So we're level with Argentalium Bones and there is little end in sight and now I'm not sure if we're going to stop at fifteen but I guess we'll see.

So I posted a chapter in exam week. Whoops. I have one exam left anyway so I don't feel too guilty about flunking an Ethics & Philosophy paper :) this chapter is entering into the final arc and everything is about to go… Well… I'll let you find out the rest. ;3

Chapter Thirteen – Count The Shadows

A week had passed, the sun they'd briefly was gone and Britain was being buffeted by violent storms. This didn't bother Jonno however; his fear lay in a friend by the name of Vladimir Dracula. Seven restless days had swept by since they'd been freed from the vampiric prison and Vlad's soul had been stripped from his body.

The vampire hadn't spoken to Robin or Jonno since.

And in that week thirteen girls had been killed under the cover of darkness. The slayer assumed they'd all died of exsanguination like the two he'd found but he couldn't be sure as the newspapers, his source, had vetoed out those details. There were also several missing individuals who probably were facing the same fate yet undiscovered.

Jonno worried that Vlad was responsible.

When he'd voiced those concerns to his flatmate Robin had tried to provide him some solace but failed miserably. The Branaugh had paused from setting up his PlayStation to turn to Jonno and say "You know him better than I do now but the Vlad I knew would never kill a human being." But He's not the Vlad you knew, Jonno had thought in response, he didn't say this however as it was one of the few moments when Robin didn't seem to be drunk on life or overwhelmingly energetic. He'd accepted the advice with an appreciative smile but really he worried how much the victims all resembled Erin.

It was really unlikely considering Vlad was wholly against the slaughter of humans but something about Vlad after his soul had been removed put Jonno's teeth on edge; the vampire was cold and his behaviour seemed to have become far more calculative. This new Vlad had given the impression that he was capable of anything. Perhaps even murder.

Despite the unlikelihood and implausibility of his mental and unspoken accusations Jonno still felt the need to check and headed to Garside to talk to Vlad.

As he drove he ran all of their interactions after the loss over Vlad's soul over in his mind and analysed them for signs of possible psychopathy. His knuckles turned white clenched round the steering wheel. Vlad had been utterly devoid of emotion after his soul was removed as if everything had bored him. Jonno hoped with all his knowledge of vampires that Vlad hadn't found murder an interesting hobby.

There was a stake tucked in the waist of his trousers and for paranoia's sake Jonno had gulped down a garlic pill which had been slightly comforting but far from reassuring that he was wrong about Vlad.

As he pulled up to drive he noted the sheer amount of students wearing dark clothing; it was rather like when they'd had the street fangs in need of a revamp hovering around the school. It was also a Saturday which left Jonno wondering how much the teachers loathed their students to give them detention on a Saturday He passed a pair of particularly miserable looking students on his way in and he was shocked at the pure venom he received in a glare from them. He put on a burst of speed and ascended the staircase to the Dracula's quarters.

He saw another student as he took the second staircase, a scrawny dark haired boy who couldn't have been much older than twelve with a set of weights that looked far too big for someone of his size.

He headed down the corridor where he could see Vlad was stood with a satisfied smirk. Then someone placed their hand over his mouth and pulled Jonno into the room he had just walked past.

Vlad gave the corridor to his right a furtive glance. He thought he'd sensed the slayer but it appeared he was wrong. Fortunately. Had the slayer of actually been there he would've been forced to kill Jonno as the slayer would've been likely to try and stop him. He wanted Jonno to be there when he finished it and he wanted to see the slayer's face as he admired his handiwork.

"Scream and I'll be forced to kill you." Ingrid's voice breathed threateningly in Jonno's ear as he was dragged into her room. "If I remove my hand will you yell?" In response Jonno bit her hand.

She jerked it away immediately with an angry hiss and then curled a pale hand around his throat. "Without me you'd be dead so don't push me!" When Jonno's eyes lost their defiant sheen she removed her fingers from his neck.

"Be glad I stopped you going in there." As Ingrid shifted the light from the fireplace shone on her lighting her face and Jonno let out a soft susurrate.

The indomitable Ingrid Dracula did not look as strong and powerful as she'd always performed to be. She certainly wasn't defeated but dark slugs had crawled under her eyes and her skin was a sickly gaunt pale rather than flawless porcelain.

Jonno glanced at the door behind him with a stilted concerned expression. "What's going on?" He tried not to worry that this could end in his fears about Vlad being confirmed.

Ingrid scowled. "Well Vlad has no soul so not only is he a bat brain but now he is a psychopathic bat brain with a screwed up moral compass!" She raised her arms in a sarcastic gesture and in a deadpan said "Yay."

Everything turned icy for Jonno. "What has he done?"

"A lot." The vampiress responded coldly. "And if it weren't for him messing up my nefarious plots then I wouldn't be telling you this."

Jonno's eyes widened as Ingrid adjusted her hair showing the first signs of discomfort that the slayer had seen in her. His composure turned horribly serious again. "What. Did. Vlad. Do?"

"We can't talk about this here." Ingrid snatched his arm and the universe became a world of swirls and his dinner. When the world stopped corkscrewing into another universe Jonno emptied the contents of his stomach onto the floor.

Ingrid took a large step away and wrinkled her nose.

Jonno choked. "What the hell was that?!"

Ingrid, despite the paleness of the situation smirked. "Vampire travel." She glanced around cautiously. Their new location was the old guild headquarters, a place where vampires were unable to enter without invitation. Jonno had no idea how Ingrid had gained passage.

"Now." She started apparently deciding that the environment was safe. "Let me explain that my little brother has lost his mind."

Jonno's chest tightened as all his fears were established.