~Disclaimer statement: In this chapter and the previous one (and the next ones) there were lines taken from the book and added to my chapter. Know that those lines and any characters besides the ones I made up and anything else taken from the book are all the sole property of Darren Shan and his awesome series!~
Chapter Three

"...Larten got tipsy on wine and tried to kiss me." Evanna chuckle, shooting the embarrassed Larten Crepsley a playful look, "I gave him a little scratch to teach him some manners."

Harkat, Darren and Vancha—who had not made eye contact with Ava the entire time—burst out laughing. Even Ava, given her circumstances, managed a small smile which soon turned into a light little laugh. Larten looked like he would have rather swallowed a bucket full of his precious spiders.

"You are cruel, Evanna."

"Larten!" Vancha was laughing pretty hard, and Ava felt almost relieved because that meant that for at least a moment he had forgotten she was even there, "Wait till I tell the others! I always wondered why you were so coy about that scar! Normally vampires boast about their wounds, but you—"

"Shut up!"

Ava decided to jump in, just to east Larten's pain, "Well, at least we're the only ones that know that, right? And, unless Evanna here is willing to spill it to the crowd, I think that scar is very becoming…as long as no one knows where it came from."

Larten managed a sly grin, "Well thank you, Ava, and let us hope your mother is not as cruel as I am now beginning to realize she is."

Ava regretted saying something, because Vancha had stopped laughing and was now looking directly at her. She rubbed her hands against her jeans to wipe off the sweat that was now budding on the palms of her hands.

I know what you're thinking, Vancha. She thought sadly, you hate me. But it's ok. I understand. I still love you. And I think I always will. Even when the world crumbles, you fail your mission or you lose yourself I will always love you. I don't know why I refused you. Someday, maybe one day the Gods that look down upon us will give me a change to explain myself to you. Maybe the Gods might allow me to be with you…for the rest of our years.

"…it wouldn't have been half as noticeable as it is." Evanna was saying, "But he took off like a kicked dog and didn't return for thirty years."

Ava didn't know what it was but the moment Evanna said that, she winced and her body tensed up. She didn't like hearing any reference to her own blunder and maybe her mother didn't mean for it to be like that but…it was taken like that.

And Vancha saw it too because he looked dead at her and he said with clear distinction, "Go figure."

Ava had had enough.

"Excuse me." She jumped to her feet and brushed off her jeans, "I need some fresh air, mother. I won't be long."

She didn't wait for Evanna to give her an answer. She was already walking away from the gathered group, her hands balled up into fists. She knew where she was going, but the walls passed in a blur, as though the world around her was warping through her senses, unable to allow her to distinctly pinpoint one thing from another. Her breathing was shallow and her heart shattered because she was doing it again. She saw him, she heard him and she was running. Did her mother know she was going to do that? Was she purposefully provoking her? Why? Evanna didn't say those words out of a whim. The woman hardly did anything off of a whim. She did everything for a reason; for those damn futures she saw that she wouldn't speak of to anyone else. But provoking them? She would make that her own hobby, for sure. Verily, she would do it until the end of her days. Ava knew her mother had said that for a reason. What was that reason? Only Evanna knew. Ava was sure even the Gods didn't know what the woman meant to do. Her and her damn father had their own agenda…but it was liable to drive Ava insane…if it had not already.

She finally made it outside, and she took a deep breath. It was as if she had held her breath since that moment at the door, when she had swore she would scream or cry if she tried to breathe. The moment she hit the cold outside hair and felt the wind blow her hair back, all those pains and internal conflicts locked away deep inside of her was slowly starting to spill out in amounts that she didn't know how to control.

She took long strides as far into the forest as she could go, but not so far that she was far away from the cave. She knew where it was, even if her mother felt the need to make an illusion out of it. Before she knew it, she had collapsed on the ground next to a huge sycamore. Her hands were shaking and her breathing was so uneven, she felt she was choking to death. Sobs racked through her body and, before she could pep talk herself into stopping it, she was crying her eyes out, the tears flowing like a never ending river…the only immortal flow of her life. They came, fell to the mossy forest ground, and then fell some more. She cried for herself. She cried for Vancha. She cried for the fate of her people. She cried for the fate of their enemies. She cried for Gavner, Arra and the traitorous Kurda Smahlt. She cried for all those who passed onto Paradise over a bloodshed fight with their brothers…

She just cried.

"Why do you hate me?" She asked the skies above her as storm clouds started ominously coating the blue ceiling with grey, almost black in the night, "What did I do to make you hate me so much?"

Her entire body was sore by the time the rain started to fall. She felt the first drop and didn't move. The second and third and fourth ones came in frenzy, as well as the others that followed. Soon, not a minute after the first couple drops it started pouring buckets on her. Still she didn't move. She just kept crying and crying, just asking the Vampire Gods why they hated her. These were questions she knew they couldn't answer, but she still asked them anyways. What else did she have to say? Should she as why they made her so weak? But she wasn't weak! She had endured trials those her age and size would have died under. Vancha March was a harsh master, and nearly killed her himself when he punished her. Gods, she was strong! She wasn't weak. She couldn't be.

Thirty minutes after dealing with the rain, she stood. The rain had slowed down significantly, to the point where the only damage came from the drops dripping from the tips of leaves. Her entire body was jelly but she held onto her balance by holding onto the trees. How could she go back in now? How could she—

"Ava!"

Screaming, she whirled around and drew the dagger she kept strapped to her waist, holding it up to the throat of the man who stood right behind her in the work of a second.

It was Larten.

"Oh, Gods, Larten, I'm sorry!" Ava stuttered, pulling her dagger back and putting it back where it was prior, "I didn't know it was you."

"Clearly." He grunted, "What do you have in your mind, might I ask? To drench in rain water to test your limits?"

"Vampires are always testing their limits." Ava replies stiffly, running a hand through her wet hair and crossing her arms over her chest, "Why can't I with the rain?"

"You of all your sisters would be the one to do that, yes." Larten sighed, "Why did you storm out, Ava? Vancha meant no harm."

"Why are you assuming I needed fresh air because of what that oaf said?" Ava snapped, her guard going up, "Maybe I wanted some alone time!"

"Instead of catching up with old allies." Larten said. It wasn't a question.

She shrugged, "We are all people, Larten. We all have our own needs, whatever they may be and however obscure they might look in others eyes."

"Ah." He nodded, "That is understandable."

"Good." Then she frowned, "What are you doing out here in the rain? Fulfilling your obscure needs as well?"

"In a sense." Larten sniffed, "I will have you know that I needed a moment to consult my thoughts of…what happened."

"To Arra?"

He nodded, his eyes suddenly turning distant and sad, "Yes."

"Larten." Ava placed a hand on his shoulder, "I'm so sorry about Arra. I loved her like a sister and I wept for her as well. You're not alone in your grief."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Thank you, Ava."

"And same for Gavner, I know the two of you were as close as brothers. I grieved for him as well."

"I thank you."

"Larten…" Ava sighed and bowed her head, regretting asking the question she wanted to ask, "When you and Vancha met again…and trekked over here…did he…?"

"Say anything about you?"

She held her breath and nodded slowly.

"To be frank, Ava, dear, yes, he did."

She closed her eyes shut in the hopes of stopping the tears. Thank the Gods it was the drizzling aftermaths of the rain right now because her tears looked like mere raindrops on her face.

But Larten saw right through it, "He and I are close as brothers. We have known each other for many years now. There is nothing he can keep from me that I will not find out later on. I do not think you a coward for what you did, Ava. Fear is only natural. Was it wrong to run? Yes, it was. Vampires never run from their problems and you, of all people, would not be my first choice to do that. You had a moment of weakness, a moment which lacked judgment. Is that wrong? No. Is it not the best thing? Yes."

"What did he say?" She choked out, "Whatever it is, I can handle it. I just want to know."

"He said he doesn't know what to think." Larten answered immediately, "He implied that he could read you like a book most every occasion but then, he couldn't. It was as if he didn't know who you were anymore. He didn't know what was going through your mind and it was killing him. That was all he told me before he dismissed the conversation and proceeded to change the subject."

She didn't say anything.

"Ava, do you love him?"

She didn't respond.

"Do you?"

She shook her head.

"So you do then."

She cursed Larten for knowing these things. She wanted to smack him across the face but, instead, he pulled her into a tight hug, patting her on the back and holding her close. Instinctively, she hugged him back, not as a lover but as a friend, as someone who she knew would always be there for her when her days were dark. Larten was a grumpy old bugger, but he knew how to comfort. In his own way, even when he tried to deny it, he was like a father figure to the younger ones in Vampire Mountain. Darren seemed to think of him as so and Avery, Aria and Ava knew this was so. He fathered them as much as he would father his own blood child. Anna didn't know this, obviously, since the youngest sister had not met him before. It comforted Ava, though, to know that Larten Crepsley would be there to help Anna as much as he had Avery, Aria and Ava. Even to those who thought mess of him for not being a General, he was respected. So much so, even the Princes turned to him for advice and even took his lead on many matters. Ava felt warmth in his embrace…and it felt good after all that crying she had done.

But no one but them needed to know about that.

"Ahem."

Both of them broke apart, jumping out of each other's arms as they both whirled around to see who had made his or her entrance. Ava felt her breath catch in her throat upon seeing the person standing right there not five feet from her and Larten. It was the last person she wanted to see. Lord only knew what he would think after seeing her and Larten embrace like that. She wanted to puke, just throw all her guts up and fall dead right in front of Larten Crepsley…

And Vancha fucking March.

"Hate to break up this heartfelt moment." He said his voice thick with emotion and distain, "But Evanna is calling for the two of you to return inside before you catch a cold. She is demanding we get rest."

Ava gulped a pretty audible one, and didn't think she had the stomach to say anything. Larten took it in his stride, held his head up high and nodded without a word, walking off into the cave after squeezing Ava's shoulder. She knew he meant to help her, but all it did was add to her anxiety because now, she was officially alone with her old master. Alone. Cold. In the rain while he stood there and thought she and Larten had had a "moment" when, if fact, they were just comforting each other. Larten had no such feelings for her and she had none for him but she knew that saying that would only give Vancha more incentive to think so. He was mad; furious even. He looked like he wanted to take her neck between his big hands and wring it so hard; she would have a heart attack and die. He was pissed. She didn't blame him. he had no way of knowing that she never meant to reject him but now he had every right to think that she rejected him…for Larten Crepsley!

"And again you have nothing to say."

His voice cracked like a whip, and Ava winced at the sound of it. She caught herself just before she jumped in shock and attempted to calm herself down and steady her beating heart.

"Is that how it's going to be, Ava?" He asked, uncrossing his arms, his hands balling into huge fists at his sides, "I give my life to you. I gave you years of my life and trained you from the beginning to now. I taught you everything I know and I took care of you, knowing that you chose me as your master. I am more deserving of your affections then he."

"Y-y-yes." She stuttered without meaning to.

"But you reject me." He grinned maliciously and shook his head, "and not only that. Oh no! You run off like a whipped dog, never to be seen for another twenty years. You shut off your life from everyone you are kin to except your sisters. You were all but dead. I had no way of knowing. You never let me in, Ava. You never cared."

"I did." She whispered, "Vancha…sire…please…"

"Please what?" He shouted, making her cry out loud and wince as he appeared right in front of her with the stealth and quickness of the Vampires, "Please. What, Ava. What could you possibly want from me? I gave you everything. You took from me and didn't think to give."

"That's not true!" She protested, pleading, "No, I would have never done that to smite you—."

"Liar." He growled, "You are nothing but a malicious little liar, Ava. A conniving snake that bites and sucks the life out of the man who could have given you the world."

He was so close, his wolfish smell infiltrated her nostrils, causing tears to foam her eyes yet again. Vancha March wasn't a handsome man, but he was still very seductive in his own way. He was no woman's desire but, rather, the opposite. He was everything a woman didn't want but yet…yet…she was intoxicated by him.

"Vancha…"

"Tell me you love me." He growled, his face dangerously close to her now, "Tell me that now. Tell me that and mean every word of it."

"Sire…"

"Say it!"

"I love you!" She cried, cringing away from him and waiting for his response. She hated the silence that followed. She would have rathered he hit her and knocked the life out of her.

But, he pulled away from her and whispered, "Prove it." Then he turned and walked away, his huge body disappearing into the cave in a matter of seconds.

Ava covered her mouth with her hand, her entire body about to crumble into a million pieces. Prove it? How? How could she? What did he expect her to do? Were words not enough? Wait…Gods, was this her chance to make things right? Did she finally have an opportunity, an opening into finally making things go the way they were supposed to before her fears caught up to her? Was this her destiny calling to her? Was proving to Vancha March that she loved him the Gods way of telling her that she was finally able to set it all straight and move on? And what better opportunity then now! She was trekking with them, right? She was going to endure what they did. She had all the time to show her love towards him in a way that was not pushy but still obvious.

Sighing, still shaking from her encounter with her old master, she looked up to the sky and whispered, "Thank you." Before heading back inside as well, her entire body soaking wet from the rain.

Another day, another trial. This was all part of a bigger picture, and she knew it. The Vampaneze Lord had to be defeated and if she succeed in aiding them in doing that not only would she prove to her master that she was still reliable and she loved him but she would save her race from the ashes of extinction.

And she would rather die then give up such an opportunity to kick some serious vampaneze ass!