A/N: HOLY CRAP MY VOLLEY BALL TEAM JUST GOT SECOND PLACE IN A TOURNAMENT! Party! I'm in such a good mood that I decided to write another chapter! Huzzah!
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Amira felt a cold draft of air expel from the Den as Zane opened the door. Zane walked in and Amira followed tentatively behind. It took Amira a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dim lighting in the room, but when they did she realized that they were in what looked like a bar. There was a bar at the far end of the room and several pool tables in the center. There was even a couple small t.v.'s playing some sports game. Everyone in the room shifted their eyes to the odd pair as the door slammed shut behind them.
"Well this is an appealing place." Amira whispered sarcastically to Zane. Zane just smiled and winked at her.
There was a few moments of uncomfortable silence in which Amira began rocking back and forth on her legs before a man sitting at the bar strode forward. His body was swathed in a black cloak that, with his shoulder length blond hair. His skin was pale, and his lips a luscious red. He was very handsome in Amira's standards. The man stopped several feet away from them and surveyed both of them with bright green eyes that seemed to penetrate Amira's soul.
"Zane? I thought you were dead!" The stranger grinned wolfishly and revealed rows of bright white teeth. Zane just laughed and embraced the man.
"Dead? Ha! You should know better than that, Alzain!" Alzain? That's pretty hot name. Not as hot as Vladislaus... Amira blinked. Where did that come from?
"And who is this beautiful young lady?" Alzain smirked fiendishly as he gazed cooly at her with those bright green orbs.
"This is-" Zane began, but was soon cut off by Amira.
"Amira. My name is Amira." Amira flashed a smile at Alzain but had to cough in order to cover up a giggle that attempted to bubble through her lips. What am I, a school girl! Get your act together you stupid twit! And stop gawking at him! Amira shook her head and smiled again. "Amira. That's a very pretty name." Alzain's grin widened as Amira blushed and had another "cough attack".
"Now as much as I love observing you two flirting with each other, I believe that Alzain and I have business we need to attend to." Zane stepped between the two young people and slung an arm around Alzain's shoulders, or, at least attempted to. Zane was much too short and Alzain much too tall so Zane ended up grabbing him by the arm and pulling him away. Amira just stood there, not really sure what to do until Zane turned around and called, "Amira! Sit at the bar. I'll be back in a moment." He turned back to Alzain and began whispering in his ear. He just expects me to do whatever he wants doesn't he? Amira sighed and began muttering curses in Zane's general direction as she stalked towards the bar. "And stop stalking!" Amira whirled around to see Zane's back turned towards her.I hate it when he does that.
Amira glanced at the room but found nothing of interest. Everyone had gone back to playing their game of pool or drinking their alcohol or sharpening their knives. These people don't look like very good vampire hunters. They just sit around drinking their booze and looking like ordinary depressing people. How dull. Amira had propped her chin on her hand and was staring at the wall listlessly when she felt hands be placed on her shoulders. Dracula! Amira immediately twitched and elbowed the person behind her for she was expecting the worst. She was rewarded with the sound of a grunt as her elbow came in contact with someone's stomach. She whirled around to find Alzain lying on the floor and Zane laughing hysterically. Whoops. Oh well. Alzain picked himself up off the floor as rubbed his stomach. "Should I have been expecting that?" Alzain asked Zane, who was wiping away tears that were streaming down his face.
"Well, I wasn't." He wiped away the last of his tears and smiled. Alzain shook his head and turned to Amira.
"I'm sorry if I scared you. I didn't know you were so jumpy."
"Well you can't blame me! I've been in a very life threatening situation for the past few weeks."
"Ah yes. I understand that you've been imprisoned by Count Dracula. We were hunting him for centuries until we heard that Gabriel Van Helsing killed him. We thought Dracula was gone forever, but apparently he's come back even stronger than before. I have agreed to protect you, but I'm not sure how long that will be possible. Dracula has many allies that could easily snatch you from our midsts without us even knowing until after you were gone. Be that as it may be, we will protect you as best we can." He grinned and held out an arm for Amira to take. "Shall I show you to your room?" Amira took his arm and was led away down a narrow flight of stairs to a hallway with doors on either side of it. Alzain led her to a door with a large number 8 painted on it. He pushed the door open and walked inside. "It's not much, but it's the best we can do under such short notice. My room is right down the hall, it's number 13. If you need anything, just give me a knock."
"Thank you for everything. I know this is a lot to ask of you, I've probably put the whole lot of you in danger." She stared at the floor tiles. I can't believe I've actually become dangerous to be around.
"It's alright!" Alzain smiled brightly. "We're actually excited to have you here. The Night Stalkers haven't had many demons to battle lately and we've been rather bored. Now that you're here we should get plenty of excitement from battling Dracula's minions."
"Ah. Well in that case, I'm glad to be here."
"Well, I have to go inform all my brutish Night Stalkers why there is a fine lady in their midsts. You are free to roam about, just don't leave the building." Alzain bowed slightly and left.
Ah, the Night Stalkers prove once again that they know how to treat a guest. She eyed the furnishings with slight disdain. The bed was just a stained mattress that lay in the middle small room. The lamp hung from the ceiling, but it was so dim that it didn't add any illumination to the room whatsoever, not that Amira was sure she wanted the rest of the room lit. She sighed and trudged out of the room into the hallway, it was as poorly furnished as her room. At least it's not Dracula's castle... A cockroach scuttled across the hallway, causing Amira to shudder. Then again, I'm quite sure Dracula didn't have insect problems.
"Amira! There you are." Amira turned around to see Zane jumping down the stairs two at a time. Where in hell does he get all this energy? "How do you like this place so far? I know it isn't much, but it's the best place we've got." Zane...is he a double agent or something? He's obviously close friends with Dracula, but he's also got all these connections with people on "the other side". Can I trust him?
"Amira? Are you alright?" Amira hadn't realized that she had been staring at him and shook herself.
"I'm fine. I was just thinking." She managed to smile weakly, but Zane wasn't convinced.
"Are you sure?" He looked so concerned. "I'm sure." She smiled more convincingly this time.
"Was there something you wanted to talk to me about?" She wanted to change the topic.
"Yes, yes. Could we go into your room? I would like some privacy." Zane didn't wait for an answer, he pushed open the door and walked inside. Once they were inside and the door was shut Zane turned to her. "I wanted to give you something." He opened his trench coat and uncovered a bundle hidden away. It was the scimitar she had stolen from Dracula when she had tried to escape the first time. "I want you to have some sort of protection, but I was in such a hurry I forgot to give it to you before now." He handed it to her and she strapped it to her waist. Amira felt as if someone was watching her as soon as she put it on.
"Amira..." A smooth and seductive voice whispered in her ear. Amira jerked her head around to find no one beside her. Amira glanced at Zane.
"Did you say something?"
Zane cocked his head to one side with an expression of curiosity painted on his face. "No. Are you sure you're feeling alright?"
"Shouldn't you know? I thought you knew everything!" Amira exclaimed, feeling annoyed with the constant questions.
"I don't know everything. You take things much too literally. Let's just say I know a lot. Unfortunately, my knowledge does not include your emotions and feelings."
Amira's face reddened after her outburst. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. We have more important matters on our hands than apologies. Like food! I'm starving. Would you care to join me for a bite to eat?" "Of course I would." Zane linked his arm around hers and led her out of her room to the cafeteria
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Meanwhile...
Dracula angrily paced back and forth across the ceiling of his bedroom. Damn that Zane! All I wanted was to get my revenge on the Valerious family and Zane has to go and interfere, just like he always does. It's going to get him killed one day. There was a timid knock at his doorway and Aida, a servant ofDracula's, peeked her headin. Dracula hopped from the ceiling and landed directly in front of her, causing her to jump backwards. "Did they find her?" Dracula questioned immediately.
"Yes." Aida was visibly cowering under Dracula's intense gaze.
"Well? Where is she?"
"She's um...well...she's with the-the Night Stalkers." She held up her arms as if it would protect her from a blow that would surely follow the information she had just relayed to her master. Aida peeked through her arms at Dracula, and instead of finding him furious, like she expected, he was laughing silently to himself. He finally threw back his head and let out a sinister laugh that filled the hall and the room behind them. "M-m-master?" She questioned him, sure that he had finally cracked.
"Oh yes. I have her right where I want her now. She won't be getting away from me!" Dracula turned his back on his faithful servant and walked back into his room. He turned around and called to Aida just before she left. "Bring me Naythorn. He and I have a little plan to devise..."
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A/N: Alrighty! I just thought you should all know that I NEED MORE REVIEWS! I, like so many other authors, practically live off reviews! I dont care what you write, as long it isn't a flame! I just want to know how you think of my story. R&R R&R R&R R&R R&R!
A/N: I've got an idea: If I get 8 reviews for this chapter by SaturdayI shall post another chapter this weeked. THAT SHOULD BE INCENTIVE ENOUGH!