14
Why?
When Gabriel arrived back to the manor, he took Verona straight to a bed and put her in it. Her skin was like ice and her face had turned blue. "Verona, are you still with me?" Gabriel asked. Verona's eyes slowly opened. She managed to smile a little; she was finally back with him. "How do you feel?" he asked concerned. "I'm better now, just a little cold." Anna and Carl walked in and said, "Here, these should help." Anna gave a few blankets to Gabriel and then said, "Carl, come on they should be alone." Anna was uncomfortable with a Vampire in her house, but she hoped Gabriel knew what he was doing.
Gabriel put the blankets over Verona and sat next to her. She smiled and then took his hand. "You came back to me." Gabriel smiled and said, "Of course I did. I wasn't going to leave you alone with that monster." Verona's eyes teared up. "Verona, you're safe now. He won't hurt you any more." Verona's voice lowered as tears began to stream down her face, "If only that were true." "Don't say that. I'm not loosing you again." "He will keep hunting us as long as we are alive and you know that." "No, I won't accept that. I will find a way and we will be able to live…together without him." There was a brief silence and then Gabriel said, "You need to rest." He tucked the blankets tight around her, kissed her on the forehead, and said, "I'll be back later to check on you." He walked out of the room leaving Verona to sleep.
Verona couldn't believe that he had come back. She felt safe, but knew that her death would come soon. The curse of the vampire was no longer over her but she knew her time was passing. She let her mind and body drift into a deep sleep.
Back in Dracula's castle, Aleera was outraged. She transformed into her hideous form and flew screeching throughout the castle. She flew to her master and woke him from his sleep. "Master, Master she's gone." Aleera was now on her knees screeching. "What! You let her get away!" Dracula was in a rage. It took every ounce of strength not to hurt Aleera. How could she do this, he thought to himself.
Aleera stood and said, "It was Gabriel." The count walked up and yelled, "What! I thought you told me he was dead!" Without thinking, he swung his arm and knocked Aleera to the ground. She sat on the floor weeping. "I'm sorry master, I tried to stop him." The count's anger subsided as he realized what he had done. He had already lost Marishka and Verona; he couldn't risk loosing Aleera too. He knelt at her side and held out his hand, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. It's just everything is falling apart. First Marishka now Verona. I just don't want to loose you too." Aleera took the count's hand and he embraced her. "You won't loose me; I'll always be here with you."
Aleera and the count stood and kissed. Aleera put her head on the count's chest and said, "What do we do now?" The count took in a deep breath and said, "We wait, Gabriel will be back. This time we will be ready for him. Soon the great Van Helsing will be just a memory, a bad memory."
Gabriel walked in where Anna and Carl were talking. "She's asleep." "What happened to her?" asked Carl. "Aleera was left in charge of her." Both Anna and Carl shook their heads because they knew that couldn't be good. "Did you ask her how to kill Dracula?" asked Anna. "Umm no I figured I would let her rest for a while first." "We have got to figure this out. We don't have much time Gabriel", said a more serious Anna. "I'll ask her when she is rested." Just then, they all heard Verona yell for Gabriel.
Gabriel ran into the room to Verona. "What's wrong?" He saw that almost all of the color had left Verona's face. It was clear to him that she was dying. "No how can this be? Verona…how?" Tears now flooded his face. He took her hands and said, "I can't loose you again. Please stay with me." Verona looked deep into his eyes and said, "Listen to me. I have to tell you this. Only a werewolf can kill Dracula, he has a cure." Gabriel cut her off and said, "No I don't care about that right now. All I care about is you." Verona put her hand on his face and said, "Gabriel, I am dying. There is nothing you can do to save me. But you can save people by killing Dracula." "How can this be? You cannot die you're a Vampire." "The curse was lifted." "What by who?" Verona's voice grew weaker, "There is no time…Gabriel I love you." Gabriel leaned in, kissed her, and then said, "I love you too." When he raised his head up to look in her eyes, she was gone. He had lost her again.
He lifted her head to his and let loose. "Why!" He was now angrier than ever. He looked up and said, "Why did you have to do this? I have done everything ever assigned to me without question. What have I done to deserve this? Now that I finally found her, you took her from me again. Please, God…" He sat and cried over Verona's body for an hour and then decided he was going to kill Dracula once and for all. Not for the order, but for Verona.
He stood and covered Verona's cold body and then walked out. He was met by Anna and Carl who knew what had happened. "Come on; let's find your brother Anna." Gabriel walked out of the manor ready to finish it all.
Here's chapter 14. Hope you like it. Please Review!