I'm back! Sorry that it has takeen me so long to update, but school has been a killer lately. But now that it is the last week of school, hopefully I will be able to write more. So I hope you like this, after the rather depressing last few chapters. Please don't forget to review!

When Verona awoke the next night, she quietly left her room and headed towards the library. Some peace and quiet was something that she cherished more than anything at the moment. As she approached the door, Verona heard voices. Quiet as they were, she could still tell that it was Marishka and Aleera.

Verona thought about turning around and heading back to her room, but she knew that she would have to face them again, eventually. She let out a long sigh and then slowly opened the door. As soon as she did so, the conversation between Aleera and Marishka immediately stopped as both of them turned their heads in her direction.

The three women started at each other, not one saying a word for what seemed like an eternity. The first one to speak was Marishka.

"Verona…..how are you?"

"I am…well. I guess if that is what you call it."

Marishka slowly got up from her chair, and cautiously walked towards Verona, knowing that her anger was nothing to toy with.

"Are you sure?" she asked hesitantly.

Verona nodded slowly in response. Marishka then quickly embraced her older sister, tears of joy falling from her eyes. Verona started gently stroking her hair. At least I still have them, she thought to herself. Marishka let go and both of them looked over at Aleera, who was still sitting in her chair.

"Aleera, don't you have something to say to Verona?"

Aleera slowly got up from where she was sitting and lowered her eyes to the ground. Verona noticed that she did not seem to be as hyper as she usually was. Her eyes were red and there were dark circles that were starting to form under her eyes and that her skin had started to lose its rosy hue that was usually there.

"Verona, I…I…I'm sorry. I should have been more careful and made sure that Rose stayed behind." The sound of her name was like a dagger in Verona's heart, but she did not let it show. "I don't know how I can ever make things better…"

Aleera quickly turned her head away as she wiped tears from her face. Verona went over to her youngest sister and wrapped her in a tight embrace, which Aleera quickly returned. Marishka went over to them and joined their hug as well, saying, "Verona, I am just as much to blame. Please, will you ever forgive us?"

"I have already gotten my revenge for what happened, and you two were not to blame for her death." The three brides continued to hold each other, letting their tears of grief and joy flow freely, even Verona, who never showed her emotions to the other two.

Their crying continued until none of them had a single tear left to shed. Verona was the first to release from the embrace.

"Marishka, take Aleera to go feed. I can see that it has been awhile since you both have eaten."

"But, aren't you coming with us?"

"I have fed recently, so you two go on without me."

Marishka nodded, turned, and left with Aleera through the door of the library, leaving Verona by herself. With this time to herself, Verona quietly walked passed the multitude of books, running her fingers along their leather bound spines. She looked at each of the titles, but nothing seemed to catch her eye, until a simple line of gold letters stopped her.

Taking the forest green book from the shelf, she took it to her favorite seat in the room, a simple arm chair that was next to the window, with a view of the vast forest that stretched between Castle Dracula and Vaseria. Verona ran her index finger along the golden letters that were on the front cover. She slowly opened the cover of the book and saw written on the inside cover: This book belongs to Rose, in the same hand writing she used for everything else. Verona then let the memory start to play through her mind of when Rose first read the book.

Aleera looked over Rose's shoulder and read the verse aloud, "Two households, both alike in dignity. In fair Verona, where we lay our scene. From ancient grudge break to new mutiny. Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean."

"I can read myself," Rose said with annoyance in her tone.

"She is like you Verona. You both are very intent upon doing things yourself and very stubborn," Aleera snidely remarked.

Verona flipped to the beginning of the book and started reading it aloud, as if she were reading it to Rose.

"'Two households, both alike in dignity. In fair Verona, where we lay our scene. From ancient grudge break to new mutiny. Where…' "

"'Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.' She did love that book."

Verona turned to see that Dracula was standing right next to her, his hand gently placed on her shoulder. She slowly closed the book, and stood up.

"I did not intend for you to stop."

"I don't feel in the mood for reading."

"But you do so with such grace. Plus the sound of your voice is always relaxing for me after a long day of business."

Verona resumed her position in her chair, and Dracula sat on the floor next to her. He placed his head on her knee, gently kissing it, and she slowly ran her fingers through his hair. She then continued with, "'From forth the fatal loins of these two foes a pair of start-cross'd lovers take their life…'"

Verona continued to read long into the night, with nothing distracting her, not even when Dracula moved his kisses from her knee up her side and to her neck. It wasn't until she grew tired of his persistent kisses that she finally started to return them.

With each kiss that she returned, longing started budding deep within her. Not the longing for her daughter that had consumed her life, but the sexual longing that she thought she would never feel again. When she could no longer contain herself, she dropped the book and wrapped her arms around Dracula, and for a short time, she started to forget her troubles.

Please review!