Happy Monday guys! Chapter 18... I can't believe it.
First of all, THANK YOU to the overwhelming feedback from chapter 17! I was fully prepared for this story NOT to gain any sort of following when I started it last year. It's a niche ship in a small, old fandom. Chances were slim. So I made peace with the knowledge that if I was going to do this, I'd be doing it for myself. And I still am, but holy shit you guys make it a thousand times more fun! Validation in my attempts at writing feels amazing, but y'all's investment the characters themselves is even better.
So, to my hype bitches from the Discord server, the faithful commenters, and the ones sending me memes on Tumblr: I love you guys so much. I'm so lucky. And I'm so sorry I put your feelings through all that last week. But like... Imma do it again. And probably worse.
This isn't THE heaviest chapter but it's probably in the top 5. There's a fairly long fight scene, so like... violence warnings. But no worse than anything from the source material.
Chapter 18: If The World Was Ending You'd Come Over, Right?
Song:If The World Was Ending by JP Saxe (if that wasn't the anthem of 2020 idk what was)
I was distracted
And in traffic
I didn't feel it
When the earthquake happened
But it really got me thinkin'
Were you out drinkin'
Were you in the living room
Chillin' watchin' television
It's been a year now
Think I've figured out how
How to let you go and let communication die out
I know you know we know you weren't down for forever and it's fine
I know you know we know we weren't meant for each other and it's fine
Gracie had always known her dad's job wasn't all sitting in a throne and bossing other vampires around. There was a darker, grittier side of it. But it wasn't until she grew older she came to realize just how hard he worked to shelter her from the darkness. And Mika had done his job flawlessly - not once had she felt unsafe in the world of the vampires. In all her years growing up in the clan, she'd never been in legitimate danger before. She'd never felt all-consuming terror. Not like this.
She packed her biggest duffel bag with the bare necessities and took up position in her living room where she could see both the living room window and the door. She kept her hand on the hilt of the dagger she'd inherited from Arra, hoping and praying that blade still carried the strength of the dead vampiress if the time came where she had to use it.
When Mika stumbled into her apartment 47 minutes after hanging up the phone, she almost didn't recognize him. He was fully armed and there was a steely, vicious look in his eyes that she'd never seen before. Although he softened as she ran into his arms, he didn't let his guard down. His eyes darted around the room as though he'd been expecting to see the vampaneze sitting at her kitchen table. There was a second vampire with him who she vaguely recognized from seeing around the mountain over the years, but she didn't pay him any mind. He stood guarding the door as Mika ran to her.
"Are you okay?" Mika murmured as she clung to him, sobbing breathlessly into his chest. "Fuck. Sorry. Stupid question." he added weakly as he gently pulled back from the hug. "You're going to be fine. I promise. Did you pack your bag like I told you?"
"Yeah." She gulped, wiping her eyes and picking up her duffel bag from the corner. "Dad, what the hell is going on? Why did they go after Dale? He's never done anything to anyone. He's not part of this!"
Mika shook his head slowly. He knew there was a part of her that already knew the answer to her own question. She was a smart girl, after all. But she didn't need to panic any further than she already was.
"It's hard to know for sure, but I'm not taking any chances. Let's get out of here." Said Mika firmly. He put his hand on her shoulder and steered her towards the door. "This is General Azerion, by the way." Mika added, gesturing to Renley. "You've probably met him in passing over the years. He's going to help me keep you safe."
"Nice to meet you." Said Renley with a brief, rueful smile at Gracie. "Sorry for the circumstances."
Gracie nodded to him with strained politeness. Mika glanced surreptitiously at Renley as they left the apartment behind and walked down the hall.
MVL: You smell vampaneze too, right? I'm not paranoid?
RA: Nope. Caught a whiff on our way in.
MVL: You realize what's happening here?
RA: They'll be waiting for us outside.
"Have you seen anyone or anything unusual around here recently?" Mika asked in an undertone as they walked, his arm wrapped protectively around Gracie's shoulders.
"No." she replied. "Do you think... they've been tracking me?"
"If they knew how to get to Dale, they know how to get to you." Said Mika tensely.
She was crying again now, the reality of their predicament had dawned on her. But adrenaline and fear were overriding the other thoughts swirling around in Mika's mind so when they finally stepped outside into the dimly-lit parking lot, he focused all of his senses on their surroundings. Watching, listening, smelling. Mika scanned the left side of the parking lot while Renley watched the right, with Gracie standing between them.
"They're close. Gotta be six of them." Said Renley quietly. "You take her, I'll hold them off while you get up to flitting speed. And then I'll meet you back at the mountain once I've finished them off."
"There won't be time."
Then Mika felt a cold rush of air behind him, the unmistakable presence of a vampire or a vampaneze dropping out of flitting speed.
"Actually, you've got all the time in the world." A high, cold, unfamiliar voice cut through the air and Mika felt the tip of a razor-sharp set of fingernails in his lower back, and another at his neck.
Fuck.
Mika's hand flew instinctively to the hilt of his sword and he steeled himself to slice, chop, stab, whatever he had to do to neutralize the threat.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Said the vampaneze lighty. He pushed his nails into Mika's back just enough to break the skin and draw a low growl of pain from his throat. "You may be ready to fight to the death, but is your daughter?"
Mika froze obediently.
Renley whipped around dutifully to attack the vampaneze holding Mika, but within seconds they were surrounded. They were right - there were six vampaneze in total. Renley's aim was true, and if his attack had landed it would've certainly killed Mika's captor. But he was body-slammed by a vampaneze twice as wide as he was, and went reeling. He regained his balance quickly and thrust his blade through his attacker's chest, but two more descended on him instantly, slamming him down to his knees and pulling his arms behind his back, effectively immobilizing him. Gracie tried to run but she too was captured.
Mika looked her in the eye and held her gaze for a few moments.
"Everything's going to be okay, Gracie. Trust me."
She didn't look like she believed him.
MVL: Where are you?
KS: Almost there. Five minutes.
MVL: Stealth approach. Literally can't emphasize this enough.
"Behold, my brethren... the legendary Sire Mika Ver Leth. Such an honour to breath the same oxygen as his Royal Highness now that he's played right into our hands." Hissed the only vampaneze not holding a prisoner.
"And this is supposed to be the smart Prince?" Sneered the middle vampaneze. "Then the other three truly must have rocks in their brains by comparison."
"They have their moments." Mika replied icily, taking every bit of his strength to keep from launching his blade into the man's red eye. "But just so we're clear, I didn't blindly walk into your trap - so don't pat yourselves on the back just yet. I knew exactly what I was walking into, and I came anyway."
"Very noble of you... Sire." Another vampaneze simpered - the one holding Gracie. "It can't be easy walking the line between serving your precious clan and parenting this little scrap."
"Fuck you." Gracie hissed, then flinched as her captor roughly tightened his grip on her arms. It took one hundred and ten percent of Mika's pure concentration not to attack the purple-skinned man and get himself killed on the process. He was livid, but he wasn't stupid. He was widely recognized as a master negotiator and he hadn't gotten that far by losing his temper when the pressure was on. He'd always been the cool-headed one of just about any group he was in. Over the centuries he'd worked negotiations with Vancha March, Larten Crepsley, Arra Sails, Arrow, and countless others. And Mika was always the coolest head in the place. The one who kept it together for everyone else. It was who he was. It was why he was who he was.
But he'd never negotiated with stakes this high before. All he wanted was to shred these vampaneze with his blade. And if was a way to guarantee Gracie's safety, then Mika didn't care if he died in the attempt.
"Arrogant like her father." Laughed Gracie's captor. "Careful, girl. The vampire clan may treat you like the fake princess you are, but you're not in Vampire Mountain anymore."
MVL: Update?
KS: I'm close. What will you need me to do?
MVL: I was hoping you'd figure that out. I'm a little preoccupied.
KS: I got you. Just buy me some time.
"Does your Lord know you're using humans as pawns? Slaughtering them in their homes? Whatever happened to that steadfast vampaneze honour?" Mika challenged him.
"Who's orders do you think we're acting under?" The tallest vampaneze cackled.
"Yikes. I've been playing this game for a long time. I was negotiating with your brethren since before you were born, by the looks of you." Mika informed him, narrowing his eyes. It was true. Skilled as they were, this group did seem rather young. "And most vampaneze I've met would be embarrassed by this."
"We are honour-bound to carry out our Lord's orders, as you'd expect any vampire to do for you. Whether we agree with them or not." Grunted the vampaneze holding Mika.
"Wow. Thank you for explaining hierarchy to me. I'm enlightened." Said Mika drily. Renley cringed, and Gracie gawked at him quizzically. Mika tried not to pay too much attention to them. He needed to focus.
"This isn't an educational visit, Sire. We have a job proposition for you." Snapped the vampaneze restraining Renley.
"I have a full-time job, but thanks for the offer." Said Mika. "And for the record, I'd taste the stakes before I'd work for you or your Lord. Especially under this new regime."
"Don't be so dismissive! I haven't even told told you the job description, or your payment!" Replied the vampaneze with a mirthless chuckle. "I think you're going to have a hard time passing this one up."
"Let me guess, he needs leadership advice?" Mika snorted. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Renley cringe at in horror, evidently thinking Mika's attitude was about to get them killed.
But Mika knew two things for certain. One: they were no use to the vampaneze if they were dead. It's not every day you have your purple hands on a Vampire Prince, his daughter, and the clan's best General all at once. These vampaneze had just about won the lottery and they weren't about to let that go over a bit of attitude. And two: every second Mika spent talking was another second Kurda had to get in position.
"Try me, then." Said Mika.
"Alright then. You and me are going to go for a little flit - all the way back to that mountain of yours." Sneered the vampaneze, digging his nails deeper into Mika's back.
Mika felt his mouth go dry, and fought to keep himself calm and level-headed. He took a deep, steadying breath.
"I should warn you, the security's pretty good-"
"I know for a fact the mountain is unguarded as we speak." The vampaneze interrupted impatiently. "You were the only Prince there - but now you're here. Because you broke your clan's most sacred rule. You sold them out when you came here. All for one human. I don't think you're in any position to be giving leadership advice."
Renley's panicked eyes met Mika's. He was still being forcibly held down on his knees against the unforgiving black pavement.
RA: WHAT'S THE PLAN, MIKA?!
MVL: Cooperate until I tell you otherwise.
RA: I don't love that plan.
MVL: Call it a direct order, then.
RA: Damn you.
"...So once we arrive at your precious mountain home, you will give an executive order to have every single vampire stand down." Mika's captor continued.
"Why would they listen to me?" Mika growled. "I sold them out, as you put it. Remember?"
"Because you vampires are no more than a flock of sheep. And they will do anything their Prince tells them to. Anything. So when you admit me into the Hall of Princes and give me that Stone of Blood, they won't lift a finger to stop me."
"Yeah, well. I'm not the only Prince. I could have Arrow or Vancha back there in a heartbeat." Mika replied viciously.
"But you won't." Said the vampaneze. His hot breath in Mika's ear sent shivers down his spine. "You won't be calling any reinforcements, so don't even think about it. Because the second I see your armies coming at me, I transmit a message back here, where my associates will be waiting with your daughter and little bodyguard. You do your job, I pay you with their lives. You fail, they pay me with theirs."
"Your lord has put a lot of thought into this. But has he considered what he's going to do with the Stone once he has it?" Said Mika carefully. "Unless he has a Vampire Prince on staff to manipulate it, it'll be no more than a paperweight. Seems like your great leader could use some management training."
"That's where you come in." The vampaneze sneered. "It was a simple choice. Shan, March, or Arrow would die a thousand deaths before they'd serve us. They have nothing to lose... Unlike you. You work for us, your daughter lives. You try to change the rules, we remind you who's in charge. How's that for management, Sire?"
There it was. The literal worst-case scenario of a Vampire Prince adopting a human child. The darkest corner of every nightmare Mika had over the past two decades. There was nothing worse than this.
He wanted to look at Gracie, lock his eyes onto hers and tell her everything was going to be okay. But he kept his eyes fixed on a point about two hundred feet away, a nearby cluster of shrubs and trees. A flicker of attention had caught his eye - but all the vampaneze had their backs to it. Except for the one holding Mika, but that one was too preoccupied with verbally torturing him to pick up on the incoming threat. The direction of the wind kept its scent from making its way to the sensitive noses of the vampaneze. Because of course Kurda had thought of that. Mika knew he would.
KS: I see you. Diversion coming up. Flit Gracie out of here.
MVL: Too many of them. They'll be on me before I get up to speed.
KS: Then we fight together.
Mika could feel the terror through their mental connection. But like Mika's, Kurda's mind was also clear. It had to be. In this moment, losing focus would mean losing everything.
MVL: Got a plan?
KS: When I say now... duck.
Mika knew exactly what was going to happen, and exactly what he was going to do about it.
MVL: Get ready to fight, Ren.
RA: What the fuck?
MVL: Trust me.
"So, are you ready to accept our job offer, or would you like to test us a little more first? Try it. See what happens." The vampaneze growled into Mika's ear.
"Go to hell." Said Mika.
KS: NOW.
But if the world was ending
You'd come over right
You'd come over and you'd stay the night
Would you love me for the hell of it
All our fears would be irrelevant
If the world was ending
You'd come over right
The sky'd be falling and I'd hold you tight
And there wouldn't be a reason why
We would even have to say goodbye
If the world was ending
You'd come over right
Right?
Mika had purposely relaxed his body over the past few minutes so his captor would lower his guard. That meant when Mika heeded Kurda's order and dropped to the ground, the vampaneze hadn't maintained a tight enough grip to stop him.
For the smallest fraction of a second, less than a flash of lightning, there was a shrill whistling noise. Then a telltale crunch and a thud, and Mika's captor fell silently to the ground. There was a dagger hilt sticking out of his eye, that had been aimed and thrown with deadly precision by the steadiest hand in the vampire clan.
Mika didn't pause to look back, he didn't pause at all. He ducked only enough to evade Kurda's dagger, then in one fluid, effortless motion he drew his own blade and launched himself at the vampaneze who'd been holding Gracie. She may not have had vampiric reflexes, but being both Mika and Kurda's daughter, you have to keep in mind that she's pretty fucking smart. So she dove out of the way and gave Mika a clear path to drive his blade into the purple man's throat.
Two down. Four to go.
The distraction was enough for Renley to slip from his captor's grip and launch a vicious assault on the band of purple-skinned enemies. In a split second, Kurda had charged into the fray as well. Mika hadn't seen him since they'd shared a bed that night last year, but he didn't have time to think about that.
All Mika wanted to do was pull Gracie into his arms, hug her, and wipe the spatter of blood from her cheek, and tell her how sorry he was until his voice gave out. But that would have to wait.
"Kurda?!" She yelped, staring over Mika's shoulder as though hypnotized.
"The one and only. Now get in your car, and stay there." Mika told her seriously as he pulled her to her feet. "We'll keep them away from you. As soon as they're down, we'll flit you back to the mountain. We can't flee while we're outnumbered, or they'll track us. But be ready to drive away if this takes a turn for the worse. If that happens, call the Vampire Mountain phone. Seba will send a General or another Prince to find you."
Even as she was half-paralyzed in terror, Mika saw a spark of indignation flare up in Gracie's eyes and was once again reminded of how much she really was his kid.
"Dad, you can't just expect me to -"
"If there was ever a time not to argue with me, this is it. Get. To. Your. Car." Mika cut her off. He didn't like the chill in his voice that accompanied those words, but the only thing that mattered right now was that she didn't question him. Then maybe they'd both live to trade snarky comebacks another day.
The sudden diversion, followed by Kurda Fucking Smahlt himself materializing inexplicably in their midst was enough to level the playing field, and Gracie was able to sprint to her car while Mika watched her back. Once Gracie was marginally safer in her locked vehicle, Mika could refocus on the battle that had broken out. All he had to do was keep the vampaneze away from the car until they'd killed enough of them to make a safe getaway.
Renley and Kurda had begun fighting two vampaneze each during the brief recess Mika had taken to deal with Gracie. Admittedly, Kurda was fighting disturbingly well, for a career pacifist who hadn't so much as practice-sparred in almost a decade. He could nearly keep pace with Mika and Renley, whose entire lives revolved around combat.
Mika locked his sights on the bigger of the two vampaneze facing Kurda and slammed him into the ground. The purple man bounced back as quickly as he'd fallen, his pointed nails trained on Mika's throat.
Any other time, Mika would've relished a chance to take on a challenge like this. It wasn't often he came across someone close to his skill level. It was like fighting Arrow or Vancha - closely matched, except he wasn't familiar with the vampaneze's fighting style. This added an extra element of challenge. He was able to keep ahead of the vampaneze, but landing a fatal blow proved harder than expected.
But Mika was faring well enough that had time to glance at Renley and Kurda every now and then. And if it had been a different situation, he would've been doubled over laughing at the looks they were shooting each other. It was painfully clear neither had expected to see the other here.
"You brought THIS guy, Mika? You have the entire clan at your command. Why him?" Kurda grunted as he scrapped with his vampaneze. The vampaneze was much wider than Kurda was, but not nearly as quick. Kurda was holding his own just fine.
"He was pretty much standing in the next room when I got the call." Mika explained through gritted teeth as he grappled with his next opponent. "I wasn't about to wait for applications."
"Yeah, well..." Kurda panted, shooting Mika a quick scowl. "...he was a dick to me in General training."
"Did you ever wonder if maybe he was a dick to you because you were condescending and righteous to him first?" Mika replied matter-of-factly as he effortlessly blocked a shot at his unguarded throat, and retaliated with a sharp jab into the vampaneze's ribs.
"...Not the case!" Kurda snapped back.
"You paused." Mika smirked, shooting the briefest of glances in the blond's direction. But not so brief he didn't catch Kurda rolling his eyes.
"Fuck you, Mika." Kurda panted. Mika could've sworn he saw a smile playing on Kurda's lips.
"You sure did." Mika affirmed with a grim chuckle as he sent his vampaneze staggering backwards with a swift kick to the stomach. "You look good, by the way." He added, glancing at Kurda before steeling himself to block the vampaneze's counterstrike.
"I CAN HEAR YOU BOTH." Renley bellowed from about ten feet away where he was still dealing with the other two vampaneze. They were the smallest of the group, and Renley towered over them. But two against one still isn't ideal, and Renley clearly had his work cut out for him.
"Send one my way, Ren." Said Mika with a bloodthirsty laugh. Suddenly, there was satisfaction to be had here. These vampaneze really thought they could bring Mika to his knees. They really thought they could manipulate him into making THAT choice. They were already well on their way to regretting it.
A second vampaneze flew at Mika's throat but Mika was ready. He switched from sword to dagger on the fly, and poised himself to bury it in the vampaneze's chest. The vampanze ducked out of the way with a level grace and precision that Mika couldn't help but admire. Had these men not just crossed his daughter, Mika might've even given him a compliment. The Vampaneze Lord clearly chose his best warriors for this mission, it took all Mika's focus to stay ahead of them.
Suddenly, a stumble. It happened in the blink of an eye but it could've easily been game over for Mika. One of the vampaneze landed a crushing blow to Mika's chest, sending him to his knees while the other slashed towards his face, nails outstretched. Mika braced himself to lose an eye, at the very least. But before the vampaneze made contact he was abruptly slammed sideways - crumbled to the pavement after a decisive headshot from Kurda.
Kurda... The battlefield may not have been Kurda's calling in life, but standing there with the muted glow of the streetlights reflecting in his eyes, he looked every inch a warrior. A bloodstained guardian angel.
"You okay?" Kurda murmured, haunted blue eyes running worriedly over Mika.
"Of course I'm okay. You're here." Mika forced out as his lungs worked to recover from the hit to his chest. Kurda grabbed his hands roughly and pulled him back to his feet. The vampaneze didn't stay down for long, the vampires had their work cut out for them.
Mika abruptly realized he'd never fought by Kurda's side quite like this before. During their relationship, it generally took Mika hours of begging and bribery just to convince Kurda to spar with him when he was bored, or if Arrow was busy. But sparring didn't hold a candle to this, the two of them fighting side-by-side, same goal, watching each other's backs.
Don't get it twisted - this situation was still awful, still critical, and Mika still felt like he could be sick with fear if he let his focus slip for even a moment.
But he'd forgotten how simply exquisite Kurda was. Despite the fact that he didn't relish combat even a little bit, he was chillingly good at it. What he lacked in power he made up for in speed and logic. He had a way of using physics in his favour turning his opponent's strength against them. And it was breathtaking to watch. At least, in Mika's opinion. He didn't have time to spare Kurda many glances though.
But it was fine. It was gruelling, but they were winning. Mika was better, tougher, smarter... a more polished fighter overall. Not to mention he had fiery, protective rage on his side. Being outnumbered wasn't great, but he was holding his own nicely. He was bleeding, hurting... but so were the vampaneze. And more so.
And suddenly, from somewhere on his left, he heard Kurda cry out in pain. And Mika's focus instinctively shifted. He looked. Kurda had taken a hard hit, and was clutching his right wrist against his chest in a way that suggested it was broken. He was also covered in a concerning amount of blood. Mika was already fighting two vampaneze on his own, but his temper flared and he sent the smaller of his two opponents flying down into the pavement with one well-placed chest shot. He readied himself to run at Kurda's and absolutely bury the purple son of a bitch for daring to draw blood from the blond's perfect body.
That's where things went south.
As we've discussed, Mika's considerably more proficient than his peers when it comes to keeping a cool, clear head in the heat of battle. Definitely better than Arrow. Probably Vancha too. So he's got that going for him.
But nobody's immune to a panic-induced moment of distraction. And that was all it took. Mika's sword was knocked from his hand. A lucky shot.
That wouldn't have been a problem. Mika was just as skilled hand-to-hand as he was with a sword. But the problem was that he wasted exactly one precious second trying to maintain his grasp on the hilt of his weapon, rather than let it fall and maintain his focus.
And that was all it took for his two opponents to gain the upper hand.
During that brief moment of distraction, the smaller vampaneze slashed at his throat, and Mika avoided it by mere inches. He twisted wildly to get out of the way, but the effort threw him off balance and he paid dearly. The larger vampaneze (think Arrow-sized) sent him flying with a heavy blow to the head, and Mika saw the pavement flying up to meet him. He braced himself for the impact, then used the momentum to launch himself back at the enemy. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kurda beginning to struggle as he adjusted to fighting with his one good hand.
Mika tried to collect his thoughts enough to send a telepathic message to Renley, to go back Kurda up before he lost the fight completely.
But he didn't get that far. A second blow to the head followed immediately by one to the chest sent him back to the ground again. This time he didn't get up nearly as quickly. He rolled over, ears ringing, seeing stars, bleeding from just about everywhere but mad as hell and ready to go back for more.
"Go get the human. Break the windows. Whatever you have to do. I'll keep him out of your way." The larger vampaneze grunted to the other, who nodded and turned in the direction of Gracie's car.
I think the fuck not.
Kurda wasn't the only vampire here who could throw a blade with murderous accuracy. In one swift motion Mika pulled his dagger from its sheath and sent it soaring through the air. It ended its flight path buried hilt-deep in the vampaneze's back, and he fell heavily.
Then, another concussive shock to his system as a heavy boot made contact with the side of Mika's skull. And another to the stomach. The pain was crippling, but the disorientation was worse. It took the cooperation of every brain cell, muscle strand, and nerve ending in his body to slowly force himself back up to his feet for another round.
And fuck, Mika thought, maybe this was karma truly finishing him off for good. He put Gracie in danger just by adopting her all those years ago and it had finally come full circle. He was paying the price for his actions. But she was going to be fine. He saw the lights on her car come to life, heard the engine hum to life, watched her drive away. She was doing what he'd told her to do - getting the hell out of here, saving herself. She'd call Seba, and he'd send someone to rescue her immediately.
After watching Mika struggle in pain for a few moments, the last vampaneze was advancing for a final assault now. Renley and Kurda couldn't help - their opponents were making sure of that, fighting harder than ever to keep the vampires separated. Kurda noticed Mika's peril first, and the panic in his eyes hurt more than an injury ever could. He heard Kurda scream his name, sounding so much further away than he actually was. Renley looked over his shoulder sharply and immediately realized the dire situation they were in. He took a wild, desperate shot at his opponent's eye which resulted in the vampaneze gouging a long gash in Renley's stomach. Renley bellowed in pain, but kept fighting.
All Mika could do was watch. He no longer had his sword, it lay on the asphalt a few meters away. He'd put up a hell of a fight though, and the vampaneze was moving slowly. He had a wide range of their own injuries. But Mika was still at a disadvantage, and he knew it. He'd put up one final fight. It wouldn't be enough but maybe he could take this enemy with him. Or at hurt him enough to make it easier for Kurda or Ren to finish him off. His head was pounding so much he could barely even see them. He felt a jolt of regret. He didn't want them to watch him die. Not Renley, and definitely not Kurda.
But no matter what happened next, Mika would never regret a single thing he did for Gracie. She was and would always be the best thing that ever happened to him. And dying at the hands of the vampaneze was what it took to save her, then fuck it. She was his daughter. His family. His entire heart and soul. His very universe itself. Giving her his life would be an honour. He owed her that much. Besides, she'd be of no use to the vampaneze clan once Mika was dead. They'd have no reason to pursue her.
And then, the sight of her vehicle slowly pulling around the corner of the building, back into Mika's line of vision truly cemented, once again, the fact that she was indeed his daughter. Because just like him, she was apparently dead fucking useless at following someone else's orders.
At first Mika was certain he was hallucinating from the amount of blunt-force trauma his head had already endured. Truthfully, he'd never felt 100 percent after the fight with Arrow and Vancha so this was the last thing he needed. But it wasn't a hallucination, or a mirage - she was coming back. Lots of people drove jet-black Honda CR-vs, but only one had custom plates that said "VERLETH".
What the hell, Gracie? What are you doing?
With difficulty he kept his facial expression slack and neutral so as not to tip off the vampaneze; his backs was facing her. He looked past him and made eye contact with her from the other side of the parking lot, slowly shaking his head in a way that would be imperceptible to his enemy but maybe, just maybe get the message across to her.
Get out of here! He longed to scream at her. I'm trying to do the right thing! I ruined your life, Gracie! Just let me do this one fucking thing!
But she was making some hand gesture at him and he had to squint to see it. She pointed directly at him, then pointed up. Then she pointed at the vampaneze, held up a fist and socked it against the open palm of her other hand.
Maybe Mika would've caught on a little quicker if he he wasn't so disoriented, but his vision was fading rapidly so all he could do was blink in confusion.
Until he heard her shift her car into gear. And then he knew exactly what she was about to do, as clearly as if he was right there in her mind.
It wasn't something he wanted her to do, but it was clear she was going to do it regardless. And he was powerless to do anything but get out of her way.
It happened in a split second. The vampaneze lunged at Mika. At the same moment, he heard the engine hum as her car came hurtling across the parking lot towards them. The vampaneze turned at the last second, but it was too late. Mika summoned the last of his energy and launched himself up and sideways, barely escaping the path of the SUV as it crashed headlong into the concrete wall. The sound of crunching metal and glass was accompanied by the sickening crack of bones breaking as the vampaneze was crushed between the car and the wall. He registered Kurda's scream of shock and terror; it sounded more far away that it actually was. But Mika wasn't thinking about Kurda right now.
Mika scrambled to his feet, swaying but determined, and wrenched the drivers door open to pull Gracie out. The airbag had deployed but she hadn't picked up enough speed to cause herself any serious injuries as far as Mika could see. She was conscious, but shellshocked. She gazed up at Mika as though not entirely certain who he was.
"I'm here Gracie. Stay with me." He panted. "Can you hear me?"
Mika swiftly retrieved his dagger and sliced through her seatbelt; the airbag kept him from reaching to the other side where the clip was.
"Dad..." came the feeble reply as she gazed blearily back at him.
"What the hell was that? That wasn't part of the plan." Said Mika shakily as he gently but quickly pulled her out of the smoking wreck of the car.
"Did... did I get him?" She mumbled, utterly stunned. She tried to look at the front of the car but Mika turned his body so that she couldn't get a clear view of the gruesome mess. She'd absolutely "gotten" him, but he ignored her question. Even though these vampaneze had been hostile, she didn't need that image to haunt her. She'd been though too much already. The universe granted her one small mercy, though - the airbag blocked her view of the carnage while she was in the car, and Mika was shielding her from seeing it now.
"You didn't have to do that... You should have just kept driving. You saved me. " Mika forced out, shaking so hard his lips could barely form the words. He slowly knelt to the pavement, unable to keep himself upright. He wrapped his arms tightly around Gracie, cradling her against his chest as she began to sob weakly.
And Mika knew that no amount of love could ever, ever make up for this.
"I'm sorry." Mika whispered helplessly, over and over and over again. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
There was just nothing else he could possibly say.
The game-changing interference had created the mother of all distractions, but Renley's focus hadn't dropped for an instant. He finished off his vampaneze with a fierce slice across the throat. That left Kurda's opponent. Renley may have had mixed (i.e. bad) feelings for Kurda, but he was an honourable man so he flew to Kurda's side for backup and within seconds the last vampaneze was dead.
Mika glanced up just long enough to take that all in, and exhaled slowly. The sudden relief and ebb of adrenaline had him dizzy. But he shook it off and returned all of his focus to Gracie where it belonged.
"It's over. I got you. You're going to be fine." Said Mika, feeling the words catch in his throat. "Does anything hurt?"
"Ribs hurt... head hurts. Nothing broken." She replied numbly.
"Gracie?!" Came Kurda's voice, saturated in an anguish so profound it cut into a piece of Mika's heart he didn't know he still had. "Oh my gods, Gracie..."
The second his opponent was down, Kurda raced to Mika's side and sunk down to the pavement. Kurda wrapped his arms around both of them; Mika could feel him trembling.
"Dad?" Gracie whispered, staring up at Kurda's tear-streaked face with hazy disbelief.
Ever since the betrayal, she'd almost exclusively referred to Kurda by his first name, usually with a reserved chill in her voice when she said it. But suddenly, in this moment of impossible confusion, Kurda simply was 'Dad' once more. And that did things to Mika's heart he couldn't put into words. And he knew it did that for Kurda too.
"You're here... I can't believe you're here..." she stuttered out, staring at him as though convinced he was going to evaporate before her eyes.
"Of course I'm here. Wish it was different circumstances." Kurda croaked, kissing her forehead and holding her tighter.
"You're in exile from the clan... how did you...?"
"I called him, Gracie. I can grant him temporary clearance. But even if I couldn't, I would've called him anyway. You were in danger, and all that mattered was protecting you." Mika told her quietly. "I know this isn't how you wanted to reunite after all those years, but... desperate measures."
She nodded blearily, taking it all in.
"I'm so sorry this happened to you. All of it." Kurda choked out. "But you're safe." His voice was cracking so badly it was barely audible, he had to fight to get the words out: "I thought I was going to lose you again... both of you."
Kurda pressed his face into Mika's shoulder and spoke no more. He leaned into Mika's body as though it was providing him shelter from a terrible storm. Mika hadn't wasted any precious time grabbing a coat before he left the mountain, so he could feel Kurda's tears soaking through the thin fabric of his t-shirt and into his skin.
Mika would never forget the first time he ever saw Kurda cry, decades ago now. They weren't together then, barely even friends. But the sight of his tears and the heartbreaking sound triggered some overpowering feeling inside Mika he'd never experienced and didn't understand. Whenever, gods forbid, Kurda broke down, Mika's finely tuned internal system unhinged itself entirely, and sent him into a downward spiral. An overwhelming need to destroy whatever was causing Kurda pain. And if he couldn't do that, then to hold him until the hurt stopped.
Mika kept one of his arms firmly locked around Gracie but the other slipped around Kurda's shoulders, and held on just as tightly, his forehead pressed into Kurda's temple.
"It's okay..." Mika murmured near Kurda's ear, so quietly that even Gracie, at the core of their embrace, wouldn't have heard him. "We got her. It's okay. We're okay."
And for a few precious seconds frozen in time - the rest of the world stopped turning. Nothing else existed. No war, no vanpaneze, no prophecies, no heartbreak. The smoke from the car wreck faded away, as did the muffled hum of the sleeping city around them. For this moment only, it was simply the three of them, like it was back when their universe was still intact. The only way it ever should have been.
Renley did the right thing, the only correct course of action when he cautiously reached out and touched Mika's shoulder, breaking the spell and bringing him back to reality. But in that split second, Mika loathed him for it.
"We have to get out of here, I'm sorry." Renley murmured reluctantly.
"I know." Said Mika. He nodded to Renley then glanced back to Gracie, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Time to go, Princess. You ready for a flit?"
"I don't feel good..." she groaned softly.
"I can put you to sleep for the trip, or you can stay awake. It's up to you, but either way we're leaving right now." Mika replied. He kept his voice soft but was unable to keep the urgency from creeping in. He could hear sirens in the distance.
"Yeah... sleep."
"Okay. Just close your eyes. When you open them, we'll be safe in Vampire Mountain." Said Mika.
"I love you, Gracie." Said Kurda with a quiet sort of desperation as he disentangled his arms from her and Mika. But his hand cling to Gracie's for another moment before they broke apart completely. "I love you more than anything in the world. I'm sorry for all of it. We'll see each other again."
"Love you." She whispered back, squeezing his hand.
And Mika knew those two words had just given Kurda about a thousand years worth of serotonin. So at least there was one tiny silver lining to be found in this night from hell. Mika watched Kurda's eyes cycle through a hurricane of emotions - terror, hope, grief, guilt, determination. But above all - incomprehensible, unconditional love.
"Alright. Ready for a nap?" Mika asked softly.
Gracie nodded and closed her eyes.
Becoming a vampire involves a lot of hardship but it's almost worth it for the toolkit of handy features that come included. Flitting, for one. And the telepathy - handier than a cell phone, and completely free. Also, the ability to exhale "poison". Although 'poison' was a misleading term. It more of a sedative than anything else. Mika didn't use it very often, since living full-time in the mountain meant he didn't have to sedate humans to drink blood. Also, his magic breath didn't work on himself - he tried long ago when he couldn't fall asleep. But he was sure grateful to have it now. One light breath and Gracie was asleep in his arms. After what she'd been through that night, she didn't need the extra stress of being conscious for the rapid flit back to the mountain.
Once she was out, Mika looked to Renley.
"How injured are you?" He asked.
"I've been better, but I'm in one piece." Said Renley. He was bruised and bleeding, but he was staring back at Mika with blazing determination.
"You look better than me." Said Mika. "Can you make the flit from here to Vampire Mountain without stopping?"
"Shouldn't be a problem."
"Alright. I need you to take her back." Said Mika. "Get her to Dr. Yang the second you arrive."
Renley nodded seriously - without a trace of his typical devil-may-care attitude. As Mika carefully transferred Gracie's sleeping form into Renley's arms, he could feel Kurda's gaze scalding him. But Kurda didn't openly object, and Renley held onto Gracie as delicately as though she was a basket of baby birds.
This is why, of all the vampires available tonight, Mika chose Renley as his backup. Because, for reasons far beyond Mika's comprehension, the young General woke up one day and decided he was in love with Mika. Although Mika hadn't yet taken a stance on that, he knew one thing: Gracie was safe on Renley's watch. Although Kurda also could've gotten her home safely, unlike Ren he wouldn't have been a welcome sight at the gates of Vampire Mountain.
"What about you?" Renley croaked, glancing urgently at Mika as he cradled Gracie in his arms.
"I'll be right behind you as soon as I can." Mika promised. "I just need a minute or two before I can flit. Still seeing double."
"Of course. But are you sure you'll be okay alone?" Renley pressed, to Mika's irritation. "You're really pale. You took a lot of hits, and you've already had a bad concussion this year."
"Ren... just get her out of here. I'll get there when I get there." Mika ordered hoarsely. "Please."
"Fine. Be safe." Said Renley. He gave Mika one final, pointed nod before disappearing into the night with Gracie.
I tried to imagine
Your reaction
It didn't scare me when the earthquake happened
But it really got me thinkin'
That night we went drinkin'
Stumbled in the house
And didn't make it past the kitchen
Ah it's been a year now
Think I've figured out how
How to think about you without it rippin' my heart out
And I know you know we know you weren't down for forever and it's fine
I know you know we know we weren't meant for each other and it's fine
"'You've already had a bad concussion this year!'" Kurda mimicked Renley the second he was gone. Then his voice abruptly turned judgemental and harsh. It was a strange and unusual colour on him. "What is he, your manager?"
"He tries. But as you told me multiple times, I'm unmanageable." Said Mika wearily, shooting a loaded glance in Kurda's direction.
"I hope like hell you know what you're doing, letting him take her." Kurda added, dubiousness etched in his tired face as he continued to cradle his broken wrist. Mika slowly turned on the spot and locked his eyes on Kurda's.
And sure as fuck, over seven years later... Even here in this bloodstained parking lot, next to the smoking remains of the car his daughter had wrecked in exchange for his life - the second Mika's steel grey met Kurda's oceanic turquoise, he felt like he just came home after a lifetime adrift.
"Of course I know what I'm doing, Kurda." Mika whispered. "That's our daughter."
"I trust you." Kurda countered guardedly. "But you have to appreciate where I'm coming from. General Azerion is one step above a perfect stranger to me. I was surprised to see you didn't have Arrow as your backup for this."
"You've been gone for a while. Nothing lasts forever." Said Mika, his voice catching in his throat. Kurda studied him for a moment, face unreadable.
"Is there... something between you and Azerion?" The blond ex-General inquired bluntly. His voice had a harsher edge to it that was unfamiliar to Mika. Whether that was a product of the current situation, or a result of his years of reflective solitude, Mika wasn't sure.
"Why do you ask?"
"One: you have a type, and your type is attractive, top-tier Generals. And two: he was staring at you the way I used to, whenever I thought about you railing me into next century." Said Kurda hollowly. And Mika's jaw dropped a little bit at the crude abruptness of that. Clearly Kurda was no longer interested in sugar-coating his words like he used to. Raw, sardonic comments always been more Mika's area of expertise. How strange it was to hear that from Kurda's lips.
But it wasn't nearly the strangest thing that happened that day.
Mika no longer had the mental clarity to mask his emotions the way he normally did. Without warning he felt himself crumble from the inside out, and clearly it showed on his face because Kurda's eyes went cold. A level of confusion and betrayal that Mika had only ever seen once before... but where?
Oh, right. On his own face. In the mirror that night after Kurda left. Right before he ran his fist through it.
Mika couldn't speak, couldn't think. But Kurda always had a habit of filling those blanks in the rare moments when Mika couldn't do it himself.
"Never mind, I'm sorry I asked. I'm not entitled to your personal information. If you trust him with Gracie's life, that's good enough for me." Said Kurda, face blank and expressionless. His every mannerism indicated this part of the conversation was over.
"I do." Mika croaked. Those two tiny words took more strength than they should have. They were true, he did trust Renley to keep Gracie safe. Renley was a great vampire, a star General, but more importantly, he was simply a good man. And Mika adored him. Sometimes he thought maybe he could grow to love him over time.
And now he was standing here, bloody and beaten, in shock, exhausted. The wheels were coming off, adrenaline slowing down, trauma of the night sinking in. But Kurda was here with him.
It would only ever be Kurda.
"We have to get out of here." Mika added, giving his head a little shake. "I can't flit yet, I'll black out. But we can walk."
Kurda nodded in quiet affirmation. Mika paused at the back of Gracie's ruined car, and used his dagger to pry off her custom license plate which he tucked into the duffel bag of her belongings he'd pulled from the back seat.
"The police will still be able to trace who the vehicle belongs to, even without the plate." Kurda remarked. "Without context, it looks like she killed someone and fled the scene."
"I know. And it doesn't matter, they'll never find her." Mika grunted. "I just thought she'd want to keep the plate. She loved this car."
"You're right. She'll appreciate it." Kurda replied as they began to walk. "Guess there wasn't enough room for 'Smahlt' on there." He added as a pointed afterthought.
"She legally changed her last name over a year ago." Said Mika, not without some degree of reluctance.
"Ouch."
"Are you really surprised, Kurda? Put yourself in her position."
"I suppose I'm not surprised."
They walked in silence for several minutes.
"I arrived just in time to overhear their plan to take the Stone. To use you." Said Kurda desolately, once they'd put several blocks between them and the scene of the disaster. They wandered into a city park. "How far their clan must have fallen under their lord's new regime... I can't wrap my head around it. None of the vampaneze I used to know would have consented to be part of something so vile. Indisputable honour is coded into their DNA, even more than ours. I don't understand it. Capturing and extorting a Vampire Prince in order to manipulate the Stone of Blood goes against everything they believe-"
"I don't care, Kurda." Mika croaked. "I don't give a damn if it contradicts what we used to know. It still happened. They did the fucking thing that's haunted my nightmares since she came home! They came after our daughter to get to me!"
"I KNOW THAT!" Kurda roared back, his volume ascending so suddenly that Mika jolted in alarm. "I was there too! I witnessed the whole thing! And I know you're terrified, I know you're blaming yourself, and I know you just want to scream until you throw up! BECAUSE THAT'S HOW I FEEL! I DON'T LOVE HER ANY LESS THAN YOU DO!"
"I know. I'm sorry." Said Mika defeatedly. He had no desire to raise his voice in retaliation, he was drained. He slowly collapsed onto a park bench. "I know you love her. You're the only one who understands how this feels. You were right there with me. You didn't hesitate when I said we needed help. I trusted you to save us, and you did."
Kurda sat down beside him. He left a little space between them, but not much.
"You're my family, Mika. I don't even have you, and you're still all I've got!" Said Kurda weakly. "I'd fight for you. I'd kill for you. And I'd die for you. It's the least I can do at this point."
Another crushing, impossible silence that was somehow almost as gruelling as the physical violence they'd both endured.
"Kurda, Desmond Tiny came to Vampire Mountain last year. A few months after I saw you." Mika blurted out. He expected Kurda's face to slacken in shock but the blond just nodded grimly.
"I know."
"How?!"
"Because he came to my damn house afterwards to tell me all about it! He wouldn't give me all the dirty details about his meeting with you, though - I had to find those out from Vancha!"
Mika felt the blood drain from his face.
"Tiny came to your house? Why?"
Kurda exhaled slowly, as though though in great physical pain. And he told Mika about his encounter with Tiny in the same vivid detail he'd given Vancha. Then he went on to describe that very occasion - where Vancha showed up unexpectedly at his house after Paris's funeral.
"I can't believe Vancha went looking for you. No one tells me anything." Said Mika after Kurda's tale came to a close. He tried to keep his voice offhanded, but failed miserably. His mind was spinning even faster than before and he didn't think that was possible.
"You didn't tell me Tiny showed up at your doorstep! You didn't tell me about his new prophecy, or that you yelled at him, and you definitely didn't tell me he threatened you and the clan!" Kurda countered heatedly.
"What would it have accomplished, other than me having to re-live it all over again? You're still exiled."
"Mika, there's so much more to this that we realize!" Kurda argued plaintively. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. But it can't be a coincidence that he visited both of us."
"Of course it's not a coincidence." Mika snarled, laced with bitterness. "He's a sadistic fucking bastard who gets off on watching people panic for his own entertainment."
"That's true..." Kurda groaned impatiently. "But think about it. He told us the same thing: you and I weren't both meant to survive last council. I was supposed to poison you, or you were supposed to execute me. But we're both still here - and the odds of that happening were so low he didn't even factor them in. Somewhere along the way, we did something that put his grand plan off the rails!"
"No shit, Kurda! I practically begged Paris and Arrow to bend the rules to keep you from the stakes! I went against everything I believe in, because I couldn't live with your blood on my hands!" Said Mika, throat closing up as his heart pounded. "And I didn't spare you because I was in love with you - I could've put my duties above my own feelings. I spared you because Gracie loved you just as much as I did. You're alive because of her, not me."
Mika ran his hands through his hair, breathing heavily, fighting so damn hard to keep it all together. No matter how those scars healed, all it took was those memories to tear them open all over again. Kurda said nothing, just stared at him with those soulful eyes that contained galaxies.
"You were ready to take me down with all the others." Mika continued determinedly, voice breaking. "And don't look at me like that, I know why you did it. Trust me, I understand it now. But by all of our laws, and the information we had at the time, what you did warranted a death sentence."
"Mika-"
"No wonder Tiny didn't call that outcome! No other Vampire Prince in history was this fucking weak!" Mika finished, the last words coming out as a strangled sob.
"You're so many things. But you're not weak. Your brain is lying to you. Love isn't weakness." Kurda croaked out, gravel in his voice.
"It doesn't matter anymore. We may have saved Gracie, but we're going to lose the war. Because the game is fucking rigged."
"You don't know everything, Mika." Kurda told him. He cautiously extended his hand and placed it on Mika's leg as they sat there, side by side with no one to watch them except the stars above.
"I don't know anything!" Mika fired back, voice ragged, radiating devastation from his very soul. "I've been living in the middle of this war for seven years! All I think about is how to make it stop, and look how far it's gotten me! I almost lost everything tonight!"
Kurda stared back at him with a hurricane of emotion in his eyes. As if there were a million things he wanted to say, but there weren't enough words in the universe to get them across. And Mika knew that for a fact, because it was how he felt too.
"I have to go." Mika croaked out after another long pause. "If I wait any longer, I won't be able to make the flit before the sun rises. I have to get back to Gracie."
Mika stood up to go, but Kurda's hand clenching around his wrist held him in place for a moment longer and he sat back down on the bench.
"Mika, I need you to do something for me when you get back to Vampire Mountain."
"What?"
"There's a wooden chest in my old cell. Or it was there. Could've very well been destroyed by now-"
"No one's set foot in your cell since you left. It's locked and I have the key." Mika interrupted.
Kurda smiled thinly.
"Good. Open the chest. There's an envelope in there that has your name on it. It's a letter I wrote you before my investiture. With everything that happened... you never got a chance to read it. But I think you should."
"What does it say?"
"What I thought would be my last words to you."
Mika let out a cold laugh that had all the humour of a bloody razorblade.
"Let me guess. You wanted to give me hope one last time before you had me killed. As if those memories haven't tortured me enough yet? Now, seven years later, you're telling me there's more?"
"You just have to trust me. Trust me like you did tonight." Kurda cut him off. "Can you do that? Promise me you'll read the last thing I wanted you to know before I set that plan in motion?"
Mika exhaled loudly, and laughed again. The same heartbreaking sound that really wasn't a laugh at all.
"Sure, Kurda. I'll read it." He snorted. "Why the fuck not? What's one more trip to rock bottom?"
"Take care of our daughter, Mika." Kurda whispered. When his voice broke, and took Mika's heart right down with it.
The last of the fight evaporated from Mika's body, leaving him as raw and vulnerable as he'd been during every real-life nightmare he'd lived through the last seven years: The trial. The exile. Losing Arra. Telling Gracie. Going to war. Losing Arlo. Staring into the face of the devil himself - Desmond Tiny. Losing Paris. His friendship with Arrow going up in smoke. The phone call from Gracie. The terror and the violence that followed. Everything that led up to this moment.
He wanted to fall to his knees and scream into the void until every corner of the universe knew he was giving up. He wanted to lie down and surrender. But he couldn't do that. He had to put the mask back on yet again. Had to pick himself up and carry on like he'd done so many times already. He didn't want to do it anymore. But he didn't have a choice now. He had to do it for Gracie.
So when he looked Kurda dead in the eye and whispered -
"Come back to the mountain with me."
- it was coming from a place of such crushing defeat, Mika almost didn't recognize his own voice. He certainly hadn't planned to say those words. He was as surprised to hear them as Kurda was. He was fully aware of the many reasons why that option was neither logical nor viable. But his overloaded brain was shutting down, giving his heart a chance to slip into the driver's seat. And in this moment of weakness, it was all he wanted.
"You know I can't do that." Kurda choked out. He reached out and held his palm against the side of Mika's face, and Mika leaned into it as though the physical contact was the only lifeline he had. Mika didn't say anything. He just melted into Kurda, foreheads pressed together, his fingers tangled in Kurda's hair. That white-gold mane that had Mika hypnotized since day one.
"I'll make it so you can."
Kurda smiled sadly, wiped a tear from his eye, then one from Mika's. He shook his head solemnly.
"That's just the shock talking, Mika. You and I both know it's not that simple."
"Then what are you going to do?" Mika interrupted. "Go home and sit in your cabin? Watch the boats in the harbour all day like this never happened? While I help Gracie pick up the pieces of the life, on top of holding the clan together?"
"Mika..."
"I can't handle this alone anymore, Kurda!Every time I think I can't possibly fall lower, something else happens! What's next?! What's going to-"
"Babe. Stop." Kurda croaked out, louder this time, tinged in desperation. Those two syllables halted Mika in his tracks. Cooled his scalding panic like a tidal wave crashing through a wildfire. "Look at me. I know you've been dealing with my fallout alone this whole time. I know it's been hell. Apologizing won't change the past, but I swear to you, Mika: you're not alone anymore. I may not be there beside you, but I'm still in it with you. And I will not rest until we find a way to end this once and for all." Kurda finished. There was a steely ferocity in his eyes that Mika had never seen, and a bite to his tone Mika had never heard.
Mika slowly leaned forward, face in his hands, forcing himself to breathe through the panic while Kurda's bloodstained fingertips ran soothingly through his hair. Once he'd had steadied himself, he sat upright once more to face Kurda.
"What are you going to do?" Mika asked, throat still burning. Kurda seemed to contemplate that for a moment. As he did so, his thumb traced gently across Mika's cheekbone while silently holding his gaze.
"Whatever it takes." Said Kurda. His words were simple, but the look in his eyes said more than words ever could.
And Mika believed him.
"Kurda, I still -"
"Shhhh... I know. Me too." Kurda's voice voice so low and comforting Mika wished he could record it and use it as a lullaby. And he didn't doubt for a second that Kurda had known exactly what he was about to say.
But if the world was ending
You'd come over, right?
You'd come over and you'd stay the night
Would you love me for the hell of it
All our fears would be irrelevant
If the world was ending
You'd come over, right?
The sky'd be falling while I'd hold you tight
No there wouldn't be a reason why
We would even have to say goodbye
If the world was ending
You'd come over, right?
You made it!
You guys have no idea how hard this chapter was to write. I struggle with fight scenes to begin with, and throwing Gracie into the mix made everything a million times more difficult. I've known for a very, very long time I was going to have her life make a very sharp turn at some point, but when it finally came time to write it down... PAIN. The decision to have her become directly part of the action, rather than a helpless bystander, was not made lightly.
As with most chapters, there are portions I've had written for a long time, and other parts I added very recently, once I figured out what direction I need to move things in. I have a lot of very firm plans for how this story is going to end, and also a good portion that's still very much up in the air. Next chapter is in progress and maybe half-finished. But there's a lot to balance there, between high emotions and the plot heating up, it's not one I'm going to rush to finish. I need it to be just right so it might be another week til it surfaces.
Thanks again for reading this far - once again, you guys make this so much more fun than it would be otherwise.
Stay safe and healthy everyone! My American friends - I'll be with you in spirit on Inauguration Day, live-streaming the whole damn thing from my office. Cheers!
- Roxy