A/N: Wow, it's been a while, but here's chapter 11! I'm sorry it's taken so long, but I've been really busy with school and everything. Since summer's coming up though, I'll be able to write a lot more.
I'm really glad so many people liked the lemon, since it was my first one I wasn't sure I did so well.
Anyway, enjoy!
It wasn't long before Darren and Steve reached the living room (the mansion wasn't a castle after all) where they found Gannen sitting on one of the couches, newspaper in lap, and Harkat and Vancha sitting across from him, the former looking rather amused.
"Hey guys," Darren said, smiling nervously at his friends. He was glad no one seemed uncomfortable, what with being in the vampaneze's place and all.
"Good evening, my Lord," Gannen said, standing up quickly and bowing before Steve. He then turned to Darren almost hesitantly and gave him a curt nod before sitting down again.
Well, at least that was something, Darren thought, nodding back at the vampaneze.
"Evening, Darren," Harkat said, smiling.
"Yo! Where ya been?" Vancha asked, grinning, though there was a somewhat suspicious look in his eye. "We were all up ages ago!"
"Ah, well…" Darren murmured, running his fingers through his somewhat tangled hair, cheeks becoming slightly pink. "We just… slept late," he finally concluded lamely. There was no way in hell the others were going to know what went on with Steve yesterday, even if his lies had to be completely ridiculous.
The half-vampire let out a breath when Vancha just nodded, willing to let the subject drop for now.
Steve grabbed Darren's hand (Vancha and Gannen tensed) and led him over to another couch next to Gannen, just big enough for two people.
"I'm back," came a voice, and the vampaneze Darren and Steve had run into on their way down entered, this time wearing clean, dry clothes. He froze when he saw Steve and bit his lip, unsure if he was welcome to continue or not. Steve hadn't exactly been happy with him just a few minutes before. However, Steve just gestured for him to come in, for which Azar was greatly relieved, and he quickly took the seat beside Gannen.
"Where are the others?" Azar asked Gannen, running his fingers through his long, crimson hair.
"Well, as you know, Clyde decided not to remain in this room any longer, Gannen replied, a frown on his lips. "The others should be here soon."
And, with those words, four other vampaneze entered the room, talking and laughing among themselves. They all froze when their eyes fell on Darren, Vancha, and Harkat. They looked from the enemies to Steve, Gannen, and Azar, then back again, not knowing what to do.
"Hurry up," Gannen said impatiently, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen. "We have something to tell you and we don't have all night. The sooner you hear this, the better."
Slowly the vampaneze filed farther into the room and moved to stand along the wall, farthest from where Vancha and Harkat were. Vancha smirked at this, reaching up to smooth his long, unruly green hair. "Afraid of us?" the vampire prince asked, smirking, as he looked from one stiff vampaneze to another.
Gannen shot his brother a warning look, but the damage had already been done.
The eyes of the vampaneze narrowed.
"Afraid of a dirty, ugly rat like you?" one snared, taking a few steps closer, through it was noted that he still stood several feet away from Vancha. "You've gotta be kidding me. There's no way on earth we'll be afraid of someone like you. "
Vancha just smirked, a knowing look in his eyes which made the vampaneze bristle even more. "Oh really? Then why are you standing so far away? Why don't you come a little closer?"
Darren closed his eyes in annoyance. The vampires were supposed to be trying to get the vampaneze on their side, to make peace with them, and what Vancha was doing certainly wasn't going to help any. As much as he respected and admired his fellow prince, Vancha was known for taking things way too far, and that was hardly the best idea right now. Before he could say anything, however, Gannen made the first move.
"Brother, that's enough," he said firmly, his voice holding a warning tone. "Remember, we're allies now. Not enemies." The vampaneze turned and started at Gannen, startled expressions on their faces, but Gannen ignored them. Vancha looked like he was going to say something else for a minute, but then his eyes met Gannen's and he snapped his mouth shut, looking away.
Darren was amazed the other prince had given in so easily, and turned to look at Gannen. Usually Vancha listened to no one; always went his own way, but obviously Gannen's words -or Gannen himself- had had some affect on him. Whichever it was, Darren was grateful.
From across from him, Harkat cleared his throat and turned to Gannen. "I think you should… start to explain to them what's… going on now."
Gannen nodded seriously, and the vampaneze exchanged glances. What was their lord's right-hand man going to say?
It took a while to explain everything; that he and Steve wanted to join forces with the vampires and stop the war, and the vampires (at least Darren and Vancha) agreed. All stunned eyes turned to Steve, staring at their lord in astonishment. They never, in all their lives, thought their cruel, crazed, vampire-hating lord would want to stop the war. He lived for that war! He lived to be in charge, on top. Revenge was what kept him going! And now here he was, sitting next to his worst enemy and nodding.
Steve, who felt his men's eyes on him, met them coldly. "We're going to join forces," he confirmed, his voice holding a dangerous tone, and no one dared utter a word. "If you don't want to follow then you will die."
The vampaneze had no doubt in them that their lord would kill them. As much as he had seemed to change, the young vampaneze lord still had that sadistic air about him, as if he was just waiting for the opportunity to tear his blade into someone's flesh, draw designs of blood into their skin, then pierce their heart. Yes, Steve was still Steve.
Azar, who wasn't surprised as all the others since Gannen had told him the vampires wanted to make peace less than half an hour ago, timidly turned to Steve. "But… why?" he asked quietly, not quite meeting the other's eyes. He knew questioning the words of his lord wasn't very smart, but he had to know the answer, had to know what had driven the young man to join with the vampires. Luckily for him, his lord didn't seem to be annoyed by the question, though his eyes seemed to burn a hole wherever he looked.
"Because I want to be with the one I love," he said simply, grabbing Darren's hand and holding it up for all to see. There were gasps of surprise and horror around the room, and Darren's cheeks became faintly pink again.
Gannen looked down at his lap. Even though he had already known this, it still stung him to know Darren was the one who held Steve's heart, not him. He couldn't look at Steve, couldn't face him at the risk of Steve seeing the hurt look he couldn't keep out of his eyes. He instead looked directly in front of him, meeting Vancha's gaze. His older brother looked at him steadily, and Gannen had a feeling the vampire prince knew exactly how he was feeling. When they were little the two had shared a very strong connection, even going as far as to know what the other was thinking, and Gannen was somewhat glad to realize that, even though hundreds of years had gone by, and the two had gone their separate ways, the connection between them was as strong as ever. Hopefully in the near future they could get to repairing their broken bond.
"So, are you with me?" Steve asked the vampaneze harshly, silencing the low whispers that had started.
To end the war, to end the insanity and unnecessary fighting and killing that had been bestowed upon their clan since Steve became Lord of the Vampaneze. Azar almost smiled. It seemed too good to be true. If this was really going to happen, he wouldn't have to watch his friends die one by one anymore, as they had when facing off against the hunters. There was no way he was ready to forgive Darren, Vancha, Harkat, and that other vampire (Azar couldn't remember his name) for what they had done, but maybe in working with them he could stop the bloodshed that had steadily increased. Though he didn't agree at all with Steve loving that vampire, who he wouldn't learn to like for quite a while along with the other two, he wanted this to end, and if that meant joining the vampires, then so be it. "I'm in," he said quietly, and Gannen nodded his approval.
"Good," the vampaneze lord protector murmured, brushing away a stand of crimson hair from his eyes. "Now who else?"
"I… guess I will," came a voice from a vampaneze, and another nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Why the hell not, if it's the only way to keep from being killed," another one muttered.
Suddenly there was a crash and a lamp next to the door fell to the ground. "I can't believe you all are fucking agreeing to this!" came a loud, disapproving voice, and they all turned.
"Clyde," Gannen frowned, standing up and moving so he was facing the vampaneze that had returned to the room. "I suggest you stop these outbursts." He slid a knife from his back pocket (it was amazing he hadn't gotten stabbed in the behind while sitting down) and looked steadily at Clyde.
The muscular, short-haired vampaneze glared at Gannen, but his gaze seemed to waver somewhat. "They're our fuckin' enemies! Can't you see that? Why are you siding with them?"
Before Gannen could answer, however, Steve stood and stepped in front of Gannen, facing his (former?) follower. Clyde stepped back a step unconsciously, fear evident in his eyes. He was a tough, determined man, who was known to never back down in battle. To see fear in the eyes of such a man was extremely unusual.
"W-why?" Clyde stammered, at a loss for words as he looked at his lord, who was glaring at him steadily.
"Because, this is the only way I could be with the one I love," Steve said fiercely, and Clyde gaped at him stupidly. His lord? In love? Was he hallucinating? Did those words really come from Steve's mouth?
"To do that we must stop this war," Steve continued, not waiting for Clyde to reply. "And I will do anything it takes to make it happen."
These last words leaked of determination and warning, and Clyde knew if he dared disobey he would be killed where he stood. The vampaneze held great respect for his lord, having known that Steve would lead the vampaneze to victory over the vampires, the vampires he hated with his very soul. The vampires who had killed his lover. Could he still respect his lord now, even after what had just been said? He remembered when it had first been announced that the vampaneze lord had been found, all the cheering and rejoicing that had occurred. How he had pledged, right then, that he would do anything the lord ever asked. How, if he ever got the chance, he would follow his lord anywhere. How, when he had been chosen to be one of the lord's special guards, that he would fight and die for him. His admiration only grew over time, as he soon found that Steve was everything he'd hoped for. But now, would he still follow?
He met Steve's eyes, and, without even knowing it, said "You can count on me."
Steve nodded in satisfaction, and went to sit back down beside Darren. Gannen proceeded to clean up the shards of glass from the lamp Clyde had knocked over, and when he was done, and extra chairs had been gotten, they all sat down to discuss their strategy. Before they had a change, however, a rage-filled howl came from the doorway.
"DARREN SHAN! YOU WILL DIE!"
A/N: I may have mentioned it before, but I might have Vancha or Gannen or both get together with someone. I feel bad since Larten died and Steve loves Darren instead of Gannen. Any ideas? I thought Vancha/Azar would be cute.
I want to thank all of my fans for being so suportive. It's great to see so many people like my writing. Anyway, hopefully chapter 12 will be out soon!
Review please! I'd love to hear what you think, especially reguarding new couples. Hope ya liked it!