A/N: Disclaimer in Chapter 1.
Sorry its late, I've had a few problems uploading tonight as someone reported me for 'stealing' the base this saga (Erin's arranged marriage) from 'Truth and Consequences' (Vlad's arranged marriage)?
I don't even know why it was reported exactly as an arranged marriage and the pregnancy are the only similarities but they are tackled in completely different ways (I hope).
I have spent most of the evening fighting to prove *I* wrote the original story that it was apparently 'stolen' from. I think its sorted now but it was a waste of an evening.
Sorry for the rant, it just angered me.
Chapter 37: Chase
Vlad reached the door as angry screams were heard. There were more sounds of shattering glass from down the corridor; they seemed to be drawing closer.
By the sound of it most of the windowpanes had been completely shattered.
Flaming torches and pitchforks were seen, waving frantically back and forth. The torches seemed to echo in the fading light, trailing a glow behind them as the moved.
There were about thirty of them outside, all dressed in the same dark greys, browns and blacks. Her eyes widened and she looked around them, she'd heard Vlad refer to them and the Count speak of them with fear in his voice but she'd never dreamed she'd come face to face with one.
An angry peasant mob.
Vlad grabbed Erin and forced her to duck down towards the floor as a rock was thrown through the window, he protectively covered her head closing his eyes to shelter them from the glass flying everywhere.
The rock bounced along the floor, landing with a thump against the wall.
"We need to get out of here." Vlad reiterated her words from before.
Erin nodded, she couldn't help but agree. They couldn't go outside yet – well Vlad could but she couldn't. Vlad handed her a scarf, he pulled his shirt collar higher, hiding his marks as he watched her wrap it around her neck.
"How did they know what we were?" Erin whispered to him. Vlad shrugged his shoulders; someone must have been watching them closely.
"I don't know." He laced his fingers with hers and began to limp as fast as he could from the room.
THUMP!
THUMP!
THUMP!
The steady beat of a battering ram against the door filled the air, Vlad let out a fierce groan. He'd never seen them use one before but he'd heard of them and from the sounds of it they were coordinated. It would only be a matter of time before they entered the castle.
Erin shifted her rucksack on her shoulders, making sure that it was sitting in a position that wouldn't hinder her.
Vlad looked at her and she nodded.
Vlad knew he wouldn't get far, he'd just slow her down but he knew that she wouldn't leave him. She never did. The one time he'd actually managed to convince her (or rather frighten her into leaving) she'd returned to them – not that he was complaining about how that had turned out.
Erin slowed down her pace as they ran not wanting to leave him behind.
Vlad felt a wave of irritation at the fact that she was deliberately slowing down to match him; he didn't want to be humoured he wanted her to be safe.
However he knew she'd never listen so he didn't bother to try, he could only grit his teeth and bear it.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
They ran down the corridors, pitchforks being waved closer to the windows before smashing through it, frantically waving back and forth as they tried to hit the vampires.
One shot through the glass directly in front of Erin. Her hormones began to take over and she grabbed the pitchfork, ripping it from the hands of her attacker.
The peasant flew forwards at the force it was ripped from their hands, crying out as splinters were forced into their skin from the rough wood of the handle.
Erin twirled it around in the air in front of her, testing the weight of it experimentally. She swung it too close to herself and immediately she heard Vlad's breathing pick up in pace so she stopped twirling it to look at him.
"Careful!" Vlad shouted to her as a warning. He didn't want her to get hurt on the pitchfork.
"The pitchforks can't harm me." Erin told him quietly, they would kill Vlad in his current condition but she couldn't understand why the Count was so afraid of them.
"Garlic coated ones can." Vlad answered and Erin immediately let go of the pitchfork she was holding. It clattered to the floor. For the first time she noticed the stench of garlic that lingered around the pitchfork, she'd thought it was from the mob but now she concentrated she could tell that it was from them.
Now she knew why the Count was so terrified of them.
Vlad heard the sound of a door caving in and he knew it was the main entrance door. They'd broken through. The sound of splintering wood filled the air followed swiftly by cries echoing from the walls.
Vlad caught something out of the corner of his eye and ducked. A bulb of garlic was thrown directly at him, there was no way to avoid it and he closed his eyes awaiting the stab of pain that would follow. It bounced of his side and they froze to look at him. Vlad looked down at it, before looking up at them.
He took a chance and grabbed it with his hand, he could feel a tickling sensation but nothing more. Nothing as serious as burning him like garlic used to and would do again.
He gripped it tightly, drawing his arm back and throwing it as hard as he could towards the peasants.
It was laughable the way they darted out of the way expecting it to something far more sinister than a returned bulb of garlic. When he thought about it they were probably afraid of it being a fireball.
Vlad knew that if he could throw one he would have just then.
They took that moment of surprise to continue their journey away from them.
The chase was now on.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
Before long it had become clear they'd gone in the wrong direction. The corridors were getting longer and longer, instead of being twists and turns where they could hide, the corridors were growing longer so the peasants could catch up with them easier.
Vlad's leg was growing more and more painful, at first adrenaline had taken over making him ignore the pain but now it felt like he had that poker being twisted inside his skin.
He knew he couldn't continue for long.
Throughout the flight they were remaining silent, they couldn't communicate telepathically and speaking would wear Vlad out quicker so they had to settle for knowing each other intimately to anticipate their next move.
He saw his chance; there was an alcove near by. They'd never make it to the end of the corridor without being seen, not with his injury.
He twisted around, pulling Erin flush against him. Her back pressed up against his chest. One arm wrapped around her stomach holding her close to him. Erin leaned back into him and closed her eyes, praying that they wouldn't find them.
"I really didn't want to get to know your culture this well." Erin whispered.
Vlad leaned down, his lips ghosting over her ear, "I didn't want you to get to know it this well either." Erin shivered at the sensation even though she knew it wasn't the time. Vlad smirked at her, he knew her reactions far too well for her to hide them from him.
Vlad had been right as less than a split second later peasants ran past them trying to find the evil creatures that lurked inside.
Erin felt herself relax against him as the last peasant continued on their journey.
"We need to get outside, it won't hold them off for long." He whispered again, kissing just below her ear. Erin leaning into his touch before pulling away.
They laced their fingers before running down the corridors as fast as they could towards the night.
YEKNODELTTILYEKNODELTTIL
The moment they stepped out of the doors unseen hands yanked them apart before they had chance to vanish into the night.
Vlad cried out in protest as his hands were shoved forcefully behind his back and cuffed together. Erin tried to tug her hands free, thrashing about to break their grip on her but it had no effect and she was soon cuffed.
The backs of their legs were kicked harshly forcing them to land on their knees. Vlad closed his eyes as the impact on his knees forced his teeth to jolt painfully against each other and his kneecaps to burn in pain.
All the while they were both fighting against their captors.
Erin felt hands fly around her throat. They tore at her scarf, a tearing sound filling the air as it was exposed to the air.
There was only one answer for her.
A stake pressed under her jaw.
TBC
A/N: Thanks for reading.