CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
The next evening, Beth was sitting on the edge of her bed. She couldn't sleep, again, so she was reading. She had woken up from yet another nightmare. It was the one that had been haunting her for a while…
Bethany was running through the forest, her white gown shredded and covered in mud. Her heart was pounding madly in her chest as she ran. She had to get away from whatever was behind her. She didn't know what was there, and (from the feeling running up her spine) she didn't want to.
Beth tripped over a log and landed hard on the ground. The girl let out a small moan of pain as twigs and hidden rocks cut into her skin. She couldn't concentrate on that now. Getting away was her only concern. She quickly pushed herself up and continued running.
"Why are you running from me?" a voice echoed around Beth. It filled her with fear and she pushed herself on even more.
"Come back to me, Bethany." It cooed. It sounded like it was right behind her!
Beth whirled around to see…nothing. Only the forest met her eyes. She looked around frantically as her breathing came in deep gasps. Still, everything seemed calm around her. The girl turned back around and screamed. Less than six inches behind her was a figure cloaked in black. The figure grabbed her arms and pulled her against them. They then leaned forward and whispered in her ear.
"You will be mine."
Bethany had woken up to the sound of her lamp shattering. She was covered in a cold sweat and her breathing was labored. The girl put a hand over her heart. It was beating rapidly. The teenager took deep breaths to calm down. When this usually happened, Beth would get dressed and go talk to Mori, but that wasn't an option anymore. She had to keep reminding herself of that fact. Bethany ended up washing her face, putting her usual all black attire and began to read. Reading usually calmed her down and took her mind off things. At the moment, it wasn't working. The words on the page weren't enough to hold her attention.
Giving up, Beth shut her book and flopped back on the bed. Her emerald eyes were focused on the ceiling of her dimly lit room. She stared at it blankly as her mind began to wonder. Mori's funeral was at dawn. Maybe that was really why she couldn't sleep. It wasn't from nightmares, which she usually just shook off. It was from having to say good-bye. The teenage girl sighed heavily. Either way, she was still wide awake.
Getting up, book in hand, Beth left her room and silently moved down the halls of Valerious manor. She passed what used to be Mori's bedroom and moved to the main ballroom. At the far wall lay a black coffin with the lid up. On either side of it were two tall candelabras. Both of them were already lit. Taking a deep breath, Beth approached the side of the coffin and peered in to see Mori's body.
"I'm sorry." Beth said softly. Why was she saying this? Mori couldn't hear her. Mori would never hear her. Then why was she still talking? Maybe she just needed to get this off her chest.
"I'm sorry I was weak. I'm sorry I couldn't save myself. I'm sorry you had to die for my mistake. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything."
Bethany angrily wiped the tears from her eyes. "It's all my fault."
The young huntress then turned to go. If she stayed any longer, she would surely break down into a mountainous wave of tears again. Bethany opened the door to the ballroom. Suddenly, the wind was knocked from her. With a grunt of pain, the book fell from her hands.
Beth flew through the halls in a flash. She had no idea what was going on. The world was passing by in nothing but a blur. The girl closed her eyes to try and sort this all out in her mind. Suddenly, Bethany was mercilessly thrown down on a cold, stone floor. Pain shot through her body as she opened her eyes. She looked up to see a werewolf standing over her. On reflex, she reached for her revolver, but swore when she realized that she didn't have her coat on. Surprisingly, the wolf scampered away.
"Hello Bethany, my dear."
The girl rolled over on her back and saw Dracula towering above her. Her eyes darted all around, looking for escape. Only then did she see that Van Helsing, Anna, Carl, and Jen were all behind bars off to the side. Bethany swore again.
"Maybe you would be so kind a to tell me what happened to my daughter." The vampire continued.
Rage flared up inside the girl along with the sadness and overwhelming guilt it accompanied. Everyone knows that those emotions are not good to bring out in a teenage girl with unusual powers. Bethany bit down hard on her lower lip to keep from crying. But there was nothing she could do about it now. She just wished that this was all a nightmare. As she knew, wishes never come true.
"Are you even going to answer me?" Dracula snapped. Something else inside Bethany snapped as well.
"How's this?" Beth growled at him. A large bean of light shot from her outstretched palm and hit the vampire in the chest. Dracula was flung back and hit the wall behind him hard. The vampire recovered in a flash. He had pinned Beth's wrists above her head and was holding her against he wall. Beth struggled against him, her own fury fueling her fight.
"Why are you so angry, Bethany?" the vampire asked. "I do hope it has something to do with me."
"You bastard!" Beth roared at Dracula, not really caring anymore what he did to her. "You killed her! You killed your own daughter! Mori is dead because of you!"
Bethany had to bite down on her lip again to keep the tears at bay. Dracula's reaction to this news was nothing other than a villainous smile.
"If I recall, dear child, that blame belongs with you." Dracula told the young huntress. The girl froze immediately.
"You can't pin this on Beth!" Van Helsing argued with the vampire through the bars of his prison. "She didn't do anything!"
"I can and she knows it." Dracula said smirking. "You are right, Gabriel. She didn't do anything. That is exactly the point. Morianalynn used her powers to protect dear Bethany, who wasn't capable of protecting herself. Therefore, she is responsible for Mori's…sudden departure."
"Stop it!" Jen demanded.
"Why?" Dracula asked. "I'm only voicing what she has been thinking this entire time. She believes it."
Beth, in response to this, spat on him. Her saliva hit him on the face and she reeled back momentarily in disgust. Dracula then calmly wiped it away.
"That was uncalled for." The vampire said. "You're a bit immature."
"And you're a deranged psychopath." Beth snapped at him, fire blazing in her emerald eyes. Her comment caused Dracula to smile.
"She sounds exactly like you, Gabriel." Dracula said.
"Let go of her!" Jen demanded as she grabbed onto the bars. Anger rose in the young Valerious. Dracula only glanced at her and her head was spinning. The vampire, using his mind, forced Jen to faint.
"Jen!" Anna screamed in horror as she scooped her niece up in her arms.
"Now that that's taken care of." Dracula said turning back to Bethany. "Now that the prophecy can't come true, I might as well make sure that the other half can't come to pass either."
"What do you mean? What prophecy?" Beth demanded.
"You should know by now." Dracula told the girl. "And if you don't, then it doesn't matter anyway."
The vampire smiled. To her horror, Beth saw the Count's canines increase in length. He was looking forward to draining the child dry.
"Count Dracula!" Van Helsing roared at him in anger. Oh God, please not his daughter! He had to protect his child as much as he could. "If you touch her, I swear I'll…"
"You'll do what, Gabriel?" Dracula interrupted him. "Hit me with a rock?"
The vampire was then hit in the back of the head with a small stone. He then glared at the teenager he held captive. Bethany was smiling at him innocently.
"It slipped. I swear." She said, knowing that she had used her mind to annoy him. It's was Mori would've wanted.
"The child is definitely yours, Gabriel." Dracula growled. "She needs someone to save her."
Beth then saw that Dracula's eyes turned ice cold and hollow. She had to repress a shiver. Those eyes and that look never meant anything good.
"Unfortunately, Morianalynn is dead and she's never coming back."
"Are you sure about that?" they heard.
Black lightning then flung Dracula back into a wall. Beth fell on the floor, using her hands to catch her. She knew that voice, but it couldn't be…but the lightning...Beth had to see who had saved her, so she looked up and gasped when she did so.
Leaning on a wall, was a very much alive Mori! She looked drawn and exhausted along with being paler than pale. Still, she was alive!
"Mori?" Beth asked in shock. The girl turned to look at her, her ice blue eyes hard.
"Not now Bethany. I'll explain later." Mori replied. "Get the others so we can go. Now."
Beth shook her head as she focused her attention on the lock to the prison that held her friends. She held out a hand and the lock glowed a moment before it shattered. Van Helsing was the first one out of the cell. He scooped Beth up in his arms as he ran toward Mori.
"Let's go." The monster hunter said.
"I agree…and Jen, wake up!" Mori hissed in annoyance. The young Valerious' eyes then fluttered open. Mori cocked an eyebrow at this. "I didn't think it would actually work."
"Well, it did." Van Helsing said. Mori shrugged and then took off running, the others behind her. They all made a mad dash for the door. They made it out alright and through the mirror, thanks to Van Helsing's ring, which was the key. Van Helsing was being very protective of his child and didn't even set her down till they were back in the armory.
"Mori?" Beth started and then shook her head. I can't be. There was just no way…still…
"Yes Bethany?"
Beth slowly reached out and poked her in the arm. She was solid!
"Satisfied?" Mori asked.
"You really are alive!" Beth exclaimed, her eyes growing wide.
"Yes, mostly anyway." Mori said and then grabbed Beth's arm. She pulled Beth into her so Mori could whisper something in her ear. "And if I ever hear you say such absurd things ever again, I will hurt you. Also, if anyone puts me in a coffin ever again, I will hunt them down and murder them even if I really am dead."
"You heard that?" Beth asked her.
"I was in a healing trace Bethany. That doesn't mean I was deaf."
Bethany smiled. Same old Mori. Catching Mori off guard, Beth hugged her. Mori stiffened immediately.
"You're touching me."
Jen, ignoring Mori's last remark, quickly joined Beth in hugging their friend.
"Alright, stop it!" Mori said wiggling to free herself from her friends. "Too much love!"
Beth and Jen took that as their signal to let go of her. Carl, Van Helsing and Anna were all standing still. Apparently, they were still shocked.
"Mori," Jen started. "We are glad you are alive…but…"
"How?" Beth asked.
"You stopped breathing!" Carl exclaimed quietly, unable to believe that the half vampire was standing before them.
"I don't have to. It's one of the perks of being half undead."
"And your heart…"
"I barely have a pulse when I'm not trying to heal myself." Mori cut him off as she sunk into a nearby chair. The girl put her fingers on her forehead and closed her eyes. She was getting a headache again. Healing took a lot of energy, so she needed a boost after all the energy she used. Mori knew what she needed. She needed her medicine.
"Mori," Van Helsing began. He never thought he would get to say this, but now he could. Even after everything, this was still very hard for him. "I…I wanted to…"
Mori put her hand in the air to silence him. Her icy orbs then fell on the seasoned monster hunter.
"Truce?" she asked.
"Truce." Van Helsing agreed as he nodded. Bethany smiled widely as she felt her shoulders drop for the first time in weeks.
"Finally!" Beth rejoiced throwing her arms in the air. "It's over!"
Beth then leaned back against the wall as her arms fell back to her sides. She glanced over at Mori to see her holding her ears. Jen was doing the same, but hiding it better.
"Sorry." Beth told her. "I forgot."
"I'm going back to bed." Mori said as she stood. "If anyone wakes me up, I swear I won't hesitate in murdering you."
Everyone watched as Mori exited the room in a swirl of black fabric. Beth smiled as she did so. It's so good to have her back. She then shook her head before she turned to her father.
"I'm going to go to bed too."
"Good night, midget."
"Night dad." Bethany said before she walked out the door. Once out in the hall, Beth noticed that someone was there. Mori was leaning on the wall with her arms crossed over her chest, a knowing smile dancing in her eyes.
"Walk with me." Mori suggested to her.
"Alright." Bethany replied, a small smile on her lips. The two then began to make their way down the hall.
"Maybe now that this is all over, you can actually sleep again." Mori told the young huntress. Beth just nodded absentmindedly.
"It's hard to sleep when you have nightmares all the time." Beth mumbled to herself, not really caring that Mori would hear her.
"They haven't gotten any better?"
Bethany shook her head 'no'.
"Interesting." Mori mumbled and stopped outside the kitchen door. She eyed it for a moment before she opened it with a sweeping motion. She then turned to Bethany.
"Step into my office."
"Those words could be lethal coming from you, Mori." Beth said as she moved into the kitchen, Mori following her.
"We shall see."
Beth sat at the table while Mori vanished. She returned moments later with a glass of 'wine' and a steaming cup of coffee. She sat at the table across from Bethany and slid her the coffee. Beth took a drink and immediately felt her insides warm up. Her mind was spinning at the moment, but it would only take her a little while to work things outs. Bethany traced her finger around the edge of the mug. Mori calmly leaned back in her chair.
"Let's talk."
"Where do you want to start?" Beth asked before she took another drink.
"Your nightmares." Mori said, giving Bethany the 'obviously' look. Silence hung in the air for a moment before the young huntress broke it.
"Could you be a bit more specific?"
"Tell me every nightmare you've had since I've been…dead, I guess would be the best way to put it, and what happened afterward."
Beth sighed before she began. "It's always the same one. I've been having it for a while, about a week or so. I'm always running from something. Then a black figure shows up and captures me. I wake up to something breaking or a crash every single time."
"What have you broken?" Mori asked.
"I had eight books fall from their shelves, six bottles shatter, the chair crashed to the floor three times and a lamp exploded." Beth answered.
"That much." Mori mumbled to herself. Her blue eyes then became distant as she thought. They weren't focusing on anything in particular, but just stared off into space. Mori took a drink from her glass. Bethany noticed that it was already only half full. Still, she didn't say anything and let Mori think in silence.
"Your powers are growing." Mori mumbled.
"What?"
"Or it could be your lack of sleep." Mori mumbled, not having heard Bethany since she was concentrating so much. "Or your fragile emotional state."
"Mori!"
"Hum?" Mori asked her eyes falling on her friend. "Oh, I forgot you were still here."
Beth decided not to say anything. Resisting the urge to shake her head, she took a drink of coffee. Mori noticed this lack of reaction.
"Are you alright, Bethany?"
"Well, I had a friend's funeral coming up, got kidnapped by Dracula, had my friend come back from the dead and my father decided not to kill her." Beth replied. "It's been an emotional day."
The teenager looked at her coffee cup, decided why not, and drank what was left of the warm, brown, liquid. Again, Mori noticed this and decided not to say anything about it.
"You'll feel better after you get some sleep." Is what she said instead.
"So will you."
"I've been asleep for long enough." Mori replied, a hit of sternness in her voice. "And knowing you, you haven't slept at all. Go to bed Bethany."
A soft smile spread across Beth's lips. Same old, protective Mori. She thought as she stood up.
"Good night Mori."
"Sleep well."
Mori watched as the young monster hunter vanished out the door. The half vampire then sighed to herself as she took another sip from her glass. She then held it up so her eyes were at the same level as the red liquid it contained.
"That girl will be the death of me." Mori mumbled to herself before she emptied the glass and set it on the table. She then went to get the green bottle, which was still at least half full. After Mori returned to the table, she poured a little into the glass and drained it instantly. She was about to refill the glass, but her hand stopped short. After a small shrug, the girl began to drink from the bottle. Its contents were gone in moments. When the bottle was empty, Mori sighed and looked at it.
"I needed that."