Chapter 66: I already have the end partially written and other characters do appear finally! But we're not finished yet! +update: FF keeps giving me an error when I try to post a new chapter. But, yes, there are more chapters! Hopefully it resolves itself. Thank you!+

"Let me see your head." Larten said sternly. Erin winced when he ran his hand as gently as he could all around her head. "You have a large bump but you will be fine. You are lucky."

"We need to start searching for Brigid." Erin was sick with fear for her sister and was getting impatient. "I'm fine. Please, we need to look for her."

Larten gripped her arms, deadly serious. "We will, I promise. He set a fake trail. Have you seen anything else? Anything that could indicate a location?"

"I can't control it."

"Then concentrate. You are capable of more."

Erin took in a deep breath and exhaled. Larten was right. Determined, she closed her eyes and focused her mind. Nothing came at first but suddenly she had a flash.

Running water. A large culvert. Smoke stacks along the horizon. Her eyes shot open. She knew that skyline.

"What did you see?"

"They're near the old factory outside of town. It's been shut down for years. But it's surrounded by thick woods. It's a huge area."

"Then we have no time to waste." Larten stood grabbing his long knives.

Erin watched as he placed them within his cloak. She had gotten a gun after the vampire hunters had attacked her and Brigid.

"Be right back."

Larten watched her disappear upstairs before coming down with a gun. He stiffened. Guns were not allowed in the world of vampires but Erin was human and had nothing else to protect herself with. She put a clip in and cocked it. She looked into his eyes. Suddenly their lips were locked in an intense kiss. They finally broke apart. Larten rubbed his thumb across her cheek. Erin nodded. It was time to face Murlough.

"You will free Brigid and I will take care of Murlough, understood?"

"Yes. Let's get that bastard."

Larten and Erin walked out into the dark of the back garden. She got onto his back.

"Do you remember where I said they were?"

Larten nodded. "Yes. Now hold on."

Erin got off Larten's back and stood in the midst of the woods. Larten began sniffing the air.

"We need to look for running water and something like a culvert or drainage pipe. That's what I saw."

"There is water to the west of us. We will start there."

Erin and Larten walked through crunching leaves and sticks. The moon was high in the sky when they reached a small stream.

"Follow me. Be as silent as you can." Larten told her.

Erin nodded and had her gun ready. They began following upstream to the source. Twenty minutes had passed before the stream became louder and Erin could slightly make out a huge culvert. Larten stopped in his tracks. He had caught Murlough's scent and he was nearby. Larten listened for anything to give away where the vampaneze was hiding.

"Follow me." Larten whispered.

Erin followed Larten as best she could. He was deathly silent in the way he moved and she was doing her very best to not make noise. He was so different from when they were alone.

"Hold." Larten stopped. He crouched and Erin followed. He noticed a tree that had one of the same sigils as those carved at Erin's home. He sniffed the air. This was the place.

"Larten, do you hear that?"

He turned his head and listened. It sounded like someone crying. Larten held a finger to his lips. They snuck closer and saw more trees with sigils carved into them. That was when they saw Brigid tied to a tree. Her arms were above her head as she dangled from the thick branch. She was in her underwear with a thick gag in her mouth. She was crying and trying to touch the ground with her toes. There was mud and blood on her in odd shapes and a ring of salt around her. Erin gasped and went to hurry to her sister when Larten grabbed her and knelt her back down.

"I will go. Wait here."

Larten swiftly entered the area looking and listening as he went to Brigid. Brigid tried to yell out when she saw him but before he knew it, Murlough suddenly appeared from the tops of the trees, dropping to the ground.

"Hello vampire." He snarled.

Larten's knives flashed in the moonlight as he and Murlough came to blows. The fight was faster than Erin's eyes could follow but this was her chance to get to Brigid.

"Mm-rin!" Brigid called out when she saw her sister running towards her. Erin put her gun in the waistband of her skirt and began working furiously to get Brigid loose. The ties were not coming undone so she bent down to grab a sharp rock to cut Brigid loose. Erin got the gag out of Brigid's mouth as she began to try and cut the rope.

"Erin, I'm so sorry." Brigid cried.

"Sssh. I'm getting you out of here."

Brigid was finally cut from the tree and Erin threw her coat around her freezing sister.

"Run. Just run!" Erin said.

"Wait, what are you doing?!"

Erin spun around as a tree was shattered from Larten being slammed into it. Murlough was reaching for his neck when Larten kicked him away. He was down to one knife but it would do. Suddenly he heard gunshots and Murlough roared in fury. Erin had managed to get him in the shoulder but missed everywhere else. This gave Larten the chance to rush Murlough and slam him into the ground. Murlough grabbed a rock and slammed it against the vampire's head knocking Larten to the side. Larten was slightly dazed from the impact. Murlough was now headed towards Erin and Brigid. Erin fired off more shots but missed. Suddenly Murlough's hand was around her neck. She dropped the gun and tried to pry off Murlough's steel grip on her throat. Larten barreled into Murlough causing him to drop Erin. Brigid helped her sister up.

"Not so fast, little humans." Murlough said. He had Larten by the throat, his nails pricking into his flesh causing small rivulets of blood to run down Larten's neck.

"Don't hurt him!" Erin yelled.

"I'm not going to hurt him. I'm going to kill him just like I'm going to kill you."

"I don't think so, asshole." Brigid said firing the gun at Murlough. He dodged his head but she blew his ear off causing him to drop Larten. Larten immediately swiveled, slashing Murlough's belly with his sharp nails. The vampaneze roared in pain falling to his knees and clutching his wound. Larten's knife flashed in the night slitting Murlough's throat. Murlough gurgled his own blood falling amongst the leaves, a pool of blood forming around him.

"Larten! Oh god, are you okay?" Erin cried as she ran to him.

Erin and Brigid knelt down beside the vampire. He was breathing heavily. His leg was wounded and Murlough had broken several of his ribs.

"I will survive." He said.

Erin let out a small sob as she clung to him. Brigid threw her arms around the vampire's neck and hugged him.

"I'll never make fun of you again." She said.

Larten gave a wry smile as they helped him stand. His leg buckled under itself.

"How are we supposed to get out of here? You can't flit." Brigid said as Erin went into nurse mode and tore part of her skirt off to wrap around Larten's leg to stem the bleeding.

"I have flitted with worse." He winced.

"Take Brigid. You can't flit with both of us. I'll wait here."

Larten nodded. He took his cloak off to wrap Brigid in, giving Erin's coat back to her. He picked Brigid up. She was shivering but smiling at him. He took a step and his leg wanted to give way but he steadied himself.

He turned to Erin. "I will return shortly."

"Be careful. It looks like you'll be my patient again when we're home."

Larten chuckled to himself.

"It seems so."