A Love Returned

Chapter 5

Ingrid made her way back to the castle, she felt slightly quesy but was now sure of what she had to do.

Betrayal.

Sure, she'd gotten over that.

Deceit.

She was over that also.

Family.

It still got to her, she couldn't quite wrap her head around what she was going to do.

"Vlad," she rehearsed, "I need help. The council is doing to dust me. Please. They are coming for me."

Perfect, and if she didn't take Vlad to them, Ingrid was sure they would dust her, so she wasn't really lying.

She crept into her room and slowly slid inside her coffin, shutting the lid. The day would go by, three days would be left.

When she awoke, well taking Vlad would be the easy part, letting him go would surely hurt her.

But she'd have to deal with it, it had to be done.

Will, at least she'd have Will.

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Three days.

Ingrid sped down the hall, putting on fake tears. As usual, she was the last to arrive for breakfast.

Seeing her crying, Vlad and the Count instantly stood up from their chairs and ran to her side.

"Ingrid, what's wrong?" Her father asked, while giving Vlad a look, understanding what he'd said earlier.

Ingrid slumped down slightly, letting them support her.

She looked at Vlad and said, "I have to take you to the Vampire High Council, or... or they dust me."

Vlad looked at the count, making a silent agreement and put his hands on Ingrid's shoulders. He sped to the gates of Garside Grange.

"Ingrid, I knew something was up, that uninvolved me, yes. But I thought there was something else."

Worried that he really had read her mind, Ingrid went straight to her defense. Almost shouting, but still crying.

"What else is there to tell? If I don't take you they'll dust me. But before that they'll probably torture me! And all you can say is, 'I thought there was something else?' You've got to go to them and fight them!"

Vlad stood back, surprised by the sudden outburst. What had they told her? He was certain, there was something else.

"I won't let them hurt you, that's a promise. But I can't just get up and attack, it'll take planning, time," he said.

"I don't have time!" Ingrid wasn't going to tell him about the deadline, but she had nothing to lose, "I only have three days until they come."

"So that's three days to plan!" Vlad took her hand, leading his sister back into the school.

They sat down on a bench and Vlad's attention of caught by an envelope which had appeared on the ground beside them.

He picked it up and handed into Ingrid, "It's addressed to you," he showed her the small inking of her name.

Ingrid took the envelope and opened it, pulling out a large, folded peice of paper. She lifted up a corner, slightly revealing the message on the paper.

She gasped, a real tear escaping her eye.

Ingrid held up the paper, and engulfed it in flames. Vlad couldn't see this.

It was a message from the council, a reminder of what awaited her if she cooperated.

It was a picture of her, a drawing to exact.

The one Will had done for her on her sixteenth birthday.