A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.
I'm sorry some people didn't like this plot point but please trust me; you know I always have something up my sleeve…
I've included it for a reason…
It will be clear in the next few chapters the reason why…
Chapter 29: Help
Erin shoved him hard, realising the scent that had begun to tickle her nostrils she was confused as it wasn't as strong as she expected it to be. Vlad shook his head, turning it away from her.
"Erinmmph." His voice was muffled; she only just managed to make out her name.
Erin leaned closer to him. "Vlad you're bleeding."
"Can't bleed." He muttered, trying to settle back into sleep. Erin shook his fiercely trying to get him to wake up. Vlad's head just lolled from side to side, why couldn't she just leave him alone for a few minutes?
Erin decided then to take the initiative and slapped him – hard. It worked.
Vlad jolted forwards, the movement causing more blood to gush from the wound.
"I need to move you." Erin whispered to him. Vlad's eyes were unfocussed as he finally looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because if I don't you'll bleed to death."
Vlad didn't believe her, he couldn't bleed to death. "I'm a vampire."
"Not anymore." Erin told him, her voice hitching in her throat.
Erin looked up towards the top of the hill she didn't have anything that might help him in the castle; he needed to get the wound seen to and treated. There was no way she could fly back to their manor carrying him. Erin considered contacting Ingrid but she'd never been trained to deal with telepathy across a distance like this, there was no telling if Ingrid could receive it and if she did there was no telling that she would be able to reply to let her know she'd received it.
Erin saw his eyes droop and she shoved him again. "You need to stay awake." She told him fiercely, just like you told me when I was injured, remember?" He nodded slowly, if he slept there was no telling that he would ever wake up.
Erin tried to think, the Count would only stress out his son and it was the last thing that Vlad needed right now.
She needed to get him out of here before Olga and her minions followed the scent of his blood, she wasn't sure if Olga knew that he was now mortal or not, or perhaps she just assumed that he was powerless. If that was the case that's what they'd have to work with for the time being.
She closed her eyes trying to think. There must be something she could do. Something that would help him.
An idea came to her; perhaps there was one person who could help.
Erin grabbed Vlad and hoisted him to his feet, he cried out as he inadvertently put weight onto his leg. It was awkward; she'd forgotten how much taller than her he was.
"You okay?" She asked looking at him in concern.
"Fine." He ground out, trying not to look weak in front of her. Erin tried to resist the urge to look down. She failed and caught sight of the blood running down his leg.
"We need to move quickly," He opened his mouth to speak. "Don't try to stop me Vlad, this is the only way."
He nodded and closed his mouth. Erin took a deep breath trying to calm herself before speeding in the direction she hoped she could get help.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
Erin hit the wooden door as hard as she could, hoping that someone would answer it. There was no reply so she hit it harder making it shift on its hinges backwards; cracks of light penetrated the gaps she'd just made.
Erin adjusted Vlad's weight on her, she was glad she was a vampire the added strength made her able to do this she would have collapsed if she was a breather.
Erin raised her hand again and to hit it harder but her hand came into contact with thin air, she didn't stop it in time and gravity took over until it landed at her side with a thump. The occupant looked at her in astonishment only just managing to avoid Erin's fist as it continued its downward journey.
Octa looked at her in surprise preparing to challenge her before she saw Erin's blood coated hands and looked at Vlad. She immediately dove to her side understanding what Erin wanted, looping her arm around Vlad's waist.
Erin didn't know whether she could trust Octa but it was all she had to work with. She couldn't risk the natives learning about Vlad and his status she needed someone who knew about vampires and Octa had admitted that she had been one although. Erin was unfortunately getting a good idea of why she wasn't a vampire anymore but she couldn't understand it. Only Vlad had that power to force a reflection out, she couldn't have had access to a mirror that large to channel the power of the bone either.
Octa dragged Vlad over the threshold of her shack, kicking the door shut with her foot. Erin moved the chairs and other items out of the way quickly as they were led towards something that she assumed was a bed. It was a rough structure, solid with a sack of some sorts for a mattress. By the smell of it the mattress was stuffed with straw.
They lowered him down carefully and Octa grabbed his legs, swinging them upwards.
"I told him to keep his reflection locked inside." Octa told her angrily as they manoeuvred Vlad around on the bed.
"When that's usually mentioned to us we think it means don't let his evil take over." She snapped back just as angrily. "You could have been honest with us told us that his reflections were going to be ripped from him."
Octa shook her head, "I didn't see it clearly." She only had flashes of what would happen, she'd seen darkness in his eyes. Darkness that spoke of evil, she's seen him clutching with air and assumed it was his reflection but she could ever be sure.
"You have visions?" Erin realised, Octa looked down and away from her. Erin didn't know anyone other than Vlad who could have visions, besides Vlad couldn't see the future. Somehow Octa seemed to be able to.
"We'll discuss it later."
Octa tore the jeans from Vlad's leg; she winced at the sight of the cut. "We need to clean it then cauterise the wound to stop the bleeding." Now the cut was exposed to the world it was a straight line about four inches wide. Erin had worked that out roughly from seeing how far the mirror had been buried into his leg. The cut was half an inch wide from the thickness of the ancient glass.
Erin pressed her hands against it, using the torn jeans to stem the blood flow. She'd seen his blood before when he'd been injured with the argentalium spear but that had just been a small smattering, now he had a heart pumping blood around his body.
"How are you going to do that?" Octa looked across at the fire. Erin followed her gaze seeing for the first time the poker in it. "You can't."
"If he bleeds out…"
"Fine." Octa knew which buttons to press. Erin stroked Vlad's cheek, hoping that he wouldn't notice this at all he would be in too much pain. Octa darted across the room grabbing a bowl of clean water to use. She gestured for Erin to begin to clean the wound while she walked across to the fire.
Erin wrung the cloth in the water and meticulously began to clean the wound, making sure every fragment of dirt was free from the wound. It wouldn't do for Vlad to get an infection, he would never survive in this state.
Vlad hissed as Erin pressed deeper into the wound, "Sorry." She whispered, her eyes flickered up to him she saw he had hit hands by his head. His fist almost in his mouth.
"You have to do it." Vlad answered wincing before letting out a grunt of pain.
"Nearly done." She promised him washing out the cloth and checking it one last time. Vlad nodded and clenched his fingers in his hair.
Octa returned bearing the poker. Vlad looked at it with unconcealed distress on his face.
"We have to seal the wound."
"Stitches?" He croaked out, hoping that the poker was just there because she had to stoke the fire. He'd never complain about stitches in his life ever again. Octa shook her head. Vlad looked at Erin and saw her tear filled ones she didn't want this to happen but there wasn't enough time for him to have stitches put in.
Octa handed Erin something, "Put this in his mouth." It was a stick; he needed something to bite down on. Erin placed it in his mouth and he bit down on it.
Erin reached for his hand but Vlad took it away from her. Erin thought she'd done something wrong, sadness crossed her face as she thought it might be because she'd decided this for him. Vlad knew that she'd misinterpreted his actions, "I don't want to hurt you." He told her around the stick.
Octa looked at him and he nodded.
She then pressed the metal against his leg and the smell of burning flesh filled the hut.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
Erin wouldn't leave his side, she couldn't believe how all of this had happened. She'd never seen him this weak and vulnerable – it was terrifying for her. The Council would have a field day when they found out. Something told her that they were missing something, his reflections couldn't have been gone that easily but a vampire was connected to his reflection. His reflections had been removed and destroyed making him mortal.
Octa watched Erin carefully as she refused to move from the bed, she'd never seen such tenderness from vampires. Erin smoothed his hair from his eyes
She handed Erin a wooden cup. Erin took it from her before the scent made her push it away. "I don't drink human blood."
"It's better for you and the child." Octa told her, trying to force it into her hands.
Erin shook her head but Octa tried again. Erin slapped the cup from her hand, forcing the wood to crack and explode as it hit the wall of the shack. "I don't drink human blood. I will never drink it."
"The baby will suffer."
Erin span around to look at her, she really didn't believe that. "Is that a vision or because you don't approve?" Octa looked down, it was clear she didn't approve of Erin's choice and that's all it was. "I have never drunk human blood and I never will."
"How about the Grand High Vampire?" Octa challenged, she couldn't believe that he could be that clean.
"Once and it was when he transformed me, that was the only exception." Octa looked at him in amazement there were rumours that the Grand High Vampire was 'vegetarian' but nothing had ever been confirmed and he'd always managed to seal off his mind from her. Erin grabbed a small hip flask from her pocket, drinking the soy blood contents deeply.
Vlad muttered something, arching upwards. Erin understood it and muttered back to him in Transylvanian. He was scared of something, something about glass and reflections. She knew that he was dreaming about what had happened. She heard the word 'baby' and she kissed his forehead lightly. Erin knew exactly what to say to get him to calm.
"I love you, it's not real." It did the trick Vlad immediately calmed and leaned towards her.
"Vampires never show affection like you do." Octa was slightly scathing in her words and Erin shrugged at them. It wasn't any of her business how they acted.
"We've always been open. We wouldn't have it any other way."
Octa took her eyes off Erin, looking at the man in the bed in front of her. "He's about to wake."
TBC
A/N: Thanks for reading.
