HEY GUYS! Aw I was so happy with all the great reviews and encouragement I received from the last chapter; I'm happy you all enjoyed it so much. Also, you know what I'm really psyched about? NEW REVIEW RECORD!!! I'm quite excited about reaching the ten review mark for a single chapter and I'm aiming to beat it this time! We shall see wont we?
ALSO, BIG NEWS! You know how I'm always asking people to point out mistakes? Well now I have my very own grammar master to help me with the more intricate aspects of the English language. I'd like to thank my new beta Nienna Silmarwen for helping with the story! Hopefully I can now end the habit of writing ridiculously long run-on sentences…hopefully. You can probably tell the difference when you read this chapter, I think it flows a lot more smoothly and it's a bit more detailed.
So shout-out time? YAY!
MY USUALS: TopGallant, ForeverACharmedOne, Elwyndra, Gem Of The Stars, cheryljulia, VintageLyre, Shoysrock, violetrose18
NEWEST REVIEWERS: Shorty1975 and Nienna Silmarwen
Thanks so much for everything guys! It means a lot to me to hear from the people who enjoy my work! Hope you like the new chapter! Kay, here we go…
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CHAPTER 13
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Materializing back into the empty parlor, Dracula moved silently across the room and carefully lifted the lightly slumbering huntress out of his chair. She had stayed just as he left her; curled into her familiar position with her legs tucked up close to her chest, her arms wrapped around herself, and her head buried in the folds of the oversized cloak. Shifting her smoothly into his arms Dracula materialized out of the vacant parlor and back to his private chambers. He was pleased to notice the rope and whip were nowhere to be seen and the drops of blood that had splattered the floor had been thoroughly cleaned; no trace of the evening's earlier activities could be seen anywhere.
Dracula strolled across the chilly room to a small door built into the opposite wall. Light flooded through the doorway as he opened it to reveal a darkened set of narrow winding stairs that spiraled up and out of sight into the heights of the mansion. Stepping lightly Dracula made his ascent into the darkness above, his eyes glowing an eerie azure as they seemed to suck what little light made it into the narrow staircase and reflect it back out through the pupils of his gleaming stare. Soon he arrived at a small room and the torches that adorned the walls flared to life as if of their own will. As light filled the room tall dancing shadows were cast along the walls and a huge stone slab was revealed to dominate most of the small tower room. Atop the great stone lay a beautifully crafted marble coffin, its glossy black surface shinning in the torchlight.
Dracula placed a hand on the side of the heavy marble lid and pushed it smoothly open, thinking nothing of it as he moved the heavy rock effortlessly. Gazing fondly at the deep crimson material within that beckoned invitingly to his tired bones Dracula bent forward and slipped the mortal snuggly into the plush cushions that lined the interior. Turning,he extinguished the lights with a wave of his hand before stepping up and lying down beside the sleeping mortal. Dracula snaked an arm around her middle and settled her back lightly against his chest as he reached up with his other hand and pulled the heavy lid shut. Locked in the darkness of his coffin, Dracula let out a long sigh, effectively releasing the tension that had built up throughout the day. The count couldn't help but marvel at the silkiness of her hair as the dark locks brushed softly up against his cheek. Shifting a little Dracula turned his head more fully towards the still huntress and closed his eyes, feeling himself relax as he took a deep breath of the scented tresses. His last thought before he finally succumbed to blissful unawareness was that his little huntress smelled vaguely of pine forest and spilled blood; a reality that made him want to both smirk and scowl at the same time.
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The darkness was suffocating; terror and anguish gripped her insides like the rough hands that had gripped her throat so many times before. She could smell the blood and vomit from the moaning victims that were within hearing range and her stomach turned as she listened to the unforgettable hissing sound of hot pokers meeting naked flesh. Fleur had yet to fall asleep in this place without first having to listen to the sound of crying and begging filling her ears as the master gave his nightly lesson; when silence finally came, Fleur knew his lesson was over…that the maker of those screams and cries had given in…or they were dead.
The sound of heavy footsteps exited the room next to her and Fleur relaxed, thinking that she would finally be able to find some peace. But the footsteps didn't continue past her room as they usually did, instead they stopped outside her door and Fleur could hear the rustle of keys as the master unlocked her door. Fleur began to panic as the lock turned -- she could already feel tears beginning to form. What had she done wrong? Why was he coming tonight? She backed up further against the wall as her arms tightened protectively around her body. The door finally opened and light flooded in, blinding Fleur so that all she could see was the dark silhouette of a figure walking slowly towards her, the outline of a coiled whip grasped tightly within his hand…
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Dracula reluctantly woke as a relentless thumping sound continued to pound in his ears. Opening his tired eyes he focused in on the tense figure that lay beside him. "Damn her nightmares," he thought as he realized she was once again caught in the illusion that haunted her sleep causing her heart to beat at an abnormally fast rate and her breath come in little gasps. Grasping her shoulder firmly he gave her a hard shake to wake her and sensed her eyes shoot open as she was wrenched from the dream.
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Fleur was immediately jarred from her nightmare when she felt something shake her. Barely aware of where she was Fleur reached for her daggers only to find them missing. Panicking she tried to roll away from whatever had awoken her but strong arms wrapped themselves firmly around her body; effectively pinning her arms to her side as she struggled in vain to twist free. A fierce pain from her earlier beating suddenly shot down her back as she struggled. She nearly cry aloud and was about to kick out with her legs when a strong thigh clamped down across them, pinning them down as her assailant shifted his weight and lay heavily across her form. "Stop it this instant!" the figure demanded, his mouth only inches from her ear. The abrupt command snapped Fleur out of her anxious struggling as she quickly realized who exactly was lying in top of her.
Trying to calm her erratic breathing Fleur obeyed before shutting her eyes, fighting to separate mirage from reality. She wasn't back there, she wasn't with him. That part of her life was long over, she told herself, it was part of the past and it was going to stay there. Opening her eyes she scanned her surroundings but everything was pitch black and the only things Fleur could see were two slightly glowing azure orbs as they gazed down at her with an unreadable expression.
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Definitely not the way he would have planned it, Dracula thought taking into account their position as the huntress struggled under him, but he was enjoying the way her body rubbed up against his all the same. If he was going to be rudely awoken at odd times of the day he might as well enjoy it. At the sound of his command, however, she surprisingly ceased in her attempts to escape and fell silent. Dracula could tell she was trying hard to calm herself and he didn't need infiltrate to her mind to know she was attempting not to flinch as he purposefully breathed hot air on her vulnerable neck.
"Get the hell off me," came her curt demand once she had caught her breath. Frowning in the dark Dracula thought he preferred it when she was quiet and panting under him… "No," he said simply, and then as if to prove a point he bent lower and nuzzled her neck with his lips. This time she did flinch.
"I said get off me!" she hissed venomously at him, trying with little success to twist out from under him. Surprisingly he let her go and she felt the short-lived feeling of victory before she slammed her head hard on some kind of stone…
Dracula smirked in satisfaction.
Groaning in pain Fleur collapsed back down on to her stomach; squeezing her eyes shut as pain throbbed through her skull. Too late she realized where she had been sleeping; apparently in some kind of coffin...her eyes snapped open in alarm but she quickly re-shut them as white spots clouded her vision. A coffin. She was in a coffin! The realization came and was soon followed by the feeling of crushing dread she so often felt in closed quarters. Still clutching her throbbing head Fleur fought to steady her voice. "Let me out," she said quietly, her head still buried in her arms as she silently prayed he would hurry…she could already feel the tight walls closing in on her and the air becoming thicker as it got harder and harder to breath.
Dracula didn't notice her abrupt change in behavior as he leaned over her facedown form and smoothed her hair away from the back of her neck before beginning to trail soft kisses down the sensitive skin. "Relax darling, this coffin isn't big enough for the kind of activities I have in mind, but if you would just relax I'll make this as pleasurable for you as I can," he said shifting over more till his body lay completely over her facedown form, "I promise you'll enjoy it, lovely." He trailed a hand lightly from her elbow down her arm, brushing the subtle curve of her breast before ending at her hip where he lightly rested his palm. The excitement that had been pulsing through Dracula paused for a second when she didn't respond. "Come now little huntress, speechless?" he taunted, looking for some kind of answer and then frowning in confusion and she continued to keep her head buried in her arms.
Focusing on her a bit more Dracula suddenly noticed the way her breathing had sped up once more and the way her heart began to beat rapidly from within her chest. Her shoulders gave a little shudder before Dracula finally eased his weight off her to lie beside the puzzling mortal. Reaching out he gently but firmly caught her chin in his hand and forced her to lift her head. Tear stained cheeks met his gaze and he saw her emerald eyes were strangely out of focus as she looked straight at him, but didn't see him. Her breath was being dragged sporadically past her parted lips; Dracula watched as she shut her eyes as if concentrating hard on something. "Please," she nearly begged, ashamed as her voice shook with every syllable, "P-please let me out, I-I can't breathe. I-I can't…" her voice trailed off into a nearly inaudible whimper.
The sent of fresh blood suddenly reached Dracula's nostrils and he looked down to where her hands were clenched into tight balls. He let go of her chin and grabbed her hands roughly, forcing them open to reveal the tell-tale four crescent marks in the palm of each of her hands as her eyes remained screwed shut and her body struggled with each breath. Without a word he reached up and pushed the heavy lid of the coffin back, letting the alluring rush of fresh air to hit Fleur.
Her eyes snapped open and she rose quickly trying to escape the suffocating confines of the coffin. The second she had made it to her feet however she swayed and would have fallen had it not been for the cold hand that gripped her elbow and firmly helped her down off the high stone slab. The moment her feet hit the floor Fleur's legs seemed to melt into jelly and she lowered herself slowly to the ground before her legs gave out all together. Fleur closed her eyes briefly, focusing on bringing her heated, sweat laced body back under control; her chest was still tight, making it difficult to breathe.
She felt the touch of cool hands as they gently lifted the hair off her sweaty neck followed by the caress of the frosty night air as it chilled her heated skin. Fleur continued to sit there for a while as she continued to recover from her bout with claustrophobia.Nothing had ever terrified her quite as much as that feeling of being trapped, of being vulnerable and having no way out. Although she was usually able to control her panic attacks, they still happened every now and then -- particularly when she was scared or put under pressure. She feebly opened her eyes and met the unreadable expression of the twin cerulean eyes staring back at her. Fleur felt herself go defensive as his eyes studied her with that famous stony expression.
"I'm not weak," she said, her eyes flashing while her body continued to tremble with exhaustion in silent contradiction with her words.
Dracula remained silent for a second before letting his arm drop and rising gracefully from his crouched position. "I never said you were," he stated softly before climbing back up into his coffin. "There is a bed through those doors," he stated, pointing to the narrow staircase, "and down the stairs. I suggest you make use of it," and with that he pulled the lid shut with a firm thud, leaving Fleur alone with a stunned expression on her face.
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"Damn her," Dracula thought as he struggled to fall back to sleep. Being a stubborn and demanding female one moment and then falling apart over something as insignificant as close space the next. Dracula scowled, nothing about her made any kind of sense and he felt a sudden impulse to solve this mystery that seemed to surround his newest pet. His scowl became even more pronounce as another thought occurred to him -- he no longer had the warm body of the huntress to curl up to…damn her.
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Fleur walked slowly down the narrow steps, her hand cast out in front of her as she felt her way down the dark winding staircase. Of course there were no windows, who would want something as impractical as windows in a vampire's tower? Finally, her fingertips brushed a door handle and she opened it to reveal the bedroom she had been in previously. Fleur glanced towards the wardrobe and inwardly flinched at the painful memory, her back stinging in phantom remembrance. Moving towards the immensely comfortable looking bed Fleur nearly sigh in gratitude. Pulling back the thick covers she slipped between the cool silk sheets and reached up to grab one of the fluffy pillows. Pulling it to her chest Fleur wrapped her arms around it in their familiar position and lay her head down, finally finding the peaceful sleep that seemed to be evading her of late.
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Neither vampire nor mortal could have noticed the pair of gleaming cobalt eyes that kept watch on the sleeping mansion. He hid in plain sight and crept in the sunlight while the world of darkness slept ignorantly on. Smirking in anticipation the figure turned away…change was in the air; he need only have a little more patience…
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cue the suspenseful music haha, YAY FOR CLIFF HANGERS! …I'll probably get flames just for that one sentence…but what can I say? It makes me feel so POWERFUL leaving you in suspense! Haha, I'm heartless, I know.
p.s.- I know that not a lot of stuff happened in this chapter but it was necessary that certain thing happened and I hope you enjoyed the 'coffin scene' (as I am now calling it).
TEASER TIME::: (fav part) okay here's the plan. Caliburn re-enters the scene, maybe a little plot twist, I finally get to write a battle scene either in this next chapter or the one after that. But who are we fighting?!? Top secret. Perhaps I get to expand on Rumus, you don't know this yet but he's one of my fav characters…or will be. Okay, that's all I'm letting out for now.
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You all know how excited I get.