“What is the first thing that you will do before you confront her?”

“Erect a shield.” Erinna answered automatically.

They were still standing in the stables after all hell had broken loose. The alarm continued ringing and sounds of soldiers and guards moving to go check it out were loud in the night. Erinna would have wanted to join them but Vlad wanted to be sure she was prepared.

His rapid fire questions had been coming for longer than five minutes and she was getting impatient but since it was the only way Vlad would let her go, she forced herself to endure them for his peace of mind.

“And if she takes it down? She has guardian blood in her and is much more proficient with barriers than you.”

“If she destroys my shield down, I will teleport away.”

“If she uses physical force?” Vlad pushed.

Erinna felt like a soldier being drilled by her commander before a mission.

“I will let the soldiers deal with her.”

Not that it was likely, Lierian was a magical being and her weapon of choice would be magic.

“If her powers are greater than yours?”

“I will teleport out of there.” The baby’s safety was paramount and came before everything else.

“What is your objective for this meeting?”

“Vlad, seriously. Do we need to do all this? She could be walking towards the castle right now and you’re asking me these useless questions.”

“Your objective?”

Erinna sighed and forced back her mounting frustration. Shadow must have sensed her stretched nerves because he was getting agitated in his stall. He was stomping his feet and his eyes were getting the feral look that heralded any vampire’s hunger, anger or frustration.

The only one who couldn't seem to care less was Xander. He was watching everything unfold from his throne of vampire-horseback.

“To talk to her and get on our side.” Erinna answered Vlad.

Aside from keeping both their consciences clean, it would not hurt to have another powerful being on their side when so many were against them.

“If she wants to fight rather than talk?”

Easy, she had already thought of that one.

“Alexander will aid me.”

“If he fails?” Vlad asked.

“I have leverage that I can use against her to push for a truce.”

Her husband gave a slight nod, the barest sign of his approval.

“If she disagrees?”

“You mean if she still wants to kill you? I will kill her.”

She would hate herself afterwards and suffer from guilt again but the alternative was worse. There was simply no way she could allow anyone to harm Vlad and Lierian had already proven that she could.

“If you can’t?”

“What do you mean if I can’t? Of course I can kill her.”

Vlad’s eyes remained on her, his face expressionless so Erinna gave him the answer he wanted.

“I will teleport to the boat and wait for you so that we can discuss the way forward.”

A grin flashed across Vlad’s face finally.

“I think you’re ready to kill a Corrupted Being, Countess.”

“I thought we were not killing her?”

She allowed herself an amused smile.

Vlad shrugged. “I’m getting excited. But yes, do bring her alive for me. I have plans for her.”

Erinna dreaded to even hear what those plans involved, what with the secret glint in Vlad’s eyes that suggested that he knew more than he was giving away.

She kissed him, not as a goodbye but more as a way to remind herself why she was doing this. The adrenaline pumping through her system made the kiss go quickly to her head like wine. It left her dizzy but fired up her veins. She could feel her magic drawn to the surface and coursing just beneath her skin.

Vlad broke the kiss, his lips moving to her jaw and his nose rubbing against her neck.

“You smell exquisite. So much power.”

She shivered from the hunger she could hear in his voice and feel through the bond.

“I have to go.” The protest was weak, even to her own ears.

Dealing with Lierian certainly seemed less urgent now. She certainly did not want to go and have a standoff with an elf on a murderous rampage when she could be spending time with Vlad. His hunger seemed to feed her own and she wanted to give him her blood as much as he wanted to feed on it.

It was funny how far she had come, a year ago she would have laughed if someone had told her she would let a vampire anywhere near her neck, let alone crave it.

“Not yet.” Vlad’s lips travelled to her shoulders and down her arm, his fingers holding it up.

Every kiss lit up a furnace beneath her skin and Erinna’s arousal fought with her confusion. She loved Vlad’s attention any day but they were pressed for time and he knew it.

When Vlad’s lips reached her wrist, his fangs shot out and he bit her. She gasped at the pain that was more pronounced than it would have been had he bitten her neck. His eyes bled over the moment her blood hit his palate and an animalistic growl left his throat.

Erinna took a sharp breath, fighting the tide that tried to sweep her away into the sea of sensations that she would not be able to escape quickly.

By some unknown intervention, Vlad withdrew his fangs and licked the wound closed. Looking back, he had not even taken more than a few sips. It left Erinna more confused. Had he just wanted to taste?

“That will let me see through your eyes.”

Ah.

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

“How do you feel about using your powers for evil tonight?”

Alexander jumped, shrieking in a way that did not become a vampire of over three thousand years, as Erinna materialized in his chambers, Alex in tow.

“Tiger.” He groaned. “Knocking is a thing. I could have been naked.”

As if he possessed any bone of modesty in his body.

“I’m sorry, I will knock next time. I need your help urgently.”

“Does this have something to do with all that shrilling I hear?” He asked, putting down the boot he had been polishing.

“It's the border alarm that Armando set up in case Lierian tried to come here.” Erinna tried to be brief in her explanation, all the while feeling like she was wasting time.

“Who's Lierian?” Alexander asked.

Erinna regretted not having kept him in the loop but their relationship in the past few weeks had been sketchy and they had only recently managed to mend their fences. She had left it to Armando to brief him and apparently the sorcerer had not been generous with information.

“She's the elf who set up that barrier at the border. Put your shoes on please, Alexander. We need to hurry.”

Thankfully he saw no need to argue and herded for his closet to get his tunic. Even Alex could feel the urgency of the situation. It was probably the only reason he was standing at her side without trying to start any trouble with Alexander.

“It wasn't your father?”

“No,” Erinna shook her head.

“Well, where is she? I’ll kill her myself.”

“We're not killing anyone. Not unless we have no other choice.”

What difference would there be between her and her father if she didn’t at least give Lierian a chance? She hadn’t chosen to be born as a Corrupted Being same as her baby had not chosen to be a Dracula.

“But she almost killed Drac,” Alexander argued, stopping what he was doing.

“We don't know yet if it was of her own free will.”

If Lierian had solely been raised by her father then the only thing the girl had been taught since birth was ‘Elf good, vampire bad’.

“Does he know about this?”

Suddenly, Alexander’s eyes widened and he got that dazed look that only happened when Vlad threatened him inside his mind.

“He’s doing that spying thing, isn’t he?” Alexander groaned. “Never mind, what do you need me for?”

“I don't want this to end badly or violently and you're possibly the only one who can help with that.”

When they got to the borders of Transylvania, Erinna could feel the dark presence of Lierian. It occupied the surrounding space, making it throb with power and energy.

Erinna opened her senses, sending out her own power to probe the area around her so that she could get a feel on Lierian's character. After losing her second sight, she could not trust her judgment but surely her nature as a Pure Being accorded her more intuition?

She sensed none of the vileness that she had felt when she had been in Zachary Zahid’s presence. Nothing about Lierian made her want to run or alerted any of the built-in defense mechanisms of her body so either Lierian could cloak her presence well or the girl simply had no malicious bone in her body.

Her presence and the energy surrounding her was dark, some elves might even find it oppressive to breathe around her but her aura, the part of a person that truly reflected the deeds they had committed or encountered in their life, was clear. It was bright with no shadows clinging to it, a great contrast to Erinna’s tainted one.

Aside from being tarnished by the lives that she had taken, Erinna’s aura had merged with Vlad’s from the moment of their first intimacy. It served them well because through that link, she could purify Vlad’s aura when she filtered hers but it also meant that she carried his deeds on top of hers and vice versa.

Whatever her faults, had never taken a life.

Nevertheless, Erinna erected a shield to cover Alex, his namesake and herself.

"Hello Lierian."

The girl turned and Erinna’s eyes widened fractionally in surprise. She was not sure what exactly she had pictured when she had heard the term ‘Corrupted Being’ but this was not it. Some part of her had held out the slim hope that Lierian would look like other elves, at least on the outside. Reality was vastly different.

Instead of the white, self-luminescent skin that graced their kind, Lierian had pale grey skin that was marked with dark veins all over. Her eyes were as white as the moon and shone in the dark forest like some forbidden orbs of the gods, showing neither iris nor pupil.

Her hair was the same white color and reached her hips. There was something ugly yet hauntingly beautiful about her. No matter how frightening she was, you couldn’t stop looking at her. She grabbed your attention and arrested it.

Alexander made a strangled noise from beside her and Alex roared, stepping closer to Erinna.

“I thought all elves were pretty. I feel cheated.” Alexander whimpered, sounding like a child who had just found out that Santa Claus was a myth.

Erinna would have chastised him or even laughed if Vlad’s life did not hang in the balance. As it was, she elbowed him lightly.

"Princess. You look mighty happy for someone being tortured." Sarcasm dripped from Lierian’s words.

Her voice was deep and gravelly like that of someone who was not used to talking.

"You should not believe everything you hear.”

Erinna knew she had nothing to fear but Lierian’s appearance was…unusual to say the least. It took a lot of willpower to not just stare.

"Apparently. Will you still be happy when I tell you they carted your father off like a criminal in chains?”

"My father chose his path. Why are you here?" Erinna asked since Lierian appeared to be ready to talk. For now at least. It gave her hope that they could perhaps solve this bloodlessly.

"To finish my task. Where is the creature? I have the true king's word that once I kill him and release you from him, I'll have my freedom."

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that. The creature as you say, is my mate. Anyone who wants to get to him would have to come through me."

A disturbingly carefree smile broke over Lierian’s face, transforming it from something terrifying to something almost…beautiful?

"Ah, I see now. The king mentioned the brainwashing."

It was not the first time Lierian had referred to Erinna’s father as the king, despite knowing he had been dishonored. So whatever else she was, the girl was at least loyal, no matter how misplaced the loyalty was.

“You are the one who has been exposed to one man’s opinions your whole life. Are you sure you should be pointing fingers about brainwashing?” Erinna asked pleasantly.

Twelve vampires with Douglas and Lloyd amongst them broke through the foliage but Alexander raised a hand, signaling them to remain in their positions and not interfere. Erinna knew in the end, their help would amount to nothing because none of them was equipped to even deal with Lierian, but she was grateful for their solidarity.

“I will let you keep the bastard but the creature has to go. Now if you'll only release me from this spell and allow me to move, Princess mine.”

Erinna did not have Lierian in any kind of magical hold so she had to assume that Armando had coupled the alarm spell with a trapping one. It had been great foresight on the sorcerer’s part for it gave Erinna a chance to make Lierian see reason without the situation getting messy.

“Not before I have your word that you will not harm my mate.”

Lierian laughed and then looked at one of the vampires who were flanking Erinna and Alexander on both sides. His neck snapped and he immediately fell to the ground unconscious.

“I wasn't asking,” Lierian said coldly, setting her ghostly eyes back on Erinna.

“Lierian,” Erinna reprimanded firmly, trying to reign in her own anger at the needless show of violence.

He would wake up since there were only a few things that could truly kill a vampire but that didn’t mean he enjoyed having his neck snapped.

‘Is your shield up?’ Vlad asked in Erinna’s mind, seeing everything that was happening through her eyes.

‘Yes.’

‘Double it.’

Erinna did and was about to put another one to cover the vampires around her as well when Vlad stopped her.

‘No, that’ll expend too much of your power and weaken your concentration.’

“Oops, here goes another one,” Lierian smiled as Douglas’ snapped to the side and he dropped to the ground as well.

She raised her hand again but Erinna telekinetically knocked her off her feet before she could harm anyone else. Her instincts said Lierian was not a killer but the girl was doing little to convince her of that.

‘She is not a murderer. Doesn’t have what it takes.’ Vlad confirmed in her mind.

‘There is a specific look?’

‘You tell me, you look at my face every day. But I’m not referring to her looks. If she meant to kill, she would have made more of an effort than snapping their necks. Those are just scare tactics; she knows they’ll wake up.’

You would know, Erinna thought, remembering how Vlad had scared twenty years off her life by snapping Alexander’s neck.

“You have a chance at a fresh start Lierian. Are you going to waste it away to pursue my father’s battles?” Erinna kept her tone mild, despite her anger at Lierian’s show of aggression. It would not do to lose her temper.

“Unfortunately I can’t kill you because that will be bye-bye Lierian but if you don’t move out of my way; the next one will be your baby.”

Cold fury spread through Erinna, chilling her veins and she put an instinctive hand over her belly. It was answered by a growl from Vlad.

‘I will rip her apart piece by piece and shove her organs down her mother’s throat.’

And I will help you, Erinna thought.

“Give it a shot, I dare you,” she glared at the girl.

“Okay,” Lierian shrugged.

She outstretched her arm out but smiled when nothing happened.

“Magical shield. Nifty. I'm almost impressed.”

“It doesn't have to be this way, Lierian.”

Erinna’s patience was running out. Threatening Vlad was one thing but threatening their child? Unforgivable.

“Yes, allow me to kill the creature and I will be out of your hair. You-”

Lierian didn’t finish her sentence as a strange sound left her throat. She opened her mouth to say something but every time she attempted to talk, a clucking sound left her throat. She got on her knees, stretched her neck and clucked, her arms flapping around. Suppressed laughter came from Erinna’s right side.

‘What did you do?’ Erinna turned to Alexander suspiciously.

‘Me? Nothing. But she looks like she feels like a chicken.’ He grinned innocently.

That had so not been part of their arrangement.

‘Really mature, Alexander.’

‘I cannot believe I sired such.’ Vlad said with disgust.

“Why am I doing this? I'm not a chicken,” Lierian finally managed to talk but the sentence came out riddled with clucks that it was hard to discern what she was even trying to say.

“Aren't you?” Alexander asked.

The girl frowned, looking at them with a confused expression.

“I don't know. Am I?”

“Think about it. How do you feel?” Alexander prompted her.

“Free. Like I have wings. I need to fly. And lay my eggs.”

“You're missing one thing.”

“What?”

“Chickens don't talk.”

“Cluck cluck.”

“There you go,” Alexander grinned.

Even Erinna had to laugh. It was kind of funny. It was hard to remember how potent Alexander’s abilities were sometimes. He rarely used them, unwilling to take advantage or influence anyone’s will.

With Vlad constantly mocking his gift of influencing people’s feelings, it was no wonder he was never too overjoyed to use them but if he could counter someone as powerful as Lierian then there was no doubt of the potency of his power. The other elf had tried to fight off his compulsion but had eventually succumbed.

“You've had your laughs. Now make it stop, Alexander. I need to have a conversation with her,” Erinna said because she really did not want to see what Lierian would achieve in her venture to lay eggs.

The clucking immediately stopped. Lierian’s face turned red and she looked down at her fingers.

“Forgive me; I don't know what came over me. What were you saying?” She asked, eager to change the subject.

“You were agreeing to have an elf bond with me that you will never touch Count Dracula.” Erinna said with a smile, wondering if the younger elf would buy it.

Lierian shook her head.

“No, you have it wrong. I was disagreeing to that.”

Her few minutes in fowl heaven had clearly not muddled her thoughts or altered her position. The only positive was that Lierian was no longer trying to fell anymore vampires but they were not getting anywhere. She was determined to kill Vlad and would not walk away without her pound of flesh.

Erinna wondered how she could get her in a negotiating mood.

‘I can always persuade her,’ Alexander said in her mind.

‘No, don’t. I need her to agree of her own free will otherwise one day she'll free herself of the hold and we’ll be back to where we started.’

‘She won't. My hold is for a lifetime.’

‘Right. Because that has always worked with Vlad?’

She asked, remembering all the times that Alexander had tried to play with Vlad's emotions and almost gotten his head bit off.

‘That's only because he's now familiar with me doing it so he recognizes the signs. She on the other hand? Clueless.’