Chapter Five

Cat Fights

That day went perfectly, they rode horses out in the countryside and then the brides( Apparently they can now go out in the sun) went swimming in a river, when they got back they found a note awaiting them, it read: My darling brides and daughter, what is taking you so long,

you were supposed to be back yesterday and you have to

come to the sumer palace now, bring our guests and tell Misha

to bring some friends, love Vlad.

"Oh no" said Misha. "He wants us to bring you to the mascaraed ball on All Hallows Eve, and he wants me to bring my friends, Olivia and Corinthia"

"Well" said Aleera. "It could be worse I suppose"

"Aleera, how can it be worse?" Said Verona. "Tell me, how?"

"He could have asked us too kill them" said Marishka.

"I didn't ask you Marishka!" Said Verona angrily, he eyes glowing and her fangs lengthening.

"But Verona, she just answered your question" said Aleera.

"I DON'T CARE, I ASKED YOU!"

"Verona, calm down!"

"DON'T YOU TELL ME TO "CALM DOWN" MARISHKA!"

"But Verona please..."

"DON'T "VERONA PLEASE" ME!"

"Verona, SNAP OUT OF IT!"

"DON'T YOU TELL ME "TO SNAP OUT OF IT" MISHA"

"Look Verona, calm down, it'll be alright. We always come out on top"

"Okay, all of you calm down" said Van Helsing. "We'll go to Budapest and to the Mascaraed Ball on Halloween and do whatever he wants, Okay"

"But he could kill you"

"I don't really care, said Van Helsing, a reckless daring seizing him. "Don't argue"

"Yes" they chorused.

"Good" said Van Helsing. "Now, go and pack, we leave tomorrow"

"Yes" they chorused again and went out of the room to pack.

Misha paused for second and looked at him, he really did have a great mind, and could react well under pressure, but hell, he was such a daredevil and he really didn't know what Dracula was like.

The rest of the day past uneventfully, Anna and Aleera spat insults at each other every time they passed, Verona spent the day in London, shopping for new dresses and collecting Olivia and Corinthia and Marishka spent the day horse riding on the heathland and in the park.

Van Helsing sat in his study and contemplated what weaponry he would be taking, he didn't feel comfortable in the presence of the vampires, whether or not they were going to try and kill him and an apprehensiveness settled on him at the thought of another meeting with Count Dracula.

They went to dinner and ate in silence, then they went to there rooms and the vampires( Van Helsing tried to stop them but they wouldn't listen) went hunting and took Misha with them.

The next morning passed as slowly as it possibly could and three hours latter that felt like years latter, they were in a fast carriage, complete with Anna, (Van Helsing had had too carry her out and she now sat sulking by the window) heading for London and then to South Hampton, from where they would catch a special boat to Budapest and Dracula's sumer palace and be there for October and the Mascaraed Ball.

They sped through the countryside and onto the high way, they had collected Olivia Grey and Corinthia Merola from London and were now well on there way to South Hampton and the boat, Anna as Aleera had put had now "set a world record in sulking" as she had sat in silence for the whole journey and stared out the window.

"Anna" said Van Helsing. "Are you Okay?"

"NO I AM BLOODY WELL NOT!" She spat back, loathing and fury etched in every line of her beautiful face.

"I was only asking" said Van Helsing, taken aback by her sharp reply.

"YEAH WELL DON'T! And don't bother to ask why" she said coldly. "You know very WELL WHY!"

"SORRY" said Van Helsing, his temper rising and beginning too boil. "I thought I would ask, SO SORRY, I won't next time as you don't like it"

"Both of you, calm down and shut up" said Aleera. "You're giving me a headache"

"SHUT UP YOURSELF, BITCH" spat Anna.

"Ooh, Tetchy" said Aleera her eyes glowing there electric blue pink.

"Oh please, Anna, Aleera both of you are acting like children" said Verona in a bored voice.

"Well tell her to shut her mouth then" said Aleera haughtily.

"What is going on around here?" said Olivia. "You're all acting like you hate each other"

"Misha, when are we going to stop" said Corinthia, changing the subject.

"I don't know" said Misha. "We'll be there quite soon"

"Oh, I love the sea" said Corinthia longingly. "And it'll be a lovely day for a boat trip"

"Yes it will" said Misha brightly. "And I'm glad to have you all with me"

Yes, thought Van Helsing, I have my Misha back and I really have moved on, then he thought about the other women in the carriage with him, Aleera and Verona and Marishka and Olivia and Corinthia, then another thought struck him, were Olivia and Corinthia vampires or would they soon become vampires.

He lent over and asked Misha.

"Are Corinthia and Olivia vampires?" Asked Van Helsing.

"Yes" said Misha. "They were born vampires, either their mother or their father had a relationship with a human. Just like me"