Hello everyone sorry for the long wait, my laptop got a virus and Microsoft Word went screwy and I lost most of my documents. I had to rewrite this chapter and the next one all over again! Thank you for all your reviews, I had no idea so many people had read this!

Luthien Anwamane: Oooh yes, evilness is always good in a man especially ones who believe they are invincible! He may well take his chance tonight but will all go to plan…?

Copperstring: Thank you, your review was helpful! I'm glad I managed to keep Dracula in character; I was worried he became too sentimental at times.

Catherine Tavington: Sorry for the long wait but here is another chapter at last to fuel your Dracula love!

Serena: Thank you! It took so long to write because although I knew where I wanted to go with the story, it's difficult actually getting there.

Elena: You're very welcome! Thank you for reviewing :)

Mina Sparrow: Thank you, here's the next chapter!

Mari Amber: Wow, thank you! -

Dracula's lady (If you're still reading this story!) Sorry for the wait, I hope that this chapter was worth it!

ButterflyOfLothlorien: I'm glad you're enjoying this. Here is more Dracula goodness to enjoy!

Insane Dragoness: Things certainly get a little more interesting and the pace picks up a little more from now on.

Raven: Thank you! That's exactly how I was hoping to portray him, I wanted to show that at this stage of his life (or living death!) he can feel but he tries to hide it.

Rhea: Thank you! Sorry for the wait!

PrincessLady3: Eep! The scary person hissed at me! hurriedly updates Here's the next chapter, I hope it appeases :)

Renee: Lol, thank you! Here you are: Chapter the 8th!

And now that everything is as it should be, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you… CHAPTER 8!
Note: I advise you don't try scrubbing your face with a pumice stone to get rid of sunburn and if a tailor with an incredibly posh English accent knocks on your door, try not to insult him

CHAPTER 8- US AND THEM

Annora suddenly found herself in a castle bustling with business and preparations for the ball. It seemed Dracula held this dance every year and he was intending to hold it in two weeks time. Annora had been to a few dances back in England, her father's wealth had meant she could attend any balls the neighbouring aristocracy organised, but she was not looking forward to this one. The sunburn had not faded from her face completely and the freckles on her nose had decided they weren't even thinking of going until the sunburn did.

"At least it's a masked ball." Annora sighed to herself.

"Yes, it is, but you still need a new gown." Marishka said impatiently. Annora and Marishka had begun to spend a lot of time in each other's company since Aleera couldn't stand the sight of a rival and Verona considered them all beneath her and preferred to be alone. In truth Annora and Marishka weren't overly fond of each other but then again they didn't exactly dislike each other either. At this particular moment in time, Marishka was trying to get Annora to tell her what colour dress she would like and Annora was not being co-operative. Marishka gave up.

"Look, I'll call a tailor in and then you can get fitted up and look at the fabrics."

Annora nodded and the next day a tailor was sent for. He arrived with two assistants, all three looking pale and unable to stop trembling. The brides smiled toothily at them and Aleera showed them where to go. As they mounted the stairs the men were aware of Marishka following them silently. She gave them another wide smile as they turned to look at her and she ushered them into Annora's chamber. Annora was sitting in front if her dressing table, pulling the flaking skin from her face with grimaces of distaste and pain. Marishka coughed and Annora jumped.

"These men will help you decide on your dress. Do you want me to stay and help you choose?"

"Oh, yes, please do," Annora nodded to her gratefully, "You can tell me which materials and colours look awful."

"Modom!" The tailor exclaimed, "All off my materials are made from the highest quality silks, velvets, satins, calico and lace. I assure you, none of these materials can be described as "awful"."

Annora smothered a laugh and even Marishka's mouth twitched as he spoke. Annora soon stopped laughing as the tailor took every opportunity to dig pins into her and made her bleed; Marishka had to leave the room. The snooty tailor was not from Transylvania; he had moved from London to Romania for a brief visit to his aunt and had been hijacked on his way. The materials had been for his aunt and the assistants were his cousins who had also learnt the trade. He was very annoyed at being dragged off to a castle instead of visiting his aunt and after the scare of discovering its inhabitants were vampires and that he was required to use the materials he had brought for his aunt to make a dress for the vampires' guest he was very angry indeed. The fact that his materials might be considered awful was the final insult and he decided to make the damned dress and get out of the castle before he was eaten or his aunt realised he was late.

After a long discussion and several changes of design, Annora had been measured and the fabrics chosen and fitted. She thanked the tailor and his assistants before he left but he sniffed in disdain and stalked away to make the dress and apologise to his aunt, who would not be pleased that her dear nephew was four hours late and had cut up half the material she had needed for her own new dress.

"Thank goodness that's over," Annora said with a sigh of relief. I was hoping he wouldn't make the corset any smaller but he insisted on one inch less than I find comfortable."

"Oh shut up," scowled Marishka. "You just like showing off that you can wear an eighteen inch corset without finding any difficulty breathing."

Annora laughed back at her, "ah, but so can you! You haven't need to breathe for centuries," and spent the next hour feeling that she was paying for that comment by having to listen to Marishka discussing make-up for so long that Annora fell asleep, thoroughly dreading the ball.

Dracula came to visit her every day now and she was finding herself becoming closer and closer to him. She still tingled when he touched her skin but the disgust had long ago faded and now she enjoyed his company. Dracula was a mystery to her for she could never guess his thoughts. She liked his courteous manners and was awed by his power. She came to love his haunting smile and instead of flinching under his steady gaze she returned it with steady, bright eyes. His eyes still hypnotised her and she laughed and talked with him as she had once done on her balcony during that English summer. Dracula was not unaware Annora's feelings were beginning to get the better of her morals and he encouraged them to grow and develop so that before long Annora could not deny to herself that she had fallen hopelessly and completely in love. That Dracula did not love her in return Annora never doubted. She knew she was simply an object of desire to him and this knowledge began to tear her apart. But just because she had given in and acknowledged her feelings to herself, Annora decided she wouldn't tell anyone else. As long as no one else knew, she was safe.

One day before the ball the brides walked into Annora's room and pinned her down. She debated screaming but since they did not look particularly murderous she refrained from doing so. Aleera pinned her left arm and Verona her right and Marishka held up a pumice stone.

"What-?" Annora began but she was cut off by Aleera.

"You can't go to the ball with a scarlet face, my love," she explained, "so we are going to sort it out for you."

Annora managed not to scream as Marishka scraped her skin away with the stone but afterwards, when she was left alone with her face feeling like it was on fire and even redder than before, she desperately bathed her face in freezing water and smeared it with soothing aloe vera. The next morning, much to her surprise, when she woke up, Annora found her face was only slightly tinged with red. She smiled at her reflection and then laughed out loud. Her skin was almost back to its normal pale complexion and her dark eyes no longer looked odd or out of place. Since there were now only twelve hours before the ball Annora spent the whole day with the brides. All three of them seemed to be in unusually good moods and not an unkind word left any of their mouths. Annora spent most of the morning having her hair washed, brushed and styled by Marishka. Then, when her own hair was finished, Annora turned her attention to styling Verona's hair. It took a long time to get it perfectly straight and then, much to her annoyance, Verona decided she would wear it up and curled after all.

Annora's dress was delivered around midday; "I can't wear it," she breathed, "it's too beautiful."

"Oh, just put it on!" said Marishka.

Annora complied, and when she emerged the Brides were left little doubt that their master would make his move tonight.

Dracula stood at the foot of the stone stairs, elegantly dressed in black and silver. His ears caught the sound of light footsteps and looking up he saw her. Annora descended, too nervous to smile but still managing to look rather lovely. Dracula took her hand.

"You look beautiful," he murmured.

"Thank you," she stuttered.

"You're trembling."

"I'm afraid."

"Don't be, I won't let them hurt you," Dracula took her arm and began to lead her towards the hall. Annora walked slowly, letting him guide her. She looked like a child, he thought, so young and vulnerable. Annora made him pause before they entered the hall and she turned pale.

"I won't let them harm you," he repeated, firmly yet gently. Annora squared her shoulders and took a deep breath and her face betrayed nothing of her thoughts but then she looked up at him with dark, terrified eyes and he wondered if making her enter a room full of vampires was too cruel an act.

"I'm ready," she said and he banished his thoughts and led her into the hall.

Annora momentarily forgot how to breathe. The hall was filled with such beautiful people moving in an elegant dance to floating music. The colours were bright and shining; gold, scarlet, emerald, ruby, olive, violet, cream, crimson, plum, peacock, silver, rose, wine, azure, russet, purple, amber and blue… Suddenly Annora forgot her fear and forgot the colours and the music and dancing. All she knew was that Dracula was holding her, touching her and she was touching him. She became very aware of the feel of his clothes, the colour of his eyes, the way the light caught his hair. She found her hand melting into his and the world seemed to fade away and there was just them. Only the two of them, moving to strange music in a strange place full of strange people. They were alone in a world of colour and music lost in each other.

Dracula drew her a little nearer. Her touch was intoxicating, he couldn't think. Gently he ran a hand down and across her body, twining it round her waist and resting it on her hip. He placed his other hand under hers and slid it down to cover her heart. He could feel her heart beating beneath his fingertips. He wanted her almost to the point of insanity… he pulled her closer, gently, so gently drawing her in. He placed a hand on her face and moved in to kiss her. His lips had barely touched hers when her heart began to pound like a wild creature behind bars and with a great deal of effort she pulled away, dragging her mind free from the thrall he held over her. Breathing in odd shallow gasps she backed away until she could no longer move. Dracula froze and suddenly in his eyes there was a strange expression. Pain, anger, humiliation, desire all mingled together and struggling to surface.

"Is the touch of a dead man so repulsive to you?" He took a step towards her and she took a step backwards.

"No," she stopped, frightened by the look on his face.

"Is the reason you despise me because my heart is still and my blood cold? What I am no longer makes you hate me, I know that. All I have done is try to please you, keep you happy," his voice grew louder. The dancers stopped and the orchestra faltered.

"Keep dancing!" he roared and they hurriedly picked up the dance again. Annora looked as though she wanted to run but she stood her ground.

Dracula turned to her again, "you make me love you, though God knows you don't try to!" He was shouting now and Annora was on tenterhooks.

"For over three hundred years I have been empty! You have reminded me how to love and yet you turn away from me… What will it take to make you see that inside I am alive?"

That was the final straw. Annora lost her temper. Some things should never be said, they are best left unspoken because the pain that they will bring when spoken is far greater than suffering in silence but Annora no longer cared she pulled her mask from her face and threw it to the ground. Then she opened her mouth and poured out her heart.

"How can you possibly expect to understand? No, I don't want you to touch me because every time you do I feel so vulnerable… stripped… my mind laid bare, my soul open to the one who would take it! You gave your soul to the devil and I was cursed enough to love you… the greatest sin; It is one thing to sell your soul to the devil and then regret it but another to love the one who has done it! How could God ever forgive that? So understand this; there is something inside of you that I can never love, the part of you that tears me apart and brings me into conflict with everything I know to be true and right," she paused and then said very softly, "But… the rest of you… is perfect."

The whole room fell silent, the orchestra stopped playing completely and a sigh seemed to ripple around the hall. Dracula didn't react. He remained motionless, burning coldly with anger. Annora looked at him, taking in everything she loved and everything she hated and then she looked into his eyes and what she saw made her heart stop and her breath catch in her chest. Her eyes grew fearful and after a moment of unbearable tension she turned and fled the hall. Dracula stood looking at the place where she had vanished. Then he followed her with an odd expression on his face, a peculiar smile that contained no trace of humour and his eyes glinted with an odd light.

I hope that was worth the wait! It's a bit short, I know but it seemed longer when writing it! Chapter nine will be up in a reasonably short amount of time (I won't say soon because I think that's just begging for a jinx!). In the meantime please hit the review button and send me your thoughts and comments.