Blood-Fangs: (You reviewed for Chapter 1, but I am assuming you read to chapter 7) New reviewer! Hehe, great you like it so much, but just to note, Van Helsing didn't turn into a werewolf, he had symptoms, like throughout the movie he growls and loses control for a few seconds (throwing things and grabbing Carl.) Hope you keep reviewing!
Toto3: Another new reviewer! Thank you for your review. Action will indeed be coming up; we're still breaking into the story at the moment. But double the length pages? Ouch. I'll try. It's hard sometimes because I prefer to keep events split up. I do update quick though (usually!) This slowed down because I was trying to get my other stories going, plus I was preparing for exams – which are now over, yay!
Fanfiction Fanatic: Thanks! This has a really good plot so I hope it does well. It's all planned. It's gonna be good!
Blix: Thanks Blix! Hehe. As I was saying to Fanfiction fanatic, this plot is gonna be good!
Chapter 8Van Helsing and Carl seemed to have come to a silent mutual agreement that their differences were settled due to the revelation of the curse still at large. For that next morning, their pair walked down the corridor, Carl shiftily looking around as they walked. He spoke in undertones to Van Helsing, not wanting to be heard by the other members as they walked the torch-lit stone corridors.
"I think it might be best if we avoid Cardinal Jinette for now," whispered Carl as the pair climbed stone stairs.
Van Helsing flashed Carl a look, "That's impossible."
"Well, do you have any better ideas?" retorted Carl with a frown.
"Ssh!" quickly hissed Van Helsing as he abruptly stopped walking and pulled Carl against the wall besides him. Around the corner, Cardinal Jinette's voice floated. He was talking with someone down the corridor.
But Carl wringed his hands gently, "We really shouldn't pry like this, it's – "
"Ssh!"
"I really don't know what we can do," came the Cardinal's voice, "Sister Adriana met her fate through no fault of my own. It is God who requests it. Surely you can see that Mother Donata. Sin cannot blemish the church."
"But this is Gabriel you are talking about!" came the reply of Mother Donata, her voice was fiery, her Italian accent accentuating her syllables, "He is the left hand of God! Surely it is a sin to kill him."
"But he is tainted!" cried to Cardinal loudly, his words reverberating off the stone walls, "No man sent from God should have been cursed this way!" His voice dropped, sounding dangerous, "He is no longer on our side, he is one of the evil we fight against!"
"No! You give him another chance! The Church of England needs him; see if he can solve their difficulties! If he brings calm to them once more, than he is not tainted enough to deny Holy work. If he fails and aids the Evil there.. then it is in your hands."
Without a word, Van Helsing swept from the corridor, stalking away with an ugly look on his face. Carl followed after him with a worried expression as the pair left the corridor with Jinette and Donata.
"Van Helsing?"
But he merely ignored Carl and walked with long strides. He moved so fast, that Carl had to start jogging to follow. But it didn't take long for Carl to get the hint that Van Helsing wanted to be alone, so with a sigh, he slowed and sadly watched Van Helsing disappear down the corridor.
The empty fireplace looked as sombre as Van Helsing felt. Without the dancing life of sweltering flames, the grate was shadowy and dull, looking murky and uninviting, the opposite of the fire that should have been there. The room too was in darkness, for Van Helsing didn't particularly care for any light. The torches on the wall remained unlit. The only light came from the dim moon in the sky, which, luckily for Van Helsing, was mainly covered by clouds. He had been sat in his bedroom for many hours, and had ignored the door when Frankenstein's monster came to check up on him. The creature seemed to have got the message and sighed quietly when he retreated.
A cool wind blew in through the window, making the curtains blow gently back and forth. It was actually quite cold. Also, Van Helsing had since undressed to just his trousers and buttoned shirt – boots, coat and thick layers of jumpers were near the bed. He didn't rise to shut the window, or to light the fire, or even to replace some of those warm layers. He just sat and watched the empty grate.
Van Helsing didn't care if others thought he was sulking. He thought the time now if any was an appropriate time to sulk. He sat in absolute silence, barely moving. Only the rise and fall of his chest motioned. Then, behind him, a voice sounded from behind the door.
"Van Helsing?" Cardinal Jinette's melodic accent murmured through the wood.
And Van Helsing promptly ignored it.
But Cardinal Jinette was used to Van Helsing's indifferent responses and he promptly unlocked the door with the keys he always carried. Van Helsing's lock of the door doing nothing against this particular man, the one he didn't want to even see let alone be in the same room as him. The door swung open gently, spilling in light from the outside corridor. Van Helsing was sat with his back to the door, further in the room, but his centuries of being a trained assassin meant the entry was unmissable. But still, Van Helsing chose not to speak. He just stared into the empty grate with his eyes sparkling in thought.
It was strange how the sides changed so abruptly. Carl didn't seem to think Van Helsing believed the Cardinal's possible intentions, but Van Helsing had been sure all along that Cardinal Jinette was capable of ordering assassinations. He knew this because he himself had been the one who had been sent to kill Sister Adriana. It was he who left her body at the Trevi fountain, with the signature of a dead vampire carved in her chest by his blade.
That was how he knew.
That was how he did not doubt the murky secrets of the Vatican.
The Cardinal walked past Van Helsing's chair slowly, and lowered himself into a nearby armchair with a wearied sigh like a man far past his prime. "Van Helsing," he said softly through the darkness. When no response came, he sighed once more, "Gabriel," his tone was sharper.
Van Helsing quickly flashed his dark eyes upon the other man to show that, at last, had his attention, although grudgingly.
"I have a mission for you," began the Cardinal, resorting to his usual business-like voice, "I need you to go north to the capital of England. In the past month there have been a terrible reign of brutal killings of woodland gypsies. The Church of England asked me to send my finest fighter." The Cardinal watched Van Helsing carefully, "There is a young maiden who lives in the nearby countryside, seeming innocent at first glance, but I have received word she is a sorceress. A practitioner of the dark arts. Such witchcraft is a terrible sin. The styles of the murders match the unspeakable things she does." The Cardinal did not explain more. It was clear.
Kill her.
"But, whilst she possesses such a dangerous threat to the community, she too may hold the answer to what you seek."
Van Helsing's eyes sharpened upon the Cardinal, "What's her name?"
"Marian."
"You said that she might be able to help me.. so which is it I am to do? Have her guidance, or kill her?"
"Both," said the Cardinal shortly, "Let her help you – but if she steps out of line, you have my command to finish her at once."
Van Helsing nodded his head slowly, a hand idly finger the ring that lay in the space of his opened shirt, "When do I leave?" he asked lowly.
"At sunrise," replied the Cardinal, who stood slowly to his feet. He watched Van Helsing for a moment, as if wanting to say more, but he held back and instead continued in his business-like manner, "You shall be leaving with Carl to set sail for England."
Van Helsing merely nodded. "And Frankenstein's monster?"
"He will stay here with us.." noticing Van Helsing's glare, he continued, "You have my word he shall be safe." The Cardinal turned and strode towards the door of the bedroom, pulling it open to let in the fire light of the corridor. He paused, and glanced over his shoulder, "Gabriel.. good luck.. and God Bless you."
Thanks for reading! Please review this chapter for me! There were some revelations in this that should have been new! All adding to the main plot, hehe, so keep an eye on the little new things that come up.
