Chapter Eleven

Answers?

Darkness. Shadows. Rustling. Rounding corner after corner. Orange and yellow and red sky and metal and dirt. They were being chased. Chased by what? She just kept running, pulled by the figure next to her. It was tall. It was fast too, urgency ebbing away all civility; it ran almost on all fours. It was also wearing a skirt.

'Hide, quickly! Do not let him see you! And if you're found, do not let him TOUCH YOU!'

She was ugly. Beastly, frayed clothing and frizzy hair, but dark skinned- like her. The beast-woman pushed her toward a field, whispering frantically. She couldn't understand; she was too tired to run, too small and weak to make it alone. The beast-woman just kept ushering her to leave, pointing and yelling with tears in her amber eyes, her lips quivering. But she didn't move. She just stayed put. There were loud noises coming toward them. Just noises… No voices? She couldn't think anymore. The beast woman's eyes widened and she growled low in her chest, barring her fangs at her. Then she ran, scared, confused, and heart broken into the tall grass. She let herself get lost in it. She heard one scream as she ran one final warning from the beast that'd shunned her into the grass, and she paused

'Find another, Desmond Tiny, you can't have her! Not like you have him!'

But the scream that followed the words was enough to make her start running faster than she'd ever ran before, even as her thoughts began to cloud, and a dreamy voice told her to forget…

The grand doors to the manor were hanging open when Mika approached, carcass slung over his shoulder. How the blonde had managed to carry Juliet, let alone walk the near two miles to get back to her home without him catching up was beyond the General. He could smell the fire going and as he rounded the corner to the kitchen he was accosted by Kathy, who pulled the deer from him and before he could ask any questions, had it roasting on the spit above the hearth. He glanced at her, and then exited to the parlor to find Juliet.

She was still unconscious, laid out on the smaller sofa to the right of the fireplace. He sighed and kneeled down next to her, taking her small hand in his.

"What the hell happened back there?"

"Nothing you should concern yourself with."

He rounded on her, dropping Juliet's hand. She stood in the door frame, arms crossed, and a plate of meat at her feet, which she pushed over to him, the porcelain plate rattling on the stone floor. Her eyes were narrowed in supremacy. The General noticed this, but thought nothing of it; instead he took a few steps toward the plate and ripped a piece of meat off of it, eating it slowly, never taking his eyes off of the blonde.

Needless to say, she didn't budge either.

Juliet let out a low groan from her spot on the couch, causing Mika and Kathy to spin around in surprise. Their bitter staring contest all but forgotten at the sound, Mika rushed to the petite woman's side. Slowly she opened her pale eyes, unfocused and groggily she turned to him, "Wha-"

"You blacked out," he cut her off. "Well, first you fought me like a wildcat, nearly stabbed me with my own knife, and killed a deer-" he motioned to the plate next to him on the floor. "Then you blacked out. Are you feeling alright?" he leaned his face closer to hers and whispered. "I think it was some sort of defense mechanism, you didn't seem to recognize either of us." He glanced at Kathy. She had moved to the opposite sofa and watched them intently.

Mika locked eyes with the woman before him, wishing he could telekinetically express the danger her friend posed, the daggers he felt hitting the back of his head with every gaze she landed on him. Juliet's eyes remained unfocused, however, and she whispered his name.

"Mika…" she sighed.

Mika leaned forward expectantly. Juliet's eyes focused briefly as she whispered "Get out". His breath hitched. There was a sense of urgency in her voice. He backed away slowly, but her arm reached out and he caught her eyes again. She latched onto him and pulled herself up.

"Hurry," she hissed, and without having to repeat herself the Vampire General seemed to disappear into the air.

Juliet's breath was ragged. She felt as if her heart would explode within her chest. Kathy watched her stagger to her feet and shuffle towards her. The raven-haired girl stopped before her and straightened as best she could. Immediately Kathy tensed. This was not normal. This power was not Juliet.

"Kathy," came the throaty, rage-filled groan. The blonde looked up at her friend and noticed her normally eerily bright eyes seemingly glowing with intense emotion. "I have questions." She stated.

Kathy nodded.

"And I know you have the answers."

Kathy swallowed her nerves. "And what makes you think that."

"I'm asking the questions Kathy."

The blonde cleared her throat and sat up straight, looking intently into the tan girls eyes. "Ask away."

Juliet narrowed her eyes and leaned over the blonde, her mouth twitched in a near snarl as she growled out the question, leaving Kathy wide-eyed and worried.

"Who is Desmond Tiny?"

Back in the field where they'd 'sparred', the field where Juliet had been found all those years ago. Mika shuddered at the memory of Juliet's attack. Suddenly it made sense how she would be found there, surrounded by bodies and covered in their blood… He could imagine the graceful, deadly beast that had slaughtered them, sitting on her sofa and looking up at him with warning in her eyes. And there was no doubt in his mind that she HAD slaughtered them. The words that flashed in his mind as their eyes had connected were still burned there.

'I don't want you to see this.' Her voice, clear as it'd ever been.

The General was bewildered. Why would Juliet kill those people? How? She'd been so young… He kept his position in the center of the field, waiting for a sign. What he received was more than he'd expected, as his friend and mentor for years, Paris Skyle, appeared next to him. In truth, Mika had jumped to his feet, ready to strike the figure, or ghost, or specter that had appeared next to him. He managed to stop himself in time, and covered by bowing to his Prince, but the look of bemusement on the elders face was well expressed.

"Sire… my apologies, I did not sense your approach." Mika said, bowing deeper to his friend. Paris grunted, half amused at the young Vampire's actions.

"You look tense, Master Mika." The old Vampire clucked.

Mika cast his gaze downward. "I know why you're here sire, and I stand firmly by what I said at the last Council."

Paris narrowed his eyes and crouched down next to the black-garbed man. "You don't wish to follow in your master's footsteps and ascend to the status of Prince, a ridiculous notion, it was, for me to begin your investiture without first consulting you. How could I forget what you said, Mika?" he chuckled. "You were beet red with rage, and I'm certain the entire mountain heard your ranting!"

Mika flushed at the memory of seeking out the Prince in one of the gaming halls in the early hours of the morning, just to pull him aside and give him an earful about the boundaries of another's life and ranks, only to have the ancient Vampire laugh in his face. Of course he was angry! He was treated like a child, and yet offered a position of power. It vexed the young Vampire.

"You're destined for great things, Mika." Paris said, swiping at the grass in front of him in mock boredom. "Council is soon coming, and your investiture will end there, by you attending or not attending, you'll make your decision in time." He looked at Mika now. The younger Vampire fought the urge to look away. "Times of war are coming…" he said quietly. "I've no idea when, or what kind, but the clan needs a strong leader, a young leader with great ideals and morals, who has no problem pointing out another's faults," he chuckled "even if that other happens to be his elder and his commander."

Paris stood and stretched in visible pain. "And I need someone I can trust to leave in charge. I'm old, you see," he winked at Mika and waved a hand to dismiss anything the younger man was about to say. Then he departed into the darkness, leaving the General frowning at the thoughts and complications the elder had forced into his life.