We slept little and were up before sunrise, even though we had decided that we would not walk through the portal too early-- several things were still keeping us back.

One of them was that suddenly I could not make myself part from Katerina. It had been easier the last time, as she was not around when Junior took me back, and everything happened so fast that I did not have time to think. Now, parting from my old nurse, taking Vlad with me, felt somehow... final, despite her repeated promise that she would stay in the castle, and we could just walk back in the following Halloween.

The same was true about Clara. Knowing that she was my half-sister, the only sibling I had ever had, was not making anything easier-- having to leave her now, eight months pregnant, was making me feel sad.

My friend, Father Boian, who had not regained consciousness fully yet, was my other worry, my other tie to this world-- I wished I could be next to him when he woke up, and help him get used to his new reality.

And then there was Radu, my brother-in-law whom I loved now as much as I loved my step-son, who had not returned yet from Hunedoara.

But the time was ticking. The nails inserted in a long, thick candle placed on the mantelpiece kept dropping to its wide metal holder; the moments I had left in this world were melting away like the wax...

Standing up from the table after our last lunch together, I walked across the kitchen to the huge fireplace, where my wolves were sleeping. I checked the pockets of my coat lying on the bench by the hearth-- I had all the things I wanted to carry with me home there, there was no need to go back to my chamber...

"Do we really have to leave?" Lucas' voice scattered my thoughts even as I sat down, burying my hands in Shadow's soft fur.

I looked up, following his gaze towards one of the maids collecting the dishes from the table. It was the same girl I kept meeting in the corridors whenever Lucas was around.

"Oh gosh..." I breathed, realising for the first time that he might have actually fallen in love. "We do, you know that. And... Nicole is waiting for you on the other side, and Aurora. Anaïs, your father... " I added, trying to cheer him up.

"Oh well... But we're coming back next year, right? I'm definitely coming..."

"That's the plan." I smiled at him.

"When are we leaving? I need to gather my things and say goodbye..."

"Soon, I believe. Even if they handled the fire on the other side, they would not let anyone in before the Halloween Night Tour, I don't think..."

"And walking through the passage takes some time..."

"Exactly. I think we'll part as soon as it gets dark. That's when I left this place before, meeting all of you at the end of your tour, remember?"

"Of course. How could I forget? You were such a mess, you never stopped crying..." he grinned, pulling me in an embrace.

"I just wish Radu returned in time." I mused when he let go of me. "What's her name, by the way?" I called after him as he left me with my wolves and followed the girl out of the room.

"Larissa." he called, then was gone.

The moment it got completely dark outside we gathered in the Great Hall. Only the length of the large room was separating us from the massive wooden door, the portal leading to my other world. The soft, obnoxious buzzing which apparently only I could hear was making my head spin. And soon I'd feel worse, crossing the time passage always made me feel weak and nauseous...

Why can't we just take Aurora and stay here... I despaired, dabbing at my eyes with my sleeve inconspicuously, wishing I could somehow merge my two worlds.

"Why are you crying?" Vlad asked, pulling me closer and kissing me on top of my head.

"I'm not... I just wanted to say goodbye to Radu, I hope he's all right."

Katerina approached us first, and the sight of her dear, smiling face, did not help. Tears were running down my cheeks as she drew me in a motherly embrace, promising yet again that she would wait for us next year.

"You really should stop crying, my lady, all these tears are not good for you, not in your state." she said in the end, kissing me on both cheeks. Then she shuffled back towards the kitchen, as if this was a normal goodbye and Vlad, Lucas and I would be back in an hour.

"Leave it to Katerina to spread the news..." I mumbled even as Vlad laughed at the surprised looks of the others present.

Junior patted his father on the shoulder, adding a few witty lines, while Clara hugged and kissed me, telling me to bring both the children over the next time we visited, and Lucas rolled his eyes at me above her head, mouthing, 'Again?'

And then it was time to go. We reached the door leading to the time passage and Vlad put his hand on the door handle.

"Remember what we talked about. Keep close. There might still be the fire on the other side. Let us not split, and panic." His eyes skipped from me to Lucas, then back. "Everything will be alright." he added, taking my hand in his.

He was just about to open the door when Radu burst into the room in a blur of black hair and blue coat.

"I thought I had missed you!" He called, smiling at me as he approached, drawing me in an embrace, whispering, "Be happy, Samara."

He let go of me quickly and embraced Vlad, whispering something in his ear too. Something that made his smile falter momentarily...
I was ready to start asking questions but Vlad collected himself fast and while Lucas and Radu shook hands, Vlad opened the door into the passage.

My last glimpse of the room before we took a step forward and started falling through the dark void beyond the door, was of Junior running his hand through his hair in that well-known, despairing gesture he shared with his father, and of Clara bringing her hand to her lips as Radu, his back towards us, spoke to them, telling them most likely the same news he had told Vlad.

Then we were slipping through the darkness, the buzzing diminishing gradually, even as it was replaced by smoke...

"The fire..." I said, covering my mouth and nose with the sleeve of my green jacket when my feet touched the ground again.

My medieval velvet dress, fur-lined coat, and leather ankle boots had morphed into my long brown skirt, green jacket and a pair of comfortable trainers, letting me know that we were on my side of the passage. I brought my hand quickly to Vlad's pocket-- my book and the dress Clara had made for Aurora, folded as small as possible, were still there. So were all the gold coins and jewels Vlad decided to bring over with us, judging by how swollen and heavy his other pockets looked.

Lucas' clothes were unchanged like Vlad's, I noticed as he spoke, preceding us down the dark passage redolent of fire.

"No, it's just the smell of smoke, it will linger in here for days. The fire is out."

Vlad and I walked behind him until we reached the end of the corridor. It had been cordoned off.

Just like the first time... I mused, pausing, a flood of memories rushing at me like a tide.

"Are you all right?" Vlad asked worriedly as he helped me step over the obstacle separating us from the Entry Hall filled with tourists.

"I'm fine. You were right, I'm getting better at this..." I smiled at him, pushing more memories away, trying to focus on the people who were just starting to stroll outside into the night, looking for Lia.

But it was Lucas who saw them first, "Uncle!" he called, disappearing into the crowd.

Then I saw them too-- Stoker, Lia, and Nicole turned around and walked back towards us instead of following the other visitors heading outside.

Letting go of Vlad's hand I ran to Lia, pulling her in a quick embrace before I took Aurora from her.

"Wow, you look different. Good different... you are either a vampire or pregnant again..." Lia giggled, taking me in.

"Both," I quipped, not interested in anything else but my daughter right now.

"What...?"

"How was she?" I asked, not giving her a chance to question me.

Aurora who had been sleeping in Lia's arms till now stirred, and opened her eyes. Her yawn turned into a smile as her eyes found mine.

"Good. She slept the whole afternoon, I bet she won't let you close your eyes tonight. And look what I bought for her, isn't it cute?" She asked, pulling something out from her handbag.

The plush toy was a little vampire, complete with a black hair tied in a ponytail, shiny white fangs, long black coat and a pair of silvery bat wings.

"That's Count Dracula. I'm sure she'll love it." Lia said, passing it to Aurora who brought it promptly to her lips for inspection. "I did clean it, don't look at me like that..." she added, rolling her eyes at me.

"Is that supposed to be me?" Vlad spoke suddenly from behind me.

Lia gaped at him as he took her free hand and kissed it, adding, "Thank you for everything, miss. Your fiancé has just told me how very helpful you were."

Lia only nodded mutely and Vlad's eyes finally dropped to his daughter, who was busy chewing the poor vampire.

"Well, he's not as tall as you, but his hair... " I giggled, watching him stare at Aurora who stared right back, her mouth open in a silent gape as I pushed the toy away from her lips.

Lucas, Nicole and Stoker approached us then, followed by the guide who reminded me strongly of...

"He's Erik, Alina's son." Stoker said, introducing us. "When you and Lucas left, and we saw Viorel... we realized that we needed to talk to someone. We found this young man in the reception after lunch and when he told us who he was, Lia made him call his mother. She explained everything to him.

"How is your mother?" I asked.

Erik smiled, "She's well, thank you. I talked to her a few minutes ago, they just released her. She will be in the hotel in the morning so you'll see her before you leave."

"Did you find out anything about the fire?" Vlad asked, making me remember our conversation about Andrei's, or Rareş' friends in this world.

I hugged Aurora closer to my chest, looking around the now empty Entry Hall and Vlad, noticing, pulled us to his side.

"No... We will report it as an accident, otherwise the castle would be closed, who knows for how long... So, shall we go? I need to lock up and the bus will be back for us in a few moments."

I looked inquiringly at Stoker.

"Just a precaution," he said. "Lord Vlad and Lucas, dressed up like this, would attract too much attention on the bus filled with tourists. And we would hardly fit in a car..."

I nodded, taking the baby carrier Nicole passed me, and let Lucas buckle it across my back before he placed Aurora, now complaining loudly, in it. She stopped the moment he passed her the new toy and I pulled a hat on her head.

"You look like a..." Vlad said, stumbling for a correct word to describe our synchronized moves.

"A great team. They did well during the year, there is much I need to tell you..." Stoker told him, starting to retell some of the events that happened since I had found him.