Chapter 23

(Catarina)

"You've grown, young Shan. And you Harkat, you have changed beyond recognition. Wearing your hood down, working for vampires, and talking! Oh, and this...this must be Catarina, what an interesting young lady."

I glare at him. Shan pushes me along and we follow Mr. Tiny through the tunnels up to the mountain halls. Vampires who see us are shocked and fearful. Some of them even give us the death touch symbol. Mr. Tiny opens the door to the hall of princes though only vampire princes are able to open it. I can't say it really surprises me considering the mystery surrounding him and his powers and because he is the one who had his little people construct it. Mika and Paris snap to attention. Mr. Tiny sits in Shan's throne and orders for all the vampires to come and hear his announcement. They all crowd in against the wall, trying to stay as far away from Mr. Tiny as possible. They are clearly nervous. Mr. Tiny stands at the front of the platform of Thrones. I stand with Mr. Crepsley. Shan is a little bit in front of us.

"The Vampaneze Lord has been blooded...but he and his followers CAN be defeated. The Vampaneze Lord is only half Vampaneze at the moment. If you find and kill him before he's fully blooded, victory will be yours." Everyone cheers except all the Princes including Shan, and Me and Mr. C. Mr. Tiny grins eerily and clutches his heart shaped watch with his left hand. It glows red and suddenly so does his right hand. Everyone is silent. "When the Vampaneze Lord was discovered seven years ago, I studied the strings connecting the present to the future, and saw there were five chances to avert the course of Destiny. One of those had already come and gone." The red glow fades from his thumb. "That chance was Kurda Smahlt. If Kurda had succeeded, most vampires would have joined the Vampaneze and the war of scars would have been prevented. But you killed him, destroying what was probably your best hope of survival in the process. That was silly."

"Kurda Smahlt was a traitor," Mika growls. "I'd rather die honorably than owe my life to a traitor."

No one has talked about Kurda in a very long time. Now, bringing him up and talking about him this way...it hurts my heart. I stumble back, trying to get a deep breath but my chest feels tight. I could cry right now but I don't. Mr. Crepsley grabs me and holds me around my waist. "It's alright Cat," he whispers.

I shake my head but stay silent.

"More fool to you," Mr. Tiny replies then wiggles his pinky friend. "This represents your last chance if all else fails. That won't be needed if at all for some time so let's tuck that away," he tucks it down leaving three. "Over the next year certain vampires will have up to three encounters with the Vampaneze Lord. If you seize one of these chances and kill him, the war will be yours. If you fail there will be one final all-deciding confrontation, upon which the fate of every living vampire will hang," he lets go of his watch and stops glowing now.

"You have been very generous with your information Desmond. On behalf of all here I thank you," Paris says.

"Don't mention it."

"Will you extend your generosity and tell us which vampires are destined to encounter the Vampaneze Lord?"

"I will, but let me make one thing clear- the encounters will only happen if the vampires choose to hunt the Lord of the Vampaneze. The four names I have don't have to accept the challenge of hunting him down, or take responsibility for the future of the vampire clan. But if they don't, you're doomed, for in these four alone lies the ability to change that which is destined to be." He pauses. "One of the hunters is absent so I'll not name him. If the other three head for the cave of Lady Evanna they'll probably run into him along the way. If not, his chance to play an active part in the future will pass, and it will boil down to the trio alone."

"Who are they?" Paris questions.

"The hunters must be Larten Crepsley and his assistants, Darren Shan and Catarina Lombardi."

Everyone looks at us and Mr. Crepsley tightens his grip on me protectively. Paris tells us there is no shame if we refuse. "You should stay here Catarina," Shan tells me. "You have to stay here and-"

"No," I shake my head defiantly. "I will not stay here! I was chosen so shall it be. I can do this."

"Cat please-"

"No," I repeat stubbornly. Shan sighs.

"I will do it," Mr. Crepsley announces.

"Me too," Shan says.

"And so will I," I break free of Mr. Crepsley's grasp.

Mr. Tiny announces that no vampires are allowed us to help then calls us three over. He asks Shan if he's afraid. "Yes but I'm proud to be able to help."

"What if you are no help? What if you fail and damn the vampires to extinction?"

He recites a vampire saying. "What comes, we take."

He frowns. "I preferred you when you were less clever." He turns to Mr C. "What about you? Scared by the weight of your responsibilities?"

"Yes."

"Think you might break?"

"I might."

He frowns again, clearly dissatisfied. "And you Catarina? Are you frightened?"

I stand tall and look at him bravely. "No."

"You're not afraid you'll die?"

"If I do, then I do."

"You three are no fun! It's impossible to get a rise out of you." He calls over Harkat and tells him that he goes back with him, he will tell him who he really is and his nightmares will stop. If he doesn't go his nightmares will get worse and in a year he will be a screaming wreck.

"If I wait will I have...another chance to learn...the truth?"

"Yes but you'll suffer in the mean time and I can't guarantee you're safety. If you die before learning who you really are your soul will be lost forever."

"I feel that I should go with Darren...and Larten and Cat," he was the first one to call me that, shortening my name because of his speech.

"If you do it will improve their chances of defeating the Vampaneze Lord. It could be important."

"Harkat," Shan says. "You don't owe us. You already saved my life twice."

"I will feel too bad if I...leave you. I'll go with them, right or wrong. I feel my place is...with the vampires. All else must wait."

"So be it," Mr. Tiny leaves with his little people.