Van Helsing's Sister, Dracula's Bride

The creature takes an unsteady step backwards before collapsing, fighting to stay awake. Anna rises to her feet and stumbles over to where Van Helsing's pistol is laying on the cavern floor. My brother and I hurry over to her and I tackle her before she can shoot the monster. What can I say; I'm a sucker for a good sob story even if a monster is the one telling it.

Anna jumps to her feet after pushing me off of her, and picks up the gun, aiming it at the monster; Van Helsing grabs her wrist, forcing the barrel towards the ground. "We have to kill it," Anna exclaims, struggling to raise the pistol.

"If you value your lives," the monster rasps," and the lives of your people, you will kill me!"

"What are you talking about," I growl at it," we're trying to save you from that homicidal Princess!"

"If Dracula finds me—"He cuts himself off, forcing his eyes to stay open. "I am the key to my father's machine. The key to life, life for Dracula's children."

"He awakened them last night," Van Helsing informs it solemnly.

"They were only from one bride, one single birthing; only with me can he give them lasting life." Its sorrow filled eyes slowly begin to glaze.

"There are more of those things?"

"Thousands...Thousands more..." Its head crashes to the floor and it begins to snore quietly. Anna raises the pistol again but I stand between her and the monster, blocking her shot.

"Get out of the way," she orders. I've never taken orders well, just ask the men back in Rome.

"Lower the gun and I will!"

"We have to kill it so Dracula can't bring his children to life!"

"It's not evil," I exclaim," it's-it's innocent!" My brother forces the pistol from her.

"My job, my life, is to vanquish evil; I can senseevil," Van Helsing says, pointing at the monster. "This man isn't evil; evil may have created it, may have left its mark on it, but evils does not rule it. I cannot kill it."

"I can," she argues, struggling to get the pistol back.

"Not while we're here," I say firmly. "Maybe he can help us find a way to destroy Dracula." I see a shadow move out of the corner of my eye and turn just in time to see a Werewolf jumping out of the cavern and running off, probably to tell Count Chocula. Great, that's exactly what we needed.

"It saw us, now Dracula will know where the creature's been hiding!" Anna has a grim look on her face. "He'll get what he's wanted all this time, and none of us will be able to stop him!" Van Helsing and I look at each other and he nods.

"If we can get him to Rome then we can protect him," my brother says, holstering the revolver. Anna sighs, reluctantly nodding her head.

"I'm going to regret this later," she grumbles," I know I will."

~Two Hours Later~

Van Helsing, Carl, and I walk to a coach that Anna has just drawn up in front of her manor; the four black horses pulling it are restless, even more so when I approach them. Animals and I have never gotten along; it's something to do with my Dhampir blood. I lead Carl over to the unoccupied side of the coach, turning to face him before opening the door.

"Don't stare at him, it makes him uncomfortable," I inform the friar, one hand resting on his shoulder.