The three of them entered Mr Tall's tent.
"Well hello my young friends." Mr Tiny said. "My name, though you must already know it—" he looked at Kuri. "—is Desmond Tiny. Though you can call me Mr Tiny. Please sit down."
"We'll stand thanks." Darren said bravely, holding Kuri's hand.
"I see." Mr Tiny said, then he looked at Kuri. "Greetings to you, Priestess of the Vampires."
Kuri gave him a tiny bow.
Mr Tall and Mr Crepsley watched her strange reaction to the strange man, looking worried.
Kuri noticed a heart shaped watch in Mr Tiny's hand. She didn't like it.
"You're quite the hero, Darren Shan." Mr Tiny said. "Sacrificing yourself for your friend."
Kuri opened her mouth, then closed it again. She wanted to say it wasn't that man's business, but realized that might be a bad idea.
"So I see you haven't been drinking blood." Mr Tiny continued. "Nasty stuff I agree with you Darren. Except children's blood. Now that is delicious."
"But they'd die!" Kuri burst out.
"Of course they would!" Mr Tiny grinned.
Kuri cringed and shuddered as Darren tightened his grip on her hand.
Mr Tiny crossed to them in an instant and pet Reiko's head, in the way she usually liked, but she looked terrified and repulsed.
"N-Now we should get down to business, correct?" Mr Crepsley said.
He looked ready to lunge and pull Reiko away.
Mr Tiny released Reiko and she moved into Larten's arms, causing Mr Tiny to raise his eyebrows slightly.
"My little people. They must be looked after by you young ones. You need to feed them mostly. They are always hungry and they will eat anything. So you really don't mind?"
Mr Tiny phrased it like a question, but they knew it was no request.
The four of them nodded.
Reiko and Evra went to the door.
"Why do you call them little people?" Darren said.
"Because they are little." Mr Tiny said, as if it were obvious.
"Don't they have names? That seems like an awful way to treat th—"
"Darren." Kuri had his hand and he would have continued his angry rant if it weren't for the look of terror on her face.
She led him out.
"I'm sorry I just didn't like the way he talked. I wanted to get the one up on him." Darren said.
"Now is not the time to prove a point Darren." Kuri said softly.
Xxx
Kiana felt conscious and free from her bonds for the first time. She looked up at the sleeping Kurda. Her eyes raked over the tall blonde vampire. She sniffed him, and took a bottle of blood off of him. She found she was starving.
She poured the blood down her throat. Ech! Stale. But satisfying.
She no longer had any desire to escape. She couldn't leave Kurda. He counted on her.
Kiana stared at Kurda. The vampire was still sleeping. He kept them moving during the day, trying to keep her hidden. She hadn't fed on a human during all this time, but he'd carefully fed her bottled blood (which she hated).
Her crimson eyes were gentler now as she thought of all the vampire had done for her. She couldn't disappoint him. She had to be good.