On her way to her bedroom, Ingrid passed the throne room. She took a quick gander at who was inside and frowned. Erin and Mir were sat in silence, on opposite sides of a sofa. To the casual looker, they appeared perfectly comfortable but Ingrid was no casual looker.
Trouble in paradise?
Ingrid shook her head and pulled away from the door. Re-immersing herself in her brother's life was asking for trouble. If she wanted to topple Mir then she had to play the long game, longer than ever before. She wasn't even sure if she could win anymore. The vampire hurried down the corridor, pushing thoughts of political espionage, fratricide and regicide out of her thoughts. She almost made it to her room too.
"Ingrid," Her brother had abandoned the awkward atmosphere with Erin and stood at the door to the throne room, watching her carefully. "I'd like to speak to you."
So much for not getting involved.
"Sure." She made for the door to his room.
"We can do it in your room." He said. Ingrid nodded and headed to her room but she didn't feel like it was for her convenience. Mir was a stranger to her; she had no idea how he would play this.
Once settled in her room, Ingrid leaned back on a purple-cushioned chair and Mir was left to perch himself on the lid of her coffin. The younger vampire didn't look visually apprehensive but she got this impression that he was only talking to her out of necessity.
"So," She scanned his body language but he was too enclosed. "What do you want?"
Mir didn't speak immediately. Blue eyes, as blue as their father's did a full circuit around the room and a full scan of her before he voiced the reason for their conversation. "I want your loyalty."
Her eyelids fluttered. "You what?"
"I want you, on my side." Outside the house a bird squawked. Ingrid didn't respond. Mir would know if she lied. She still had no idea how he did it but Mir could smell liars like a vampire could smell blood.
And she wasn't ready to declare war. Not yet, and certainly not while she was weaker than him. Her brother drummed his hands on the lid of her coffin and looked at her expectantly. "Well?"
"I can't." A crack of light had made it through her blackout curtains. A tiny worm of golden light, crawling across her floorboards, her purple carpets until it reached the door, effectively guillotining the room. Ingrid wasn't afraid of her brother. She never, never would be. But the weight of what he asked her made it hard to reach his eyes.
A couple of new scars and a memory wipe might have changed him but she was the same person as before. Nothing erased their history. He still ripped a future away from her with his birth. He was still born a boy and he was still born the Chosen One.
Nothing changed, she was still a better vampire than him.
Nothing changed, he still was too emotional.
Nothing changed, she still couldn't be the better sibling – dad didn't love her.
Ingrid cared, she just didn't let anyone see it. She wore a face that she knew would win her the game. No one would care if they see inside and she didn't want her weaknesses on display. Unlike her brother. Or at least her brother from before.
With new determination Ingrid drew her eyes up to lock on Mir's. "I can't give you that." She narrowed her brows, a perfect gesture of what are you going to about it?
The younger vampire's expression tightened but he gave no other indication that she bothered him. "I'm not asking for the world Ingrid," He maintained his level gaze. "I just want you to have my back in the coming events."
"Coming events?" She gave a harsh laugh. "That's rather vague. Do you have something in mind?"
Mir didn't answer. He looked like he was thinking particularly hard, or was constipated. Then Ingrid felt his prodding of her thoughts and she raised her mental defences. A faux pout tugged at her lips. "That's not very nice."
"I want to rekindle with the slayers." He blurted. The door to her room slammed with a glance from him and he spoke lowly to her. "I want to re-establish the treaty and do it properly this time."
"And I want to do that why?" She leaned back in her chair. "I'm not even sure why you want to do that either." Pfft! Mir was the same story – always the same story. Wimpy breather-lover. He didn't deserve his abilities, he didn't deserve his life and he didn'n't deserve his crown. Oh how Ingrid would love to tear that bleeding heart of his right out of his-
-"I can offer you a seat on the council."
Ingrid's internal monologue was silenced immediately.
"And you know that when I promise you a seat on the council, I will go through with it." Mir smirked faintly. "Unlike your other benefactors."
"Haven't you been going on about how different you are from "Vlad"? How could I trust you?" She would not face another humiliation. Not another promise of promotion in return for betrayal and not another conditional offer.
"Because I'll fulfil my end of the deal before you ever have to watch my back."
When a blonde vampire with bloodshot eyes and clenched fists stormed into Ingrid's room and sat on her coffin the vampire only sighed. "Wow, I really am popular this afternoon." She shifted to her most business-like pose and looked Erin in the eyes. "What else do you want?" It occurred to her, after she'd spoken, that Erin was unlikely to be coming from the same side as her first visitor. Mir was the type to keep cards close to his chest, and he wouldn't place too much stock on her keeping her end of the deal.
She wasn't ready to make a decision yet.
The half fang didn't look business-like, she looked like a heroin addict. Red eyes, tight-lips and gaunt cheekbones; in a number of hours Erin had transformed from Mir's favoured consort to… Well, Ingrid wasn't sure what to call her. A ghoul maybe? The younger vampire leaned forward with an ugly snarl on her lips. "I want Mir dead."
Ingrid didn't react. She leaned back in her chair and raised a curious eyebrow. "Weren't you meant to be in love with him?"
The response was instantaneous. A ferocious roar of thunder rattled the school as hail began to bombard the windows. Calmly, she offered Erin a bottle of blood from under her desk. "Apparently not."
The bottle was snatched from her hands and Erin downed it with an unhealthy speed. Ingrid's lip curled slightly – what was the point of having the expensive stuff if you didn't savour it? She huffed and rescued the almost-empty bottle from Erin's hands. "You want to explain why you suddenly want my brother dead?"
"Not particularly." She grunted. "I just want it done. Are you going to help?" Ingrid didn't respond and the half-fang grew impatient. She tapped her foot noisily and said "Well?"
The second time that day for Ingrid that she had kept someone waiting and the second decision to be thrust upon her. It seemed she had to make a decision now.
"No."
"No?" Erin's sour expression turned thunderous, and the weather blitzing the school also worsened. "But you always want him dead!"
The half-fang was in shock and to some degree, Ingrid was too. Accepting another deal, one from her brother nonetheless, was something she thought she'd never do again. It was ridiculous of her, and Ingrid knew it. Ingrid would scheme and prepare but when the offer of power was on the table she would always take it. It would either get her what she wants or kill her someday. There was only one way to find out which. "I can't right now."
Erin's teeth flashed as she ground them together in an attempt to hold in her frothing temper. "Not now? What could you possibly have invested in him!" The storm continued to rage outside with dispersed roars of thunder and Ingrid wondered if Erin might actually attack."You don't want peace so what the hell does sucking his neck get you?"
Ingrid said nothing. Then it dawned on Erin.
"He made a deal with you!"
The vampire remained silent as Erin put two and two together. "First Jonno and now you…" Crimson eyes settled on her. "He knew! She exploded. "He bloody knew and he's been plotting!" The half-fang made to kick Ingrid's coffin but she rose to protect her property.
"You need to get out."
Erin's hands balled into fists. "You don't tell me what to do."
Ingrid glanced out of the window at the deluge outside and the blonde followed her gaze. The courtyard was just visible through a torrent of rain. "Last year I beat the garlic out of you." She started low and calm but her voice turned sharp. "If you don't get out my room right now I will do it again!"
The storm died and Erin looked Ingrid in the face. The vampire could've sworn there were tears in those bloodshot eyes. Then she stalked out and slammed the door.
Ingrid slumped back in her chair.