A Vampire Thing

Chapter Nine

Erin turned around when she heard The Count's voice, it certainly wasn't a coincidence that they were here at the same time.

"Come to steal Artur?" She said, daring him to try.

The Count rolled his eyes and clicked his fingers. The laughter and chatter of the tavern instantly became silent as everyone froze.

The Count laughed, "So you've had another little fight? How long is one going to last?"

Erin sped behind the bar counter and entered the kitchen, ignoring him. She grabbed a carton of milk and some porridge. Erin was sure to turn off the stove before she left, the unattended pot was boiling over the edges.

"Do I need to watch my back again?" The Count shouted at her, "Should I be ready for another attack?"

Erin sighed, she'd already had enough of his sarcastic attitude. She walked up the stairs with the Count watching her, laughing at her.

~

Vlad had been thinking deeply for the past hour. He'd come up with a few decent plans of saving Ingrid, but they'd all had their flaws.

First, he'd asked her if she could manage to turn to smoke. But Ingrid didn't have enough energy, and, she'd also reluctantly told him that she had never learnt how to.

Vlad's second idea was to teleport her out of there with his powers, but he'd never tried to teleport anyone before and attempting so would probably turn her to ash.

Wolfie suggested that Vlad burn the stake. Obviously, though, that was also burn his sister.

Vlad's last idea was to just pull it out and hope it worked. He was almost desperate enough to try that, as well as the other three, when he had a brainwave.

"I've got it!" Vlad beamed, jumping off the couch and kneeling beside Ingrid, who was laying on the floor almost unconscious.

She tilted her head to the right a little so she could see him, "What's your perfect plan?" She groaned.

"I don't even know why I didn't think of this before!" He lowered his voice, "If I turned the stake to ash. Well, ash can't stake you."

"There will be ash inside me..."

"I know, but I don't see how it could hurt you."

Ingrid sighed, "I'm trying not to see this as a metaphor."

Vlad bit his lower lip and raised his eyebrows, "Let me try?"

She attempted to raise her arms, but they only shook slightly, "Why not? I'll be dust anyway."

Vlad forced a smile.

The red curtains rustled and Wolfie appeared from behind, he had been looking outside, keeping guard.

The boy slowly walked over to Ingrid and Vlad nervously, he glanced at his half sister to see that she was still conscious. When he saw she was, Wolfie relaxed slightly.

"He's still outside," The pup said.

"Just leave him," Vlad replied, not really focusing on Wolfie but on how he would turn the stake to ash.

"He's crying," Wolfie turned to Ingrid, "Maybe he really is sorry?"

Ingrid seemed to have more energy when she hissed, "He knows you're watching, don't let that garlic muncher trick you."

Wolfie shrugged and knelt beside Vlad, "There was someone else- What are you doing now?"

Vlad held his hand just above the stake, closing his eyes, "Hopefully saving her..." He lowered his head and focused.

The stake suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a few small mounds of ash on Ingrid's dress. There was no wound, but there would be ash inside her.

Vlad felt himself grin and laugh with relief. She wasn't dust, and the stake was gone.

Wolfie high fived Vlad, he had no idea what had just happened, but the stake was gone and that's all that mattered.

Ingrid looked down at her chest and smiled. The slayer weapon had turned to ash, just like Vlad had said. But she didn't feel any better.

Suddenly Ingrid began coughing. At first it was a little cough, like when water goes down the wrong way. But gradually it grew louder and fiercer and Ingrid felt her body being thrown up and down off the ground as she coughed. The whole castle rumbled.

And then Ingrid was gone.