Chapter Seven

Shaken, but not Disturbed

Mika let out another rather loud, shuddering sigh. Kathy raised an eyebrow.

"This is not possible." He said simply. Kathy snorted.

"What are you trying to say vampire? I don't look strong enough to be a protector?" The woman's hands were on her hips, and she stood ready to argue.

"No." Mika snapped, trying not to let his confusion show. "This situation is positively unheard of. What is so special about Juliet Andères that she needs a protector?"

Kathy dropped her guard at his statement. "Ah... well... you see-"

"You were assigned to her."

"Yes."

"And you don't even know why."

"Well not exactly."

Mika lowered his knife and backed away from the blonde. Tucking it back where it came from, he picked Kathy up by her waist and threw her over his shoulder, causing the girl to let out a shriek. "What are you doing!" She screamed as he turned and headed back towards Juliet's mansion.

Mika growled. "I am taking you back to your friend so that you may tell her exactly why you tried to kill me." Kathy stiffened at his words. "You are her friend correct?" The General said with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course I am!" Kathy screeched. "Put me down she can never find out!"

Mika paused and glanced over his shoulder at the woman. She was obviously scared, not of him, definitely not as she had tried to kill him. But of Juliet finding out her secret job. Mika sighed. He was beginning to wonder about this woman, and whether she just had wonderful intuition or if she had a deeper connection into the world of darkness, like himself. He was betting on the latter, but she seemed adamant about her friendship with Juliet. Mika couldn't help but question the validity of their friendship. Sure there were the paintings in the halls and the entranceway of the two as children, but honestly they were completely different women. Kathy was obviously the type of woman to go through men like she went through make-up, where as Juliet lived a quiet and rather secluded life alone in her foster father's old estate. How could these two have stayed close for all this time? The young General shook the question out of his head and focused on the problem at hand.

"You..." He shook his head and set her down. "I am not going to harm Juliet." He said it sternly, holding Kathys shoulders and forcing her to look into his eyes.

Kathy grimaced and nodded. "You know..." she began, Mika held up a hand to silence her.

"I'm not sure who you are exactly, would you care to enlighten me before you interject?"

Kathy huffed and put her hands on her waist. "Well-"

"Nevermind," Mika interrupted. "I'm not sure I want to know actually, but do tell me this, why exactly does Juliet need 'protecting'?"

Kathy stiffened at this and glanced around, bringing her hands together and wringing them in a nervous way. "I'm not exactly allowed-"

Mika's features became fierce and the blonde gasped, looking around the deserted dirt road frantically. The lights of the city could be seen in the distance, but they were a good half a mile out. Alone in a deserted clearing with an angry vampire, her intuition told her she was a dimwit. Especially for what she was about to reveal. What Mika did not know was that not everything in the world was how he thought it was. And unfortunately for the young vampire his world would be shaken to the core soon enough.

"She is very imp-p-portant..." She whispered, shaking suddenly.

Mika grabbed her shoulders. "Important to who Kathy?" The girl cringed, grabbing at her tattered clothing.

"He's-"

"Important to whom, Master Ver Leth." Interjected a high-pitched, sickeningly sweet voice from behind the pair.

The General whipped around, releasing Kathy in the process. The girl shrieked at the sight of the man behind them. For the first time in his life Mika Ver Leth came face-to-face with who he would soon learn to be Desmond Tiny.

Forget

"Forget what?" Mika snapped, reeling on Arrow in the Hall of Princes as the two exited. The older man's expression was one of shock. Rarely did Mika and Arrow have problems, both being tactical and rather menacing, Arrow a bit less level-headed than the younger Prince, but this was getting out of hand.

Arow put a hand on Mika's shoulder. "You need help my friend."

Mika shrugged out of the older Prince's hold. "I need nothing of the sort!" He snapped. Arrow did not relent as Mika stormed down the halls towards his chambers.

"That's the third outburst today!" The bald Prince called after him. "If you don't get yourself under control-"

"What?" Mika hollered at the top of his lungs, reeling on his fellow Prince; the other vampires in the halls scurried out of the way of the two yelling Princes. Arrow and Mika were both known for their tempers as well as their tactical prowess.

"Or we will have to remove you from the Mountain." Arrow said menacingly. Mika didn't flinch, nor did he back down.

"You do not want to think about doing that Sire." He bit out each word, venom pouring from his voice.

Arrow narrowed his eyes. "You're right, Mika, I don't want to think about it, but you're giving me no choice. Going off on the young vampire Larten brought in was not wise. You know how much the Generals respect Larten, and though his decision was rash, he has done his best to teach Shan of our ways."

Mika clenched his jaw and balled his fists, striking the wall on his right. The hall shook for a moment as Arrow and Mika stared each other down. Mika closed his eyes and took a deep breath and let it out shakily. When he opened his eyes and stared directly into Arrows, the older Prince saw only pain in their ebony depths.

"Do you ever think about your wife?" Mika asked, voice barely above a whisper.

The admission shocked Arrow. Mika hardly ever spoke of his personal life. He was well known for taking females to bed for a few nights, then growing tired of them and moving on to the next one. Of course lately Mika hadn't had the time to do as much... fooling around, but Arrow always assumed the young Prince was busy with his women as much as he was with his paperwork. Thinking back, Arrow realized that he had not seen Mika escort a woman to his chambers in months, no... years.

"Why do you ask?" Arrow murmured.

Mika clenched his eyes shut, looking pained. "Please Arrow answer me."

Arrow howled. "Yes! I think of my wife every waking second; she even visits me in my dreams! Her spirit is connected to mine even from the other side! Gods there hasn't been a time when I have not wished I was with her. I loved my wife with all my heart and soul and those bastards..." He inhaled sharply.

"Do you still... feel her with you?" Mika asked the question quietly, allowing his friend time to answer when he was calmer.

Arrow's features softened. "I know she is with me. She is in my heart, and each night I am closer to her."

Mika nodded and turned to leave. Arrow stopped him with his words. "You'll never forget her." he said simply. "Centuries will pass and you will still love her."

Mika sighed and continued walking towards his chambers, leaving a bewildered and disheartened Arrow behind in the hall.

Upon arriving to his chambers Mika went directly to his coffin. He reached under the small, thin pillow he had inside and pulled out a photograph. It was very old, yellow and fraying. But he still held it as firmly as he had the day she had given it to him. It was Juliet. She wore a pale blue dress, though you couldn't tell in the photograph, but Mika remembered. He remembered that night. He remembered the song that Juliet sang, for the entire crowd, the song she picked for him. He remembered picking up the photo from the booth at the edge of the festival, and most of all he remembered… that was the night that he left.