Van Helsing (Cont.)

"Maybe..." Van Helsing began, and then frowned. "Maybe it's not just a map... maybe the reason- ow!"

 

"Sorry," Edward muttered, pulling his fist away from Van Helsing. "I didn't mean to hit that hard... it's just, Michael and I have to take care of something-" He paused with a small gasp of pain, feeling Hannah's emotions in his head like fire. "Have to go," he finished quickly, and turned, almost running back down the long hall to the front doors of the castle.

 

Michael followed Edward, keeping his pace. "You go to Hannah. I'll go to Beatrice."

 

"Then do what it is in your nature to do," Lestat began, giving Beatrice a warm smile as he stroked her cheek. "Killing is not as awful as you put it. God, if there is one, takes life as much as he steals it away again. I only hurt those that are evil, little one. It helps keep a clear conscious. And, if I'm correct, this Dracula fellow seems to be second-best to myself, so you have no more noble cause than that at this point. A friend of mine once said that we, the keepers of the Dark Gift, the immortal, must always be three things: powerful, beautiful, and without regret."

 

Carl watched the two leave. "Did I miss something?"

Anna folded her arms. "I'd like to know that as well."

"But I'm none of those," Beatrice turned her head away from Lestat, her eyes on the ground.

"You're only asking for death now rather than later," John crouched.

Hannah's body automatically repsonded to the change of John's posture. She matched his pose, her muscles tensed to spring.

 

"Right," Edward said shortly, slamming his arms against the castle doors, smashing them open and back on their hinges. With his fast stride he reached the carriages in seconds, throwing his shirt on the ground next to one of the wheels. Once his feet hit the grass near the forest he let out a small howl, diving to all fours, his skin on fire instantly, clouding all his thoughts and sight for a moment. Then the sharp points of his claws were digging into the earth, tearing bits of mud out and under him, his mind and heightened sense of smell magnified to try and find anything close by him.

 

"We have some... bad company as well as good," Van Helsing began uncertainly. His mind drifted to Jinx, but he shook his head, almost planting his feet against the marble floor again to make himself stay still. "They must have sensed some of our... nonfriendly followers are close by. They'll be fine," he added, glancing at Carl once more.

 

Michael closed his eyes and focused on the noises of the forest. He let his feet guid him towards Beatrice.

 

"You're young," Lestat soothed, trailing a hand through her hair to rest at the back of her neck. "Alas, there is not much I can teach you, since you'll be much stronger if you just let your mind take over; succumb to desire, let your mind free and your heart rule. There is no limit with what you can do; love, betrayal, pain, excitement, attraction, ardrehaline, music, fear... all these emotions are magnified, beautified, glorious in both a wonderful and unbearable sense in our way of life. Just shut your eyes... there... think of words, things, people, solids, liquids... let them all rest on the tip of your tongue, breath everything aroud you without opening your lungs. Life... it is different now, no? Don't you want to feel all this, the life-force, the beauty of it all, now that, as an immortal, you are capable of doing so? It's easy: blood, little Bee. Human blood is all it takes..."

 

"Beatrice!" Michael called out.

 

Anna's hand went to her gun.

"They can handle it," Carl said quickly, catching Anna's movement. "So, did your father have a journal or some record of his work?"

Anna shook her head. "If he did, he kept it well hidden." She went to the window. This isn't making sense. Van Helsing works alone. Why is he with a group?

Beatrice's lips curved into a soft smile. "Yes," She murmured. Her eyes snapped open at Michael's voice. "Michael..?"

John looked towards the sound of slamming doors. "That bast-"

Hannah held John by his throat against a tree before he could finish. "Say another word against him and I will kill you."

You'd be killing yourself. John lashed his voice through Hannah's mind.

A growl ripped through Hannah's teeth, pain and anger mixing in it. "If it'll rid me of you, I don't care."

 

"Maybe it's not just a map," Van Helsing continued. "Maybe... it's not a map at all. You said he stared at this parchment for hours, no?"

 

Hannah, stop! Edward snapped suddenly, hoping his mental voice would hurt her enough to make her stop, calm down. Enough! He turned sharply around a nearby tree, spraying up more dirt, hearing Hannah and John closeby.

 

"Remember what I said," Lestat spoke softly in her ear before letting her go. "Although," he added with a chuckle, already half-way dissolved into a nearby shadow, "I doubt it will be hard to forget!"

 

"Beatrice!" Michael's eyes melted back to their soft brown. He wrapped his arms around her. "What happened?"

 

"Yes," Anna replied, turning to face Van Helsing.

Carl delicately ran his fingers along the map. "It's a wall, Van Helsing."

Beatrice felt a pang in her chest. "I'm... fine..." She said slowly, pushing away from Michael, unsettled by the odd feeling that raced through her at his touch.

Hannah let go of John, her hands flying to her head.

John straightened his coat. "I couldn't have done it better myself." He murmured.

Hannah drove her fist into the side of John's face without looking. When he was away from her, she felt her anger start to ebb away.

 

OOC: OML THIS PAGE IS SO FRIKKIN AWESOME!!!

http://www.vampires.sarawebsite.com/icon/index.html

 

"But we're talking about Dracula here," Van Helsing added to Carl, not looking at the friar. "This used to be his house... to him, maybe this isn't a map, parchment, or a wall at all! Do you follow?" he added, turning to Anna, taking a step toward her.

 

I said STOP! Edward screamed, leaping forward at Hannah, colliding with her and dragging her down to the ground. He had her pinned underneath his heavy paws in a second, trying very hard not to bare his teeth at her. Please, calm down, he said now, a little more quietly.

 

Cute, Lestat thought to himself, grinning for a moment at John's pain. I suddenly pity this Dracula...