Hi, again! Well, I know I'm not really cool author, not popular so. I'm just me. Don't mind, go on.

Chapter 3

His Past and Her Future

The rider on a dark-brown horse stopped at the priory in Tirgovishte and was met by a monk. The monk and the rider shook hands and it was clear: they were glad to each other.

"Bless me, Father," asked the rider, taking off his cowboy-like hat. Just looking at a fair-haired monk made him smile and the idea of asking the blessing – weird.

"God blesses. I hope there weren't any troubles on the road?" Carl offered his friend to walk a bit in the priory garden. The priory, as its garden, were situated very close to the forest, but still in the town, safer than in the village in such hard times.

"Ah, nothing, just few people, who wished to put me in prison. How strange to see you living here, in Romania."

"Well, the air is fresh here, especially in spring and Dracula is dead."

"Dead … but I feel something wrong here, like these lands were cursed." the guest looked into the grey sky. He used to do so every time he visited Transylvania. He wished to see Anne. Van Helsing flinched then as was shaken by Carl.

"You miss her?"

"Yes … I'll never meet anyone like Anne."

"She died five years ago … and in Heaven with her family. First of all, I should tell you about your assignment. Come in and share my scanty food with me."

Men walked into a small room, where set at the wooden table covered with different dishes.

"You call it 'scanty'?" Gabriel laughed, his brown eyes lit up with mischievous fires. The great hunter hadn't changed for the five years: the same dark-brown hair, same coat and same silver arbalest.

Carl smiled back, getting red.

"Hey, you haven't seen what the abbot eats. To the deal: your new assignment is quite unusual. You should kill the leader of werewolf clan of the dark Transylvanian forests."

"What's unusual here?" Van Helsing made few gulps of the good church wine, staring at his friend.

"You have to work with one werewolf-hunter of the Order."

"Carl, I don't like to work with anyone besides you."

"I'm afraid you have to. This hunter is the best in her sphere …"

"So it's a woman?"

"Her name is Maria. She's quite strange person, said that won't kill any monster's but werewolves."

"Maybe a werewolf killed her relatives? It's her right." Gabriel still couldn't notice anything unusual and stayed blind to monk's tip-offs.

"The Holy Order has no information about this woman. Somehow she found our secret place in Vatican and cardinal took her as a new soldier."

"Ambitious thing."

"You can see her in the battle. Maria walked to the forest to kill some bad guys as she said."

"So simply? Hmm, if she is a good hunter, why cardinal wanted me to join her?"

"To keep an eye on her. She … she is a half-breed, Gabriel. Creatures like this Maria are being called dampires. "

"What! Why wasn't she killed?" the hunter raised from the table, his eyes filled with anger and despair. More than any creatures in the world he hated vampires and everyone, who was close to this race.

"Calm down. I know your pain and share it, but she has never touched any human and feeds from animals. You don't know a half of those, who serve the Order."

"Better not to know …" Van Helsing covered his eyes with his hand, thinking, then put on his hat and said "I want to talk with this woman."

"Sure. Follow me."

Well, Vladimirine had enough money and influence and seductive appearance, of course, to get any information she needed. Luckily for her, the cardinal wanted more new hunters and took her on this job easily after watching her fighting. But she has never been trusted absolutely and always had partners on her assignments. She hasn't seen the main laboratory or any other secret objects, but finally reached her aim – Gabriel Van Helsing.

Dracula's daughter and the Left Hand of God should work together to destroy the werewolf clan, perfect situation.

For now Vladimirine, wearing white shirt, dark pants and high boots for riding, her hair was picked into a ponytail with few tresses left, with two long silver daggers was fighting with werewolves. Somehow it helped to get the way out for the evil inside or she could lose mind.

"There she is," Carl whispered, showing Gabriel such picture from the shadow of a giant tree: fragile Maria, surrounded by four enormous monsters, with grace of a wildcat flew between them so quickly. As an experienced warrior Van Helsing was amazed with her incredible technique, his eyes became round and mouth opened. Vladimirine fought with fanatic fire and strange pleasure, but without fear. When only one left, the woman stopped, staring at the werewolf, he did back. Then they ran to each other, but before falling on monster's claws, she jumped and put her daggers into werewolf's neck, landing gracefully. Gabriel was charmed, watching Maria walking to them slowly, trying to keep breath.

"Good day, priest. Who's this tall guy?" she asked on the clearest Romanian with just light English accent, grinning evilly.

"This is your partner – Gabriel Van Helsing."

Mary gave him a gaze from head to toe, then sighed tiredly, playing in 'I can do everything by myself', which gave her even more beautiful look.

"Cardinal will never be able to trust me. Now he sent his heavy artillery. Great, I'm impressed."

"If he sent me here, it means I should help …"

"Help?" Vladimirine stopped smiling and looked deep into his eyes, making his skin crawl. Something very familiar was in those brown orbs, something sweet yet dangerous and cold.

"Well, I have an order."

"Really? But don't interfere in my methods." the woman touched her shoulder suddenly; there was a bleeding scratch she hadn't noticed before, now it was hurting.

"What's wrong? May I do something?" Gabriel offered, taking her hand in his gently. Vladimirine flinched, the snake inside hissed and desired to bite, but she kept it.

"Let's go to the priory," Carl turned back to them, feeling shy. First they walked in silence; Dracula's daughter hold her scratch with fear and not vainly. Only her father of all vampires was impossible to kill by usual ways, but had weakness – werewolves and Vladimirine had the same, including things, which can kill human, but except the sunlight. She thought she was a goddess, but was less.

"Strange that you can't heal the wound," the hunter said thoughtfully, watching the storm of emotions on her pretty face.

"Nothing strange! Keep going, I'm alright."

'Oh, father, see how much I like you. Don't worry, I won't fail!' she thought, the demon inside was growing every minute of watching her enemy.

Still he became fond of her from the first look. That Maria reminded Anne, the same eyes and voice intonation, but the way she used to walk and speak … like a queen. During the road he offered her his help five times, for the last she hissed on him. It seemed being partners would be difficult for them.

The rest part of the day they had been discussing mysterious disappearances near Bucharest, which could be connected with the werewolf clan. Still only Carl and Van Helsing were speaking, what to Vladimirine, she was deep in her minds, creating plans about the hunter. Then she left in her room, where took paper and a feather to write some letters. First was addressed to Katherine:

"Kathy, my friend, I met Van Helsing and he's just like this foolish monk said. Real hero. Well, knowing me, you maybe guessed that I'll try to seduce him. It would be easy, I'm Anne Valerious' daughter after all! Tomorrow we're going to seek for information in Bucharest, so, please, warn Fenris. I need a spy in the clan as I don't want to meet with the whole pack for now, I'm not ready. Besides, werewolves will certainly be on my side if something goes wrong, I hope not. After Bucharest we'll travel west, deeper into the dark forest. I'm ready to shock him, to play with him, to drive him mad, as usual. I also tried to find anything about my father and found a lot! Humans are afraid of him, but only witches interested me. There's a way to resurrect my father and I'll find it! Alright, I'll keep you informed.

Sincerely yours

Countess

Vladimirine

Dracula"

The other letters she sent to some of her very dangerous and powerful friends – demons. The season of hunt was opened …