They where the Brides. Three belonged to Dracula and the other two belonged to Vladimir, Dracula's brother. Verona, Marishka and Aleera where Dracula's brides. And Chavelle and Dawnita belonged to Vladimir. Verona and Chavelle both had black hair and bright green eyes. Aleera had flaming red hair and strange yellow eyes. Marishka had orange hair and blue eyes. And Dawnita had golden hair and violet eyes. All five of them where stunningly beautiful but deadly.

Gabriel began searching the square for Gabriella. "Gabriella? Gabriella!"

She burst into the square running hard, Chavelle right behind her, screaming and shrieking at her.

"Down, Gabriella!" Gabriel took aim.

Gabriella caught sight of him and dove to the ground, rolling as she did.

Gabriel squeezed the trigger and sent Chavelle flying backwards.

Gabriella came to her feet and looked around. She caught sight of Anna and scrambled after her.

"Marishka, Chavelle, kill him!" screamed Verona, pointing at Gabriel, who was still standing in the middle of the courtyard, firing at them.

Chavelle smiled. "Love to!"

Verona, Aleera and Dawnita went for Anna.

It was Dawnita who was in front of the other two and her claws where outstretched posed to grabbed Anna.

Gabriella cracked her whip and it wrapped around Dawnita's ankle.

Dawnita screamed and soared high in the air, the whip still around her ankle.

Gabriella held tightly to the handle of the whip with one hand, the other grabbed Carl's latest invention. "I hope these work!" She pointed the barrel of the gun at Dawnita's stomach and fired.

Dawnita jerked and screamed angrily.

Gabriella fell like a rock.

Verona swept by, laughing. She grabbed Gabriella by her wrist and her claws bit cruelly into her wrist and drew blood.

Gabriella's eyes narrowed. She let go of the whip and grabbed a silver knife and without hesitation buried it in Verona's ankle.

Verona screamed and Gabriella fell again.

She crashed through the roof of a house and hit the floorboards hard. She lay still for a moment and then groaned as she sat up.

"You shouldn't have come." Anna Valerious was standing there.

Gabriella grabbed her arm and hurried her towards the door. "We need to get out of here." She jerked the door opened.

Anna gasped and sprang backwards.

Gabriella didn't even blink.

Verona was standing there. "Hello Anna, my dear."

"Nice to see you, Verona." Anna began backing away from the door.

Aleera and Dawnita where standing behind Gabriella.

Dawnita's violet eyes landed on Anna. "Anna, darling, nice to see you."

Aleera hissed.

"Did I do something to you, Aleera, in a past life?" asked Anna.

"Don't play coy with me, Princess. You're just like all the other pretty little ancestors in your family. Saying you want to destroy my Master, but I know what lurks in your lusting heart."

"I hope you have a heart," said Gabriella coldly. "Because someday I'm going to drive a stake through it."

"And as for you," said Verona, looking Gabriella over. "Your blood will make us even more beautiful than we already are.""

Gabriella's blue eyes twinkled dangerously and there was a promise of death in their depths. "Glad to be of a help to you."

Chavelle and Marishka landed on opposite sides of the courtyard. As soon as their feet touched the wood of the porch, their vampire wings where gone. And replaced by lithe, smooth, muscular bodies, covered with red, yellow, black and white silks. Chavelle wore the red and black and wore rubies and diamonds. Marishka was clothed white and yellow and wore diamonds.

Chavelle eyed Gabriel with a light in her eyes as she causally pulled the arrows from the various places in her body. Instantly the wounds closed and it was as if they had never been there. "How shall we kill him, Marishka?"

Marishka placed both hands on her knees and leaned forward. Her eyes dilated and her fangs shot out. "Too bad, so sad."

Verona looked at Gabriella. "You should have done yourself a favor and never come here. But now…" Verona grabbed Gabriella by the throat and hauled her to her feet and held her a few inches off the ground.

Dawnita and Aleera turned to Anna. Anna raised her fist and swung at Aleera. Aleera grabbed her by the wrist and forced her to her knees.

Dawnita touched the side of Anna's neck. "I can feel fresh blood rushing through her veins."

Aleera's eyes dilated. "I want first bite!"

Gabriella's blue eyes burned into Verona's demonic ones and she smiled. "You play a dangerous game, Verona," she said. "A very dangerous game."

Gabriel didn't move.

Chavelle smiled. "Take my advice, stranger: get out of here."

"It's your choice," said Gabriella. "Put me down or loose."

Verona hissed in her face. "You're a brave one, aren't you?"

"Fine. Have it your way. You loose."

Suddenly, Verona felt the barrel of a gun buried in her ribs. She glanced down. There was a silver gun there with a cross emblazed on the side. Verona screamed in rage and threw Gabriella violently away from her.

As she twisted through the air, Gabriella fired and silver bullets whistled past Verona and Aleera's head.

Dawnita shot into the air and through the roof, screaming angrily.

Gabriella crashed through the wall, fell several feet and landed hard in the mud.

The female vampires where gone and there was silence.

Gabriel dropped his gun and began running toward the still form on the ground.

Carl remained frozen in his spot, his eyes wide.

The door to the house opened and Anna hurried out. She peered over the rail and caught sight of Gabriella. "Oh my God."

Gabriel helped her sit up. "Are you alright?"

Gabriella touched her neck and winced. "Good God!"

Gabriel winced at the claw marks and bruises. "She got you good."

"Is she alright?" demanded Anna.

"I think." Gabriel stretched to his full height and lifted his sister to her feet.

Carl was staring at Gabriella's neck. "Why didn't you kill them?"

"I tried."

Anna tossed her cloak and sword belt on the chair that was set in front of the fire. "Have a seat."

Gabriel nudged Gabriella into a chair. He studied her wrist and frowned.

Anna handed him a bowl of warm water and several long strips of white cloth.

"Thank you." Gabriel dipped the cloth into the water and carefully washed his sister's wrist. "Next time one of them touches you, I'll kill her." He looked at his sister. "Are you alright?"

"Always."

Gabriel wrapped the wrist. "Good as new."

Anna was sitting in a chair, studying them. "So you're the Van Helsing twins?"

"Yes," said Gabriel. "And we've been sent to put an end to Dracula and his brother."

"And his brides."

"We didn't know about the brides but we'll take care of them as well." Gabriel pointed a finger at Anna. "Next time, stay close. You're no good to me dead."

Gabriel looked at his sister. "What do you think?"

"We're dealing with seven vampires here, Gabriel. What do you think I'm thinking?"

"Focus on Dracula and his brother."

'We haven't even seen them yet."

"Maybe we should go up to his castle."

"Are you crazy?"

"It's debatable."

Gabriella sighed. "I say we don't go to castle until we know what we're up against."

"And I vote we don't go at all," said Carl from his chair but he was roundly ignored.

"I don't like this idea," said Gabriel. "I can't watch you both. Anna should have stayed at the castle."

"I can take care of myself!" snapped Anna.

"So we saw yesterday," said Gabriella.

The air was split by the sounds of distant shrieks.

Gabriel turned. "Where are they?"

Gabriella scanned the sky. "There they are!" she turned. "Gabriel!"

Marishka hit Gabriel hard, throwing him half way across the courtyard.

Dawnita, Verona and Chavelle all went after Anna at the same time and Aleera set her sights on Gabriella.

Gabriel sent Marishka through the side of a building with a torrent of arrows.

Verona flew overhead, holding onto Anna's ankle. Anna was bent up and trying to pull a knife free from her boot.

Gabriel ran after her. He jumped and caught her wrist.

Verona shrieked angrily and dropped them both.

Anna crashed down on top of Gabriel knocking all the air out of him.

Gabriella grabbed her brother's gun and turned. Aleera hit her right in the face and blood trickled down her cheek. The gun fell from her hands and Aleera grabbed her.

Gabriel looked up. "Gabriella!" He threw Anna off him and scrambled toward his gun.

Aleera hissed and licked the blood from Gabriella's face. Her fangs shot out.

Gabriella emptied her gun right in Aleera's stomach.

Aleera screamed and dropped Gabriella. The gun flew out her hand as Marishka grabbed her.

"Damn it! Gabriel!" she cried.

"Here!" Carl threw Gabriel a vial of Holy Water.

Gabriel poured it over the remaining arrows and took aim.He squeezed the trigger.

Marishka screamed a scream that shook the whole town as the arrow hit her shoulder. She dropped Gabriella just as ten more arrows pinned her to a rooftop.

Gabriel wearily dropped the gun to the ground as Gabriella fell into his arms. "Can't let you out of my sight for a minute," he said hoarsely. "How's your face feel?"

"Like it just got clawed off," whispered Gabriella. "Where's Anna?"

"Right here." Anna was extracting herself from a heap of rubble where she had been thrown. She looked up and saw the grotesque form of Marishka. She was no longer her beautiful self but a shriveled up skeleton. "Are they gone?"

"Yes."