A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.
Forgot to mention…I'll always try to post by 9.30 pm.
Chapter 8: Regency and Authority
The next few days passed slowly, everyone seemed to be regarding each other with suspicion.
Ingrid paced in the blood cellar; it was the only place they knew for certain Vlad wouldn't enter even if his unlife depended on it. "Vlad hadn't got the bone on him. I can smell power and Vlad's only got his own."
"Do we know for sure it's not in his room?" Bertrand asked her.
"Yes." Ryan interrupted, Ingrid gave him a dirty look. She was fed up of Ryan always being around at the moment, although she did enjoy having a minion to order around.
Bertrand grew stern, "How would you know?"
Ryan didn't answer Bertrand, he didn't have to. Bertrand's fangs dropped as he prepared to teach him some manners. Ingrid shook her head, she'd deal with her slave in her own way.
Ingrid's eyes narrowed, "You were the one who trashed my brother's room."
"I wanted to present you the bone, I thought it would please you. I assumed Vlad had picked it up…"
"You idiot!" She yelled at the top of her voice, thunder crackling in the background. "That's what probably what made him think someone was after it! He'll be looking for a way to destroy it by now."
The bone was answer to power, they needed it if they ever wanted or needed to challenge him.
"He won't leave it there." Bertrand told her, "He must have it on him."
Ingrid shook her head, Vlad wouldn't hold onto the bone. "He hasn't." Her instinct had never let her down before.
It was on the tip of her tongue, where Vlad might have hidden it. It would be in an obvious place. It was beginning to drive her insane but she knew it'd come to her.
She looked at Ryan who was still staring at her, "I want every inch of the school searched." She ordered him, "NOW!"
Ryan nodded before vanishing. Bertrand handed her one of the vintage bottles of blood and she accepted gratefully, at least she could have some time to think about it without an idiot staring at her all night long.
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Ryan saw his sister walking towards the throne room; he was starting with the top floor and then moving methodically to the basement. Something clicked in his head as he stared at her.
Erin stiffened as he sniffed the air; it was a common vampire act. A defence to see who might be waiting for them – slayers for example. The small stake tucked into the back of her trousers gave her comfort; Vlad had insisted she carry it around just in case. Unfortunately it didn't fit into her pocket with the bone already in there.
Ryan grabbed Erin's arms firmly, she was pressed firmly against the wall, the lumps in the wallpaper uncomfortable against her back. She felt something brush against her pocket briefly but it was gone almost as soon as she felt it. She waved it off as paranoia as she could still feel the bone digging into her hip.
"Let go Ryan." Erin struggled against her brother's hold.
Ryan wanted to warn her for the final time, "Keep away from him Erin. You're on the wrong side."
"Ingrid and Vlad have sorted things out between them." She didn't fully believe it herself but she tried to make herself sound convincing.
Ryan smiled at her; it made her blood turn cold. "Ingrid won't need Vlad for much longer."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You'll see."
Erin felt cold as Ryan rushed away from her, she wasn't sure what to think but the feeling off lead settling in the pit of her stomach was hard to ignore.
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Vlad leaned back against the sofa, he felt so tired. He closed his eyes, he knew he should go and get some sleep but couldn't find the energy to move himself. The coffin was only a few feet away from him, but at the moment it felt like it was miles away from him.
"You should get some sleep." A voice wafted down from above him.
His eyes blinked open and he blearily looked around the room, "I'm not tired."
Erin lowered herself until she knelt opposite him, she looked at the books on the floor surrounding him, 'How to rid yourself of the vampire within', 'Swift ways to execute vampires', 'Slayers and how they murder us' and finally 'Killing your clan without getting caught'. Erin had a feeling the last one was a bit of a joke.
Erin pulled the bone out of her pocket with some difficulty, she was terrified it'd break but then it probably would be unlikely that it would; she held it out to him. "I've bathed it in holy water, I've poured garlic over it, I've placed a crucifix on it and I've tried staking it…nothing's destroyed it."
She hadn't bothered with sunlight; sunlight had been what killed Sethius in the first place so if it hadn't been destroyed then she doubted sunlight would work now.
"I give up." She told him firmly.
Vlad chuckled at her tone; he moved his weight until he rested on his knees. Erin tipped her head to the side as she wondered what he was up to.
He reached across the gap, drawing her face towards his. Erin sighed as his lips gently brushed hers, Vlad grinned at the sound. He shuffled closer to her, not breaking the kiss from a moment. He slanted his mouth over hers to kiss her easier. Erin reached up and grasped the collar of his shirt, she moaned as his tongue brushed against hers. Vlad's left hand moved to her waist holding her closer to him.
Vlad slowly pulled back, resting his forehead against hers. He could hear her heart pounding. Erin placed a hand to her chest to calm her breathing.
A knock at the door drew them apart slightly.
"Master Vlad?" Renfield asked poking his head around the throne room door. Erin remembered the bon and quickly stuffed it back into her pocket, it was amazing how much lighter something felt when you became used to it.
Vlad twisted around from his position on the floor to look up at Renfield.
"You have a visitor."
"Who is it?" Vlad stood extending a hand to Erin to pull her to her feet.
"Ramanga requests to see you."
That was one name Vlad had hoped not to hear for a while.
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Vlad immediately saw Bertrand and Ingrid worshiping Ramanga. Ramanga was eagerly absorbing the flattery from Ingrid, although there was something in their gestures that told Vlad to be cautious. He wouldn't have put it passed his sister to try and usurp him by forming her own allegiances.
Vlad didn't knock to announce himself he just walked in the room. His footsteps immediately had everyone looking at him. Ramanga dropped to his knees in front of the Chosen One. The last time he'd seen Vlad they young vampire had embraced his evil. Vlad would have to play to that to get things done the way he wanted them to be.
"I hear you destroyed the book." He didn't look up at Vlad as he spoke, his gaze tried to look at him but it remained fixed on the floor.
Vlad let out a laugh, "I didn't destroy the book, I destroyed what it became. Sethius."
Ramanga shuddered at the name. His bloodline was partially responsible for defeating Sethius thousands of years before.
"I assume you've heard of him?" Vlad asked sharply.
Ramanga nodded, "You defeated him?"
"Yes." It had been his plan after all.
Ramanga looked at Vlad in awe, the original vampires had banished him because no one could defeat him. He didn't realise his banishment had been to be trapped into the book.
The significance of holding onto the lost finger was in fact a trophy then, a trophy of their successful banishment of Sethius. It should never have been returned to the book.
Ramanga didn't want to question the Chosen One anymore on the topic, he was sure he would tell him all. Of course informing the clans of what the book actually was would be important.
"May I inform the clans about the book?"
Vlad looked across at his father who shrugged and Bertrand who nodded. There was no point in denying what the book was, if he kept it a secret he could do his reputation more damage than it had already gathered. He was sure someone would have told the clans about his feelings for a certain breather as Bertrand's friends had vanished quite quickly afterwards.
"Yes you can."
Ramanga looked at the Count before whispering a hushed tone towards Vlad, "I've had reports that your father is denying you your birthright on your 18th Birthday." Ramanga glared at the Count who looked completely innocent in the face of the accusation. "Something about remaining the head of the family."
"I am the head until I die." The Count reminded him.
"You are the Regent of our kind, when Vladimir comes of age he will be the head of our nation. He will not bow to anyone…not even you Dracula."
"We have an agreement…"
"That will be taken from you the day the Chosen One comes of age. You won't have access to his duty or entitlement as ruler."
The Count looked put out. "Vladdy?"
"We'll discuss this privately." He told his father. The Count nodded, he didn't particularly want to discuss it in front of Ramanga unless Vlad happened to agree with him on who was going to be in charge.
Vlad didn't want the power but his father would take the role too lightly and abuse his position. He knew his father wanted his authority when he tried to blackmail him when his reflection took over.
"If that's all?"
"What about your father?" Ramanga wanted an answer. His tone was perhaps too forceful if Vlad's reaction was anything to go by.
Vlad extended his fangs with a snarl, his eyes fierce. "You will get the leader you want."
He let that be interpreted however they wanted to interpret it.
Ramanga seemed pleased at his answer, bowing once more before vanishing from the room.
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As soon as Ramanga left Vlad turned towards his sister. "If I find out you've done anything to stir up any trouble amongst our kind I will push you out into the sun again, this time Erin won't rescue you."
Ingrid froze, since she'd returned to her family she couldn't tell if Vlad was joking or serious any more. He was a sterner person than when she'd forced them to run, he didn't take betrayal lightly.
"That includes forging alliances with Ramanga behind my back." His gaze was fierce, he could see right through her she realised for the first time. Vlad no longer let his hopes and beliefs cloud his judgement he now looked at the facts and worked out his opinion from there.
Ingrid nodded quickly.
"If you have…break them before I find out." He was offering her the chance for plausible deniability, if they were broken before he found out about them officially she'd be safe from his wrath.
Ingrid looked at Bertrand, silently asking for his advice. He nodded to her.
It was better to avoid the wrath of her brother – at least until they had the finger in their possession.
"Right now, I'm going to my room as I have school tomorrow."
"What about the power…"
That was going a little too far, "TOMORROW!"
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A crack was heard as Erin knocked the jeans to the floor as she finished changing into her tracksuit style pyjamas, the force of gravity was too fast for her to halt the lowering of her foot – unfortunately directly onto the left pocket.
She let out a mild curse as she grabbed the jeans quickly, fishing the bone out of her pocket.
She looked at the yellowed item in her hand, scrutinising it before her eyes widened in horror.
"VLAD!" Erin yelled, immediately her boyfriend appeared in the room. He looked dishevelled as he stood in front of her, his hair was sticking up in all directions and his shirt was rumpled, she felt guilty for waking him but she had no other choice.
He immediately cupped her face, looking for signs of her panic, "What's wrong?"
She held the bone out to him, her fingers trembling.
The once whole bone was now cleaning split in half.
He looked at it, she'd damaged it in a way that he hadn't but he couldn't understand why she looked so devastated.
Erin handed it to him holding it so he could see the break.
Now he knew why she'd looked so worried.
The once ancient bone wasn't so ancient after all.
Unless vampires three thousand years ago had been made of plastic.
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Ryan grinned at the prize between his fingers.
When he saw Erin he'd remembered that her attention had been drawn to the bone when it darted across the floor – she knew about it. His keen eyesight had noticed the shape and size of the bulge in her left jeans pocket, he realised then Vlad had given it to her.
He switched it with a plastic skeleton finger; there were plenty in the science labs – its what he intended to do if he found it so Vlad would never know the difference.
His mistress would be pleased.
Although he couldn't give it to her like this.
Like this the bone was useless…
For now…
TBC
A/N: Please let me know what you think?
Thanks for reading.
