"This is where the beast resides." Anghel said grimly.
"We should all go in and overpower the beast." Calin said climbing out of the cab and made for the back to grab the supplies.
A loud howl rang through the trees followed by sinisterly cold wind that rushed them from the castle.
"Then who will guard the horses?" Horia spoke eying the forest wearily.
Clay, Abe and Lexy climbed from the carriage and faced the direction the sound had come from.
There was a sound of twigs snapping, as if by many things and the sound creeped forward. Shadows dashing through the narrow spaces of the tree trunks and soon many sets of glowing yellow eyes could be seen peering through the darkness.
"Wolves." Clay studied them closely. "They should move on soon, they don't very much like people."
"No, these were called by the monster to stop us from entering." Dimitrie said raising his rifle. He fired a shot at the dirt before the their claws but they held their ground unflinching.
The largest of the beasts, a large black wolf with flaming orange eyes stepped forward out of the shadows and onto the road. The others began emerging behind him.
Lexy pulled out the Harbinger and aimed.
"I don't think now is a good time to play hero little girl." Calin snarked as the men raised their weapons.
She ignored him and fired just Dimitrie had in front of their claws.
As the bullet shattered on the tough road it send the enchantments spraying onto the animals.
As soon as the holy water and wolfsbane touched their fur they yelped and bucked as if they had been set aflame and flew back into the safety of the trees.
"Acestea sunt fug! Doamne ea este o vrăjitoare!" Ioan shouted in disbelief.
Calin turned to her in rage. "Witchcraft is illegal here!"
Lexy calmly ejected the shell. "It's not witchcraft it's wolfsbane and holy water. Cursed beasts can't stand it."
Calin glared at her but his sights were directed elsewhere as a low growl was heard. The wolves had not fully retreated, there eyes were still shining in the darkness between the trunks. Though they remained within the trees where they were safe from the gunshots.
"We need to get inside, we only have a few hours left of daylight." Abe said looking at the sun.
She knew he was right, and so went and handed Harbinger to Clay, who was the best shot aiming the other agents, along with a few extra clips of the special bullets. "This will keep them at bay."
Horia, Ioan, Cezar and two of the agents were left to stay behind to guard the horses and keep the wolves at bay while the rest headed into the castle.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
The huge doors swung outwards kicking up swirling clouds of ancient dust. The reception room was covered in inches of the powder that painted the walls grey and veiled iron candle sticks and decaying furniture. They entered with care not to make a sound lest they alert their target. Their plan was to travel first to the dungeon and look for the creature there before searching room by room to eliminate any towns people turned familiar to the monster.
They found the door to the chambers below after some fumbling about through layers of grime.
Dimitrie pulled out a tinder box and lit one of the ancient torches on the wall then took it from it's holster and lead the way downwards.
They trekked down the winding passages, none straying from the circle of light the torch provided. It lighted the way but only so much and surrounding darkness was oppressive and carried a foul, stale odor. Their dark descent seemed to take hours, though they knew this simply to be an illusion. Finally they came to another large wooden door.
Abe stepped forward, removed his glove and placed his hand upon the wood.
"What's he doing?" Emil asked.
"Trying to sense if anyone's home." Lexy whispered back.
Abe removed his hand and stepped back. "There are five of them. They're all sleeping, but not one of them is the one we came here for."
Calin grimaced. "But that's more vampires than I'd like."
They quickly unpacked their cases and formulated a plan. They would each take a single coffin and eliminate the vampires all at once.
"What happens if we fail?" Emil asked clearly nervous. He'd only ever faced one vampire and that had been completely by accident within the walls of a church where it was already weakened significantly.
Anatolie opened one of the bottles of holy water and poured it over the floor, walls and door.
"We'll put it on the inside too, that way nothing unholy can exit."
Quietly as they could they opened the door just enough to let themselves in and closed it behind them. Anatolie then poured more of the holy water on and around it.
Dimitrie raised his torch and the room revealed dozens of stone sarcophagi arranged around the dark dungeon.
Abe raised his hand and began searching for the occupants. One by one he pointed out the five coffins that were not empty.
More torches were lit and they waited for the signal.
Slowly they lifted the heavy stone lids to reveal the bodies within. There were a many a gasp as they viewed the humanoids that laid within. They were all young woman from the village and even though they were dead they had never looked so beautiful. Their faces glowed pale like moonlight, their lips gentle pink and curved in joyful smiles. They were still dressed in the clothes they had been taken in, mostly nightgowns that now flowed and made them look angelic in their slumber.
There was hesitation among the men, they could all sense it but it was father Anatolie who spoke.
"Beware they may look angelic but they are doomed to hell. Come, let's give these girls peace."
The stakes were raised over their chests and they looked at one another to be sure they were ready. Anghel nodded and simultaneously they hammered the stakes into their hearts.
All at ounce the girl's were awakened and their sleep spell was broken. Their once graceful faces turned to hellish rage and they slashed and clawed and kicked and spat at their assailants. But still they continued to strike the end of the stakes until all of the woman went still. Then did they all pause to take breath even though the stale air provided no comfort.
"Come now, the job isn't done yet." Anatolie said mournfully.
Lexy looked at the young girl lying in the coffin she and Abe were standing over. She couldn't have been more fifteen. There were two puncture wounds on her neck, the only part of her skin that looked red and rashy.
"The head." She muttered to herself and Abe nodded.
They'd all brought axes with them and before the reluctance could take a hold once more the heads of the girls were swiftly removed with a few precise swings from each axe. The only thing they had to be grateful for was that there wasn't any blood to flow from the wounds.
Their throats were stuffed garlic cloves, crosses placed in their hands and their bodies doused with holy water. The moment the liquid touched their now purified forms their bodies began to shrivel and fall apart until only dust was left.
"zeu, ascultă-mă." Anatolie said in prayer. "Cinci suflete omenești s-au întors la împărăția ta."
They took a few minutes to rest from the ordeal.
Abe gently put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay."
She nodded. "First kill is always difficult."
He nodded understandingly. His first time slaying a vampire had been no easier. It didn't help that when they turned they looked so innocent.
"Now we must be swift." Father Anatolie stood. "For the real danger awaits above."
They headed back up the many stairs, re-entered the parlor and began ascending to the main body of the castle. The hallways winded back and forth. The walls were damp and covered in a mixture mold and ancient cob webs. Lexy and Abe were at the front, his hand outstretched searching for anything interesting. They were passing a long hallway studded with closed doors. He suddenly put a hand to one of the large rotting wooden portals.
"There's something in there, a pulse." He said.
Lexy drew the Jackal in one hand and held a cross stake in the other as she slowly pushed the rotting wood inwards. The first thing she noticed was the stench of blood and decay followed by the acidic smell of chemicals.
Dimitrie shown in his torch, the room looked like something out of a Frankenstein movie. Steel tables occupied with beakers, test tubes, burners, old books, half dissected animals, plants and vials of different colored liquids.
"What is this place?" Lexy asked Anatolie.
"The devil's playground." The minister replied eyeing the markings on the ground.
"So it is a vampire and a witch." Calin said in disgust.
Anatolie nodded. "Yes it has been performing dark rituals to strengthen itself." He went and took one of the bottles of holy water and began dousing the entire room. As the symbols were saturated steam began rising.
"There, now it can't use these again."
There was a sudden scuffle behind them followed by the men's shouts.
"Emil, you fool stop!"
"Come back!"
"We mustn't separate!"
"What's going on!" Anatolie asked as Andrei and Calin went chasing after him.
"Emil's run off, hurry!" Anghel said before dashing off himself.
Abe, Lexy, Anatolie and the agents tried to keep up with Anghel and the other men but they had a head start the castle's corridor's were like a maze and it wasn't long before they were lost.
"Damn." Lexy cursed as she turned three-sixty in the passage way. She turned to Abe. "Can you sense anything?"
He waved his hand around each entrance until pausing in front of one. "Yes, but it's faint."
They followed as he led the way down the passage until they came to a set of grandiose double doors. They entered a large room illuminated by the open drapes and a large chandelier. A large table was set with silver dining where, though there were no plates, only bowls. At the head of the table in a thrown like chair sat the most beautiful woman any of them had ever seen.
Her face shown like sterling silver, her eyes were emeralds that glittered in the light, her hair was fiery red with small streaks of pink, rose and the occasional Merlot. She wore a Renaissance style green dress that matched her eyes perfectly. She smiled so enchantingly with her crimson lips that for a moment they were inclined to join her at the table.
"Well," She said as she delicately picked up the wine glass next to her bowl. "I was not expecting guests or I would have had the servants clean up a bit." She took a long sip before placing the glass down, her ruby lips now darker. "But I do so love company. Won't you all join me for dinner." She motioned to the many chairs and set silverware. She was gorgeous and her words were like sweet honey, but something warded them off, her beauty was unnatural and her eyes glowed with something dark.
"Do not be fooled." Father Anatolie said raising his cross. "She is evil incarnate."
The woman's smile faltered ever so slightly before returning twice as charming.
"So holy man you have come to slay me, no?"
Anatolie raised his cross higher. "By God's will monster, you die today!"
The woman laughed, a horrible sound that resonated through the room. "You and what army? Surely you did not bring only this measly company?"
It was stated as a question but something in her eyes told them she already knew about the others.
"If your done making jokes, why don't you join me. Surely you must be famished from your journey, and I can promise you it's fresh." She hissed.
They looked closer to the bowls now and saw they were all filled crimson red liquid. Some of the bowls were starting to overflow as more of the liquid dripped into them from above.
Lexy looked up and suddenly wished she hadn't. There, impaled and hanging from the ceiling was Anghel, Dimetrie and two of the three agents that had been with them.
"Dear God!" Anatolie swore and he turned his eyes away.
The woman chuckled darkly. "I can assure you father, God had nothing to do with it."
Lexy raised the Jackal and aimed straight at the vampire's heart. It wouldn't kill her, but it would by them time.
The woman laughed at the gun. "Are you going to shoot me?" She laughed again and shook her head. "Little girls shouldn't play with guns. Which reminds me, the remaining guests should be arriving now."
And they heard the footsteps of running boots and the familiar shout of "Ana!"
A small girl ran in from the doorway parallel from their's, to the woman who picked her up and sat her on her lap.
The child was gorgeous with moonlight skin, shining blue eyes, long blonde hair that flowed to her waist like strands of gold and a aqua night gown that floated around her angelically.
Next through the door burst Emil, Andre, the other agent and Calin who all stopped to stare at the woman. Emil only took a moment's glance before looking down to the girl in her lap.
"Ana, don't you recognize me, your brother Emil?" He called desperately to her.
The young girl stared indifferently at him.
"Emil, she's not Ana anymore!" Anatolie shouted. "She is one of them now. See the mark on her neck!"
And it was true there were two small puncture wounds on jugular.
The woman smiled and held Ana close. "She was such a charming little thing that I just had to have her as my own."
Little Ana tried to reach for the wine glass and the woman leaned forward and handed it to her. The young girl drank deeply before setting the cup down and fixing them with a bloody red smile.
Emil stared in horror at the two. "What have you done to her you monster!"
The woman wiped Ana's mouth with a hand clothe. "I've made her even more beautiful than she was before."
And before any of them could do anything the drapes whisked shut and all the candles went out leaving them completely in the dark. Abe and Lexy immediately went back to back with the minister between them to prevent being snuck up upon.
There was the sound of the woman's laughter, a cold breeze and a man's scream before Calin finally reached the drapes and pulled them open, letting the sunlight illuminate the room once again. Andrei and Emil were missing.
"Quick," Lexy said grabbing her stake. "We have to find them before it's too late."