FicWad

She was drowning, flailing in the middle of a frozen topped lake.

"Help me! Somebody!" The girl screamed. She had been out ice-skating on this late night, and had fallen through a particularly thin area. The cold would take her in two, maybe three minutes if she was lucky.

Liam just watched this girl as she flailed, cried, and attempted to claw her way out of the water. I should help her...He thought to himself. His keen turquoise eyes glanced over and met with a pair of arctic blues that belonged to the man next to him.

"You must learn to let go. Only by witnessing death can you fully accept it." Vladislaus stated.

Liam knew this, but he wanted to help the girl so badly. Everything inside of his cold body was screaming for him to do something, but he knew that his master would be angry with him, if he wasn't already.

Thumpthumpthumpthump

The girl's heartbeat was racing as she continued to fight the bitter cold.

Thump-thump thump-thump

Her matted blonde hair was floating behind her in one long mass. She would not be able to stay in the water much longer.

Thump...thump...thump...thump

She grasped for something, anything on the ice before her. All of her efforts were futile, the cold would take her.

Thump..........thump..........thump.......................thump

The water made a satisfying sound as she fell completely into it. For a moment, she was gone from sight. Soon enough, she floated back to the top, face to the sky.

Liam felt the urge to cry, it was so sad that someone must die in order for others to survive.

Vladislaus chuckled darkly. Liam looked over to the man who had broken the silence. "My lord, I-"

"Come Liam, let us inspect the girl." said Vladislaus. He spoke so casually that it was as if he was shopping for furniture.

In the blink of an eye, he had seemingly flown from the tree in which they had been sitting and was now beside the hole in the ice where the girl bobbed ominously.

Liam's eyes followed the Count as he crouched down and lifted the girl's limp body with a single finger that he had placed beneath her jaw. Vladislaus laid the girl down on the ice, her eyes looking skyward.

Vladislaus seemed to eye look the girl over for a moment and then stood up.

"Come Liam, come and see." He spoke in his Romanian accent

The scruffy boy descended the tree and traipsed over to the area where the girl lay.

Vladislaus looked up momentarily and smiled. "You see the way she stares to the heavens?"

Liam nodded, having noticed this merely moments before. The girl had bright blue eyes that looked angelic, surrounded by her matching pure hair.

"Shall we tear her from her heavenly ascent?" The Count was now staring at his protégé.

Liam frowned, looked from the girl, to Vladislaus, to the sky, and then back to the Count.

"I don't understand. She's dead." He stated, now regretting how tactless he was at some times.

Vladislaus Dracula chuckled and crouched down once more. He ran a thin hand over her long hair.

"No, she is still at the transitional stage from life into the after life. Come," he beckoned for Liam to crouch down beside him. He did as the Count wished. "She will secure your place in this world. She is my gift to you, dear Liam."

Liam looked at her features, studying his new present. She had puffy lips that seemed to be curved into a small smile. Her face was rather oval shaped, but still gave the impression of a china doll.

"What do I do with her?" Liam asked, not being a personal fan of necrophilia.

"We will take her back to the castle. But we must hurry if we are to want to keep her with us." Vladislaus replied, having stood. He outstretched a hand for Liam to take.

The younger male placed his hand into the other's and allowed himself to be lifted. He made note of how soft Count Vladislaus Dracula's hand was. Like a rose petal...or something. He thought to himself.

Liam bent over and lifted the frozen girl into his arms. He closed his eyes as he felt the familiar sensation of being carried through the air as his Lord and Master flew back to the castle.

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Meanwhile,
"WALK OF SNAILS!!!" Lucinda screamed as she sat up straight in bed, her dress clinging to her body as she was drenched in an uncomfortably hot sweat.

Although the fire had gone out in the room, she still felt sticky and uncomfortable. She rubbed her eyes furiously. "It was only a dream...just a silly dream..." Lucinda mumbled.

Lucinda looked around the room. It was the same extravagantly and ornately decorated bedchamber that she had entered on the previous night.

She brushed a few stray hairs from her face and crawled a good few feet to the edge of the bed. Lucinda swung her legs over and hopped down. Unfortunately, she misjudged the distance to the floor and fell into a heap upon the decorative rug.

"Argh..." She groaned as she gathered her footing and stood. Lucinda straightened out the dress as best she could, but to no avail. It was thoroughly soaked.

Oh, that's just divine. Now what shall I wear? She thought.

Lucinda's eyes swiveled about the room until they came to rest upon a dark cherry wood armoire. "Here we are..." She said cheerily as she sauntered over towards it.

It seemed as though no detail had been spared in the construction of this piece of furniture. Her eyes trailed over the grain of the wood which seemed to never end. She ran a pale hand down the front of it and swung open the large doors.

What she saw inside made her gasp. Inside, hanging there looking beautiful, were twenty or so ornate gowns. Each one seemed to belong to every part of the world, there were designs that were distinctly Spanish, and some that seemed to have been there for quite some time.

Amongst all of the different styles and colors, she noticed that her own dress was hung in the far left. Yes, it was perfectly preserved. It actually took up a good deal of space, next to another rather large dress that was no doubt French. The now insultingly scarlet dress still smelled of English soaps, she noticed as she held it close.

Lucinda's mind was soon ripped from memories of her homeland when she heard a rather large crash emitted from behind a door that adjoined with her room.

"Who's there?" She asked the door, having dropped the dress in its place. There was a moment of silence as she strode over to where the sound had emanated from. Within seconds, the door swung violently foreword at the hand of a strong looking woman. She was around five foot two, with olive skin and dark honey blonde hair that was piled atop her head in a rather messy looking bun, but with a few strands of exotically curly hair broken free that framed her face. Her eyes were a golden brown and lined with dark lashes. Her face had prominent cheekbones, but was over all quite heart shaped. She wore a long, olive green dress with very little detail, save for a few decorative seams in a darker thread. Over all she looked quite strange to Lucinda's British eyes.

It seemed as though this woman had obviously noticed Lucinda's internal critiques, as her face turned to that of distaste.

"In most countries it is considered rude to stare." She stated condescendingly in her native Italian accent as she bent down to continue cleaning up what looked like a broken vase of some sort.

"Oh...next time I'll make sure to ask before staring." Lucinda retorted, she was not used to getting spoken to like this from a mere maid. "What are you doing anyway?" She asked.

The Italian woman glanced upward as she continued to gather pieces of porcelain into the folds of her dress. "If you must know it was a vase that I accidentally shattered in the process of drawing your bath."

"Oh." Lucinda said. "Why were you drawing me a bath?"

"The Count's orders; you are to be bathed once you awake." She said, having deposited the fragments into a basket. "Come." She beckoned for Lucinda to follow her into the stone room, lit by many candles. The chamber had tall, skinny windows done in the gothic style that was echoed throughout the rest of the Castle.

"My name is Katherine by the way." She stated, now gathering a small cloth from a nearby shelf.

"Lucinda Branch of Kingston, England." Lucinda replied as she looked over the bathtub in scrutiny. It seemed clear enough, and she hadn't bathed in quite some time. Lucinda fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve for a moment as Katherine continued to gather all sorts of odds and ends.

"All right Lucinda Branch of Kingston England, the water is ready." The older woman said. Lucinda moved toward the bath. She stretched out a hand and stroked the water, which was surprisingly hot.

"You may undress me." Lucinda stated, now holding out both arms, causing the sleeves to flutter lightly.

Katherine's eyes narrowed for a moment before she moved behind the thin girl. One by one, she unfastened the buttons. The dress fell to the ground without a sound, emphasizing the lightness of the fabric.

Lucinda shuddered violently as the cold hit her bare body. Katherine averted her eyes and gestured to the water, which the smaller girl stepped into eagerly.

She closed her eyes as she felt the water envelope her body. It was as though she had fallen into a comforting blanket.

The bath was so large that she was able to sink slightly and duck her head beneath the surface of the water. Lucinda's long tresses floated around her. As she lay suspended there, she seemed almost corpse like.

Her eyes snapped open. Suddenly her head broke the surface as she gasped for the air that she had almost forgotten to breathe. Lucinda settled herself back against the wall of the tub and turned to Katherine, who was watching her face with eagle-like precision.

Lucinda giggled. "That was silly of me, holding my breath."

"Yes it was. Now, would you like me to soap your hair?" Katherine asked as she uncorked an expensive looking crystal bottle that contained a peach colored liquid. Lucinda nodded and began pawing at the water, creating ripples along the surface.

A small smile crept across Katherine's golden face at Lucinda's cheerful behavior. She began to lather the thickly fragranced liquid into the child's hair. Lucinda closed her eyes and leaned farther against the tub, enjoying her pampering.

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Liam followed the Count down the corridors, the drowned girl laying limp in his arms.

Vladislaus was silent, the only noise made was that of he and Liam's boots tapping on the stone as they continued down the endless hallways. The air was cold, yet somehow thick and suffocating with the stagnant smell of mold penetrating the rock. Liam hated it.

"Here we are." Vladislaus said as he entered an expansive room. It was devoid of windows, and the only piece of furniture seemed to be a large table that was covered with many blankets and a single pillow; all of which were spattered with what looked like ancient blood from years past.

Vladislaus stepped behind the table and gestured to its length. "Lay her here."

Liam complied, taking care not to contort her lithe, livid corpse. Once laid out, Liam stepped backward, not sure of what to do next.

He looked up to meet Vladislaus' penetrating eyes. The Count nodded and pulled the younger man towards him, gliding across the floor, with a simple tug on the invisible strings that bonded Liam to himself. Liam brought a hand to his own temples and rubbed, it always hurt when that happened.

"Now, bite her." He commanded, now staring at the girl expectantly and yet still breathing down Liam's neck. With one swift movement, Vladislaus moved from his previous position and sliced a small cut across the girl's jugular, causing a small line of blood to surface. The seventeen-year-old's jaw fell slack as he watched with supernatural precision how the crimson liquid dripped down her flesh and formed small rivers.

Liam faltered for a moment to following the Count's orders, but then lowered his lips to her neck, gently brushing the cold skin. He felt the sharp fangs descend from his gums as he began to be intoxicated by the smell of her blood that had surfaced so willingly.

His hand moved to her shoulders as he pierced her skin and drank deep of the aromatic liquid, savoring the flavor that gushed forth within his pallet.

"That's it." Vladislaus cooed. "Now she is coming back to us...Listen." He paused and closed his eyes. "Oh, listen..."

Sure enough, as Liam continued to draw out her life-sustaining liquid, she began to moan. It was not a moan of arousal, but one of discomfort. Within seconds this turned to a very shrill scream as her eyes began to swivel madly from side to side.

Liam withdrew rather callously; taking a bit of skin with him which no doubt hurt her.

"Do not stop...She must submit...!" Vladislaus explained loudly.

The girl began to flail, screaming hopeless prayers in her inconsolable agony. "Hold her! Restrain the girl!" Vladislaus said as he continued to stare at her writhing form.

Liam, in frustration, pulled himself atop her and drew her arms above her head. His fangs once more pierced her skin, causing a new wave of screams.

Soon, however, her cries died down to a lull, the occasional sharp moan breaking in. Upon noticing this, Vladislaus seized Liam's wrist and bit into the vein without a moment of care.

"Ouch!" Liam hissed. Vladislaus smirked and pressed the younger man's now profusely bleeding wrist to the half open mouth of their guest.

Her eyes flashed open, the pupils contracting in response to the new sensation. Liam continued to sit upon her, restraining her from too much movement. Her lips closed around the wound on his arm and began to drink.

Liam's eyes closed in mild pleasure as she drained the blood from his wrist. Soon however, he felt his consciousness sway. He looked down in horror to see her almost feasting upon his blood. "Vlad-er...my lord!" He exclaimed.

Vladislaus sat up from the windowsill from where he had been watching the outside world pass by.

"Ah yes. Any moment now." He mused idly, strolling casually over to where the girl had sat up, Liam's wrist still clamped firmly within her jaws.

"Argh!" Liam growled, ripping his arm from her. She cried out and opened her crystalline eyes.

All went silent for a moment, and Liam and she kept their eyes locked.

"More?" She inquired, sounding horrifically young.

"No!" He shot back, nursing his wound that was slowly healing on its own. His formerly torn flesh seemed to stitch itself back together, one of the advantages of being the creature that he was.

The girl turned her golden blonde head towards Vladislaus. "Please?"

He studied her face momentarily, seemingly delving into her mind. Vladislaus, having finished his silence, chuckled and shook his head no. "In time, my darling. In time."

He strode over towards her and motioned for Liam to release her. The boy complied, and climbed from atop her. "Now, what is your name?" Vladislaus asked as he visually watched the tiny veins within her face pulse and become vivid.

She thought for a moment, taking her time to perhaps draw up a memory.
"Perry." She stated, sounding confident in her answer. She suddenly frowned. "Who are you?"

Vladislaus looked from Liam back to Perry. "This is Lord Liam Branch," Liam raised an eyebrow at his new title. "His sister, Lady Lucinda Branch also resides in this Castle. I am Count Vladislaus Dracula." He said with ease.

In truth, Liam and Lucinda were quite high on the social scale, but were not close to the titles of Lord and Lady. However, Perry soaked up this information as readily as she did the blood from Liam's veins, and with the same lustful gaze.

Vladislaus looked to Liam expectantly.

"Oh, yes. It is a pleasure." Liam said, taking Perry's hand and kissing it. If possible she would have flushed, but considering that her heart did not beat, blood did not travel to her face to create color.

She seemed to have no recollection of what had happened mere moments ago.

There was an uneasy silence that filled the room as they all stared at one another. Liam was beginning to become very uncomfortable. Thankfully, Perry broke the silence.

"My clothes are wet." She said, plucking her skirt at random intervals.

"You fell into a lake, Mister Branch here saved you...Forgive me, but how old are you?" The Count answered, sounding quite bored with the simple conversional ways of this peasant girl.

She paused before replying. "I'm not sure...seventeen?"

The Count smiled to himself, as if enjoying a private joke.

"Very well."

((Ooooooh....A cliffie. RATE and review.))