Van Helsing (Cont.)

Aleera bolted at Jinx, her arm extended towards Jinx's neck.

 

Jinx threw her leg out to connect with Aleera's stomach as soon as she was in reach. She smiled at how good it felt to actually fight full strength. "Nice try, but you must be getting slow." she teased Aleera, grabbing her other arm to swing her around and throw her onto the bridges edge.

 

Edward climbed up the stairs slowly, balancing Hannah's unconscious weight on his back. He quickly reached Van Helsing, Carl, Anna, and Michael.

Her neck is broken, he explained in Van Helsing's head. Someone needs to set it back in place so she can heal... Maybe Carl?

 

Van Helsing frowned and then turned to Carl, quickly relaying the information. "Can you help her?"

 

Carl looked at Hannah after listening to Van Helsing. "I might be able to." He answered, kneeling next to Edward. "Has she been moved much?"

 

Van Helsing relayed what Edward told him: "He says he carried her up the stairs on his back; that's it."

 

"Go ahead and lay her down," Carl instructed. After Edward had done what Carl had told him to, Carl gently moved his fingers along Hannah's neck to feel the break. "It's very jagged..." He murmured while trying to push the bones back into place.

 

Van Helsing noticed Edward wincing and his legs shaking on the stone floor. "She doesn't feel it," he spoke, almost kindly. "Her nervous system and conscious mind are completely disconnected right now and she won't be in any pain."

 

Carl grimaced at the sounds that the bones made as they slid past each other. "It's difficult not being able to see what I'm doing..." He murmured.

 

"We're wasting time!" Van Helsing sighed under his breath. "For all we know Aleera could be finishing Jinx and Dracula could be right around the corner."

 

She needs our help! Edward snarled in Van Helsing's head, growling at the hunter. Just do something for her, please, or I will not help you.

 

Oh, really? Lestat laughed at Beatrice. So when you're in over your head or you need help in your little adventure, you won't come running to me, will you?

 

Beatrice was non-responsive to Lestat for a moment. I'm sorry, She said at last. I guess I'm just really in over my head here. I don't really know what to do.

After a moment, Carl's expression changed from puzzlement to pride at the sound of snapping pop. "I think that's it."

Aleera wasted no time in getting back to Jinx.

 

OOC: brilliant!

BIC: Jinx didn't move fast enough this time and was pushed into the side of the bridge. She just laughed, though, and cast a strong glamour over herself so that she seemed to be a duplicate of Dracula. "What are you doing, Aleera?" she demanded, Dracula's voice coming through her lips.

 

"She'll regain consciousness soon, then?" Van Helsing asked.

 

Edward padded up to Hannah and gently licked her cheek. Wake up, Hannah, he said softly in her mind. I can't finish this without knowing you're okay. Please...

 

Oh, I can help you, little Bee, Lestat offered, slowly floating toward the castle, a grin on his face. That is, if you want to be any use to your friends, prove to them you really are something...

 

I do, Beatrice replied. None of them really take me seriously. I want to show them that I can help.

"You dare to take that form?" Aleera snarled, her grip tightening.

 

"Give her a minute," Michael said kindly to Edward.

 

Jinx just stared coldly at her, hidding the pain Aleera's was inflicting from her expression though it was growing steadily. "You dare to hurt me, woman?" she growled, in Dracula's form. Then she changed her glamour to one of the dead brides. "How could you, Aleera?" she asked, twisting her expression to one of deep hurt.