To be able to understand some of the events in this chapter you will have to read it's prequel. It's poorly written but if you don't read it you won't understand some of the events in this one.

Disclaimer: In Chapter 1

Here is the next chapter.

Sorry it took so long and sorry it's so short, I'll make the next one longer.

Chapter 2: Psyche of the Dead

Erin opened her locker and reached for a large red book at the back. She checked it was the one she wanted before placing it very carefully into her over-sized school bag. She closed her locker after making sure she had taken out everything she needed to. She jumped slightly as a pair of cool arms encircled her waist. She slowly turned to face the source and smiled as she looked into his lustrous green eyes. Her smile grew as he pulled her in closer pressing an ephemeral kiss to her lips.

"Happy birthday." He whispered in her ear as he pulled away.

Erin let out a small groan of frustration. "Don't remind me." She mentally added 'Another year closer to goodbye'. She hated the fact that every year was a year closer to death, for her. Vlad had an eternity to live. She sometimes coveted to have perpetual life, as they did. If Vlad's erstwhile retort was anything to go by however there was no chance of that happening momentarily.

Erin's gaze switched from his eyes to a small container in his right hand. Vlad noticed her looking at it and slowly lifted the lid off revealing a stunning silver necklace complete with the silver contour of a heart and rainbow moonstone.

Her eyes began to water as she looked between the necklace and Vlad's anxious countenance. He gently grasped the chain slowly lifting it up. Erin turned to allow him to place it around her neck. She lightly ran her fingers along the burnished metallic surface of the heart.

"It's beautiful." She told him as she turned to face him again. Her eyes watering further at his thoughtfulness.

"Just like you." He said with a slightly teasing tone in his voice.

Erin smiled widely as he leant in closer. Their lips brushed together. Vlad relished the sensation of her warm lips against his cool ones. Erin wrapped her arms around his neck deepening the kiss. Their tongues battled harmoniously. Erin let out a mental moan as she felt Vlad's hand brush against the bare skin of her back from where her shirt had ridden up.

Vlad pulled back after pressing a few more chaste kisses to her lips. He rested his forehead against hers, his arms never leaving her waist.

Erin's gaze fixed on something else. It couldn't be. Vlad noticed this and followed her gaze until it rested on a brunette girl, perhaps a few years younger than them. Vlad didn't notice anything strange about her. She looked the same as a normal breather. She smelt the same as a normal breather. She was a normal breather.

When he turned his head back to face Erin, she was gone.

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"Ryan!" Erin kept shouting down the corridor for her brother. She needed to talk to him and since Vlad had practically ordered Ingrid to order Ryan to talk to Erin, she knew he would listen.

She found him with a group of half-fangs of the female persuasion, or his friends as he preferred to call them.

"Ryan, I need to talk to you." Erin said inturupting his conversation.

"Little busy right now Erin." Ryan replied, attempting to act cool infront of his 'friends'.

Ryan continued his conversation almost ignoring Erin's presence. Eventually Erin got sick of it and decided to put a swift end to the chat.

"Ryan still sleeps with a teddy bear. It's called Snugglepuff." Erin suddenly blurted out. The girls shared almost sickened look before walking off.

Once they had gone Ryan turned to his sister giving her a harsh glare. "What did you go and say that for?"

"I need to talk to you." She repeated. "Besides it's the truth." She added quietly knowing that his vampire hearing would pick it up. It was true; Ryan still slept with a teddy bear. She knew Vlad had one, Mr. Cuddles, however Vlad didn't sleep with his, she knew that for a fact as she had it still.

"Fine." He said an annoyed tone in his voice. "What is it?" He finally asked seeing the anxious glow in her eyes.

"Tiana."

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Vlad finally found Erin. She was in one of the science classrooms. He heard another voice, Ryan. He decided to wait outside the door. Vlad wasn't one to eavesdrop but he knew Erin didn't want to tell him otherwise she wouldn't have run off.

"How can she be here?" Ryan asked his sister. Erin nodded in reply. "Are you sure it was her?" Ryan asked with a skeptical tone in his voice.

"Ryan, I'm not crazy. She was there, she right there. She was talking and moving and despite past events she was breathing.

Ryan's face took on the same look that had infected Erin's; fear, confusion but most of all remembrance.

"When did you see her, where did you see her?" Ryan asked his voice taking on a hurried form.

"About ten minutes ago, B corridor; I was with Vlad and she was just th..."

"Does Vlad know?" Ryan interrupted. Though he still wasn't all that fond of Vlad, he needed to know.

"No I... I haven't told him."

Vlad chose this as his cue to enter. "Haven't told me what?" He didn't want any secrets between them. Lies had hurt him enough.

Erin turned slowly hearing the voice of her boyfriend. "Nothing." She said quickly, too quickly.

"Erin, we promised no more secrets. Please tell me." Vlad wanted her to feel like she could trust him completely, because she could. "It's about that girl isn't it; who is she?" Vlad asked her, keeping his voice as soft as possible.

Erin look at Ryan silently asking for permission. Ryan nodded in reply. "Her name's Tiana. Tiana Rebecca Noble, our sister."

Vlad's mouth hung open in shock. He thought it was just Erin and Ryan; she'd never mentioned a sister.

"You never said you had a sister."

"Oh I had a sister." Erin told him with extra emphasis on the 'had'. Vlad picked up on this.

"Had?"

"Vlad she uh..." Erin closed her eyes as guilt flooded through her. When she opened them again Vlad could see tears begining to from.

"She died two years ago."

TBC

Please review; again sorry for the length and time it took to upload. I will upload the next chapter soon, I promise.