CHAPTER LI

A soft song plays in the background. Its fine tune flows through the air and resonates around the room.

The room is spacious but filled with an atmosphere of wicked intentions.

There is a round pool inside; it is not filled with water but blood.

Adrian, Alex and another man stay close to one edge of the pool.

Adrian and Alex are silent as this unknown character plays with a silver coin in his hand.

Throwing it into the air and catching it.

Just as the silver coin begins to burn his hand he throws it back into the air and continues this circle of activity.

The room is quiet and the only sound is that of the coin against the man's flesh.

Adrian spits to the floor.

He stands with his hands behind his back like an obedient soldier.

"Can you stop that? The smell of your flesh is nauseating," Adrian says.

The man who seats at the edge of the blood filled pool catches his coin and puts it in his long black jacket before he can no longer endure the pain of the silver's burn.

He runs his hands through his long black hair.

His golden eyes stare at the vampire as he wears his disgust like a cloth.

"I thought vampires loved the smell of a burning dog," he says.

"Oh, we do but at the same time we can't stand the smell of a dog," Adrian says.

"The smell is how you know the living, but a dead thing cannot understand this.

I don't blame you, after all you were born weak and you had to die to become what you are now.

Whereas we dogs are born as beast and we remain as beast till the day we die,".

"Dogs are just animals," Adrian mocks.

"And yet we are superior to you who beg for a second chance at life," "If only you could be cured of your mortality, you would understand,".

"It's funny how vampirism could not cure your baldness.

In fact, a few more years and you will lose the rest of your hair".

Alex ignores the men as they bicker.

Saying words with context of insults.

"Will both of you shut up? Your little chirping is disturbing my sleep,".

His voice stands above theirs like a god standing over his people.

They stop their argument and pose a more composed figure as Count Dracula stands up.

Half of his body submerged in the pool of blood.

His blue eyes glowing like stars at night.

Blood drips over his face as his face is soaked in it.

"My lord," the trio chorus to greet their master.

"Adrian, how are the men and the ghouls?" he asks as he walks to the edge of the pool.

"They are ready my lord. They only await your command,".

Adrian gives a light bow with one hand on his chest.

"Byron, the trackers?" he comes out of the pool and Alex gives him a towel to cover his naked body.

"The wolves are ready," Byron answers while he cleans his nails.

"And you? Are you ready, alpha?" Dracula asks the fair skinned man as he leaves the edge of the pool and faces the Count.

"Yes, I just hope your children fight back unless it will be boring.

The pack you sent me to attack didn't put up much of a fight either.

I was looking forward to killing their alpha but she wasn't there" Byron complains and Dracula laughs.

"The goal is to make it as boring as possible," Dracula says, "Damn it," Byron mumbles.

"Not everything is about a good fight.

You have to learn to see the bigger picture," Alex says to Byron.

"Alex, get the witches ready.

Today is the day I get my prize," he smiles from ear to ear as his plans gradually shift to place.

"And get the project ready, if things don't go as planned we will need plan B ready for kick-off," he says.

"Of course," Alex bows and walks towards the exit, flaunting her beautiful red hair as she walks away to do her master's bidding.

"Now, you two go prep your boys. Today is a glorious day,".

*. *. *. *. *

Gabriel groans as he wakes up with a headache.

His memory of last night is foggy.

He sits up on his bed as he tries to replay the nightmare he had.

"Good to see that you are not dead.

For a moment there I thought you would never wake up," Samuel says as he offers Gabriel a glass of blood.

He points to a table at the corner of the room, "I brought you breakfast.

Seeing as you haven't eaten for two weeks," Samuel says.

Gabriel takes a sip of the blood.

"Wait, what the hell are you talking about? Two weeks?" Gabriel is confused.

"Yes brother, you've been out for two weeks," "What are you saying? We made plans…".

"You were sacrificed and Lucifer took over your body but I saved you as the big brother that I am," Samuel says.

Gabriel's eyes widen with shock, "That can't be,".

Rachael walks into the room, "Gabriel, are you alright?" she was worried about the immortal.

Ironic how a mortal worries about the well-being of an immortal.

"Rachael…" it's been two weeks and she looks as lovely as yesterday.

"You've been unconscious for a whole day.

I was starting to get worried," she says.

"Wait, only a day?" "Yeah, a day".

Gabriel turns his eyes to his twin, "You are an asshole," he says.

"The look on your face was priceless, I will never forget it" he says with a smile.

"I will kill you one day, fool" Gabriel threatens and his brother laughs.

"Well, it's a good thing you are awake. Today is the day, brother.

Put your game face on, we are going to Manhattan".

John and Elma's faces flash in his mind as he tries to recall the last thing he saw before he passed out.

"What of John and Elma?" he asks, "Elma is in the living room, John said he was going to get a witch" Rachael answers.

She says it so calmly that the sphinx realizes just how familiar Rachael has become with their world.

"Fatten up, meet us when you are all set.

And let me remind you, the detective is coming as well" Samuel says and his brother grunts.

"It was your bloody idea to leave him alive," Samuel mumbles.

Rachael and Samuel leave Gabriel's room so he can recover his strength.

"You don't have to be a part of this," Samuel says to Rachael, "I want to," she says.

"I don't want you to," he says, his tone almost aggressive.

"If anything happens to you, I…I…I just want you to be safe" he says as his eyes expose his worry.

"Samuel, I have to" "It's not your fight, leave it to us" "It became my fight when you got my father killed,".

His heart bleeds with guilt and hurt as Rachael's words cut him like a knife.

He knows he doesn't deserve her care or trust but he never knew that losing that would hurt his hard heart.

Rachael walks away, turning her back to him and he puts his hand on his chest as if to hold his broken heart.

Rachael knows she was harsh to Samuel but she still holds anger in her heart after the twins fought.

Hearing Samuel confess to having a hand in her father's death hurt her.

She can't deny that she has feelings for him but not today.

Not when she is a step closer to seeing Dracula die.

She has no plan of her own but she will stay and wait and when the opportunity presents itself, she will have her vengeance.

Elma and Elena's eyes watch the little woman walk into the sitting room.

"Is he awake?" the light skinned blond asks.

"Yes Gabriel is awake. He just needs a little rest," Rachael answers Elma.

"I hope he is coming here with an apology.

He almost killed us," Elena is enraged.

"It was not his fault, he was under mind control," Rachael says.

Elma traps a laugh behind an aggressive mouth.

"From where I come from, no supernatural tries to kill me and lives," Elena says.

An angry growl introduces itself in Samuel as he steps into the living room.

Elena shiver with cold shoulders as her eyes flutter and her body tremble.

She falls to her knees and gasp for breath.

Rachael calls out his name with the cry of a lioness.

He raises his hands briefly to signal a surrender.

"She was saying nonsense," he says.

Elena manages to stand up.

"I think I will have some water" she staggers away.

Elma looks at Samuel with stabbing eyes.

"What?" he shrugs his shoulders.

The sound of the elevator bell turn their attention away from the sphinx.

John enters the room with a woman.

She wears tight black pants and black boots.

Her long black hair flowing down onto her shoulders.

She wears a long sleeve see-through shirt.

She wears a sun shaped earring on one ear and a moon shaped one on the other.

Rachael shouts with joy and confusion.

"Mary!".

It is Mary Sullivan.

Her former co-worker at Peoples United Bank.

"This is Mary everyone, she will alter Dracula's spell for us," John introduces her.

Rachael is baffled.

Alter the spell?

Mary Sullivan is the witch John was talking about?

Rachael begins to wonder how many people in her life are supernatural masking as ordinary people.

"Rachael," Mary rushes over to her and embraces the woman.

Her dimples reminds Rachael of the days she worked in the bank.

Having a charming partner and competition in the work place.

"I've missed you. I came in one day and heard you got fired," Mary says.

"Yeah, I work here now".

"Alongside the immortals. I never thought you had it in you," she says.

"She has it in her, alright" John says.

Samuel stretches his hand to Mary.

"I am Samuel.

You must be a good witch if John is recommending you,"

"I'm more of a bad witch," Mary says.

The immortal watches the movement of her maroon red glossed lips.

"That's even better," he says with a smile.

They shake hands and lock eyes.

"I believe John has told you what you need to do," Elma says.

Mary nods, "Yes,".

The elevator opens and Marcel steps in.

"Bon jour.

Everyone looks ready to do what is necessary," he says.

"My people have already started moving," Elena says.

She carries a small black case with her and walks to Rachael.

She hands Rachael an earpiece and hands Samuel a pair.

"For you and Gabriel," she says.

A telephone begins to ring at the counter and Samuel goes to pick it up.

"Boss, the detective is here" Bryan says from the other end.

He drops the telephone and turns his dark eyes to the group in his sitting room.

"The detective is here," he announces.

"Let's go," Gabriel enters.

He walks with charisma and an aura of confidence.

His body and mind prepared to face his father, his nightmare and his destiny.