Light in the Dark (Young Dracula) 1

Ch. 14: Countdown

"What's a hunt ball?" Anna asked. 

"A big, fancy party with ballroom dances so dad can waltz around window shopping for a wife." Vlad explained. 

"A vampire party? Cool!" Robin commented. 

"And at midnight, instead of going home, they start hunting peasants to feed on." Vlad complained. 

"Well after all that dancing, it's bound to make them peckish." Robin said and Anna rolled her eyes. 

"It's not funny. Dad's gonna blow our cover." Vlad said. 

"Vlad, you have to stop him." Chloe said. 

"I am aware of that Chloe, but how?" Vlad asked. 

"Tell him about Van Helsing." Chloe said and everyone looked at her like she was crazy. "If he knows a slayer's in town, he'll have to cut it off." She explained. 

"Or he'll invite even more vampires to have a showdown." Vlad said. 

"Mad! That'd be awesome!" Robin said and they all looked to him. "A boy can dream, can't he?" He said.

Ingrid invited the Branagh's as the Breathers they'll be chasing instead of going all throughout Stokely. It was the Count's compromise to avoid another angry peasant mob.

The ball began and many single bachelorette vampires made small talk around the room with the Count as he told stories of his glory days. The Branagh's had made it with Ingrid and Vlad and his friends were busy coming up with a way to free them. Robin and Chloe had to go with their family so Vlad and Anna were on their own. "Elizabeth, so glad you could make it." The Count said, kissing Mrs. Branagh's hand. 

"We wouldn't have missed it for the world, would we Graham?" She replied. Mr. Branagh hummed a reply. "Thank you so much for inviting us." She said. 

"You must stay until Midnight. I have something lined up that's to die for." The Count said.

Vlad and Anna went to the school and broke into Van Helsing's office. Vlad tried to get the drawer open when the lights came on. He found them. "Looking for something?" Eric asked at the door. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the hunt ball?" He asked and walked into the room. 

"The what?" Vlad said in fear. Anna noticed and she was scared for him. 

"Let's not play games anymore, Vlad. I know you're a vampire, and you know I'm a slayer. Anna, what are you doing here? Are you a vampire too?" Eric asked and stepped up to his desk where they were. 

"No, she's not! Don't hurt her!" Vlad exclaimed and stood in front of Anna to protect her. 

"So you've hypnotized her to follow you around huh. No wonder I've been seeing you two at the school dances." Eric said. 

"I haven't hypnotized anyone!" Vlad defended himself and Anna. 

"I'm his friend!" Anna added. 

"No, Breathers can't be friends with vampires. He just wants to keep you around to wait to bite you." Eric said to her. 

"Not true!" They both exclaimed. 

"Enough!" Eric shouted and pressed a button under his chalkboard. It turned around to reveal a wall of slayer weapons. He picked a stake from off the wall.