A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.
Sorry I didn't post last night, I just felt so tired yesterday I just couldn't focus on typing. I went to bed around 8pm unfortunately that wasn't restful.
The reason for my late posts is that ever since my allergic reaction to penicillin the medication I had to take to combat those effects has given me raging nightmares, meaning I'm having trouble sleeping. So I might as well do something productive and type.
P.S.: I know it seemed to some people I rushed the last two chapters about them being in Transylvania but trust me… I have a perfectly good reason…
Chapter 25: Floor
The sensation of the floor jolting his knees felt like a feather tickling. Vlad couldn't feel it, he could only feel the other pain that this room was causing him.
Blinding stabs of pain drove through Vlad's skull, he felt as if a poker was slowly being twisted into his mind, burning through flesh and bone.
He tucked his legs up and curled into a ball, as if hoping that the pain wouldn't be able to hit a smaller target. He clenched his jaw trying to stop himself from screaming out.
The pain kept him on the edge of consciousness; it wouldn't let him pass out. His pain threshold was much higher than the average vampires.
Erin couldn't feel anything but Vlad wasn't the sort to fake pain, she'd seen him in pain and this was worse than any time before.
"Vlad?" She asked in fear, she was desperate to help him but she didn't know how to start.
Vlad looked at her through streaming eyes, he couldn't see her clearly for the blonde blur his tears had created. She didn't move as his eyes turned the darkest black, Erin knew exactly what or 'who' he was tapping into for strength.
"Help me." He bit out, his teeth gritted.
Erin dove towards Vlad, hoisting him up. She threw his arm around her shoulders and hers tightly around his waist and dragged him from the room. His feet stumbling and dragging along the way.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
The moment they stepped over the threshold the pain stopped, vanishing completely. Not a single trace of it remained.
Vlad slid down to the ground gasping instinctively. He looked at Erin, still unable to stop the effects of the pain, tears still falling from his eyes in silent streams. He lifted his arms to swipe at his eyes to stop them watering but missed, his hands and fingers shaking too much from what had just happened to be of any use to him at the moment.
Erin rushed over to him and clutched her head to his chest, she stroked his hair lightly. The thick locks feeling matted from Vlad gripping his head when he was curled into a ball.
Shock had gripped him, she waited for him to stop shivering and shaking. This was fear or sadness this was from what he'd just gone through.
Slowly when he felt he had the strength, he pushed himself away from Erin, using her shoulders and leverage to do so.
Erin wiped his cheeks, she didn't think any less of him. What he'd just been put through was worse than her having a stake in her stomach. He nodded to her in thanks. He looked at her and Erin could see the confusion in his eyes, he glanced back towards the room he didn't know what to make of it.
"You okay?" She whispered kissing his lips lightly. Vlad nodded, unable to speak just yet. "What was that?"
He gulped a couple of times, he didn't feel he was about to be sick but he felt as if his throat had closed up and he had to force it to open once more. "I don't know." He croaked out.
"You were in pain." She muttered, brushing back his sweat coated hair. It clung to his brow, beads of sweat dripping from his face.
He nodded; there was no point in denying it.
"Something in that room did this to you." She looked at the room with barely concealed hate, it was the same loathing she'd shown towards Andrew. She stood up sharply, Vlad tried to grab her but his movements were sluggish and uncoordinated.
Erin strode purposefully across to the room, she was determined to find out what it was that had turned him into this.
Erin walked into the room, her pumps squeaking on the surface of the floor. She heard heavy footfalls and turned sharply to see that her idiot of a vampire husband had followed her to the edge of the room, determined to step over the threshold – and there was the reason he was an idiot.
Erin pushed him backwards, his leg hovering in the air as he prepared to step into the room. His leg landed heavily on the floor, bending his ankle slightly. "You stay here."
"Erin…"
"If Olga attacks, we'll need you to protect us." Erin stroked his cheek, she cursed herself at using their child as leverage but she needed to say something to convince him.
"Fine." He muttered, not amused in the least but she did have a point. He leaned against the stone doorframe, perching there. His legs felt like jelly but he wasn't going to admit it to her at all – she'd only worry and that was the last thing he wanted at the moment.
Erin kissed his jaw lightly, taking an instinctive deep breath to calm her nerves she stepped over the threshold.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
All the mirrors had been collected into one room. Every single destroyed clan's mirror was there.
They weren't propped up against the walls though, they were on the floor. The entire floor about thirty-foot square was covered in clanless blood mirrors. The mirrors were pressed against each other each side – large or small – was touching another mirror, not even air could get between them. It was almost like tiling on a kitchen floor. Around the outside a frame bound them together. It was a simple frame plain oak but it held the mirrors together.
When Vlad had lit the candles the light had immediately reflected and glared into their eyes, blinding them for a matter of moments.
Why they were on the floor Erin had no idea, it could have been that the walls were too short to hold it but then again the mirrors could have been placed around all of the walls so they touched.
She couldn't see anything in the room that could have caused that; she couldn't sense or see any slayer devices. Erin traced the mirror with her fingertips, she could sense the power the combined mirrors now held.
Erin looked at Vlad, seeing he was about to cross over the threshold to the mirror room again. "Stay at the door!" She shouted, he really wasn't thinking straight if he thought she wouldn't keep glancing back at him.
Vlad folded his arms and pouted, it was clear in that moment who Wolfie looked like when he sulked.
She turned back to the frame, running her fingers over the grain of wood that made up the frame. It was a simple frame, constructed in the mirror.
Along the edge of the mirror was a small groove, about the size of the bone cut into it. It wasn't obvious from a distance, it blended it but up close there was nothing else that it could be used or mistaken for.
With the power of Sethius in the bone she needed more power to tap into it to release it. The more mirrors she had the greater the power she had to access the bone.
"Vlad!" She called out, this was the section of the mirror where Olga would place the bone to gain its power, then she'd draw on it like Boris had.
Vlad stood on his toes to get a better view. He saw clearly what Erin meant, it wasn't noticeable on a first glance. This was it, it was what Olga would release to make herself as powerful as him. The thought of her with that much power made him feel sick to his stomach.
Vlad felt himself being pushed forwards, two hands on his back firmly shoving him into the mirror room – he couldn't let himself remain in there for long.
Erin cried out as Vlad was shoved forwards, he did a small flip in the air so he landed on his feet once more landing behind his attacker. He'd never tried that move before, he'd been taught it years ago but he never really found a need to use it. Now he had.
His eyes blazed black with untold fury and power.
Erin sped towards him, speeding past his attacker. Vlad immediately stretched his arm over her stomach in a protective gesture. Erin gripped his hand lacing her fingers with his.
He let out a cry as he drew his arm back and unleashed a fireball with all his energy at the person who'd ambushed them.
They only just managed to duck out of the way.
"Hello Vlad."
TBC
A/N: Thanks for reading.