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"After your sister had recovered from her delirium, she told me what had happened and of her narrow escape from death She is still quite ill and her body was battered during her ordeal There is sourement, which I think will fade away in tith at this tiress and inform you of a time when I can return her to your care

"My solicitor, Sir Stephen, can answer any other inquiries you have concerning your fa soed to your faes River

"With ards, your new friend, Count Dracula"

Andrew urement?"

"It does not say, Andrew" I, too, had felt overwhelmed by that word I did not want to think of what it could possiblyas I folded the letter "Perhaps it is nothing permanent"

"My dearest sister, what has happened to you?" Andrew murmured In his despair, he covered his face to hide his tears

I leaned forward and drew the two items bound in brown paper froers, I unwrapped the paper until old locket fell out onto my lap "Oh, Andrew Look at what he has sent us!"

Andrew moved his hands away from his face and stared at the pocket watch and tiny locket for a long one It is not a dream," he wailed

I reached out to hi hi words to him

Oh, how shall we go on? Hoe find any measure of peace when our hearts are so shattered? What aht

The Castle

3rd of March, 1820

Ever since that terrifying night when I saw Erzsébet’s fate, I have bowed to Vlad’s wishes I cannot express how difficult it has been to curb my natural inclination to defy him But my brother and his family are all that I have left ofto protect theeline, and their newborn son are always in hts To save them, I must appear subservient Reluctantly, I have accepted inally afterVlad and the castle, but now I realize I have a greater calling I ns of Count Vlad Dracula I shall do whatever I ly to Vlad’s bedcharit my teeth and play the part of the loyal lover if it means I can maneuver myself into the position to free my brother from the fate of the rest of my family

Over the last few months, there has been a flurry of correspondence between my brother and Vlad Since I have obeyed Vlad and written letters in accordance to what he desires, I am now allowed to read my brother’s letters I treasure those moments when I can curl up and read limpse into the world I left behind That alone has been reward enough for a into a darkness that frightensto sacrifice a bit ofthat of ree of shame that permeates me as I embrace this new life and find certain co within me excite me They are a pro uilt for that affection Is it a betrayal of my family to love them? In another world, in another time, Cneajna and my mother would have been steadfast friends I could easily see Ariana dressed lish friends and me in our aristocratic amusements Elina reht, Vlad freed us froave the word, ere out the door, dashingrose her head and the night was cool and fresh with life

We ran wildly, laughing gaily, our pale lier, our senses were acute and dangerously accurate It did not seeether, we crept slowly into the firelight, revealing ourselves slowly to hisbefore he yielded to our seductive kisses

Blood, rich and full of life flowed pastthe helpless hunter againstbody My sisters drank beforeheartbeat ofush of blood ebbed away and I slowly sat back onthe dead man slip from my cold embrace

Gradually,of the trees, the caress of the night wind, and the sweet fragrance of blood filled ht above the cypress tress The pure soft light illued about in the makeshift cah us, spreading life into our cold bodies and I sighed blissfully

Ariana finished going through his personal belongings and threw up her hands "Let us find another!"

I climbed to my feet as Elina stretched her ar her body into that of a wolf I a to fully understand the extent of asp at her transforh to scale walls like a spider and leap great distances It is also so very natural to pass through the sular doorway But now, I a to think myself into a mist and solidify in the destination of my choice Now, to see Elina transform herself into a wolf as Vlad had done astounded me I did not realize such poithin my reach

Elina’s dark wolf shape howled and rushed away into the woods

Laughing gleefully, Ariana pursued Elina into the woods "Coht!"

I laughing, I twirled away from her "Catch me if you can!"

I darted into the forest and Cneajna pursued I dashed through the trees, a blur of luainst the darkness,more quickly than I could have ever dreamed With supernatural ease, I darted around trees and leapt over any obstacle in my path I have never experienced such freedom It was an intensely pleasurable experience to run without h the thick foliage and in h the forest Ariana caught htful fall I clutched her tightly to reat relief

"You saved me!"

"You would not have died, but it would have hurt!"