A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

A slightly shorter chapter.

Chapter 6: Indestructible

"What were they after?" Erin asked him quietly, as she grabbed the couch and helped him turn it the right way up. She grabbed the seat cushions and stuffed them back on the frame, plumping them as she did so.

Vlad threw her one of the decorative cushions. She hit it trying to get the dust that they'd picked up from the floor out of them before dropping it on the sofa.

He picked up his cape and jeans that were strewn across the floor. They were creased and crumpled. His drawers were open and the shirts were rumpled and sticking out. He clicked his fingers and they automatically refolded and the drawers slid silently shut. Unlike Renfield he liked to have silent drawers.

"I don't have anything in here."

He straightened suddenly, there was only one thing of value he had on him.

"The bone." They both said together.

Erin shook her head, all for a piece of bone, "Someone really wants that." They could at least create a list of suspects from those who'd been there when Sethius had been reduced to ash. He didn't have a clue who'd seen him with it, as far as he knew no one had noticed. Perhaps they just assumed he was the one who'd taken it.

Vlad was glad he had it on him while he was out. He patted his pocket, double-checking it was still there. Unfortunately it would mean he'd have to keep it on him at all times.

Erin shook her head as she turned his chest of drawers back over so they were actually standing upright.

Vlad crouched down picking up the books from the floor. A few spines had been broken causing the pages to hang out slightly.

"How did they get in?"

Vlad looked at her, the only way in would either be under the door or through the keyhole.

"Old vampire party trick, turn yourself into smoke and go under the door or through the key hole." He bent down to look through the keyhole; it was all clogged up with black dirt. "I'd say under the door."

"The school's full of vampires." Erin reminded him, at least she wasn't a suspect not that she'd escape being accused of it.

YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL

The silence in the throne room was thick and heavy as the main suspects were assembled. Vlad stared his family down; he really wasn't in the best of moods after having to tidy his room.

Erin hovered behind him, slightly nervous of his anger.

The Count swirled the blood around in the goblet, alternating between clockwise and anti-clockwise. Ingrid and Bertrand sat opposite each other.

"Who did it?"

"Who did what Vladdy?"

"Wrecked my room."

He caught the glance between Bertrand and Ingrid, they seemed to know something or at least have an idea.

"Why do you think it was one of us?"

"I can't see how anyone could have got in the room when it was locked and I have the only key. Only a vampire could have got into the room with it locked." He knew he should have put a vampiric lock on the entire door frame including the gap under the door with his powers, how to get privacy was the first thing he'd learned when he transformed. "Wolfie couldn't because the door was locked and I don't think a five year old can pick locks. Renfield however can."

Renfield dropped the goblet he was holding at Vlad's accusation, not expecting him to accuse him. "But Renfield doesn't search through thinks like that."

The room had been ransacked in a frenzy, looking in all the places that you wouldn't expect something to be hidden – Renfield didn't think like that.

Renfield breathed a sigh of relief at being acquitted. "Thank you Master Vlad."

He decided to deal with the excuses first. "So where was everyone?" He saw three glances turn towards Erin looking around him, "Erin was with me."

Ingrid and Bertrand pointed to each other as fast as lightening.

"I was with her/him." The fact they were backing each other up was suspicious considering how much they enjoyed framing each other.

Erin made a mental note to watch the pair of them carefully.

Everyone turned to the Count, he shook of their accusation – especially Ingrid's raised eyebrow. "I'm not interested in your breather loving things. There's nothing of value in there to me anyway Vladdy."

"Probably because Renfield's already told you everything that's in there."

The Count looked away at that comment and Vlad knew Renfield acted as a spy. Whenever Vlad had returned with something there was always a visit from Renfield within a few hours to see what it was.

The Count pointed a long finger at his daughter, "What about the half fangs Ingrid created?"

"Please! Like any of them would be that clever." She laughed, the idea was absurd. Vlad wasn't so sure though.

Vlad wasn't convinced they didn't have anything to do with it but he wasn't convinced either that they did. His instinct was telling him that they had plans with the bone but weren't the ones who'd ransacked his room to find it. It wasn't Ingrid's style and Bertrand was more…tidy when he turned a room upside down.

Bertrand tipped his head at Vlad, a curious expression on his face, it couldn't be a coincidence the bone had been stolen and then Vlad's room had been ransacked. "What were they after Vlad?"

Vlad stared at his mentor, his face was completely blank, "Haven't a clue."

Bertrand's eyes narrowed he wasn't convinced but he'd accept Vlad's answer for now.

YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL

Vlad knew the safest thing to do would be to destroy the bone. If certain people actually managed to get hold of the bone then there would be utter chaos across all the worlds, not just the vampire and breather world.

Vlad stared at the bone, he really wasn't sure what to do with it. He leaned against the podium staring at it. He clicked his fingers trying to reduce it to ash. Flames enveloped it, fuelled by the oxygen in the air.

He clicked his fingers and the flames vanished but the bone was still there. It was completely intact not even the smallest scorch was on its surface.

He dropped his head down, fire should have destroyed it. He ran a hand across his face, he couldn't believe it was still there. He propped his hands under his chin and glared at it once again.

Erin poked her head around the training room door checking Bertrand wasn't there. She knew what would happen if Bertrand caught her inside there again.

She sniffed the air, she could smell the unmistakeable scent of burnt…something. Looking across the room she saw Vlad standing motionlessly at the pedestal where the book used to rest.

"Vlad?" She asked softly.

He jumped looking up at her suddenly, he gestured to the bone. "I'm just trying to get rid of it."

Erin leaned against the podium, bracing her hands against it. He could see the charred velvet, if it had withstood fire she was concerned it would withstand anything.

"Garlic?" She suggested, revealing the bulb she was carrying. As Vlad had insisted she keep her slayer weapons she needed a new garlic bulb, she'd just collected some from the kitchen. She withdrew the bulb from the small, clear plastic bag she was carrying it in.

Vlad stepped back as she placed the bulb on the bone.

They watched carefully – nothing happened.

"Is that real garlic?" He wondered if it was the plastic decorative ones.

"I'm not going to test it on anyone am I?" She asked him, Vlad shook his head. He sniffed at the bulb, it was definitely real garlic.

There wasn't even the faintest sign of smoke on the bone.

Erin let out a growl and snatched the bulb away stuffing it back in the plastic bag and into her jeans pocket.

"It was worth a try." Vlad sighed as he pondered how else he might be able to destroy the seemingly indestructible bone. "Thanks." Vlad gently kissed her cheek; Erin suppressed the spark that shot through her at the contact. Vlad seemed to notice and he grinned.

He pulled back slightly before kissing her forehead. Her eyes fluttered closed at the contact.

Vlad lifted his hand and gently trailed it down her arm to her waist, relishing in the warmth that permeated her clothes. He gently tugged her closer to him. Erin didn't resist at all, she placed her hands on his chest, feeling the cool fabric beneath her fingertips.

The young vampire cupped her cheek gently, caressing it with his thumb. Erin leaned towards his touch; she loved the feel of his cooler skin against hers.

Vlad's smile widened and he leaned down slowly. His eyes fluttered between hers and her red lips, Erin's eyes fluttered closed instinctively.

Vlad gently brushed his cold lips against her warm ones. This would be their first kiss since the Carpathian Feast.

"Get away from my sister."

TBC

A/N: What do you think?

Thanks for reading.