Degana touched down in front of the Castle as the light was dimming. She entered the Castle, brushing away cobwebs that hung before her and glancing around corners looking for any signs of habitation. She came to a flight of stairs which she climbed slowly, her hand trailing against the stone wall. As she reached the landing, Degana spied a door at the end of the hallway, closed, but with light outlining it. She walked cautiously towards it, laid her hand on the doorknob, and before her courage could fail her, she pushed it open, candlelight flooding the hallway behind her.

The room turned out to be an old library, where shelves filled with old books lined the walls, reaching from floor to ceiling. A lit fireplace lay straight ahead, with two arm chairs facing it, an end table between them where some lit candles lay. Degana's breath caught in her throat as she saw that in one of the arm chairs, an arm clothed in a black sleeve rested on the arm rest.

"Oh my god," Degana breathed.

"Who calls the name of God into the house of the Devil?" came a silky, masculine voice from the arm chair. The figure in the chair stood and turned to face Degana who's eyes immediately began to water.

"Vladislaus," she whispered and then her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell into a dead faint. Dracula caught her before she hit the ground and stared in wonder at the woman who had just called him by a name that few knew. He stood, still holding the strange woman, closed the door, and came to the fire where he gently laid her down before it. Dracula brushed a tendril of blonde hair from her face and after a few moments, finally recognized the face.

"The woman who Gabriel came to save…Degana?" he said in disbelief. But she was dead! He had seen her die with his own eyes, and he never forgave himself for not being able to help her. His arms cradled her with a new lovingness as stared at the face of his first and only love. After a few minutes, Degana stirred and her eyes fluttered open, focusing on Dracula's. A smile hesitantly came to her mouth.

"My love," she breathed, trailing a pale hand down Dracula's cheek.

"What are you doing here, Degana?" Dracula asked helping her to sit up as he knelt beside her. Degana's eyes grew sorrowful and she turned her face towards the fire, staring into its depths.

"I was cast down from heaven," she said finally. Dracula listened as she told her story and when she finished, she turned and found him staring at her.

"I know how you must feel. And not to sound unsympathetic, but I really am not the right person to look for sympathy in a matter like this," Dracula said, sincerely sorry. Degana nodded.

"I know."

"So you're an angel then?" Dracula asked. Degana nodded again and spread her wings for Dracula to see. He ran his hands over the feathers, marveling at her wings.

"I need help," Degana said suddenly, her eyes tearful. Dracula looked at her.

"With what?"

"I need to escape, but I don't want to leave," she said. "I can't leave the children on their own. They need me, but I need to escape. I can't take it anymore!" Degana was close the rambling and Dracula took her shoulders and gave her shake, causing her wings to go in quickly and her to snap to attention surprised.

"I can help. You can stay with me forever. It'll be as if you never left me," Dracula whispered holding her close. Degana nodded into his chest as she clutched his jacket, taken slightly aback at the lack of heartbeat. But soon, with his cool face pressed against hers, she closed her eyes and fell asleep, clutching her love to her, afraid to let go and surrender to the nightmares.

When Degana awoke, she found herself in a bed in a room with a fire going in the fireplace and Dracula sitting in a chair across from the bed. When she sat up, he looked up from the book he was reading and smiled.

"Good evening, my dear," he said coming to her side. She smiled and hugged him.

"Thank you," she whispered as she pulled away.

"Would you like some dinner? I have Igor preparing your favorite: spaghetti," Dracula said offering a helping hand out of the bed. Degana took it, smiling.

"Thank you," she said and followed Dracula to the dining hall.

When they entered it, Degana was taken aback at the huge table that occupied the middle of the floor, seating twelve, six on each side then one at each end. Dracula pulled a chair out for Degana and pushed her in just as Igor was coming out with a steaming plate of spaghetti. Degana stared at the man named, Igor. He looked more corpselike than a living man. He put her food before her and poured her a glass of wine before backing out of the room. Dracula seated himself across from Degana and watched her eat with grim satisfaction. She ate like she hadn't eaten in weeks. Degana looked up and found Dracula looking at her oddly. She smiled sheepishly.

"I haven't eaten in a few days… I… was trying to starve myself," she said, staring down at her plate which was almost empty.

"Degana," Dracula said. She looked up and her ice blue eyes meeting his mahogany ones. "I can help end the nightmares and make it so you live beside me forever. You'll never be alone again." Degana stared at him, starting to catch his drift.

"You mean…" she started. Dracula nodded.

"I can change you to be a vampyre. It will be an interesting mix, an angel with vampyre blood," Dracula mused. Degana looked down at her plate, her appetite gone and her eyes scared.

"Will it hurt?" she asked meekly.

"Of course not. All you have to do is trust me and you will wake up, never to be alone again," he said. "You can think about it, I need no answer at the present moment. Just come to me when you're ready." Dracula stood and without another word he left the room.

Degana sat for a few more minutes at the table, staring at the different colored lines in the wood, her thoughts racing through her head. Should she or shouldn't she? What would be the consequences or benefits? Degana rose and wandered throughout the castle, trailing her fingers along the wall, counting the stones her fingers touched. She could be with her love forever, and what he said was true. She would never be alone again. She'd always have him by her side, protecting and guarding her with all of his strength and will power. She smiled fleetingly as she remembered all of the times she spent with Dracula when she was still alive. All of the walks they took through the garden, just walking in silence, enjoying the other's company. She remembered how he smiled at her, how he kissed her hand, how his lips felt on hers. At that she stopped and then turned and ran to the library, where she knew she would find Vladislaus.

"Carl, grab the stuff, we're leaving," Gabriel called as he walked out the door towards the horses. Carl came scurrying out behind him, swaying under the weight of the pack.

"A little help?" he squeaked. Gabriel caught the pack right before it was to hit the ground and tied it to the horse.

"Come on, Carl," he said, mounting his horse, Carl doing the same, and then they were both off, galloping towards Castle Frankenstein.