1. Chapter 1 (1/2)
i've been absent because my idiot housemate got our internet cut off early. still, i'm back now. there's actually a prequel to this, which i will... actually, you know what, i'll put that up too.
obviously i own none of the characters, settings or events that appear in the show.
it only took three days after the sethius incident for vlad to give up on watching bertrand's every move. bertrand suspected that might have more to do with his inability to stay awake any longer than with any kind of trust in him, but that didn't matter. the important thing was that he finally had the opportunity to sneak off unobserved, the rest of the household being busy with their own affairs.
he settled himself in the darkest corner of the it lab and booted up a computer, immediately rendering it the
ightest corner of the it lab. that couldn't be helped. he logged on as soon as the machine was ready, and booted up his email account.
you have 2 unread message(s).
he clicked on the first one automatically, barely glancing at the sender's name.
dear bertrand,i'm afraid mr grant has been taken ill and will not be back in school until thursday at the very earliest. i am aware that this is short notice, but i wondered if you'd be amenable to taking over his classes until his return?sincerely,alex mccauleyheadteacher, garside grange
he scowled at that, but it would be good to get out of the dracula quarters for a while. the atmosphere there was a little strained at present. he tapped out a reply in the affirmative and clicked 'next message'.
b,sounds like a party! i'll be there, just grabbing my cape now. impressive if you can pull this off.d
a shockwave ran through the vampire's body. he'd sent a quick message to a few trusted – or mostly trusted – associates of his before going after the book, but it seemed that he'd missed don's reply. sending a reply to every invitation – whether to a feast or a fight - was a habit that the other vampire had never shaken, and now this email seemed to be here just to taunt bertrand in his low moments.
"don! what are you doing here? you'll give us away!" the other vampire grinned at him out of the doorway."well, i had to confirm for the big escape and the post's too slow. yes, i'll be coming with you. meeting at the docks tomorrow night, right?" bertrand just glared at him."you couldn't have just turned up, like everyone else?" don didn't get a chance to answer as a crowd rounded the corner, flaming torches held high above their heads. bertrand shouted a warning into their hiding place, then pushed don forward and
oke into a run, every vampire for himself. when he finally stopped, he found his associate still hot on his heels."so... i guess the plans are moving forward a bit, then?"
bertrand closed the email. don wouldn't be replying to any more invitations; nor would bertrand be sending them to him. don was dust, had probably already been swept outside by that transylvanian cleaner. he pulled up his contact list.
are you sure you want to delete 'don huthwaite' from your address book?
he hesitated for a moment, then cursed himself for his sentimentality and clicked 'yes'.
'don huthwaite' is no longer a contact.
he clicked on 'inbox' and scrolled down.
b,i heard the chosen one was in england somewhere. you're usually the one to ask about chosen one rumours; any leads? i'd love to meet him. anyway, i'm in the uk myself so if you do find yourself heading this way, we should meet up for a drink. it's been too long.f
that was typical of francis; he was always the last to know everything. that message had come through approximately two weeks before bertrand had turned traitor, and had been the first contact between the two in about five years. it had been a lucky chance, them meeting up then; if they hadn't, they never would have exchanged email addresses. well, perhaps it hadn't been lucky for francis. the first time they met, though – that had been fortunate for the other vampire.
"we're vampires, surely we can do what we like." francis had been young, and foolish, and newly turned, standing in the middle of alexanderplatz boasting about his supernatural status at the top of his voice in the middle of the night. bertrand had been urging caution and it had backfired on him spectacularly; nothing
ought the nazi authorities out faster than a mention of the supernatural.
bertrand had heard the same stories every other vampire in europe had; vampires captured and taken off for secret testing. the army was trying to make a supersoldier, and they thought vampire biology might hold the key. the fools hadn't thought of simply trying to recruit them to their cause, although he wasn't sure how much success they'd have had with that strategy anyway. at any rate, that was the fate they faced now if they were taken.
"act drunk," he hissed under his
eath, "and leave the talking to me." francis looked confused, but did a passable impression of an ine
iate while bertrand explained away his folly. when the soldiers had gone, he stared up at the slightly taller man."what was all that about?" bertrand
ought him up to speed as he dragged him away to safety."they're testing on us to try to win the war? you'd think people would know about that."
bertrand right-clicked his name.
are you sure you want to delete 'francis von lichtenstraus' from your address book?
this time, he didn't pause.
'francis von lichtenstraus' is no longer a contact.
he moved on, searching for another email.
bertie!i'm bored. let me know if you've got anything fun i can do. suggestions, invitations... i'll even take dares, at a push. everything is most frightfully boring over here in the jolly old u.s of a, and i'm itching to get back to blighty. unfortunately, the chaps i've fallen in with here seem rather reluctant to let me leave without a good reason. care to help a fellow out with some kind of excuse? a threat to the family fortune would work splendidly, especially if, for example, my dear cousin frederick were to call me from england. my number is the string of digits at the end of this email.