Chapter Eleven: Steve

Making herself scarce over the next few days was the best bet for the half-vampire. The night Darren got in from school, Kiara had being scolded for her attitude and revealing he was a Prince. His popularity had grown within the school due to it, though it was Kiara that his classmates were interested in. Darren had lied and told his classmates that Kiara was a recovering insane person! She'd stayed clear of Darren since that little lie.

She hunted only once in the tunnels with Harkat and it was well after midnight when the two went to hunt for the Vampaneze. Though she'd accepted Darren's position somewhat the half vampire still believed she was better than Darren and wanted to prove it by locating the vampaneze.

Finding them was harder than expected though.

Harkat would rather spend his time with Darren though, the Little Person was closest to Darren and the female half vampire confused the Little Person more than anybody had before. He didn't think he'd met anybody in his previous life as confusing as Kiara either and he had no idea who he once was.

Harkat and Darren both were relieved when she took to her own solitude for a few days and when she re-emerged she offered to cook for the three and wouldn't' take no for an answer. The food she cooked may have been disgusting and looking very unappealing but Darren and Harkat accepted the food as if accepting an apology and forced the food down their throats. Harkat didn't mind the taste, he couldn't exactly taste anything but Darren grimaced after the first mouthfuls of food.

It was a mere few days after the apology with food that Kiara returned to her near perfect state of defence with the group of hunters. It was the night Darren arrived back to the hotel extremely late and was about to be scolded for the late return by Kiara until she saw he had brought another back with him. Her scolding died on her lips and her sword instantly drawn and pointed at the newcomer dangerously.

Not only had Darren returned late when she and Harkat were about to resume the hunt, he'd brought someone back with him which sent the half vampires senses flying. This guy stank to the highest heavens, and that's saying something coming from Kiara, after all she'd spent her life with Vancha. This newcomer smelled a lot worse than Vancha.

"Kiara it's okay, he's a friend," Darren stated, but her sword was never withdrawn, nor did she relax as Darren and Harkat exchanged words about the newcomer.

His name was learned pretty fast, introduced as Steve Leonard, though Harkat and Kiara were also explained of a second name, a nickname. Steve Leopard. He'd heard of the female half vampire too it seemed.

"You haven't aged a day," Steve mused, looking at the half vampire as if she was a long lost friend. The man would have been born before her time though and her suspicion about the man rose. How did he know of her?

"State your business before I kill you," she put it bluntly, never one for long drawn out words when her and her allies could be in danger.

"You were there that night the boy died in the theatre where the Cirque Du Freak played that time. I've seen the posters a lot of times since I was a kid and went back to that theatre, Kiara was it?"

"Kiara Darcy," she confirmed, lowering her sword, though she didn't sheath it just encase she would need it.

"Beautiful," he commented causing the girl to smirk.

"Steve Leonard," he introduced, taking her head and kissing the back of it casually, surprising the vampire.

Although appearance wise Steve looked a lot older than the female half vampire, it didn't stop him flirting with her outrageously. It was to an extend that Kiara was bored of the man who was once Darren's school friend. The attention she stole from Steve though brightened her mood significantly.

Trusting the man was a different matter altogether. It was easy to trust her own kind, to even extend her trust to Harkat, he'd being nothing but loyal. To extend her trust to someone not of her kind like Steve though, when deceit and lies plague humans…it was something she wouldn't do.

Darren eventually convinced Kiara to allow Steve to join the team of hunting the vampaneze, though he could have made the decision alone. Any decision Darren made Kiara would have to follow. Asking Kiara her opinion about everything recently, seemed to strengthen the friendship between them.

The hunt for the vampaneze was back on with Darren and Steve joining the hunt in the tunnels. Though Darren had initially wanted to split up, Kiara had disagreed, neither her not Darren was a full vampire and Steve was with them. She wanted nobody alone with Steve right then, at least until Vancha had returned.

Thoughts of Vancha plagued Kiara's mind as she was deep into the tunnels. Some of the hunters were destined to die on this hunt. If the hole which Vancha created upon just trekking to Vampire Mountain was anything to go by, if it was he who was destined to die, how then would she deal with it? She didn't think she wouldn't be able to deal with that, which meant she'd have to get stronger and make sure none of the vampires died. If she had it within her to alter Desmond Tiny's predicted futures then she would do it.

What Kiara felt for Vancha was beyond the love she gave to her parents, without any thought she left them for this life. The slightest hint of leaving Vancha and she was wrecked inside. Vancha was too special and the very thought of him by her side in the tunnels sent a smile to her face.

It was on the Monday that Darren returned to school and more darker thoughts about Debbie Hemlock appeared. Harkat didn't like the change within Kiara, and didn't understand how she'd gone from laughing with the team at the weekend to how she was prior to the weekend. Harkat was now under the belief that Vancha wasn't the only reason for the moods.

Steve explained to Harkat that the mood swings from Kiara was a girl thing and girls often went in moods over the simplest of things. It made Harkat wonder if human females and vampire females were exactly the same in that aspect.

The day was spent sleeping for Kiara, Harkat and Steve were awake and minding their own business until nightfall and the group, excluding Darren, would take to the tunnels again. The first priority when Kiara awoke though was a shower, making sure she was clean before going out. It had become a tradition since staying at the hotel, shower after the hunt and shower before the hunt.

"Oi Ki, get up!" Steve started banging on the door, only receiving a growl in response to his banging.

Steve frustrated the half vampire on a regular bases, especially since he'd shorted her full name to the nickname Vancha, Mika and Arra called her by. Him calling her that brought up memories and since he'd called her 'Ki,' she has made sure to keep her distance from Steve. He'd asked her after the hunt to become his girlfriend too. Like THAT would ever happen.

"I'm up," Kiara responded, clipping her scabbard around her, checking all her weapons were within easy reach before opening the door and casting a glare over Steve.

Her sword was instantly drawn and her glare turned off Steve to the familiar woman Kiara had met previously in the school. Debbie Hemlock. She was standing in the room, though at the presence of Kiara her looks became worried, more about the girl being there than the sword pointed at her neck in a dangerous position.

"What is that doing here?" Kiara's voice was colder than Darren had last heard it. He knew that tone from the girl well though.

"Kiara, don't go off the hook when I tell you this but…I told her everything," Darren explained, knowing instantly his words would have inflated her temper. For some reason Kiara loathed Debbie Hemlock, though Darren couldn't see exactly why.

"YOU DID WHAT!" she exclaimed, her sword lowering as she marched up to the Prince who stood an inch taller than her. She grabbed his collar and lifted him up, stretching her arm above her so he hung helplessly. "WHAT THE HELL DARREN?"

"Her neighbours were killed, she's been targeted by the-"

"She bares no scars, she is not a target," Kiara snapped back, observing the woman's cheeks carefully before dropping Darren and heading to the window and looking out at the darkness beyond. "It would suit me fine if the vampaneze kill her. If she was the target Sire it would have being best to leave her and then follow the vampaneze. Sacrifice one life for the good of the city. That would give us an advantage and would be for the good of the clan."

"You don't mean that," Darren stated, fists clenched at the response from the older half vampire.

"Don't even dare tell me she's more important than us finding the vampaneze? Darren you're a Prince and a Hunter. No life comes before our goal!" Kiara's glare softened as she turned to the window again. "I don't want to be a hunter no more," her voice lowered and she bit her lip. "I just want Vancha."

"Vancha is a hunter, if you-"

"Darren just shut up!" Kiara scolded, shaking her head. How could anyone put a human before the clan? Debbie Hemlock! Of all people, the dark skinned idiot! "I can't believe you brought a human into this, you should have left her."

Kiara signalled the conversation was done and she wanted to hear no more on the subject. She sat below the window frame, her sword remaining in her hands, ready to strike at any moment. With two humans now in the picture, the group was quickly becoming weaker. She didn't need Steve. She didn't need Debbie. Darren was a fool.

What was surprising was when Debbie Hemlock spoke up about wanting to join the hunt for the vampaneze. Her eyes met with Kiara's as she stated her intentions to help out, causing Kiara's eyes to narrow. Was she challenging Kiara outright? Did she not realise if Kiara wished it she could dispose of the woman without a second thought?

Kiara's turn came though when her ears pricked up. She jumped to her feet instantly and eyed Darren who instantly met her gaze. Both vampires had heard the noise though and both had jumped up from their previous positions and stood beside the door.

"Darren," Kiara nodded to the Prince, all disagreements of recently forgotten in an instant. The clan and a possible attack on them came first. Nothing else could plague her mind as she readied herself for the fight. Protecting the humans didn't matter at all, all that mattered was herself and Darren. Harkat could take care of herself. Hopefully the attack would see the end of Hemlock also.

Darren moved first, as a Prince it was his right to lead the attack, he was in the corridor, his own short sword draw when the two others joined him. All three cast their eyes over the seemingly empty corridor. The weapons were not needed, Kiara laid eyes on just who it was first, her heart skipping a few beats at the familiar vampire who hid in the darkness.

Yet again Darren had failed at the obvious, always check the conspicuous spots before the obvious, it could mean death if nothing was seen. The familiar vampire soon dived onto Darren and only then was Kiara's sword sheathed.

He was back.

"VANCHA!" she couldn't help herself, she dived onto the vampire who'd just picked himself up from Darren and clung onto him like her very life depended on him.

"Missed me much?" Vancha laughed, planting a kiss on his assistant's forehead and returning her embrace. He'd expected a reaction like he got from his assistant and it came as no surprise to him.

"When did you get back?" Darren asked curiously.

"About fifteen minutes ago," Vancha responded with a familiar wink, letting go of his assistant in the process. If she was angry before, all that had no vanished upon Vancha's return. "Larten is on the roof," Vancha explained, but his assistant missed his next words. Her attention was elsewhere, mainly her attention was on thoughts of Vancha and how she would plan to keep him by her side forever.

The four returned to the room, Kiara keeping dangerously close to Vancha as she pulled him further into the room, as far away as she could from Debbie Hemlock. Vancha didn't think much of his assistant's behaviour, though he'd never seen her act so possessive in a long time.

Larten joined the group shortly after and Darren did the introductions. If looks could kill upon Vancha and Debbie being introduced, Vancha would have being a dead Prince instantly. Vancha saw the death glare he got from his assistant but laughed it off.

"Don't be so jealous Ki," Vancha winked at her. "You're always my number one, forever and always. Oh yea! Mika asked about you," Vancha grinned.

"Well it's nice to know that some vampires still have a good taste," the response was icy coming from Kiara and Vancha rose a curious eyebrow, but understood when his assistants glare was set onto the human woman.

"Touch Vancha and I won't hesitate to kill you," Kiara spat at the woman, enlarging the fear that already sat within Debbie.

Vancha, being Vancha, put his hand on top of Debbie's at that moment, laughing at his assistant when her expression filled with more hatred than he'd seen come from the girl. Even when he played around with others, she hadn't being this bad. Vancha quickly came to the conclusion that something with this Debbie Hemlock had happened. Something that had effected Kiara in his absence.

Talk soon turned to Steve Leonard though. Larten for his part didn't trust Steve at all, and for good reason. Steve was strange, but Kiara didn't speak against him, he had being helpful so far, only annoying when he over flirted with her. Steve would be no problem though now that Vancha had returned, and hopefully neither would Debbie Hemlock. The conclusion was soon made that Steve was okay since a Prince had vouched for him.

"Your view?" Vancha questioned his assistant who'd fallen silent.

"Steve Leonard has good taste," Kiara responded, folding her arms and smirking at Vancha's expression when he turned to glare at Steve. "Of the vampaneze though, we continued the hunt in your absence, Harkat and I following a lot of trails, however we have drawn blanks. Steve joined us on some hunts and the previous weekend Darren also came in the tunnels. When there were four of us I was going to split us up, though coming across vampaneze probably wasn't the best idea when we were split up."

"You're holding back information," Vancha read his assistant carefully, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We'll speak shortly in private."

Kiara nodded to Vancha, knowing too well that she'd given him a look which he clearly read as wanting privacy together. Vancha would be able to ask his assistant what had upset her. He wasn't too sure but if he knew his assistant as well as he thought he did, the reactions she was giving were all of anger to hide something. Vancha was almost certain of it, but there could be a lot more to it.

He had to think of the best way to deal with his assistant now, one solution presented itself whilst the others were discussing the vampaneze. The decision may be the best to take also, the hunters could have wasted too much time in the city. Vancha expressed his thoughts to the group about leaving the city. As expected upon the words leaving his mouth, his assistant's face lit up.

What Vancha hadn't expected was Debbie to turn on them.

"Excuse me," Kiara took a step towards the woman, her hand on the hilt of her sword. "Before today you knew nothing of us, nor of just what haunted this city. How dare you treat our kind as a joke, as pets to help you when you're in need. We are here to stop a war and the coming of more evil upon this world. Stopping the Vampaneze Lord is the priority, unless we do that, other cities will fall prey to them. Selfish bitch."

Debbie feared the half vampire female more than she did anyone else within the room. Debbie had already had one run in with Kiara when she was at school teaching, the danger in the half vampire was how unpredictable she was. She doubted anyone could control the half vampire properly.

Kiara's sword was drawn instantly at what Vancha laughed out. He could fall in love with a woman like Hemlock! Had Larten not being close by to put a hand on the girls shoulder, her sword would have been thrust directly into the human woman.

Vancha found it hilarious though, sense pulled through though to take his assistant out for a brief time.

"Kiara, we're going out, we've got to discuss the coming date in private," Vancha was heading out the window before his assistant had time to respond.