Alexander faced the guards and issued a command, telling them to lock down the castle. Fear was the common feeling in the room but they all followed his orders and initiated the lockdown procedures instantly.

Only Miya and The Count remained in the room together with Alexander.

Looking at his friend, Alexander's heart ached for him. He understood and knew firsthand the pain he was going through and it was his entire fault. If only he had told him about the the incident in the cellar, then all this would have been avoided.

"Vlad, what are you doing?" Miya asked, grabbing the count's arm and just like that, his whole demeanor changed.

The cold mask slid just for a moment to reveal something ugly and something nasty. Alexander took a step back. His maker hated being touched, he knew but it was the first time he had ever reacted to Miya like that. He tolerated her physical displays of affection even though anyone could see he was not fond of them. Not that night though.

"Don't touch me," he glared at her, his eyes burning a bloody red.

The rage vibrating off him spoke of something dark and fiery, brewed in the very depths of hell itself.

"I'm sorry. But you need to calm down. Take a moment to think of what you're doing," Miya beseeched him.

"Your advice is now worthless to me. Get out of my face. Alexander get me oil," he said, pushing Miya out of his way and walking out of the room.

Alexander took three other vampires with him to fetch oil gallons.

"Is he going to burn us?" Jonathan, one of the youngest, asked in a terrified voice as they walked to the cellar.

"What if he is?" Alexander snapped. After all Count Dracula had done for all of them, it angered to see these men waver in their loyalty. He'd give his life without a second thought.

Since Alexander was like Erinna and never lost his temper with anyone, they all read the writing on the wall and shut up.

He led them to the corner with the best oil and heaved two gallons.

"Take as much as you can carry and make repeat trips until I tell you to stop."

On his way back to the Count's chambers, he checked to see that all his orders were being followed.

"The oil," he said, holding a gallon, when he found his maker in the drawing room.

Dracula nodded and took the gallon, spreading it around the room and dousing everything in oil.

"Take servants and do the same in every other room," he commanded.

Alexander bit his lip and stared at the Count for a moment. He had known his intentions of course from the moment he demanded a lock down but maybe some part of him had hoped his maker's anger would subside and he would not actually go through with it.

He could try reasoning with him but what was the point? He could every bit of the dark pain, reckless anger and bleak despair that was driving the Count. He had lost the only person who had been worth living for in his life and there was no coming back from that.

There hadn't been a time in his life that he had hated his ability to read other people's emotions and feel them, as he did then.

For Alexander, the only person he loved almost as much as he loved Dracula was Erinna, that was just the way it was in vampire society. The closest thing to your heart was your maker and next to that was that which was important to him.

So he was going through a double loss and that hurt more than anything he had ever felt. The pain was crippling and he just wanted to drop to his knees and cry until everything became better but he knew that action would be met by instant death.

Drac's actions were those of a man crazed with pain, dizzy with loss. He had lost the only person holding him to the earth and had no idea how to deal with it. The pain was driving him out of his mind.

So no matter how much he wanted to live and visit Africa one day, Alexander nodded and left to do what was asked of him.

Vlad watched Alexander go, surprised that for the first time, his prodigy was not wearing the saint hat. It was unlike Alexander to just let him go on a rampage. But perhaps even he sensed there was no changing his mind this time around.

"Vlad, you don't have to do this," Miya said, coming into the room.

She was beginning to irritate him.

"Don't have to do what? Kill you all and watch the skin melt of your bones whilst you scream for your worthless lives? Why the hell do you think you deserve to live if she is dead?''

The question was asked in his soft seductive tones with no hint of malice in his tone yet Miya knew better.

"If you do this she'll never forgive you."

Anger sparked and roared inside him and suddenly he was in her face.

"Don't you think I know that? She'll never forgive me because she's dead."

"We still have time," Miya tried.

She had to know trying to bargain for her and everyone else's life was a lost cause at this point.

"We have less than half an hour, what time is that?"

"We can come up with something Vlad, don't do this please."

"Unless you have figured out how to bring her back stop bothering me, I have work to do," he said and left the room.

The fire was going to come but by the time it did, half of castle would be dead already. It angered him there were people who were finding time to eat or share a joke when Erinna was dead.

"Is something amusing here?" He asked two men he came across laughing.

"Count Dracula," the guilty parties stammered.

A passing vampire who was holding a gallon of oil sniggered at seeing his colleagues put on the spot. That only made Vlad's temper flare even more.

"Am I entertaining you?" He asked with a frown.

"N-no Count, of course not."

"Then don't stand there and look like you want to smile. Don't even make me suspect you are faintly amused by anything. I will be finding time to spread anyone who feeds, talks or laughs without my permission, onto the Cradle before this castle burns down."

*****************

Miya sank to her knees, tears falling down her cheeks. Tears for the man who had finally felt love after thousands for years, only to have it rudely snatched away from him. Tears for the girl who had been drawn into a web too complex for her young years or anyone's to survive in. Tears for the people who were about to be mercilessly sacrificed for something beyond their control.

No, she couldn't let it happen.

But what was it that she could do? They had failed to resuscitate Erinna in three days. Nothing was different about this.

The only difference was that she now had the lives of thousands of people in her hands.

It was time to do something that she knew Dracula would kill her for if she did. Rising to her feet, Miya quickly dashed out of the room back to Vlad's bedroom.

The sorcerers were gathered in the corner, whispering amongst themselves.

"Let's just kill him," one said.

"You know that's impossible."

"Well we can't just let him sacrifice us like bloody sheep," the first one replied.

"Shut up all of you and stop conspiring against the man who has done nothing but seen to your welfare," Miya snapped, closing the door.

"Mistress Miya," Armando gasped, turning white.

"We- we-we didn't--" Stammered the one who had been suggesting killing Vlad.

"I am not interested. Barricade the entrances and make sure no one gets in here until I'm done, whether by the door or by teleportation," she said.

They briskly nodded and did as instructed, grateful she was not tattling on them. Miya gathered some herbs from the ones she had tried to resuscitate Erinna with and took out a knife. She drew a circle around herself and then took the knife to her hand, drawing blood. The pain from the cut was sharp but she ignored it as she let her blood drip onto the herbs.

She chanted a few words and suddenly the blood turned the herbs black before they burst into huge irrational flames.

"Aurora, I, Miya Tasarov summon you to the Milky Way."

Instantly the fire crackled and seemed to get bigger as a very tall woman, dressed in white appeared in their midst.

It had been long since Aurora had died and in her last days she had looked just a shadow of herself. To see her back in her magnificent and powerful glory was awe-inspiring. Tears came to Miya's eyes as she looked at the beauty and raw energy in the other woman's aura.

Death ended life for others but for Aurora, death had brought her life. She was more alive than she had ever been.

******

Erinna slowly opened her eyes, sick dread filling her as she took in the unfamiliar place. Grey hazy shapelessness filled the void around her, there was nothing definite or even minutely recognizable in the endless space around her.

The only sound was that of lost souls, crying in anguish and torment, begging to be released from this oblivion they'd been cast into.

It was almost like the sounds she'd heard when she had dreamt of Dracula's Death Town but it was so much worse because no one could hear these souls, no one could help them.

She looked down at herself in time to catch the black veins that had stuck out from her skin when she had fought Diana, recede back. The potent energy that had possessed her dimmed, leaving only a satisfying buzz behind it, the only sign that she hadn't imagined everything.

She felt so tired, yet so powerful. Needing to rest for a moment, she closed her eyes but a sound that did not seem to belong in the place, much like the sound of her own breathing caught her attention. Her eyes flew open and she looked to her right to see Diana standing up and brushing away dirt from her dress.

"Where are we?"

"I don't know, why don't you tell us since you're the one who decided to blast us into Purgatory," the witch rolled her eyes.

I'd do it again too, Erinna wanted to say but more urgent matters called.

"Vlad-what did you do to him? Where is he?"

"Stop asking inane questions, air is rather limited here if you didn't notice and I'd rather you get out whilst you still have breath so I can kill you properly."

The witch stomped away, leaving Erinna stunned and clueless. Were they really in oblivion? She stood up and gasped as a wave of pain from her back shot through her. How long had they been there?

Erinna began walking. She did not know about other realms, hadn't ever thought they were real but if what Diana had said was true, then she had precious little time to get out of there before she ran out of air.

But how to get out?

Every bone in her body ached and protested at any movement but she soldiered on, desperate to find Vlad before Diana did. She also needed to reassure him she was fine because there just was no telling what he'd do if he thought anything had happened to her.

*******

"I believe I've been summoned?" The voice asked in ancient, raspy but melodic tones.

"Forgive me for disturbing your rest, child. But I had no choice."

It was difficult to relate the sickly little girl she had known to this powerful goddess. Aurora was not only glowing with power, she was thrumming with it. It oozed out of her.

"You are very powerful, Miya, but not powerful enough. You must know what happens when a witch summons a being more powerful than them from the dead?" Aurora asked.

"I do."

Anyone stupid enough to make the decision she had made always ended up dead. But she didn't care, better her than all the lives that were about to be wasted.

"And you are willing to risk your life for my brother?"

"Yes."

Emotion nearly overwhelmed Aurora; as she looked at the fiercely loyal woman before her. This was all she had ever wanted for Vlad, for him to find someone who would love him more than herself. Lord knew those people had been few in his life.

"You are a rare one Miya, but you're not his."

"I know that."

"Then why would you do this for him?"

"You cannot possibly doubt my loyalty to Vlad after everything. He is not the most perfect or easiest person to love; but you know I love him. He has always been like a son to him; I know what I'm risking and I'd do it again to give hum back his happiness."

Aurora smiled.

"You are indeed a very special witch. I will have to tell Hakim about you."

"Hakim?"

"My husband. Death brought me the love that life denied me."

"I'm happy to hear that. You deserve it, but we do not have time."

"Oh yes, you were telling me about my brother. Has he lost his mind again?"

The question was asked with humor but deep inside she was worried. Vlad was cursed with deep emotions. Everything that he felt, he felt to the bone, be it pain, anger love or loss.

It was an inconvenient weakness that did not bode well for his volatile temper and always led to him reacting out of proportion. The passion inside him was too great and did not always express itself in positive ways.

In life, they had complemented each other, her calm demeanor had soothed him and his wildness and zeal had brought life and color to her otherwise dull existence. She had looked out for him and he had looked out for her, which was why she had put her last blessing on him.

Whatever happened to her, she had needed to know someone would be there to continue looking out for him and catching him when he fell.

"His mate is in purgatory and we have less than twenty minutes to bring her back before death claims her. You know Vlad, the pain is consuming him. If I don't do something, he will murder anything that breathes. I need her to come back and stop him, she's the only one who can.

Aurora frowned. How had this happened? This was not the eternal bliss she had wished for him. If he lost his mate then all would be lost.

Having experienced the strength of the mate bond herself, Aurora knew what her darling little brother was going through. How was he even holding it together? Anyone else would have already succumbed to madness.

She nodded her head in understanding.

"It's not easy to gain access to other worlds, especially Purgatory but I'll see what I can do. I'm on my own though, no one here wants my brother to live, they will fight me. But I might have a plan. Let me see if I can get a message to her and guide her back to the land of the living."

Aurora left; it was time to call in some favours.

She returned to the Underworld, a place of suffering and anguish for many, but a place that had become home for her. She found her husband torturing one of the dogs that had been part of the raid that had kidnapped her little sister Tamera for the ritual that had killed her. She felt no sympathy or remorse for the pain the wolf was going through, just the satisfaction of justice.

She sneaked up on her husband and wrapped her arms around his waist, standing on her tiptoes to kiss his back.

"Hello, my love."

He turned and kissed her.

"So what have you been up to? I couldn't find you in the castle," he said.

Hakim wasn't the prettiest thing out there, his skin red and scaled from years of rough work but he was perfect to her and she loved every bit of him.

Aurora was a tall woman, with a slender, graceful form that was rivalled by none other but next to her mate, she felt like a dwarf.

Hakim was eight feet tall, with a body rippling with pure physical strength and rock hard muscle, yet for all his strength, he had never taken advantage of her or used it against her. He took care to always be gentle with her, cradling her in his big powerful hands like the most priceless piece of china.

"Me? Nothing at all!" She exclaimed, perhaps too quickly.

He narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"Ok, ok. I was summoned to earth."

"Why?" He frowned.

He didn't like her travelling to other worlds, always worrying for her safety because of the number of enemies he had.

"It's Vlad, he is about to lose his mate. She is stuck in Purgatory and will die if we don't do something," she told him looking into his eyes with her own.

Her strong, chilvarious mate had a weak spot for damsels and she never failed to use that against him. A flutter of the lashes, big wide eyes and oh-poor-me-helpless-woman displays and he'd be riding in with his rescue steed. Well, sometimes. He had caught up to her act.

"Rory, I know he's your brother but this is too big, even or us. We can't interfere; your brother has made a lot of enemies. The whole world will be against us."

"Aren't they already? Please Hakim, she's his only chance at happiness, I can't let anything happen to her."

"And I can't let anything happen to you. Mixing yourself in this is starting wars I neither have time nor patience for."

"Oh who are you kidding? We both know you have been spoiling for a war since you slaughtered Hades' hounds two millennia back."

"That was before I had a weakness," he flicked her forehead affectionately.

"Last night I was the centre of your universe and today I'm a weakness?" She grumbled.

"You are my weakness because you are the center of my universe. Stay out of this Rory. Let the earthly beings fight their own wars."

"He's my brother."

He sighed, finally seeing there would be no way of dissuading her.

"What do you need me to do?"

"I need Thesius' permission to send her a message."

In the next ten minutes, her husband had managed to use his influence to pull the necessary strings to gain her access to send a message to her brother's chosen one. She kissed him and thanked him, not knowing what she'd ever done to truly deserve him.

They went to the looking glass, an instrument for communication between worlds, granted you had gotten permission from the ruler of that world, that was. In an instant, Aurora was connected to her sister-in-law.

***********

Erinna gasped as the mist in front of her came together and morphed into a familiar face. It was the woman from her dream...Vlad's sister.

"Aurora?"

"I know how weird this is. But I want to try and help you."

Erinna narrowed her eyes, not knowing if she should trust the woman. Diana had once masqueraded as her mother and tried to get her to kill herself so it was safe to say her trust levels in terms of ghosts, were not running so high.

"I know you don't want to trust me but I'm on your side. I tried to help you remember? I tried to tell you to warn Vlad Diana was coming back?"

Realisation hit Erinna, making puzzle pieces move around and fall into place in her head. So that was what the dream had meant? Aurora had been trying to warn her Diana was coming by showing her Vlad in a coffin.

Diana had been the one to out Vlad in a coffin so it made sense for Aurora to warn them of her return using that image. But Erinna had completely misconstrued the message and thought it meant he was about to die.

"But why didn't you just tell me?"