(Music – Senbonzakura – Lindsey Stirling (Only On Youtube))
Something small sped across the Throne Room and landed in the fire, kicking up sparks of flame and spitting red hot embers across the threshold of the fireplace.
"Master Vlad, please don't do that" Renfield tried softly "I've just cleaned there and it wouldn't do any good if something was to catch alight"
Though he glared up at the manservant, he could understand the point. It would be no good to burn to ash trapped in this room...without taking Marella with them!
Vlad sat heavily on the couch, arms folded tight across himself to keep from reaching out for something else. He still couldn't fathom Everett's actions, or Ingrid's words for that matter, seeing as she'd taken to not speaking or explaining anything further.
He stared at the heavy curtained windows. He would brave the sunlight just to get to Everett...he realised he'd done that before, for someone else...and that fiasco had ended badly.
But he would do it all again if it was Everett on the other side.
And he would.
'I will. She's just downstairs, I only need to keep to the shadows and get inside again'
It was stupid, he knew that, but he had to do something...right?
The sound of a piano being played drifted up the stairs and to his ears.
The cheerless music of Adele reached the ears of everyone in the room, save for Renfield, seeing as he was human.
He hated the fact that she used the challenge as a means of escape. If she'd wanted to leave, she should've just said something!
"Well, I suppose that's it then. We're stuck in here" he heard his father say from across the room.
He looked across to the 'Prince of Darkness' with a sour face. The Count could be so pathetic when he wanted to be.
"Not quite" Vlad stated "Renfield-"
The thing from the Lagoon turned abruptly at the sound of his name.
"Check the windows would you, we might be able to get out that way"
"But Vladdy it's bright daylight! It's suicide!" his father protested
"I don't know about you, but I'd like to know why they'd trap us in here and then leave!" he shot
"Vlad, we all know the real reason you don't want her to leave" Ingrid spoke quietly "You weren't exactly quiet about it"
If he could've blushed he would've. The Count stared between them in confusion.
"What are you babbling on about Ingrid?" he questioned hurriedly, his earlier actions and feelings towards her having dissipated a while ago and reverted to the usual temperament he kept just for her.
Ingrid scoffed slightly "Oh dad, you can be so dense when you want to be!"
The Count looked offended as Renfield nodded slightly in agreement, knowing exactly what she was on about.
Vlad was horrified to say the least, even Renfield knew!
He was worried his sister would continue to rat him out, but was glad to hear that she wasn't going to say anything more than that on the matter.
"Vlad" she said seriously "If you're really going to attempt suicide, take dad's coat. I don't think she'd be too happy to hear you turned to ashes because of her"
"Well, you would be glad if I was ashed" he replied sarcastically, ignoring his father's protests and complaints about his 'vintage' coat.
Ingrid sighed heavily "Well, you can suicide run or wait until Marella releases the field later on. It's up to you"
"Well, it's nice to know they'll be letting us out" Renfield side noted, adding in an 'Eventually' at the quiet, evil looks her received from the other two males in the room.
"Renfield! The windows!" Vlad insisted, watching as, with a scowl, the dogsbody moved to do as he was told.
"That was great Chloe" Everett congratulated the blonde as she walked back offstage toward her "I don't know why you say you're not good"
Chloe smiled timidly "Thanks. I'm pretty sure my parents were recording me"
Everett snorted then chuckled lightly "I wish I had parents to record me" she said quietly
Chloe stalled, instantly realising her slip-up
"I'm sorry" she said sincerely and softly
"I didn't say anything, how were you to know?" Everett returned with a giggling smile
The pair were quiet for an awkward moment, Everett vaguely aware of Marella watching them from somewhere nearby. She could feel her eyes.
"Are you ready?" Chloe then asked gently.
Everett gave a nod, swallowed and stared out to the stage where McCauley was making the introductions.
"You know what I didn't say before?" Everett stated, continuing when Chloe shrugged silently for her to do so.
"Today's my last day here. This is probably the first and last time I'll see you. Seems kinda sad, huh?"
Everett turned to the stage as McCauley walked off towards her bidding her a hushed 'Good luck'
Everett sent a final smile to Chloe before walking out onto the stage.
The small auditorium was full to the max. Those from Garside Grange cheered loudly as she made her way to centre stage, just in front of the large piano that had been placed on stage, while the others from Stokely Grammar applauded politely.
Well, some of them did boo loudly in competition with the cheering.
Everett snorted "Ha! You won't booing me when this is over!" she snapped cockily, earning laughter from almost all present.
She crouched, knee just touching the stage floor. Raised and placed the Violin to her shoulder, closed her eyes and breathed deep, she intendid to make this a performance.
In her mind she could hear the music. The bow moved as an extension of her arm as it lifted to meet the strings of her instrument and began to play an introduction.
Then she began to dance.
He heard the hum of strings before he heard the music.
That was how on edge he was.
His son was willing to risk sunlight for some stupid answers to some stupid questions! He wouldn't have minded if it was Ingrid throwing herself out the window...pretences, pretences...but this was Vladimir they were talking about. The Chosen One. King of all Vampires.
The Count couldn't afford for anything to happen to him, otherwise he'd have select members of the Council on him...and he wouldn't be too thrilled about losing his only son and heir either.
'Hmm, Violin, an interesting choice of instrument, with the skill I'm hearing now, it would have to be someone who's played for longer than ten years' he told himself
'Didn't the Calvetti women play Violin? If I remember correctly, Fausta taught Alina, and if Alina had a daughter, she would definitely have taught her own daughter. If that's Everett playing, there are less and less coincidences with the girl'
"Wait, Vlad. I'll go with you" The Count heard Ingrid say to her sibling.
"No. You stay up here. You'd probably just lock me out anyway" the last part tried and failed at being an undertone drowned in sarcasm.
"Well, what are you going to do if you see someone you know?" she stated, knowing that he knew there was a good chance there would be some familiar faces in the crowd. She mentally cursed Marella for not sealing the windows as well as the door.
Though she suspected that Marella thought none of the Vampires in the room were moronic enough to attempt such a thing as Vlad now was.
He merely shrugged "I'll deal with it"
"Vladimir, please reconsider" The Count pleaded "Think this through. If the girl really wants to go, then let her. The fact that the Daemon made the shields in the first place only proves that she doesn't want to be followed"
Vlad sighed angrily as he rubbed at his eyes "Dad, we've already been over this. Now give me your coat"
Vlad held out a hand expectantly. The Count growled and shrugged off his coat. If he ever saw Everett again, he would do more than kill her, especially if she was the reason his son got killed!
Renfield opened the window as wide as it could go, sticking his hand and head out to double check that there was nothing stopping his young master from racing to the shadows across the yard.
He nearly fell out, but thankfully caught himself and pulled his head back in quickly. He exhaled a shaky, foul breath of relief.
"It seems all clear Master Vlad" he directed desolately to said Vampire "Good luck"
Vlad nodded grimly in thanks as he threw the coat over his head. He took a few unneeded, deep breaths and launched himself out the window to the other side of the courtyard and into the shadows, disappearing from sight half a second later.
Thankfully, there were other ways of getting inside the school, if you knew where to look.