I crashed to the ground as he swept my legs from under me, my back hitting the carpet leaving me lying there for a second not quite understanding what was going on. While I hoped that this was some sort of test I wasn’t entirely sure and the way he picked up the chair and swung it down at me REALLY made me unsure. An impact like that would put me in hospital for a week! I rolled away from it, the splinters of the destroyed furniture pinging off my bare arms and legs and I pushed myself to my feet.

Just in time, with him charging towards me. Still not quite understanding what was going on, I obeyed my reflexes. Rather than standing there I moved forward directly into the much bigger mans reach and guard, pushed up with my legs and jerked my head forward, attempting to connect my forehead to his nose. No matter if it connected I immediately dropped my weight and hopefully dropped under his grip before he could grab and crush me, scurrying away while I tried to buy myself some time for him to tell me what the hell was going on, or perhaps Sabin or the others to give me a hand.

That wasn’t to say I was actually going to ask one though, no chance! I had no intention at all about asking a vampire to help me, the next thing I would know from such a silly thing was that they would be them trying to get me back into bed! I had already had far too much of that!

Morgan came forth, a behemoth of a man now armed with a chair leg in each hand but rather than falling back she pressed forward, vaulted upward only to find that his left forearm moved in front of his face taking the impact though the dropped and scooted out from any counter he would have missed.

Sabin and the other vampires silently watched the proceedings as Morgan tossed the chair legs aside turning to face Anne, a smirk on his features. He did not advance from the spot though. He watched her in silence, explaining nothing, perhaps seeking to find holes in her defenses. He watched as he took a step forward, then two, watching how she move either back or forward or laterally as if determining how she was likely to react.

He stepped closer to the table, regarded her for a long moment then leapt up onto the table rushing straight at her making a flying leap off of the table at her at the appex of his movement using his mass in the attack almost certain that she would seek to dodge ir either moving straight back or dodging to the right. Left was the table so he wasn't counting on her going that way. If she fell back he would charge straight at her and if to the right he would quickly seek to close in before she got to far.

What the hell was going on in this big apes mind? I still hoped that this was merely a test but you would have thought that such a test would have ceased after the first few hits...

"What the hell are you doing?" I said as i jumped to my right, away from the table. As the words left my lips I had the crazy thought that perhaps the entire point was to beat him... But how could I stop someone built like a behemoth?

Amazingly, the thought was slower than my reactions. If i knew I could move like this I should have taken a career in fighting - or at the very least dancing! But, no matter how quick I was he constantly moved trying to close me down and with him being considerably bigger than me, and me with limited space to move it was definately his fight.

The thought came to me abruptly and once again I moved without thinking about it too carefully. I rolled under the table, and stopped, letting him close. The idea was hare-brained in its simplicity. His advantage was speed and strength... Mine was size over him. Lets get him on his hands and knees and see what a foot to the face would do to his brains! I could only hope that it would knock some sense into him!

Morgan was analyzing matters as she moved. Indeed she was quick though he larger and stronger. Thus far she had evaded his superior reach but as she dropped under the table Morgan laughed, a deep laugh from his belly.

The vampires watched on in silence though, it was almost like her fight with Siegfried, as if there was something expected here though had she not had an arrangement with Sabin she might have considered that the vampire was attempting to have her killed.

But Morgan did not rush to follow her, evidentally seeing the strategy in her actions. He could always move the table, turn it on it's side not to give up the advantage f size. He considered doing that for a moment before catching himself, this was not a life and death battle after all.

“Come out little one.” He paused, seemed to realize that his words could be seen as a taunt so had to clarify. “Come out, little one, we are finished unless you have the desire t continue that is.”

I narrowed my eyes and slipped under the table, emerging the other sides not letting my eyes leave him. It wasn't that I didn't trust him straight away... Hmm.. Nope. Actually it WAS that I didn't trust him right at this moment.

As I stood I realised that our sudden little fracas had caused my skirt to ride up so high that my panties were clearly visible and I had been busy flashing the entire room as I fought. My underwear was plain and functional (well, what did you expect?) but at least covered the important bits. Cheeks suddenly flaming I pulled down my dress and stood, glaring at Morgan.

Despite me being more than a little cross a part of me surprised... I didn't remember rolling up my skirt like that and as I replayed the fight back in my head I did it without thinking, to give my legs room to move. What was I that I knew such things without thinking of them?

"What was THAT about?" I shot at him, not as angrilly as I would have liked as I was more embarressed than anything else at effectively fighting half naked.

Morgan watched as she rolled down her skirt. The vampires seemed oblivious t the matter anyway for the most part. He gestured to her to take a seat noting that she was still weary and thus on her guard. Good.

He sat across from her with her question loud in the quiet f the room. “Simple,” he answered. “If you could not last for five minutes with me then how are you to expected in dealing with a vampire lord until I manage to get there.

“You'll do nicely. Quick, capable of holding your own and able to think quickly with using the terrain. It probably would have bought you only a few seconds against a vampire.

“Now I know that there is a chance for this scheme to actually work.”

Sabin nodded sagely. “Same plan as we discussed earlier Morgan if you are still in.”

Morgan stared at Anne for a long moment then nodded. “Yes. I am still in.”

I glared at Morgan, intently annoyed. He was right, but being right didn't make me entirely happy. But, annoyed as I might be it didn't change the facts, such as the implict "I will need him to survive" which I knew was true.

I continued to glare at the Vampire and the Vampire hunter as Morgan agreed to whatever plan they had discussed. All that remained now was for me to find out my role in this, and from my conversation yesterday with Daphne I was pretty damned certain I wasn't going to like it.

"And when is someone going to tell me my plan and ask if i'm ok with it?" I asked pointedly. I could have used considerably more tact but being jumped on when I was being freindly, fighting and then finding out I had been flashing the entire room hadn't put me in the best of moods.

“Ah, yes. The plan,” Sabin glanced at her. “We didn't have an official one, not until now as if you couldn't last against Morgan for a few moments then lasting against Demetri was not possible and we would have to reconsider the plan.”

“But you will do well,” Morgan added. He could tell she wasn't happy but better that then being overwhelmed and dead. If she hated him then there was nothing he could do about it now. As long as they could work together this once then so be it.

“I will bring you to Demetri as a gift to my Master. With your ability to resist vampiric commands you can deceive him easier and get him to loosen his guard a bit. He shouldn't suspect anything and will want to get closer to you where you can use that ring I loaned you to good effect. Daphnee and Gustav will be on hand, as well as myself but since we are unable to resist the commands of my Master we will not be around while this is being done after delivering you.

“As in the past he has dismissed others when getting ready to partake of new arrivals. During this though we will be taking care of the other minions and Morgan will be making his way to you as soon as we arrive at the castle though from the time we arrive he will be making his way to back you up.

“Until then you will be on your own when facing him. It is up to you as far as to how you spend that five minutes, should it degenerate into a fight it was important to see that you were able to hold your own until help arrives. Once it does it will be you and Morgan without interruptions.”

Sabin explained, expecting questions.

Well, it seemed my sister had a good head on her shoulders and could plan as well as Sabin! Not that it comforted me particularly well! I was being thrown into bed with a vampire as a chew-toy, and no matter what state of this combat ability I really didn’t think I would last longer than a minute in a fight. Which left me with the close-to-certainty I was also going to be his fuck-buddy for the night.

I once again thought back to when I woke up in the clearing, and my brother-in-law and thought how nice it would be if HE was in this mess rather than me. It did raise the question what Sabin planned on doing with him during, or after this.


“And what is the backup plan if all doesn’t happen as you predict? What if he asks you to stay? And what If you can’t get through his minions? And how am I supposed to react when he dominates me? As it doesn’t work how am I supposed to make it look realistic?”

“I know you can’t predict everything that will happen but I would be a lot more comfortable if I knew you had some sort of backup plan to get me out of their in one piece!”

Standing I watched Sabin to see how he would react. I suspected that I was a mere pawn and if I died… well, that would actually not be a bad thing, same with Morgan. I looked at both of them, whipping my head between them.

“And what exactly are our chances of taking down your master? Realistically?”

Sabin patiently waited for all of Anne's questions. Valid ones of course though he would suspect as much from her after her shrewd bargaining earlier. He looked between her and Morgan. For him it was a win-win. His Master like all vampire lords expected some treachery from their minions in an effort to get their freedom. He would be punished of course but either he would be freed with Demetri's passing or the dangerous Van Helsing and Vladimir lines would loose members that were dangerous to him.

“I seriously doubt that he will change from normal procedure but if he does there is a slight back up plan in place. Kurt will be moved into position by then to “infiltrate” the castle. He will be detected and while it will raise Demetri's awareness the distraction will have him issuing orders and getting myself and any others out of his presence.

“His guards are strong but mine are stronger, the few that I am bringing at least as they have trained for this repeatedly. That should not be a problem. By yourself with the element of surprise you have a forty maybe forty-five percent chance of success. Morgan adds another twenty to twenty-five percentage chance of success so about sixty to seventy percent, half that if he cannot be surprised.

“He is quiet powerful in his own right and has lived long enough to overcome many vampiric weaknesses. For a time he can operate in sunlight before deteriorating from it.”

Moran snorted. “Sabin's always been bad with numbers. We're looking at a ninety percent success rate. He inflates vampiric abilities and under estimates human perseverance. Besides, if the likelihood of success was that low would I volunteer to do this? Align myself with this fiend.” He gestured to Sabin.

Of course Morgan would think higher of humans than Sabin and Sabin higher of vampires than his counterpart that was only natural.

“Regardless, when dominated comply with a certain slowness at first as if you're fighting against the commands then ease into them after the first few minutes. It will show him your initial resistance against these commands then a surrender to them. In any case you would not be expected by him in resisting him at all.”

I listened to the back and forth, my heart sinking. I hoped Morgan was right but this was, after all my neck (figuratively and literally!) they were talking about. I wasn’t happy.

"I..." I shut my mouth.

"But..." I shut my mouth and ground my teeth in frustration. There was absolutely nothing I could say aside from “I’m going home!” The problem was that A) I didn’t know where home was, and B) that deal that was keeping my neck intact with Sabin.

Gahh! Loosen his guard Sabin said. Like I didn't have a good idea how they thought I would do that! I might as well scream "Rape!" and have done with it since thats exactly what was likely to happen. It made be bloody angry, well. That and the fact that I was being used! Morgan and me both and I knew it - This was such a win-win for him and potentially a worse day than the one where I woke up without my memories, which was only yesterday! I knew I agreed to this but faced with it… My temper sparked and was devolving into a tornado of anger.

"FINE!" I said, stomping my foot into the carpet. Being barefoot it made almost no sound which detracted from the effect, certainly not helping my mood. "You know bloody well Sabin that this is win-win. If you backstab us then i'll find you. If i'm a vampire i'll hunt you down and kill you slowly and if i'm dead... well i'll bloody haunt you for the rest of your existence no matter how many centuries it is!"

"And YOU!" diverting my gaze to Morgan. You must be insane, going along with this plan. Gods I must be just as bad! I know I don't have a choice but... Gahh!"

With that exclamation I walked up to the giant figure that was Morgan, craned my neck back, looking upwards into his eyes, poking him in the chest with my finger.

“Don’t.” *Poke* “Bloody.” *Poke* “Be.” *Poke* “Late.” *Poke*

I said, very pointedly, each poke from my finger firmly punctuating my words.

Such a temper tantrum hardly was noticed by Sabin. After all this was what they had agreed to, if she did not want to live up to her part of the bargain … Morgan seemed more perceptive on guard as if he suspected a double cross at any moment but he was here in the den of devils never the less.

“If I were to double cross you I would never hear the end of it from your sister. If you were to die I would suspect she would set something nasty up for me. The plan is not a brilliant one but the best that we could come up with on short notice. I do want to be free from Master after all this long time I cannot pass up on such an opportunity.”

It was worth the risk, at least in his opinion though he doubted that she would have agreed. Still possible death against certain death … there was the risk of that possibility ending up amounting to an even worse scenario from death.

But it must have looked funny for this tiny woman poking the giant of a man with a finger. “I wouldn't imagine being a second late for our date.” He smiled a little then nodded as he bent down, whispering against her ear before pulling away. The vampires with their keen hearing might have heard.

“For your sake I'll be early.” Morgan wasn't insane. He didn't particularly liked the plan and would have been a fool not to have his own Ace hidden up his sleeve in the event of a double cross. As protected as he was though Demetri was harder to get at and Sabin was merely his puppet though if Sabin got out of control Morgan would be visiting him next, after all if he could deal with the Master the minion wouldn't be too much trouble.

Anne was dressed in a black dress, a choker and elbow length cloves. The dress could be quickly torn away, for ease of movement were she had been given a pair of shorts to cover herself with.

She traveled in the same coach with Sabin that night to Demetri's castle. He engaged in any small talk with her along the way that she brought up or answered questions along the way.

Morgan went ahead on his own midnight black steed. He went off ahead of them and the carriage soon over took him as the tireless skeletal horses galloped onward. A few yours later they were ascending a hill with a great chasm between them and the land the castle had been build on. The draw bridge was down, the portcullis up. Anne noticed a pair of skeletal guards there.

“The animated skeletons are most easy to deal with.” After stopping at the stables he assisted her out of the carriage. “Behave as if you were dominated my dear.” He nods and both Gustav and Daphne melt away into the shadow leaving the carriage that the quartet had taken up here thus far.

“Now, any last minute questions?”

The outburst did help me calm down. After all that I had coped with so far I felt that a small outburst was warranted and quite frankly allowed. Fortunately I didn't seem to be wrong and no-one in the room objected to me throwing my toys out of the pram as it were.

A little calmer I replied to Morgans (rather sweet) promise. "Well... I would rather you were late than never turning up" I whispered back before leaving the room.

--

The dress was elegant, formal and flimsy. In fact, in my opinion really rather beautiful! However, I had to force herself to ignore that it made me look like a perfect sacrifical lamb... ready to feed a hungry wolf. One that lived in an impressive castle straight out of a novel. Why vampires demanded such ostentation was beyond me – I would have been happy in a little hut somewhere with the smell of baking bread, rather than solid stone and…

…Undead guards. I shuddered as I saw one. Could I end up like that? I really hoped not! I settled back and let my face drop into a slightly dreamy state. I really hoped I could maintain it no matter what happened. In reply to his query about questions though I did have one last thing I needed to say. I focused my eyes on the vampire.

“Just one. Should I die, and you live - no matter what happened make sure find and burn my body? I have no desire to end up like one of those…”

With that I looked back out, and let my face fall once again into that mask, trying to practise and let it hold. From there I would let myself be led as I was already out of my depth. The only comfort I had now was that I was still alive, and for how much longer that condition would last I had no idea. I just hoped that this night wouldn’t be my last as a breathing mortal.

Morgan smiled at her reply “I'd never stand you up.”

Though it had been much later that the fateful moment arrived. Sabin followed her gaze to a skeleton. Burning her would do little good unless the flames were intense enough to incinerate bone. Not many people could do just that but he had enough money to arrange for it as well as magical means. He could get Blacksmith Stones, magical rocks that made a fire super hot used by smith's to forge weapons.

“Of course. It shall be done.” He escorted her into a lavish room within the castle. Her sister vanished into the shadows before entering the building leaving he with Sabin and Gustav. Sabin had been walking with her, arms interlinked as she took note of the guards. Bestial men was the best way she could describe them.

They had an earthy smell too them, were burly individuals wielding halberds and short blades. The each sported full side burns as if that were the style of the region – then she met him.

The air around him was thick with a chill and while he might not be a large man there was an intimidating aura around him. Pale flesh had been covered by a red robe with his head hidden beneath the cowl.

He stopped, drew back the cowls revealing a pale skinned bald man with haunted yellow eyes that burned into her soul.

“Who is this exquisite beauty?” He inspected her as one would inspect a lab of meat, his hand reaching out to grasp her chin, turning her this way the that as he looked her over. He then slipped hi hand over the curve of her breast as if sampling how firm they were. He continued to caress the side of her face with a hand.

“Someone that Gustav her found in one of the big city. A commoner sadly but I had Elsa cleaned up for you, a gift.”

Demetri slide a hand down between her thighs stroking there back and forth. It almost seemed as if he were preparing to have her then and there guards be damned.

It was something that I had never done before... I actively surpassed myself and focused myself inward, not taking in the details of the halls that I was led through, ignoring the architecture, ignoring the guards. Just keeping my eyes unfocused and walking forward.. led like a dog.

It was necessary. I had to force myself to not react to anything. I had no illusions that if I couldn't act the part that my life would be abruptly ended, as likely would Sabins and Morgans. It was a sobering thought that my actions could affect so many! It was also a good motivator!

As I finally came face to face with Demetri, I was entirely glad that I had taken the precaution of letting myself zone. I stood there, concentrating on my even breathing which allowed me to keep my eyes not focusing on the rather unsightly appearance of the Vampire Lord.. and then as his hands started roaming my body, keeping me from slapping the presumptuous fiend. His hand between my legs wanted to make me gag - they were cold and I hated the idea of him pushing the faux-protection of my underwear to one side and doing something worse. All I could do is concentrate on seeing nothing and feeling nothing as I stood there, letting him paw my body.