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Author’s Note: Hey everybody. I hope everyone is doing well. This chapter is more focused on Kiral for a certain reason. I hope the chapter is a good read. Enjoy. - XOXO Faith Hammett
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgujRx0ryZn
Kiral's POV
I stand on the building ledge to oversee the entire city as the sun shines over the city, melting the snow away. I exhale knowing this is the perfect time for Marishka to remain in the dark, no hunting or killing for her. Marishka is not at her strongest and she cannot use her power to cover the sun like other vampires. This does give an advantage with this meeting taking place right now as I turn around to see my contact I need to speak with about Marishka.
However I see it is not my usual task in the police force. I wonder where my usual contact is but he tells me, "I am Officer Pierce. I was sent instead since Officer Lucas has not been seen or heard from the past few days. It is possible that Marishka found him or another vampire got to him."
"I hope he is alright. Please keep me in the loop in the search for him. I know he has a family. What is the update of Marishka's whereabouts?"
"She has been circling around to remain close to Dracula. But since there is nowhere good to hide away from the sunlight on his land, it is possible she is at Broken Tooth Mountain. It is within travel distance of her condition and the injuries you gave her." Officer Pierce tells me as he shows me a map on his phone where she has killed the men and women on Dracula's owned property, the river she put their bodies and the miles to the mountain.
"Nice work on the map. Send that to me. I will use my means to ensure she is there before I go to the mountain; safer than sorry."
"I will inform the Order. And be careful. If she got to Lucas, a good member of the Order who carries a gun with silver bullets then the Blood Countess needs to be ashes."
I nod in agreement with him. He bows his head to me and I bow my head back to him in respect. He walks away when one of the most important people in my life comes onto the roof. I smile at the sight of her until I see she is carrying a large duffel bag. I hear a man she has zipped up in a bag to protect from the sunlight which means whoever this is a vampire with information about Marishka. This is going to be interesting if it is who I think it is in the bag. I lightly bow my head in respect and love to one I consider like a daughter to me.
"Did you bring me a gift?"
Aneres stands before me with her dark hair hanging past her shoulders that makes her fair skin shine but her dark brown eyes shine brighter like stars in night sky. Aneres speaks with her dark angelic voice that has cut through the heart of the purest men. "Yes and fortunately the vampire in this bag may have something we could possibly use on Marishka."
I hear the angry yelling from within the bag that the vampire demands to be released right now. I recognize the voice of the vampire. He is an old acquaintance from Dracula's life before he ever became a vampire. I stand above the bag as Aneres uses her caster powers to keep the sunlight from burning up the vampire.
Her caster powers encircle around the bag with a glow of a sort of lilac purple and she nods her head that it is safe for me to open the bag. I unzip the duffel bag to reveal who is inside. I see it is Shkelgim, the first servant of Dracula's after he turned into a vampire. He even gave his blood to Dracula after he saved his son from the Turks and the other vampires he turned back in 1462. Shkelgim was the first man Dracula turned a few years after he was turned into a vampire.
Shkelgim was worthy to be turned since he served Dracula's long life before Dracula walked away to make his life into whatever it is now. I have wondered what Shkelgim has been up to since he left the service from the Son of the Devil. He still has the same longer hair like he did in the drawings and updated photos of him in the Order's Library. The only thing different about him is his clothes. It appears to be from the late 18th century.
However in this day and age, his clothes are passed off as him going to a fan club or a sort of tea party. This is Romania after all; no one cares what kind of clothes someone wears as long as they are properly clothed. He is wearing a long peasant, light brown coat built as a cold weather garment with a matching woven shirt. It ends at his knees with a thick leather belt around his lower stomach. And he is wearing plain dark brown trousers with black boots.
He looks like he walked out of a portrait to be on the ground before me. He is angry in growling to Aneres saying, "I'll kill you mutt and you crazy bitch!"
Aneres kick him directly in the face, breaking his nose and jaw in the process. I chuckle in hearing him moan from the pain she delivered. "Show the manners Dracula taught you to me and her. We are not your enemies today. We just want a certain piece of information and in return your name gets lowered on the list and remains there as long as you keep up the good behavior like you have."
"What information do you want?" He struggles to say just before his nose and jaw heals in his vampire abilities.
"An old friend of Dracula's known as Marishka the Blood Countess." Aneres says to him, not wanting to play around.
"That is right. She is lurking around again. Many of us wondered where she has been all this time."
"She nearly went through with her vampire suicide but did not."
His eyes widen as he whispers, "Bittersweet Death?"
"That's the one and now it is coming down not just on Dracula but for all vampires. She killed seventy five people and purposefully putting their bodies on Dracula's land. She tried to show others he was back to his old ways when all she was trying to do was frame him."
The look of shock on his face immediately turns into rage that someone even Marishka tries to harm Dracula. "What do you want to know?"
"Do you know where she is or where she would go aside from Broken Tooth Mountain or Carfax Abby?"
"There is one place however I am not sure she would go there due to what happened to her before Dracula ever turned her. It was once her home then her prison."
Aneres and I look to one another knowing what place he speaks of. He is speaking of her once home in Cachtice, Slovakia; Cachtice Castle. Her once castle is open to the public to tour even with it slightly in ruin. And the tour informs those interested of her history. It makes sense for her to go there if she has nowhere else to hide but it also makes sense that she would not hide at the castle right away.
That castle was a wedding gift upon her marriage to her husband, Ferenc Nadasdy in 1575 and she stayed in that castle until Dracula turned her, faking her death like he did for anyone he turned. The castle was captured by rebels, neglected then burned down in 1799. It was left to decay until it was turned into a tourist attraction just last year. Then it dawned on me and Aneres what we wanted to know about Marishka.
"It was her very own castle where she dwelled during her Bittersweet Death. And the castle becoming a place to tour in June and restoring the castle is what woke her up from her long suicide attempt." I say in disappointment that we did not figure this out sooner.
"Marishka should already be ashes scattering across the ground as she should have been centuries ago. My master never should have turned that evil bitch. She was trouble from the start." Shkelgim snarls to us.
"Something all three of us can agree on. Is there anywhere else she would go to hide than her old castle?" Aneres questions him.
"Her once family home, Ecsed Castle but it was demolished. It is in complete ruin."
"It still does not mean she would go there if she had nowhere else left to hide. We cannot leave nothing unturned." I tell him as I stand to my feet wondering how we can flush her out before she kills more than animals.
"Let me assist you..." Shkelgim says to us in an almost begging manner. Aneres and I look at him wondering what he wants to assist in hunting for Marishka. "I want to stop her and no longer hurt my master anymore than she already has."
"You are no longer his servant anymore than he is your master. Why do you still call him master?"
"He will always be my master no matter what. He made me what I am. I will always serve him." He says without a moment of hesitation. I realize that he speaks the truth and helping to capture Marishka is still a way to serve him. Dracula will always be his master until the end of time or the night he dies, becoming ashes.
"Alright. You can assist, Shkelgim."
"No, we cannot trust him." Aneres says to me.
"We do not have to trust him with our lives but we can trust his devotion and protection toward Dracula." I say looking at him.
"I am with you, Kiral." She tells me then stands above Shkelgim as her hands start to glow with her mighty power, almost like fists of fire, ready to blast him away into the sunlight. "But I warn you, a single step out of line will result in your permanent end. Understand?"
Shkelgim nods his head yes to her but she snarls, "Say it."
"I understand; not a single step out of line." Shkelgim whimpers in terror of what Aneres will do to him if he even tries to do anything to betray us.
"Lovely." Aneres says in switching up her facial expression to happiness in his understanding. Her powers remain when she stands behind me to refresh the cloaking spell.
Then I realize that I do need to think several steps ahead especially against the Blood Countess. Shkelgim helped me to think of something that needs to be done in my mission to be ahead. If I cannot Marishka, she will get close to Dracula as soon as it is dark enough for her to come out of hiding.
"I have the perfect mission for you, Shkelgim. And I know you will not take one single step out of line for this mission." I say to him with a smile.
"And what is the mission?"
"Watch over Dracula. Be a guardian tonight. Remain out of sight and only come out if Marishka attempts to get close to him. And you have permission to do everything to stop her. And if you have to, end her without any human seeing you or her. Do you accept this mission?"
His eyes immediately became intense and focused in the mission I am giving him. "Yes, I accept."
Aneres is halfway through the spell as I tell her, "When it gets close to dark, let him go on his mission."
"It will be done." Aneres tells me as she moves her hands to complete the cloaking cast.
I notice Shkelgim glares at us almost like he has seen us before but he remains silent. I am curious if he does recognize us so I ask, "Are we familiar to you? Have we met before?"
"I honestly do not know. You remind me of someone though."
"Who would that be?" Aneres wonders as she double checks the spell.
"The Master Vampire." He says almost like he knows the Master Vampire personally.
I look back to Aneres for a moment then we begin to laugh at him. "That is a good one, Shkelgim. Is it your sense of humor that has helped to keep you alive?"
"It is more of my charm that has kept me alive but I look at you and you truly carry yourself the way the Master Vampire does. I spent a great deal of time serving him. Every single move he has made is the next steps to accomplish his Immortal Game. I do not know you however your way of thinking is like the other side of his coin. And to top it off, you carry yourself like you have been immortal for centuries beyond end unlike anyone else in the whole world; not afraid of anything even death."
We know he is not joking since he did serve under the Master Vampire shortly after Lucy left the Master's service. It helps me to realize that he spent much time with him. He could give some insight to the Master Vampire. Shkelgim could be further use to the Order.
"I will take that as a massive compliment after all he is unlike anything the world has ever seen. The Master Vampire has killed so many that hardly any knows how he kills his targets, remains hidden unless he wants to be found, always many steps ahead. He is untouchable and every bit of the warrior the story of him becoming a vampire to be." I say all of this in admiration.
"I am surprised that you did not ask if her fellow vampire sister, Lucy where the Blood Countess or make an offer to Marishka to join the Order."
"It is not any of your business however you should know that the Order gave permission to make Marishka an offer, assistance into the new world. It was Lucy idea to make an offer to her. Marishka foolishly turned down the offer. She would have made an excellent addition to the Order. And bring more vampires into the circle which in turn leads to more possibly information on the Master Vampire. It is all about the long game especially with the Immortal Game of Revenge." I tell him.
"She turned down the offer and you wounded her badly?" Shkelgim asks me.
"She got a good strike on me but it will take longer for Marishka to heal. The effect of her long, poor attempted suicide makes all of this interesting and new territory."
"Will her fellow vampire sister, Lucy Westenra, Dracula's bride give up her location?"
"You need to get two things straight right now. Lucy Westenra is definitely none of your business and she is no longer Dracula's bride."
"She will always be his vampire bride!" He growls in anger at the mention of Lucy no longer his vampire bride.
Without any warning, I use my speed on him and drag him over the edge of the building with only my hand gripping the chest of his suit to keep him from falling to his death. Aneres watches this like entertainment as Shkelgim yells, "Bring me back over!"
"I could do that or I could let you fall to your death and say Marishka killed you just for the sport of killing? What do you think, Aneres?"
Aneres stands next to me smiling, "No one would doubt it, Kiral. I am game to let him burn away."
He grips his hands onto my arm holding him in midair as Aneres keeps the spell going for him to be in the sunlight without burning starts to slowly come undone. He is screaming in agony while his skin is burning away almost the way a piece of paper burns in flames.
"Get this through your thick primitive skull. Lucy Westenra is a vampire of her own and she is no longer Dracula's bride. And if you speak her name again or say she is still Dracula's bride, your entire bottom jaw and tongue shall be removed. Tell me you clearly understand." I speak to him in a calm, calculated manner to show this is no joke.
"I understand crystal clear! She is no longer Dracula's bride! Now pull my ass back over!" He screams with everything inside him when his skin is completely gone, going down to his muscle tissue.
I bring him over and toss him while Aneres restores the cast over his body to be in the sunlight. He rolls over a few times then stops to look at me. His vampire healing abilities start to do its work as I stand over him saying, "Marishka will be handled by tonight. I know where she is going to be. And where will you be?"
"I will be out of sight guarding Dracula and I will only intervene if Marishka shows herself." He says groaning in pain.
"Very good." I tell him in joy that this is going to work in our favor. Aneres uses her power to force him back into the large duffel bag, zipped up. Then she snaps her fingers to take away the cast to allow him to be in sunlight without burning to ash.
"Do you truly suspect that Marishka will show herself again to Dracula?"
"She is not going to miss seeing him especially on today of all days, A Day for Lover's. She will go to him. The Blood Countess will not be able to resist. And as suspected, Dracula is going out with the woman that looks like his first wife, Mirena. Have you seen her, Aneres?"
"No, I have not. But I hear she is blonde, beautiful and has no idea who Vlad truly is. How much longer will he be able to keep up this so called new life he has?"
"Not sure but I bet it is going to explode when whoever the woman is finds out who he truly is. He should know better by now than to get involved with a woman who does not know about the Supernatural world." I speak the honest truth about the subject when I realize we are going off topic.
Suddenly Aneres hears her phone ring, she answers it right away. I smile in hearing what I hear of the phone call. Aneres ends the call with a smile on her face as well. "I have the restaurant that Dracula and his human friends are eating at tonight so Shkelgim will be taken care of with his mission."
"Excellent." I tuck away my book bag so there is no chance a random human will come across and take the bag. I look at Aneres who is always nervous each time I go out on anything the Order wants me to do. I walk over grabbing her hands, standing face to face saying, "I am going to stop the Blood Countess tonight. And when it is done, you will be the first to know. Then inform the Order. After that we will be going to Iceland for a fun time with the others."
Aneres still looks at me with worry then her eyes go down to where I was wounded by Marishka. I want to ease her worry when saying, "I am all healed up, ready to go."
"Did Lucy help?"
"She did; the years of being a nurse during World War 1 and 2 are still with her and she has a special touch unlike my usual medical doctor in the Order."
"Kiral, you know I see you as my father and I do my best not to question the things you do but I do have to ask, why Lucy?"
I stare down at my wound that Lucy tended to and I smile thinking about her smile, laugh, the smell of her is almost like mine but it is snuffed out by something. "I am not entire sure what it is about Lucy. There is something about her."
"Describe what it is." Aneres says to me in curiosity.
"I feel like I have known her for centuries. In the short time I have known her; I can trust her with my life. It is almost like she is a companion, a part of-"
"A part of the pack..." Aneres says exactly what I was about to say.
"Exactly and I know how that sounds but it is almost like something is in the air around her. And the more time I spend with her, the more it feels like the deeper it pulls me in. Whatever it is about Lucy, she holds and strengths me. I am as sure as the dawn brings the sunrise; we have an unshakeable bond that we are destined to last until the end of time. And with her love, I never feel alone like I have the past few centuries." I tell her all of it, not holding back this connection I have with Lucy.
"Almost like a mate and your equal in every way?"
"Yes and I know that sounds strange especially since she is a vampire. But there is something more to her."
"Is this why you asked me to look into her history?" Aneres pulls out her phone and brings up the photo of Lucy's family heirloom ring.
"Yes because I know I remember that ring from somewhere. I am not entirely sure from where but it is like nagging at the back of my mind, waiting to come out."
Aneres shakes her head in agreement and tells me, "I will look into it and keep it on the down low. But please bare in mind that she was once Dracula vampire bride and served the Master Vampire. Please be cautious is all I am going to say. You are the closest thing to a father that I have and I will always worry for you. I love you."
I lean forward, kissing her on her forehead then bring her in for an embracing hug. She rests her head into my shoulder as I rest my head alongside hers. She tightens her embrace around me before we let go since I have to go after Marishka since the sun is going to set in the next hour.
I whisper to her, "I love you too, my sweet girl."
"You call me as soon as it is done."
"I always do."
I put up the hood and the spell covers my entire face except for my yellow wolf eyes. I look at Aneres for one more then I step over the ledge of the building, falling through the air. I continue falling through the air as I brace my body for landing. My feet slam right on the ground but not making a single impact in the sidewalk. I stand up and look around to see any of the humans do not see any of it due to the spell.
I close my eyes, focusing on my hearing. I push out the electricity, the pulsing of it all. I calm it down, turning off everything it is not necessary to hear. I tune out a few things at a time of vehicles driving, people walking on the streets, the distant overlapping chatter and all electronics. When I can hear all animals' miles upon miles within reach of my power, I growl to all birds, beasts and insects in the sky down into the ground, "Find the Blood Countess..."
My connection with the animals of the light spreads and echoes back to me with agreeing responses with their calls. I watch the hawks, eagles, falcons and old world ventures gather into flying formation to spread through the air to start their search for her. I smile when hearing all the way in the deep forests, the wolves, bears, boars, vipers, lynxes, otters, hedgehogs, raccoon dogs and fallow Deers going into their own search parties.
I hear the sound of their paws, hooves and claws digging into the ground as they are traveling to help me in the hunt. I wait silently knowing they will find a clue of her whereabouts and it pays off like they always do. As I predicted, she is in Broken Tooth Mountain, preparing for whatever she has planned in the darkness of the caves.
I open my eyes and start charging through the streets with ease due to the cloaking spell. I make my way through to the woods and I cut through each mile within seconds until I get in a viewing distance of Broken Tooth Mountain. I stop to take it all in, knowing the dark legendary history of the Mountain. I recall reading the stories for the first time in the great library of the Order.
'Many years ago, a man went into the dark mountain and there he made a deal with a mysterious and powerful demonic creature. As he sealed the deal, the demon tricked the man as he became an extremely powerful inhuman creature with shining red eyes and sharp pointed teeth. The man took a new title, the Master Vampire; doomed to live in the darkness of Broken Tooth Mountain forever...'
I see some dark clouds hanging over the mountain that still has snow hugging all around the top of the mountain. And even though the sun is shining over it, there is a darkness looming around it. It is almost like a beacon for all animals and creatures of the night. And I take it all in.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzKsWvVnCSC
Aneres's POV
I unzip the large duffel bag to glare at Shkelgim who growls back at me until I tell him, "You served the two masters in your lifetime. How would you like to serve the one true Master of the Supernatural World?"
"Dracula is my Master and always will be. I only served for the Master Vampire to keep Dracula from him. He is my master and there is no other." Shkelgim says to me like I am a foolish child.
I smile at him in how he has the same face many others had before learning the truth. I kneel down to be face to face with him when I tell him, "Oh but there is. The Master Vampire and Dracula are nothing more than child's play. How would you like to join the real game?"
"And what true game is that?"
I lean in close to his ear as I whisper the words, "The Immortal Game of Retribution..."
I pull back to see the look on Shkelgim's face. He looks like he had his heart ripped out of his chest and it is being held in front of him. I smile when he tells me that he wants to know more and to join the one true master of the supernatural world.
119Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtz3eLDL5iC
Kiral's POV
I look back to see all of the animals of the day, shaking in fear except for the bears, wolves, boars and lynxes growling at Broken Tooth Mountain. I gentle pet some of the bigger animals and rest my hand on one of the bears. I stare at the bear as he is snarling, digging deep into the ground like he is ready for a fight. I stand in front of the bear as my yellow wolf eyes look into his brown bear eyes. The bear stops growling then huffs in agreement that I need to fight this alone.
All of the animals bow their head to me then turn away from the mountain, back to their homes and hunting grounds. I smile watching all of them in amazement. The beautiful animals may be ordinary to the world but they are sacred, mighty animals. Nature is one of God's beautiful creations. Through nature, God is able to teach, speak and provide for us. And for this reason, we can find in scripture that we humans are called to protect all of which He has created. And the Bible verses for a better understanding of nature and God's creations. I recall Job 12:7-10.
'But ask the animals and they will teach you or the birds in the sky and they will tell you or speak to the Earth and it will teach you; or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.'
I start making my way toward the mountain and by the time I walk up to the outside steps of the cave, I look to the skies to know there is about half an hour before night time takes over. I exhale knowing I cannot hold back on her like I did the first time. I feel a whiff of death coming from the rocks of the mountain when suddenly a big swarm of bats fly out of the cave. I move to the side as the bats fly away from the mountain in terror, screeching as a warning to me about to enter the mountain.
I reach into my inside pocket, taking out a cigarette and lighter. I light the cigarette, taking in a few puffs of it as the end of it warms up with each inhale. I exhale with a puff of smoke coming out as I finish it then I decide to walk into the cave. The light from outside is snuffed out the deeper I go into the mountain. I see all over the stone floor that there are bones of all shapes and sizes from humans and animals bold enough to enter over the centuries.
I move slowly so none of the bones crunch under my boots to give me away quite yet. Then I stop when I come from the cave tunnel into a large opening within the mountain. It is almost like an ancient chamber but faded away by time. It is almost like a ceremonial room the more I look around. I start to feel like I have been here before but I do not recall ever being here or ever being in Broken Tooth Mountain.
Suddenly the room feels like it is pulsing with energy that makes my blood boil in anger. My body starts shaking until all of my attention goes to a stone built like a large table to hold a feast or to hold someone down for a spell or a sacrifice. I fall to my knees when suddenly I see an armored warrior standing before a demonic creature looming in darkness like it was Death itself, extending to the warrior a dark cup filled with blood.
The warrior hesitates to drink from the dark cup looming in the darkness as the blood shows a reflection of his face and I see it is a blonde haired man that looks to be the age of his fifties, maybe sixties but still a mighty warrior all the same. I shudder when the demonic creature snarls to him, 'Drink...'
The warrior drinks from the dark cup and manages to drink the blood all the way down. When the warrior is finished drinking it all, he hands the cup back to the demon when the warrior questions, 'What is to become of me?'
'Now you die and awaken as the first of your kind, a vampire; the Master Vampire. A monster that will walk through eternity in darkness, commanding the night creatures, drinking the blood of others, the speed of a falling star, the strength of a hundred men, senses to see and hear through others, heal all wounds with the exception of silver, mercury and the light of day. You will be the true vessel of darkness and scourge in the world.'
My mouth slightly drops that I am somehow seeing the creation of the first vampire; the Master Vampire himself. I see him fall to his knees, gasping for air like something was choking the life out of him when it was actually his body dying with the demon blood taking over. The man looks up to the demonic creature when it starts to laugh at him like there is something he was not told.
'There is one thing in this crafty deal I want to mention before you slip away into your new immortal state. You will now be bond to this cave for all eternity; these stone walls will be your gallows, condemned by me because I want to see your will, drive and gifts in you also found in another, an equal. Another worthy of the dark and all its power, a pawn is when you will no longer be bond to this cave. Until then, you are here for all time.'
The Master Vampire cries out in anger, trying to crawl his way to the demonic creature but the evil creature vanishes into the deepest and darkest part of the mountain, going back into the depths of Hell. The once man turning into the Master Vampire lets out a roaring cry in the betrayal that happened to him when he screams for the creature and all of Broken Tooth Mountain to hear.
'I will be freed and unleash my wrath upon you and all who betrayed him and me! I will have an army of darkness at my back! I will have my revenge! Mark my words! My revenge will be the ultimate game! Light vs Dark! Hope vs Despair! The fate of the world will hang in the balance! I will have my revenge! My Immortal Game of Revenge!!'
Then his eyes start to shine bright red as he cries out, falling on his back side no longer moving. His body died as his eyes slowly shut. I stand over him, watching it all happen in whatever this vision is of him. I see a few tears streaming down his face realizing that his revenge was for more than just being imprisoned, tricked. He turned into the first vampire for a greater reason.
Then whatever this past memory this is, disappears like dust blowing in the wind. I look around wondering what mind games is being played on me. When suddenly I see a man a few feet from me; I take a few steps closer to see this man is Officer Lucas. I go to him to see if he is still alive but there is no sign of life. Lucas is dead, drained of his blood. The look in his eyes showed that he died fighting, showing no fear to Marishka. He died fighting by the look of the wounds that killed him.
He is an informant of the Order but he had a wife and a son. I don't know how I am going to deliver the news of his death. I use two fingers to close his eyes and I am about to pick him up so he does not forever remain in this mountain like so many others have. I am about to pull him up when I see that his gun is not on him. I freeze in the fact that Marishka could have his gun and it is filled with silver or mercury bullets.
I have to get out of here when I turn to find her at the tunnel leading out of the cave. Marishka smiles at the sight of me when she raises her arm up with the gun in her hand. I can sense the silver bullets ringing in the gun. I am sure she can feel it as well but she endures it, knowing the bullets will greatly hurt me. I slowly stand up and raise my arms up to the side for now.
"Marishka, I never properly introduced myself."
"No need, Kiral. The blood of that man let me know enough about you and how to use this gun." Marishka growls at me as I see she is looking much worse than she was before, like she is dying a slow, sick death. Officer Lucas must have shot her before she finished him off but I cannot tell due to her black vampire dress.
"Was his blood also enough for you to know that the offer I gave you in the forest was true." I slowly start to move back from her and as I predicted, she starts to creep forward with the gun still pointed at me.
"Yes however I know through the blood of others that you have never made an offer to any other vampire you have hunted, captured and killed which makes it a trick." She says while her hand holding the gun is shaking some.
"You are right. I never had made that deal to any vampire; you are the first. Do you want to know why?"
"What excuse is it?"
"Lucy asked me..." I tell her in the hopes that she would stop moving forward to me.
"Lucy? Is she with the order too?" Marishka asks, almost wondering if Lucy would ever betray her or the kind of vampires to join the Order.
"No, she is not with the Order. I asked her directly about you when I learned you returned on New Year's Eve. She was surprised, happy and scared for you. Lucy still cares for you, Marishka. She told me about the immortal shelter you all once had before Dracula ever left his old life. She knows that you still want this immortal shelter and you can still have it with her. She was your fellow vampire sister and she still is. The offer still stands if you come with me now and Lucy will help you in the New World. And I will make sure it is just Lucy helping you. Just put down the gun and come with me. We can go see her right now."
Marishka sobs in joy that Lucy still cares for her and her hand slightly lowers the gun to the ground. I stop moving in the hopes that this will work enough for Marishka to come with me willingly. And I can still keep my word to Lucy. Marishka spoke some of the truth to Dracula in the woods. She truly is all alone in the world as I see her cry in my words to her.
I want to get closer to her but I remain where I am because I do not want to push or break what is happening. I gently point toward the tunnel leading out of the cave. "We can walk out of here right now. I will take you directly to Lucy. We can go right now. You and Lucy can have an immortal shelter in each other. Neither of you need Dracula to live an amazing life. You do not need him, Marishka."
Suddenly Marishka stops crying at the mention of Dracula's name when I see her finger squeezes the trigger. The gun fires off, sending a bright spark through the cave that hurts her eyes as I use my speed to dodge the bullet. Marishka yells in anger that it hurt for her to pull the trigger. The gun residue injuries her hand almost like a mechanism for only those not vampire or wolf can use the gun without it hurting them.
Although Marishka does not drop the gun, still ready to pull the trigger again. I tried to do what I could for her but she does not want to let go of Dracula and she never will. She is the oldest woman on earth to enable the saying: If I can't have you, no one can. I growl with my glowing yellow eyes to see that she is not fully healed from the arm injury I gave her. I go right at her as a loud bang of the gun goes off again, echoing all throughout Broken Tooth Mountain mixed with my roars and her agonizing screams.
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Mina's POV
I walk hand in hand with Vlad while Matthew and Claire are walking just a few steps ahead. We are all laughing, enjoying ourselves as the moon is shining bright in the vast night sky. I smile to Vlad and I can tell he is happier than he was in the morning. Whatever Luke said to him, it was worthwhile and Vlad was in much need of it. I exhale in relief that Vlad is seeking a therapist that talks with other veterans with PTSD during their military tours.
Vlad stops me for a moment and stands face to face with me. I can tell he wants to tell me something important as he takes both of my hands into his. "Mina, I do not have enough words to say how amazing you are especially to me over the past week. I know my past is not easy to deal with."
"That makes two of us on our past." I lightly smile to him in agreement.
"Absolutely. All in all, I just wanted you to know that I lo-"
I gaze at him wondering if he is going to say what I think he is going to say to me. I hold my breath, feeling like my heart is beating so fast that it will explode from my chest as Vlad is trying to find the right words to tell me what he is about to say. "Mina, I lo-"
Out of nowhere, the sound of someone walking toward us stops Vlad and we both turn to see who it is. I gasp in utter shock to see it is the very same, drugged up woman that shot my father in cold blood. But how is she even here? She is supposed to be in a coma! I feel frozen as she walks right up to us the same exact way she did to me and my father.
She looks pale with large dark circles under her eyes from drugs with a black hood over her head to cover her dreadful short brown hair. She is exactly as I saw her wearing the same worn down jeans and messed up shoes and black hoodie. This cannot be happening! She looks exactly the same! This has to be some kind of nightmare until she smiles a murderous, sinister grin directly at me, recognizing me. This truly is real and happening!
I point to her in shock that she is even awake while barely saying, "You..."
"Yes, me..."
She extends her right arm up with a gun in her hand, pointing the gun right at me just as she did to my father years ago. And before I could move to react at all, she pulls the trigger. The gun echoes a large bang through the street for all near to hear the gun fire. I gasp not feeling anything hit me until my eyes look down to see Vlad is holding his lower gut, gasping in being shot.
I scream in seeing blood go right through his shirt as he looks down in the fact he has been shot. He moved in front of me to take the bullet before she pulled the trigger. Vlad gasps in pain, falling to the ground on his backside. I immediately fall to my knees next to Vlad as everything around me fades out except for the crazy woman with the gun looks just as shocked as we are when she screams while still point the gun at me.
Vlad immediately grabs me, placing his body over me. He is on top of me when this murderer was about to pull the trigger again but stops when she sees Vlad is going to take the next bullet, saving me if she shots again.
I freeze up in all that is happening when the murderer starts screaming, "No! It was suppose to be you! How is he bleeding?! You're bleeding! That is not possible!"
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