A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

A slightly longer chapter.

Chapter 14: Retribution

Vlad woke to an even more dimly lit room; he shook his head as his vision was still blurry. He hadn't felt like this since he'd worn the crown. His head felt like someone had driven hot pokers into it, he fought down the wave of nausea that threatened to consume him.

Once his vision cleared he immediately sought out his sister and father. They were fine. Bertrand looked okay but Erin wasn't anywhere in sight. Each one of them was tied to their chairs. Vlad yanked on the restraints, judging by the way they refused to give they were fang cuffs.

"Did Erin get away?" He asked them, they all shared a look, no one wanted to tell him. Vlad wanted to know, "Did. Erin. Get. Away?" He asked again, each word being forced through his teeth. He couldn't take the chance she'd returned and he hadn't noticed.

"She got away." Bertrand told him firmly. Vlad slumped back against the back of his chair in relief at least one thing had gone right.

The question that was burning on his mind now was: why weren't they dust?

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Erin rummaged through her bag, searching desperately for something she could use against the hoard of vampires holding the school.

"What are you doing?" Wolfie asked her quietly clutching one of her jacket closely to him, trying to find comfort in something.

"I'm going to help your family." She told him, throwing a small smile over her shoulder.

"Can I help?"

She shook her head, he needed to remain safe. "No."

Her hand clasped around a cold plastic vial. She'd forgotten about this entirely, she looked at the liquid level, there wasn't much left. Perhaps enough for a few hours. Her fingers trembled as she held the stasis spray over her pulse points, the bottle wobbled back and forth as she tried to press the trigger. She dropped her hands to her sides before taking a few calming breaths and trying again, this time it she managed to use the spray.

She rubbed her neck, then her wrists together making sure it was worked into her skin. Erin tucked the vial back into her jeans, as long as it kept the vampires from detecting her the happier she'd be.

She checked the back of her jeans, relieved to find the stake still in the back of her trousers. She grabbed a thicker, dark blue scarf from the back of her door, wrapping it around her neck securely to provide a layer of protection for her throat. She slipped on a denim jacket and slipped her slayers' equipment into the pocket. Erin didn't think she'd ever be using it again, not that it had ever been christened in the first place.

"Stay in here and lock the door behind me." She told him. Wolfie nodded. Erin placed a kiss to his forehead.

"Be careful." Wolfie told her, sounding so much like Vlad in that moment.

"I will." She promised him and he grinned at her.

Erin placed her hand on the metal door handle, it was now or never.

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Erin poked her head around the basement door, it was completely silent. The netball team must have fled at the start of the attack.

She crept down the hallway taking care not to slip on the uneven floor that had been created by the affects of the damp and cold on the concrete. She couldn't risk using her torch should anyone see it. She didn't even know how many vampires were in the school, the only light was at the end of the corridor that filtered down from the stairway.

She reached her brother's room where Vlad's sister had banished him.

She pushed open the door before grabbing it quickly as creaking filled the entire hallway. Erin tried again slower but the sound seemed to be louder and more fierce than before, her only choice was to open it quickly, like a zip, and get the sound over with quickly.

The room was even darker than the corridor.

"Ryan?" She whispered. There was no answer; she hoped she hadn't missed him. "Ryan?" She asked again.

She caught a faint glimmer of something in the room. She fixed her eyes towards that movement.

"What do you want?" He quizzed, she could hear his throat was thick. She had a feeling he'd been crying over his mistake, or more likely Ingrid's reaction to him. Erin knew she'd never want to be loyal to a vampire who didn't already have her loyalty.

"I need your help." She told him.

"Why?"

"The school's been attacked, I don't know what's happened to Vlad and the others…"

He interrupted quickly, "Ingrid?"

"She was with Vlad." Erin told him. Ryan immediately stood and sped across to her, stopping directly in front of her. She knew Ryan was more fearsome in the dark but at the moment she had more things to worry about. "I need your help to rescue them."

"Where were they?" Ryan's posture became less hostile towards her and she relaxed slightly.

"In the throne room, Vlad told me to take Wolfie and run…" Erin began to tell him.

Ryan's next words were laced with anger, "Not Ingrid?"

"I'm sure Bertrand's looking after her." Erin poured salt into her brother's wound, she hated the fact he only cared about Ingrid. "Vlad won't let anything happen to her." Unless he does it himself, she completed in her mind.

"What weapons have you got sis?" He asked, sounding almost like the Ryan she knew.

"Just the emergency kit," Erin routed through her pocket, Ryan nodded at her, or she thought it was a nod in the darkness.

"You'll probably need it."

Erin didn't want to think about that, she didn't want to slay anyone but she would if it meant protecting Vlad.

"How long ago did you leave them?"

"About half an hour ago maybe an hour." She hadn't been thinking about the time at the time, she'd been more concerned with getting Wolfie out of the room.

Ryan spat at her reply, "We'd better go get them then, sis."

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"How many is that?" Erin asked quietly. Ryan looked around the corner above her. He looked down.

"12." He whispered. "Are you sure its Sethius?" He hadn't seen the lunatic once yet.

"Who else would attack the school?" She asked it didn't take a genius to work out who it was. "Why can't you speed us there?" She wanted to know why they had to creep around the corridors in an effort not to be spotted.

"Because I don't want to stop and find a vampire waiting for us."

"No but he could bite you." Ryan told her; in that moment he was the brother she remembered before his eyes reddened and he became the cold brother she'd known over the last month once more.

A stocky built vampire stopped at the end of the hallway – in the direction they had to go. He showed no signs of moving, he seemed to be guarding the door.

Ryan looked at Erin, this was down to her he hadn't learned how to fireball yet.

Erin grasped the stake in her jacket pocket. She slowly withdrew it, her white, clenched knuckles exposed to the air. This was her secondary stake, this one was easier to throw than her small one. Erin wouldn't relish taking any one's life, not even the cruel creature that was her target.

She took her aim drawing her arm back, it would be safer to launch her stake at her target than confront it face to face. Erin let out a breath as she brought her arm forward in an arc. The stake slipped from her fingers on a direct course for the unbeating heart of the vampire.

The vampire in front of her suddenly vanished, and while she was relieved, the stake was still on course, if it embedded itself in the door then every vampire would come running.

Ryan ran forward coming to stop alongside the stake, he carefully plucked it out of the air with his hand, making sure not to catch himself on the tip. He handed it back to his sister who accepted it gratefully.

He jerked his head as if to say 'come on then', Erin rolled her eyes before following him on their journey towards the throne room.

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Erin slowly pushed the oiled door open, she was pleased she could remember which one Renfield had been ordered to oil after Wolfie had annoyed everyone when he practiced swinging on it. She glanced around the room, no one had noticed her yet and there were no unexpected guests in the room.

A trail of conversation reached her ears, "She's a coward Vlad…"

"Thanks for the confidence Ingrid." She interrupted making everyone's gaze snap towards her. They all looked confused but Vlad looked furious. She darted over towards them quickly.

"I told you to go," Vlad snapped at her as Erin quickly began to pick the locks on the fang cuffs, Ryan was quicker than her though, he easily managed to undo Ingrid's and the Count's. Perhaps it was safer that he'd left Bertrand for Ingrid to undo.

"I know." She replied all too cheerfully. She was tempted to say more but she knew Vlad would be rolling his eyes.

The Count stood and rubbed his wrists, "Where's Wolfie?" The Count asked her quietly, his concern for his ward clear for all to see.

"He's safe." She promised him.

Erin bit her tongue as she finally undid the cuff; she was really useless at picking locks. It clicked before sliding open.

As soon as Vlad was free he pulled Erin into a tight hug. Erin returned it rocking slightly under the fierceness of his grip. Erin closed her eyes relishing the safe feeling that filled her from being in his arms. All too soon he pulled back.

"Come on." She told him, releasing him completely and walking towards the door. "It'll be day soon, we need to get out of here." The Count nodded at her fully embracing the noble tradition of the Draculas and moved after her.

"WAIT!" Vlad cried sharply, this was wrong. Erin shouldn't have been able to get in here. "How did you get in?" Erin stopped by the door and spun around to face him.

"Through the door." Ingrid, Erin and the Count told him sarcastically at the same time. Vlad pulled a face.

Vlad was a prize; he should have been heavily guarded. If he escaped he was a threat, he couldn't believe they'd just let her walk in.

"And there was no one guarding it?" Erin shook her head, "Doesn't that sound a little too easy?" He asked her.

"Maybe but lets just take advantage of it." Ingrid told him.

Erin nodded throwing open the door before jumping backwards as she found it blocked completely. "Hello again."

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Before she could react Erin was grabbed and restrained tightly, his right arm around her stomach and his left against her throat.

Sethius held her tightly, Erin could only just breathe. From the way Sethius' nose twitched she knew her stasis spray had worn off, it had been the dregs at the bottom and not even a full dose so she had expected it.

The Draculas weren't sure what to do, there was no way Vlad could get her without injuring her. Sethius grinned at the struggle and indecision on his opponent's face.

"Let her go." Vlad told him calmly. His hand extended ready to pull her towards him. Erin wasn't the prize, he was.

Sethius feigned ignorance, "This pretty thing?" He deliberately sniffed her, his eyes closing in pleasure at her scent. The mixture of slayer and breather enticed him, he could feel his fangs twitching in anticipation.

Vlad's eyes blackened, as he gave a warning, "Don't make me do something you'll regret." He knew he wouldn't regret it but Sethius would.

"I think I'm the one with the upper hand, False One. Although unless you're willing to beg…" He looked at Vlad wanting him to drop to his knees.

The Dracula's snarled they never begged for anything.

"You want me dead, so just stake me and get it over with." Vlad told him holding his arms open in invitation. Ingrid and the Count gave him a look; he shouldn't offer his life in the place of Erin's "But let her go, she means nothing to you."

Erin shook her head at his offer; Vlad was the only hope his kind had.

Sethius considered his offer but what he had in mind for Vlad would be much more painful. The torment of star-crossed lovers had always been something he relished. "I'm not going to make it that easy."

"Erin has nothing to do with this." Vlad told him, his eyes constantly flicking to the terrified former slayer in his grasp.

"She has everything to do with this. She is your downfall." He sniffed her hair, "You are his weakness, he loves you." Erin's eyes softened as she looked at Vlad, in contrast Vlad's eyes hardened. "The vampire in love with the slayer,"

"Leave him alone." Erin told the vile lunatic, Vlad didn't need to be tormented like this.

Sethius didn't listen to her, enjoying the effect he was having on both of them.

"Did you know my dear that when a vampire takes a mate its usually for life?" Sethius asked her, deliberately patronising Vlad. Vampires usually remained in the same relationship, although there were exceptions like the Count and Magda for example. "They don't 'date'."

"Times have changed since you were imprisoned." Vlad ground out, his eyes never leaving Erin's.

Sethius shook his head. "I don't think times have changed that much."

Sethius caressed Erin's throat lovingly, Erin shuddered at the touch. He leaned closer to smell the blood pumping through her veins. The sound of his prolonged 'sniff' had everyone grinding their teeth.

Vlad let out a hiss, he stooped ready to attack Sethius.

"I could drain her." He taunted Vlad.

Vlad made to step forward but Bertrand and Ingrid held him back, a restraining hand from each on his shoulder.

"But I think it's rather amusing that my first truly loyal subject should be my enemies mate." This was perfect irony, this way they'd both suffer.

"You wouldn't dare." Vlad snarled, his teeth bared.

"Oh I would, you don't seem to have the guts to do it yourself." His left index finger trailed down her face. Erin tried to lean as far away from it as possible. "She might even become my favourite."

Vlad shook off Bertrand and his sister, darting forward to snatch Erin from Sethius' grasp. Erin watched as Vlad's eyes darkened completely, and a sneer took over his face.

Sethius let out a rip roaring laugh at Vlad's reaction. That's what made this retribution even sweeter.

Erin let out a cry of pure agony as Sethius swooped down and sank his fangs into her neck.

TBC

A/N: What do you think?

Thanks for reading.