A Love Returned

Chapter 7

Erin picked up Olga's 'rock' before anyone else could. She turned it to dust in her fingers. She smiled.

Vlad gasped, "Erin! You just dusted my cousin! How could you- how did you- do that!"

"First bite thing, and she deserved it."

Vlad shook his head, "No one deserves that."

Erin growled, "I. Don't. Care!"

Artur, who had been handed to Ingrid, began crying at his mother's strange emotion.

"Is this what you want Artur to do!" Vlad shouted, he didnt know what was up with Erin, but she had to realise that what she had done was wrong.

"Yes!" She bared her fangs at Vlad and sped out of the room. She didnt mean it, of course. But if he knew the answer to a question, she thought he was stupid to ask it.

Vlad just stood, staring at Erin as she sped away. How could she act like this? How could she dust Olga?

Ingrid did her best to hush Artur, but the baby wanted his mum to come and tell him that everything was alright.

"He wants Erin," Ingrid said to a shocked Vlad.

Vlad shook himself back to reality, he grabbed Artur and went after Erin.

Ingrid grabbed a red sheet, she draped it over the mirror.

"The sun will set soon," Will came to help clean up the mess that Erin had made. Olga's dust.

"I can't wait to get out of here," Ingrid sighed.

"Do you feel alright?" He asked.

She nodded. It wasn't really the truth. All Ingrid wanted was to lie down in bed -wait, she'd need a coffin- and sleep. She felt nauseous and her back ached terribly. But she knew it was normal and she'd have to get used to it.

Will used speed to get the job done quickly, he wasn't stupid, he could tell by the little sound Ingrid made when she bent down, she wasn't alright. She just didn't want any special treatment.

Erin was sitting at a school desk, crying. She didn't want to admit it, but it was true. Her evil side had taken over. And it was no excuse for the terrible thing she had done.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Vlad enter the room.

"Sorry," was all she could say.

"How could you? Why? That's all I want to know," Vlad sat on the seat beside her, putting Artur on the desk.

Erin shook her head, "I let her take over."

"Who? The other Erin?"

"Yes, the one who wanted you dust. The one who fell for Malik. The one who bit innocent people. The one who dusted Olga," it was a dramatic thing to say, but it was all true.

Vlad looked at her tenderly, he understood, "I'm sorry I shouted at you."

"It's alright. You had every right to," Erin put Artur on her lap and the baby's mood changed from sad to happy.

"...Olga did deserve it," Vlad laughed a little.

"Oh shut up!" She used one arm to hold her son and the other to punch Vlad's shoulder.

"Ouch!" He joked, punching her back.

Artur began punching Erin's stomach.

"He keeps copying us," she giggled.

"He's so cute," Vlad grinned, "He looks just like me."

"Did you just call yourself cute?" Erin laughed. He did it to make her happier, but she couldn't stop herself from laughing at how stupid it sounded.

"I did, didn't I?" Vlad smiled, "Do you deny it?"

"Not possible," Erin said in her sweet voice.

He looked up at a clock on the wall, "Six. The sun will set in three, two, one..."

They sped out, going home.

"I need blood," Ingrid whined.

"I thought you said it was disgusting," Will teased.

"I was a breather," she looked at him desperately. She was really craving blood.

"Nah, get it yourself!"

"Will!!"

"Only kidding, let's go home then."

They sped back to the cottage, finding Wolfie asleep at the front door.

Ingrid gently shook him, "What are you doing here?"

He yawned, "I was guarding the house... but I fell asleep, sorry."

"That's alright, go sleep on the bed if you want."

Wolfie ran off and slumped into the quilts, he was back to sleep in no time.

Will went straight to the kitchen and poured Ingrid a big glass of blood.

"Thanks," she took it eagerly, gulping it down.

When she had finished, Will said, "Fancy a nighttime fly?"

She smiled, "Yes!"

They both gladly turned into bats, which they had both missed, and flew around in the sky as the moon rose.