CHAPTER 4

An hour had passed since Carl had informed Van Helsing and Anna about the new threat that seemed to be upon them, and now it was beginning to take its toll on Anna. A few minutes after the young friar had scurried out of the room to go back to the Holy Order archives, Anna had begun pacing back and forth in the room, suddenly worried about the predicament they were now in.

"If what the manuscripts say is true-"

"If Carl is interpreting them correctly," Van Helsing interjected from where he sat on the bed watching her pace.

Anna paused to look at him and then nodded, saying, "That too" before she resumed her pacing. "If it is correct and I am now a beacon for evil, I cannot stay here knowingly putting all of your lives at risk."

"Anna, I will not let you go off on your own," Gabriel said, "Not after I went through so much to get you back."

"I cannot ask you to come with me," she replied, shaking her head absently, "And I most certainly will not ask you to put your life in danger for me."

"Why not?" Gabriel stood up. "You did for me."

Anna didn't look at him. She just kept pacing, deep in thought. "Yes, but that was a different matter completely. We had a common goal then."

"There was no common goal when you went out of your way to retrieve the cure for the werewolf venom that was running through my veins!" he countered, his voice rising heatedly. "There was no common goal when you risked your life and lost it merely to save me from a life of forever being that beast!"

Anna stopped pacing as the memories of the events leading to her death came flooding back. She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again to stare at Van Helsing. "You killed me," she said so softly that it was barely audible.

Gabriel's mouth hung open, her words having stopped him from launching into another long, passionate speech explaining why he should go with her if she left. They stared into each other's eyes for a few long moments before he finally spoke. "Yes, I was the one who took your life," he said, almost equally as soft.

Anna dropped his gaze and slowly slipped down into a chair in the corner of the room as if too stunned to stand. She stared at the floor for a little while and then said, "I remember it all now."

Gabriel's eyes dropped to the ground as well, immediately pained by both the memories of the event and now by Anna's reaction to the truth. They were silent for some time before he finally walked over and kneeled before her. "Yes, I was the one who took your life from you and until the moment that the Lord placed you before me again, I was not living. I could not live without you, Anna, so please, if for no other reason than I owe you my own life, allow me accompany you when you leave this place."

Slowly raising her head so that her now tear-filled eyes were staring into his, she shook her head slightly. "I still cannot ask you to risk you life for me again," she whispered, her words soft but clear and crisp.

Van Helsing reached up and gently pushed a wayward curl out of Anna's eyes before caressing her cheek tenderly with his knuckles. "I risk my life everyday for people I do not know," he stated softly, "At least allow me to risk it for someone I love."

A single tear escaped down Anna's cheek as she realized what he had just said. "You...love me?"

Gabriel wiped the tear away and then nodded, taking one of her hands into his. "Yes Anna, I do. I love you with all of my heart."

A small sob escaped Anna's lips and she leaned forward, burying her face in the crook of Gabriel's neck. Everything was just so overwhelming. She cried softly in his arms for a little while before she finally spoke again. "I love you too," she whispered, her voice muffled.

Shrouded by darkness, he moved silently through the corridors, her pure essence guiding him closer and closer. Her holiness had been driving him mad since the moment he sensed it and he was sure it was affecting the other beings like him in the same way. He had to stop it. He had to snuff out that which God had sanctified.

He stealthy turned the corner and then spotted the door from which her essence radiated out from. It was like a bright light beaming through the cracks around the door and that's when he knew he had found her. He crept forward, still hidden by the shadows, but stopped when he saw a short, gawky-looking human bustling down the corridor toward the room in which the holy one resided.

He watched as the small man stopped outside the door and raised his hand to knock, but knowing he could not afford to have the element of surprise tainted by some inept, little human, he let out a low growl and stepped out of the shadows, making his presence known. Before the man had time to react, he grabbed him by the tunic and threw him right through the door.

Van Helsing and Anna were still in the same position when Carl suddenly came exploding through the door, wood flying everywhere. Upon instinct, Gabriel covered Anna with his body to protect her from the flying debris, but once everything had settled enough, they both jumped to their feet to face the beast that now stood in the area the door once occupied.

Carl sat up, dazed and bleeding from several lacerations. "It's for you, Van Helsing," he squeaked before passing out.

TO BE CONTINUED...

(Hey y'all! Sorry it took me so long to get this up! I know I promised it Monday or Tuesday, but I was quite drugged at the time! LOL! Thanks for all your reviews and your support with me going through this dental ordeal. I went for a checkup today and the oral surgeon says I'm doing great! My jaw is sore still, but that's to be expected! Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the next one will be up really soon! Remember to REVIEW! –Emily)