Please forgive any errors I may have overlooked - grammatical or otherwise. Enjoy!

Chapter 12: All Hallow's Eve

An ornate palace door standing twelve feet tall and plated in gold stood as the grand entrance to Vilkova. Hauntingly beautiful music seemed to pour out of the palace, wrapping its ethereal tentacles around the guests that stood on the front step before pulling them inside. The interior of the palace was lavishly decorated, the furniture antique and in the best taste. Guests came and went in the hallway, some dressed in extravagant gowns or tuxes, others merely in dark robes – no doubt the very richest of vampire nobility. The entire scene smacked of unbelievable wealth and decadence.

On the far end of the foyer, beneath the dual grand staircase, were two enormous doors, each held open by a masked servant, those doors serving as the entrance to an impressive grand ballroom, full of revelers. There was an orchestra playing a fairly recent composition of a local composer and the song had just the slightest touch of dissonance to it that made it spellbinding.

There were gypsy performers and acrobats entertaining some of the guests, while others conversed or danced. On the far left of the room was an open door that led to a banquet hall where the lithe bodies of scantily clad women and extraordinarily handsome young men, each in their prime, were bound to tables – all under a spell that left them heady and disorientated as guests took turns feasting on the freshest blood ever served at an event. Everything about this extravagant gathering was both decadent and depraved – the finest pleasures that money could buy.

Count Dracula was busy making his rounds with Elizabeth on his arm as he greeted each of his guests. It was the ones of power and influence that he was particularly keen to meet with, and although they greeted him with pleasure and cordiality, one right after the other would ask after Afina, eager to meet or at least catch a glimpse of the infamous daughter of Alrik of the noble Áki bloodline. Even Agnar and his family were keen to see the Count's recently discharged protégé – although they were all unaware of what had transpired between the two just last night.

The first couple of times one of his guests asked after the "legendary" and "exquisite" Afina, he dismissed it. But after the ninth guest, it was starting to grate on his nerves. He hadn't seen her since last night in the library, and he never heard her come home after leaving the place shortly thereafter. When he noticed that Dragoş, Afina's uncle, had arrived all the way from Norway and there was still no sign of her, he began to worry; particularly when the other elders – Vigdís of the Thurstan bloodline, and twins Adnraste and Reunan of the Selkirk line – began to inquire after her.

He noticed Lucian standing at the foot of the stairs that led to the second level, conversing with Dorina – Agnar's daughter.

"Lucian, have you seen Afina?" he asked as casually as he could.

"No, not since earlier this evening. She had just returned from town."

"What on earth was she doing in the city?"

"She said she needed a dress."

"She has a dress!"

"Oh?"

"It was purchased nearly three weeks ago!"

"Well, you know women, Count. One minute they like what they're wearing, and the next, it makes them look fat, or it's too long or too short or whatever the issue may be," Lucian said with a laugh before nodding his head in acknowledgement to Elizabeth who excused herself, having been approached by a young looking man who was now leading her onto the dance floor.

"Yes, undoubtedly," Vlad relented with a grumble, indifferent to Elizabeth's departure.

"Was it the gold and ivory gown?" Dorina chimed in. "The one that kind of bled into a soft blush pink at the end? With all the pretty gold beading and detailing?"

"Yes," Dracula confirmed. "It cost a fortune to make."

"I loved that gown! Such a pity that she chose not to wear it. Though I don't think it signifies what she wears. Afina always looks beautiful."

"I couldn't agree more, my little sister," Andrei interjected, appearing suddenly. "Lucian, it is always a pleasure," and the two men bowed slightly to one another. "Count – this is an excellent party! My congratulations to you, sir."

"Thank you," Vlad replied, trying to mask his vexation with civility.

"I was just speaking to Vigdís. Charming woman. Haven't seen her in nearly twenty years!" he exclaimed. "She's most eager to meet the daughter of Alrik. You haven't seen Afina anywhere, have you?"

Dracula nearly lost it.

"No, we were just telling the Count that she has yet to make an appearance," Lucian explained.

"Well that's a pity. She promised me a dance and it's nearly midnight," Andrei replied.

"She is trying to ruin me," Dracula grumbled under his breath.

"She is not trying to ruin you, Count. The party has barely begun. She'll be down soon, I'm certain," Lucian assured him.

"Shall I go to her chambers and make sure everything is alright?" Dorina offered.

"If you'd be so kind," the Count relented with an impatient sigh.

"No need, sister. I see she's already here."

"Where?"

"Over there. It would appear she's being introduced to Vigdís."

The Count followed Andrei's directed gaze and soon stopped when his eyes fell upon the pair. Vigdís, the head of her bloodline, was a stunning woman, forever in her late twenties, with luscious blonde hair that was pulled up elegantly. She was in a beautiful blue gown with off-the-shoulder straps and an open back. The satin was encrusted with Swarovski crystals from top to bottom. And although she was a reputed beauty, in that moment, all the Count could see was Afina.

She was breathtaking.

Her hair was open – a bold move – and curled, the dark russet locks cascading delicately down her bare back. The gown she wore was blood red silk, the bodice ruched with a single strap over her right shoulder that barely hung on; a single movement would have sent it down her arm. The rest of the gown fell elegantly to the ground, hugging her feminine figure intimately and in all the right places. Her throat was bare, but her ears donned a pair of ornate ruby earrings, just as blood red as her gown, and her lips were rouged to perfection. That was the second time Vlad had been taken aback by her beauty, but this time felt intensified by the fact that he had essentially banished her just the night before. She wasn't even gone and he could already feel the loss of her presence.

He tried not to look long at her, but he couldn't tear his eyes away. She was like the sun; whenever he tried to look away he could still see her. He could have kicked himself for his rash behavior last night, but the proposition that Elizabeth could be a traitor was ludicrous to him and having watched Afina with Lucian last night in the ballroom… part of him wanted to excuse his poor behavior, but he could not. He had been in the wrong, as much as he hated to admit it to himself.

Vigdís appeared enchanted by Afina, who was all warmth, smiles, and grace without a single air of false dignity. Dracula, Lucian, Andrei, and Dorina watched in silent fascination as Vigdís led Afina over to the company where the remainder of the elders stood conversing. She introduced Afina first to the Selkirk twins – Reunan and his sister Adnraste – both fiery, red-headed Celts that greeted the newcomer with genuine pleasure. But it was her introduction to Dragoş that was the most moving.

Dragoş was a tall man, with the body and air of a battle-worn warrior, if the scar that ran along the corner of his left eye wasn't evidence enough. His hair was a dark brown, his beard natural looking, yet well-kept. Dark brows framed eyes that were the most unearthly green, with dark lashes that almost gave the appearance of artificial liner – like a pirate or rogue. He was incredibly handsome – in the tall, dark, and dangerous kind of way – but the sense of familiarity that passed between him and Afina was something that had never been witnessed before between Dragoş and a new acquaintance.

After Vigdís made the introduction, Dragoş looked at Afina for several long moments before stepping forward to embrace her. Although the action clearly took her by surprise, she returned the gesture by wrapping her arms around his neck. Dracula watched as a single tear escaped the man's eye and ran down Afina's bare back before disappearing in the fabric of her gown. Everyone who witnessed the embrace was moved. When Dragoş released her, she wore the most radiant smile Vlad had ever seen on her face and part of him wished that such a smile had been for him. Afina was shortly introduced to the rest of the company, and she socialized with a delightful animation in her eyes and expression, while maintaining an almost effortless grace.

He couldn't catch what she was telling the company of elders due to the loud music and the sound of other conversations in the room, but when he saw his name on her lips and watched in something that felt a great deal like horror as the eyes of the elders fell upon him after scanning the room. He tried to hide the fact that he had been watching them, but it was proving difficult as Lucian, Andrei, and Dorina were all busy staring as well. When the eyes left him to return to Afina, Vlad felt Lucian's hand on his shoulder.

"Well done, Count. Well done."

"Yes, there's no way they can refuse to help you now," Andrei added.

"Brother, I believe Father is trying to get your attention," Dorina replied, motioning with her eyes to the other side of the room where Agnar and Miruna were standing. The young man excused himself, and soon Lucian asked Dorina to dance, leaving Dracula alone to watch Afina from a distance.

He couldn't believe how well his protégé was handling it all, her every movement so natural. He couldn't help but feel pride as he watched her, mingling with the oldest and most esteemed members of the vampire race with relative ease. He could see the hallmarks of his work in her – everything about her movements, her smiles, even down to how she presented herself this evening was calculated. He had taught her well – a little too well, he thought to himself, for he was falling for his own tricks.

He knew why she had gone through the trouble of purchasing a new gown – she knew that red was his favorite color, silk his favorite material on a woman, and wearing her hair down in public, and at a ball, was an action that was both bold and openly intimate. Yes, he knew exactly what she was doing – this was her response to his hasty banishment. She was going to make him realize exactly what he was giving up, and God help him, he received that message loud and clear.

In that moment, he couldn't think of any other woman standing beside him as his queen, or even as his companion. She complimented him in so many ways, not that it should have surprised him. She had been right in her accusations a few nights ago when she had pointed out that he had created her in his own image. But what an image!

No, even with all of his hard work appearing to pay off in front of him, he knew she wasn't anything like his brides of old. Afina wasn't made to be subservient to anyone, he could see that now as she continued to converse so easily with the upper crust of vampire society as if they were all old friends. She was a natural-born leader, in her own quiet way. She knew who she was, what she was worth, and that kind of confidence was something Vlad found wonderfully attractive. She didn't need him in the way of most women and it was a strange, but refreshing change. She could hold her own just fine – he could see that now.

As he continued to stand at the foot of the stair, leaning slightly against the railing, he began to imagine to himself what it would be like to have her with him always – he imagined her as a hostess of a party just like this one, as his companion, her arm wrapped around his. He imagined storming the gates of the Vatican in Rome with her at his side, of the destruction of the Holy Order and of Gabriel Van Helsing; he could see the blood in his mind, could almost taste it. And he imagined kissing her at the end of it all.

His lips longed to feel hers once again. It had been roughly two years since she had kissed him that night, her last night as a human. He could still recall the desperation in her kisses, the timidity and the longing for abandon. The memory sent a delightful shiver through his body and he had to look away from her for a moment, afraid that the intensity of his stare would somehow burn her flesh.

He knew in that moment that he couldn't let her leave him – not like this. It was clear his bellator didn't like Elizabeth and he was willing to give the woman up this very evening if it would keep Afina in his life. He'd give up his ambitions to siege Rome if she asked him to. He'd take her back to Castle Dracula deep in the icy mountains of Transylvania and spend eternity in celibacy if it meant having her with him always.

Okay, maybe celibacy was taking it a little too far, he mused to himself, his eyes finding her again and running lazily over her body. He had an eternity to seduce her and the prospect of learning what made her tick, what turned her on, what little nooks and crannies of her flesh were the most sensitive – it sent him reeling.

It would be difficult to abandon his ambitions, his desire for power and prestige, but he'd do it for Afina. Without even realizing it, he found himself moving toward her, as if his subconscious had control over his feet. He realized too late what he was doing and before he could vanish into the crowd, he was spotted by Dragoş who called out to him.

"Vladislaus! My old friend!" the vampire exclaimed. "The man who found my brother's child, my precious niece." He shook Dracula's hand firmly and pulled him closer to the company. "I don't think I'll ever be able to thank you enough, Count."

"No thanks are necessary, Dragoş," he assured him, desperately struggling to not look at Afina. "I'm just pleased that the two of you could be reunited." He glanced at her for a single moment, trying to gauge her feelings but he couldn't read her, try as he might. She had put up an impenetrable wall and he couldn't seem to get around it. She had never felt so beyond his reach before. And with the dreams of a fantasy future still swirling about in his head, her distance bothered him a great deal in a way that surprised himself. He needed to fix things between them – the sooner the better. He couldn't bear the thought of not having her as his ally. She had always been so loyal to him, especially when he didn't deserve it. Was that loyalty still there, he wondered?

"She looks just like Alrik," Dragoş exclaimed affectionately. "Those eyes… It's as though he is standing here in front of me. He would have been so proud of her."

"She is a credit to him," Vlad agreed.

"A credit to all of us!" Raynora, Dragoş' wife chimed in, raising her glass of blood to toast the young woman.

"Raynora, it is a pleasure to see you," and Vlad kissed her offered hand. He greeted the others before Dragoş'continued.

"You know, I almost didn't believe Lucian when he told me about her. But now that I see her… how could it ever be doubted?"

"Indeed!" Vigdís agreed, taking Afina's arm and wrapping it around hers affectionately. "And she already has quite the reputation for one so young!"

"It's true! From the moment we crossed over the border, we began to hear the tales of how ruthless of a hunter she is!" Reunan confirmed. "Lucian was telling us that you were trained by the Order? Is that true?"

"It is," Afina replied. "But my abilities were greatly refined under the tutorage of the Count."

"Naturally. Vlad was an excellent soldier in his time," Vigdís added. "And quite the duelist!"

"What weapon do you prefer?" Adnraste inquired. "The sabre, like your mentor? I've always loved the bow."

"I prefer my hands," was Afina's answer, "but the Count made certain that I was proficient in all weaponry."

That was the second time she had referred to Vlad as the Count, a title she rarely used, and often only in teasing. But the way she said it now had the faintest hint of sarcasm in it, as if the title were more a poniard than a symbol of respect. She had always called him by his name, and oh how he missed the sound of it in that moment. But everything she said about him was positive and full of regard. She could have easily torn him down in front of his guests, but she wasn't.

"The Order doesn't stand a chance!" Dragoş was beaming with pride. "It's that Áki blood in her – ancient warrior blood."

"Hear, hear!" Reunan exclaimed, lifting his glass of blood to Afina in a toast. "We're going to need that warrior blood if we expect to beat the Order."

"Then am I to understand that you mean to join us?" Dracula inquired with mild disbelief. "You will help us disband Rome?"

"Of course we shall!" Reunan cried. "I, for one, grow weary of peace. We could use a good war!"

"I couldn't agree more," his sister replied and they all raised their glasses.

"Besides, after what they've taken from you, Vlad, from all of us, it is the least we could do," Vigdís explained sympathetically.

"I don't know what to say," Vlad confessed, astonished and moved that these noble elders were so eager to come to his aid and fight alongside him. They didn't owe him any allegiance and yet they were willing to risk so much to fight an enemy that had long threatened their existence. He didn't know what Afina had said to convince them, and he didn't care.

He owed her.

And part of him suspected that she knew it, clever woman.

"If you must thank someone, you must thank Afina," Vigdís said with a warm smile in Afina's direction. "This one has had nothing but the highest praise for you and your cause. I've never heard a speech so passionate. How could we not band together and join you with such compliments and confidence laid at our feet?"

This confirmation of what he had already assumed moved Dracula immensely, and even he, with his superior acting skills, couldn't hide that fact. His dead heart seemed to swell in his chest with an adoration and pride that he had never felt before. If they weren't still fighting, he could have kissed Afina right then and there for the whole world to see. But in that, he was at least able to control himself. For the first time that evening, a genuine smile spread across his face as he and Dragoş shook hands, sealing their pact.

"I look forward to fighting alongside you, old friend," Dragoş confessed. "No matter the outcome."

"As do I," Dracula replied. "Now enough talk of war. This is a celebration! Please, enjoy yourselves!"

"Oh have no fear, we shall!" he was assured.

The music stopped as the dance ended and the guests began to prepare for the next number. Dragoş immediately turned to the Count.

"Vladislaus, my niece informed me that she has yet to have the pleasure of dancing this evening. I would be honored if you took her hand for this number."

Afina and Dracula looked at one another with a mutual tentativeness. Vlad desperately tried to hide how awkward he suddenly felt and Afina appeared deeply amused by it, eager to see how he would react.

"The honor would be all mine," he insisted, offering his hand to her. He half expected her to refuse him in front of everyone – he wouldn't have blamed her if she had. But she surprised him once again by taking his hand, allowing him to lead her onto the dance floor. Count Dracula wasn't accustomed to feeling guilt, be he felt it in that moment – an exquisite kind of pain as they moved about the floor, hands touching for brief instances before their steps created an agonizing distance between them. The dance moved into a kind of waltz and at last he was able to hold her in his arms and he moved her with effortless grace across the floor.

"Where did you disappear to last night?" he asked at last, finally breaking the silence between them.

"Does it matter?" He spun her around once before bringing her back in. "After tonight I owe no more allegiances to you, you'll recall," she reminded him.

"I spoke in haste."

"Did you? I was starting to get the impression that my presence was burdening you, Count Dracula."

There it was again – that title. He nearly cringed.

"Don't call me that."

"That's what you are – the notorious vampire, the prince of darkness… you feel no love, no fear, no joy, no sorrow. You are hollow and you will live forever – alone and with nothing to live for."

She spoke poniards and every word stabbed.

"Wasn't it you who was saying that the man, Vladislaus, was still in there somewhere?" he reminded her.

"I don't know? Is he in there? Or did I just dream that?"

They changed partners before he could answer and she was suddenly in the arms of Lucian. He watched her closely as the two danced until they switched partners again and he had her in his hold once more.

"Budapest has changed you," she explained. "You are not the same man I spent the last year of my life with. You may have used me, molded me into the vampire you wanted me to be, but never did you treat me with the disregard and distrust you treat me with now."

"I know," he admitted. "I never should have treated you so ill. I don't know why I did it."

"Yes you do," she answered, once more with that sage-like wisdom of hers. He had spent his entire existence securing himself behind a thick wall, a façade that he had managed to fool the entire world with, and she was the only one on earth who could see past it. He felt naked and exposed under her observant gaze. Her understanding of who he was – who he truly was – unnerved him, but in a strange sort of way, it was a kind of relief to know that there was at least one person out there who saw who he truly was and had still chosen to stay.

"I wounded your pride that night, when I refused to kiss you," she said. "But that's not the only reason why you've been treating me so flippantly. I got under your skin, didn't I?"

He couldn't answer – not that he needed to. She could see that she had struck another nerve and his silence spoke volumes. Hearing it being spoken aloud for other dancers to overhear made him uncomfortable, and instinct and his pride insisted that he put her "in her place." But he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"What do you want me to say?" he asked her, the slightest hint of desperation in his voice. "I do not wish to quarrel with you anymore, Afina," he insisted as the song started to come to an end. "Please. I want you by my side. I – I need you." The words were difficult to get out, but once said, he felt a strange kind of relief at their release.

Her expression seemed to lighten somewhat, but there was still a sadness in her eyes.

"The time for words has passed, Count. If you need me so much – prove it."

She curtsied quickly and was soon after stolen for the next dance by her uncle.

Vlad began to beat himself up. He should have stopped her, should have grabbed her hand and pulled her back. If only he could make her understand what kind of effect she was having on him without having to make him say it. On the outside he was all cordiality and smiles, but inside he was in agony.

He watched Afina and her uncle for several minutes as they danced. Although he was mildly disturbed by her words and the suddenly very real prospect that tonight would be his last night with her for some time, the other part of him was still perfectly content to just watch her as she moved graciously across the floor. Even when she was angry with him, there was still something mesmerizing about her and he was helpless to resist her pull. He could recall teaching her how to dance for the first time – how she struggled to let him lead, how she stepped on his toes, counted under her breath, and cursed him for making her practice so much. He had been a ruthless dance instructor and she had borne it as no one else could have. It had all been worth it, he thought to himself. She truly had become his greatest success – his masterpiece.

He was so busy watching Afina that he hardly noticed Elizabeth come up beside him.

"I'm assuming by that grin on your face that this evening has been a notable success?" she inquired, taking his arm. Not wishing to divulge his secret struggles, he merely nodded.

"Very much so."

"Afina looks positively delicious," she added, a lustful husk in her voice. "Good enough to eat. You'd like to watch that, wouldn't you?" she purred, not bothering to hide the blatantly sexual meaning in her voice. It had the opposite affect that she had intended. Instead of becoming aroused by the idea, he became repulsed, suddenly disgusted by her presence and he pulled away from her.

"For God's sake, woman, do you have no decency?" he asked, making his way out of the room, suddenly eager to be far away from her.

"It was just a joke!" Elizabeth insisted, following after him. "Don't be like that. Besides, I thought after tonight you were going to sever all ties with her?"

"It was rash of me," he admitted, making his way down the hall as she pursued him. "What she accused you of was ludicrous, but I should not have been so hard on her."

"Oh God, you must be joking!" Elizabeth laughed.

"I've never been more serious in all my life. I'm sorry Elizabeth, as much as I've enjoyed your company over the last several days, after tonight you and I – whatever this is between us. It ends tonight."

"Excuse me?"

"That clever woman," he said under his breath in reference to Afina. "She knew exactly what she was doing. Dressing like that, with her hair open… singing my praises when she easily could have doomed me with her words." He laughed, mostly to himself. "She knows me too well. Oh, how could I have been so foolish? I can't lose h…"

He was suddenly cut off by a sharp pain in his neck as everything quickly faded to black.

When he awoke, he was in his bedchambers, stripped down to his tight-fitting breeches, his arms and legs bound by silver chains that were secured to the two end posts of his bed. He made the instinctive effort to pull and free himself, but he found that all of his strength had been drained from his body.

That wasn't the only thing that was draining from him.

As he became more conscious, he noticed thin tubes draining his blood into a large crystal vase. Thick needles were buried in the veins in his wrists, underarms, and one in the center of his chest. He was so weak, he could barely stand.

Elizabeth was seated in a chair in front of him, the dress she had been wearing earlier laid out on the bed so she was dressed in little more than her corset and knickers.

"What the hell?"

"Don't worry. You'll only be like that for about ten more minutes, as soon as the rest of your blood has been drained from your body," she explained, studying her nails with mild disinterest. "It'll all be over soon."

"But…."

"Oh, come now, Vlad. Did you really think that Craven would try to kill me? Honestly, love, I thought you were smarter than that."

Dracula found it more and more difficult to speak with every ounce of blood that drained from his body.

"You won't get away with this," he managed weakly.

"I've already gotten away with it!" she said with a laugh upon standing. "Even as I speak, Craven and his men are closing in. By the time the sun rises, the elders will either be dead or subservient to the Order. "

Dracula managed to laugh, though it hurt to do so.

"You really think the like of Dragoş or Reunan and his sister will bow down to the church?"

"They will when your precious Afina has one of these in her chest," she explained, revealing the same stake that he had removed from her own body just a few nights ago.

"Even if he manages to get her in the heart, she can't die in the traditional methods. She is her father's daughter, after all. And my blood still flows in her veins. It was my blood that sparked her transition."

"It won't kill her; that much is true." Elizabeth suddenly slammed the stake directly into his heart. He let out a cry of pain before feeling a strange numbness spread throughout his body. He couldn't move! "But it will paralyze her," she explained, twisting the stake for the sadistic pleasure of it. Dracula could feel the tiny spikes that decorated the end of the stake tearing the muscle beneath his skin and try as he might to cry out in agony, he couldn't move. He could feel some kind of foreign toxin running through his system. It burned like a fire and then froze over, incapacitating him completely. He was entirely at her mercy.

"A special delivery, from the Holy Order," she taunted. "Designed specifically to paralyze a vampire. But I bet you're wondering why it didn't work on me? Well, that's very simple. See, there's this switch right here that released the toxin. And this button here," and she pushed down on it, "releases the hooks that latch onto your ribs so you can't remove it out without tearing out your heart at the same time. Rather clever, actually."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her forehead against his.

"Oh my dear, dear Vlad. I'm so sorry. As much as it pains me – the idea of you being destroyed once and for all – I'd much rather live myself. By delivering you to the Order, I receive a full pardon from the church. My sins are forgiven, and blah, bah, blah. The best part is, I can live out the rest of my existence without having to worry about the Order constantly looming over my head like some kind of ominous cloud." Her hands moved down his chest, her fingers tracing the waistline of his breeches. "I'll definitely miss this though," she replied, grabbing his groin with one hand and squeezing it hard. She could see the pain in his eyes and she relished in it. "Craven's nice and all, but he's nothing to you. Guess I have all eternity to fix that." She squeezed even harder and watched with sadistic glee as a single tear of agony ran down his cheek.

"You'll get to watch us – Craven and I. We'll make love, covered in your blood. And then we'll find your precious protégé and ravish her until she screams for mercy. And you can watch Craven have what you never could," she mocked.

Elizabeth heard the door opening behind her and she smiled.

"Ah, my beloved! Right on time. Come. Ravish me before he passes out…"

She turned around, expecting to see Craven. What she saw made all the blood drain from her face.

Afina stood in the doorway, a silver-plated sword from the suit of armor in the hall in one hand and Craven's disembodied head in the other. His eviscerated body was just outside and it was slowly starting to turn to ash before her very eyes, the stake that had been intended for Afina buried in his chest.

Elizabeth – torn between confusion, heartbreak at the loss of her lover, and anger for being thwarted – let out a hellish scream as Craven's head dissolved into blood and ash in Afina's hands. Afina's arm was covered in Craven's blood and she lifted her hand to tauntingly lick the crimson off her fingers, her eyes glowing that electrified blue.

"He wasn't fast enough," she explained mockingly, raising the sword. "Let's see if you fare any better," and she pointed it in Elizabeth's direction. The woman, mad with rage, lunged forward and began to attack. Afina did her best to fight the raving vampire off but Elizabeth was older and much more experienced. She managed to claw Afina several times, but she was so blinded by rage that she took a wrong step and was met by Afina's blade which sank deep into her stomach and out the other side.

Afina pinned the woman to the wall, staking her in place, taking the moment to go to Dracula's aid as he was still wasting away in front of them. She managed to remove the stake and a single shackle before Elizabeth got free, flinging Afina across the room and into the wall. Elizabeth picked up the stake that was still covered in Dracula's blood and she licked it maliciously as she closed in on Afina.

"Foolish child," she hissed, her fangs bared. "I am nearly four centuries old! Do you honestly think you can defeat me?"

"Your boyfriend was easy enough."

That clearly incited the woman's wrath, for she lunged forward to drive the stake into Afina's chest, but Afina grabbed the woman's hands before the tip of the weapon could touch her flesh. Unfortunately, Elizabeth was stronger and several inches taller, giving her the advantage. Afina felt the sharp tip graze the skin between her breasts. If she didn't act quickly, the same toxin that had paralyzed Dracula would be making its way through her own veins.

She slammed her head forward suddenly, right into Elizabeth's mouth and she felt the teeth break on impact. Elizabeth shrieked and pulled back, holding her bleeding mouth.

"My fangs! You broke my fangs!" she screamed. Afina could feel one of them in her forehead and she carefully plucked the tooth out, examining it closely.

"Looks like I'll have to turn them into earrings."

"You bitch!" and she lunged forward once more to stake her. "I'll tear out your heart and make you watch as I eat it."

"Vlad, a little help please!" Afina shouted.

"He can't help you. I've drained practically every drop of blood in his body. And soon, I'll do the same to you."

Afina suddenly stopped her resistance and Elizabeth fell forward. Afina wasn't able to move fast enough and the stake was soon buried in her shoulder. It did give her just enough time to push Elizabeth away, creating some kind of distance between them, but she could feel the paralyzing toxin making its way through her body, disorientating her. She grabbed the sword and stumbled over to Dracula, lifting the blade and breaking the other shackle that held up his other arm. He fell forward, knocking over the vase that held his blood and the crimson spilled all over the hardwood floor.

Afina couldn't feel her legs and she soon fell to the ground, struggling to pull the stake from her shoulder, but it wouldn't budge.

Elizabeth was on her feet again, her eyes blacker than pitch, her expression positively feral. Afina still struggled against the toxin, trying to muster just enough strength to remove the stake, but it was hopeless. Elizabeth was soon on top of her, straddling her waist and leaning forward, a dark look of victory in her eyes.

"Looks like the daughter of Alrik isn't as impenetrable as everyone thought," the vampire taunted.

"I'm not dead yet," Afina managed weakly.

"Yet being the operative word. No, I want you alive for this… I want you to feel everything that I'm going to do to you. First," Elizabeth slammed her fist into Afina's chest, breaking past the ribs and soon she had her heart in her hand, "I'm going to tear out your heart… just as you tore out Nicolæ's."

Afina gasped in pain as Elizabeth lifted her hand and began to remove the heart from Afina's chest, the arteries and veins the only thing keeping it attached to her body. She squeezed the heart in her hand and watched as the blood drained out of it like a sponge.

"And then, I'm going to tear out your clever little tongue and rape you with it, after I break each and every one of your teeth." She raised her fist to slam it into Afina's mouth but she stopped suddenly.

Afina watched as a thin line appeared along Elizabeth's throat, the line soon leaking blood and her head slumped forward, falling off of her body. Before her head could hit the floor, a silver blade pierced the woman's heart and her body dissolved into ash.

Musical Influences:
El amor brujo: Dance of Terror, Rachel Barton Pine, "Instrument of the Devil"
Burning Desire, by Lana Del Rey
Il Dolce Suono, performed by Inva Mula, "Donizetti – Lucia di Lammermoor"

Playlist for masquerade ball found on YouTube channel. Link in profile.

A very special and heart-filled thanks to invisible reader and DeviousGina123 for their reviews of the previous chapter. This update probably wouldn't have happened without them! Many thanks, my dears, especially to invisible reader who always gives such wonderful and thought-filled reviews! You really should open an account, my friend!