Chapter Fifty-Six

Oh Shit

Standing ten feet outside their shared quarters, Juliet had pulled out of Mika's embrace, cheeks flushed. She muttered to herself as he watched her try to catch her breath. "Wipe that smug look off your face." She snapped playfully, loud enough for him to hear this time, a smile spreading over her features.

"I love to gaze upon your face after we kiss." His voice was breathy, and he stood with his arms crossed over his broad chest. He looked dangerous and male and made Juliet roll her eyes.

"Shut up." She laughed. "Alright. This is gonna be weird, going to bed in the same room with a man I am…" she looked at him and put a finger to her chin in question. "Dating? Debating ripping the clothes off of? Hanging out with?" her mouth puckered at the last phrase. "Ugh, I hate saying that."

"Don't call it anything, Juliet." Mika replied, heading up to their trailer. "Let's not overthink it."

"You're right." She sighed as Mika opened the door, holding it for her to enter. "Oh, such a gentleman." She crooned, he smiled dashingly at her.

"Wow so you two even sleep in the same room. You sure you're not an item?"

Juliet internally jumped, but her body was trained to hide her initial responses. She turned on a dime and faced the intruder in their trailer.

"Steve!" she huffed. Mika slammed the metal door behind him as he entered, watching the white-haired man intently. He stalked to the other side of the trailer, standing in the makeshift kitchen. Steve was hovering over Mika's coffin, rapping his knuckles against the dark wood in time to a song only he could hear. He was wearing the same outfit as the night before, but he'd added a strange, Van Helsing style hat to it, making him look even more like a Vampire Hunter.

"So what's this?" he pointed to Mika's sleeping arrangements.

"A joke." Juliet snapped. "What the hell are you doing here? Creeping in the dark of a trailer like a maniac!"

"A joke, huh?" Steve walked around the large coffin, trailing his nails along the lid. "Looks… pretty comfy."

Juliet rolled her eyes, her stance becoming threatening. "Steve, what the fuck? You and I both know Vampire's don't really sleep in coffins. It's a myth they spread to dumb down the masses to their existence." Her eyes followed his movements. 'Something is fucking off,' she thought. She looked at Mika, but his dark eyes were focused on Steve. 'Shit, he knows!'

"You're right Juliet, it is mostly a myth, but some leeches do sleep in them…" he looked at Mika. "And you don't have to protect this one anymore."

"Steve, Mika's not a-"

"Shhhhhhh, Jewel, it's okay. I'm here to help you." He reached into his duster, and Juliet stiffened, suddenly wishing she had continued to strap her daggers to her thighs. She felt defenseless in her flowing skirt and gypsy gear, even as she knew she wasn't as helpless as she seemed.

Mika had tensed as well, and when Steve withdrew his gun and pointed it at Mika's chest, the Vampire felt the adrenaline pump. He needed to get Juliet out of there, and he could if he ran fast enough, if he would flit to her, but the room was so small… he glanced over at the woman when she moved

Juliet rolled forward, hiking her long skirt up and pulling out her new pistol. She pointed at Steve from her defensive stance on the ground. "Drop the gun, Steve."

"Fuck, Jewel!" Steve shouted. "He's even got you fighting for him? What has this leech done to you?"

"Nothing, Steve. He has done nothing, because Vampires aren't evil." She growled. She looked at Mika and mouthed for him to remain silent.

"Of course they are. They eat people for fun!" Steve thrust his gun at Mika aggressively, but the Vampire didn't flinch, even as his eyes widened in expectation.

'If I had more room to run…' he thought with a curse.

"No they don't Steve. They only take enough to survive. They don't drain their victims. They don't kill when they feed." Juliet was keeping her tone level so that she didn't agitate him anymore. "Vampires aren't the enemy. Vampaneze are."

"Vampaneze?" Steve's eyes were wild and he leveled his gaze at the woman crouched on the floor.

"Yeah. Those purple skinned ones, remember? That time in Prague? Or what about Egypt? You have to remember Egypt!" she scowled. "We saw them, purple skin, blood-shot eyes. We took them out. Those weren't Vampires, they were Vampaneze."

"He tell you that?" Steve asked, pointing the gun for emphasis. "That Vampires don't drain? Vampaneze do?"

"He didn't have to. I saw for myself. I've been there."

"To the mountain." Steve huffed.

Juliet nodded, her hands steady on her pistol, ready. "I've lived among Vampires. I've worked in their fucking kitchens, Steve! They're just a fucking weird clan of warriors. Nothing unholy." She looked pleadingly at him.

Steve shook his head, his white hair dancing around his face. "That's just not right, Jewel. How could you lie to me?" he frowned deeply. "We used to be tight, right? When did that change?"

Juliet was pained. She desperately wanted to get through to Steve. "It… it's not like that-"

"And when did you start talking so much?" he snapped, Mika tensed at his tone. "You used to be this fucking awesome hunter bitch who would take down a leech with no comments or questions. Now you're protecting one. You're trying to convince me they're not evil." He shook his head. "You're definitely being controlled. Put your gun down and come here. Now."

Juliet's face was unreadable as he spoke, Mika watched the flashes of fury fly across it. "You're right. I didn't use to talk this much. I was different. I let my rage control me. But I've changed and now I know the truth. This is me, the real me, telling you Steve, that Vampires aren't evil."

"Neither are Vampaneze." Steve snapped.

"You don't know what you're talking about." She said in response.

He shook his head again. "No, you don't know. I know. You don't. You don't know anything!"

"Steve you sound deranged what the hell is going on here. Stop pointing a gun at my friend! He's not a Vampire!" Juliet shouted.

"You think I wouldn't know Mika ver Leth the Vampire Prince when I saw him for the first time?" Steve laughed, sounding just as crazed as Juliet said.

Juliet tried to hide her surprise, but couldn't control her words. "H-how do you know-" she stopped herself, but it was too late.

"Hah! It finally comes out. Of course I know," Steve's eyes glittered dangerously. "My people have told me everything about the Vampire leaders. I've been looking for them specifically."

"Who are 'your people'?" Mika demanded, finally breaking out of his silence. "Who are you working for? How do they know about the Vampire Princes?"

"Calm down, Mika, he's bluffing. Just because he knows of one Prince-" Juliet tried to calm the Vampire down, knowing if he kept shouting at Steve the hunter would shoot him.

"Mika ver Leth, tall, youngish, wears only black. Paris Skyle, old man, long beard. Arrow, giant, bald, tattoos of arrows on his head. Vancha March, dyes his hair with berries, some sort of crazy mountain man." Steve spat on the floor. "I'll find and kill you all."

Mika looked furious. Juliet knew all those names and descriptions were correct. "Steve, how do you-" she began.

"The Vampires are evil monsters, Jewel. They take and take from us humans and ruin lives in the process." Steve was looking at her with soft eyes. "Come with me, help me destroy them. Help my cause."

"What the fuck is your cause, Steve?" she demanded. "Just to kill and kill and kill? That makes you no better than the monsters!"

Steve ignored the end of her comment. "My cause is to destroy all of the Vampires. To raise my people to the top of the food chain. To end this fucking war with me as the leader of the new world."

Mika paled. "Who are you?" he hissed. Juliet looked to the Prince and saw the fear and intent on his face. She never lowered her gun, her expert eyes trained it right on the crazed man's head.

"Yeah… who the fuck are you, Steve?" she repeated, slowly narrowing her gaze. She knew regardless of what Steve said next, she was going to have to take action against him.

Steve smiled, showing his gleaming white teeth. "I'm the Lord of the Vampaneze."

Mika couldn't move with Steve's gun pointed at him, but Juliet didn't hesitate, she fired three shots straight at the man. One bullet hit him in the hand holding his gun, causing him to curse and drop it. The other two bullets missed their mark as Steve ducked to the floor for his gun. The moment he did, Mika ran forward, but Steve rolled and grabbed his gun with his uninjured hand pointing it at Mika and firing. The Prince took a hit to his leg, slowing his movement as he maneuvered around the furniture in the room. Juliet kept her gun on Steve as he moved, but when Mika was hit, her eyes darted to him. He was unrelenting, unable to run because of the confined space, but unwilling to let the man leave.

"You can't stop me," Steve cackled. Juliet fired again, barely missing his hat. The man was moving toward the door, but Juliet wouldn't let him, she stood and followed each of his movements, positioning herself between him and the door.

"I'm gonna kill you, Steve, for even joking about that lord stuff." She growled, gun to gun with the white haired man.

"It's no joke, Jewel." He hissed, looking at her with crazed eyes. Mika had made it around to the back of him and now he was trapped between the Prince and Juliet.

"You are not blooded." Mika stated, almost as if to reassure himself.

"Not yet. But I will be." He replied. Juliet aimed her gun higher, right between Steve's eyes. "What's wrong, Jewel? Won't you want to fuck me when I'm a Vampaneze? You have no problem going to bed with one of them." Venom dripped from his words.

"Gods you're disgusting." She huffed. "You're making this too easy."

"You can't kill me, Jewel. You'll mess everything up if you do." He smiled. "I've got it on good authority that if I die by your hands the world will end."

"Worth it." She said, narrowing her gaze.

"The name Desmond Tiny ring a bell?" Steve said.

Mika grit his teeth and Juliet's eyes widened. She looked to the Vampire for advice. "Mr. Tiny made a prophecy, didn't he?" he growled.

"Oh yeah," Steve said, holding his bleeding and shaking hand. "Something about only some chosen person can kill the Lord of the Vampaneze."

Juliet barked out a harsh laugh. "That's rich. Well, call me Neo cuz I'm the motherfucking chosen one."

"Juliet no!" Mika yelled. "Let him go."

"What? For months- or years, or whatever- this is the person you fuckers have been freaking out about. Let me kill him and end this stupid war!" she snapped.

"Mr. Tiny's prophecies always come true." He hissed. "If the man is telling the truth we could be putting the entire world in jeopardy."

"And if he's lying we are missing our fucking chance!"

Steve watched the exchanged with excited eyes. "And maybe I'm not the Vampaneze lord, and you kill an innocent crazy man." He giggled.

"Shut the fuck up!" She snapped, seeing red and feeling her body move on its own. She fired a shot into the ceiling of the trailer causing Mika to grit his teeth and Steve to smile wildly. "Shut the fuck up Steve. You are a dead man if you say another fucking word." Her eyes darted to Mika. Juliet growled and Mika responded with his own.

"Let him pass, Juliet."

"He could come back here in the day-"

"Move!" Mika barked.

Juliet screamed and fired a shot at Steve again, hitting him in the thigh just like he had Mika. The man hollered in pain and dropped his own gun again. "There! Get the fuck out!" she screamed. "You crazy fucking bastard. Leave! And if you come back so help me the world ending will not stop me from taking you out!"

Steve didn't hesitate, he hobbled to the door and threw it open, casting one last look back at Juliet and Mika before rushing into the night. Juliet watched him from the door, members of the cirque had heard the fracas and rushed to their trailer, bypassing the man hobbling into the night.

"You're a dead fucking bastard Steve Leopard. DEAD!" Juliet shrieked after him, her voice cracking from the intensity. With her outburst over, Juliet tossed her gun, safety on, into the corner and rushed to Mika who was trying to sit himself down without further injury to his leg.

Mr. Tall stepped in as Juliet was sitting Mika on the couch.

"What has happened?" he demanded.

Juliet looked up at him pointedly and shook her head, focusing on Mika's leg. "Juliet it is fine, I will heal it with my saliva-"

"Unless the bullet is lodged in your muscle and then you'll just have a piece of metal in you for the rest of your long ass life." She snapped, ripping the fabric of his pants. "Lift." She ordered, and Mika hefted his leg up into the air with a mildly pained expression. Juliet continued ripping the fabric of his pants and examined the back of his thigh. "No exit wound." She sighed. "You're lucky I have small fingers. Lower." She let him drop his leg and began picking at the bullet hole. Mika winced and clenched his jaw but didn't let a sound out.

"Juliet?" Mr. Tall questioned again. She remained silent, intent on her work.

"The Lord of the Vampaneze," Mika said, gasping as Juliet pulled the small metal object from his bleeding thigh with her two fingers. "Supposedly."

Mr. Tall inspected the surroundings, dark bullet holes in the back of the trailer glared against the bright walls.

"Pack up the Cirque." Juliet snapped, standing and allowing Mika to clean his own wound. "He'll be back. I shot him in the leg to slow him down, but that won't last. Especially if he gets in contact with 'his people'." She grimaced.

"This is grave news." Mr. Tall said. "We will head out immediately." He strode to the doorway and called out the people crowded around the trailer.

"We're leaving too," Juliet said to Mika. "We have to get back to the mountain and warn them. We know who he is… or at least we have a lead. When I was a hunter we didn't know about princes and shit. I mean… I knew-" she looked at Mika.

"You cannot return to that mountain, Juliet." Mr. Tall said, returning to the living room. "Remember that you cannot go where you originally were during this time."

"So I have to wait four years before I can tell the Vampires about this?" she snapped, crossing her arms. "Then Mika will go when his leg is healed."

"That is also not possible." Mr. Tall said. "It would lead to too many questions when he leaves and then returns again when he originally did."

Juliet groaned, nearing scream level. "This is fucking ridiculous!" she snapped. "So what? Do we send a note? Maybe to past Mika so he will go back to the mountain faster?"

"No."

Mika frowned, noting Juliet's fury. "Why not?" the Prince asked.

"That would alter the timeline. Mika would then not return to the mountain in five years, he would return now. The two of you would not encounter Mr. Tiny and make your way here. Chaos would ensue."

"I am so tired of hearing about Mr. Tiny and chaos. His stupid prophecy is the only reason that there isn't a white-haired hunter lying dead on my floor right now!" Juliet screamed, storming to the fridge and pulling out a bottle of beer. She opened the bottle angrily, smashing the neck against the metal table. Even with the jagged glass edges she put it to her mouth and drank.

"What prophecy?" Mr. Tall asked, his tone deadly.

"The man said that Mr. Tiny prophesized that only a chosen one could kill the Vampaneze lord, or the world would end." Mika supplied.

"That sounds incorrect." Mr. Tall said.

"Yeah, I'm sure he heard wrong." Juliet remarked. "I could've wasted him here tonight with no repercussions-"

"No, that is not what I meant." Mr. Tall cut in. "That prophecy seems incorrect, as if it is only part of a whole."

"You mean there could be more to it and Steve only heard what he wanted?" Juliet said, finishing off the beer.

"Precisely."

Mika and Juliet shared a glance. "What do we do?" Mika said. "I am not comfortable having this information but being unable to use it to help my clan."

"We can't go to the mountain, we can't warn past Mika… who can we tell?" Juliet demanded.

"Nobody." Mr. Tall replied. "We do not know the full story. Regardless of that, Mika what did you know when you arrived at your mountain the night you did?"

Mika frowned. "Nothing of such importance." He said, finishing applying saliva to his gunshot wound and watching the skin heal. He was lucky for Juliet's quick fingers, luckier that the bullet had missed a major artery.

"Then you must know nothing when you return again. That means the information must stay here, with you two." Mr. Tall's words rang of finality.

"I can't just fucking stand around here!" Juliet snapped. The sound of the camp being torn down could be heard through the open door. "We need to track him down and kill him!"

"No."

Juliet stiffened at his words. "Why the fuck not?"

Mr. Tall looked at Mika and then at Juliet. "He knows everything, gramps. Just spill. I'll apologize later."

Mr. Tall frowned, but continued. "If one of our kind acts beyond the rules the results can be catastrophic."

"There are those cryptic 'rules' again." Juliet sighed, reaching for another beer. This time she used less force on the table, popping the cap off easily. "What the hell are the 'rules', gramps? Honestly?"

"It is complicated." He said. Mika watched Juliet's frown turn into a scowl. "But if we break them, we risk… the unthinkable."

"What is the unthinkable?" Juliet snapped. "The end of the world? Because that's what's hanging over us already-"

"Something worse." Mr. Tall replied. "You may not be able to fathom something worse than the end of this world, but please trust me. The world ending would be a blessing."

Juliet stared at her Grandfather's face, seeing the stoic, seriousness to it. He was grave.

"O…kay." She sighed. "I believe you."

"Promise me that you will not tell anyone of the Vampaneze Lord's identity." He looked at Mika and Juliet.

"If he really is the Vampaneze Lord." Juliet mumbled.

"We've no reason not to believe him." Mika noted, making her frown. "At the very least he is a lead, perhaps an associate of the true lord. We won't know for sure until-"

"We know the rest of the prophecy." Juliet sighed again. "I suppose Mr. Tiny won't come if I say his name three times a la Beetlejuice?"

Mr. Tall smiled. "No he will not."

"Don't tell me you've tried, gramps. Really?" Juliet chuckled, and the tension in the room began to dissipate, Mika rose and Juliet tossed him a beer.

"What do we do, then?" the Vampire asked, moving to the kitchen to sit at the metal table. "We are moving the Cirque but he could still find us. He said he wants to kill all of the Vampire Princes."

"If they were all alive by the time you returned to the mountain, you shouldn't worry." Mr. Tall said.

Mika moved to speak but Juliet cut him off. "Regardless, we can't stay with the Cirque anymore." She sighed. "We've only been here a few months… this sucks."

"You don't need to leave." Mr. Tall said, looking at Juliet with pain in his dark eyes.

"It will be safer if we do." She said, avoiding his gaze. "I don't want to put anyone in any danger."

"What are you thinking, Juliet?" Mika asked. "Do you know a place we can stay for a few years?"

Juliet inhaled deeply, apprehensively. "I do… it's definitely off the radar… but it will take us a while to get there if we only travel at night."

"But it's safe?" Mr. Tall asked.

Juliet nodded. "Definitely. I'm the only person who knows the address… A sweet little cottage in the middle of nowhere that may or may not be guarded by a now-feral cat…" she smirked.

Mika raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying…?"

Juliet nodded, smiling. "Yep." She sighed, exhaling to shake her own disbelief. "I'm finally going home."