A FEW MONTH had past and now Arabella strode into the village. She hadn't been there since she was an orphan. She glided her hands along the cobbled stone walls leading to the nunnery. The same one she stayed in when her parents abandoned her 400 or so years ago.

The villagers, drunkards or prostitutes around the dark alleys scurried away at the sight of her. Or perhaps it was the sight of the drooling wolf trailing behind her. She saw the nunnery in the distance and smiled with mischief. Her dark brown orbs rolled back in her head, leaving a white haze to cloud over her eyes. Her head lulled back as she stretched her hands out by her sides. Arabella summoned a colony of bats to swarm the skies above the village, all travelling to the priory. The witch and the vampire dressed in wolfskin followed their trail only to be met with a large metal gate. 

The wolf stalked towards the gate, marching up and down the length of the closed entrance. Arabella leant against the wall by the convent as she walked a herd of nuns gather by the entrance, all with scared expressions.

A tall nun dressed in pale blue and white approached the gat a confident look contrasting to his sisters. "I know who you are," she spoke, her Dutch accent thick. "I've studied the legend. I am fully aware that I am addressing Count Dracula."

The black wolf propped up on the gate, staring at the sister. "The bats are a little noisy. Would you mind?" The nun yelled out the screech of the bats. The wolf turned to Arabella with a tilt of his head. Arabella nodded, twisting her hand slightly, ushering the bats to disperse. "Who is your friend?" The nun squinted her eyes in Arabella's direction, stepping the slightest bit closer to the gate.

Arabella stepped from the shadows, allowing the flickering orange hue of the flames to lick at her face. "Arabella Victoria Andrei, the pleasures all yours."

The nun gasped at her face. The shorter, plumper prioress stepped behind the taller nun, shock written all over her face. "Arabella Victoria Andrei?" The witch grinned with a nod. "H-how? The last living Andrei died in 1448 at 16, right here in this village. She had no children?"

"Your half correct, there, prioress," Arabella stepped closer, her face on full display for the nuns. "She didn't have any children, but she didn't die." The two nuns gasped at her complexion.

"She looks exactly like Arabella's portrait," the taller nun whispered, yet the quiet words reached Arabella's ear.

"Ah!" She exclaimed. "You got a portrait of me?! Can I come in and look at it?" She asked, her dopey grin as large as the crescent moon. Her pressed her face between two of the bars.

The nuns' eyes stayed wide at the girl, but the taller one directed her gaze to the wolf. "The sun is down. You don't need to hide anymore. Or are you too afraid to step from the shadows?"

The wolf barked and growled, knocking over a lamp as he fell to the ground with a thud. Although the dog was dead, it continued to move, Dracula's body squirming to be released from the small furry disguise. Blood poured from the small beast as the vampire stretched out of its body, his spine bending at an uncomfortable angle. He sat, spreading all his limbs, every inch of his naked body was covered in blood and innards. The tall nun stepped away, her face sour at the sight, as the other nuns gasped in terror.

Dracula stroked the dead wolf he sat in before turning to the gate. "I don't know about you, girl. But I do love a bit of fur."

The short prioress gulped, performing the sign of the cross on her forehead, chest and shoulders. The taller nun rushed to a rope and pulled harshly on it, ringing the bell on the top of the pole. Seconds later, more nuns rushed to the yard and circled around the gate, their heads low. "I'm not sure what legends you've been reading, but bells don't have any effect on me," Dracula taunted, stepping behind the witch whose head still remained between the bars. He clasped his hand around the bar by her hand, planting his chin on her clothed shoulder.

"This one will," The taller nun countered.

"This is exciting," Dracula commented, his mouth agape. "This is the most nuns I've had in one sitting!"

"Sister! Present arms!" The nun shouted. The herd of nuns revealed their hidden stakes from their sleeves, pointing them at the gate.

"Ooh! I see my presence was anticipated!"

"I was aware of the possibility," The nun spoke.

Dracula began shouting and taunting the nuns, none looked up at him. "I don't want to worry, but your army of faithful can't seem to look me in the eye!"

"You're naked, and they're nuns!" The nun countered back. "It's not your eyes they're not looking at."

Arabella grinned at that. She liked this nuns spirit, something drew her to the nun's confidence. 

"Well, isn't someone going to invite me in? I've come along way to see you," Dracula teased.

"Certainly not! Sister Rose, the key!"

"You can't be serious," The Mother Superior accused.

"I'm more than serious, I'm completely confident," The tall nun answered. 

"How did you know we were coming?" Dracula breathed out.

The nun looked back to the vampire and the witch. "There's a man here you consider to be your property. He's what drew you here, I assume."

"My bride," Dracula said, referring to Johnathan. "A bee can always find nectar,"

"And a trap always needs honey," The nun deadpanned.

"I do like her," Arabella grinned, stretching her arm through the hole in the gate to point at the nun in question. She received the key and walked towards the gate, unlocking it.

"Count Dracula, Madam Andrei, please attend my words with care. This is St Mary's Convent of Budapest, and you most specifically not invited in!" The nun gestured to the circle of salt around the gate entrance. It was a known legend that a barrier of salt keeps evil spirits away - and that included witches, unfortunately for Arabella. Dracula growled and snarled turning away. Arabella tried to step closer to the salt, but a force pushed her back. "Ah! So it's true then. That's interesting. A vampire may not enter any abode unless invited in. And witches cannot cross a barrier of salt unless it is broken. I wasn't sure about it."

"A vampire? Witches?" The prioress questioned, shock still lacing her tone.

"You opened the gate and you weren't sure?" Dracula accused the nun.

"Oh, the iron wasn't keeping you out. You could have torn it apart like matchwood, and she would've had no issue casting a spell to break it down."

Arabella grinned. "She's researched. That's good to know," she commented. "I still do like her."

Dracula rolled his eyes at his lover's words. "Who's side are you on, dear?" He countered back. Arabella smirked and answered with a teasing shrug.

The nun interrupted once more. stepping closer to the opened gate. "What stops you? A feeling? A force? Is it physical or mental? Why do you need an invitation? Why does salt stop you?"

Arabella stepped as close as she could, coming face-to-face with the nun. "You expect us to tell you?"

"Oh, I don't even expect you to know," the nun teased. "A beast can follow rules. I don't expect it to understand them -" She was cut off by Dracula throwing his hand up, reaching for her neck, but missing as she dodged away with a yelp. With his action, he threw Arabella behind him. She landed on the cobbled pavement with a small whimper. She looked down at the hands, seeing they were now cut and scratched, small specks of gravel embedding themselves in the groves of her hands. She quickly glared at the back of his head, before stalking off of find another entry point into the nunnery. After 30 minutes or so or wandering about, Arabella grew tired and decided to make the long trek back to Dracula's castle.

She took in all the scenery as she passed. The dying, withering trees swayed in the cold, harsh breeze. The dewy grass shone under the hazy moonlight. The clouded dark sky made everything seem gloomier than it actually was.

Arabella's thoughts travelled to Dracula and the nun - whose name she briefly heard Dracula shout in the distance - Agatha Van Helsing. She pondered over Dracula's sudden change in attitude towards her, and what caused it, and why he appreciates her company now. She did flourish under the newfound love, but a nagging feeling bit away at her brain - suspicion. She was unclear of his intentions, but she feared that the blooming relationship between them was simply a ploy in his eyes.

She then thought of Agatha. She admired the nun. It wasn't every day you come across a well-rounded, educated woman in 1897, so meeting Agatha was like a breath of fresh air. She did humour the witch and she only hoped that when Dracula managed to get into the convent that he would bring Agatha back to the castle with him.