Lady Elizabeth swept on before the three other vampire women, her long blue velvet cape clearing a smooth path in her wake. Despite their strength the two guards struggled to keep up with the more fragile looking woman. Carmilla followed quietly behind, her sensitive hearing alert for anyone who might try to halt their progress.
Lady Elizabeth held up a tapering white hand, Carmilla peered ahead but could not see anything in the gloom of the chamber before them. Then they all heard a slow, repetitive banging. It sounded hollow and metallic, like an eerie drum. In the distance Carmilla could make out a lone figure hopelessly battering at what appeared to be a black metal door. The Countess glided silently until she was within reaching distance of the figure who had ceased his frantic attempt to break down through the obstacle before him and was now crouched in a still form on the dusty floor of the passage. The figure looked up, his eyes widened in surprise. He stood a fluid, graceful movement.
'Lady Elizabeth of Bathory, ladies.' His bow was formal and Roman. Carmilla took in his great stillness and the alabaster pallor of his skin and guessed that he was much older even than that long dead empire. His keen eyes swept over their small band and met briefly with Carmilla's gaze. She was taken aback by his obvious magnetism; even for a vampire, his glamour was powerful.
Lady Elizabeth swept forward, her white hand extended. Zillah touched the hand with his own, the barest and briefest of gestures, it was quite clear where the authority lay between the two of them. Zillah returned his interest to the rest of the group.
'How do you come to be in this place?' His voice was smooth without surprise or accent. There was no indication of his age in his use of grammar or language such as Carmilla had come across before with older vampires. He had obviously successfully blended with the times. This made him more dangerous.
'We are attempting to escape...' Lady Elizabeth's mouth rose faintly in a small smile, 'as it would appear are you, Zillah.' Zillah smiled a widely in return.
'On the contrary my lady, I am trying to get though this door. Should I have wished to leave I would have achieved my goal long ago.' Carmilla heard more voices behind them; she whirled to meet the new arrivals, her dress fanning out around her feet.
'Looks like we're missing a party!' Spike crowed loudly, then, seeing the frown on Zillah's face he dropped his voice to a whisper. 'Zillah? Bloody 'ell mate, it's been a while.' The stillness in the cavern broke as Zillah and Spike clasped hands and thumped each other loudly on the back.
'Am I forgiven for our last meeting?' Zillah grinned into Spike's blue eyes which at first narrowed and then he laughed again.
'Can't blame you for tryin' can I?' He ran a hand through his bleached hair, 'I'm an 'andsome bastard ain't I?' He laughed again, turning to the two other vampires who had arrived with him. 'Mitchell, Sir Francis, this is my good friend Zillah, ancient as the hills and more persistent than a bulldog.' Mitchell nodded and Sir Francis bowed. Zillah's returning bow was low and agile. Spike walked to the metal door and banged on it loudly with his hand.
'What's in 'ere then?' He asked cocking his head towards the door. From behind it there was a muffled noise, Spike put his ear to the metal and listened. He looked back at Zillah, his eyes bright.
'Edward Cullen? And the wizard boy? How'd they end up behind this then?'He banged the door again. Zillah strode to where Spike stood and looked up at the great door.
'It seems to have just come down, some sort of trap I'd imagine.' He stroked the door wistfully with his pale hand. 'I've been trying to get in to them for a while now. They're trapped and the chamber is exposed to the daylight. Mina Harker is in there... or she was. 'He added ruefully shaking his head. The information settled over the vampires like a cold scattering of snow. Mitchell ran his hand through his shoulder length dark hair, Spike looked at his feet. So did Sir Francis, only the women continued to look at the door. Spike shook himself and spoke up.
'Right, come on then! Let's get that door open and get them out, poor buggers. God knows what it's like in there. Is Harker still with them?' Zillah nodded.
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Edward looked in horror at the place where moments ago Mina Harker had crouched in terror. Jonathan's sobbing had stopped now and he seemed frozen in grief over the ashes of his wife. Blazing sunlight streamed down into the small space in which they were trapped. Harry touched his arm; he looked up into the tender green eyes, streaking the grimy face with tears. Without thinking he raised his hand to wipe them away, Harry grasped the hand and stared at it.
'What?' began Edward looking at his hand as though some mystery might be written upon it. Harry shook his head as there was a banging on the door behind them. Edward looked up; Harry could almost see the concentration he was putting into listening to what was behind the door. Then Edward straightened himself and spoke.
'Spike and Zillah now, behind the door.' He moved to place his mouth close to the metal; he projected his voice to be heard on the other side of the thick obstacle between the two parties. 'Zillah, there's bright sunlight in here now. If you manage to move the door then it's going to flood your side of the chamber. Get anyone who's sensitive to sunlight around a corner until we can find a way to block it off.' Harry heard Spike's voice reverberating through the door.
'Ok chief! That leaves Sir Francis, Mitchell, Carmilla and Lady Elizabeth. The rest of us will go back down the passage until you've worked out some sort of block for the sun!'
Edward went to the door and put his hands under the metal where he had scraped the holes into the rock. He shouted through the door.
'It seems to go up and back, I can't just lift the door upwards, it's blocked into the rock I think, I'll have to push upwards while you pull back at the same time. Hopefully we can find the way the door came down and push it back!'
'Can you do this alone Edward?' The voice was Mitchell's even through the metal Harry could hear his soft accent. Harry had been wondering the same thing, he stepped forward. Edward turned to him.
'Your blood has made me very strong Harry, stronger than any human blood could have made me. I think I'll be ok. Look after Jonathan; even if we get out of this his tragedy will follow him.' They both looked to where Jonathan still crouched in the sunlight over Mina's remains. Harry got up and put his hand on Harker's still shoulder, the wizard did not look up or even move as Harry crouched beside him.
'Now!' Edward shouted and began to push upwards on the door. On the other side the unlikely workmates huddled uncomfortably together to try to pull the door back as Edward pushed up. Muscles stood out on milk white arms and skin covering fingers began to split and tear as the great door screamed its defiance as it began to inch slowly upwards. Sparks flew out at the metal grated torturously against the jagged rocks surrounding it. Sunlight fired a golden beam under the door and down along the corridor where the other vampires hid from its burning gaze. Edward cupped his fingers under the door now pushing upwards with more leverage as he shifted his weight beneath it. The fingers of the other vampires stood white against the black and ancient iron. This felt strange to them, working with others of their kind to achieve a common goal, strange to all but Edward who was used to working closely with his family, used to the camaraderie. Soon the door was pushed right back and the supernatural muscles felt the weight of it shift as it sat back in its gap where it had been for years before its recent release. They looked at each other in the sunlight streaming down. White faces drawn with exertion, skin on their hands already mending, healing in the light. They smiled at each other, woodenly at first, mechanical grins on their faces used to passing amongst humans and then widely as genuine joy at their shared success sank in to their cold minds. Lady Elizabeth was first to pull back from the emotion.
'How will we cover this light to allow our colleagues access?' Her voice was detached again and distant. 'And even if we can get them through the light, what will we do about that?' She pointed a long finger imperiously at the other door blocking their way to the great hall. Edward's shoulders slumped. With them all on one side of this new door there was no way they would be able to manoeuvre it back into its gap in the ceiling.
'Isn't there another way?' Spike's voice called from where he was standing, his feet inches away from the bright shaft of sunlight which scoured the chamber like a search light. Edward shook his head, remembering what Mina had said before...he turned back to where Jonathan still hunched on the ground. The movement of the door had caused a draft and a small eddy of ashes curled around his still figure as though they were trying to coax him to get back up.
'Harry?' Edward asked, looking as Harry stood and pushed back the heavy lock of hair which had fallen over his glasses. He had his wand out, pointing at the door again but he didn't look hopeful.
'Reducto!' his voice echoed in the narrow passage sounding dully off the metal of the door. Nothing happened. The sunlight glittered down around them, the door, impenetrable and implacable stood in front of them.
Harker stood, dust swirling around him like a cloud of raindrops. It danced around him, gently falling like a slow snowstorm. He pointed an arm stiffly at the door. The wand he held was taut with anger and hatred, hurt and pain. He lifted his head, his dark hair falling back from his face. Harry held his breath unconsciously; he had never seen an expression like the one now on Harker's face. Every line screamed at him, power streamed from the eyes and the mouth opened in a wide angry gash.
'REDUCTO!' the wizard roared his voice clamorous in the silence. For a moment all was as it had been before and then, with a sound like a woman's gentle tinkling voice, the door crumbled softly before them. It fell apart, gently raining its ancient dust onto the chamber floor, where it mingled with the ashes of Mina Harker.
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