Chapter 5

I hope you enjoy it! 3

(Heartland4life)

Vlad opened his wardrobe slowly. He had a choice of black, black, black… or black. He chose his black cape and slipped it on over the black leather jacket he was wearing. Vlad was really beginning to really hate his feast leathers they were just too… dark. He fixed his hair… or thought he was fixing it, He couldn't tell… he could never get used to that. Sighing, he whooshed downstairs to face the relentless crowd of vampires. He just hoped that Erin still had some stasis spray…

(Hearland4life)

Erin looked around at the crowd of Vampires flooding the throne room. It was an eerie feeling being in a room full of vampires again. Thank goodness it wasn't a Carpathian feast… that would have meant an act like last time, which had given her nightmares for three months… staring down into that bright orange, steaming…- she didn't want to think about it. She wanted to find Vlad and find out exactly what was going to happen at this celebratory feast The Count had organised.

She spotted him near the blood, being offered what looked like actual blood rather than his usual soya substitute, by his father.

"Vlad" Vlad turned from the blood, his eyes as dark as his cape. He looked at her for a second before snapping himself out of it.

"Oh, Erin."

Erin gazed at The Count. He shouldn't be trying to force his son into something he clearly didn't want to do. She grabbed a bottle of soya blood from the table and handed it over to Vlad. He took it gratefully.

"Thanks." He still couldn't get the longing for pure blood out of his head though. He took a gulp, satisfied for the moment.

"You're going to have to drink blood someday, Vladdy." The Count stated, before turning,

"RENFEILD! Not over there, you imbecile, near the thrones!"

Renfeild had no idea what he was doing with the last-minute cobwebs and fake spiders. He hadn't had a chance to collect some real ones. He would normally pose as a vermin-exterminator to gather them, but since the time he had squashed Amilda that had not been an option. Renfeild was now about to hang them up above the entrance to the room, much to The Count's disgust.

"Big bro!"

Both The Count and his son turned to face Ivan.

"Ivan." They said in unison.

Ivan poked his head around The Count and Vlad to get a look at Erin.

"Who's this?" he said, moving closer.

For a second, Erin thought that her stasis spray had worn off; Ivan Dracula was string at her so intently. Vlad didn't seem to notice.

"Oh… err… just a recently bitten half-fang." He lied, taking a swig of Soya blood to cover up. Ivan clapped him hard on the back, making him spill some of the red liquid on his cape.

"I knew you could do it, Vladimir!" Ivan said, still eyeing her.

Vlad grinned proudly, wiping the 'synthetic goo' from his robes. He then purposely lowered his perfectly white fangs, and stepped in front of Erin protectively. It was a sign of possessive dominance which was expected in their culture under these circumstances, Erin knew that; but it still felt like she was being used.

Once The count and Ivan had left with their drinks Vlad and Erin relaxed. They slowly turned to face each other.

"Sorry." Vlad apologised. He knew how much fangs and biting seemed to scare her.

"It's ok, Vlad."

Vlad had a strange expression on his face, making Erin slightly nervous,

"What?" She quizzed.

"It's just… Now that I've said that you kind of have to pretend that you are completely loyal to me…" He cringed at the thought of Erin acting like a servant to him for the rest of the night.

Erin sighed, confused at what exactly she had to do.

"When a vampire creates a half-fang, rather than draining them, it releases toxins in the breather brain which makes the breather loyal to whoever bit them… I mean, you saw Ryan, right?"

She couldn't deny that. Ryan followed Ingrid around like a magnet. He wouldn't leave her alone. She didn't want to do that to Vlad… it looked horribly annoying. She placed her hands on his shoulder, reassuring his apologetic look.

"Ok. I won't leave your side, Master." She joked; Vlad seemed to take it more seriously.

"Don't call me that."

"Sorry."

"… At least I can protect you better this way." Vlad said with a truthful smile.

"VLADIMIR!" It was The Count.

"Father." He replied nobly, sighing slightly. Everyone was looking at him and his 'half-fang' now.

"Your guests want to hear the story of our success!" The Count explained clearly.

Vladimir sighed quickly. With everyone watching he'd have to put on a show.

"Erin." He said sternly.

Erin knew this was her queue.

" Master Vladimir." She saw a slight glint of annoyance in his eyes at the mention of the word 'Master', but she had to do it.

"Go and find Renfeild, tell him to bring in our guests' meals."

A round of cheers and claps erupted from the group of around 20 vampires.

"Of course…" Erin replied before obediently turning towards the door.

(Hearland4life)

"Renfeild!" Erin called as she neared Renfeild's dirty kitchen. She tripped over Wolfie, who was sleeping in the doorway, he yelped slightly.

"Wolfie!" She said, slightly annoyed. He was bad enough with personal space as a 'human' but when he turned he could be ten times as worse. Wolfie wagged his tail in apology.

"Renfeild!" Erin called again.

"Yes, Mistress Erin."

"Renfeild. I am not your mistress." She sighed. She didn't know how Vlad put up with this 'master' business, "They're ready for their meals now."

"Right…"

"What have you made, anyway."

"The Count's favourite; Ox's nose marinated in a badger sauce with a roasted mouse on the side." He lifted up a silver dome covering one of the plates, "Oh- and maggots."

Erin gagged. How could Vlad stand all of this disgusting stuff?

Eventually, Erin and Renfeild got all the plates out to the vampires, who were now tucking in to their 'delicious' meals, whilst listening intently to Vlad's story. They had no help from Wolfie at all. He had decided to lie in the doorway obstructing their path. After the very last plate had been delivered, Erin moved closer to Vlad, who was still telling the story.

"And then I defeated the almighty Sethius, reducing him to no more than a pile of smouldering ashes! Sethius is no more!" This aroused another round of cheering and stamping of feet.

Vlad had badly wanted to use the word 'we' rather than 'I', but his father had insisted that he begin to take responsibility of his power over his kind; which meant that he was required to take full responsibility for the final defeat of Sethius. That wasn't to say that The Count wasn't boasting at all…

"Now, enjoy your meals, in celebration of Sethius' defeat, my friends!" His 'friends' began to chat away while stabbing meat with knives and forks.

Vlad blinked; a strange smell had filled his nostrils as he said that. Something was wrong. He moved back to find something blocking his path. It was Erin.

"Oh, Erin!" He said, startled, then he registered what the smell was, and his eyes widened slightly, "Erin. How long has it been?"

"What do you mean?"

"Since you put on the stasis spray?" He whispered through his teeth.

Erin touched her neck, "Oh my g- has it…?" She paused in realisation, "… I don't have any more…"

Vlad simply nodded, looking at the other vampires with no expression on his face. Some had hooked on to the fact that there was fresh, drinkable slayer blood in their presence, but they were too busy eating to take much notice.

"Excuse us a moment," Vlad said virtuously, "My half-fang and I have some business to attend to." – A line straight from his father's book.

Vlad's father looked at his son, perplexed, for a moment before continuing his meal; smugly answering questions and elaborating on the previous nights events.