CHAPTER NINE: A LINE NEAR AND ONE FINALLY DRAWN

When the sun appeared into the skies of Bathory, Vlad and the others quickly began their search for his uncle.

Since their interaction with Eliz, Otis hasn't returned for almost half a day. He made no physical or mental contact with Vlad, which deeply worried him. Yet at the same time Vlad was still sort of calm. Eliz kept trying to get to him this entire time. And because she hasn't attacked him yet, it meant Otis must have still been alright.

For now, that was all that kept Vlad's hopes up.

Vald and Henry had gone to check the clearing. Maybe, just maybe, he was still there. Snow and October went to go all look around the neighborhood, to see if he was just now returning home. With the four of them, someone is bound to see him.

Henry breathed slightly heavily as he quick walked each tree in front of him. He was trying to say in Vlad's pace, but he was obviously using a bit of his Vampire abilities. So it was a slight challenge for Henry to do so.

Vlad, luckily, did stop soon as they had arrived at the spot Eliz had taken Snow to. And right, his eyes widened I shock and the same with Henry.

The area was a mess.

Trees were damage. The least ones had either scratch marks or pieces of barks ripped off. The ones seriously damage were split in the middle of the trunk and then split again, plus the same damage as the mild ones. There were also spots on the ground where the grass was ripped off, leaving small to large hole around.

And to finish it, Vlad could smell dried blood in a few areas. Yet both Otis and Eliz were no longer here.

Henry looked around. "Wow…it's like a storm broke here." He spoke in a joke like tone, but Vlad wasn't in the mood for that. Vlad looked carefully at every detail he could, trying to see if anything would give him a clue as to how the fight exactly went down. And asked Henry a question. "Hey Henry, about that call we made earlier, when did he say he'll be here again?"

Henry blinked twice before remembering. "He said the fastest he could get here is tomorrow." Vlad groaned under his breath and just kept searching.

With that information, Vlad wasn't that sure on what will happen if he were to run into Eliz. Yet that unsure feeling quickly switched with curiosity as he noticed something interesting.

As he walked farther, he noticed there were more battered trees up a head, showing that the battle had moved and continued somewhere else. How far that it was, he wasn't sure.

Just then, for some reason only heaven knows why, Henry brought something pointless up. "Hey what kind of name is Eliz anyways? That's what you said the vampire's name was right? Eliz?" Vlad rolled his eyes at Henry and nodded.

Henry folded his arms and continued. "I think that's short for Elizabeth right? What's with vampires and names that are like freakishly old?" Vald sighed and spoke. "I don't know, maybe the names are vampire related. You know, like mine."

Henry shrugged. "How's Elizabeth vampire related." Vlad sighed and brushed his bangs away from his face. "Well vampires like blood and there was that queen. The one that like to take baths in blood of young woman. Her name was Elizabeth."

Henry nodded, satisfied with that answer. Yet he then, still being pointless, asked another question. "Wait…don't we know her last name? I'm sure something is named just like her last name." Again Vlad sighed at Henry's blabbering and answered. "Yea, we kind of live in it. Bathory. Her full name was Elizabeth Bathory."

Henry blinked twice and spoke in what was a freaked out yet seemly sarcastic tone. "So…there was a queen…that bathed in blood…and had the same last name…as this town…I'm starting to see why vampires keep coming here."

Vlad groaned at the time wasting words of his best friend and went back to looking for more clues to find his uncle's whereabouts.

But of course, Henry brought up another topic…yet this time it was different.

This time, he was more serious. "Vlad…um." Vlad sulked. "Yea, what is it now?" Henry cleared his throat. "You know…I still want to go through with it."

Vlad jerked a brow as he looked at Henry, confused. Yet after a moment, Vlad remembered yesterday…how Henry didn't want to be his drudge any longer. He quickly felt a hallow feeling.

Henry continued. "Right now we're looking for your uncle…but afterwards, I want it done…alright?"

Vlad didn't say anything. He just nodded, agreeing, make the hallow feeling in him larger.

With that, they continued looking around…

Silently….

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When night came, they stopped looking around. And Otis still wasn't found…

Henry and October went home, leaving Vlad and Snow alone in Vlad's house.

Vlad sat back on the couch, deeply disappointed at the fact that he had no luck looking for Otis. Snow sat next to him and placed her hand on his right shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll find him soon."

Vlad spoke, his tone, hopeless. "I know, but then what?" He gently took her hand off and stood up. "Snow, we graduated three days ago…Three days." Vald could feel a lump building up in his throat. "I can't even go a week without something making problems for me."

Snow looked concerned. "What do you mean?"

Vlad's tone went to one more annoyed and then rose with anger. "There days…in three days, two people are dead, October gets hurt, you get kidnapped and Otis goes missing!" He then shouts louder. "DAMN IT! WHAT THE HELL DOES A GUY HAVE TO DO TO GET A BRAKE AROUND HERE!"

Without warning, Vlad punched the wall using his vampiric strength. And because of that, left a large hole in the wall.

He then calmed some. "Henry doesn't even want to be my drudge anymore."

Snow looked down for a second and the back at Vlad. She then stood up and walked towards him until she was standing right behind him. Vlad felt her presence and turned to her.

Snow gently brushed her hand through Vlad hair and looked at his eyes. "A lots going on for you, I see that…but you shouldn't let yourself feel down. You'll get through all this." Vlad grabbed her arm, stopping her hand from going on. "No, you don't get it at all Snow. I've been going through this since I was thirteen…well ten sort of." He sighed. "I just don't think I'll ever have a normal life."

Snow thought about it for a moment, the spoke. "Vlad we're vampires, we'll never be normal, but that doesn't mean you can't have good life." Vlad sulked and looked off. "How…it's like no one understands me."

Snow smirked and rolled her eyes. She grabbed Vlad's face and turned towards her. And within seconds she pushed his lips on her, widening his eye by surprise for a moment before relaxing.

"That's right." He thought to himself. Snow was just like him. She had a ruogh life, her father tried to hurt her. She was him in almost every way...but this kiss.

This kiss suddenly...felt different.

This was the longest kiss they've had since Vlad turned her. And some about it wasn't the same...it's not that it was normal...it was like...it was like it was on a whole new level. Strange...but enjoyable.

When their lips parted, they looked at each other...deeply. The feeling was still there.

Vlad didn't know what to do with it, but Snow did.

She gabbed his left arm and turned around. Snow began walking and Vlad followed her. Something about this feeling reminded them that they've felt it before, but now it was stronger.

Snow took Vlad out the livingroom, up the staircase and across the hall.

Finally, they reached Vlad's room...and Snow let go of his arm.

She walked into the room and Vlad quicky followed her inside. He closed the door behind him.

The feeling they felt was simple...lust.

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