Chapter 16

Victoria felt the warmth of the summer sun's shine on her face, sitting up she stretched and yawned. Sliding from the bed, she padded over to the chair that held her clothing. She was caught up in the strange dream she had last evening regarding her Aunt Josephine. There was no doubt that they were related she looked like Victoria. There had been something odd about the woman that reminded Victoria of someone or something and wondered if it was because she so strongly resembled Josette?

Slumping down into the chair where her clothing laid she leaned back and wondered if the dream was the cause of her exhaustion. Had she been affected more by the dream than she previously thought? Rising she stepped from the room and headed to one of the six bathrooms that graced this house.

She surmised they must have been installed after the early 1900's and wondered who might have lived in the house then? She knew it was a veritable wreck when Barnabas moved into it and he had spent a small fortune to restore it but as a concession he updated the bathrooms for guests. Walking into the bathing chambers she pushed the door opened, moved to the tub and began to draw her bath. Sitting on the edge of the tub she felt the temperature of the water now filling the tub.

Sliding off the gown she wore, she stepped to the tub, adding in some bath salts she smiled watching the bubbles form and build from the pressure of the water. Stepping into the tub, she slid down and closed her eyes with a deep satisfied sigh she smiled, the bath felt wonderful. She was enjoying the bath until she felt a hand move into the water and draw up a palm full of water to let it flow over her neck and back from the rear of the tub

Startled she sat up with a gasp and reached for a towel to cover her nakedness. "Willie?" She was shocked twisting around to grow pale and indignant. Ramon sat on the edge of the tub and looked down into her wide-eyed stare of outrage. "Excuse me, just why are you here?"

He smiled a devilishly delighted smile peering down at her show of innocence and modesty. "Oh come now, you are a grown woman with some sexual experience, you expect me to believe that a man in your bathing chambers is an outrageous act of intrusion against your propriety and pride?" He watched her shift and rise from the tub dragging the wet towel with her as she stepped from the tub to snag and drag her housecoat over the wet towel.

"I must confess you are delightful to look upon. Are you this modest when you give yourself to your lovers in your bed?" He stood and reached for a dry hand towel. Wiping his hands with a slow deliberateness that denoted he had delicate hands that were artistic by nature he smiled. "I could make you very happy my dear, all you need to do is pledge yourself to me an I will seat you at my right hand as one of my handmaids."

Vicki flushed deeply at the gall of this man and his deluded assumptions she would be interested in him. "I came to tell you that Drake and Andréa would be arriving shortly, at that time you will need to make a choice, because I can assure you that once he arrives he intends to marry you and then take you back to Romania and have you wed under their laws thereby tying you to him until death do you part" He chuckled thinking about that term.

"I always found you mortals as so sentimental with your rituals, to have and to hold from this day forward, in sickness and in health, for richer and poorer, until death do you part? How mundane and utterly pathetic you are to settle for a life only to part at death. With me, you die and are reborn every one hundred years you rise again like a phoenix and live on forever."

He stood from the rear of the tub, stepped towards her and watched her back up against the wall. He smiled. "And now you put yourself in an impossible escape situation." He walked to her and pressed into her wet body, pinning her to the wall, placing his palms on either side of her face and bending forward to noting the wide frightened stare in her eyes. He smiled he rather enjoyed this little game of cat and mouse. Leaning down he captured her lips and kissed her deeply, Moving his palms down to her shoulders and holding her in place he drug her body to his and she could feel his arousal.

Planting her palms on his chest she weakly pressed them against his chest trying to separate them from the kiss. Then the sensation was odd as he teleported them with a thought to his bedroom at Collinwood. Pushing her back on the bed, he fell on top of her pinning her beneath him. Never once allowing the kiss to be broken. Vicki struggled against his hold and felt her efforts starting to pay off as the pressure to her body was relaxed somewhat and he pushed himself up on his palms and peered down into her startled gaze "I could easily take you now." He said softly as he moved his one hand to gently caress her face.

"I prefer my bed partners willing." A soft knock on the door and Laura entered the room. Not stopping to see where her master was or what he was involved in, she just entered babbling about Roger being impossible.

"I swear when the time comes for the sacrifice, I am going to push Roger and that impossible Maggie into the pyre together!" Then she saw what was happening and growled low and shot angry looks of hatred at Victoria. "Do you mind Miss Winters, I have business with Ramon, can you not keep your knees together around any man?" She put her hands on her hips and glared at Ra then to Victoria. "Leave!" She demanded.

Ramon stood and glared darkly at Laura. "I would suggest you wait to be invited into my room before you enter the next time Laura." Turning to Victoria he flicked his hand and she disappeared to reappear in her room she had been given upon her arrival to Collinwood that first night.

Grateful that she was now in familiar surroundings with clothing she rushed to shower and dress before she had another unexpected guest arrive and make her day worse than it could it already had become. Walking quickly from her room, with a small overnight bag, she started down the stairs where Roger met her going up the stairs. "Vicki, a moment if you please." Sighing deeply and feeling far more upset than she should she waited for him to again accuse her of trying to pass her self off as an illegitimate Collins. "Where did you go last night? Why were you not in your room?"

Vicki bristled hating this feeling of alienation by the occupants of this house. "I went to the old house and spent the night, where my Aunt Josephine came to visit me." Defensively she crossed her arms over the cable knit sweater of deepest blue she wore over an ankle length skirt.

"Yes, I know she came by here and Liz called this morning. It seems I owe you an apology and would kindly request you continue to stay here. She wishes to let us know they will be home day after tomorrow." Roger did not look contrite he sounded conciliatory with a hint of a grudge tainting the words he just spoke as a form of an apology.

Vicki frowned and looked down the steps to see an new face standing there. "I will consider returning later tonight, but frankly Mr. Collins I do not feel very welcome here, so if you will excuse me, I would like to return to the old house." She stepped past him and felt his hand snake out and grab her upper arm. The action causing her to jerk her arm and then to feel her body off set and she began to tumble backwards falling down the stairs to land with a hard thump on the landing below. Her scream filled with fear was suddenly cut off as she came to hard fall on the landing.

"Oh dear god!" Roger rushed down the steps to check on her and found she had been knocked unconscious. Melanie having witnessed the whole incident rushed forward stopping Roger from moving her.

"No don't she could have a back or neck injury and moving her would just make it worse!" She took Vicki's pulse and checked her pupils in her eyes. "You need to call for paramedics and she needs to be transported to the emergency room immediately!" Melanie stabilized Vicki as best she could without doing more damage. Roger rushed down the stairs to the phone and dialed 9-1-1.

Somewhere outside Bucharest, Romania

Secret detainment Center Underground

Julia kept hearing the soft whispering of the old man from the confinement center in the room of detainees. She was sure he was trying to manipulate her to bring her to him. She still could see in her mind's eye the pitiful look of defeat that edged his eyes and the sadness that so reminded her of Barnabas. She wanted to ask who he was because she could not believe he was the actual Dracula the mythos, the creature from the creative mindset of Bram Stoker.

The question and answer session had been a lively discussion with the three very bright trainees that had been brought in from the various Universities and Colleges all over Bucharest with the specific purpose of allowing them to work on their hypothetical thesis of curing those afflicted with the kind of trails that were on-going in this center, which was buried deep beneath the city of Bucharest. They were arrogant and convicted which delighted Julia. They were she a few years prior when she was working on her doctorate degree.

Finishing up the questions and answers in the training room, the three professionals were lead back to their own quarters. Franco smiled and bowed to Julia outside her door. "We have your things brought in and they have been unpacked. We will be by to escort you to dinner around 7:00 p.m. I look forward to a little more time with you and your friends. I must confess I was not expecting you to be such a beautiful woman with such a brilliant mind."

Julia did blush with the lavish compliments laid on her by the General. "I think perhaps I shall lie down before dinner and will be awaiting your return General." She smiled turned to enter her quarters and saw him smile.

"Please call me Franco. General seems almost too formal Julia." He said her name with such a hint of wishing her not to be offended that it made Julia smile.

"Then by all means you may call me Julia, and it is a pleasure to meet you Franco." She reached for the door and closed it between them. Walking to her bed she laid across it and closed her eyes and then it happened. She could feel the draw of his voice, the softly whispered pleas and the need for her to join him in his room. Julia felt her body compelled to rise from the bed.

In a trance like state she walked out into the hallway and followed the call to the ancient one. Not passing anyone in the hallways it seemed she had entered a dream state and was being drawn forward. Walking to the wall where she saw Franco lay his palm and then his eye she paused worried she could not enter. "Go to the end of the hallway near the elevator. There is a entrance to the duct work, pry the facing off and enter the duct work, just follow my voice Julia." The words were whispered with a rasp that came with extreme age that always seemed to affect the vocal cords.

Julia did as the voice bade, she went to the elevator and found the covering for the ductwork and could feel the cool air blowing through the shaft. "Yeeees. Continue on." Julia entered the shaft and crawled forward. "The next right turn. Go to another juncture and you will come to the mainframe room where they have all the controls and the electrical panels." Julia crawled forward to the right and then followed the instruction until she came to another panel and peered through the grid cover. There she saw a series of computer banks and a control console with the electrical juctures attached to a larger container.

"Go Julia, enter the room. No one is around and go to the computer control console, and shut down the power grid to an area marked section C-42." Julia kicked out the panel and entered the semi-darkened room that was at least 20 degree cooler than any other room she had occupied. Walking to the console she searched for the area he had directed. Finding the right grid she slid the lever down.

The reaction was immediate, the room where the abnormal demi-humans had been detained was now powerless. The whole area went to pitch blackness, which sent them into frenzy state of maddness and the sound of a klaxon began to sound off that a breach had occurred. The reaction was immediate to the underground personnel as boots hit the floor and moved in a hurried fashion down the hallways headed to the one area that would create havoc should any inside escape.

The poor private that wanted to be a hero was the first casualty. He entered the room cautiously but found his forward movement impeded by a hard cold body, the eyes burned deeply into his eyes and he felt his throat ripped open as Prince Vlad bit into his neck. His struggling against the inevitable caused the massive tearing of his vein sending blood spewing forth to be sucked down by the starving vampire. His face bathed in the blood of his first victim he felt his power growing and his facial tissue was tightening to give him a healthy more youthful appearance.

"Julia, get out of there and go back to your room now!" Julia turned stooped down and crawled into the ductwork, pulling the screen behind her against the wall and retraced her path back to the opening at the elevator. Crawling out she replaced the screen and walked towards her room when she looked up to see a group of soldiers rushing down that hallway. Ducking into an indenture in the hallway she pressed her body to the wall and waited for them to rush past her.

Reaching her room, she entered to find she was not alone. In her room he stood, he was nothing as he was before, his face had grown more youthful, his eyes were blood red with a white intensity in the center and he smiled at her, his body covered in blood. "Come my dear, it is time to commit yourself to me." He held his arms wide. Julia took one step forward when her door burst opened and Elliott and Eric entered the room.

"JULIA NO!" Eric shouted rushing forward to grab her by the arm and jerk her back from him. "YOU CAN'T HAVE HER YOU MONSTER!" Eric held her struggling form and they watched as the creature they were told was Dracula began to shift and turn to mist and float out of the room.

With the removal of the force that had held her in its thrall, Julia's eyes fluttered her head bobbled and she collapsed into Eric's arms. Gently he lifted her and carried her to the bed where he laid her. Looking anxiously to Elliott he spoke softly. "I don't see any puncture wounds, I just think he exerted his will over her."

Elliott nodded and considered how this was going to affect them since this incident happened while they were on the premises. He was beginning to worry they might not be allowed to leave. His fears were soon confirmed when General Franco accompanied by a contingent of special guard entered the room. "I see that you are all here. I am afraid this will delay your return to your friends at Castle Florescue until we can determined who it was that released the old one."

"I see are we prisoners now?" Eric stood from the unconscious figure of Julia. Franco noted she was unconscious and turned to his guard.

"Check the area. " Turning back to Eric he walked to the bed. "Was she attacked?" He had noted the unusual interest she had taken in the old one earlier and surmised he was trying to compromise her will then.

"No, not bitten just placed under his thrall we prevented him from drinking her blood." Elliott stood between Eric and Franco, he could feel Eric's anxiety and did not need him throwing a punch because he was filled with jealousy.

He nodded, "I was afraid of that, whomever it was that allowed his escape will be held accountable. He is the most prized and dangerous of all our detained guests in that section. We will review the videotapes to see who it was that released them. Now if you will excuse me."

Julia moaned softly, drew her hand to her face, opening her eyes and tried to sit up. Finding she was still feeling weak and laid back with a soft protest. "What . . . what happened?' She looked at Eric then to Elliott.

"There was a breach in security and the old one Dracula has escaped. Apparently he left a wave of destruction in his wake as he made his way apparently to here. We think he was going to use you to help him get out of here and take you with him." Elliott had been very matter of fact with his explanation.

Julia moaned. "I don't remember anything except coming back here to lay down to sleep for a while and woke up to the sound of the alarm going off."

In the security room of the facility, Franco waited for the tapes to be placed into the machine so he could view what had happened. As the time of the breach occurred, the videotape went blank and stayed blank for the duration of the breach and then the containment time. Nothing could be found on the tapes. Franco let slip a flurry of expletives as he realized that Dracula had covered his tracks and the one that helped him with his powers to obscure the lens of the camera. "Secure the facility and we will begin a thorough search of this facility. No one leaves until we know who was responsible!"

Captain Petrovia spoke softly, "Should we notify the commandant that his father is loose?" He did not want to ask but knew protocol required they notify the heir apparent of anything involving his father.

Franco sighed deeply; this was one phone call he did not want to make. "I shall handle that, you take over the detail and put out the alert he has escaped and I suspect he will be heading back to the Castle Dracul where he will summon his own guard."

Castle Florescue

Alexandru's Library

"Roger, if you so much as make that child feel unwelcome in my home I shall not be happy with you. She is my daughter and she will be accepted as a Collins upon my return, is that understood?" Elizabeth had taken an edge to the tone of her voice containing her anger. "I hear that you upset her to the degree that she had left Collinwood. I will only say this once, when I return that child had better be there!"

She could hear the contrition in Roger's voice as he apologized repeatedly to her and then he became a bit demanding when he wanted to know why she had kept this from him all these years. "Really Liz why was I not told before now?"

"This is not the time or the place to discuss the family's secrets. Just let us say that we will go into this once I am home. I expect that you will welcome Victoria as your niece, which she rightly is and make her a welcome member of the family." Elizabeth listened to a soft exhale and then Roger spoke softly.

"As you wish Elizabeth, I will go collect her from the old house immediately." He hung up the phone and Liz still with heightened color from her indignation at the treatment of her daughter by her brother was still apparent in the set of her shoulders and the glint of irritation in her eyes.

Barnabas stepped forward looking into Elizabeth's eyes and for a moment he was transported back to that time his mother had looked at him with that same look of irritation and disappointment. Then the hurt had set in and it was all reflected in her gaze. "Calm yourself cousin Elizabeth, Roger could not have known. You have to admit to be told from the source and expected to believe it. Especially, without you being there to back up the allegation. I am sure he reacted defensively as any brother would protecting his sister and her impeccable reputation."

Liz laid her head against his chest and closed her eyes, the sting of tears burning her eyes. "I just know how guilty I feel for not allowing her to live with me from the beginning. My father would have me terminate the pregnancy if he had known. It would have been a shame for the family to bear knowing I was pregnant and unwed."

Quentin had sat passively across the room listening to the whole discussion with Roger and he knew Roger well enough to know that it was a knee jerk reaction that caused him to defend his sister. "Liz, you know the only reason Roger reacted that way was he simply could not believe that you would allow yourself to become pregnant let alone hide the fact from the family. I am sure it was a shock to him and he needed time to talk to you. Don't be too hard on him."

Liz glanced past Barnabas' shoulder to Quentin. "I know you are right, it is just very hard for me to process this whole debacle and how I feel responsible for it. Now to learn that she felt she had to leave the house because she did not feel welcome? That was a crushing blow to me."

Barnabas smiled down into his cousin's all to familiar eyes, took the kerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. "Dry those beautiful eyes my dear and know she is home and will now be welcome because you stated it must be so and we all know we do not cross Elizabeth Collins Stoddard." His attempt at levity created the precise reaction he had hope it would. Elizabeth smiled and held her head proudly.

"Yes you are right, I can be a force to come up against. She chuckled softly, sniffed lightly and dabbed her eyes. Barnabas smiled then his smile tensed and his eyes darted to the window across the room From the distance he could hear the call of a brethren, one of an old and very ancient power. Walking to the window he peered out into the now growing darkness of night and knew that he was coming.

"Quentin, where is Alexandru?" He shifted that intense gaze from the grounds of the castle to his cousin.

"I am here Mr. Collins why do you ask?" Barnabas turned and looked at the man who was his host.

"Because there is an ancient evil that has arisen and he is coming and I fear he is coming here for you or someone here." He watched the man in front of him stiffen his smile, and then the phone rang.

"Excuse me." He walked to the phone and lifted it. "Florescue speaking." The look on his face tightened and darkness pervaded his easy manner as he listened to whoever was on the other end. "I see, did you take precautions and have you sent out a team for recovery?" Again there was this long pause then he let out a slow breath. "I see, thank you and do keep me posted as I will you."

Hanging up the phone he turned to speak to Barnabas, but before he could a figure appeared in the door way. "Hello son, did you miss poppa?" Dracula, Prince of Darkness, the Ultimate Evil that had pervaded any land had arrived and his gaze was now fixed to Alexandru.