Wow. I did not expect such a response. *mindblown*

It's settled, I will follow both Argentalium Bones and Soulless to the end and I also love you guys with everything I can summon. :)

You guys are so awesome and lovely and so patient when I'm watching a new tv show or freaking out ;)

We're going to be together to the end. :3

So this chapter is mainly dialogue but I feel it's dramatic and creates atmosphere. Yay!

Chapter Seventeen – Giving Up

The second night fell Ingrid was breaking into Vlad's room. Unfortunately their conversation with the witch had been just long enough to mean that Ingrid had been trapped from the moment she'd gotten Jonno back to his flat. Being stuck with two breathers for the entire day had been a torture Ingrid had never anticipated.

She was hoping they'd mysteriously die when they restored Vlad's soul.

It was rather surprising that Robin was the one picking the lock on their target's door; despite the fact that Ingrid was a vampire and Jonno was a slayer it was Robin, the plain old human who'd bothered to learn how to break into a locked room.

The lock clicked and landed on the floor with a dull thunk. The trio crowded into Vlad's room. Ingrid hurried over to the shelf where Vlad had been displaying his soul. "It's not here!" She growled throwing items off the shelves in an attempt to look behind them. Robin and Jonno followed suit, the latter being far more methodical and tidy in his search.

"Looking for this?" They all turned. Vlad's eyes were filled with a new sadistic glee and the precious cargo was resting loosely in his palm. Jonno's gaze flicked to the red streaks decorating his lips and the tip of his chin. He didn't want to think about what the vampire had been doing beforehand.

"Yeah actually," Robin spoke up with far more grandeur than the other two who were nursing sinking stomachs. "You mind handing it over?"

Vlad gave a slightly amused "hm," and glanced at the jar. "Tempting offer but I think I'd prefer to do this." He hurled the container housing his soul at the wall. It shattered into a thousand pieces, the soul dissolving into the ether with nothing to hold it. His blue eyes glittered red as he smirked at the three of them. "So what are you going to do now?" He took a threatening step forward. "The soul is in the ether, a place where you'll all wish to be soon and I have you at my mercy." He tutted. "Things don't look good for the A team."

Ingrid shifted slightly and Vlad happily began to attack her. "Are you actually considering rescuing them?" He smirked. "Be my guest. It won't stop what's coming, none of you can. In fact," he stepped to the side and gestured to the door he'd been blocking. "Go ahead and leave. I'm excited to see what you'll do."

The three of them made their way to the door and Jonno felt exposed. His heart was like a drum beating a samba in his chest, revealing his weakness and fear to the vampires observing. As he approached the door, mind formulating possibilities as to what followed that Vlad was so pleased about, the vampire in question snatched his collar. Vlad pulled him uncomfortably close and breathed in the scent on his neck. "I'm looking forward to climax," He let go of Jonno and the slayer jerked away uncontrollably, unable to hide his disturbed demeanour.

It was only by the time that they reached the courtyard that they spoke.

"He's going to kill us." Ingrid, ever the voice of pessimism echoed their fears.

Jonno glanced at the vampiress who was scowling into the floor. "He's going to try." His voice was strong, in comparison to his heart.

Ingrid stopped and they stopped with her. She was paler than normal and her bold makeup was faded. "He's going to succeed. Didn't you see his face?" Robin shrugged. "Whatever ace he's got up his sleeve we're not going to see coming and we're not going to survive unless we go to ground and strike when he thinks he's safe."

The vampire slayer shook his head, fingers toying with the Velcro on his belt. "We can take him; he's not the first vampire to be overzealous in his plans."

Ingrid looked back to school where vampires glared at them out of every window. "This is Vlad. His plans have always failed but now…" The wind around them buffeted the breathers and caused the vampiress' ebony hair to fan around the ridges of her face. "Without the bind of human emotions…" The icy blue of her eyes stabbed at Jonno's burning into his head. "He can learn from his mistakes."

Her gaze held a fire and the powerful energy of belief in her ideals. Jonno was forced to look away. He looked back when her alice-blue eyes had faded from the top of his thoughts and faced her down. "He can't learn from every mistake. He'll have a weakness that we can manipulate."

"No. He knows what he's doing and the only way we stop him is killing him." Celeste bored into copper irises as wills clashed.

"We can still save him!" They couldn't just sell him off for something he was in no way responsible for.

"You're a fool."

"You're a monster, you don't know anything but killing." Ingrid narrowed her eyes. She couldn't possibly be offended by the insult as it was true and she'd admitted as much but it was obvious she didn't like his attitude.

"Maybe I don't," she snarled, her eyes dangerously thinned. "But at least I'm going to survive." Then she vanished and a bat appeared in her place.

She flew away and Robin gave a sigh. "You're kidding." Jonno looked at his flatmate in confusion. "Well? Do you have money for a taxi?" Then it occurred to him they had no form of transportation now that Ingrid had run away. He wasn't sure where she would be heading but he was sure she'd be back when it counted to screw everything up.

They were forced to walk back to Jonno's flat, managing to hitch a ride into town and walk the rest of the way. When they got in Robin was set on sleep but Jonno demanded that they go talk to the mystic as soon as possible, especially now they had no Ingrid to fly them.

Four hours in a car with Robin was far from enjoyable, even when the Branaugh was sleeping. Despite the stiffness from being sat for so long and the draining tiredness he was glad to be out of the car and outside the witch's house.

That was when he felt it. The feeling that something bad had happened. His foot had broken through the door before he'd even considered the fact he hadn't knocked.

He'd found their witch. She was strapped to a chair in the middle of the room. Blood coated every inch of exposed skin and a lot of it had also made its way onto the walls. Jonno's mind flicked back to the red stains on Vlad's chin and collar. Now he knew what the vampire had been doing.

Now he had no idea what to do.

Now he needed Ingrid back.

We are approaching the finale for this fic and I am excited! This story was purely self-indulgent, something I hadn't bothered to plan but now the fic I briefly outlined in my head is coming to its climax!

I think I may be more excited than I should be :3

Next chapter should be coming soon.