Part XVIII

The sound of cackling laughter echoed through out the room. All of a sudden something white and transparent floated in through a window. It looked like Aleera yet at the same time it didn't seem to be.

"Hello again, Master," she said. "It's wonderful to know that you still haven't forgotten my name!" Dracula glared at the ghost of his bride.

"Enough of that, Aleera!" he snapped. "Explain to me what you are trying to do and I won't hurt you!" The ghost laughed all the more as she floated in a circle around the three vampires.

"I originally intended to use that dart to get Tina," she said. "Because of her and her little friend here I and my sisters were killed. If you hadn't come along then we would still be alive but no, you had to put your spell on the master and take him away from us! There is a way to make us alive again. We need the blood of a vampire who has only been a vampire for a month. We originally wanted Tina but since it appears that Kitana is with child she'll do even better."

Tina wrapped her unconscious sister in her arms trying her best to protect her. She hissed at Aleera with her eyes glowing like blue fire.

"If you even THINK of laying a ghostly finger on her I'LL give it to you!" she hissed. Aleera merely laughed.

"Silly girl!" she said. "Now that I am a ghost if I want something I'll get it!"

All of a sudden everything went pitch black. It was so dark that even Dracula couldn't see. There was a sound of shrieking and windows cracking and then silence. A moment later the lights came back on. Kitana was gone.

Part XIX

"Aunt Kitty!", Selindra cried as she stormed in to the hall where Kitana once lay. Tina lifted her child up into her arms as both she lost a few tears. "Mommy! Where is Aunt Kitty? And who was the ghost?"

Tina turned her look towards Dracula and showed him with her eyes to say something.

He had just opened his mouth as Selindra asked with her cute voice: "Was she your precious bride?" He then looked at Tina who shrugged helplessly. "Maybe we shouldn´t have talked so much as she was smaller?"

Now Anna came running down the stairs, Isis in her arms. "Sorry! But I couldn´t hold her back anymore!"

"Yes, we already noticed!", Dracula said, he seemed to give himself the fault for Kitana´s kidnapping. "We must find her!"

Tina cleared her throat. "Ermh, ...Vlad. There´s something you should know about Kitana. ...she umm... well... she´ll have triplets."

Anna´s mouth fell open. Selindra started smiling and Dracula was speechless. He slapped his forehead as he thought.

"That´s why Aleera kidnapped her! She knew that Kitana was pregnant and now she and her sisters try to resurrect themselves and steal the children. They´ve always wanted children and now everyone will have one!"

What he said made sense. "But where did they bring them?", Anna asked.

"To Vilkova palace! Aleera loves this place and I´m sure that she´s there", Dracula answered simply.

"Okay, but there´s still a problem. What is with our daughters? We mustn´t bring them into danger and we can´t leave them here alone", Tina said. "But I can help!", Selindra protested, "Look!"

With that the girl jumped out of Tina´s arms and shifted into her bat form. She was grey with sharp ears, claws and fangs. Selindra was much more than as half as big as her mother was now.

She let out a dangerous hiss and flew up at the ceiling. Quickly she crawled upside down and then swooped down.

Closer and closer she flew towards her father. Right before she hit him she transformed back and landed in his embrace.

"See? I can fly and attack just as you, Daddy!" Dracula couldn´t help but feel proud of Selindra. He wrapped his arms around the child, holding her close.