Erinna was in full blown tears by the time they got to Miya's cottage. No matter how much he told her it wasn't her fault, she wouldn't stop blaming herself. Her tears were a physical pain to him and he had no idea how to console her.

But even more disconcerting, was his own reaction to all this. He hadn't expected to feel pain at someone's death.

Usually a death was a cause for celebration for him and maybe a little mourning because he couldn't prolong the person's torture but with Miya wasn't one of his prisoners.

Her death hit him harder than his mother's had. And to think he'd been busy seeking his own pleasure when the very person who had sacrificed herself for his happiness was dying.

If she had talked to Aurora then that had to be what had killed her. Summoning dead beings from the Underworld had its repercussions.

It shamed him that her last memory was of him strangling her and accusing her. Of all the people, he had put his hands on Miya. Miya!

She had stuck by his side these three days and how had he rewarded her kindness and efforts? He had accused her of abominable things when all of it had been to help him.

For the first time in his life he became acquainted with the feeling of guilt. Hindsight showed him how blind and suspicious he had been.

Erinna told him time and time again that the world was not out to get him but at times when everything was going wrong, holding faith in that thought was hard.

That was what had happened with Miya; it was what had made him doubt the person who'd been with him most of his life and had loved him more than his own mother had ever even tried pretending to.

"Where is she?" He asked Alexander when they got to the castle.

Alexander's eyes were red and his expression grief stricken. Dracula knew the only reason he was not full on sobbing right then was out of respect for him. But Dracula didn't give a damn, this was Miya.

"In her cottage."

He cast a glance at Erinna and his heart tightened, her hand was over her mouth as she tried to contain her sobs.

"Can you take her back to our chambers?" He asked Alexander.

There was no way he could take her near a dead body; especially of one she had loved so much. Everyone knew of the elves' aversion to death.

But she shook her head vigorously at his suggestion, "I'll come with you."

"Erinna you're an elf," he reminded her.

"Please, I have to see for myself."

There was no more to be said. He pulled her closer and teleported the both of them to Miya's house. He knew he was being terribly stupid then; it was so close to dawn and he could feel the tingle on his skin. But he had to see her.

"You don't have to do this," he told Erinna when they materialised in Miya's kitchen.

"I'll be fine," she said but her face had already lost all colour.

He was worried about her being at such close proximity with death. Elves could not stand to be near a dead person or even the scene. That was probably why they'd been given the gift of life; there wouldn't be any deaths among their kind.

He took her hand and led her to the bedroom. She began dragging her feet as they got closer and he knew it was taking everything for her not to bolt away. Her terrified courage amplified his respect for her.

"Wait," she said when they were at the door.

Even he who was not so sensitive to death due to the time he spent around it, could sense the change in the air. It was like the temperature had dropped a few degrees.

"Are you ok?" He asked.

She nodded, "I just need a minute."

She closed her eyes and took deep breaths with her hand on her chest to steady her pounding heart.

"I'm ready," she said when she had calmed a bit.

He opened the door, keeping their fingers intertwined in silent support.

His stomach dropped at having his fears confirmed. When Alexander had told him the news, there'd been a chance that his right hand man might have been mistaken but seeing it right there for himself, with his own eyes...there was no shadow of doubt.

Her heart was as silent as a rock and her skin already turning deathly blue.

"Oh my lord," Erinna whimpered and hid behind him, burying her now green face in his back.

He turned and drew her into his chest, her heavy sobs breaking his heart. Fear and grief were coming off her in waves. He whispered soothing words he knew would be useless in such a time but he needed her to be all right.

"It's my fault, Vlad. She died because of me."

"It's not your fault. Miya loved you, this was her choice."

She shook her head and took shaky steps towards the bed.

"Erinna what are you doing?" He asked but she didn't reply.

Perhaps she wanted to see Miya for the last time before death took full effect and Miya as they knew her no longer existed.

Her heartbeat was now beating a mile a second and her whole body was shaking but she kept going. He knew the amount of strength it was taking her to do that.

Any elf would never have come near the cottage, let alone inside. Not wanting to intrude on the private moment, he stayed in the shadows whilst she said her goodbyes.

She got to the bed and sat next to Miya's prone body. It was when her hand reached up to touch Miya's face and she leaned down that Vlad realised what she was about to do. He was beside her in a second, hauling her to her feet with one hand.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" His voice was rough with panic and anger.

"Bringing her back."

"She's not an elf."

"I know that. But Vlad she saved my life, I can't just let her die. It's the least I could do."

"Erinna you're not bringing her back," he stated in case he hadn't been clear.

Sure he wanted Miya to live again but at what cost? Elven law forbade the distribution of the breath of life to other races and he didn't want to tempt fate. Who knew what would happen to Erinna if she broke their law?

"Why not? She did it for me. For us."

"Yes but-_"

"But nothing Vlad. You were right, my ancestors were selfish and look where that got us. I'm not following after them. I will do this right, even if it kills me."

"What if it doesn't work?"

"It'll work. Miya has never killed anyone. She's a Pure Soul."

"I don't like this."

"I'll be fine, trust me," she told him, placing a tender kiss on his lips. He stepped back and got ready to yank her from there if anything went wrong.

Erinna took a step towards the bed against her every inclination to run and opened Miya's cold mouth. Ignoring the odour of death emanating from it, she leaned down and summoned the gift of life that was bestowed on every elf at birth. She let the reviving force flow through her until it was released from her mouth into Miya's. With that achieved, Erinna stood back and waited in Vlad's arms.

At first nothing happened, then Miya's skin began gaining colour, right before she gasped and her eyes shot open. Her gaze fell on them and she began coughing. Erinna to her side and began patting her back.

"Get her water," she instructed Vlad.

After Miya drank the water, they helped her lean down the pillows.

"What form of stupidity possessed you to summon someone more powerful that you?" Vlad ripped into Miya as soon as she was comfortable.

In normal circumstances he would have been angry at her for disturbing his sister's rest but right then he was just glad she was alive. Plus the results had been incomparable, he had gotten Erinna back.

"That's the first thing you say to me after I just martyred myself for you?" She asked.

"Who asked you to?"

"Listen to him when he was walking around like a sullen child the whole time you were gone," Miya rolled her eyes.

Erinna laughed, tears of joy staining her cheeks.

"Never do something like that again please, Miya."

Miya waved her off.

"Get away from me both of you, you're suffocating me. I'm fine. Vlad go fix that mess you made in the castle and Erinna I need you to stay for your wedding dress fitting."

"Wedding dress?" Erinna's eyes bugged out.

"Well your birthday is in two weeks. Do you want to get married in a sack?"

She cast a do-you-think-she-even-knows-she-was-dead glance at Vlad but he just shrugged.

"Vampires don't have weddings," Vlad rolled his eyes.

"Then you should have married another vampire. Erinna is an elf and you'll marry her the right way. Now get away from here before I chase you out. I'll bring her to the castle when I'm done."

Vlad rolled his eyes yet again and kissed Erinna.

"I told you we shouldn't have woken her up."

He teleported back to the castle with the sound of his bride's laughter in his ears. The sight that encountered him was not as pleasant.

Everything was a mess. After letting them know Miya was fine, he began delegating duties to his people. He didn't tell them Erinna had brought her back because he didn't want all of them to be beating at his door, demanding the breath of life whenever they lost a family member.

The afternoon was busy, with him hustling everyone around. Most of the carpets and furniture were ruined on account of the oil but he needed them fixed as soon as the previous day.

Something told him Erinna wouldn't be too ecstatic to discover how he'd ruined the place especially since she seemed to like the rustic antiques that his palace housed.

Needless to say he had a long day ahead of him.

########

"You must think I've completely lost my marbles going on about your wedding dress at such a time," Miya said after Vlad had left.

Erinna shrugged, she couldn't exactly lie but didn't want to hurt the woman's feelings either.

"I had to get rid of him somehow, it was the only way I could come up with."

"Why?" Erinna asked.

It was not like Miya to keep secrets from Vlad. What did she have to tell her that she couldn't have told her in Vlad's presence?

"Because I don't want to add to his guilt. You really shouldn't have done this for me, Erinna. He's happy I'm back but like me, he knows there'll be consequences. I appreciate what you did but you really shouldn't have."

"Miya, you risked your life for me."

"Because I'm four thousand and eight hundred years old. I have lived Erinna, but you...you really shouldn't have done it. There will be consequences."

"My father was never going to receive me anyway. I have taken a bite from a vampire, nothing else I can do would further alienate me from my people than that."

"Never underestimate the bond of family."

Erinna looked down, her hands in her lap. She really missed her father. Sometimes she was tempted to ask Vlad to let her visit then another deeper fear would strike her. Would she be able to bear rejection by her own blood? Because she was sure that was what was awaiting her in Ellingsdale.

By the time she went back to Castillo Dracula, she was so sad and depressed, just wanting Vlad's arms around her to assure her everything would work out in due time.

🏯 🏯🏯🏯🏯🏯🏯🏯

"Put your back into it Jonathan, I didn't call you here to look fancy in front of my maids whilst you drag your feet," Vlad snapped at the young boy.

The cleaning was taking longer than he would have preferred. Erinna was back in the castle he knew, something was off about her mood and he needed to go see her. He hoped it was only the scare from earlier.

He told Leila to prepare her some food and that tea she could not get enough of so he could take it to her and try to cheer her up. Death was never pleasant for elves. They would only risk their sanity by going near a dead body to resurrect it if they thought the person was truly worth it.

"You have to go there," Alexander begged, his eyes terrified as he appeared next to Vlad.

"Go where?" Vlad asked in a bored voice, not in a mood for Alexander's dramatics.

"Ingrid. She's started."

Alexander was not exactly peeing his pants but he looked frightened enough to want to run to the ends of the earth just to get away from the vampiress. Vlad didn't have to ask what it was to know what Alexander meant. It could only be one thing: it was her time.

Whilst Ingrid was a fire-fae turned vampire, she also happened to be a third generation Liderc; the energy was suppressed but still as potent as any. It was one of the reasons he had taken her under his wing in the first place.

Lidercs were rare but even rarer was their male species. The very origins of the race were unknown, with some claiming if you took an egg and kept it warm it would hatch into a full grown Liderc who would take you to all heights of passion before unceremoniously ending you.

But Ingrid had been no egg when Vlad found her. She had been a full grown fairy-Liderc, or Lidairy if you'd rather. Half-breeds were uncommon among Lidercs because they came from eggs; black chicken eggs that humans adopted.

Liderc women were infertile therefore couldn't conceive by other races and Liderc men were so few, like one in every three thousand years.

Only a Liderc male could produce a half-breed by mating with a woman from any race and that was how Ingrid had come to be a Half-breed Liderc, her very uniqueness catching his attention although that wasn't the chief reason he had taken her under his wing.

Most would be shocked by his association by choice with a Liderc. It was common knowledge that if you were stupid enough to mess with a Liderc or for some unknown reason unwittingly earn their attention, your life was basically over. They would mess with your mind until you felt you were going insane from the inside out.

After that, they would come to your bed, taking shape of a dead lover and ravish the life out of you-literally. They would come every night, sleep with you, suck your blood, sit on your chest to cut off your breathing, every sick nightmare associated with demons of desire, until you started to waste away and eventually died.

That was what Vlad had been hoping for when he had messed with Ingrid: to die. Unfortunately like all the other methods he had tried before, this had also failed to kill him. Ingrid had liked playing with his life until she had realised nothing actually really scared him. It had frustrated and fascinated her.

He however had made one mistake: he had dominated her and succeeded.

It was almost impossible to dominate a Liderc because they never allowed it, so when he had managed to do that, he had forced her out of her disguise and her true form, her true identity had been revealed. The pretences had fallen away at the same time as the disguise. But even more than that: her heart had become enslaved to him.

He had taken her in and somehow along the years, a friendship and understanding had been drawn between them. Ingrid hadn't minded that he slept with other women because she knew his mode of operation and that those who fell into his bed eventually ended up on a stake.

Sometimes he could get so infatuated with one but after a week he eventually killed her and always, always came back to her. But now had come a woman he wasn't going to kill or leave and Ingrid was worried.

He had liked her around because Ingrid could keep up with him, she didn't mind when he turned rough and never demanded his attention or tried to search his soul like most women did. She took what he gave her and stayed out of his way.

The only time she had really bothered him was when on the rare occasions before a blood moon. If a Liderc allowed herself to be dominated out of her disguise, she got the Blood Moon Curse.

It meant every time before a full blood moon, four weeks precisely, she went on heat, howled and go searching for lovers, killing each of them until she found the one who had broken her disguise in the first place.

The average scorned Liderc could kill seventy men in one night. Thus the night in the twenty-eight days before any blood moon, he always made sure to stay with her.

He was the only one who could keep up with her anyway, excluding the fact that Ingrid absolutely refused to immediately associate herself with any other men anymore, vampire or otherwise except him, claiming he had ruined him for every man. But he knew the real reason; the loss of her disguise had enslaved her heart to him.

"Go tell her to take a lover. Anyone of her choice," he told Alexander, planning to make himself scarce for the night. He would probably take Erinna to Egypt or Ireland, somewhere far away where a libidinous Liderc wouldn't find him.

Alexander's eyes widened.

"You think I'm going in there? I have made poor decisions before, but this won't be one of them."

Vlad rolled his eyes.

"Are you sure you should be wearing those breeches?"

"Insulting me won't help. This is your problem and you know it. She won't want anyone but you. Elias tried to ask her what's wrong through the door and she just dragged him inside. Next thing we knew, his dead body was being thrown out of her window. Naked. I'm not going in there, man. Even if you set Alex on me."

Vlad sighed, thinking he should stop employing cowards.

"Whatever. Go make sure Erinna's meal is made properly. I'll take it to her when I return."

Alexander who unlike other self-respecting vampires liked human food, was glad for an opportunity to go to the kitchen and flirt with Leila whilst stealing food off the stove.

Vlad didn't want to go but knowing he was the only person Ingrid had in the whole wide world plus he had made her that way, he didn't have much choice. Ignoring her would be just cruel and make her come to his chambers, which was something he wanted to avoid at all costs.

Erinna wouldn't appreciate it and he'd rather do without the drama so he left for her quarters even if his gut told him this was a disaster in the making; a catastrophe waiting to happen.

He gritted his teeth at the sounds of her crazy pained howls and screams. He could hear them even before he got close. Every vampire had evacuated the area, leaving the frenzied vampiress to her own devices.

He put his hand on the doorknob but it was yanked open and she was on him like a rash before he even stepped inside. Her breath stank of strong liquor and he didn't even need to be Alexander to sense her frazzled emotions.

Scowling, he roughly pushed her away from him, making her land on the bed. The air was clogged with pheromones and the scent of her excited body. It was enough to drive a man crazy but he only thought something was lacking in that scent. It wasn't half as stimulating, delicious, or delectable as the beautiful scent that Erinna's young supple body could conjure.

"Behave yourself, Ingrid."

"So you finally found time for me?" She sniggered.

"Watch your tone."

His voice was serious and his eyes cold, Ingrid was not stupid enough not to heed the warning.

"It's nothing personal papi, you know what the Red Moon does to me," she said shrugging out of her gown.

Vlad spotted full, forever youthful, shapely breasts but they simply didn't do it for him anymore. It was hard to imagine what he'd ever felt for her in the first place.

He moved his eyes over her, looking for what it was that had enticed him in the first place, but the least he could conjure was a dull lust and only if he altered her features in his mind in imitation of Erinna's.