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Chapter 17

«Thank you …»

Sky was still dark and flat plane was reflecting the moonlight. Old manor looked gloomy and mysterious on the night screen. Deep silent filled vicinities … Perfect windless night …

In few meters from the manor were moving two figures. Gabriel Van Helsing was walking around Kiara Moon, weeping on the ground. Selin stayed inside of the manor in monsters' claws.

Suddenly the hunter stopped walking aimlessly and addressed to his upset partner:

"We can't just sit here and do nothing! Selina needs our help!" – His eyes were flaming with the same fire that Sel had when she decided something important. Ki noticed it and felt that she wasn't afraid anymore. She rose from the ground and stared at Gabriel:

"You right, we can't, but … do we have a plan? Or you want to break into the manor, destroying everybody on our way?" – Kiara asked seriously. Van Helsing raised finger and opened mouth to say something, but limited with words:

"There is a way … a … Give me five minutes, O.K.?"

Selin recovered for senses, and felt an awful pain, constraining her body, and agony … just hot, unpleasant agony …

She looked around with heavily opened eyes: old walls with partly crashed plaster on the ceiling, large thick door – her prison for … How long did they want to hold her here? Day, week, month? No, there was something else …

With trembling hand Selina touched the deep, large wound on her temple. It wasn't bleeding any more, but she couldn't heal it. Besides Selin was starving, she needed blood and needed it now. She was breathless and could hardly refuse the blood call. But Sel took away thoughts about food and tried to get up, which wasn't easy for her. Hunger made her weak but not defenseless. After few tries Selin stand up and felt dizzy; she rubbed temples with fury, tired from pain. Unfriendly, dreary atmosphere made her sick inside. 'I have to get out of here!' – She thought.

Sel searched for the door and directed all her power – mental and physical on it, then she threw herself on it like an animal, wanted to break its cage. Captivity made her uncontrollable and dangerous. But door was locked too well and was wooden. So Selin lowered on the floor, scratching the door with her nails in despair from her own futility.

'They can't break me so easy!' – She said to herself, - 'I'll change tactic.'

Selina set opposite the door, staring on it. She didn't know, how much time passed, before two strong tall mongrels came into her prison. Their yellow eyes with something demonic in them were shining with an evil fire. The couple made her to stand up rudely and addressed to Selin with growling and roaring:

"Kurt wants to see you, vampire!"

Sel laughed nervously, holding the right position, as she thought.

"What are you laughing at?" – asked one of monsters in surprise.

"Oh, nothing at all! Kurt, you said? So, you guys have names! What next? Create a country and choose a president? Ha! I'm imaging!" – Sel was playing with death, using sarcasm. So she was kicked into stomach and thrown out of the room into the narrow corridor. 'This is the chance!' – She decided quickly. Before mongrels realized, what's going on, Selina locked the door from the outside, leaving enemies in the room. By loud roaring, vampire understood – couple in fury. She jumped on the ceiling gracefully and started moving like lizard noiselessly and as quickly as she could. Selin was flinching from every sound, tensing her senses to find the way out. Corridor seemed amazingly long, most doors were closed, but soon Sel noticed soft flickering light. She sneaked on the floor and carefully looked into. Someone very familiar was standing near the window, back to her to see the face, but Selina knew him too well and recognized the reason of the accident on Angelica's wedding and in fact, the reason of mongrels' luck and victories. Tiny pieces gathered in one big puzzle …

Selin felt, how her heart began to tremble; she stepped back and started running away from there. Good sense made her to stop and calm down.

"How could he!" – She whispered between heavy breaths. Sel felt so tired and so broken, that she could hardly even to think. Animal's instincts of hers left, releasing human's weakness and helpless. 'Sel, you aren't worthy to lead the troop 'C'!' – Selina scolded herself, bringing herself to life. She stood up and continued her way in usual way, before she came to the arch, leading to the main hall. Nobody was there, walking quietly by the wooden clamping floor full of traces from monsters' paws Selin was asking herself: 'Is it a trap?'

It was too easy, considering fact that those two, she locked in the room, should be free.

When vampire was in few steps to freedom, she heard a rude voice behind her back:

"Leaving so soon?"

"Ready?" – asked Gabriel, preparing his silver arbalest.

"Ready! And … Van Helsing …" – started Kiara, transformed into her wolf form.

"What?"

"You remind me Selin … Your manner of speaking, acting, planning … Sorry, I'm so silly! You don't like it …"

The hunter kept silence. Part of him wanted Ki's words to be the truth, but the other small part was refusing.

"I don't know your friend as good as you. Let's go."

"Wait, one more thing … Thanks!" – she breathed out, - "You do so much for me and Selina … I came to a decision, that you're a good guy and … I trust you …" – Kiara put her large hand on his shoulder, looking at Gabriel attentively. Van Helsing was surprised and gave a shy smile to her. It was a strange feeling … He really became fond of Ki.

But there was work to do.

Gabriel counted to three, and the couple broke the door, and saw Selin, surrounded by monsters.

"Where were you two? Relaxing?" – she teased, smiling to her saviors.

Werewolf offered her back to Sel, and she quickly jumped on.

"Let's get out of here!" – roared Kiara and left the manor, making long jumps. Van Helsing was shooting into mongrels, making them angry. But they were too clumsy with their big wings and hurt each other in narrow space.

So, soon the trio was far from the dangerous. Kiara carefully put her friend on the dry land, shaking in fever. Sel was gazing at hunter's neck, lying on the ground and breathing heavily.

"What's with her?" – asked Gabriel, looking at broken Selina's figure.

"It's normal, oxygen hunger, wait here and don't touch her, in such state she is uncontrollable," – answered Kiara, sniffing the air. Then she left her friends and disappeared in darkness. Van Helsing was standing in few steps from the vampire and holding a long silver stake. But Selin was too weak to fight, her breathing was intermittent.

"Blood …" – she whispered, nibbling her dry lips.

The hunter raised stake, ready to finish her sufferings. Luckily Kiara came with small bird corpses, and threw them to Selin, who reacted immediately, tearing them and drinking the hot blood. Gabriel turned back to her – the view wasn't one of the best in his life and it made him sick. When Sel finished, she looked much better – her skin became smooth and dull, her amber eyes were sparkling with zeal and lips were 'calling' and bloody-red. Van Helsing caught himself on the thought that he wants to kiss these lips and to have their owner in his grasp. 'The object of his desire' smiled to Kiara and exclaimed:

"Life is a good thing!"

Ki laughed, and even stern-faced hunter couldn't hold a smile. Suddenly Sel became serious again and came closer to Gabriel, looking into his warm eyes, as she was reading in his soul:

"You're a human – food, but you saved me again … Why?"

Van Helsing smiled:

"Maybe it's a kind of hobby – to save ladies in trouble?" – he teased.

Selina laughed:

"You're a real hero, so brave. Thank you …" – she offered him her hand, and Gabriel shook it tightly. They both felt rays, warming their hearts. Like the ocean of light covered them with head. They really understand each other … So strange … Vampire, who hates humans, and a human, who desires vampire …