Van Helsing

Beatrice heard Van Helsing's mumble. "I'd go to Dracula." She lowered her head when he looked at her. "Isn't he the main vampire or something?"

 

Van Helsing looked at Hannah. "Well?" he said. "What do you think?"

 

Edward put a protective arm around Hannah. "Stop badgering h-"

"Shut up, Edward!" Van Helsing snapped, and the other man shut his mouth. Van Helsing waited for the girl's response.

 

"While you're at it," Van Helsing continued. "What's so 'complicated'? If you're here, secrets could cost lives by the end of it. Please share."

 

Go to Dracula?! Thoughts of what might happen whirled through Hannah's head. "Um... I ... I don't know. Shouldn't you be making the decisions?"

 

"Yes," Van Helsing began. "But if you want to come with us, you need to tell us what you know, please: why did those brides come? What do you know about Dracula? What complicated?"

 

"You really should let her be for a little while," Edward said, but knew he couldn't stop Van Helsing from questioning till he got the answers he wanted.
I don't care what she's done or what she will do, he thought resolutely. she is a good person.

 

Hannah's knees buckled and she dropped to the ground. "I can't explain everything..." She started. "And I really would rather not talk about it..." She looked up at Van Helsing. "But I can see you won't take no for an answer." She lowered her head again. "I met Dracula four months ago. I didn't know who he was, but I knew that I had an attraction to him. When were apart, he was all I thought about. It seemed odd; I'd never felt that way before. Anyway, when we met up for the third time, he seemed different. But that feeling still stayed with me. He complimented me; told me I was strong and beautiful. I didn't really know how to take it. He said that the next time we met, he'd show me something that he'd only shown three others. Naive as I was, I took it to be some secret area in the forest or something. Before that meeting though..." She faltered. "I met another man.... He wasn't as charming as Dracula, in fact, he was just scary." She looked at Van Helsing and then Edward and then back at the ground. "Something happened between us, and now Dracula seems pretty angry about it..."

 

"What happened between you two, Hannah?" Edward asked after a moment, kneeling next to her. He did not like the inexplicable rage that was now hot in his blood; anger always made the next full moon ten times worse. "You can tell me."

 

"That seems like him," Van Helsing said after a moment, ignoring Edward. "Wanting more than three brides to himself... God d.amn Jinx! If she were here we could get some real answers frmo her as well! Maybe even a location!!"

 

Hannah looked at Edward, worry and fear reflected in her eyes. She looked briefly at Van Helsing and then pulled her hair away from her neck to show two three month old bite marks.

 

"I don't understand," Edward said, wanting to put his fingers to her neck for some reason. "Who exactly bit you?"

 

Van Helsing kept silent, watching Edward.

 

Hannah dropped her hair. "I don't know his name. We only met that one time..."

 

"Why would Dracula be angry about that?" Edward asked now. "I'm sure he knows who bit you."

 

Hannah looked at Edward. "Because I'm not his." She said, as though it was obvious. "If he really wants me, he'll have to...." She trailed off.

 

Suddenly Edward rose. "I can't... sorry..." he seem to mutter, and then stomped off into the trees.

 

"Edward!" Van Helsing called. "Get back here! It's still dark! Dammit..."

He turned to Hannah now. "All I have left to ask is where had you met Dracula before? We can start looking for him around there instead of wandering aimlessly."

 

"I won't go without Edward." Hannah said, rising. "And I won't say any more. I've already told you things that I didn't plan on telling anyone."

 

Van Helsing sighed. "You go get him, then! I... I have things to reload!"