Chapter 11
The next night I was ready to leave.
"Send Larten my best wishes, Samantha." Mr. Tall said.
"I will." I smiled. "Goodbye."
"Goodbye, and good luck." He said.
I flitted off and began my way back to the mountain.
It took me all night to finally make it there. It was almost done by the time I got to the giant mountain jutting out of the ground. I could feel my mate's presence inside.
I made my way up the mountain, and into one of the many areas designed specifically for vampires to rest on their way up to the top.
I climbed into one of the coffins there, and slammed it shut for my daily sleep.
When I woke up, I didn't waste any time flitting up the mountain to the entrance.
A trip that would've taken a normal vampire weeks to make, I made in two days.
I laughed quietly to myself as I walked into the mountain.
"Samantha!" yelled a voice that I recognized immediately.
"Mika!" I yelled back, looking for him.
He emerged, in one of his many black outfits.
I grinned, and ran up to him, wrapping my arms around him.
"How was your visit with Larten?" he asked as we walked through the numerous corridors in the mountain.
"It was good." I said.
"Hello Samantha." Vanez Blane, the one eyed trainer for some of the young vampires, greeted me with a low bow. "Mika."
"Vanez." Mika said formally.
"Hey Vanez!" I said loudly. "How are you?"
He chuckled. "I'm pretty good, how are you?"
"I'm good." I said with a smile.
"How's Larten?" he asked.
"He's good, grumpier than ever. He'll be here soon." I said.
"Oh, how lucky for us." He said, rolling his eyes.
I snickered. "Oh definitely."
Vanez sighed and walked away.
"So what do we owe this visit from your dear brother?"
"You should wait for him to get here to find out." I said quietly.
"Sam, what is it?" he asked, worry clear in his tone.
"I can't tell you." I said, looking away.
He dropped it. "If it's something that your brother must tell us, I understand."
"Thank you." I said, relieved he wasn't pressing me any further on the subject. I couldn't tell him what Larten was coming here for, and I couldn't tell him about Darren. That would just be a recipe for disaster.
And, I was not allowed under any circumstances to tell Mika about the vampaneze lord. Desmond had said that only Larten could tell the princes about him.
Mika led me to the hall of Khledon Lurt where many vampires were eating and socializing with one another.
The hall immediately quieted when they realized that Mika had just walked in.
"Oh get back to your activities." He said, rolling his eyes. "Nothing is wrong!"
Mika led me to a seat beside Paris Skyle.
I smiled at the oldest vampire known to us. "Hello Paris."
"Oh! Hello Samantha." He said. "How are you?"
"I'm very good, how are you?"
"Oh these old bones aren't what they used to be." He sighed. "I'm getting too old."
"Oh please," I said. "You don't look a day over three hundred."
He smiled. "Thank you for that one."
I winked. "Anytime."
"How is your brother?" he asked me. "Still as grumpy as before?"
I chuckled. "It might be worse now. He's actually on his way up here as we speak."
Surprise crossed his face. "Really? I would have thought he would never return here."
"Well, there is a reason he's coming…one that I can't exactly talk about." I said.
Confusion crosses Paris' face.
"Desmond Tiny." I said as an explanation.
With those words, the entire hall stopped speaking.
I looked around me.
"What are you doing, talking about that bastard here for?" Demanded Arra Sails, another female vampire, and Larten's old mate. She and I were never really that mean with each other, in fact, we were quite fond of each other.
"When my brother comes he will explain it to the princes, and they will decide whether or not to let everyone know what's going on."
"Come on, Sam. You know you can tell us." Arra said.
"Sorry, Arra, but I can't." I said with a shrug. "Desmond's rules, not mine."
"And you're paying attention to what he says?" she demanded.
"I have to." I said. "The consequences of me not paying attention to what he says could result in a war. We don't want that, now do we?"
The whole hall began muttering amongst themselves again.
Seba Nile, the second oldest living vampire, and Larten's mentor sat across from me.
"Larten is coming back?" he asked softly.
I nodded.
"Is he in trouble?" the old vampire asked. He could read vampires well, and could see something in my eyes that the other vampires couldn't.
I looked around to see that Paris and Mika were watching me for my response.
"Maybe." I said softly.
"Maybe?" Mika echoed.
I nodded, not wanting to talk about it any longer.
Seba sighed quietly. "Is my old assistant at risk of being killed, Samantha?"
I looked away. "I don't think so."
"Sam, don't lie." Mika growled.
"I'm going to go to my room." I said, pushing myself away from the table. "I'll see you all later."
