The Bride of Dracula

The Mistresses

When next Abraham Van Helsing opened his eyes the group was still in the clearing and it was mid-day. Rorke leaned over him looking concerned and saddened, what had happened? Judging by the pain and scratches it looked like they had barely survived an attack. Abe tried to swallow, but it hurt, and so he rubbed his throat. Then everything flooded back to him from the night before, until he came face-to-face with the Master Vampire, Dracula. Why were they not dead?! He went to sit up, when Rorke placed a gentle hand on him. "Easy Abe, easy."

However the saddened look did not leave Rorke's face and it terrified Abe, that was when he looked hoping to see his niece. Lecura would tell him what was wrong when Rorke would be struggling, only where was Lecura?! Panick made him shove Rorke's hand away, sit up, and look around. He saw everyone but her! It was then he remembered what happened just before he slipped into unconsciousness, Dracula had picked up his unconscious niece. "Consider yourselves lucky and leave my lands." The monster had said.

Dracula took Lecura! The thought repeated in his head like a broken record. She was always the girl not some Transylvania girl, but his Lecura! 'No! This can not be happening! She has to be here somewhere! She must be tending the injured hunters somewhere!' "Lecura!" Abe called out looking around, but no response came, "Lecura!"

"Abe..." Rorke had rose to stand by his friend and tried to put a hand on his shoulder, but Abe shook it off.

"Lecura! Where are you girl?!" He screamed then winced remembering Dracula had almost crushed his throat.

"Abe, he took her. She is gone." Rorke replied softly. Abe looked back at his friend in disbelief, but the look on his face said it all. Not since Rorke's adopted family had died had Abe seen the complete look of loss on Rorke's face. Even then he could see Rorke imagining the worse for Lecura and thinking he had failed yet another girl he viewed as a little sister. What would happen to Lecura? Would he see her again? Would she be turned? Would he be forced to kill her? He looked around at his team of hunters who right then were reminded of the worse possible situation, and what their leader might have to do. A good number of them had to take their own loved ones lives because they were turned, and Abe did not want to think about having to kill Lecura.

"No! I will have her back! If that monster touches her I will find a way to take him to hell with me!" With that Abe stalked off heading back to Sighisoara to regroup with or without his group. However Rorke was not about to let his friend go off alone, and so he picked up the battle axe he used over his shoulder and wordlessly began to follow Abe. One by one each of them got up to follow their leader leaving the other groups calling out how futile it was to oppose Dracula. Julien stood off to the side with his team torn on what to do.

'This is all wrong, something is very wrong with this situation.' Lecura thought as she paced the room, 'How long have I been here anyway? Where is Uncle and the others? What happened to the girl in a shawl? Did Dracula take her?' The fact that these questions refused to leave her mind made her pace even more. The situation she was in was no better, she felt like a prisoner in this room despite the pleasant treatment. It was shortly after Vlad had left her clothes and a few of her belongings were returned to her mended and washed, so she changed out of the nightdress she had woken in into her clothes. However every time Dracula or a servant left the audible click of the door being locked all but enforced the truth; she was a prisoner. It made the situation even more unnerving. 'Everything is wrong with this. Why am I being kept in this room? Why is Vlad adamant that I heal when my uncle and friends could be dying, or worse?!'

Lecura grew even more frustrated as she paced the room. She also felt frustration for letting Vlad boss her around, kiss her, and intimidate her. 'Something is wrong with him. There is something very dangerous about him, I need to be careful around him I know that much. Wait could he be Dracula?' The last thought made her shake her head and give a short laugh. 'No he could not be such a monster. Dracula would never have helped me or tended to me. He would have-." Lecura shook her head yet again. She could not think like that about what such a monster would do to her, not yet. However remaining was not an option for her, then she remembered what Cordric had taught her about locks and how to pick them. Before becoming a vampire hunter, he had been a blacksmith. As he would say it always pays to have the odd skills, you never know when you will need them. Now that Vlad was gone and she was alone again she could take in her surroundings more. Across from the bed and to the right of the door was a vanity table with perfume and brushes, she checked the drawers and found some simple straight pins, perfect. Pocketing some for later just in case, Lecura returned to the door.