearly through the wooden door.

"Let her hear! It will do her good to know what she is in for! We will watch as she falls and then you shall realise that in the end, she will just be another Gloria! Another Miranda! Another Julie!"

"SILENCE!" the Count's voice echoed throughout the castle and the servants flinched in fear and the brides whimpered in terror.

Annora heard no more. Just a few more whispers and then the women went away. Dracula slammed open the door and Annora wondered how long it would last before it fell off its hinges.

"My apologies," he said.

Annora shrugged. Who Gloria, Miranda and Julie were did not bother her, they were probably women Dracula had shared a relationship with that had failed. Now the issue of who those three women were was the most important.

"Who are they?" she asked him.

"They are just-"

"I want the truth."

He raised an eyebrow and turned away from her.

"The truth? There is no truth that you would understand. They are my brides."

"Your what?"

"My brides."

"You are... married... to three women?"

"In a way. There is no ceremony that binds us. No rings were placed upon their fingers, no vows were said before God. This is a marriage made before the devil. You may have heard the saying 'blood is thicker than water'?"

She nodded.

"I took them. I took their lives. Each in turn sacrificed her old life and dedicated it to me. By blood we are joined. As I sired them, they became my brides and no service in a church before God could unite us more strongly."

Annora's disgust at the thought of bigamy died away and she leant against the wall with a sigh. She had not thought that the Count might want to sire her... She knew he wanted more than friendship; that was obvious. But the idea that he might turn her into a vampire made her tremble. The thought of having that creature, that evil inside of her, to lose her soul to the devil... no, surely he wouldn't... he wouldn't do that to her, would he? Annora looked at Dracula. He was leaning against the door and his green eyes were fixed on her. His face was closed and impossible to read. Annora gave up and simply focused on planning how to make sure she stayed safe. She knew she now had to be more careful if she was on good terms with him. Annora knew she couldn't afford to do anything stupid. Like falling in love.

Dracula ground his teeth. His plan had failed, thanks to his brides. Annora had not succumbed to his seduction and now she would be wary of him. He wondered why he did not send his Brides away but deep down he knew the answer. They were useful. They made him feel good and he liked their... company. He grinned inwardly, outwardly allowing his teeth to lengthen for a moment. Then he looked up at Annora just as she looked at him. He saw her thoughts clearly and felt like laughing. Oh, she would be hard to overcome but when he did, it would be a sweet victory. He looked at her eyes, reading the silent prayer; Let me live. He smiled.

"Good night, Miss Osmond."

"Good night."

And he shut the door behind him and made his way to icy coffin for a rest. A fresh start... Dracula smiled, he knew he had made a favourable impact upon Annora and he hoped to continue to do so. What he needed was an opportunity to touch her and hold her close without Annora being able to run away.

"Master?" it was Igor.

"Yes, Igor?"

"Will you be holding your annual summer ball this month?"

And Dracula laughed.

Please review! Chapter 8 will be up very soon.