A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.

I was actually 'thanked' this morning in a PM for being too exhausted to post the other day, they actually wished that it would continue and were very upset I uploaded two chapters last night…

I'm trying to think of a polite answer at the moment they're very blue…

Chapter 27: Power

Vlad's reflections were the source of his power; they enabled him to tap into it and he drew his strength from them.

His head felt light; he didn't have to control anything anymore. His mind felt empty.

Lead settled in his stomach, he was defenceless.

He was barely the level of Olga, he'd never felt this exposed before.

Vlad shifted himself around so his weight was no longer on his injured leg. He couldn't afford to damage it any further Erin helped turn him to face Olga. She gripped his hand tightly in hers.

The shard of glass glinted in the dim candlelight. No one seemed to particularly notice the glass in his leg.

Erin hated Olga for what she'd done to him. The smug smile on her cousin in law's face tipped her over the edge, she unleashed a fireball towards Olga at an enormous speed.

Olga only just managed to dodge it.

Erin was much angrier than she'd ever been before. She launched another fireball at Olga; it clipped her side throwing her back against the wall. Her aim was off in her fury, Bertrand had always said emotions made you weak in battle but Erin didn't want to calm down.

Olga clutched at her hip as she slid to the floor. Erin clenched her fists at her side; they were shaking with her anger.

"Erin…" Vlad warned lowly, he wanted Olga dust just as much as she did but she had someone else to consider now.

"When she's dust Vlad." Erin argued back not looking at him.

Olga gasped and turned a dark colour as the injury over whelmed her. Erin didn't smirk or anything she wasn't taking pleasure in inflicting pain on anyone. That's what separated her from Olga.

Olga listened to their conversation convinced there was something she was missing in it. She looked between, seeing the concern on Vlad's face and the terror carefully hidden. She revelled in the emotions she provoked in him before realising that the terror he held wasn't for himself – he truly wasn't scared of her he was scared for another reason. Than made her eyes burn in anger.

Olga pushed herself up from the floor, clutching at the wall to help herself stand. She leaned against it perching at a strange angle as she clutched her side in an effort to protect it further.

She threw a fireball in retaliation at Erin, trying to catch the older Dracula off guard.

Erin anticipated it. She couldn't do what Vlad could and shield them but she could deflect it with one of her own. The fireballs collided in the middle of the room, albeit a foot or two closer to Olga. Erin didn't seem to put as much power into hers as Olga did.

Olga cowered backwards away from Erin, hiding behind her father. The wrath of the Queen was clearly enough to give anyone nightmares.

Someone else took the opportunity instead.

YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL

Erin's eyes flickered as the immaculately dressed vampire stepped forward into view.

Racalud drew back his fist, "I've been looking forward to this." He laughed manically.

Before he could throw his arm out, he suddenly looked down in surprise. His eyes were as wide as saucers and he hunched forwards

Protruding out of his rib cage at an awkward angle was a stake; he looked across to the hand that gripped the stake in a firm grasp. He looked up toward the owner of the hand.

Olga shoved the stake in firmer making him gasp and double over to her head. Her lips brushed his ears as she whispered; "No one destroys him but me."

Racalud nodded but it was no use now, a process had begun that couldn't be stopped.

Olga yanked the stake out roughly, making him gasp in pain.

"No one ever takes my prize from me." She spoke to the entire room, blowing on the tip of the stake to clean it from any traces of Racalud from it a fraction of an instant before he exploded into a shimmering collection of dust that slowly drifted to the floor and settled there.

"I guess we're not talking about Bertrand now then?" Erin asked curiously.

Olga didn't hiss this time she looked at Erin, "He was mine, I considered taking him as a mate. Anything to upset Ingrid." She had a smile as she said that, "Until I realised he was in love with her. Too dangerous to keep around."

"You had no… choice in that… though… did… you?" Vlad gritted out. The effort was too much for him and his legs buckled. Erin only just managed to steady him before he hit his head on the floor, helping him to prop himself back up.

"That doesn't matter now because I'm going to be Grand High Vampire when I kill you."

Erin automatically stood in front of Vlad, shielding him this time. "The Grand High Vampire cowers behind his mate." Olga laughed before trailing off as she saw that Erin hadn't been baited as such instead Erin was the one who was doing the baiting.

Vlad tried to push Erin from him but failed. He didn't have the energy to do so. He didn't want her shielding him.

"You must be scared to fight me," Erin noted, "If you'd rather fight someone wounded and powerless so you can win especially when they haven't challenged you. I thought vampires were about honour? I suppose that must be my husband's side of the clan."

Olga hissed and spat at her as Erin's comment hit the mark.

Erin's fangs lowered and she snarled back at Olga, Olga flinched for a moment before freezing as the realisation of what she'd done took over.

A full vampire had flinched at a half fang. Mutterings began in the room at her action. Olga knew she had to remove their doubts before she lost their support completely.

She had to act now.

YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL

Olga sped towards her; Erin grabbed her fist and twisted it behind her back. Olga hiked up onto her toes as Erin forced her to arch her back towards her uncomfortably.

The wound Erin had given her was exposed for all to see.

It wasn't nearly as small as it had appeared to be in the darkness.

Olga twisted out of her grip, only just and Erin slammed her hand out forwards. The palm of her hand hitting Olga in the nose. Erin felt the bones in Olga's nose snap and her opponent doubled over screaming.

Erin was glad that vampires didn't bleed; she'd done something similar to her brother when they were younger and although she hadn't broken his nose it had bled profusely.

Olga's vision blurred and she threw her hands out blindly looking for Erin. Erin kicked Olga's legs out from under her and the younger vampire landed on her back with an 'oomph', splinters of glass burying themselves in her flesh. Olga tried to repeat the move on Erin but failed only succeeding in moving herself along the floor and the same happening once again.

Erin moved backwards towards Vlad as Olga tried to scramble away from her.

It had been an extremely short fight; she'd lost her dignity and respect in that fight. Clearly she hadn't leaned anything from Bertrand. Erin and Vlad knew from experience that even after one session you learned something from him.

Olga looked at Erin in amazement, "You're stronger than before…" Olga couldn't understand it; either that or she was trying to use it as an excuse.

Erin stared Olga down; as far as she was concerned her powers were still at the same level. Vlad seemed just as confused by Olga's words.

"It doesn't matter now." Olga nodded to the others in the room who were still perched around the frame, "There are ten of us and only two of you and I really don't think you'll escape alive this time."

The vampires in the room, bent down towards the frame. Each one dug their fingers into the wood and split it.

Loud cracks filled the room and they manually ripped up the frame until they held long, sharp strips of wood. They'd created stakes and there was no guessing who exactly they were intended for. One of the vampires twirled his strip in his fingers menacingly trying to give Erin something to fear.

Erin stood her ground over Vlad, Vlad looked up at her. "Erin, go."

"I'm not leaving you." She hissed back at him, she wasn't going to leave him on his own as undefended as he was at the moment.

The vampires stepped in sync towards them. Each was looking forward to slaying them but Olga was keeping her distance. It was sickening that she'd used wanting to do the job herself as an excuse to kill Racalud but after one fight with Erin she was delegating the job to someone else.

Erin looked around the room. She wasn't sure what to do. She glanced towards the door, calculating something.

Erin grabbed Vlad's shoulders, "No Erin!" He shouted at her startling all the other vampires in the room. He knew exactly what she was planning.

Erin ignored him completely and shot into the air, trying to get as far away from Olga as possible.

TBC

A/N: Thanks for reading.