Going from a 36 day turnaround to 4 days? I'll take it.
Ok this might not be everyone's idea of an exciting chapter but for me, this is the holy grail. This is my reward for getting through the last two, which were beyond difficult to write. To put it in perspective - last chapter took me well over a month and I suffered the entire time. This chapter was largely written over one weekend. It flowed the entire time, and I enjoyed every moment of it and it was a refreshing reminder of why I'm doing this.
Chapter 23: You Haven't Met The New Me Yet
Song:Happiness by Taylor Swift
I don't always go this deep with my song meanings, but I really enjoyed pairing this song with this chapter because in many obvious ways, the lyrics could be Mika and Kurda talking to each other. But in a bigger sense, it could also be Kurda vs the clan as a whole. While Kurda is still not necessarily a popular public figure, the Princes aren't the only vampires who've come to realize they haven't always been in the right. There's just a lot going on here. Let's expore, shall we?
Honey, when I'm above the trees
I see this for what it is
But now I'm right down in it, all the years I've given
Is just shit we're dividin' up
Showed you all of my hiding spots
I was dancing when the music stopped
And in the disbelief, I can't face reinvention
I haven't met the new me yet
Arrow quickly realized when something was off with Mika. Something else on top of the fallout of Gracie's attack, or the injuries Mika sustained that night, now over a week ago. Mika had been handling all of it with a quiet, gritty resolve. At least, his professional obligations - the parts Arrow saw. But suddenly Mika was withdrawn, almost dazed, even while on duty.
Mika didn't intend to ever let Kurda's letter see the light of day. Those words were nobody's business except his and Gracie's. But he quickly found himself with no choice but to at least tell Arrow. Mika had always been exceptionally talented at masking his emotions. But he'd recently come to the conclusion that either A) the turmoil of the past few years had eroded that particular skill and his poker face simply wasn't what it used to be. Which was extremely plausible*. Or B) he'd never actually been equipped to handle *this much emotion in the first place and was failing magnificently.
Arrow watched Mika suspiciously for about a day and a half, then finally called him out one night after dismissing a meeting in which Mika seemed to spend the majority of his time staring blankly at the wall. And Mika knew there was no point hiding such an all-consuming secret from someone who was such a huge part of his life. He silently pulled the letter out of his pocket and handed it over to Arrow.
Arrow's face remained solemn and expressionless as he read it over, which was strange for him. He tended to wear his emotions on his sleeve. When he finished, he dead-eyed Mika, visibly shocked beyond words.
"The night Gracie was attacked, Kurda said there was a letter in his old room... and that I should read it. Took me a week, but I finally read it last night." Mika explained with feigned calm, feeling he needed to break the silence. "Just another day in my life, right?" He added with a ghost of a laugh.
Arrow said nothing, just bowed his head and pressed his palms into his face wearily. When he finally looked up, he somehow appeared even more tired and dazed than Mika felt.
"Does Gracie know?" Arrow asked.
"You think I'd keep a secret from that kid after everything we've been through?" Mika snorted. Arrow nodded thoughtfully.
"You know how much I hated Kurda for what he did to us." Arrow croaked out eventually. "I had a list of reasons I wanted to kill him on sight if I ever saw his face again."
"A, we've beaten this topic to death. I can't do this again." Mika countered weakly. "I know how you feel about the vampaneze, but-"
"It was more than the vampaneze. It was the way he hurt you." Arrow cut him off bluntly. "Plotting to take out Paris and me? Whatever. Glad it didn't work out, but I never took it personally. No love lost. But for him to do that to you? Or as it turns out, to let you believe he was going to do that to you? This doesn't make it any less fucked, Mika."
Mika held Arrow's gaze calmly.
"I didn't say it wasn't fucked. I don't even know how I feel about it. You asked what was going on with me, and now you know."
Arrow sighed deeply, and reached out to roughly grip Mika's hand.
"As a Prince, I've accepted Kurda's plan was made with noble intentions. I even applaud his courage, a little bit." Arrow rumbled, voice thick with emotion. "But as your friend and chosen brother... I resent him as much now as I did back then."
"That's fair, I guess." Said Mika tonelessly. "It's not like you thought much of him at the best of times."
"I never understood what you saw in him." Said Arrow. "I only saw how you looked at him. And I saw how you cried on the floor the night he left. I've never seen anyone love anything that much."
"I have." Said Mika, so quietly he wasn't sure if Arrow would even hear him. "You. Sarah."
Arrow rolled his eyes, which suddenly looked a little damp. Then he cleared his throat loudly and sat up straighter.
"I have a meeting in an hour." He grunted, suddenly unable to look at Mika. "We're not going there right now."
"Too bad." Said Mika sardonically, also flipping the switch back to business-casual. "My evening's wide open. I was just gearing up for a good breakdown. Maybe get drunk. The usual. Thought you might join me."
"You're such a mess." Arrow snorted. But he shot Mika a fond grin, which he returned. For a moment, they just sat in an easy, comfortable silence.
"Hey, how's it going with Renley? When are you going to let him act like your boyfriend in public?" Arrow inquired, with sudden and very earnest interest that wiped the smile from Mika's face just as quickly as it appeared. Arrow noticed this, and his face fell too. "What? Don't tell me you broke up with him. You and I both know you're vain as all fuck, and there really aren't many other attractive vampires in this clan. And even I can admit Renley is -"
"There was nothing to break up." Said Mika flatly. "It ran its course, whatever it was. He was a distraction when I needed it, and a friend when you and I weren't speaking. I care about him a lot, and I always will. But now Gracie's here, and her whole life just changed. I need to focus on myself, so I can take care of her."
Arrow arched an eyebrow and glared.
"Mika, I love you. But that's the biggest load of shit I've ever heard in my life."
"Is that right?" Said Mika resignedly.
"Yes, it is!" Arrow huffed. "You're using Gracie as an excuse, it's so transparent."
"And if I was ready for another relationship, I wouldn't be reaching for an excuse to shut it down." Mika snapped back.
Arrow heaved a rather dramatic sigh of defeat. He looked so disappointed Mika couldn't help but feel endeared.
"Fine. You know yourself best. I'll never bring it up again."
"I'd appreciate it." Said Mika.
They lapsed into comfortable silence, enjoying the rare emptiness of the hall and each other's familiar presence.
There'll be happiness after you
But there was happiness because of you
Both of these things can be true
There is happiness
BACK IN THE CITY
Kurda was very tempted to ask what exactly it took for Vancha and his new friend Alice to commandeer both an ambulance and a helicopter in such a short amount of time, but he figured this wasn't the time or place. He'd gathered that Alice was a high-ranking police official and had a good amount of influence. She was also ex-military with a helicopter license. Was that license up to date? No one asked. Once you factored in Vancha's super-strength, speed, and magic gas, the theft probably hadn't been all that difficult to pull off.
Alice had used some of the ambulance's medical supplies to help stabilize Larten for the flight. And then very, very begrudgingly did the same for Steve, shooting Darren icy glares all the while. Then she slipped into the driver's seat, Vancha hopped into the passenger side and away they went. Larten and Steve were both very much unconscious, both strapped to stretchers in the back of the ambulance with Darren, Harkat, and Kurda sitting beside them.
As they pulled into the quiet municipal airport where the helicopter waited, Kurda's mouth felt so dry he could hardly speak. But he knew it was now or never.
"Vancha, are you sure?" He forced out.
Vancha didn't have to ask what Kurda was referring to. He turned wearily in his seat to fix Kurda with a stern but sympathetic gaze.
"Do you not want to go back to the mountain?" He asked. "If you truly don't feel ready, I will not force you. But I think you should. You're the one who organized a rebellion among the vampaneze. They need to know that side of the story."
"You weren't there when I left." Kurda croaked. He didn't mean to interrupt Vancha but the ambulance was slowing to a stop and the words were tumbling out of his mouth. "You didn't see the way they all looked at me at the trial."
"Can you blame them?" Darren spoke up, his voice thin and shaky, face pale. He'd been very quiet after leaving the cavern. "Trust me, we're not going to be picking up your investiture ceremony right where we left off last time. Your intervention today was enough to for us to justify giving you safe passage back into the mountain. That's it. I can order them not to kill you, but I can't force them to respect you." He continued determinedly. "That's something you have to earn back. But I saved you because I believe it's possible."
Kurda nodded slowly. He hadn't had a chance to properly speak with Darren one-on-one yet. He had a universe of words to say to that boy but had no idea where to begin. But it could wait. Vancha looked from Darren, to Kurda, and back to Darren.
"Well said, Sire Shan." Said Vancha, his eyes crinkling warmly at his young colleague. "He's absolutely right, Kurda. It's going to be a long way back. And you may never fully restore your honour to what it once was."
"I don't expect to ever be a Prince now." Said Kurda quickly. "I don't even expect to be a General again."
"One night at a time." Said Vancha, holding up a hand to silence Kurda. Then they spoke no more as the vehicle came to a stop, and the group set about loading the wounded into the aircraft. Kurda had never flown before, and he didn't exactly feel confident as he climbed into the machine behind Harkat. But this loud, unsteady thing was going to take him home. And for better or worse, even though it terrified him, he couldn't imagine going anywhere else.
"Smahlt, one more thing." Vancha called over the roar of the chopper blades, seconds before takeoff. Kurda paused before slamming the door shut. "Has Mika read that letter yet?"
"Yes. He has."
"Good."
"Are you going to warn him that I'm coming back?" Kurda asked hesitantly.
Vancha rolled his eyes and scoffed, but grinned wildly.
"Your personal disasters are the least of my problems, Smahlt! Have a safe flight!" He cackled, before slamming the door.
Past the blood and bruise
Past the curses and cries
Beyond the terror in the nightfall
Haunted by the look in my eyes
That would've loved you for a lifetime
Leave it all behind
And there is happiness
VAMPIRE MOUNTAIN:
"Are you sure you don't want Kurda around for this?" Mika asked gingerly.
Gracie shook her head decisively. They were sitting on the floor of her room, a few feet away from each other. The moment she'd been fighting for was finally upon her. When she stood up, she'd be a half-vampire.
"I'll always love him, and I want to be on good terms with him again... but that doesn't change that he let us suffer for years before he finally told you about the letter. You're the one who had my back through all of that. So you're the only one I need here for this."
Mika nodded mutely. He wasn't about to tell her she was wrong. She saw his hesitation and her determined face softened fractionally.
"Maybe in a few years he can finish what you started." She mused. "He can be the one to take me from half-vampire to full... if he wants to. But for now, it's you and me."
"Okay, Gracie." Mika whispered, trying and failing to keep his voice from catching in his throat. "If that's what you want, I'm all in."
She nodded, then paused.
"Is he going to be mad at me when he finds out I joined the clan?" She asked with some apprehension.
"No." Said Mika, shaking his head firmly. "He will absolutely not be mad at you. I'm sure he'll have a few strong words for me whenever we see each other next, but I can take it. It's your choice, and it's an honour to share my blood with you."
"Alright. What happens next?"
"I make a little cut in each of your fingertips, and my own. Then we connect them, and exchange blood."
"Sounds easy enough. Let's do it."
Mika winced internally. He'd been pretty confident going into his own blooding, but he didn't think he'd been quite that confident.
"It'll be over quickly but it's going to hurt. You'll get dizzy and likely pass out." He warned her. "But I'll make sure your head doesn't hit the floor."
"Good to know." She replied calmly.
Mika paused again. His heart was pounding like he was running.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Gracie? Really, really sure?"
She let out a long sigh of exasperation, rolled her eyes, and ran her hand through her hair - who does that sequence of motions remind you of?
"We can have that conversation as many times as you want, but my answer isn't going to change." She informed Mika swiftly. "And if you stall one more time, I'm going to push you off this mountain."
Mika arched an eyebrow.
"And that would benefit you... how, exactly?"
"Dad!"
"Fine."
Mika didn't flinch when he sliced into each of the fingertips on his left hand. But he sure as hell flinched when Gracie held her hand out to him expectantly. He took a deep, steadying breath as he looked down at her hand - so soft and tiny compared to his own. The act of cutting into those fragile little things felt like an insurmountable wall.
Gracie rolled her eyes again. Then before Mika could react, Gracie pulled the knife from his hand and made the cuts herself.
"Thanks." Said Mika, so quietly she could barely hear him. "I don't think I could've-"
"I know." Gracie replied, not without compassion. "It's okay. Now let's get started."
"One more thing. Once you're a vampire, you're actually going to have to listen to me." Said Mika, laughing weakly despite himself.
"Okay, that does it. I change my mind."
"Really?"
"No!"
"You know I won't be able to give you preferential treatment from now on." Mika remarked.
"I know!"
"Just double-checking. And for the record, you and I both know I'll give you preferential treatment anyway. I just have to be subtle about it."
"Obviously."
"Alright. Here we go."
Mika took a deep breath.
This is my life now. I can handle it... right? Can I handle it?!
Then he raised his hand slowly til it was level with Gracie's. His hand was shaking. Hers was not. And he took comfort in that. He exhaled one last time, steadied himself, and prepared to press his fingertips against hers.
This is us.
Mika always saw his life as divided into two eras. The expanse of time between his birth til the moment Kurda's investiture was derailed, taking Mika's life down with it. And the second era - the time that came after that. The aftermath. But for better or worse, nothing lasts forever. And with just a few words from Vancha, that era came to a crashing halt just like the one before it.
VM: Mika, are you awake?
Mika abruptly stiffened and froze as Vancha's consciousness connected with his own, and Gracie watched him with visible concern and light annoyance.
MVL: Yeah. In the middle of something, though.
VM: Not anymore you're not.
Mika frowned.
"It's Vancha." He told Gracie in a low voice, pointing to the side of his head. "Sorry, just hang on a second."
Gracie shot him a stern look as though she thought he was stalling for time, but didn't object.
MVL: Make it fast.
VM: Listen. Need you to round up the medics and dispatch them all to the eastern way station closest to the mountain, the one near the canyon. There's going to be a helicopter landing there - Darren's in it and he'll explain everything.
MVL: Pardon the fuck out of you? What's everything? Where'd you get a helicopter?
VM: No time! Do it!
MVL: Vancha, you have to give me something here.
VM: The Vampaneze Lord is dead. It's over-
MVL: And why in the ever-loving fuck didn't you lead with that?
VM: Because if you don't get those medics on standby right now, we're going to lose Larten - if we haven't already.
MVL: ...Fuck.
VM: There's a hell of a lot more to this, but it's too much to explain right now.
MVL: I understand.
VM: Tell Arrow what I told you, and tell him to stay in the mountain. I'll be back in a few days and we'll need all four of us on deck. Damn the rules.
MVL: Will do. And I'll send the medics.
And then Vancha withdrew abruptly from Mika's head, and the sudden dead air between them told Mika he'd begun flitting and was no longer reachable. Mika returned his focus to Gracie with some difficulty.
"News?" Gracie prompted him impatiently, eyebrows raised.
Mika, dazed, nodded slowly as it sunk in.
"It's over." He whispered. He could feel his lips moving, but the words sounded distant as though he was hearing a recording of his own voice.
"What's over? Are you okay?"
"The Vampaneze Lord was killed." Mika cut her off swiftly. Stringing together five words in a row was no mean feat considering his face was going numb. Every other time he'd experienced such an intense, visceral level of emotion had been tied to some sort of trauma - Kurda's betrayal, Paris's death, Gracie's attack. But this didn't hurt like those other times. The only moment he'd ever felt remotely like this was when he read Kurda's letter. It was a halting sense of confliction - his heart recognized a win while his mind, far too accustomed to turmoil and pain, was slower to lower its guard. Knowing there had to be some sort of catch.
"We have to go tell Arrow right now." Said Mika apologetically. "I swear I'm not making excuses. We'll circle back to this, I promise."
She arched an eyebrow, but recognized the gravity of the situation.
"Fine. But I'm holding you to that." Said Gracie, starting to smile.
"I appreciate your patience." Mika told her in a tone of mock professionalism.
"Whatever you say, Sire." She shot back sarcastically. She rolled her eyes again, but her face was quickly lighting up with relief and happiness. And so was Mika's. For a second, they both just sat there taking it all in.
The war is over.
Mika felt like he was suspended in a dreamlike state as he moved throughout the mountain rounding up the medics and dispatching them to meet up with the aircraft that was carrying the Hunters minus Vancha. It was surreal.
Then he remembered his vague, cryptic telepathic conversation with Kurda. And Mika knew immediately he had something to do with this.
MVL: Kurda?
No answer.
MVL: Where are you?
Radio silence. Mika felt a chill settle into his spine.
MVL: Kurda? Answer me. Please.
Kurda wasn't dead; Mika could feel his mental signal. But the silence between their minds was unsettling. Maybe he was sleeping. Maybe he was unconscious.
Mika reached for Vancha again, desperate for more clarification, even a shred. But there was a static between them that indicated Vancha was mid-flit, as expected. Mika couldn't dwell on Kurda's whereabouts, though. At least not as much as he would have if the entire mountain wasn't erupting into chaos around him. Nevertheless, anxiety gnawed a hole in his stomach lining as he made his rounds updating the guards and visiting Generals.
Tell me, when did your winning smile
Begin to look like a smirk?
When did all our lessons start to look like weapons
Pointed at my deepest hurt?
I hope she'll be your beautiful fool
Who takes my spot next to you
No, I didn't mean that
Sorry, I can't see facts through all of my fury
You haven't met the new me yet
SOMEWHERE HIGH ABOVE THE FOREST
Kurda thought about reaching out telepathically and warning Mika he was on his way back. He didn't know if that would make an already dizzying situation any easier, though. Ultimately he decided to keep quiet. Vancha would have already relayed the big news back to the mountain. The death of the Vampaneze Lord and the abrupt end of the war would be more than enough information for Mika to process at once. He'd find out the rest of the story soon enough.
It didn't take long for Kurda to realize he really, really hated flying. Five minutes in and his heart was hammering a hole in his chest. Compound that with the fact that his head was already spinning from literally everything else, it just wasn't a good time. Ten minutes into takeoff, he passed out from a combination of panic and blood loss. He was told he came around about half an hour later and would be just fine. He avoided looking out the window and instead stared directly in front of him at the back of the pilots chair in which sat Alice. Darren sat next to her, hunched forward with his face in his hands. Harkat sat behind Darren - Kurda couldn't tell if the Little Person was still awake but he was extremely still. And of course there were the two wounded parties. Steve stirred every now and then but Larten was completely still. All Kurda wanted to do was talk to Darren, tell him he was proud of him - for whatever that was worth. But the interior of the aircraft was noisy, and the thick earmuffs Alice had given them did nothing to muffle the pounding of the blades against their sensitive vampiric eardrums.
Then Kurda's heart rate increased exponentially as he realized how soon he'd be facing not just the clan, not just Mika, but his own daughter as well.
It seemed like an entire lifetime had passed since, but it was only a week ago he'd seen her for the first time in seven years. Reunited in the most excruciating way imaginable. That gruesome, terrifying, blood-stained night from hell where he almost lost his entire world on one shot. They saved each other that night; Mika and Kurda. And then Gracie saved both of them. Kurda's mind was still reeling from that, never mind everything that came after. Kurda had spent seven years longing to go back to Vampire Mountain. He was also scared to death of going back to Vampire Mountain. Both could be true at the same time.
Sometimes, he thought of the golden memories. The ones that made him glad to be alive. The friendships, the camaraderie, the triumphs. The way he made himself proud in ways he never expected. Achieving a Generalship. Raising Gracie there. Training Cyrus there. Falling in love with Mika there. Slowly but surely building up a solid reputation for himself against all odds, that cumulated to an investiture nomination. Everything good in his life happened there. Vampire Mountain built Kurda from the ground up.
Other times, he thought about the darkness that made him question everything he knew. The countless times over the decades he'd argued with his colleagues til he lost his voice, and no matter what he said they refused to see reason where clan relations were concerned. He thought about every single time someone callously dismissed every single thing about him, simply because he wasn't interested in fighting, and how that quickly became the only thing anyone acknowledged about him.
He thought about the funny looks, the cruel jabs he'd received when his relationship with Mika went public. And of course, it was only ever Kurda's name that got dragged through the mud. Because Mika existed on a pedestal while Kurda was the social-climbing odd duck. It wasn't surprising, but it still stung.
He thought about how powerless he felt upon learning of the original prophecy. And even though his position as both a Prince-elect and Mika's significant other gave him more sway than just about anyone else, he still knew it would be futile to waste time trying to get the Princes and Generals to grasp the reality of the threat. And it would have been impossible to convince them to take measures drastic enough to keep the clan safe. And with that sobering realization, Kurda went rogue. And hated himself every second for it.
And he thought about Darren. How his unassuming charm and gritty determination just about turned the whole mountain upside-down. How that kid earnestly agreed to the Trials of Fucking Initiation without even knowing he was almost certainly signing his life away. How he could've fucked off and let Kurda's investiture go according to (secret) plan. He didn't owe anything to anyone in that place. They would've let him die over a technicality. They didn't deserve for him to come back. But he was fully prepared to lay down his life for those who would've taken his. The entire situation still made Kurda's blood boil seven years later.
There was so much he wanted to say to so many people. And never in his wildest dreams would he have thought he'd get the chance.
His turbulent thoughts were temporarily quieted when Alice required his navigational assistance. Vancha told her which direction to fly in, but Kurda's internal compass knew exactly how to get to the way station they needed to land at. Darren would develop the same sense later in life once he was fully-blooded.
It looked like every medic in the mountain, along with a handful of guards had arrived to bring them in. But it was with good reason. The still-unconscious Larten and Steve would need several vampires on each side to carry their stretchers. And neither Harkat nor Darren could flit on their own; they'd have to be carried as well. Kurda wished he could've seen the expression on Mika's face when Vancha told him to coordinate this rendezvous. Knowing Vancha, he probably provided minimal context too.
Kurda waited a moment before exiting the helicopter.
"Thank you all for meeting us here." Darren greeted the escort over the whirring machinery. "I understand you're probably operating on minimal information, and I apologize. Everything will be made clearer soon enough. One of our wounded is of course Larten Crepsley. The other is not someone familiar with Vampire Mountain. He is to receive medical attention in our infirmary, and then he will be held as a maximum-security war prisoner."
They were all visibly confused but they nodded obediently.
"Next order of business." Darren continued fiercely. "Kurda Smahlt travelled here with us. His exile sentence has been temporarily suspended by the orders of both Sire March and myself. He is with me. You are not to harm him. Am I understood?"
More nodding. Less enthusiasm. But whatever disapproving comments they surely muttered were drowned out by the helicopter as Kurda joined them on the ground. The group didn't waste time standing around in the cold, though. Kurda almost offered to help carry one of the stretchers, but thought that might be a little too much too soon. The flit back to the mountain was cold and arduous. It took several hours but that wasn't enough time for Kurda to prepare for the moment that infamous mountain peak rose up into his line of vision. For a moment he almost ran. Almost turned and flitted away into the night, remembering the pain he endured as he was chained, beaten, thrown into a cell, dragged back out again - through a mob of the worst physical and verbal abuse he'd ever endured, and finally put on trial for the entire clan.
But more than all that, he remembered Mika's face during the trial. The numb, helpless, heartbreak in Mika's eyes as he had no choice but to sit and listen as the man he loved revealed the ugly truth. Kurda knew he wasn't redeemed yet. Not by a long shot. He also knew better than to believe there was a hope in hell for things between him and Mika to ever go back to the way they were.
But then again... yesterday he studied the maps into that Cavern of Hell knowing he wouldn't make it out alive. Today, he'd walk back into the room where he'd left everything he ever loved. And he'd tell Mika, in his own words, that it was over. That everything was finally okay again. That they were all safe. So if he'd learned anything from this, it was that nobody really knew what the fuck was about to happen at any given time.
Once Larten and Steve had been rushed to the infirmary, Kurda followed Darren up through the mountain, listening numbly as Darren ordered guard after guard to stand down when they tensed at the sudden sight of Vampire Mountain's notorious traitor. Kurda let Darren do the talking. Partially because he felt like he might throw up or pass out if he even opened his mouth. But he liked to think that seven years ago while showing the boy around the mountain for the first time, Darren had felt as safe with Kurda as Kurda felt with Darren right now.
After what felt like a lifetime, he found himself staring down that massive, magical doorway that stood between the Hall of Princes and the rest of the world.
Darren glanced at him and managed a thin smile. He paused before laying his hand on the door control panel.
"Ready?" The young Prince asked.
"No." Said Kurda honestly. But he smiled back.
"Wrong answer." Darren exhaled a weak chuckle and reached for the panel.
KS: Hey Mika. Make a wish.
There'll be happiness after me
But there was happiness because of me
Both of these things, I believe
There is happiness
In our history, across our great divide
There is a glorious sunrise
Dappled with the flickers of light
From the dress I wore at midnight, leave it all behind
And there is happiness
It felt like days elapsed until a breathless guard finally arrived to alert him of the Hunters' arrival back in the mountain. The Hall of Princes was already filling up with the few dozen vampires that were currently staying in the mountain.
"Announcing the arrival of Sire Darren Shan and his travelling companions!" The young vampire gasped as he came galloping into the Hall of Princes where Mika and Arrow were impatiently waiting.
"About fucking time." Arrow blurted out.
Mika opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out because for the first time since the news broke, he finally heard Kurda's voice in his head.
KS: Hey, Mika. Make a wish.
MVL: Kurda? Where are you?
The guard said something else, but Mika would never know what it was because his concentration was obliterated well beyond repair. Darren and Harkat trudged through the massive hall doors, but they may as well
have been invisible to Mika's eyes. Surely this was a hallucination, or a mirage. Gods knew Mika had enough poorly-managed concussions to knock a few things loose in his head at this point.
Darren made his way up the aisle, limping but determined. Harkat walked at his left. And on Darren's right side was the fucking fever dream itself.
"What the hell is going on here?! Everyone, clear the hall!" Arrow barked. But Mika barely heard him. And apparently no one else did either, because the Hall was erupting into chaos.
Kurda was with them.
Kurda was here. In Vampire Mountain.
The war was over.
And Kurda was here.
System. Fucking. Overload.
Time froze. Mika felt a chilling flash of déjà-vu. He felt like he'd already lived this moment, and it damn near killed him. Sitting here, clinging to his composure with both hands because the sight of Kurda standing there alone, confessing to high treason, was enough to blow the roof off Mika's perfected fake-ass facade of calmness.
"Did you know he was coming back?" Gracie's voice suddenly jerked Mika back to reality. She'd been sitting beside him on Paris's old throne. He turned to look at her; her eyes were wide and face was pale.
"No." Mika replied quickly. "I had no idea."
Darren looked on the verge of a mental breakdown as he approached the throne platform. Kurda and Harkat looked somber. All three looked like they'd been to hell and back - they were bruised, bleeding, and limping. Kurda's eyes darted around the hall anxiously, as though expecting to be attacked. After all, the last time he was in this room he'd been beaten and chained.
"He's with me!" Darren shouted into the crowd as they bellowed at Kurda. "Nobody touches him!"
And then Kurda looked at them - Mika and Gracie - and smiled. A smile so faint it would've been imperceptible to anyone else. But to Mika, it shone like the North Star. The guiding light that pointed him home. Mika wanted to run to him, throw his arms around him and never let go. He couldn't do that - but he couldn't stop himself from slowly rising from his throne and walking towards Kurda, pulled by some magnetic force beyond his control, all the while fearing any second now he'd wake up back in his coffin to find out it was all a dream.
"Fancy meeting you here." Kurda croaked as Mika came within earshot. His voice was a pained rasp, but he managed a shaky smile. "Did you make a wish like I told you to?"
"You didn't really give me time to think about it." Mika forced out, so quietly he could barely even hear himself. "Kurda... what the fuck?"
"I figured I'd surprise you." Kurda replied weakly. "You were supposed to wish for me to come back, and then I'd appear. It was going to be a whole thing. But you ruined it."
"Because it worked out so well the last time you surprised me in this room?!"
Now that Mika was closer, he could see there were painful-looking burns, cuts, and bruises on Kurda's hands and forearms, and a few on his face as well. And the grey sweater he was wearing did nothing to hide the deep red stains that littered his torso. He was breathing heavily as though in a lot of pain, but he stood as straight-backed and honourably as he had at his trial. Both then and now, he acted as if he couldn't hear the shouts of outrage and muttered curses directed at him. If he hadn't walked into this room at Darren's side, the crowd would've torn him to pieces on sight.
"You do look like you're about to throw up." Kurda remarked with an uncomfortable chuckle. "There was no easy way to explain any of this telepathically. Sorry."
"Kurda, I have no idea what I'm supposed to be saying to you right now-"
It hadn't been long since they'd seen each other, exchanged a few brief but loaded words in the park after rescuing Gracie. But it had been years since Mika accepted the reality that never again would he see Kurda here, in Vampire Mountain, the clan's sacred home. He'd accepted that whatever interactions they'd have after the exile would be limited, awkward, and excruciating. And til now, it had been two for two.
"You're not supposed to be saying anything to me." Kurda murmured. His voice was low and comforting, even as he was visibly wincing from the effort of remaining upright. "You're supposed to be sitting patiently while Darren explains everything. You and I will talk later. I'm not going anywhere."
Then Kurda's arm twitched, as though stifling an instinct to reach out to Mika, to take his hand, or hug him or something.
I'm not going anywhere was just about enough to unravel Mika completely. But he took a deep breath and nodded stiffly. Kurda was right.
"Everything's going to be okay." Kurda added softly but firmly. "Now go sit down."
"Back for five minutes and already bossing me around... yeah, that checks out." Mika commented, still feeling like he was hallucinating one hundred and ten percent of this situation.
His eyes stayed locked into Kurda's. For a second, the rest of the world melted away like it had when they knelt on the concrete together, arms tangled around each other and Gracie after the danger had passed. And just like that night, the world spun on with no regard for their personal turmoil.
"Darren, is it true?" Arrow practically shouted as the youngest Prince finally reached the front of the room. His eyes were also bugging at the sight of Kurda, but he remained focused on the bigger picture. Which had almost certainly been a massive struggle for him. Despite the progress Arrow had made recently, Mika wasn't quite sure he'd leave Arrow and Kurda alone together yet.
"The Vampaneze Lord has been killed? It's over?!" Arrow added loudly, prompting the surrounding vampires to shout questions at Darren even louder than before.
"Yes." Said Darren at last. His voice was clearly strained, but it didn't waver and it carried clearly across the room. "The message Sire March relayed is true."
The room had fallen silent for the briefest moment while Darren spoke, then erupted back into a cacophony of noise. A mixed bag of raucous cheering and bellowed questions about what Kurda was doing there. No one would dare lay a finger on Kurda since he arrived in Darren's company - but it was clear that plenty of them wanted to. Kurda didn't look anywhere or at anyone in particular. His eyes seemed to glaze over as he stood there and took it all.
Darren stared at Arrow for another moment, then his eyes flicked over to Mika, almost apologetically. Then he turned his back on the throne platform to face the crowd. He raised one hand, and the entire place immediately fell silent again.
"I know you want to know the reasoning behind Kurda Smahlt's presence in Vampire Mountain. Last time he was here, he was permanently exiled for high treason." Darren continued in the same determined cadence. "And I don't blame you for having strong feelings about his sudden arrival! It is not a story I can easily condense. But I can tell you he has returned to Vampire Mountain with the full permission of not only myself, but also Sire March. If Sires Arrow and Ver Leth have objections, they can take it up with me privately. Otherwise-"
Darren's address was then drowned out by more shouting, more questions. Mika drew breath to demand silence, to admonish them all for disrespecting Darren. But the kid beat him to the punch magnificently.
"It is directly because of Kurda's intervention that the Vampaneze Lord was killed!" Darren snarled, stunning the whole room. "I cannot say if he will be formally pardoned. His future will be discussed among all four Princes in the coming days. But until things are finalized, anyone who threatens Kurda will be arrested. Do not test me."
And Darren said it with such crystal-clear conviction, there wouldn't be a soul in the clan who'd put his words to the test. His eyes and his tone said it all: fuck around and find out. Mika knew the look and the tone well, seeing as he invented it. If he had the mental bandwidth for it in that moment, he might've even been proud of Darren. But of course, he had other things on his mind. Like what a humbling twist of destiny it was, that seven years ago it had been Darren's earth-shattering accusation that resulted in Kurda being arrested instead of invested. And when Kurda returned, it was under the protection of that same boy who'd derailed his plan at the last minute, half-naked and covered in flour.
But Darren wasn't that boy anymore. He was a ruler now. A pillar of the clan, every bit as tough as Mika, Arrow, or Vancha - it was evident by the steadiness of his voice as he stared down a mob that would've been waving pitchforks and torches had there been any available. But Mika didn't miss the weary haze in Darren's eyes, the bruising on his face and exposed forearms, or the way he seemed to be swaying. Mika and Arrow exchanged a knowing nod. Like Darren said, this wasn't the time or place for a public spectacle.
"Everyone, clear the hall!" Mika ordered loudly. "There'll be a public explanation as soon as we have one to offer. But first we'll discuss this matter with Sire Shan alone."
Gracie descended the throne platform, but stopped several feet from where Mika and Kurda were standing. None of them spoke for a moment, Kurda and Gracie simply took each other in. Kurda's face brimmed with more emotion than an army of world-class poets could ever express. Mika watched Gracie watch Kurda out of the corner of his eye. She looked bewildered as all fuck, and rightfully so. Tense, too. As overwhelmed as Mika felt, he could only imagine how much harder this was for her. But with that said, she didn't look upset. She almost looked hopeful.
Kurda opened his mouth to speak, but Gracie beat him to it.
"We read your letter." She told him. Her voice held steady even as her lip trembled slightly. Then she abruptly ran into Kurda's arms. And he locked his arms around her as though she'd disappear if he let go for even a second. Kurda's eyes found Mika's again as he stood there clinging to her. Those intimately familiar blues were swimming with tears, and Mika had to look away again in order to remain any semblance of emotional stability. Even though the occupants of this room had been reduced to the small circle he considered family, this was still a pivotal moment for the clan. Mika figured if he managed to sideline his personal feelings until after Kurda's trial all those years ago, he supposed he could do it again.
After a moment, Gracie pulled back from the embrace to glance apprehensively at Mika.
"Am I everyone? Do you want me to leave too?" She inquired in an undertone as her eyes wandered over the crowd of exiting vampires.
"Only if you want to." Said Mika, just as softly. "If it's too much, you can go. But you're welcome to stay."
"Do you want me to stay?" She asked.
Mika and Kurda answered at the same time.
"Yes."
She seemed to consider it for a moment, then nodded determinedly. Mika reached over and squeezed her hand reassuringly before refocusing on Darren.
"You look terrible. Let's sit down." Mika ordered, not unkindly. Darren nodded, then followed Mika back up the stairs to the thrones with Kurda, Harkat, and Gracie following suit. Mika paused for a moment and waited for Gracie to catch up with him.
"Are you okay?" He asked her very seriously. "You can tell me if -"
"Are you okay?" She countered swiftly, looking shrewdly back at him out of wet eyes.
"It doesn't matter. I have a job to do." Said Mika. "You don't."
"Well if it makes your job any easier, I'm okay."
Words failed him, so Mika nodded in appreciation.
"You work here now?" Darren chuckled weakly at Gracie as she returned to Paris's throne where she'd been seated before.
"They'll hire anyone these days. I mean, just look at you." Gracie replied without missing a beat. She spared Darren a brief grin as she wiped the last of the tears from her eyes. "Congrats on puberty." She added seriously. "Now you almost look old enough to cross the street without Mr. Crepsley holding your hand."
Mika heard Kurda stifle a chuckle, and had to blink a few times to keep his eyes clear.
"You're back." Arrow addressed Kurda very bluntly, with what seemed to be as much tact as he could muster.
"So it appears." Kurda replied. Mika watched silently as Kurda held Arrow's blazing look. Arrow didn't exactly look angry, but Mika's inner pessimist was still expecting Arrow's age-old prejudice to jump back out. And Mika was fully prepared to step between them if Arrow let that get the better of him. But it became clear he should've had more faith in his friend.
"I never expected to see you again." Said Arrow.
"Likewise, Sire." Kurda rasped. He was very pale.
"Sorry for not consulting you about this first." Said Darren, glancing at Mika and Arrow in turn. "Time wasn't on our side."
"The two of you always did keep us on our toes." Mika noted, glancing at Darren and Kurda in turn. He made a valiant attempt at sounding casual even though that was the understatement of the century.
"What condition is Larten in?" Arrow asked, and Darren seemed to crumble from within.
"I don't know." Said Darren in a small, scared voice that sharply contrasted with the one he'd used to defend Kurda just minutes ago. "He's in the infirmary now. The medics took him as soon as we arrived. We knew the journey here would endanger him, but he definitely would've died if we stayed where we were."
"I'll admit Vancha's brief message left me with more questions than answers." Mika remarked. "Bringing Larten to a hospital wasn't an option?"
"That was out of the question." Said Darren, shaking his head firmly. "It's a long story and I'll get to it... but we would've been arrested on sight if we did that. Vancha and I could've escaped, but Larten was too weak. The Vampire Mountain medics were his only chance."
"Fair enough." Said Mika. "I know we have a lot to discuss, but I really need answers about the helicopter."
Darren laughed hollowly.
"To make a long story very short, Vancha accidentally made friends with a police chief. With his help, she commandeered a Med-evac. Illegally, of course -"
"You were working with the human police?" Arrow interrupted, aghast.
Darren sighed, and managed a weak grin.
"You know, this will make more sense to everyone if I just start at the beginning. Let's go in the meeting room - the chairs in there are a lot more comfortable." He suggested, pointing at the door behind the throne area.
Mika and Arrow nodded in unison.
"Lead the way, Sire Shan."
I can't make it go away by making you a villain
I guess it's the price I paid for seven years in Heaven
And I pulled your body into mine
Every goddamn night, now I get fake niceties
No one teaches you what to do
When a good man hurts you
And you know you hurt him, too
Between Darren and Kurda's retellings of the events that led to their unexpected return, story time spanned over three hours.
Darren sat at the head of the table and did the majority of the talking, starting with his journey from the time he left the mountain, and summarizing the first encounter with the Vampaneze Lord. Mika and Arrow had heard Vancha's side of those events, but listened respectfully to Darren's version. He told them about the triumphant moment he reunited with his childhood best friend while Larten and Vancha were away at Paris's funeral. He told them about the whole group working together as allies upon Larten and Vancha's return, and the devastation that ensued when he realized his friend was no friend at all. Mika probably could've told him that in the first place and saved him some time and disappointment, but kept his mouth shut and nodded along supportively.
Admittedly it was getting harder and harder to see Darren as the plucky little kid who first showed up here all those years ago. He'd truly grown into his role in every way. And that was evidently clear by what had transpired in the Cavern of Retribution. Mika felt the blood drain from his face as Darren described how he'd sliced into Kurda's fingertips and performed a blood transfusion as a desperate attempt to save his life. Mika didn't even realize he was shaking until he felt Kurda's hand close around his, beneath the table and out of sight from everyone else. Mika kept his eyes on Darren, but clung Kurda's hand all the while.
Then it was over. It was all out on the table and everyone was finally on the same page. Darren left the room first, heading up to the infirmary to check on both Larten and his prisoner. Harkat trailed behind him as usual. Gracie went shortly after him, saying she needed to go for a walk to clear her head and grab a bite to eat. Which was a relief for Mika. He wanted to discuss a few things with Kurda in private before the three of them talked, but he would've felt bad asking her to leave the room. She gently hugged both Mika and Kurda in turn, and they promised they'd meet up with her later.
Then there were three: Mika, Arrow, and Kurda.
Mika used to live for these moments, back in his old life when it felt like nothing would ever go wrong. Sitting here in this room with his best friend on one side and his better half on the other. He always felt privileged beyond measure to be there with both of them in those rare moments when Arrow and Kurda actually got along. Or pretended to, for Mika's sake.
Everything about this situation felt alien, surreal. Like there was another shoe to drop. Mika chalked that up to shock, it happened so quickly after all. One second they were at war, and the next second... peace between the clans? Mika thought the end of the war would bring him more relief than he currently felt. But PTSD was his roommate, so he also wasn't surprised at how difficult it was to lower his guard. He figured it'd sink in after a day or two, then he'd want to celebrate. But for now... he was tense.
"I trust Darren completely, but I don't like that half-vampaneze being here in the mountain." Arrow muttered darkly once the others left. "I know we have to take Vancha's brother at his word... but funnily enough, that doesn't make me feel much better about it. I'm surprised Vancha allowed it in the first place."
"Darren has just as much power as Vancha, or you, or me." Said Mika wearily. "I know we sometimes forget, but he's not an idiot. Like he said, we'll make sure the prisoner is guarded around the clock. I'll assign Jakob Wiles to oversee his security. I trained him myself. He's solid."
Arrow nodded thoughtfully. Then frowned.
"Don't you think it's strange how quickly Vancha's brother was ready to exchange his apprentice's life for a new treaty?" Arrow's stream of consciousness continued. "I can't imagine he'd have enough influence to get his entire clan on his side. It's not like any of the vampaneze can pull rank on each other like we can."
"Yes, it's strange. No, I don't know what Gannen's deal is. I'm sure Vancha will clarify things further when he gets back." Mika replied hollowly, staring down at the table blankly. Kurda stayed quiet, watching Arrow out of the corner of his eye, not wanting to press his luck.
Arrow's frown deepened for a moment, then his face softened with realization as he glanced over at Mika.
"Do you want me to fuck off so you two can hash out your personal shit?" Arrow asked.
"Of course not, Sire." Kurda chimed in, looking suddenly guilty.
"Yeah, kinda." Said Mika flatly at the exact same moment, arching an eyebrow pointedly at Arrow.
"Alright." Said Arrow, with trace amounts of empathy. He got up slowly and paused to squeeze Mika's shoulder before leaving the room. "I'm going to go see how Larten is. Let me know when you need a break from Hall duty, and I'll tap back in."
Mika looked up at him and smiled apologetically.
"Thanks, A. See you later."
Arrow nodded and turned to go. As he passed Kurda, he paused for a moment and his arm made an awkward, jerky sort of movement as though he almost patted Kurda's shoulder or something, but thought better of it at the last moment. And he carried on his way.
Mika expected to feel calmer once Arrow left the room, once he was finally alone with Kurda. But the second he heard the door click behind him, a sickening sense of irrational, impending doom gripped him from the inside. Supercharged, bastardized déjà-vu that momentarily rendered him unable to even look at Kurda. He leaned forward with his face in his hands, blocking out the rest of the world trying to stay grounded.
The last time they'd been alone in this room was torture for both of them. It had been after Kurda's trial, before he left the mountain indefinitely. Mika had pulled him in here to lay out the fine print of the exile agreement where Gracie was concerned. They'd sat on opposite sides of this very table, in the same chairs they sat in now, sharing the worst day of their lives.
Mika was so caught up in his own head he didn't realize how fast he was breathing, til he felt a soft, familiar hand on his back. Suddenly Kurda wasn't across the table from him anymore. Suddenly they weren't on opposing sides like they'd been on that night from hell seven years ago. That night that scarred them so deeply it was almost impossible to accept the moment the nightmare actually ended. But as impossible and terrifying as it was to believe it, it was real. Kurda was back on his side, not just metaphorically but literally sitting in the chair next to Mika as if he'd never left.
Kurda didn't try to speak. He just sat and ran his hand in circles around Mika's back til Mika finally felt his muscles unlock, til the iron fist of panic loosened its grip on his heart. Then slowly he raised his head and looked at Kurda, forcing his eyes to focus.
"I'm good." He whispered.
"You sure?" Kurda replied just as quietly.
"Yeah. You good?"
"I'm good." Kurda echoed.
Mika exhaled heavily and ran his hands through his hair.
A beat of silence.
And another.
"So you read the letter..." Said Kurda at last. He tilted his body sideways in his chair so he could look directly at Mika.
"Like I said, your attempts to surprise me tend to end in psychological trauma." Mika replied matter-of-factly.
"I couldn't tell you, Mika." Kurda blurted out, tripping over the words. "I wanted to. I almost did... the night you visited me. When I saw those scars on your arms. But the clan needed you. Needed you to leave me in the past. And then -"
"I understand your reasoning, but..." Mika felt the words die on his lips as the old rage, the familiar pain flared up all over again. "Actually, no. I don't understand. How could you walk out of here letting me believe that, when it wasn't the truth? Kurda, I spent almost a year destroying myself over it."
Kurda's face went grey, and he looked so thoroughly on the verge of throwing up that Mika instinctively leaned back.
"There aren't enough lifetimes for me to tell you how much I wish I could have done it differently." Kurda choked, stumbling over each word. "You have to believe me when I tell you my decision to hide the truth was a last-ditch effort to give the clan a fighting chance, even after my plan failed."
"Because that makes perfect fucking sense." Mika snapped back, louder and with more bitterness than he intended.
"It wasn't about sparing your feelings. It was about keeping your priorities where they were needed." Kurda sighed. "I knew Paris didn't have much time. And I feared Arrow's willingness to spill blood could be disastrous for the clan. I respect Vancha, but a man that reckless will only live so long. And I wouldn't find out about Darren til years later - so that left you." Kurda explained. "You and I both know you have a history of blurring the lines between your feelings for me and your duty to the clan. And I just figured by that point... you'd be better off without me."
Mika stayed quiet for a long time, breathing heavily and waiting in vain for those words to hit home. He wanted to cry, wanted to scream in Kurda's face how fucking wrong that was. Barely a year ago, that's exactly what he would have done. Would have lashed out in pain and anger.
But he'd been there, done that, didn't help. Kurda already knew the damage he'd done. Mika wanted Kurda to know his pain - but he didn't want him to feel it.
"I have never been, and will never be better off without you." Mika whispered, having to force each word out. "But I believe you believed hiding the letter was better for everyone. As a Prince, I thank you for your loyalty to the clan. But as myself... you still broke my fucking heart. And even worse, Gracie's." His voice finally cracked. "And we finally accepted it, only to find out you lied by omission and it didn't have to hurt as much as it did?"
"Do you want me to leave?" Kurda asked, his voice so low and strained it was barely audible. Mika stared back at him silently for several long moments.
"No." He said at last. That one syllable contained a novel's worth of truth and emotion.
"Then what do you want from me now, Mika?" Kurda murmured. "Tell me where I start fixing this."
"All I want right now is to not have this conversation ever again." Said Mika. His voice was thin, but steady. "You know what the consequences were. And I know why you made the choices you did. That covers it. Now we move on and figure out what's next. I just need this to finally be over. That's what I want from you now."
"We can't just pick up where we left off." Kurda protested. "It's not that simple."
Mika's face darkened even as he let out a harsh, humourless laugh.
"I am painfully aware of that, Kurda." He shot back. "Trust me, I know it's not that simple. Nothing's ever going to be simple again. Even if we could go back, I don't know if I would. But you're here now. Everything is changing between the clans, and we have a daughter who lost everything because of our war. It's bigger than us. I don't know what it's going to look like - I just know I still need you on my team."
Kurda nodded, blinking. He exhaled, visibly relieved.
"I'm on your team. Always going to be on your team."
"I'd already forgiven you for trying to kill me." Mika added. "So, forgiving you for lying about it actually wasn't as hard as it probably should have been." He finished with a shaky, fractured laugh. Because it was either that or cry.
Kurda wasn't faring quite so well. He closed his eyes and seemed to crumble from within as he took a few shuddering breaths. Mika wrapped his arms around Kurda, driven by pure instinct and muscle memory. Funny how Kurda was the one who'd returned to this place after a lengthy absence, yet Mika was the one who felt like he was finally home.
Honey, when I'm above the trees
I see it for what it is
But now my eyes leak acid rain on the pillow where you used to lay your head
After giving you the best I had
Tell me what to give after that
All you want from me now is the green light of forgiveness
You haven't met the new me yet
And I think she'll give you that
Kurda's body trembled as he tried to suppress his sobs, but it wasn't long before lost that battle and melted into Mika's rock-solid embrace. And the only reason Mika hadn't broken down himself was because whatever little gnome or gremlin was in charge of pulling strings in his brain was still standing slack-jawed by the control panel, with no earthly clue how to proceed. It had pretty much been frozen there ever since Kurda appeared four hours ago.
Slowly but surely, the sound of Kurda's sobs brought Mika back to earth where he could be one with his senses again. His body softened as he leaned into Kurda just as much as Kurda was leaning into him. One hand gently caressing Kurda's trembling back and the other cradling his head, keeping it nestled into Mika's chest, directly against the place where his heartbeat was gradually returning to a level that didn't feel like it was approaching some invisible red line of death.
Then, Mika's hand inadvertently disturbed an injury concealed beneath Kurda's shirt, and the blond yelped in pain and flinched.
"I'm sorry..." Mika gasped. He pulled back from Kurda and cupped the blond's fine-featured face in his hands. He couldn't help but run his thumb along Kurda's cheekbone, clearing away the last of the tears. He could see Kurda was swaying in his seat, and Mika felt a flash of guilt for not considering his injuries sooner. "I'm taking you to the medics." Said Mika. "I should've done that already. Come on."
Kurda shook his head determinedly.
"No. I'm fine here. I just need to sit and relax for a while. Maybe have a drink."
"You can do all that in the infirmary." Mika countered. As gently as possible, he tried to pull Kurda to his feet but was met with resistance as Kurda tensed and leaned away from him.
"Kurda... come on. You almost bled out in that fucking hell hole. It's a miracle Darren was able to bring you back. Honestly, if it was anyone but you I'd say it was stupid of him to even try." Mika pressed, trying to keep the urgency from slipping into his voice.
"I'm not ready to walk around the mountain yet... getting here was hard enough. Just let me stay in this room. I'll be fine." Kurda whimpered. Suddenly his voice was thin and panicked. And Mika knew he wasn't trying to be stoic on account of his injuries - he was afraid. Because no matter what any of the Princes said, there were dozens of vampires in this place who wanted him dead. Mika sat back down, looping his arm back around Kurda's hunched shoulders. Mika didn't want to physically drag him anywhere against his will... but he hadn't ruled it out. Kurda's face was getting paler by the second, and he was still shaking.
Mika watched anxiously, afraid to touch Kurda in the wrong place and aggravate the injuries. Injuries Mika was nowhere near equipped to handle in the privacy of this little room. He reached out and gripped Kurda's hand, looking into his eyes.
"Listen to me." He told Kurda in an undertone, speaking slowly and clearly. "I know you're scared. But you cannot stay in here. Whatever patch job they gave you back there isn't good enough. You did not go through all of that just to die of an infection in the fucking meeting room because you're too stubborn to go to the infirmary. Let's go."
"I'm not stubborn." Kurda objected. "That's you. That's always been you."
"Stop fighting me on this. Seriously." Mika retorted. He slowly tried to stand up again, maintaining his grasp on Kurda's hand in a second attempt to get him up out of his chair. This time, Kurda wrenched the limb away and stared back up at him with a haunting expression of pure panic.
"Mika, please. Let me stay here. It's not as bad as you think. I just need to rest."
Mika took a deep breath and let it out in the form of an exasperated groan so Kurda would know exactly how much stress he was causing.
"Alright, here's the new deal. Let me see the wound. If it's really not as bad as I think it is, I'll have someone bring me some supplies so I can clean it up in here. And you can stay in this room until everything's sorted out." Said Mika.
Kurda nodded slowly, but he seemed to be struggling to even keep his eyes open, and he was swaying. Mika carried on, employing his well-polished negotiator voice:
"But if it's as much of a raging hot mess as I think it's going to be... then I'm carrying you up to the infirmary kicking and screaming. Because you're really not in a position to be making demands here."
"Fine." Kurda whispered. He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, face ashen. Mika didn't have to ask where the worst of the injuries were located, the bloodstains on Kurda's shirt told the story clearly. Mika already knew how this was going to go, but when he slowly lifted Kurda's shirt to assess the damage, he gasped. It was so much worse than he expected. He didn't understand how Kurda survived the trip back to the mountain, much less kept himself together for four hours worth of debriefing. It was a massive stab wound, held together with a mixture of dirty bandages and apparently just enough healing saliva to get by - but that wouldn't be enough for a wound like this. Kurda should've been rushed to the infirmary right alongside Larten and the other guy - Stan, or Stu, or whatever the fuck his name was. Mika fully intended on circling back to that particular surprise at a later time.
It was only now that Mika truly felt tears scorching his eyes, looking down at this gruesome reminder of how Kurda put it all on the line for them - again. And didn't expect a single fucking thing in return. And the most gut-wrenching part was the fact that after all of that, he was genuinely terrified of what might happen if he found himself alone with some of his clanmates.
Mika didn't say a word, didn't even ask. Moving as gently but as quickly as he possibly could, he slipped his arms around Kurda and with painstaking care he picked him up out of the chair and cradled him against his chest. Kurda seemed to have grown weaker in that brief moment of time, because he didn't protest when Mika picked him up. Mika summoned Arrow back to the Hall of Princes, but didn't wait for him. He walked out of the meeting room, out of the Hall still holding onto Kurda as he slipped out of consciousness. He didn't stop, but he viciously dead-eyed every last guard who had the balls to give him a funny look as he went, and did the same to every other vampire he passed on route to the infirmary. Silently daring every last one of them to say something so he could go for their throat. But none of them did.
He laid Kurda down on the cot at the far end of the infirmary and called Jai Yang over. He sat numbly beside Kurda as Jai dutifully set about cleaning and treating the injuries. The knife hole in his stomach was the worst, but it wasn't the only. Jai quickly affirmed that while the injuries were severe, they weren't life-threatening. As long as they didn't become infected, Kurda would be just fine.
Jai left to go check on Larten again, who was on the other side of the room. By then, Kurda was sound asleep. And fuck, did he ever deserve it.
"I've done everything within my power to heal him, but his injuries are catastrophic. He's stable -" Mika heard Jai tell Darren on the other side of the room.
"That means he'll be okay, right? Stable is a good thing?" Said Darren.
"He's in better shape than he was before he got here..." Jai replied slowly. "But there's only so much I can do, especially here in the mountain. Even a fully-equipped human hospital might not be enough to bring him back from that."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying it's bad. You should prepare yourself for the worst."
"Is Mr. Crepsley going to die?"
Mika heard someone took a deep breath, probably Jai.
"I hope to the gods I'm wrong, Sire Shan. But it's very possible he might. I am sorry."
In hindsight, Mika was grateful he hadn't known when his own mentor was about to die. Because even though Paris's life had run its full, spectacular course and then some, even though Paris owed the world nothing... the loss was still monumental. And excruciating.
Mika wandered over. Larten was doing an unsettlingly good impression of a corpse, lying on a cot slightly smaller than Kurda's. Darren sat at the foot of the bed, his head in his hands. Harkat was sitting beside him, patting his back dutifully.
Jai sighed wearily, clearly he knew there was nothing else he could say to Darren in this moment. He exchanged a quick nod with Mika before retreating.
Darren glanced up at Mika, seeming like he was trying to snap himself out of it. As if he didn't want Mika to know he'd been crying. And Mika had to try very hard not to roll his eyes. If only that kid knew how many times in recent history Mika had to lock himself in the meeting room and focus all his willpower on re-composing himself and putting his war face back on in time for whatever meeting was next on his agenda.
Mika paused.
"Do you mind if I sit?" He asked.
Darren nodded in affirmation. And technically that could've meant, "yes, I mind, piss off," or "of course, come on over". Mika chose to assume the latter. He took a seat in the uncomfortable wooden chair next to the cot. Larten's face looked even worse up close.
"Has he been awake at all?" Mika ventured. Darren shook his head.
"He's sedated." Harkat explained, shaking his head. "Jai said it'll wear off... in a few hours. So he might wake up then... or he might not... wake up at all."
Mika nodded understandingly. He didn't know what to say, but he did know sometimes it was better to say nothing at all. It was definitely not the time to spout some bullshit about how helping end the War of the Scars is probably the most honourable way a vampire can go out. It wasn't exactly wrong, but it wasn't what Darren needed to hear right now.
"Serious question, Darren..." Said Mika. He paused until Darren glanced warily up at him. "Has anyone asked you if you're okay yet?"
It was very evident those were the last words Darren expected to hear from Mika.
"No." Said Darren after a moment, his voice a low rasp.
"Are you okay?"
Darren nodded fiercely, despite the fact that he was visibly coming apart at the seams. When Darren finally broke down, Mika supposed this must be how Renley felt the night Paris died. The exact moment when Mika's iron walls came crashing down and he couldn't keep it together any longer. Darren sobbed erratically for several minutes as Harkat continued to pat his back. At least Harkat was here to fill that role - so Mika kept a distance.
"I'm no medic, but I've known Larten over half my life now. If anyone can pull through, it's him." Said Mika eventually. "Toughest son of a bitch I've ever met. If anything on this earth was capable of killing him, it would've happened decades ago. He's too stubborn to die."
That elicited a sniffly chuckle from Darren, and Mika took it as a win. He kept Darren company for a while longer, making small talk and updating him on what he'd missed since he'd been away from the mountain. About twenty minutes later, Jai returned from the direction of his makeshift operating room.
"The other one is now stable as well. What would you have us do with him, Sire?" He inquired tiredly.
Mika spun around and answered instinctively,
"Who's stable?" He snapped, momentarily forgetting the situation.
Jai gave an apologetic little half-smile.
"...Apologies. I was addressing Sire Shan." He clarified politely.
"Right. Sorry, Darren." Said Mika unabashedly. "Carry on."
But the inadvertent faux-pas earned a wheezy chuckle from a very frazzled Harkat, and even a proper laugh from Darren himself. But it didn't last.
"Thanks, Jai." Said Darren, and suddenly he looked like he'd aged several decades. "Have him moved to the maximum security area of the dungeon. I want him guarded every second of every day and night until I get this sorted out."
Jai nodded and retreated, and a few moments later they watched as a handful of medics and guards hustled past, bearing a stretcher on which lay a tall, dark-clad figure with hair so blond it was practically white.
"Is that your special guest?" Mika inquired, eyeing the unconscious half-vampaneze as he went by.
"The very one." Said Darren grimly.
Mika opened his mouth to say something, and Darren watched him with an expectant, resigned expression. But Mika changed his mind at the last second and kept his comments to himself, and Darren and Harkat left to go meet up with Seba.
Mika didn't give the prisoner a second thought. He sat back on the cot next to Kurda, propped up against the headboard, trying to stay alert. Close enough to share his body heat, but not close enough to brush against Kurda's freshly dressed wounds. Kurda had dozed off again, and Mika had to fight to keep from doing the same. He knew he had to leave this room and get back to business - Kurda's unexpected arrival somehow wasn't the most buckwild thing to happen to the clan today. But he couldn't tear himself away.
There'll be happiness after you
But there was happiness because of you, too
Both of these things can be true
There is happiness
Gracie appeared a few minutes later and sat on the bedside chair, propping her feet up on the cot as though settling in for the long haul. She kept her eyes on Kurda as though still not entirely convinced he wasn't a hallucination.
"Is he going to be part of the clan again?" She asked Mika in an undertone.
"From what Darren told us, I think he'll be a key player in establishing a new treaty with the vampaneze. He'll have more influence with them than any other vampire except perhaps Vancha. I don't know what that means for his exile sentence, whether it'll be a full pardon or a temporary suspension til the treaty is finalized."Mika explained. "There's a lot we still have to discuss. Today was just the tip of the iceberg."
She nodded understandingly and fell quiet for a while before breaking the silence again.
"Did you tell him we're going through with it?" She held up her fingertips that still bore the tiny cuts from where her debut as half-vampire had been interrupted by Vancha's news.
Mika shook his head and smiled ruefully.
"Not yet. We'll break it to him tomorrow."
"I'm glad he'll be here for it after all." She admitted.
"Me too." Said Mika honestly.
"I still want you to be the one to do it, though." She added after a brief hesitation. "I'm not ready to share his blood yet. Maybe it'll be different by the time I'm ready to become a full vampire. But for now..."
"One day at a time." Said Mika. "No matter what happens, he loves you as much as I do. He was so proud of you as a human, and he'll be just as proud of you as a vampire."
She fell asleep in the chair eventually. Mika figured he should wake her back up and tell her to go to bed, or at least to go sleep in an empty cot instead of that hard chair. But he didn't get that far, because he made the mistake of closing his eyes for a moment.
And it turned into the best sleep he'd had in seven years.
In our history, across our great divide
There is a glorious sunrise
Dappled with the flickers of light
From the dress I wore at midnight, leave it all behind
Oh, leave it all behind
Leave it all behind
And there is happiness
Completely unrelated: You know that scene near the end of a horror movie where everyone's dancing around thinking the monster is dead? But the audience knows they're actually not? Oh, no reason. I just love those movies, that's all.
Y'all don't even know how hard I fought my own brain to bring this story to this point. And we ain't done yet. Also, as heart-wrenching as it was, the final chapters of Endgame detailing Kurda's trial and exile were some of my favourite parts to write because of all the emotions swirling around. And now, I loved writing his return for the same reasons - except it was even better because it didn't hurt.
Also - Happy Birthday, Freda! I didn't expect to update this again before the big day but I hope you got some smiles out of this one!
Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment - be the reason your local Mika stan smiles today.
- Roxy