Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait; been busy.

Dracula lead Ashling in on his arm, elegant in a sweeping black cape, a gold mask hiding his eyes. The mask was pointed down at his cheeks mirroring the fangs in his mouth. His hair was down though half of it was gathered up into a gold clasp.

Ashling wore a white dress, to tell of her innocence. The corset long sleeved top though looked like the low collar was stained with blood. A long red chain necklace hung down over her chest, its charm a fang as long as her pinky. Her mask was white and a plain round shape, red paint was spattered across it.

Their entrance was greated with clapping and bowing, as they went past. Dracula bade hello to his subjects all the while keeping Ashling's arm securely around his and her eyes directly ahead, lest she should fall into another's trance. In the center of the floor, he stopped and faced her, putting his arm around her waist and pulling her to him.

The music began anew, a sweeping waltz, and they danced, Ashling falling further and further into Dracula's trance. Somehow she managed not to trip over her dress, instead focusing on her partner's glowing blue eyes. They danced closer together as the evening went on.

Ashling was only faintly aware when Dracula would introduce her to various other vampires who she could not remember.

"What am I to do my love," Dracula said to her, as she lulled against him as they twirled. "When you can no longer hold yourself up?" He chuckled with an evil smile, and to his surprise she answered.

"Lay me down." He dipped her, then pulled her up until her face was not an inch from his.

"I like that answer." Her eyes were blurry, through her mask, as she looked up at him, she smiled suggestively and he smiled back.

Finally a slow, calm song played, and they followed suit, nearly staying in one place as they danced. Ashling leaned against Dracula's chest, and stared into his eyes, though they no longer glowed. With everyone moving around them, Dracula stopped, tore her mask off, and shook off his own. Her let his finger trail down her cheek and simply stared at her.

Ashling could no longer take the suspense, she pushed her mouth onto his.

For the three years he had been dead he had felt nothing, only seen the world through Ashling's eyes. Since before that he had never been willingly kissed by someone with warm blood in their veins, and it was ecstasy for him just to feel her lips against his own.

Ashling pulled away from him. As he stared into her eyes he realized this simple kiss had awoken something inside of him. No longer was it simply the want of a child, but of her, for herself not what she could give him.

They danced the rest of the night taking in little more than each other's eyes.

- - - - -

The next night Ashling wasn't sure what had woken her but as she listened she heard to the distant chatter of people. She dressed fast, and flung the door to her room open, and gasped as she nearly stepped out onto Vay.

Before she could even form a sentence on her lips he said: "Mistress, I was told to see to you when you woke."

"Okay, but why?"

"The master's guests are here and he doesn't want anything to happen to you. Some of the younger ones are quite dumb." He told her.

"Ash!" Sophie burst out of nowhere as they walked along, and clung to Ashling's hand.

"What, what is it?" Ashling giggled, partly at Vay's statement and at Sophie.

"We're excited to see you." She shrugged,and her chosen mother laughed again. Vukasin bounded up to them, and trotted along at their back.

Vay lead them off toward the noise of people. As the group rounded a corner Ashling Marion took up her vision, her two children at her side.

"Ashling there you are." She said, smiling. "I wish to introduce you to the others, if you would let me."

"Of course." Ashling nodded.

"Vay," Marion looked down at him. "Will you take Than and Valdis with you?"

He nodded, eager to please, but he had a slightly disappointed air about him. Marion gave him a sympathetic smile and turned to Ashling.

Marion lead her into a room full of people, some with gleaming eyes, long fingernails and protruding fangs. Most of the men were dressed in black cloaks, or suits, some with jewelry draping their necks, ears, and wrists. Others in more modern coats without decoration of any sort. The women who were few, dressed mostly in tight thin dresses, or what one might expect a witch to wear, shawls, cloaks and the like.

"Why can't Vay come into this room?" Ashling whispered to her companion. She had sensed the tension between the two as Vay had left.

"He is changing and most vampires deem beings unclean and unfit to be around during a change." She nodded as Marion smiled sweetly to some of the room's occupants. Ashling settled beside her on a couch in the near corner of the dark cavernous room.

"Why do you bring this human among us Marion?" A stout blonde-headed man asked from the opposite corner of the room. He was surrounded by women, two on the couch by his side and three at his feet. All wore low-cut skimpy dresses, and jewelry beyond the possibility of counting.

"Do you not know who she is?" Marion spoke calmly, confidently, even as every pair of sparkling eyes in the room turned upon her. She spoke to the room at large, as the other man turned away from her, his lip curling. "Mistress Ashling, Dracula's guest."

There were sounds of recognition all around the room, and the occasional scoff.

"Ah, the next bride I presume?" Another man addressed her from thier left. His eyes were much more dull than everyone else's and his skin darker, much as his brown hair. Most of the vampires laughed softly.

Ashling responded to this, with a wry smile. "I'm not sure I would talk so cavalier if I were you. I might take offense." She held a serious look before cracking a wide grin at his surprise. As she did the vampires laughed outright, some of the women covering thier mouths daintily with their hands.

"You shall be a wonderful change from his last harem." A woman on her right leaned over and whispered to Ashling. Not sure how to respond she only smiled politely, but she was soon distracted.

"Now that we have been introduced to our new mistrress, what is she doing as your protege, Marion?" The first man spoke sarcastically. He had not laughed with the others.

"I have not thought of her that way before, Onyar." Marion mused thoughtfully. "But, to answer you question: she has second sight." She smiled pleasantly at him, at which he turned away in slight disgust.

A seemingly young red-headed girl, with a soft kind face and a peach colored dress, gasped softly and asked in a rush: "Has she seen anything of Van Helsing?" Many around the room agreed softly, and looked to them for an answer.

"It is not that sort of sight, Jessebelle." Marion explained gently.

"Oh." Jessebelle sat back, disappointed. A stiff silence permeated the room until

"We should bring the child-killer to our justice." Someone spoke harshly.

The room was filled with outbursts of anger. Marion sat back on the seat, her eyes absent of their brightness, for the first time Ashling had seen. The girl looked around stunned at the sudden commotion and volume.

She barely heard Jessebelle say: "He killed my father." And other lamentations of loss. Some were planning out their revenge, filled with gory horrible details and hate-

"Yes!" Marion's calm voice broke through the ruckus at which all stopped their conversations, and looked at her. "We have all lost someone whether in the distant past of lately." She looked into each other their eyes forcing calm into them through her glowing pupils. Anger was dulled by her gaze in most of the vampires' eyes though some only became more hateful as she looked. "If it is meant to come about his deeds will be repayed."

- - - - -

Van Helsing woke in a cold sweat, gasping from his so vivid dream of that dreadful night he had dreamt of many times. Some time the events of Anna's death were layed out before him just as they had taken place. Other tiems it was transformed into a horrible massacre, where he, as a werewolf, had ripped Anna and Carl to pieces and reamined in his feral state.

The moon was low, the night young, but he saw the shining orb was perfectly round. They had planned for this night. He, Carl, and his boy, Ahlf, had armed themselves in preparation to find the little girl that had been taken. Unless she was dead, they would take her back to her mother.

- - - - -

Sophie, Vay, Than, and Valdis played between the stalagmites of a room much like a cave. It was below one of the towers and quite cold. But neither the children nor their watcher seemed to feel it.

Dracula sat on the last step, carved from stone, and watched them run around in their mindless game. All of their breath appeared in the air as puffs of mist. Dracula planned to ignore the rest of the vampires for as long as he could, he knew they could keep themselves busy with their conference. Until they needed him he would content himself with the carefree young ones.

Young ones. . . the boy with Van Helsing was as good as his son, perhaps he was his enemy's weakness. Dracula grinned that this seemingly insignificant train of thought had lead him to such an idea.

Vay groaned good-naturedly, as he was tagged for the fourth time in ten minutes. He seemed to be the slow one in their game. Dracula knew from prior bogeys who had served him, that the change was upon him, and soon, it would either kill him or turn him.

Author's Note: Ah! The suspense! Well, maybe not but. . .reviews will make it faster! and thank you for all the previous reviews.