“Endanger others?” she broke in. “Yes, we married, but it didn’t mean much considering he already had three wives.” She could feel herself losing her temper. “What is it you thinkI’ll do with the information? Run back to the man who is trying to kill me and tell him everything you shared?”
“He won’t kill you,” Van Helsing said.
“And how are you so sure of that?” she snapped.
“Because he would’ve done so already. He wants you for something, and it’s clear that hasn’t yet been achieved.”
She stilled, trying to make sense of his words. She’d wondered about the Count’s motivations almost immediately after finding out about the arrangement. And after finding out that he already had three wives, that question had only grown. But what possible reason could he have for wantingherspecifically?
“You said you rescued me,” she said, her voice low now, icy. “And yet it is clear you plan for me to be reunited with the Count. It seems as though you are the one with a plan for me, Mr. Van Helsing.”She was unsurprised to find him silent at first. All they heard was the steady rhythm of the horses’ hooves and the creak of leather as they made their way down the road.
“I believe your reunion is unavoidable,” Van Helsing said finally.
“And why is that?”
“When was the last time you spoke with Miss Westenra?”
Mina stilled, looking over her shoulder at him. He glanced down at her for only a moment, then fixed his gaze ahead.
“How do you know that name?” she asked, her voice weak.
“Will you turn around?” he said, agitated. “I can’t think when you’re glaring at me an inch from my face.” She frowned,then faced forward. “There’s something I have to tell you, but I need you to be rational about this. We have no time for hysterics—”
“Is this little speech meant to be calming?” she replied.
He sighed. “I never said I was particularly skilled at easing the mind of women.” Then, lower, he said, “Or anyone for that matter.”
“You don’t say,” she muttered. Perhaps it was rude, but she’d taken just about enough of his callousness as she could handle without a rebuttal.
There was a soft exhale from behind her that almost sounded like a laugh, but then he coughed, and she figured she had imagined it.
“You know a colleague of mine,” he said. “Dr. Seward.”
She frowned, tempted to ask what on earth Dr. Seward had to do with any of this, but she decided her best chance of getting information was to let him speak freely.
“A few weeks ago, a patient of his fell ill. At first, he thought it might simply be anemia. A vast amount of blood loss weakens the body. But then, the symptoms progressed.” He paused, and Mina found herself suddenly nervous. “That’s when he called me in. He suspected there might be something else going on.”
Her voice was weak as she said, “He thinks a vampire is in London?”
“Yes.”
Mina inhaled sharply, suddenly feeling lightheaded. She tried to steady her racing heart, not wanting to faint from the horse and prove Van Helsing’s beliefs about her to be true.
“And the patient?” she asked. She knew the answer, but she needed to hear him say it.
“Lucy Westenra.”
Mina felt his arms shift more firmly around her waist, as though steadying her should she faint.
“She’s not—” Her voice cut out, not able to even speak the word.
“No,” he said quickly, forcefully. “She’s alive. She’s ill, but alive and under the care of Dr. Seward.”
Mina nodded, swallowing against the nausea in her throat. Lucy was alive. She was alive, and they were making their way to her, and everything would be okay soon enough.
She breathed in steadily, then out, trying not to panic.
“Alright,” she said. “Alright. If this was the Count’s doing, as you seem to suspect, how did he even come into contact with Lucy?”
