CHAPTER NINETEEN

Mori stood on the rocky bank as she threw stones into the river, each one making a very loud splash once they hit the surface from the force at which she was throwing them.

"How dare he!" she roared. "He has no idea what hell my life has been!"

Her black cloak had been discarded along with the knee-length, black jacket that was usually closed underneath it. They were lying on the rocks nearby. She couldn't throw as well with them on.

If anyone were to accidentally happen upon her, they would be able to see that this was a very angry girl. Mori's ink black hair was falling out of her braid. She had been ranting for the past half hour or so. She didn't show any signs of stopping anytime soon.

"Van Helsing shouldn't be a hunter! He's far to pompous for his own good! It's a wonder that he's not dead yet! Does he think I want to be Dracula's daughter! Does he! I'll have him know that it's no tromp through the daisies!"

Mori threw a rock as hard as she could. The stone flew over the river and shattered into a million pieces upon hitting the cliff face on the other side of the water. At seeing this, the girl sighed heavily. She couldn't break out of this endless nightmare! There was always something, either her senses or physical abilities, to remind her of her father, her family, her past or the freak that she was! There was no escaping this torture!

Mori collapsed on her cloak and coat that was laid out on the ground. She was so tired of this. The only people who really accepted her were Bethany and Jennifer, but now she couldn't even see them. She had Mr. big, dark and pompous to thank for that.

Mori was on her own…again.

The half vampire sighed heavily at this thought. It wasn't like she couldn't do it. She had flown solo for most of her life. Why did it make any difference if she had to do it again? Plus, she knew this day would come. She knew that there would eventually be a day where she would be forced to leave her friends. It was better off this way. Now, Dracula was only her problem and she had nothing left to loose. Bethany and Jen could be spared…mostly. Jen had already been changed for all eternity. Lord knows that Bethany wouldn't be far behind her. Still, why did Mori feel like she had to go back?

"No, I'm not going back." Mori said to herself. "Then again, they do have my books."

The girl shook her head out. What was she thinking? No, she wouldn't go back.

"I can't." she said. "I'm not going back and that's final…but I will have to reload sometime."

Mori sighed angrily at her indecisiveness and laid back on the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the sun rise over the trees. It was going to be a long…long day.

- - -

"We're home!" Jen called once she and Beth walked into Valerious Manor about an hour after sunset.

"Could you be a litter louder, princess?" Beth asked. "I don't think they heard you in China!"

"Very funny, Beth."

"Thank you. I'm no Mori, but I try."

Obviously, Beth was not in a good mood. No one really would be after their father drove off their best friend and their other friend was almost killed by sunlight. The girl had to swallow a moan when she saw Van Helsing round the corner to meet them.

"Where have you been!" he demanded.

"At church." Bethany replied, trying to keep her voice steady and calm.

"Do you know how dangerous it was to go off on your own and look for that vampire!" Van Helsing almost shouted.

"Her name is Mori and you know it! Don't you dare tell me that I shouldn't have looked for her, which I didn't!" Beth said raising her voice to match his. "She is and always will be my friend whether you like it or not."

"She's a vampire, Bethany! Dracula's daughter!"

"She's only half! Plus, do you think you can pick your family!" Beth argued.

"Don't use that tone with me!"

"I'll use whatever tone I want to." Bethany growled at her father.

"I am your father…"

"Then where were you when I was four!" Beth demanded. Silence hung between the two for a long while. It was a thick and hate filled silence, making Jen feel very uncomfortable.

"Beth," Van Helsing began in a controlled tone, though it was clear that he was fighting not to raise his voice. "you don't seem to understand the situation."

"Neither do you." Beth replied. Her voice was calm and betrayed the anger that was flaring up within her. "Mori is my friend and not evil. She has a soul and has saved my life many a time. She has gone to hell and back for me and I would do the same for her. I won't abandon her so lightly and I will defend her till the day I die. If you can't accept that, then that's your problem. But don't you dare tell me that I can't be friends with her, because I have some news for you. It's a little late for that."

"Mori is a vampire and is something that must be taken care of." Van Helsing said.

"No, she's not. You know it."

"The Order would have me kill her immediately."

"Forget the Order. If I recall, you never really followed their orders before. Anyway, who said they were going to find out. Mori has been keeping this secret her entire life. It's not like she's just going to let it slip." Beth retorted.

"She's probably a spy for Dracula."

"That is like saying Jen would murder someone for the fun of it. It's not going to happen…ever. Mori hates her father. He has put her through hell and then you go and tell her that you're going to murder her just for being what she is. She has enough on her plate without one of her partners threatening to murder her."

"It's all a trick, Beth." Van Helsing interrupted.

"How do you know that it is one?"

"How do you know that it's not?"

Van Helsing and Beth sat there glaring at each other for quite some time. Both were oblivious to the fact that Carl and Anna had been watching their verbal fight along with Jen. At the moment, Beth didn't care who saw. He had no right to make Mori feel like an abomination. She had proven herself to be a good person and Beth didn't care who she had to argue with to prove it.

"Beth, next time Mori sees you, she'll probably try to kill you." Van Helsing said.

"Don't say that about Mori. She's more honorable than you give her credit for." Beth said, her eyes welling up with tears by now.

"And how do you know that?" Van Helsing demanded, raising his voice again.

"You don't know her like I do!" Bethany said, again, raising her voice to match his.

"Who does know her like you do? Huh?" Van Helsing shouted. "No one! That's who! You only saw the part of Mori that she wanted you to see! She's evil!"

"NO SHE ISN'T!" Beth exploded. The dam that she had built to hold her anger back had broken. There was no stopping it now. "If she was, I would have sensed it the second I met her and so would you have! If she really was evil and soul-less, she would have killed us ALREADY! Don't you get it, Van Helsing, she wants to be human! She wants to do good! SHE WANTS TO MURDER DRACULA! MORI IS A GOOD PERSON AND NOTHING YOU CAN SAY WILL CHANGE MY MIND!"

Bethany quickly pushed past him, Carl and Anna before he could reply. She angrily wiped the tears off her face. Oh, curse this weakness!

"Honestly, some days I wish I never met you." The girl said, her voice full of the same sadness and hurt that was currently streaming down from her eyes.

Beth ran down to the armory, where she slammed the door shut, collapsed in a chair and began to sob. She cried until she had no more tears left inside her. Why did this fight hurt so much? Why couldn't he just understand? Why hadn't she stopped Dracula before he told? Oh gosh, all this was her fault.

"It's all my fault." She whispered. It was her fault that Mori was gone; it was her fault that everyone knew Mori's secret; it was her fault that she fought with Van Helsing and there was nothing she could do to fix it.

"Heaven help me." Beth prayed almost silently. Alone in the armory, curled up in a chair, Bethany fell a sleep.

- - -

Mori saw the sun set in the distance. After a hard day of fuming and thinking, her mind was finally made up. She slowly stood, her coat in hand. The girl slid it on and buttoned it up before she slipped her cloak over her shoulders.

With a heavy sigh, she looked into the river at her reflection.

Her hair was a mess, but other than that, she looked normal. Mori pulled out her dagger, the sun gleaming on the edge of the blade. Time to do something just a little bit drastic.

- - -

Bethany woke up in the middle of the night when she heard a noise in the back of the armory. She jumped up immediately and pulled her revolver out of her coat. The young huntress slowly moved toward the back of the large room. What she found was a window slamming shut repeatedly against it's frame.

Beth sighed heavily, relieved that it was only a window, and shut it. Only then did she see that the glass had been shattered. Suddenly, her hand that held her revolver was painfully twisted behind her back. She was then pulled into her captor even though she struggled as much as she could.

"Drop the gun." Was whispered into her ear. Fury rose inside Beth at hearing Dracula's voice.

"No." Beth replied.

"Fine." He said. The vampire then shoved Bethany forward. Her momentum sent her crashing through the already broken window and she was sent flying toward the ground. Beth closed her eyes and waited. She never hit the ground. Instead, Dracula had caught her in his arms.

"You are coming with me." Dracula told her as he placed her over his shoulder.

"What if I don't want to?" Beth defied as she wiggled to try and escape his grip. It wasn't working.

"You don't have a choice the way I see it, Bethany." Dracula replied pushing down, causing Beth's stomach to slam into his shoulder. All the wind rushed from her lungs, leaving the teenager coughing. His pressure didn't let up at all as he carried her away.

Little did either of them know, but they were being watched by a swift and silent shadow. The shadow suspected where they were going and decided to beat them there.