"Why are you doing this?" a weary voice asked me. I continued packing my bag as I answered. "I refuse to sit back and watch the ones I love die." I heard clinking and looked up to see him holding up my twin daggers. "Are these what you are looking for?" he asked. I nodded stiffly and took them from his hands, shoving them into my bag. "Why are you bringing so much with you?" he asked. "To protect Lily." I said.
"Do you really think that I am fooled by such a pathetic excuse? She will be surrounded by three vampires. What are you planning, Vanessa? I have seen that look in your eyes many times, and nothing good has ever come of it." He said angrily. I whirled around and glared at the orange haired man leaning in the doorway to the store room, staring at me.
"Trust me, its better if you don't know so quit asking." I said. I turned on my heel and walked further into the store room to the back where Seba let me leave my stuff. I went to my trunk and pulled it open to find my battle suit that Evanna had given me. Well, at least I know why she gave it to me now. I thought bitterly as I pulled on the tight black pants that had buckles and straps to hold weapons. I pulled out the matching black leather jacket and rummaged through the chest to find the matching fingerless black gloves and black corset top.
After a few minutes, I found them. I quickly pulled them on, tying the corset part myself, and shut my chest, locking it with a key and putting the key around my neck for safe keeping. I stood up and walked back to the front of the room where Larten was speaking with Seba. I took my bag and slung it onto my back.
"Good evening, Seba." I said, giving him a formal bow. He frowned and stared at me. "Vanessa, whatever it is you are planning, be careful." He said. I smirked. "No guarantees, sir." I said before walking out to go to my chamber. "Vanessa!" I turned, without stopping, to see Darren running up to join me. I turned straight ahead, keeping my eyes on the prize. "Hey, Darren." I replied. He turned and walked backwards so he was facing me. He raised a brow. "What's up with the new look? Not that it looks weird or anything." He said quickly. I stared straight ahead.
"It's a battle suit." I said. His smile faltered. "You haven't given up, have you?" he asked. I shook my head stiffly. He sighed, turned, and started walking forward again, running a hand through his hair. "You're stubborn as hell, you know that?" he muttered. I nodded. "Yup." He rolled his eyes. "Just don't do anything stupid, okay? Don't get hurt." He whispered as we reached my room. I nodded. "Yeah, I know." I looked at him. "You, Larten, and Harkat go to the gates. I'll meet you there, I just need to get Lily." He bit his lip and nodded before walking off.
"Vanessa, are you going to keep her…knocked out for the whole…trip?" Harkat asked as we walked away from the mountain, Lily asleep in my arms. I nodded. "Yeah, maybe she'll think Vampire Mountain was all a dream. I have to protect my people." I said. He sighed and nodded his grey head. "If that's what you think is best…" he muttered. I nodded. "So, where exactly are we going?" Darren asked me as he played with the twin swords that I made him hold for me.
"We are going to my home city." Larten said. I nodded. "I'm going to ask Debbie to take care of Lily." I said. Darren stopped, his eyes widening. "What? We're going to Debbie's? I can't! I still, I just….ugh!" he groaned as he kept walking. I snorted. "Chill, Darren. I'm the only one who has to speak to her. I've been keeping an eye on her for awhile, I asked Mr. Tall to keep tabs on her because I thought this might happen." I explained. Darren nodded glumly and we continued to travel.
Three hours later…
"Mr. Crepsley, the sun is rising. I think we need to rest now." I said as we approached a shaded area in a forest. He looked up into the sky and sighed. "Yes, it would appear so." He muttered. Soon, we made camp and we all fell asleep, too exhausted to do anything.
"Vanessa?" I looked over to see Darren staring at me. "Yes, Darren?" I whispered. He smiled. "I thought you were still awake." I shrugged. "It's not something I do much now a days." I said quietly. He moved closer to where I was curled over on my side and pulled me to him, his arms wrapping around my waist. I shivered in the good way.
"Vanessa…" he started. I sat upright, looking around me. I jumped up and threw my dagger into a bush near our campsite. "Vanessa, what are you doing?" Darren shouted. I ignored him and walked to the bush, picking up my twin swords. I looked down at the bush to see a Vampaneze. I glared at him as he looked at me, terrified.
He looked about sixteen…and freshly blooded. I took my dagger out his jeans where I had stuck him to the ground and pointed my sword at him. "Get up." I ordered. He nodded and stood up shakily, holding up his bloody hands. I frowned. "What's your name, kid?" I asked him. He gulped as he spoke.
"M-my n-n-name is-s E-Eric." He stuttered. I nodded nudged my head towards the fire in the middle of the site. He slowly walked over until he was standing by the fire, where Darren was gaping. "Darren, wake up Mr. Crepsley." I said. He nodded and stumbled to the other side of the fire and shook his mentor awake, earning a slap in the face that sent him stumbling back a feet or two. Mr. Crepsley got up from the ground and raised a brow when he saw Eric.
I blinked at him and he sighed and nodded, understanding my tactics. I put my swords on the ground and sat down on the ground next to Eric. "Eric, take a seat and get comfortable, you're going to be here for awhile." I said. He nodded and slowly sat down. I looked at him. "Give me your hands." I ordered. His eyes widened in fear once again.
"Oh God, no. Please don't hurt me like he did! Please! I'll do anything!" he shouted. I glared at him. "Eric, are you trying to wake the human?" I hissed. He shrank away some. I closed my eyes, sighed, and opened them again.
"Now then, let me see those hands, please." I said, more gently this time. He bit his lip and reluctantly gave me his hands. I licked every one of his fingertips, healing the scars. His eyes widened and he stared at his hands when I gave them back. "How did you do that?" he asked, amazed.
"Vampire spit has healing qualities…Eric; do you know anything about what you are? Because the spit is one of the most basic concepts." I asked warily. He bit his lip again. "I know that I'm half-Vampaneze and that we…kill when we feed." He replied. I frowned and shared a glance with Mr. Crepsley.
"Did Steve send you?" Darren asked. Eric nodded slowly. "Yes, he told me to bring him the Vampire Princess." He said. He stared at me. "Is that you?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah, that's me alright." I muttered. "Well, you can tell Steve that she isn't coming, not now, not ever." Darren said angrily.
I was silent.
"Please! You have to! He'll kill me! No, worse! Please, he has my family and my girlfriend! You have to help me!" he said, on the brink of tears. "Yes, and we are truly sorry for your loss, but you must understand, Master Eric. If Vanessa were to go with you to Steve, the world would be in terrible danger, no one would be safe from his wrath." Mr. Crepsley said.
Still, I was silent.
I stood up and went to my bag that was by the sleeping Lily and put my daggers in it, then slung it over my back. "Vanessa, what are you doing?" Darren asked as I put my swords in its sheath at my hip. I looked up at him. "I'm going with Eric." I said simply.
Darren looked enraged, heartbroken, and much more. "What? Vanessa, are you insane! You can't do that!" he yelled, jumping to his feet. He walked to me and started shaking my shoulders. "Vanessa, what on earth could you accomplish by going with the enemy?" he yelled. I put my hands in his hair and brought his forehead to rest upon mine.
"More than I can here…I told you, I refuse to stand by and do nothing as I watch the ones I love die." I whispered. "But Vanessa…we…we have to stay together, we can get through this, we can go to Steve and kill him, now, get this all over with and no one will get hurt." Darren pleaded. I shook my head.
"No, Darren. There has to be another way…don't you see what's going on here? Desmond is a marionette and we're just his puppets, we can't be subject to our fates anymore, it's time that we carved our own path, and that's what I have to do."
He took my face and smashed his lips into mine as tears slid down his face. I willed myself not to cry as I kissed him deeply, like I would never see him again. "Vanessa…I love you so much…please, please don't do this." He whispered, voice hoarse.
"I have to." I whispered.
"No! I won't let you!" he roared, holding onto me for dear life. I closed my eyes as I felt a dreadful kind of power flow through my veins. "Darren… Darren, don't make me do this." I whispered. He held me tighter and tried to pull me away from Eric.
Eric P.O.V.
The Princess slowly raised her left hand and the boy, Darren, froze. She raised her other hand and the boy's arm dropped. She looked as though she was holding some puppet. She raised her hands and spun them in a circular motion. Darren turned around and walked towards the other man, his actions choppy. Her hands dropped and Darren collapsed to the ground, passed out.
She looked at the other man. "Mr. Crepsley…I'm sorry." She looked down at the ground, her hair creating a curtain around her face as her hands clenched into fists and shook. "Please, take care of Lily and…and I'm sorry it has to be that way, but I have to protect you and Darren…I'm sorry I disappointed you and that you couldn't ever be proud of me…I'm sorry I let Arra die." She whispered.
Mr. Crepsley walked over to her and pulled her into his arms. "It is not your fault, Vanessa. You were trying to protect the ones you love and there were just too many. Vanessa…I have never been disappointed in you, not even now. I know what you are trying to do and it is noble and I am so proud." He said. She wrapped her arms around him and started shaking.
After awhile, she pulled away from him and looked at the unconscious Darren. "Can…can you tell him that I love him?" she asked quietly. He shook his head. "You can tell him when we meet again." He said. She nodded and gave him one last hug.
"I love you, Mr. Crepsley." She whispered. He smiled. "I love you too, sweetie." He whispered.
The girl turned to me. "Okay, take me to him, we'll talk on the way." She said. I gulped and nodded, then walked away to the wretched place that my family and my love were being held captive. I'm not sure, but I could have sworn she began to cry.
"Eric…I really am sorry. Vampirism or Vampanism isn't something I would wish upon anyone. It's a tough life." She said. I nodded.
"Yeah…Steve made that perfectly clear the moment he laid his eyes on me."
Hope you guys enjoyed the chappy! (: If you can't tell, the end is upon us! Only a few more chapters and I'm writing my sequel and ending this one! :) Kind of a lame place to end it, I know, but it's just to give emphasis on Eric's upcoming back story :) hopefully, I will update this within the week and you will have chapters 26 and 27 of the story, enjoy! (: