Hello my lovely readers! I am so happy that not everybody forgot about me and my lil'ol story; thank you Joker, Vampiriceve, the Unrequited Lover; and I am also over the Moon that I got new readers!; thank you Willow-sama, and Linwe Ringeril. And here's a new chapter for you, I am hoping you will like it!

Agnes was fuming, pacing around her room in her lavender nightgown. She had been doing that all night, almost wearing a hole in the carpet and the floor. Most of the time she would actually wish the rocks under her feet would give up supporting, and fall, hoping they would hit Dracula on the head. The thought made a malicious smile stretch across her features; she has not talked to the count since he almost caught her skulking behind the door, and she was still angry with him. She could not forget Dracula's last comment.

„ Hats off, dear Agnes, I am truly impressed by your dancing...Now I am beginning to regret not taking you to my All Hallow's Eve ball!"

Repeating it over and over again got her even stroppier if it was possible.

„ Who does he think he is, to do such a thing to me?" Agnes thought as she finally stopped by the window; she even made herself dizzy by all the pacing. She looked at the sky, bathing in the faint light of dawn, and the slowly fading face of the old Moon. However, she could not enjoy the gripping sight of the new day almost starting; only Dracula's face loomed in front of her eyes.

„ And why does he keep me here? For amusement? A play-thing?" It did make sense to think such of the count, but somehow deep in her being Agnes felt there must be something different to this. She had a vague memory of the count whispering to her about making her his beloved as they were dancing. And his deeds seemed to have supported this idea as well...though Agnes was not exactly sure about what this adventure held for her at the end ...as she was not sure about anything regarding the strange man that kept her confined. Nevertheless, she was convinced that Dracula had something particular in mind concerning her; otherwise, he would never go through all the trouble she has caused him.

„Why couldn't he take me to that ball, I'm sure he himself had enjoyed it beyond measure!" She stared at the horizon through the glass that was trapped among the crooked bars finely crafted in iron. Her own thoughts confusing her, made feelings erupt from Agnes' heart, that were far worse than anger. She felt disappointed and betrayed in a way, and annoyed at the fact that she cared about what Dracula did or did not do. And recalling their kiss from last time...it made her flesh creep and her heart quiver. The look in those char eyes of his, that strand of hair by his face which he always puts behind his ear and always escapes...the poison of dark love on those elegant lips...the thirsty fire of the kiss...That was too much to live through. A too beauteous and overpowering attack against her sanity and firm beliefs. Things were not going as she planned they would...not at all. The intoxicating memory from the secret depths of her heart induced her reason to quickly try and find redemption in remorse for her former thoughts and emotions, and try to perceive the sensation through the ever-thick glasses of logic.

„ It is because I am bored, and have nobody to talk to, and because I love balls!" Agnes thought out loud in a fretful tone and pressed a consistent look upon her face, and looked at her reflection in the window glass. But even the angel was not as talented in lying as to fool herself, especially with a stupid lie such as that one. Then Agnes tilted her head to the side a bit, and caught sight of her own gaze in the window glass.

„ You're a coward Agnes." she said. The angel had a hard time banishing her troublesome thoughts to the back of her mind as she saw the first red light of the morning Sun. It seemed as if the horizon had caught fire, the colour almost too rich for the eye to take in. Agnes greeted the warm rays with an equally warm smile, as she hid her eyes from direct contact with them behind the shadow of an iron bar.

„ Dracula is at rest. Finally." she thought as she turned away from the window and hurried to the wardrobe to fetch her dark, hooded cape. Agnes had been waiting for that morning for days, which seemed like centuries to her. She knew Dracula was asleep during the day, once she saw him rise from his icy rest place, and now was aware that she must avoid that place from far away. As the angel could not forget the memory of the kiss, she never forgot about what she saw back then either. She needed the daytime to revisit the 'mirror room' as she began to call it since she first laid her eyes upon the strange, dusty chamber. Agnes was now desperate to find out something about the outside world, her thoughts were concentrated on making her way to her destination as soon as possible as she put her cape on, and left her room with quiet steps like a cat setting off to hunt. She only clamped the cape by its neck with her hands, as she had no intention of spending too much time away from her primary shelter. Little did she know about the pair of wondering eyes that observed every eloquent move of hers. Dracula was following her from far away in an easy pace, walking upside-down on the ceiling, his sensitive ears absorbing the sound of Agnes' Turkish moccasins brushing against the cold stone floor in the rhythm of her steps. How strangely this day started! I t has been many leap years that he had been awake, despite that the Sun's lethal rays never got to the interiors of his castle.

„ Did she really think I could not move around by daytime?" flashed through the count's mind as he was watching Agnes' back. This time however, other thoughts of hers interested him. He knew exactly where she was heading, but not her motives behind doing so. The sight of the angel in a cape and a nightgown hurrying in front of him looked very promising for the brand new day. Dracula was not able to predict the reaction to expect from Agnes once he will show up around her soon, and that filled him with anticipation.

„ But today would be memorable for the angel...a lecture on deceiving people whose affection she bears..." What a word!

„Affection...affection" he kept repeating it silently, yet to the count it seemed as if it was violently screamed from the back of his mind. He was growing attached to the creature of bloom that has been giving him such a hard time for over a month now. Dracula craved to be near her, even if it was hard to confess. But he would gain the trust and love of Agnes' wounded heart...And again, he began pondering on the outcome of this dawn-encounter with a pry, but faint smile.

Agnes soon reached the heavy door, the only thing that now separated her from her destination. She took a deep breath and folded her white fingers around the old, copper handle. She turned the handle, and pushed the door that gave a harsh, creaking noise, echoing through the whole castle. Agnes stopped for a moment to see whether someone has noticed her, then upon not catching sight of anyone moving, she slid into the room and closed the door behind herself. The angel turned around slowly to see the beautiful mirror partly covered in cobwebs, behind a thin mist of whirling dust, ochre in the light of candles. She took a careful step towards it, to examine the matt surface, in which she could see a blurry reflection of herself.

„ If I only I knew how to make it show me Elizabeth.." she thought. And no sooner, than the idea had flown away on soundless wings, the surface of the mirror suddenly teed off whirling with dark colours. Agnes jumped back in fright at the first impression, then took a stand in front of the mirror, far enough to be able to escape, but close enough to discern all that might show up. Her eyes lit up with joy when she saw her sister with her fiancé. Her felicity did not last long however; she noticed them both wearing fancy clothes: Elizabeth in a breathtaking wedding-gown, and Ferenc in a genuine suit, probably sewn by the best tailor of Budapest. They were wed. They were most likely heading home after their wedding. The couple was asleep with an expression of bliss on their faces, Elizabeth leaning her head on her husband's shoulder. Tears came to Agnes' eyes as she watched them dreaming, envying their happy union, and regretting she had failed to attend the grand event.

„As afflicted as Elizabeth and father must have been by my absence..." Upon watching the newly wed couple an idea ran through mind which she may have regarded preposterous earlier, but that moment, it seemed more painful...Her own loneliness dawned upon her. The dams in her heart broke, letting sadness flow from her eyes in rivers of tears. All of a sudden it appeared to her that the only creature in the world that truly knew something about her real self and understood her, was the very one that kept her confined and made her feel confused about her own emotions and perception of the world. Around whom she felt her body burning and her heart naked...Dracula. The only person who managed to stir her heart behind the sky-high wall she built around it. All her life she longed to be free, and let her heart soar. But what was meant as a wall for protection, only cast it into a prison. Now she was struggling to tear the sweetest chains of love that were snaking their ways around her arms and legs, bounding her here by the count's side. It started as a fight, controlled by a conducted plan...but by this time she could not fathom what she was fighting for... What a thought to entertain! She was supposed to abhor Dracula for all he had done and is likely to do...but that was not what she felt. Agnes let go of her cape to wipe the tears from her face, and the heavy velvet fell to the floor; but she couldn't care less this time, she didn't mind the cold from the outside, her years-long cold attitude within her heart disturbed her far more. She looked at Elizabeth again...joyful she was.

„ I should myself be happy as well..." she thought as she took a deep breath and hugged her own bare shoulders.

„ My lonely angel..." Dracula's voice echoed even in the small room as it travelled to Agnes' ear on silky wings. He has been watching Agnes over the past few minutes: the orange light on her skin, the dainty outline of her legs through the thin fabric of her nightgown. But now he had to touch her.

Agnes was flung back from the labyrinth of her thoughts and popped around, expecting to meet Dracula's gaze. All she could see was the dark door.

„ Is my imagination toying with me? Or did I hear Vladislaus speak?" she thought out loud. Agnes kept listening for a few minutes, even forgetting to breathe at times, then she slowly turned back towards the mirror. She jumped in fright when she found Dracula facing her. But something was not right; he was upside down. Agnes was staring at him with lips parted in misbelief and one eyebrow raised, and Dracula was looking back with a grin so typical of him.

„ How was he...at this time of the day? And..." Agnes was trying to find answers, but it made no difference: she has been caught. Few minutes passed until the vampire landed before the angel who was standing with her hands clutched under her chin, and cheeks still wet with tears. The count took a step towards Agnes and his arms immediately found their ways around her waist, and Agnes found herself not even trying to protest about the whole thing. Instead, she was trying to figure out a rapid explanation for her presence in that room, and avoiding the count's inquisitive eyes, she fixed her gaze at the collar of Dracula's black coat. She really was caught off guard this time: no weapons, no wit, only tears, and sadness radiating from her. She had to pull herself together as quickly as possible.

„ Speak of the Devil..." spoke Dracula as he was stroking Agnes' jawbone and lifted her head slowly for his stare to meet eyes in a lake of tears, sparkling like diamonds. Such an unearthly delight to see her that way.

„ Hmm...No lady's eyes can be beautiful unless she cried before." Agnes opened her mouth to speak, explain herself, to ward off the probable questions, but Dracula just put his left index finger at her mouth.

„ Hush, my love, I don't need no explanation." the count said, his voice honey-sweet, but slightly threatening. Dracula never broke their enchanted eye contact as his left hand crawled from over Agnes' back to her nape. His fingers drew gentle circles around that protuberant bone, making Agnes' flesh creep, then the white fingers continued their exploring and were soon trapped in the angel's hair. Pale knuckles clenched maroon locks, and Dracula drew the angel's head back slightly, increasing Agnes' heartbeat with surprise, though she could not say it was an unpleasant moment in time. Her neck was arched like that of a graceful swan and she closed her eyes, knowing all protest would be superfluous. Agnes was up to the count's mercy or rage right then, an iron arm was around her waist, there was no chance to escape; but the knowledge did not disturb her all starkly. The count brushed his thin lips against the white skin that hid the vein in the gentle flesh of the angel's neck, and began whispering in a tone that cast Agnes into another state of consciousness.

„Tsk-tsk...Lying is a bad habit my dear angel..." The count was on the edge of losing control as well, but he was aware of the fact that he was the snake hypnotizing the victim, not vice versa. His kisses getting fervent the flame growing bigger, like the pie of fine sand in an hour-glass, with every passing second. The increasing heat was percolated with lust, passion, and an unknown sensation, which Dracula could not delve into.

" Did I ever lie to you Agnes?" he asked. Agnes heard a dangerous edge in Dracula's voice, but she waited for whatever was to come. Suddenly the count noticed a single tear stream forth from his angel's left eye, a late remainder of the earlier surging feelings. Driven by a headlong idea, Dracula pressed his lips against Agnes' cheek, and kissed the tear way. It tasted of love, joy and sorrow mixed in a salty potion. Such an enigmatical moment. An undefined delight shot through his body as a weak shadow of these feelings washed over him. Only to be gone in an instant, like a deafening flash of lighting across the black sky, leaving a silent thrill behind itself. Agnes was staring at the count with stricken eyes; he never looked so disturbed earlier, it appeared he had forgotten about all that was happening around him. Dracula's eyes were peering into an imaginary distance, which he seemed to have found in the angel's eyes. Agnes diffidently lifted her hand to fondle the count's face. The feeling of her soft fingers against his skin made Dracula awaken from the trance, and a smile appear on his lips. As he laid his eyes upon Agnes, he knew she would never let her leave his side. To Agnes it appeared to be a different smile than what she had seen before, it looked almost happy. She thought that was a fine moment to put the question she had been willing to ask for a long time to him. Dracula opened his mouth to speak, but this time it was Agnes who silenced him with her index finger.

„ Up till now, I spoke and you were listening with contentment written all over your face. This time, I ask, and you answer." Dracula raised an eyebrow and his former smile changed a bit, turning into more of a seductive one.

„ I await your questions then my dear." At that moment, the count didn't feel like reading her mind to find out, so he decided to be a bit yielding. Waiting to see what Agnes would do with the freedom granted to her. Agnes was undeniably surprised by Dracula behaving in a so cooperating manner, but she had to speak her mind.

„ Tell me finally, why you keep me here. What is your reason for desperately wanting to possess me? And don't dare tell me I would find out soon enough...or I swear I'll...I'll..." Agnes was so helpless, having nothing in store for Dracula, she already laughed at what she was going to say.

"...trample on your foot!" Agnes watched Dracula's smile widen. " You are ridiculous, Agnes." ran through her mind. Nevertheless, she waited for the answer with bated breath, and a headstrong gaze fixed on the count, but not being able to hide her attachment to him, she leaned closer to Dracula and parted her lips a bit in anticipation.

Well, that's it! I know that you already know what Drac wants, but don't forget that she doesn't exactly know it yet! Thank you for reading! And if you liked it perhaps you could review as well!