"First off," Lucas started as we reached a spot he liked in the middle of the frozen lawn, "you need to find a safe position for your feet. And when I say safe, it means that when I do this," he continued to explain giving my left arm a push with his right hand, "this can't happen." He concluded, smiling, as I was about to stumble backwards.

Both of his hands were suddenly on my shoulders, so fast that I did not see how they got there, steadying me before I could fall or even just shift my position to regain my balance.

"But you are using your vampire skills, that's not fair!" I said, giggling.

This was starting to look like fun and I wondered why Vlad never came up with this idea... As if teaching a woman, a wife and a princess to fight was something normal in his time, silly. My subconscious scoffed, reminding me how much time I spent refashioning dresses, cooking and learning to embroider instead.

"No. It's not cheating. It's... your reality. You need to learn to fight us, remember?" Lucas pointed out, scattering my memories. "So, because in that skirt you're wearing I can't see your legs, it's up to you to find a position that feels the most balanced and safe.

"Fine. Got it." I said once I took one small step to the side and one back with my right foot. With my legs wider apart, I did feel more stable.

"You know, it was you who gave me this idea." Lucas smiled, trying to disturb my concentration and stability as he had before, and not succeeding.

"I? How?" I asked, watching him stand in front of me in a position similar to mine. He moved his hands around in a few quick evolutions, then repeated them, slowing down the tempo and suggesting I did the same.

"By telling me about your love for wild animals. See, this style of Karate relies on interpretation of five wild animals. A crane, a snake, a dragon, a leopard..."

"Lucas, this is ridiculous." I announced, dropping my hands to my sides and standing normally again. "You can't teach me Kung-fu, Karate, whatever you call this, in less than a year. I bet you've been learning this ever since you could walk!"

"You are right. I can't teach you all, but I can introduce you to the art of fighting. I can show you how to defend yourself, at least for a while. So, just listen, look and repeat, will you?" He asked, nudging my right foot with his left, to make it move to where it had been before.

I rolled my eyes at him but obliged.

"Now, you need to think like a tiger. That's the only animal of the five that doesn't consider defence in the first place. It always goes forward, all offence. That's what you need when you encounter a vampire-- you can only defend yourself by attacking first, using the moment of surprise. Don't hesitate, don't wait, don't give a chance to panic to set in, the moment your adrenaline starts to wear off. It might sound cruel but... in trying to fight a vampire you have nothing to lose. If they want to kill you, they'll do it anyway. But if you fight, you will surprise and confuse them. That will slow them down, giving someone else time to come to help you."

"And one more thing, Samara." He added after a moment of thought. "Don't you ever look directly in their eyes, I saw what Viorel did with you! While some humans are quite immune, or at least more resistant to this vampire power, you seem to be the exact opposite."

I found myself nodding at hearing his words. He was making sense.

Lucas smiled encouragingly, then continued, "When you have to fight, think why you have to do it. You hate fighting, but they are forcing you to defend yourself anyway; get angry and let that anger show. It will help replace your fear."

He checked one more time if I stood well balanced, then raised his right arm, as if he was about to strike me.

"You are a tiger and you don't have much time, so you mustn't hold back. You'll need to stick the claws of your paw into the attacker's arm before it can touch you. Start there, then move to the parts of their body that look most vulnerable. Distract them. Play for time."

"My paw, right." I said, trying to suppress a fit of giggles. This really was ludicrous.

"Can you be serious for a while? Show me your hands." He ordered, letting his arm finally drop.

As I spread my palms, facing up, in front of me, he continued, "Hold them up, as if you were surrendering. Good, now close them, but not completely. Imagine holding... apples." He said as his eyes that had been strolling around the garden in search of an idea for a few moments, rested somewhere behind me.

"Wait. Don't move." He said, leaving me standing alone in the middle of the garden in my tiger position, feeling utterly ridiculous. I relaxed my paws immediately and turned around to see where he went.

"Samara!" Lucas laughed without turning back, as if he could perceive my movements even without seeing me.

I observed him as he made his way to a lone apple tree adorned with a few shrivelled and frost-bitten red apples, which grew in the far corner of the large garden.

"This will take us so much longer if you won't start listening to me. I need your help, you must try to follow my instructions!" He complained as he picked two of the apples and threw them at me.

I managed to catch one but could only watch helplessly as the other was about to fall onto the frozen green, a little too far away from me to bother to make an effort to save it. However, Lucas caught it without trouble in a blur of movement before it could hit the ground.

"Show-off." I said, resuming my tiger position once he passed it to me, making him laugh again.

I just about managed to get an idea about a correct tiger paw, when the lights in Stoker's sitting room went on, dispersing the darkness that had been thickening around us gradually.

"I've been watching you two for a while and I'm telling you, Lucas, you can bring her in. She won't learn anything more today." Stoker's voice announced.

"Oh just sh..." I said under my breath, throwing one of the apples towards the dark silhouette that appeared in the open French window.

"How about you try archery instead of this, Your Majesty? Your aim seems to be better than your paw." He laughed, catching the apple effortlessly before it would hit his face. "Come in please, we need to talk."

"Don't be angry with him." Lucas whispered, perceiving the change of my mood, as we walked towards the house. "He's always like this. With everybody."

"Your uncle is extremely annoying." I muttered.

"He is. And he knows that." Lucas grinned. "He does it on purpose."

Inside we were welcomed by the sight of Stoker adding wood to the lively fire dancing on the hearth, and the table laid with our tea. See? He's not that bad. My subconscious defended him, even as I noticed how cold and hungry I was.

"I didn't think about..." Lucas said guiltily.

"I forgot as well," I turned to him with a smile. "I had too much fun to feel hungry or cold till now. Thanks, Lucas. I really needed to... get distracted."

"So..." Stoker interrupted. "Once you two are done, I'd like to see your notebook, Samara. I think I'm beginning to understand how your dreams work..."

"No." I said, taking my jacket off and placing it over my handbag which I had left on one of the armchairs before. I sat down and reached for my cup of tea, hiding the bag containing the notebook from his view. "You first. You promised. I want to know about Jusztyna. About you and Jusztyna."

Stoker sat down on the sofa across the table from me. Resting his elbows on his thighs, he hid his face in the palms of his large hands.

"But it was such a long time ago..." He sighed.

Lucas, seated next to him, looked at me quizzically for a moment, then turned back to his uncle, "So something really happened between... Come on, tell us. I'm curious! You've been keeping secrets for too long, Uncle!"

"You two put together will be the end of me, you know?!" He looked from Lucas to me, then said, obviously trying to change the subject. "I'm glad you agreed to learn some self-defence, Samara. I spoke to Viorel last night, he followed me and I cornered him... He seems to be worse, more... volatile, and unpredictable than I remembered him. I told him that you are my nephew's fiancée, that he misunderstood, but I'm not sure he believes me. And he is not working alone. I met his friends, all determined to get into your other world." He shook his head. "I don't know just what they expect to find on the other side... Even if they found a way to get in, they couldn't stay forever."

"What about me? Can I stay in forever?" I asked, my voice faltering. There were so many important things I haven't thought through properly yet.

"I'm not sure," he admitted, his penetrating gaze searching my eyes for information I was hesitant to disclose. "If you tell me about your dreams and memories, even those concerning your previous life, I might understand..."

"Fine, I will. But you first. Tell me how you got in, what happened. I'm sure that your memories are as important as mine. You must help me to return to Vlad. Please." I need to go back, even if just for one more year...

"I walked into your world following the most beautiful woman I had ever seen..." Stoker announced, resigned.

He was looking behind me now, into the embers burning in the fireplace, his eyes glazed over with resurfacing memories.

I exchanged a quick, excited look with Lucas, then we both stared at his uncle who kept talking.