A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.
I'M BACK!
Thank you for all your kind well wishes, you have no idea what they mean to me. Seeing those messages have really made me feel so overwhelmed and really helped me when I felt down. Thank you all so much for your patience.
To answer a few questions about the operation: the operation was on my L5 (mid spine) and L1 (where the lumbar spine meets the pelvis) vertebrae, which is why I couldn't sit. The base of my spine couldn't hold any pressure and there was no chance that the fracture would heal itself correctly without being given a helping hand as the pressure wasn't allowing it to heal otherwise there was a chance it wouldn't be able to hold my weight again.
My L5 had to be corrected because it had healed in a step shape. The discs either side are slowly disappearing from my fall, the fracture had to be sorted so that L5 wouldn't rub against the one above it as much. It had to be fracture then reset. It was very painful and I've been doped up for most of it but at the end of the day it was something I couldn't avoid..
I have another MRI in two weeks and then I can start physiotherapy. I've been told it'll be a long haul until I'm completely back to normal once more and completely pain free but things are looking good so far as long as I take it easy.
I can get back to my sadly neglected fics now for which I am over the moon as long as I don't overdo the sitting at the laptop.
Please let me know what you think. I feel as if I've gotten a little rusty with this chapter…
Chapter 35: Honesty
"Why are your fangs weird?"
Five simple words.
His voice was quiet as he spoke, the fear was there for all to hear but he wouldn't take his eyes from her.
Adze froze; he'd seen her fangs before and never commented on them. Instead of being terrified like she expected him to he tipped his head and studied her. "What?" She instinctively touched them, her vanity getting the better of her. A normal vampire wouldn't have been fazed but her vanity got the better of her.
Alex pointed to them, he was scared but if he was going to die he wanted to know why her fangs were different to Vlad's. A last request of sorts. "Dad has four, you only have two. Why are your fangs weird?"
Adze decided she'd allow him an answer to that question, doing her best not to sound as insulted as she felt. "We come from different parts of the world." She answered as patiently as she could muster, "Some vampires have fangs here," She tapped her upper, middle teeth. "If your mum was a vampire she'd have two like me," She told him smiling although she didn't know why, "Smaller though." She added hastily, no half fang had bigger fangs than a true vampire – although it had never been formally documented it was more of a pride thing.
Alex shook his small head, "Mum won't be one." He answered with conviction. "I like her as a slayer." Adze chuckled; he definitely was like his father. His mother could be so much more than a filthy breather, the gift of being one of them. That was the problem with love it blinded you to the faults of others, it made you weak.
Adze looked at her, a possibility crossing her mind. "Even if your Dad was the one to bite her?"
Alex didn't even consider the question for longer than a heartbeat, "I don't really know Dad yet." He answered quietly and Adze strangely felt her heart drop at his admission. She'd been the one who'd forced them apart. The boy's face brightened suddenly, "What happens when one vampire drains another?" He asked her curiously.
That threw her off guard, "What…"
"Well you're going to bite me to kill me so… what happens?" He couldn't help his curious nature; he wanted an answer before she drained him. He was morbid she had to admit, vampires liked that.
Adze hadn't considered that before, Alex held Vlad's power inside him. Power that could kill vampires who weren't born to handle it or others who didn't receive his first bite. The power rivalled that which the crown held and she knew the stories of the bloodshed from that incident nine years ago. It could harm her if she took all of the blood that contained this power in Vlad's son. No vampire had ever drained another vampire; they'd only bitten them for loyalty. Alex was only half vampire so nothing might happen, he might be like a normal breather.
Vampire blood was different to human blood, it remained in their veins but it was preserved. It didn't disappear in any way in their systems when their hearts stopped beating. They were barely alive before they turned sixteen, their hearts only beat just enough to allow them to grow and develop into adults. Simply biting him would mean absorbing only a fraction of his blood would only be absorbing a small fraction of his power- enough to make her ill but not enough to kill her. However this wasn't about merely biting him.
She moved forwards and Alex closed his eyes, not really disappointed that she didn't answer him.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
Christopher held Bertrand's stern glance, "Maybe it's time you told Vlad everything." Bertrand knew all too well how Vlad handled things being kept from him and this was one secret he'd rather get out there than keep locked away. It had become necessary that Vlad should know about it.
That certainly caught Vlad's attention; he fixed the pair of them with a dark look. "Told me what?" Vlad looked to Jonno, his eyes immediately accusing. "Do you know anything about this?"
Jonno held up his hands, making a hiccupping noise but he didn't say anything other than that. He'd known long ago to stay out of arguments between vampires, between lovers and any argument involving Vlad in general if he wasn't directly involved at least.
Vlad turned to the person who usually kept secrets from him. "Ingrid?!" He growled lowly.
"Why are you asking me?"
Vlad didn't even deign her with a look, "Because you're usually the one who knows the gossip." 'Gossip' implied both the truth and the lies, she didn't correct him. Her brother was becoming more and more of a loose cannon, his mood's changed too quickly now although they had calmed marginally being back around Erin and his newly discovered son.
"I don't know anything about this." She promised injecting as much honest sincerity into her voice as possible and sending a prayer upwards that Vlad would believe her.
Someone seemed to have heard her as Vlad turned his piercing gaze on the other vampires once more, he knew there was something more to Christopher but he wasn't sure what it was. Bertrand seemed to know more than him, while he'd accepted that Bertrand had more experience than him he didn't like the fact that this was going to directly affect him.
There was some hesitation before someone spoke, "He doesn't need to know." Christopher hissed desperately at Bertrand, he didn't want his ruler knowing about this it was already complicated enough without the truth being thrown into the mix.
"I don't need to know what?" He asked his voice becoming more and more strained. Silence filled the air once the last syllable of his question left his mouth. He was losing his patience and they weren't sure whether this was his addiction beginning to surface again or just plain annoyance. "Or do you want me to take it out of you minds?" Bertrand gulped at that, Vlad could bring someone to their knees if he needed to find information in a hurry. He'd trained him in it so he knew how painful it could be, it wasn't something the young vampire had enjoyed learning but it was something he needed to know. It was a traditional form of torture, the information could be taken painlessly but it had a reputation that needed to be maintained.
Bertrand turned to Chris, tipping his head towards Vlad daring him to speak. If Christopher didn't say it then he would and it wouldn't come out as smoothly as he wanted.
Christopher's own skeletons were about to come out of the cupboard. Skeletons he'd long hoped had been lost somewhere in the darkness.
Christopher closed his eyes before forcing out through gritted teeth: "I used to know Adze." The secret pained him physically. Bertrand shook his head 'know' wasn't a strong enough word. Jonno glanced at the vampire seeing ire coming to the forefront of his expression – something worrying for the usually composed vampire.
Vlad moved closed to Christopher and Jonno moved back along with Ver and Ingrid. "What do you mean you 'used to know Adze'? You're a half fang; Ramanga wouldn't let you near her." Ramanga had scoffed at Erin's half fang disguise and hadn't hesitated in telling them all how inappropriate it was that he associated with her. "Do you mean you'd heard of her? Or she created you?"
Christopher shook his head, he felt a ball in his throat, he tried to swallow but found he couldn't. He could never understand the effects this average height vampire who was still practically a child had on their kind. How could he instil such fear? "I knew her well."
Vlad could tell that was a loaded question. A half fang didn't just 'know' a princess, like a vampire didn't just 'know' a slayer. "How well?"
Christopher couldn't answer that, he tried to force his voice out but he couldn't make even the smallest squeak.
Bertrand supplied the answer, not in the mood to suffer Vlad's anger and drawing incredulous looks from all around them. "They were engaged."
It was out in the open.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
Ramanga circled the young slayer like a vulture circles its prey. Erin kept her head high if anything she'd learned that from Vlad. You lower your head a fraction to this vampire then you conceded defeat. Vlad had made that mistake early on and so had the Count; Ramanga hadn't taken notice of her until she became a threat and she was a threat once more – this time she was determined not to let him win.
The old vampire laughed at her defiance, he liked a challenge and this girl was the biggest he'd ever faced. He'd removed Christopher from Adze long ago and even that hadn't been much of a challenge. "Your blood is interesting." Ramanga sniffed at her, "Aromatic, sensual, alluring… addictive, slayer but with something vampire in it." He drew back, "The fact you haven't donated since before you went away tells me something."
Erin opened her mouth to ask how he knew that but she knew that it was a stupid question. He would have been told by Julian, she still wanted to know what they got out of this in the long run.
"I understand why you were pregnant but not afterwards. You were hiding something."
He lifted a finger to run along her throat but she caught it and squeezed it tightly. She twisted his hand away from her brutally. He gasped with pain as the bone in his right index finger snapped. Upon hearing the sound Erin let go of his hand, disgust at herself, she hadn't intended to break his finger, just push him away. It might mean the death of her and Alex at what she'd just done.
To her surprise he began to laugh, delighted at her increase in strength. His finger would heal soon, it was a price he didn't mind paying. He delighted in the horrified look on her face at what she'd done. "You changed somehow." He continued, "Interesting." He actually seemed curious about her change the way he looked her up and down like a piece of meat. "I know vampires that would kill to study how far that vampire influence affected your DNA. I wonder how much like a vampire you are." He murmured absentmindedly with a sly grin bearing his fanged pearly white teeth that told her that he wanted to get a rise out of her. "I wonder if you could stomach blood."
She had no intention in ever finding out how much like a vampire she might be other than her powers and extended lifespan. She hadn't changed in the terms of her attitude, gained fanged or developed bloodlust so she was content. Erin smirked at him, taking him away from the subject that chilled her to the core. "I'm going to be around for a while with Vlad."
Ramanga began to laugh. "I don't think that's true." Erin wondered if that meant her death or Vlad's or even that he didn't know of her new longer lifespan. "You're just like your mate in some ways." Ramanga grinned at her; he knew why the young vampire liked her. She had spirit, much like Ingrid did. "You won't leave here – not yet anyway."
Erin betrayed her confusion, "Why not?"
He stepped closer – almost in her face. He was showing her who had the power, she could attack him but he held all the cards. "Because you'll stop at nothing to protect your family. You won't leave without Alex's blood sample." Erin's eyes narrowed. It was true, leaving empty handed was out of the question she needed that blood to keep her son and Vlad protected. "Until then I can't take the chance you'll leave before he comes for you. And you know he will."
Before Erin could react she felt something sharp pierce her neck. She yanked back tearing the skin around the needle site, a hiss of pain escaping her lips.
Then her vision blurred as she pitched forwards feeling incredibly dizzy and light headed.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTILE
The information washed over Vlad and Jonno, neither commented for a moment as they tried to digest what Bertrand had just said. Bertrand wouldn't lie about this to Vlad; the young vampire knew that all too well – Bertrand knew the consequences too well.
Bertrand and Jonno watched Vlad very carefully looking for any sign that he was going to blow his top. Bertrand gently tested Vlad's mental defences and as he expected they were raised to the maximum, the vampire wasn't stunned enough to lower them.
As he opened his mouth Bertrand and Jonno prepared for the worst. "You were engaged to Adze?" That startled them; it was a curious tone not a controlled one. The slayer and vampire shared worried looks with each other. Ingrid shook her head silently, as if telling them to take a step backwards.
Christopher's voice shook as he betrayed his secret, it was something that he was supposed to never mention – he'd promised himself that. "Ramanga didn't approve as I was a half fang. He believes in marriage amongst nobility." Vlad raised his eyebrows as if to say 'really?'. "A half fang and a full vampire is almost as bad as a breather and a vampire to Ramanga." Christopher told him, disgust all over his face as he contemplated that even though a half fang was just one step up from a breather. "Although as you have a slayer mate…" Perhaps it wouldn't be as scandalous.
"Yes my partner is a slayer." Vlad reminded them sarcastically with a slight sigh. It wasn't exactly breaking news.
Christopher felt uncomfortable discussing any relationship with them, in his period of time the intimate details of relationships were private and now he had to air them to everyone. "I was practically mated to Adze although you know mating isn't…"
"Recognised by law." Vlad finished and Christopher nodded sadly, that was how Ramanga had gotten his way. The problem was there was no official documentation to mating which in the past had left loopholes for heirs and clan trees and various other legal vampire businesses so at the time the only way to stop the chaos it caused was to decree that mating be no longer recognised. Mating was a grey area that Vlad wanted to clear so he could be recognised as mated to Erin; a similar thing to the way partners were now treated in human law after all mating was the vampire equivalent to being partners.
Although where his mother was concerned that grey area was the best thing for his family.
He understood why it was unrecognised but sometimes it really needed to be recognised amongst his kind.
Vlad had noticed that Christopher hadn't offered any more information, clearly he needed some prompting – hopefully without fireballs being thrown. "What happened?" Vlad demanded, "If you were practically mated why *did* you leave her?" He tipped his head fully expecting to receive an answer.
"Her father." Christopher spat. "He didn't approve of the match." Vlad nodded, tipping his head to one side in agreement. He knew what that was like. "I didn't have noble blood and I had no family being a half fang." He was repeating what he'd said a few minutes earlier but it was in the context of the story. "For years my widowed mistress and I used to go hunting…"
"What clan?" Vlad asked firmly, he needed to check his story. He didn't want to be taken on a wild goose chase again.
Christopher paused as if trying to cast his mind back. "I can't remember." He blocked those bitter days from his mind, those that weren't fuzzy anyway.
Vlad shook his head, "You can't remember…" He asked with disbelief. Weren't memories a wonderful thing? There when you wanted them but conveniently forgotten when they needed to be shared.
Bertrand decided to insert himself smoothly into this. "Vlad it doesn't matter. The clan is gone." Vlad looked at Bertrand before stiffly nodding. If Bertrand said the clan was gone then it definitely had perished, Bertrand knew more about clans than even the High Council.
Christopher took Vlad's nod as a sign to continue. "One night we came across slayers, my mistress liked a challenge – she craved slayer blood, it was her weakness." As it was with all vampires, "She fought them but there were too many and she was too arrogant. They slew the mistress. As she fell to the ground as ash my mind exploded, if felt as if it was on fire, all of the areas she was in my mind were being burned away leaving white hot scars. I thought I would turn to dust."
Vlad went cold; he knew that feeling all too well. "Her bond to you was gone." He summarised.
Christopher nodded, "The loyalty bond was gone. My mind was being filled with thoughts and feelings." A bite produced the same bond that Vlad and Erin had discovered naturally, the bond that was passed from parents to children. "I was confused, afraid and alone; I didn't know completely what I was." His subconscious knew what he was but his mind was rebelling against being a vampire. They were a legend, vampire were something to scare children at night, something that he'd dismissed long ago until he'd been bitten, he couldn't even recall the moment he'd been bitten before becoming a slave to the vampire who'd attacked him. "I ran as fast as I could away from them until exhaustion took over. Ramanga's minions found me when I'd trespassed on their land, they took me to Adze. Like you found Erin…" His tone turned romantic if it were possible.
"I found Erin looking for my sister and *invited* her in." Vlad immediately corrected, he didn't want their meeting sounding like a love story.
He looked at Vlad, and Ingrid couldn't help but notice that the older vampire looked slightly sheepish. "She knew that a bond was gone but she assumed it was a parental bond – I didn't correct her. The lies began from there." He admitted softly. "Her mother took me in assuming that I had land and titles, Ramanga wasn't exactly... pleased that he had a houseguest."
"He couldn't plot." Ingrid muttered under her breath, she knew Ramanga would be irritated to have someone looking over his shoulder.
"What?" Jonno asked hearing her say something but his human ears let him down. Ingrid pursed her lips and shook her head cluelessly trying to make him think he was hearing things but Jonno didn't fall for it. The young slayer simply shook his head and focused on looking back at the conversation.
Christopher hadn't noticed the interaction between Ingrid and Jonno and continued with his story. "I eventually relocated once they thought me well enough to my former mistress's estate; I became the head of it as she had no surviving heirs. I claimed it all, said I was her son and took 'her' maiden name as my clan." He couldn't remember the clan name so he'd invented a new one, it had been the only way he could think of keeping up the pretence. "Some vampires had seen me with her and assumed the same. It was easy. I was considered by her mother as a potential suitor as my mistress has fortune and lands. We courted almost openly and fell in love. She didn't like the idea at first." Christopher chuckled, "Hated the thought that she might end up being married to me as most courtships lead to marriage." Vlad looked between him and Bertrand silently asking for an explanation how they knew each other.
"We met at a Council Hunt Ball." Bertrand supplied. "The Council had to know how my search for the Chosen One was going so it was an unofficial meeting. I had to report on the latest false Chosen One and my actions. I was introduced to him. I think it was the start of Ramanga trying to get rid of him by subjecting Christopher to the opinions of the Council."
'My actions' clearly had lost everyone as they tried to figure out exactly what Bertrand meant and blanked out the rest of his speech. "His latest dusting of a false Chosen One." Vlad clarified knowing the others would be confused as to what he meant. Bertrand nodded an affirmative. To impersonate the Chosen One was to commit treason which only carried one punishment.
Christopher looked at the vampire across from him with veiled hatred. "Bertrand knew what I was when he saw me." Clearly Christopher blamed Bertrand for them finding out what he was.
"I never told them." Bertrand answered emphatically, "It wouldn't be of any gain to me." He told him bluntly. Revealing Christopher wouldn't put him higher in any favours.
"Someone told him." Christopher still accused. The only person that had known his secret that he knew of was Bertrand.
Jonno raised a hand stopping an argument from brewing before stakes had to be reached for and Vlad had to display his powers, "How did you know what he was?" He didn't understand how Bertrand could know if he'd never met him.
Vlad supplied that information, "Bertrand can sense power, he sensed mine then probably Erin and Alex's, with Christopher he would sense that he had less power than an average vampire." Bertrand nodded in agreement, Christopher too after a moment – there was something he still wasn't being told but he wouldn't press it for now.
"Somehow Ramanga found out what I was and I was forced to leave her. Ramanga offered me grander and true titles and favours if I left Adze alone. He threatened to marry her off quickly and quietly to the worst clans or worse disinherit her. She'd be an outcast with a price on her head from the Guild. I took the noble way out."
"The coward's way." Vlad answered angrily. He should've stayed and fought for her like he'd always done for Erin.
Christopher was quick to turn the tables on Vlad, "Erin took that option."
"Yes she did. She took the cowards way as well." Vlad conceded, "But in the long run Erin protected our son and she thought she was protecting me from being killed. I'm angry with her yes, but I understand why she did it. You need to talk to Adze, see what she thinks about your actions." He'd struggled to forgive Erin for everything and he was still angry but mainly for only just meeting his son. "But I fought for her from the moment I met her and she fought against the Guild to show what I was truly like. I chose Ramanga's loyalty over her and that's what gave them the advantage to drive us apart. It was my mistake and I'm not afraid to admit it." He paused taking a therapeutic breath before looking towards Jonno who gave him a supportive nod and a small encouraging smile, "You didn't fight for her at all, did you even face her when you left?" Erin had faced him and he knew something was wrong then, he knew the Ramangas had been behind it but he couldn't prove it.
Christopher ignored Vlad's words. "I didn't count on Ramanga coming after me. Hunting me down like his next meal. I needed to disappear. I managed to convince them that they'd killed me, left a pile of dust and I simply disappeared from Madagascar."
Ingrid tipped her head, "So you came here?" With all the places to go in the world why would he pick Britain? Then again Ramanga didn't start visiting Britain until Vlad became the Chosen One.
"I came over here, lived in Wales for a time, my accent adapted and changed to match the people around me." He looked at Vlad pointedly; the younger vampire bristled knowing his accent had changed thanks to his time in Stokely. "This new vampire world seemed to be ideal for me. I could do what I wanted and be part of something for the first time." Christopher didn't appreciate being interrogated like this, his frustration coming out and in consequence he underestimated Vlad's sensitive hearing. "Even Erin didn't ask this much."
"Erin knew this?" Vlad growled, his partner knew more about this than he did by the sounds of it.
Christopher's eyes widened in panic, "She doesn't know names. We bonded…"
"Bonded?" Vlad asked with a deadly tone.
Christopher corrected himself, "Talked after I saved her. She didn't know it was Adze. It was after I found out about the Prince…" Vlad flinched at his son being given a title as 'Prince'. He didn't want his son to have a title, he wanted him to be a normal child and the title would rob him of being that. He didn't mind when Alex was older but not at this stage when he was only four. His expression suddenly changed at the realisation of Erin telling someone she didn't know about their son. Christopher saw it and immediately jumped to Erin's defence and his if there was a possibility of being accused of hypnotising it out of her. "She didn't tell me, I could see he looked like you and she was your consort." A slight smile crossed his face at the pride that Alex could be recognised by an outsider that Alex was his now the news was out there.
Ingrid moved forwards, "If you love her, why are you letting her be forced into marrying Vlad?"
"Adze doesn't know I'm alive." He told Vlad softly, "Even if she did she wouldn't want me know." He spoke sadly, looking at the ground dejectedly.
That didn't sound at all good. "Why not?" Four voices spoke at once all with a slightly suspicious squint.
Christopher sighed looking up at the others; his voice was quiet but still clear enough to be heard. "She doesn't know I'm a half fang."
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
Dumbfounded silence filled the area they stood. Of all the reasons they expected to hear they didn't expect that.
Vlad tipped his head sceptically, "Adze doesn't know what you are?" He had no idea how that would work, the truth had come out about Erin being a breather before they started dating and the complete truth came out before they were definitely serious about each other. "You never told her?"
It had been deceptively easy to hide. "I have two fangs like her and my scar had long since healed when I met her. She assumed I was a full blood and I never corrected her. 'What harm could it have done?' I thought at the time. I never counted on Ramanga being the way he was." Vlad shook his head in disbelief, if they were considering marriage Christopher had to tell Adze what he was. Christopher felt his face harden at the disapproval on the younger vampire's face. Vlad had more people disapproving of him that Christopher did. "Like you and Erin opened up to each other the moment you met?" He rolled his eyes sarcastically.
Vlad's eyes flashed with past hurt at the memories that decided to swamp him and he couldn't help but rise to the bait. "I didn't know that Erin was a breather until I kissed her and I certainly didn't know she was a slayer until Bertrand found her gear. Once I did we entered a serious relationship. No relationship can go to the point of becoming mates without honesty."
A moment's silence ensued as Vlad waited for Christopher to volley another comment towards him. "Adze and I haven't…" Christopher gestured looking down. "We've never gone as far as you and your mate." That was why they weren't true mates; Adze didn't smell like him like Erin did of Vlad.
Vlad blinked, "You and Adze haven't…" He knew he had to be delicate, "Made love?"
"Adze is a princess she deserves the respect that comes with that. Deflowering her," 'Deflowering' who ever used terms like that anymore? "Is not respectful before her wedding night. She believes exactly the same." He tried not to implicate Vlad in that, he'd been brought up in a time where marriage came before sex.
Ingrid went to speak but Vlad held his hand up to stop her before she could respond with a slur to defend her brother – at least he hoped it was a defence.
Vlad moved forward a few paces; the other vampires mimicked him fully prepared to jump in if this argument became physical. "What's not respectful is her father marrying her off to anyone." Vlad told him. "Her chastity," He tried the most respectful word and tone he could muster, "Deserves to be given to someone she loves not the highest bidder or prize. " He took a breath, a grudging sigh escaping his lips. He was about to say something he'd never dared say out loud in public – a grudging respect for Adze. "I'm not the person Adze should give her virginity to and I won't take it from her. I can't spend a night with her and have it mean nothing, not when I love someone else. If I thought that then I would never have given Erin mine or accepted hers."
"You wouldn't understand you won't have been brought up the same as your parents aren't married." Christopher believed that couldn't have been a good example for Vlad nor Ingrid. Vlad looked to Ingrid who looked away, he was sure Ingrid had never gone as far as him and Erin. Will may have shared her room but they had separate coffins and judging by the fact he and Erin shared his couch more than the coffin he doubted Ingrid and Will could have managed.
"No it's that I'm from a different time than you. I see things differently. If you want to compare my relationship to Erin to yours with Adze, Erin and I took our relationship further because we love each other. That was the only thing that held us back; we needed to be ready for each other. It was out of marriage but it felt right. It always has. I have a different view on marriage to you, yes but I'm not willing to put Erin through that. You know the consequences of being married to me." He told Christopher sternly, Erin knew what would happen if he married her. His voice softened, "She doesn't deserve to pay that price."
"She'd be a Queen…" Christopher began, there was a positive to Erin being married to him.
"I'm happy with her as consort." Vlad answered without any hesitation, "I don't want her as Queen and consort has practically the same duties as Queen just without…" He trailed off shaking his head.
"Erin wouldn't be Queen." Bertrand told Christopher sternly, "She wouldn't want it. Slayers don't grave power like vampires do." Erin never had any intention of gaining any status by being with Vlad, she was attracted to the man not the power. "Not like Adze does."
Vlad nodded in agreement, his piercing gaze meeting Christopher's and holding it. "Adze only cares about getting her hands on my throne."
Christopher flung his hands out around him. "You don't know Adze like I do. Adze is a bored heiress she never used to plot like her father has forced her to now." Christopher told him. When he knew Adze she didn't plot like this, she was the perfect vampire bride-to-be, obeying her father's wishes but she couldn't sit on the shelf all her life. She should've been married off years before but her father held onto her to fit her into his schemes. "You know probably just as much about her as you do your son." Jonno winced as Christopher said that, his right eye closing as he took a step back. That was something that really shouldn't have slipped out. If he wanted Vlad to listen then he shouldn't have played that card. Bertrand glanced at Ingrid who seemed thankful that it was something that she hadn't exactly been involved in directly this time. Vlad's fists clenched and his whole posture straightened.
Vlad's replying glare could freeze the hottest of fires, "Who's fault is that?" His tone was dark and low, any lower and they wouldn't have been able to hear it.
Christopher once again showed selective hearing, ignoring Vlad's comment. "You had every chance to get to know Adze." Christopher fought back, "You chose not to."
Vlad could answer that one in a heartbeat, "Adze never had any intention of getting to know me either." He moved closer to Christopher everyone's eyes on his opening and clenching fist. "All she's ever cared about is my power and killing me."
"Adze doesn't open up easily." Christopher admitted, "She's more of a bauble than an actual vampire. She has her actions decided for her. Ramanga sees her as a gem that he can auction off to anyone. She's been shuffled around for almost a century from one suitor to another. At least this way she married for a reason other than someone with the most money – peace." He refused to consider the real reason she was marrying Vlad.
"Peace is not about who I get married to." Vlad told him sternly and it wasn't about peace it was only about power.
"But it is." Christopher answered sadly. Marriage was a way of bargaining, selling women to the highest bidder for status and honours. It had always been that way.
Vlad shook his head vehemently. "Peace for the vampires maybe but I want peace between the slayers and vampires, marrying Adze won't achieve that. Being with Erin will." He answered; it didn't escape anyone's notice that he didn't say 'marry' and 'Erin' in the same sentence. "I've wanted peace between our two kinds since I was young, Erin believes in that. I've fought for Erin for years, you should have fought for Adze not given up." He always asked about Erin and always tried to contact her for Jonno to eventually tell him that Erin didn't want any contact with him.
Christopher's head snapped up at that comment, he didn't expect the vampire to say that. "I never gave up on her."
To Vlad it definitely sounded like Christopher had given up on Adze. "To me it sounds like you have." He deliberately used the present tense. "I knew Erin was alive but Adze didn't know about you."
He was quick to defend himself, "I did it so she could move on." It was easier for her to think he was dead, that way she could look forward without thinking she was betraying him.
His voice softened a fraction. Moving on wasn't easy for anyone not matter how simple it seemed in theory. "You always have regrets if you lose someone, it doesn't matter if they're dead or not. It isn't easier on anyone. It just eats away at you and you can't let anyone else in... even friends." Jonno and Ingrid gave each other a sad smile as they realised what Vlad was talking about. "You turn to something else." It was the closed he came to mentioning his addiction to Christopher. "And you turn into a monster." Vlad ran a hand through his hair, "I think Adze would've preferred to be with you that lose her life to being with me."
"I couldn't ask her to give her life up for me." Christopher didn't fit into Adze's world, Ramanga had made that clear to him and Adze wasn't suited to his. She would become a housewife without the servants she was used to, her status would be gone.
If you loved someone those things didn't matter, "I was prepared to give up my life as Grand High Vampire for Erin and she nearly gave up her career for me. We would have still been together. If you really loved her you wouldn't have left her. Adze is the only person who can answer that; I would've given her the choice."
"Adze would never have given up her life for me."
"She doesn't even know what you are! Relationships can't be built on lies. I know that better than anyone." Vlad had more experience than other people with his family, he'd learned to grow up fast. He hadn't really had a childhood.
"Alex…" If he didn't know about Alex he couldn't have a relationship with Erin, he'd been lied to about his existence but he was in a relationship with the slayer once more.
He took a therapeutic breath to calm down, this was a trial of how Alex's existence would be used against him – the Council would be far more ruthless. An idea came to Vlad, "Then again maybe you're right, you can't be honest with her so you shouldn't be with her."
Vlad turned away and mentally counted to three. Before he'd gotten to two a hand gripped the back of his collar but Vlad spun mentally ramming Christopher against the wall. The vampire struggled against the invisible chose hold Vlad had on his neck, the discomfort was unbearable even though he didn't need to breath. Vlad motioned with his hand squeezing a little more before releasing his grip a fraction. "You need to listen to me, Vampire's aren't cowards, breathers are and even slayers…"
"Be careful Vlad…" Jonno warned slowly not liking his friend's words.
The Grand High Vampire continued as if he hadn't heard him, the selective hearing becoming contagious. "But you're worse than them, a complete coward. You would be with Adze and I would be with Erin if you stopped being a martyr. I have every intention of getting Erin back," To illustrate his point Vlad shot a fireball into the wall so Christopher would knew exactly what he would have to save her from. "And I suggest you figure out how you're going to tell Adze what you are because you're coming with us to get Alex and Erin back." Vlad stepped back, his hand dropping to his side causing Christopher to slide to the floor, his legs gave unprepared to hold is weight and he collapsed in a heap. "If she loves you as much as you say she does. Let her chose between you or power."
Vlad then spun on his heel and walked away.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
Doubt won over in her. She didn't know what biting him would do. She wouldn't admit that to the boy though. He might only be half vampire but she wondered if the vampire side made up for it. There were rumours that Ryan had somehow poisoned the Dracula sister when she'd bitten him. Erin might carry the same anomaly and if so she might have passed it onto her son.
She couldn't do it. He was a child; while she didn't exactly appreciate Alex's existence she couldn't kill a child.
Although a thought did cross her mind – this boy might actually be a way for her to still have power. Vlad would be grateful if she'd looked after him while Erin was incapacitated and hadn't hurt him. If she didn't end up marrying Vlad there was still that or perhaps he would agree to the idea of adoption if he could see that she wouldn't harm him.
Adze closed her eyes with a sigh. Her mouth snapped shut with a click, gathering her heavy dress in her hand she stepped away from him and sat down against the wall.
"You forgot to bite me." Alex told her seriously gesturing to his neck. "I thought you wanted to."
"I changed my mind." She answered, "For now." She added to make him believe that she could take his life at a moment's notice.
Alex still kept away from her, he wasn't sure if she was telling the truth. "Are you going to hurt me later before mum comes back?"
She wouldn't get another perfect opportunity like this – kill the true heir and she becomes the heir automatically upon Vlad's death. No one would notice, the slayers had the blood they needed and they could do more with the body. The boy didn't trust her, he was a menace, he was rude… but he was a child.
She hadn't cared if someone else would do it but when it came down to her and seeing him this vulnerable emotionally and physically…
She gave him a truthful answer, "No."
Killing Alex would only seal her death, there was no point in it at all. She could use him to blackmail Vlad and Erin but that was all really.
Alex seemed to physically relax, fear leaving him. "Dad wouldn't be happy." He summarised and Adze couldn't help but chuckle at his words – Vlad definitely wouldn't be happy with her killing his son.
Adze didn't know much about Erin but she could see certain traits in him. Alex threw himself down, rubbing his forehead furiously as the stinging sensation refused to numb. Adze watched knowing he must be in pain. Whatever was in that solution in his arm must have contained a painkiller of some sort, the boy wouldn't be conscious otherwise with the sudden removal of his parent's connection.
Adze actually felt anger towards the slayers on the behalf of Alex and Erin. They were cruel for taking away this connection deliberately to such a young child. There was no telling the damage that might have been caused when it was dampened so abruptly. She blocked her mind at the thought of another parental connection being severed; she didn't like to think of those days with Christopher before he was killed. They hurt too much to remember.
She knew what would help the boy but doubted he would be old enough to understand what to do if she told him. She'd have to show him – she'd have to touch him. She tried her hardest not to shudder at the thought although it wasn't as strong as it used to be.
"Come here." She whispered to the boy, Alex refused to come closer.
"Why?" He demanded, he wanted an answer. If she wanted him to do something then it was only right that he was told the reason for it.
Adze tried not to sound irritated, she was used to people doing as she commanded. "I can help with your headache. Now come here." She was impatient this time, she never really did have much patience. She chuckled at the thought of calling Vlad a spoiled brat when she met him – in private of course – he was a child to her, she was three generations older than him.
Alex still didn't move so she gathered her skirts and crawled to him. As tenderly as she could she cupped his jaw and lifted his face to meet her gaze. She could fell his trembling and a sudden rush coursed through her at him being afraid. Alex watched as she was more gentle with him than he thought, she wasn't as gentle as his mum and dad but she was far more gentle than the slayers on the base. With slow movement so not to spook him she lifted her long fingers to his forehead before moving her fingers towards his temples, taking care not to scratch him with her fingernails. Moving her fingers in alternating clockwise and anticlockwise movements she slowly she rubbed his temples.
"Why do you hate me and mum so much?" Alex asked her gently, worried about her sudden concern for him.
"I'm a vampire." She added as if it were an explanation. "I'm supposed to hate you."
"That's not it." Alex answered. "Did you ever love someone like Mum loves Dad?" Alex asked the woman curiously. She froze, her movements ceasing for the smallest of seconds before resuming.
It wouldn't hurt to answer his child like question. "Once."
"What happened to him?"
"He's dead."
"Aren't you dead already?" He couldn't get his small mind around that. His logic had her chuckling though. She dropped her fingers.
"Is that better?" She asked.
"A little." He answered before stepping away from her as fast as he could. "If you do marry Dad – not that I ever want you to because you're cruel – do I get any step brothers?" Alex asked her innocently trying to pretend he hadn't insulted her.
Adze opened her mouth to speak she'd been prepared for her duty to bed Vlad but was thankful that he wouldn't touch her. It was something she could never give him not after being in love. She actually respected him for that, at least she had one thing to respect the Grand High Vampire for. Just as she was about to force sound through her lips she double took the young vampire, he actually looked hopeful. She shook her head. "No I don't have any children."
Alex looked down, "Oh." He thought she might have some children of her own, she was older than his mum and dad after all and she had been in love. It was worth the small hope of making the best from a bad situation.
"Mum had a brother, I'm named after him – a bit anyway." Alex told Adze proudly. "Ryan." Adze contemplated whether she should tell Alex that she knew who Ryan was but decided against it. It perhaps wasn't the time for that conversation.
"I don't have any brothers or sisters." She supplied the boy with that small piece of information.
"You could have some now. Don't vampires live forever?"
"My mum died," Roughly six years before the conversation, Adze hadn't witnessed it but her father had told her a slayer had killed her while she was hunting. "I don't really think I'm going to get any more."
He whispered as if he didn't want anyone to hear him telling her a secret, "I might get some." He smiled as if everything would be alright. Adze grinned along with him, she couldn't help herself. Children were so innocent, they seemed to project an aura of ease around them. "I'd like someone else to play with." His words were tinged with sadness. "I liked having Dad as a friend but he can't be now."
"Why not?"
Alex looked at her as if she was stupid, the answer was obvious. "Because he's my Dad. Dad can't be my friend."
They were interrupted as the door drew back and Adze pushed the boy behind her reminding herself of her chance at clinging onto power if she looked after him.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
A limp figure was thrown into the cell alongside them.
Erin swayed from side to side, this was strong whatever they'd given her. It was making her feel lethargic; her movements were slow and sluggish. She felt drunk – she hated feeling drunk. Her sight was woozy, colours flashing in front of her eyes making it hard to focus on anything. The world spun but the bright side was that it numbed the headache she had.
She began to fall but felt someone grab her she went to pull away but found she couldn't. She knew who it was and she couldn't do anything to get away from them. Fear gripped her as she realised that Adze would be able to kill her like this and she wouldn't be able to do a thing about it.
"Mum?" Came the terrified call that seemed to ring in her ears.
"Alex let me lay her down." A female voice spoke and confusion filled her. She didn't understand why she was helping her but she felt herself being lowered down. Relief flooded her at the knowledge that Adze hadn't hurt Alex – it made her wonder if she'd been defanged while she was gone.
Adze's first thought was to kill her but then she realised that Erin would know information about the layout of the place they were in and have information about her captors. That was worth letting her live for if she wanted to get out of there – besides her powers would be useful in getting them out of there.
"Mum." The terrified whisper came again. She felt small arms circle her and a head come to rest on her chest. She tried to lift an arm to loop around him but her arms felt too heavy. Whatever they'd given her was definitely designed to incapacitate her. She wondered what human sedatives they had given to her.
"I'm fine, just a little dizzy." She answered, closing her eyes to try and halt the nausea sensation rolling in her stomach. Morning sickness didn't feel like this – even the bout of flu she had when she was living in the school didn't feel like this.
"What did they want?" Adze asked her directly. She needed answers, she couldn't contain her thirst for some reason as to why they'd been taken.
Erin answered, knowing that Adze wouldn't like what she was hearing. "Ramanga took us." She answered, trying to turn her head towards the source of the sound.
Erin was lying, there was no way her father would have done this to her. He loved her too much to hurt her or use her in this way. "Father wouldn't…"
Erin shook her head stopping Adze, "He's working with the slayers, he has another way to get Vlad's power now that me and Alex have it." She told her. Adze wasn't sure if the slayer was telling the truth or not, if not it was the old divide and conquer tactic if she was telling the truth then Adze didn't know what to think. Her father had always manipulated her into this and now he was treating her more and more like a pawn in a game than his own daughter.
Erin's head lolled a fraction to the side. "What did they give you?" Adze had never seen this type of reaction before from anyone. It was terrifying if it could be used on her.
"Something to make me woozy. Won't last for long." She muttered. Her body fought drugs now, they wouldn't remain inside her for long. However it did depend on the dosage. "He's planning on luring Vlad here so he can get his power," She paused wondering if she had imagined Adze shuddering or at least the sound of her dress moving as she shuddered. "But it doesn't involve you marrying Vlad anymore."
Adze felt dead inside, no emotions crossed her in response to her no longer having to marry Vlad but she felt terror grip her as she realised something else.
Now she was glad she hadn't killed Alex.
Although it wasn't just her power that hinged on it now.
It was her unlife.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
Ver was too busy looking at her medical files when someone managed to grab her left arm roughly and drag her off towards… she didn't have a clue.
"Can anything drug Vlad?" A fierce whisper came into her ear.
Only then did she notice that Vlad had stormed passed her and clearly she was being dragged on a small posse after him. Now she actually looked at her surroundings they were heading to the strategy room, a room that was protected from CCTV and bugs.
"You know there isn't." She hissed back just as firmly. "Unless you can get your hands on what knocked Erin and Alex out."
There wasn't any argentum anywhere nearby. Jonno groaned before speeding up in his pace to catch up with the vampire who for being only a fraction taller than him had the strides of Bertrand. "When we find them, you're still planning to go in all fangs and fireballs aren't you?!" They'd hoped they'd managed to calm him down somewhat but the realisations that his 'conversations' with Christopher had drawn had fired him up again.
Vlad stopped and wheeled round on Jonno forcing the slayer to skid to a halt only barely coming to a halt before smashing into Vlad. "They took my heir and my consort. Its war and treason Jonno!" Vlad snapped at him.
"Vlad you can't go in there fangs ready to bite someone!" Jonno protested loudly.
"Him bite someone?" Ingrid laughed, suddenly halting as she saw the look on her brother's face and in that moment, his darkest glare made her believe that he would do it if it meant getting his young family back. Vlad's whole body was tense, ready to attack at the slightest provocation. Bertrand softly touched Ingrid's shoulder and pushed her forward before she could find out exactly what Vlad might do for that comment.
"We need to find out where they are then deal with Ramanga, Adze and the slayers." Vlad nodded slowly.
"Where would Ramanga take Alex and Erin?" Vlad asked Bertrand quickly as they headed down the corridors.
"Somewhere secure." Bertrand answered, "If he's working with the slayers it will be highly defended. Vlad you do realise that they might have taken samples of Alex and Erin's DNA…"
"I know." Vlad answered with frustration, "That's what makes this even more important." He thought carefully about the situation there had to be a way to find Erin somehow. He couldn't do it.
Ver spoke, inputting her scientific and medical knowledge. "There are slayer bases all over the country that can do that now. There's even portable equipment that was created when the Truce was signed to identify if slayers had become vampires." That inspired them with so much confidence.
Bertrand looked at Jonno a thought coming to him. "Do slayers have locators?" He suddenly asked Jonno.
Jonno looked at Bertrand. "What?" He wasn't exactly sure what Bertrand meant by that question.
Bertrand was being patient, "A locating device of some kind under their skin."
"Most do…" He had one in him, in his collar bone like other slayers.
Vlad grinned widely, at last something they could use. "We can use it to find Erin…"
Jonno winced; realising there was a chance Vlad's anger might be directed at him. "Alex could never have one but there's a slight issue with Erin's…"
Vlad froze, defeat flooding him. "Don't tell me she was being stubborn…" He could never understand how she would be so stubborn and Alex had most likely inherited it from them both making him probably worse than them later in life.
"No." Jonno drew out with a wince, he closed his eyes briefly; before reluctantly opening them to see Vlad's exasperated face. "A little. Yes. But there is a good reason. Erin did have one… in a way."
His words were echoed back to him "What does 'in a way' mean?" The words were strained.
"She had a dummy one injected," As the injections were overseen by the Board, "And a real one stored inside her Guild badge." Not for the first time in as many days Vlad felt like banging his head against the nearest wall.
Sometimes he didn't know how he could love someone so stubborn. "Which Erin only wears when she has to, and she doesn't on base." Just like her never taking garlic pills when she was supposed to.
Jonno decided to inject the bright side into the conversation. "Anyway none are coded specifically to the slayer. Mine just will tell the computer where a slayer is not that it is me. The devices are ready for it but the software isn't. The locator wouldn't lead you directly to Erin. Mostly she was worried about Alex, if they couldn't find her then they couldn't find him."
He couldn't blame her for that. He let out a sigh. "Anyone got another idea?" He half pleaded rubbing his temples; he couldn't decide whether this headache had grown or whether it was now a stress headache or the bond severance headache.
"There is another way…" Ingrid began but trailed off seeing her brother's distant look.
He tried to let his mind go blank but something that had been nagging at him appeared at the forefront of his mind as he watched some slayers and vampires interact down the corridor. He knew them all by name, he'd approved the vampire contingent and he'd met the slayers years ago as part of Jonno's personal team.
Suddenly Vlad spun facing the opposite way down the corridor a flash of déjà vu overcoming him. He needed to focus without their eyes on him so he could build up a clear picture of the memory in his mind. Everyone watched him in confusion before he slowly turned back to them.
"I got it wrong." He whispered, he felt as if the world was crushing him. How could he have gotten it so wrong?
Ingrid was beside him in an instant, her eyes softening, "What did you get wrong?"
Vlad hit his hand against the wall, anger filling him. "I got it wrong when Ramanga was here." Although everyone had been looking at him, Vlad had assumed that he'd been looking at Ver as she'd had a Transylvanian background and been privy to life there when Ramanga was around. He'd seen the hatred in her eyes as she'd looked at him and he'd never seen as much hatred directed at one vampire, she never showed hatred towards the others on the base.
He could finally put a question to what had been nagging at the back of his mind all this time:
Ramanga had seen hundreds of slayers why would he remember a specific one?
There was something else Vlad had only just realised to take into consideration.
And it was right in front of him all along.
TBC
A/N: What do you think?
There are just five chapters of this left (after this one) before I can start on the sequel. Everything is paper written at the moment to make it easier for me than to type. The only difficulty is thinking of a title. I have the last part's title but not the next I'll get there though.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, the final instalment has been named just the sequel is causing some bother with a title.
Thanks for reading.