The entrance hall was a cool, calm stone room, empty and peaceful. Crina's heels echoed as she ran in, then stopped, staring at the doorway. It was large, black, with silver snakes painted on it. And through it... freedom.

Tears ran down her face freely. She was devastated.

This castle had brought only pain. She longed to see little Elena and Danut, bury her face in their soft golden curls. She wanted to fall into her mother's arms, climb into her own bed and eat her mother's wonderful onion soup.

Freedom.

She took a shaky step forward, then another one. Then she was walking confidently, heading for the exit.

"Crina!" She heard Vlad's voice call from behind her, and momentarily froze. Was she really just going to leave him? But then, she had to. He was... he was evil.

She was standing just in front of the door when his hand grabbed her arm. She turned to him, emotions rushing, stared at his confused, soft face, and almost forgot why she was leaving.

"Let... let go of me," she said, shaking her head.

Vlad's blue eyes looked wet. He blinked. "Crina... why? What happened?"

She looked away. She was going to cry, she just knew it. Her eyes were burning. She had to ask. She had to know. "Who... who are you?"

He raised his eyebrows. "You know who I am, I'm Vlad, Crina." He moved as though to hug her tenderly, but anger made her push his arms away and step back. Vlad looked hurt.

"Who are you really?" she demanded, disregarding his pain, even though it took huge emotional effort.

A tear rolled down his cheek. He sighed deeply. "So you know, then." He wiped the tear and swallowed, shaking his head, looking every bit as though his heart was breaking. Crina reminded herself bitterly his heart was cold and dead. He spoke again softly. "I am Count Vladislaus Dragulia. Born 1422... Murdered 1462."

She knew this name. Vlad was Count Dracula. The overseer of all the terrible monsters, head vampire, most evil of all beings. And Crina loved him. But still she asked shakily, "Vampire?"

He stared at the floor. "Yes."

"Can I leave?" Crina was crying, though she didn't notice.

"But... but you love me."

"That doesn't matter," Crina sobbed, her chest hurting. "It doesn't matter at all! You're... you're..." Her voice tailed off.

Vlad reached for her hand suddenly. Surprised, she didn't jerk away. "Crina, I need you." She looked into that perfect ivory face and saw the honesty there. "I'd never hurt you, Crina."

Was she really going to leave the only person she had left? She had lost her first love, did it make sense to leave the second love? Even if he was... what he was, he was still Vlad, the man she loved. Wasn't he? She was on the point of caving in, she knew it.

"Stay." He whispered the word, another tear freeing itself from his eye. "Stay, Crina, I am begging you."

Her lips trembled. "I'll stay," she whispered, closing her eyes.

Then they were in a tight, loving embrace. Crina couldn't deny how she felt about this vampire, so blindly in love. She sobbed into his shoulder, never wanting to let go.

He lifted her into his arms, as he had done the night when Viktor had attacked her. As she whimpered and cried, so confused, he took her upstairs, back to the bedroom, closing the door carefully behind them. He placed her down on the bed, and she was caught in moonlight that drifted in through the window.

"Are you going to kill Van Helsing?" she asked without thinking, lying down, suddenly sleepy.

Vlad closed the curtains. "Van Helsing will live for today." He lay down beside her.

As Crina lay in his arms, she began to cry hard again. What had she let herself in for?

To be continued.