Dracula's Castle
Dracula held onto the frightened woman in front of him, she rested her back up against his chest and he whispered to her gently, the woman felt shivers move up and down her spine when she could feel the cool air of his breath move past her ear, it was like ice, like cold breeze on a winters day the kind that left your ears sore and pink. His hands were colder then his breath had been. He let his hands run down the woman's arms and held them securely to her sides, so she could not move. She could feel how cold his hands were even through the sleeves of her dress. He kept whispering to her that everything would be al-right.
"Don't fret, soon this will all be over and you will end up just like the rest of them," Dracula reassured her. "You will become a dark creature of the night, a damned immortal being like myself and so many others before. I desperately need more of my kind to live on, and you will be added to my... Collection of the un-dead." He chuckled. The woman gave out a loud cry.
"Please, please let me go. You have already drained the others. Isn't that enough, please I am begging you!" The young girl pleaded. Dracula grabbed her hair and gave it an almost rough tug, so her head was tilted back and he could get better access to her bare neck. He could see it now, her pulse. Turning others was always such a difficult task for Dracula, or for any Vampire for that matter.
"I will not drain you, my dear. Not completely anyway, just enough for you to awake once again. And when you awake you will need to feed on my blood in order to nearly complete your transformation."
"And then? Then what happens, what do I need to do to complete the transformation?" She asked with wide eyes. Another dreadful shiver ran down the girl's spine when she heard the low ominous laugh from behind her. She had a feeling what she needed to do next would not be pleasant. Dracula only continued to laugh, he found it amusing how loud and how fast her heartbeat pounded in his ears. Dracula always thought the sound of one's rapid heartbeat was beautiful, it was music to his ears. It was like the sound of a drum, over and over again it would pound and pulse.
"What will I need to do, to complete the process!" She nearly screamed, in fear and frustration. The sound of Dracula's haunting laugh drove her over the edge. The dark haired Vampire released the girl's hair and slowly made his way in-front of her. He wanted to see the sheer terror in her face when would tell her what she would need to do next to complete her transition.
"You will need to feed. Once you ingest my blood, you will become a ravenous beast. Your senses will be uncontrollable, the urge to taste one's sweet hot blood, with be hard to resist. You will need to feed only hours after your transition, if you do not feed, you will die. But I know you will feed, my dear. No Vampire can refuse fresh blood. You will not care who you feed from, like I said you will become a beast. Anyone you set your eyes upon will look good enough to drain, you wont be able to control yourself. All you will need is one drop of blood and it will drive you wild, my dear." Dracula explained, the whole time he was talking a smirk tugged at the corners of his thin pale lips.
"No, I won't do it. I would rather die, then become a Vampire. You can't make me!" She yelled, without a second thought she turned away from the un-dead man and began to run far away from him and deeper and deeper into the dark, cold castle. She had no idea where she was going, and she looked desperately for a way out, but to no avail.
"You can not run from me, Vera." Dracula's voice echoed through the castle. Vera looked around, in a panic as she continued to run. She could not see Dracula anywhere, he was nowhere to be seen. But she could hear his chilling voice call out to her. The girl suddenly ran into a hard force, when she looked up to see it was Dracula standing in-front of her, she let out an ear piercing scream and went to push him away from her. Before she could shove him backwards he forcefully grabbed her wrists and pulled her in close so she was up hard against his chest. Vera stared into Dracula's face and began to wail and scream as loud as she could when he flashed his lethal teeth, which looked to be as sharp as knives. Every single one of his teeth were jagged, and his eyes were like two glowing blue orbs.
Dracula finally allowed himself to sink his teeth into the girls scrawny neck. Vera let out one last scream, as her hot blood seeped out of her fresh wound. Dracula began to suck Vera's blood vigorously, the blood warmed his icy interior, and gave him a sense of pure bliss. Any time Dracula drank, he would always find himself in a sort of ecstasy. He listened as Vera's heart beat began to slow, her once loud, and wild beating heart now became a dull thud. Dracula continued to draw out the girls blood until the very last drop. Dracula felt to satisfied to be angry at himself for completely draining the girl. Dracula took his teeth out from Vera's neck and before he let her lifeless body topple to the ground, he let his long tongue glide across her neck and he lapped up any remaining blood, till her neck was clean.
"At least you no longer need worry about becoming a Vampire." Dracula smirked, he let her go and she fell down at his boots. Wiping his mouth and then placing his hands behind his back, he carefully stepped over Vera's body and returned to the room they once were, before Vera decided to run away from him. Upon returning to the large room, he noticed something strange. There was a large hearth situated at the far corner of the room and he could see that the flames of the fire flickered and would die out and then quickly rise again. Dracula continued to stare, he started towards the fire when he realized the flames revealed the shape of a tall woman standing there in the middle of the fire. As soon as Dracula stopped in-front of the large hearth, the fire died out and standing in the hot glowing embers was Ambrosia. Dracula rolled his eyes, turned on his heel and turned his back, he began to walk away from the Blonde woman.
"To what do I owe this unexpected and most pleasant visit from you Miss Ambrosia?" Dracula sarcastically said. Ambrosia gave a laugh when she sensed Dracula's sarcastic tone. She stepped out of the hearth and as soon as she did so, the flames had re lit themselves and burned bright. The last thing Dracula wanted in that moment was a visit from that horrid Witch.
"What do you want Ambrosia?" Dracula rudely asked. He turned around to face her, making sure there was plenty room between them. Ambrosia stopped and crossed her long bony arms in-front of her chest.
"I am here, because Vladislaus, you are wasting precious time. You told me last night that you would make yourself known to that little hag today. And instead here you are collecting townspeople," She paused and pointed at a small group of men and woman lying on the floor together, their blood nearly drained. "You can start recruiting your legion of un-dead creatures later. For now you need to focus on the important task of making that witch fall in love with you!" Ambrosia spat.
"Are you referring to that young daughter of yours Ambrosia. Why do you hate her so? Such a bitter witch you are." Dracula paused to give a small laugh. "I know. You hate your daughter because of what she is, a pure White Witch. You envy her don't you?" Dracula asked, he watched as Ambrosia's lips tightly pursed and her left eye began to twitch. He seemed to hit a sensitive spot in Ambrosia.
"I have no reason to envy my daughter." She hissed. Ambrosia changed the subject. "Today I did something you, yourself should have done. I took the time to visit my daughter today, to see how she was faring with her recent memory loss. And she was just as I expected, she was crying, distraught. All the things that warm the cockles of my heart," Ambrosia laughed, for only a moment before remembering the mistake she had made while visiting Ahelia. "Though I must tell you, Count. Regrettably, I may have sped up the process by a memory or two..."
"Sped up the process, how so?" Dracula scowled. Amborsia paused and gave a nervous sigh.
"Yes," She swallowed." I made a little disguise for myself today, by sucking out the soul of a random towns person. An old man named Calin... By breathing in the souls of other I can temporarily transform into them, I gain their looks, and their memories. I ultimately become them in every way, though I have not found a way to make the transformation last longer than it does. The transformation began to ware off. The first thing Ahelia noticed were my eyes," Ambrosia said pointing to her one bright blue eye. "When she saw this, she regain a memory, or possibly more than just one memory. I am not entirely sure what exactly she remembered."
"What if you had triggered all of her memories back? Then what would have happened?" Dracula snapped, not only did Dracula think the witch was positively appalling, and a nuisance. But she was also moronic.
"No, only you have the power to make her remember who she is. Like I said, if you were to call her by her real name, or tell her of our deal, then she would remember everything. And I must warn you Count. When she see's you for the first time she definitely will remember a thing or two, unless... Did she see you the night of our deal?" Ambrosia asked, curiously. Dracula knew that they had made eye contact the night he had been brought back. He remembered her sweet face, and large chocolate brown eyes.
"Yes, as soon as you brought me back, I noticed Ahelia off in the distance behind a tree, watching us. I assume this means a greater part of her memory may return then?" Dracula replied, he could feel a sense of worry begin to wash over him. He began to think that perhaps he would run out of time, sooner than expected. And he would lose what he needed most. The key to life for his children. If he messed up, he knew that there was no other possibility of giving his children lasting life. There would be no Ahelia and there definitely were no other Frankenstein's he could use.
"More than likely," Ambrosia answered. "There is one last thing I want to bring up, Van Helsing." Ambrosia noticed Dracula cringe, and curse something under his breath.
"Gabriel. Gabriel, the left hand of god... The bastard who murdered me. What about him?" Dracula gave a low rumbling growl, that almost seemed to shake the very core of the castle. Ambrosia noticed the pure rage and anger that danced in Dracula's cold blue eyes. Ambrosia gave a small sly smirk.
"May I correct you Count, but I do believe he had murdered you yet again for a second time," She chuckled. "Oh, Count it's almost to-" Ambrosia stopped and gasped when she noticed she was down on the ground pinned down tightly under Dracula's weight. He had both of his hands clamped down hard onto her bony shoulders. She gave out a large cry in pain as he began to apply some force, with each passing second he pushed her shoulders hard against the stone floor. Until he heard the bones from her left shoulder begin to crack under his pressure. Ambrosia looked into the face of Dracula, with her eyes wide, black tears escaped the corners of her eyes. Dracula didn't stop, and he growled over top of her, once again barring his jagged teeth and glowing eyes. He was infuriated, how dare she test him like that. Finally Ambrosia's left shoulder had completely snapped, and she howled out, her screams echoed through the massive stone castle.
"I'll end all of this now! I swear to God I will end it. Let me go you dead bastard. Get off of me!" She yelled. Dracula complied and let her go, before she got up from the floor she reached up towards Dracula and placed a single finger to Dracula's forehead.
"Attura, Inshinyata!" Ambrosia shouted, Dracula watched confused. She had said some sort of spell he didn't understand, and he expected to feel something strange when she finished it. But there was nothing.
"What have you done, Witch?" Dracula asked, he moved away from Ambrosia and stood up from where he had been hovering over top her. Ambrosia slowly sat upright and placed a hand to her broken shoulder, she felt something sticking out of her left shoulder, it was a bone. She looked down to see it had torn through her skin, she looked up to Dracula, growled and gave him a threatening look. She quickly got up.
"Are you satisfied now! You idiot, I just gave Ahelia back another one of her memories! It was small, but it has sped up the process once again. I decided after I erased Ahelia's memories, to link you and Ahelia together. I do not have enough power over an ancient vampire like yourself. Whatever spell I perform on you, will go through to Ahelia. If I perform a small memory spell on you like I just did, you wont regain any memories but Ahelia will. If I were to hex you, it would hex Ahelia instead. Do you see what I am saying Count?" Ambrosia sneered. Dracula shot his arm out towards the hearth and pointed to the fire. He then began to walk towards Ambrosia, he noticed how terrified she was of him. Ambrosia gave a small shriek and waved her hand towards the fire, snuffing it out.
"Get the Hell out of my castle you miserable, woman! Get out!." He shouted, angrily. Ambrosia ran to the hearth when she noticed the hideous demonic bat like creature Dracula had then transformed into, he glided towards her and lashed out at Ambrosia with his sharp claws. Ambrosia panicked and without a moment's hesitation waved her hand over the fire again, and before Dracula could reach her, there was a burst of flames and the Witch disappeared.
"If you do not visit Ahelia by tomorrow, I will end all of this and I will restore her memories," Dracula heard the sound of Ambrosia's voice whisper to him. Dracula shrieked and screamed, he hated Ambrosia and he hated how hard she was making all of this for him. A part of Dracula almost wished he had let him stay in Hell.
A small male whimper could be heard not far from Dracula. Dracula turned his head and noticed the small group of townspeople he had started to turn were beginning to wake. Still enraged Dracula flew towards the awakening individuals. He took the middle aged man in his grasp, holding him up by his neck Dracula hovered a few feet above the ground. He noticed the man was still very weak and he could hardly move, a few moans of fear left the man mouth. Dracula then wasted no more time in ridding the townspeople he had collected, instead of letting them feed from him. He took each person and practically ripped their throats out and feasted upon their blood. When Dracula came to the last person, it had been another young female. He turned back into his human form and floated back down to the ground. The young women looked at Dracula, she was fully awake now and was aware of what was going on around her. She watched as each man and woman were brutally murdered in front of her. And now she knew she could do nothing but suffer the same fate as the others. Dracula knelt down beside the girl and studied her for a moment, she was shaking, her eyes were wide and her bottom lip quivered. Then she said something.
"Don't..." She quietly pleaded, but Dracula paid no mind to her helpless pleading and instead proceeded in killing the young woman by ripping her heart forcefully out of her chest, she gasped in pure shock and then she was gone. Dracula looked down at the plump, blood dripping heart in his hand and held it up over his mouth, gently squeezing the heart, he let the blood leak into his hungry mouth. Once he finished squeezing the heart dry he threw it hard against a large pillar. Dracula was a monster and he knew it. And at times like this he could never control the hungry, bloodthirsty demonic beast within.
Transylvania
Anamaria sat on the floor with every item she would need for her spell. Her husband Costache sat in a chair, in the corner of the large room and carefully watched his wife. His wife's 'spell room' had to have at least a hundred candles, which Anamaria would light herself every time she would perform a spell. Anamaria kept all of her special items in her room, she had many crystals, ash, oils, smudge sticks, silk squares, ancient amulets and more. Anamaria had sitting in-front of her, ink made of soot, pink wine, two large black candles and a piece of paper rested between the two candles. She was ready to try to contact the dead, the dead being her recently deceased son Petru. Anamaria took a long match and stuck it in the fire in-front of her, but she quickly snuffed out the flame of the match when she remembered she had forgotten something. She turned to her husband.
"Costache, please hand me my blue silk robe and veil." She ordered. Costache hesitated. He didn't like the fact that his wife had gotten into Witchcraft. Ever since their son Petru was killed, by one of Dracula's brides, Verona. Anamaria had spent every-night trying to contact him, it would work, but as quickly as their son would make his presence, he was gone. Both Anamaria and Costache had been aware of Witchcraft, in-fact there had been a town hanging only months ago, when three woman were caught performing a ritual in their home by one witch's husband. Now Transylvania's town criers claimed that there could be other practising Witches among them. Though Costache would never turn his wife in, he would never fully support what she did.
Costache finally grabbed Anamaria's silk robe and veil. And handed both items to her, she took them. Slipping on her robe and placing her veil over her head, she took another match and dipped it in the flames of the fire. She began to light the black candles and prepared the ink and pink wine, and as she did this she began to chant her spell that would bring her son Petru to them.
"Thou who are mourned, see now the nature of this mourning: As thou knowest now my sorrow, so on this paper I affirm it. I write thee my heart here, for thy sight and that we may be bound by such silent words even better than when our words were spoken. Receive this letter, a sign of my commitment not to forget thee nor to cease mourning for thee until my own life shall be ended"
Anamaria finished writing on the piece of paper, that lay between the two candles. She took the paper and carefully folded the paper into a small square, then threw it into the fire in-front of her. Anamaria turned to her husband and motioned him to come sit beside her. He nodded and slowly walked towards his wife and sat down, she lent him her hand and he took her hand in his giving it a gentle squeeze. They waited.
"Petru, vin la noi fiul meu. (Come to us my son.)" Anamaria spoke. The old couple looked at one another with a look of shock on their faces, the flames of the other candles which lit the room around them, were all blown out by a swift cool breeze. This had never happened before.
"Petru is that you, my dear. Please come to your Father and I. Make yourself known." Anamaria added. But something did not feel right to both Anamaria and Costache. Anamaria gave a small yelp and quickly held onto Costache when she heard not her sons voice but a woman's.
"Your son is not here, my dear Anamaria." A woman whispered, but then the sound of another female was heard next.
"But the one who murdered your son, she is here with us." The voice laughed.
"She Devils! Get out of my home! Get out! Go back to whence you came from!" Costache shouted, they both knew who they had been speaking to now, were the brides of Count Dracula. They had climbed their way up from Hell to speak with the elder couple. Anamaria just continued to hold onto her husband and gently began to weep into Costache's shoulder. All three of the brides began to laugh and this infuriated Costache even more.
"What the Hell do you three want from us?" Costache asked.
"Your wife knows what she is, and so do you Costache. She is a Witch, a pure blooded White Witch, you suspected she was a Witch from the beginning and your wife put the red clover in the girl's tea. Your wife sensed something strange about her, but her senses are no where near as strong as Ahelia's. Unlike Anamaria, Ahelia was born a Witch," Verona paused. "And she is needed for our Masters grand plan. But Ahelia is unaware of this plan, as you know Ahelia lost her memory and can't remember herself. Our master-" Verona was then interrupted.
"Your Master? Count Dracula... He lives again!" Costache asked the three in sheer terror.
"Silence old man!" Marishka snapped, Aleera could be heard softly chuckling.
"Yes, he has risen once again. Our Master has made a deal with a Dark Witch, Ahelia's mother. Ahelia is the key to the Master's children, because of the special ability she offers. Ahelia has to power to bring back the dead, or the dying. And she shall give lasting life to his kin. If you or your wife tells Ahelia who she really is, then you will destroy our Masters plans." Verona finished.
"Like Hell I won't try to ruin your Masters evil plans, as soon as you three are gone I'll tell Isabella, or should I say Ahelia, what she is. A Witch!"
"No you will not!" Aleera hissed. "If you tell Ahelia what she is, and ruin everything our Master desires. Then we will rise up from Hell once again, and drag your son Petru's soul down to Hell with us!" Then something crossed Aleera's mind. "If you are good, and you promise not to tell Ahelia who she is. Then, perhaps Ahelia can grant you something. Your son. She can bring back to dead, and the dying, that means she could bring your beloved Petru back."
Costache's mouth dropped when he realized what Aleera was saying to him. Was it true? Could Ahelia really bring their son back from the dead, so they could all once again be reunited? Costache had two choices now. He could ruin Dracula's plans, and save any mortal living person from Dracula's wrath. Or he could keep quiet. If he did not make an attempt to tell Ahelia who she was, then his son would be spared from being sent to Hell and he would be returned to Anamaria and himself... Costache knew he could not damn his son's soul.
"Alright, yes. I agree. I will not ruin your Masters plans. Just leave my sons soul alone." Costache quietly replied, realizing that he had agreed to help Dracula and that he had just put the entire town of Transylvania and all of Romania in grave danger from Dracula's children.
"Good," Verona answered."There is one last thing you should know, you must let Ahelia stay here, you must not put her in harm's way. She is the key, she is precious and must remain safe."
Costache nodded his head and agreed.
"Now leave, please." Costache whispered. The three brides laughed all together until the room was filled with loud laughter which taunted both Costache and Anamaria. Costache held onto his wife tightly when he noticed the room begin to shake, and the annoying laughter continued. The two flames of the black candles in-front of them grew and began to blaze angrily higher and higher.
"Stop it, leave us be now!" Costache yelled. But the three Brides continued their mischief, and didn't stop until they had Costache practically screaming for them to stop and leave them be. Anamaria let her husband go and stood up, Costache reached for his wife and tried to pull her back down to his side. But Anamaria ignored her husband's attempt and decided to stand her ground against the she Devils.
"Holy Michael Archangel defend us in the day of battle. Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray. And do thou oh Prince of the Heavenly Host by the power of God Thrust down into Hell Satan and all the evil Spirits who wander about the World seeking the ruin of souls. Amen." Anamaria finished, the room stopped shaking and the flames and the candles stood still, the room was silent for a moment and then the sound of ear piercing horrified screams could be heard coming from the three brides. Anamaria heard a scratching noise and noticed large scratch marks being formed in the walls and the floor. The scratch marks were long, and Anamaria let out a loud scream herself when she felt as though her face was on fire she raised her hand to her face and could feel three large scratch marks on her face and blood now soaked her hand. As the three brides were being dragged back into Hell their screams and cries grew louder until, all of a sudden their screams stopped and they were gone.
Thank you so much for those you have been reading and who have also left a review, followed and favorited! Thank you Angel of Beauty and Wafflescoco, for reviewing, following and favouriting! And thank you Arianna Le Fay and NadiixD for following. All of you are amazing! Please who ever reads, feel free to review, and tell me what you think of the story!