Chapter Forty-Five
Nothing Is Ever Simple
Juliet idly ran her fingers against the cool stone walls as she walked to the Hall of Princes. Weeks of training Darren had turned into months, and during that time the young Prince had become more-or-less (Juliet leant toward less) proficient with a short sword, the most practical weapon for his stature. Juliet had attempted to teach Darren hand-to-hand combat, believing he could use his size to his advantage in any upcoming conflicts he may participate in against the Vampaneze. It was a short lived experiment, Darren was far too clumsy to manage the technical movements required for precise attacks. Juliet was barely confident in his dodging ability, something that took months for her to deem "Mmmmm passable." With a roll of her eyes at his sweat-dripped form on the floor.
For all her talk, though, Juliet had never been as exhausted as she was after each training session with the Prince. Ever since their rather risqué encounter in the Hall of Perta vin Grahl, Juliet had battled against some severe sexual tension. Darren, for his part, seemed to know exactly how she was feeling, and made it a point to take off his shirt at every occasion. To relieve her stress, Juliet had pushed the young Prince harder, making him regret testing her ire. But he'd never stopped. Even the previous night Darren had de-shirtted within the first twenty minutes of their first session. At their meal breaks he had begun sitting closer to Juliet, inching nearer with each encounter. She was nearly elbow deep in his youthful interests before she put her foot down.
"I'm not doing this with you Darren. You think you're being cute, but you're really being a pain in my ass." She was frowning deeply as she growled the words out, glaring daggers leftward at Darren.
Darren smiled, boyish and infuriating to Juliet. "I can't help that I'm-"
"Shut it." She hissed. "I thought I made myself clear that night…" her cheeks began to heat at the mention of their encounter. "No funny business. I'm not gonna treat you like a kid anymore, and let me tell you something: there's more than a roomful of men who believed I was sending 'mixed signals', and their junk don't function so well."
"Juliet…" he sighed, drooping. "I'm just trying to have fun."
"Yeah, but you stepped beyond flirting, Darren. We can't just go from flirting to Frenching and back to flirting. A line was crossed and you can't go back. Shut it down." Juliet had turned to him, eyes hard. "I don't want to hurt your feelings but… seriously. Enough."
She kept her face cold even as a range of emotions flew across the young Prince's face. Anger, sadness, dejection… he finally set upon resignation. "Fine." He said. "At least I tried."
"Tried and FAILED." She hissed.
"But still. Tried and came out with my junk intact." That boyish smile was back. Juliet groaned loudly into her soup, and the whole hall turned and witnessed Darren laughing.
Darren missed his first training session of the night, and Juliet was making her way to the Hall of Princes to glare at all of the stuffy Vampires until they allowed him to leave. They had asked her to train him, and she like to remind them of that. Always yawning and inspecting her nails during the meetings she sat through. Nothing says 'snoozefest' like Vampire war council. Usually Arrow or Larten became irritated by her actions and would usher Darren to leave saying 'this' was more important than 'that'. Or was it 'that' and 'this'? Fact was, it always worked.
Pain tickled at her right hand and Juliet withdrew it from the wall, watching blood trickle along her wrist. 'Serves me right,' she sighed, sticking her ring finger in her mouth and sucking at the cut. 'This isn't some modern building. It's a big-ass cave. Of course there are sharp rocks…'
The blood on her finger was sugary, coppery and reminded her of smoke- three things she never believed she'd equate to one taste. Juliet shook her head, sighing as she pulled her finger out of her mouth. The small nick had stopped bleeding, a reddish-pink mar on the tip of her finger. Juliet frowned. 'Like a damn paper cut.'
The guards standing in front of the domed Hall nodded to Juliet as she approached. She waved amicably, and watched as they tapped the wall, indicating to the Prince's within that they needed to open the door. Juliet was always amazed by the apparent magic that coursed through the rock. Some would think Juliet crazy for immediately thinking 'magic' when she saw the doors open without warning for the first time, but after everything Juliet had survived, plus the existence of Vampires, multiplied for every year she'd lived without ageing… Fuck what other people would think.
Today was an important day. Mika ver Leth was finally back from his five year stint out in the war. She'd heard the call early in the night, the excitement in the mountain was palpable. 'This-' she thought, cringing, 'Is why Darren missed training…'
'This' was seemingly every Vampire in the mountain crowding around the tall, black-clad Prince as he pushed his way to his seat. Juliet leisurely turned to her customary seat halfway into the hall. A few of the smaller Vampires were there, watching with rapt attention as Mika began his report to his fellow Princes.
'Just in time…' Juliet thought. 'Wonder what he managed to find out…'
Even she heard it clear over the mumbles of the crowd.
"I don't know where he is." Mika said with an physical sigh.
Juliet joined in the groan that spread across the hall. Five years- WASTED!
Mika continued to talk about the Vampaneze bolstering their numbers, and Juliet raised an eyebrow at the mention of unblooded humans. She crossed her arms tightly. 'What kind of humans would work with those purple-skinned monsters?' she wondered, leaning back with an air of nonchalance even as she perked her ears to hear more.
The General's were not fazed by the idea of humans rushing them on the field of battle. Juliet didn't like that. But Mika warned them that these humans were allowed modern weapons, something the Vampires and Vampaneze abstained from: guns.
'Well so can I.' Juliet thought smugly, thinking to her handguns hidden under the pile of clothes in her room- for emergency only. From the murmurs of outrage in the hall, though, this was big news. Juliet was frowning deeply, watching Mika as he continued his speech. She wasn't focused on his words anymore, more on his demeanor. He was troubled- deeply, but suddenly a roar let out, and Juliet saw Mika get swept up by the Generals surrounding him. She watched him search the hall as he was carried out, and moments before he left the room she caught his eye. He looked like he wanted to speak to her, but she played it off, blowing him a sarcastic kiss as he disappeared.
Juliet looked to Darren now, the young Prince and many of the remaining Generals were looking after Mika with adoration.
"Go on," Paris said. Darren beamed, knowing Paris was letting them go. "It would be impolite to let Mika and his over-eager companions drink alone."
The remaining Generals poured out of the room with such speed, Juliet let out a small cough at the emptiness. Paris, Larten and Darren were up at the thrones, a few scattered attendants standing respectfully in corners of the hall.
"Well," Juliet groaned, standing. "If there's a party going on…"
Paris laughed and waved at her. "Go on. Young Darren and I still have some things to discuss."
Darren looked at Juliet apologetically, but she shrugged. "Let's at least pretend we tried to get a work out in today, okay?" she sighed, winking at him before sauntering out.
Juliet only needed to follow the hollering to the Hall of Khledon Lurt to find Mika, knees deep in Generals plying him with alcohol to get stories out of him. Mika, stoic as always, accepted the drinks but remained tight lipped with the war stories.
"Have I missed anything?" Juliet called, approaching the Prince who looked at her unabashedly with longing in his eyes. "Any bear wrestling? Death-defying chases?" she plucked a mug of ale from a General who couldn't take his eyes off of her breasts (which were in fine form today, pert in her leather corset, with her matching pants and boots. Apparently as a hunter she'd been fond of leather. Juliet was beginning to appreciate it un-crazy as well) as she swayed her hips, downing the liquid in three gulps. "I hear you all have the most fascinating stories when you come back…"
Mika opened his mouth to respond when he stopped, looking beyond Juliet. Larten had walked in, looking annoyed. He smiled at his Prince, though, showing his gratitude for the man's work outside the Mountain. Seconds later Darren came bounding in and the hollering began again as the Generals were excited to get the youngest Vampire drunk off his ass.
"Juliet, sorry again we can't train." He bowed his head to her in emphasis.
"It's okay Darren. It's not every day the hero returns home from war." She sighed, eyeing an older looking General who was staring at her. She gave a sultry pout and licked her lips, "I'm so parched, though…" she sighed. Instantly the Vampire was offering her his mug. Juliet snatched it from him and passed it to Darren, who had already been forced to finish one mug while she had garnered hers. "Drink this. It'll put hair on your chest."
Darren groaned, but drank the contents down greedily. "I hope so. Being hairless sucks. I get so cold." His lack of comment about her actions with the old General showed how close they had gotten. In their five years together as Master and Student, Darren had witnessed Juliet do a lot of… indecent things when she was feeling lazy.
"It's easier to flaunt than fight…" she'd sighed the only time he'd brought it up. "A man wants a look, sure why not? I'm blessed, I'll spread my glory around. Kinda weird to get it from Vampire's though…"
"You trying to tell me Mika never showed your body appre-" he began, but stopped at her murderous look.
"You wanna keep that tongue, kid?"
Now it was like second nature for Darren to turn his head when it happened. Mika, however had bristled when he watched Juliet wiggle her hips and adjust her cleavage to get drink after drink. He approached her when his entourage finally gave him a breath. "Juliet." He said simply, looking at her. Leather. He never liked leather, but her body did the clothes justice. Her hair had grown since he'd been gone, the neck-length, hastily cut bob had grown into wild tresses that fluttered around her shoulders enticingly.
"Mika." She replied, avoiding his eyes. She could feel them on her body, and was surprised at the quickening of her pulse.
Five years he'd been gone. Nothing had happened between them before he left, and she didn't plan on anything happening ever again, but to feel Mika ver Leth's intense gaze after five years.
Nerve-wracking.
"I'm glad you're safe." She sighed, letting her guard down. "Nobody ever let me know anything…"
Mika softened at her admission of worry. She leaned against one of the solid wooden tables, moving to sit. He followed suit.
"I apologize. Any communication I sent back was strictly relating to the war." He took a drink from his own mug. Juliet wrestled a drink from Darren as he attempted to down his tenth mug.
"I figured, but still…" she trailed off, drinking the ale.
"You look well." He said, at a loss for words.
"Pssh, I look great." She snapped, rolling her eyes. "Typical Mika. Be more honest. I saw you staring at me."
"I can't help if I happen to be the only man here who knows what you look like without those clothes." Mika whispered.
Juliet blushed at his words, knowing they were untrue. Not simply because of her stint in the medical room, constantly unclothed as they examined her stitches, but also memories flashed of her encounter with Darren in the showers. The heat in her cheeks only served to fuel her snarkiness.
"Keep telling yourself that." She winked, taking a long draw from her mug.
Mika laughed, and the sound all at once shocked and warmed Juliet. Darren turned from where he was standing- or tottering as Juliet noticed-. "Holy hell Mika. Did you make that noise? You sounded… like a person!"
Juliet chuckled and Mika frowned, but she could see the humor in his eyes. Larten strode over then, a mug in his hand, though he looked sour.
"Mika." He said. Mika nodded. "I just wish to talk about the information you gave us-"
"No no nononononono!" Darren shouted, leaning into his sire. "Paris said you're supposed to get drunk."
"Red wasted?" Juliet said skeptically. She jumped to her feet. "I want to see this. Anyone here know how to do a keg stand?" she called as loud as she could over the noise. A roaring 'hooray' resounded and Juliet was lifted by numerous arms. "No, wait! Not me! CREPSLEY!" She screamed, but she was laughing. Vampires partying, she could get used to this.
As she was positioned next to the keg of ale, she saw Darren, Larten and Mika push their way through the crowd. Juliet sighed. "I guess I can show you all how it's done." She winked at the crowd and the Vampires roared their approval. Without assistance she flipped to stand on her hands, positioning on the sides of the keg as a large Vampire tapped it and handed her the rubber tubing, he attempted to put it in her mouth, but Juliet snapped it out of his hand, determined to show her skills.
'Not gonna ask where they got this from…' Juliet thought with a smirk as she began.
The ale seemed to shoot from the tube with a force she almost wasn't prepared for, but Juliet had a secret weapon- no gag reflex. Dexterously, she positioned the tube at the back of her throat and allowed the liquid to pour, timing her swallows with the flow. The crowd was deafening, and nearly made her laugh, but she was a hardened killer, and fought her smile back with as much force as she could muster.
Then the call came out.
"Lass has drained half the barrel!" someone screamed, and the Vampires went crazy. Juliet hazily thought to herself 'That's a lot of beer.' And tapped the side of the barrel twice, the universal symbol for 'Get me the fuck down'. Liquid sprayed down her front and she giggled at the sensation of wet leather. When the Vampires hoisted her up, you'd think she'd been the one returning from five years of war. They paraded her around the hall with abandon, tossing her in the air and catching her.
"OH GODS STOP YOU'LL MAKE ME HURL!" She screamed with laughter. Finally they set her down next to Darren who drunkenly high-fived her and said 'You're my hero' before she pushed him away. They were all chanting her name, so she stood, straightened her outfit, and bowed ceremoniously, which made them go even crazier.
Darren threw his arms around her shoulders and they both sagged back into the seat.
"You drained half that barrel!" he shouted, repeating the words from earlier. "Where does it all go?" he drunkenly ran his hands over her abdomen and Juliet let out an enormous and loud burp, which caused more hoots.
"Hopefully it stays wherever it is." She laughed and leaned into his embrace, accepting another mug of ale from a Vampire as they passed.
Shortly after the party began winding down, and Juliet let Darren slump off of her shoulders. Larten eyed the boy with an audible sigh before stumbling over himself, apparently keeping true to his word about drinking until inebriated.
"He's a good kid." Juliet said absently as Larten lifted him.
"He is." The scarred Vampire agreed before walking off.
Juliet sighed and watched them go, beginning to drift herself. She closed her eyes- just to rest them, mind you- and opened them to see a mass of black.
Mika extended his palm to her. "Fresh air?" he inquired.
Juliet looked around, many of the drunken Vampires were wrestling on the floor, a few attempting more keg stands.
"Can we go a little further than just the entrance?" She asked. "It's been forever since I stretched my legs on grass."
Mika nodded. "Do you have your-"
Juliet gestured to her thighs, where she'd begun strapping her special daggers once more. "Never leave home without 'em." She winked.
The cold air blowing up and around, surrounding Vampire Mountain was some of the sweetest and most underrated pleasures Juliet had ever experienced. She inhaled deeply the moment she and Mika finished their climb down, cracking her neck and rolling her shoulders.
Drunkenness gone, sleepiness gone. This was life!
The moon above them shone down with a hazy glow, clouds surrounding it and overtaking it from time to time. A thin fog rolled around the ground, obscuring visibility, but Juliet loved it. She wanted to get down on her hands and knees and crawl through it, allowing it to mist her face. She resisted the urge… Mika led her down to the stream that ran from Vampire Mountain, telling her of Darren's trip down the rocky waterfall from the Hall of Final Voyage as best as he could recall.
Juliet kept quiet mostly, waiting for Mika to speak on what he had actually called her out for. As they hunched next to the stream, Juliet bent down and let the chilly water flow through her damaged finger.
"I'm ready to fulfill my promise to you, Juliet."
Juliet sighed, she knew this is where it was going. "Mika- it's okay, you don't have to."
He shook his head. "I do." He said. "You were right. When I told you I was leaving, I was betraying you. I should have let someone else go in my stead."
"Your people are important to you." Juliet said quietly, and Mika's breath hitched. "I get that. I just didn't want to say it then. But before I could apologize you had left. Without telling me." She eyed him, and Mika bowed his head apologetically. "It's okay. I would have done the same."
"I appreciate your understanding." He said, looking up at the sky and feeling sunrise approaching. "But I mean what I say. I am here now to fulfill my promise. Should you need to, we can leave the mountain. We can head out immediately."
Juliet frowned and stood. Mika was removing his gloves, something he did out of nervous habit, his only tick (that she'd caught on to). "You still do that?" she gestured to his hands. "What are you nervous about?"
"I'm afraid you won't want my help anymore." He admit.
Juliet shook her head. "Yeah right. I'm not turning down any help." She scoffed.
"Is that so? Perhaps I could assist you then?"
Mika tensed and Juliet reached for her daggers. The voice had come from the direction of the woods to their east. The fog had settled onto the ground, and the pair couldn't see far enough to make out a shape. "Who's there?" Mika called.
He emerged with his hands raised mockingly in surrender. Short, round, and devious was how Juliet wanted to describe the man. Mika's face flashed with recognition, but he didn't stop tensing, so she didn't take her hands off her daggers.
"Tsk tsk, Mika ver Leth. Introduce me to your lady friend." The man said, rubbing his chin with one hand, and fiddling with something in his other.
"Juliet, this is Desmond Tiny." Mika grated. Juliet frowned, the name was familiar, but she couldn't place it. Something from her hunter days?
"You can call me Des, beauty." The man gave a bow.
Juliet felt irrational anger at his words, but contained herself. Mika was eyeing her to stand down, something akin to fear in his eyes. What kind of person was this that could make a Vampire Prince unsettled?