56 days. 8.7 weeks. 3 mental breakdowns. 12k words. 15.5 hours of total writing time. An undisclosed amount of tears shed when Ace said my attempt at Steve wasn't a total miss. And 3 more chapters (rough estimation) left to come after this.
Chapter 28: PART I: Change You Like A Remix
Song:The Phoenix by Fall Out Boy
Put on your war paint
TWELVE HOURS AGO:
Jakob had never been a convincing liar. He'd never really been convincing in general. At anything.
Until the five years he spent on the frontlines of the War of the Scars, where he assumed the role of Mika's second-in-command and was trained accordingly. Mika didn't exactly teach Jakob to lie, but he did teach him to speak with confidence. And that made lying easier.
If it was anyone but Mika, maybe Jakob wouldn't have fooled him. And if it was anyone but Jakob, Mika wouldn't have been fooled. But that was the key to this; Jakob knew Mika. And more importantly, Jakob knew how Mika read people. Because Mika trained Jakob to read people in the same ways he did.
So when Jakob was summoned to meet with Mika, he simply took a deep breath, put on a neutral face, and acted as though there was nothing he'd rather be doing than protecting Vampire Mountain from the inside.
When Jakob arrived in the south corridor meeting room, Mika looked distracted. Like his mind was pulling him in a million different directions. That was the other key component to this. This entire week was an unprecedented turning point for clan history. The Princes had no choice but to delegate extra administrative responsibilities to their trusted army of staff. Mika had over five years of deep-rooted trust in Jakob. And it was authentic, too. Jakob truly did put Mika on a pedestal during all those years. The years he'd spent fighting for a vampire victory with the love of his life - Arlo - by side, and his friend and mentor - Mika - on the other. After a lifetime of insecurity, Jakob found peace and purpose in a time of violence and chaos.
Until Arlo fell with a bullet in his skull because the vampaneze decided their team could cheat. Arlo took that bullet for Mika. It should've been an honourable death, giving your life to protect a Prince. And then Mika turned and used that noble sacrifice to simply surrender and pass it off as peace.
"Sire Ver Leth. Good evening." Jakob greeted Mika with a respectful nod as he slipped into the meeting room. Mika looked up from the table, across which lay an endless sea of documents he seemed to be in the process of proofreading. A thin smile lit up his face when he saw Jakob.
"Who the hell are you talking to?" Mika chuckled. "Come on, Jakob. I thought we'd evolved past this."
"Sorry, Mika." Jakob laughed breezily as he took a seat at the table. "Old habits die hard. Hard to forget the dirty looks you used to give us out there in the wilderness when we accidentally called you by your first name."
"First-name basis is a privilege, not a right." Said Mika, looking about half-serious. Then he smiled again. "But all of you earned it by the end of the first year. Never forget that."
"Your guidance changed my life. I know Gareth, Markus, and Osric feel the same. I know we weren't the team you wanted. But you were a better teacher than any of us deserved." Jakob replied evenly, matching Mika's air of fond reminiscence.
"That's a really nice sentiment considering I went out of my way not to commit your names to memory til the third month." Said Mika, grimacing.
"You were fresh off a personal crisis and the war had just started. We didn't take it personally. Besides, you made up for it later." Said Jakob.
"I guess." Mika sighed. He smiled wryly before turning sombre. "Listen, I don't have much time, but I wanted to talk to you before I go into my next meeting of the night."
"I'm all ears."
Mika closed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair while exhaling slowly. As if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He had no idea.
"I'm worried, Jakob." Said Mika at last. "I feel like something's coming."
Jakob felt his stomach clench, but he focused on keeping his breathing steady.
"You think we're in danger?" Jakob commented, purposely widening his eyes fearfully. Before the war hardened him, he wouldn't have had to fake that reaction.
"I think we can't afford to be complacent, even for a second." Said Mika. "First there was the attempt on General Azerion's life. Then there was the outcry after Kurda's trial. And you saw those guards attack the vampaneze diplomats in plain view of not one, but three Princes. I feel like the clan is spiralling."
Jakob pressed his lips together. The fact that Renley Azerion was still alive was causing Jakob great concern. Every second he lived was a second where his memory might come back. And every time Jakob saw him, he was surrounded by other Generals. Jakob had a few Generals on his side now - Smahlt's trial really brought out everyone's true colours. When the Princes kicked them out of the trial for speaking up in opposition of Smahlt's reinstatement, Jakob was right there on the other side of the door.
"There's extremists in every crowd." Jakob mused. "They're few, but they're loud."
"How many is few, Jakob?" Mika inquired, dropping his voice to an almost urgent murmur. "Where the guards are concerned, you'd know better than I would. Am I paranoid for fearing this might become a bigger problem?"
Jakob's stomach was churning now, but he maintained a firm grip on his mannerisms. He'd come too far to let his nerves tip Mika off.
"I'm not going to lie and say you have the clan's undivided support behind this peace endeavour. But that shouldn't be news to you." Jakob countered, speaking in a deliberate cadence.
"Of course not. I'm not delusional, I know there's mixed feelings in the clan right now. And frankly, it doesn't surprise me. I just want to know the likelihood of vampires continuing to act on those feelings." Said Mika.
Jakob feigned a contemplative pause, giving the impression he was seriously contemplating Mika's words.
"I believe three who attacked the diplomats were outliers." Said Jakob at last, encouraged by how Mika nodded along. "They acted with the understanding it would probably result in their execution. While tensions are high, I have no reason to believe there are others who'd take it that far. The clan trusts you and your colleagues to keep us safe."
"You know what the most fucked up part is? I don't even fully blame those who are uncertain about the treaty. Look what this whole clan had been through." Mika sighed bitterly. "I wish they could see the bigger picture, but I understand that their judgement is clouded by tradition and prejudice. Only time will fix that. And as long as tomorrow night goes off without a hitch, we'll have plenty of time."
Mika ran his hand wearily through his hair again, and took a long drink from mug beside him. Whether it was water, blood, or liquor Jakob didn't know or care.
"Honestly, I didn't know how to feel about the treaty at first." Said Jakob quietly. "You know what the vampaneze took from me. I don't know if I trust them. But I do know I trust you without question."
Lying 101: stay anchored to something believable. If Jakob had said,"This is great. I love that the vampaneze are here. Best week of my life." that would've set Mika's alarm bells ringing, and Jakob probably would've been investigated within the hour.
Mika kept his steely gaze trained on Jakob, and Jakob concentrated on keeping his posture relaxed. Mika would pick up on even the most unassuming change in his body language. But judging by the way Mika's face softened, it seemed he wasn't focused on scrutinizing Jakob.
"That means a lot, Jakob. You're right, I know exactly what they took from you." Mika murmured. "I'm so sorry I played a role in the worst night of your life. Watching you lose him was devastating."
"Losing him was devastating." Jakob replied simply.
"That's why you of all people know how important it is to put this war behind us forever. It's almost over, we've come so far and we're so close. We just need to make sure the validation of the treaty goes smoothly. That means higher security than we've ever had - especially since all four Princes are in the mountain right now."
"We truly are living in unprecedented times. And I'm proud to be your right hand."
"Can I trust you to help get us to the finish line in one piece? You know I've never doubted you, Jakob. I just… I need to hear it right now."
Mika's impenetrable facade cracked for a moment. And as he spoke the words there was a fraction of a second where Jakob saw through the mask and realized just how vulnerable his one-time friend truly was.
Jakob didn't have to feign the emotion welling up in his eyes as he blinked furiously. But reaching out to squeeze Mika's shoulder reassuringly took every ounce of his resolve. Hey, no one ever said this would be easy.
"I promise you, Mika. I've got this." Jakob murmured. "Thank you for putting your faith in me. When I lost Arlo, you inspired me to keep fighting. This is the least I can do for you now."
You are a brick tied to me that's dragging me down
Strike a match and I'll burn you to the ground
PRESENT
VAMPIRE MOUNTAIN DUNGEON WING
"How are you doing in there, Darius?" Darren ventured, several minutes after his nephew's violent sobs had finally abated. Darren himself had only recently regained consciousness. And according to Gracie who was in the cell across from Darren's, he'd been unconscious for about an half an hour. Darius was in the cell next to Darren's, but they were separated by a thick layer of stone. And even worse, they were distanced from the high security wing so there was no way to know if Steve Leonard was still behind bars or if Jakob had already sprung him loose.
"I want to go home. I want my mom." Darius sniffled.
"I know you do. We'll figure this out, I promise." Said Darren, struggling to force calm. He caught Gracie's eye and smiled weakly. "Did you try telling them your dad will violently execute them the second he finds out about this?"
"Do you know me at all? That was literally the first thing I tried." Gracie sighed. She appeared calm, but Darren wasn't fooled. The ghostly expression in her eyes and the way she was spinning the ring she wore on a chain around her neck was a dead giveaway.
"I figured." Said Darren ruefully.
"I don't suppose you can do the telepathy thing yet?" Gracie asked.
"Nope."
"Fuck."
Neither spoke for a while. Darius continued sniffling.
"Look on the bright side." Gracie added darkly, arching an eyebrow. "We're more useful to them if we're alive. Well, I am, anyway.
And I'm sure they'll keep you alive at least til we get to the Hall of Princes. The others will already be in there - they'll have to open the doors somehow."
"That doesn't make me feel any better." Darren groaned.
"It's not supposed to." Gracie shrugged.
"You said look on the bright side!" Darren protested indignantly, then Gracie let out a soft, brittle laugh and he narrowed his eyes. "Are you serious? What could possibly be funny right now?"
"Absolutely nothing. It's just that one minute I was dying of boredom on a conference call at work and telling myself there had to be more to life than that… And the next minute I'm in my second hostage situation of the month." She chuckled.
"Mine too. You're not special." Darren grunted. But he couldn't help crack a weak smile.
"My dads are going to be so pissed at me. You'd think a Prince and General would've been better at setting rules… but neither of them have ever asked me for anything. All they wanted was for me to stay away from the dungeon. I had one job." Gracie sighed, running her hands pensively through her hair as she leaned against the cool, damp rock wall.
"What are they going to do, ground you?" Darren scoffed. "If I get out of this alive, Mr. Crepsley's going to murder me. He was mad enough that I brought Steve here in the first place. Imagine the look on his face when he finds out he was the Vampaneze Lord."
"Fair enough." Said Gracie. "Think they'll let me have your job after Larten drops you on the stakes?"
"Maybe if you run in and spill the beans at the last minute - they love surprises. That's how I got hired." Said Darren drily. And for the first time in living memory, he'd out-sarcasm'd Gracie. They both knew it, and there was one final, weightless moment of laughter before reality settled in and brought a heavy silence with it.
"You know, I'm continuously amazed by how sexist every single vampire in this clan is." Gracie broke the silence eventually.
Darren arched an eyebrow as he stared skeptically across at her.
"You know I fully support gender equality, but is this really the time?"
"I'm trying to tell you Jakob searched you while you were unconscious to make sure you weren't armed, which you weren't. Now guess whether or not he searched me."
Darren's face broke into a bleak grin.
"Are you saying-"
"I still have Arra's dagger strapped to my belt."
Darren drew breath to speak, but the high-pitched squeal of neglected hinges jerked his attention to the door. He glanced once more at Gracie, but her face was unreadable as she caught his eye. He watched her carefully adjust the waist of her loose-fitting black hooded sweatshirt as the door swung open.
Steve Leonard strolled in, thin face alight with a level of brutal, bloodthirsty excitement Darren had never seen on any other living creature. It was comparable only to the way he looked watching from high on the platform in the Cavern of Retribution. Behind him trailed three other vampires Darren vaguely recognized as guards but couldn't think of their names.
"Wow, Shan. I already knew you were a shit detective. But even for you, this is embarrassing!" Steve crowed as he stopped in front of Darren's cell and stared down at him with amusement. Darren felt a slow burn of rage rise up from the deepest part of his soul, and he rose to his feet to look his enemy in the eye.
"Maybe I am." Darren growled, staring up at his friend. "Maybe I am as stupid and naive as you think I am. But at least I'm not you."
"Dad, you have to let us out of here! Your friend hurt Uncle Darren!" Darius whimpered, springing to life at the sight of his father. He scrambled to his feet and ran to the front of the cell, clutching the thick iron bars in his small hands.
Steve turned his back on Darren and knelt on the floor at eye-level with Darius.
"Don't talk to him, Steve. Don't you dare even look at him." Darren ordered, even though he knew it was useless. Steve had never answered to anyone and he wasn't about to start now. He didn't even bother to spare Darren a smirk, or an indifferent glare. He kept his ice-cold eyes trained straight ahead, on his son.
"Oh, my son. My fierce, clever, perfect son. You've been so brave." Steve sighed. There was a wistful smile on his face, and something about those words made Darren's skin crawl.
"I don't want to be part of your plan anymore, Dad. I don't want to be powerful like you or Uncle Darren. I want to go home to Mom." Darius choked out. The tears began to flow again.
"I know you do, Darius. I know this hasn't been easy. But you don't know these vampires like I do. They will never understand you or me. You cannot trust them - especially now that they know you're the son of the Vampaneze Lord." Said Steve. His voice had taken on a soothing, easy cadence. Darren bristled as he vividly recalled falling for that exact tone - hook, line, and sinker. Only to endure the gut-wrenching revelation that his long-lost best friend was so much more lost than Darren could've imagined.
Steve rose to his feet again, glancing back at Darren with the same chilling grin.
"I do believe Mr. Wiles will have had enough time to get the surprise party started down in the tunnels. I hope you don't mind, but I've invited some friends." Said Steve, eyes glowing with excitement as both Darren and Gracie glared razors at him. But their matching looks of resentment only served to fuel the wildfire burning within him.
"They're going to kill you. This isn't going to work." Gracie snapped.
"It already has, Princess." Steve sneered. "I think it's time we take a stroll down to the Hall of Princes and see what the rest of the gang is up to. You've got the keys, don't you? Sire Shan?"
Cross walks and crossed hearts and hope-to-dies
Silver clouds with grey linings
HALL OF PRINCES
The atmosphere was electric. Everything was in place, all there was left to do was welcome the final two Vampaneze Elders, Lars Slater and Evin Ochoa. Once they arrived, the four Elders along with the four Princes would retreat into the meeting room and sign the new peace treaty into effect once and for all.
Mika was restless. That wasn't out of the ordinary for him, but he was eager to get the formalities out of the way and get started on the damage control across both clans - because if there was one thing all of the Princes and Elders agreed on, there'd be parties on either side that wouldn't go quietly into the new era of peace.
For now, Mika and Arrow were seated in their thrones. Vancha was in the meeting room rummaging for something; no doubt trying to kill time seeing as he was just as restless as the others. Shane and Gannen were occupying chairs that had been temporarily placed between the thrones. Kurda was sitting in one of the vacant chairs as well.
There were a few senior Generals milling about the room, including Renley and Hale. Renley had been quiet and detached ever since his attack. His memory loss and the confusing nature of his assault weighed heavily on his mind. He didn't seem interested in talking about it, so Mika discreetly asked Hale to watch Renley's back in case his attacker tried to finish the job. Arrow trusted Hale implicitly and that was good enough for Mika.
Larten, Seba, and Harkat were also among those occupying the Hall of Princes. There were also the guards. There were almost always guards in this room, but on Jakob's orders they'd been standing closer to the Princes than they normally would - merely a precaution.
"Are Slater and Ochoa here yet?" Mika asked Gannen Harst for the third time that night. It was only half-rhetorical.
"They'll get here when they get here, Ver Leth. Don't you have a stack of papers to shuffle? That always seems to calm you down." Gannen replied swiftly.
Mika did a double-take at the straight-faced vampaneze.
"You've known me for a day and a half, Harst. Watch yourself."
"Is he wrong, though?" Arrow smirked at Mika, who rolled his eyes.
"Mika's really not that complicated. I've been telling him that for years." Kurda added breezily, as if they were an old married couple and nothing awful had ever happened. Arrow's face darkened at the lighthearted joke, an unspoken warning for Kurda to mind his place.
Mika normally told Arrow everything, down to the nitty-gritty details. But he knew better than to mention the previous night when Kurda kissed him. Arrow had been civil towards Kurda ever since his return; clan business required professionalism and Arrow took his duty seriously. But on a personal level, there was no repairing the charred bridge that once connected Arrow and Kurda.
"Last I checked in with them, they estimated several more hours." Shane Astor cut in, sensing the tension.
"And when did you last check in with them?" Mika pressed.
"Several hours ago. We are not nearly as accustomed to keeping constant tabs on each other as you vampires are."
"Very useful. Thanks, Astor." Said Mika drily.
"Play nicely." Vancha chided Mika as he emerged from the meeting room. He winked mischievously and cuffed Mika upside the head as he walked past. Mika opened his mouth to retort, but Larten chose that moment to join them on the throne platform.
"Have you seen Darren? He should be here by now." Larten inquired in Mika's direction. The orange-haired vampire looked mostly perturbed (typical) but there was concern on his pale face as well.
"Why would I know where your apprentice is?" Mika sighed.
"He is your colleague. And last I saw him he was with your daughter." Said Larten.
That made Mika pause.
"Come to think of it, where is Gracie?" Mika glanced at Kurda, who shrugged.
"I have not seen them since late yesterday, before we went into our final meeting of the night." Said Larten. "Darren said they were on their way down to the sporting halls to play some games with Darius. Tiring him out seems to alleviate the nightmares he has been having since he arrived."
Mika felt a flicker of unfounded irritation, but didn't let it show on his face. He was glad Gracie and Darren had a friend in each other, but he didn't want her anywhere near the Darius debacle. Mika had nothing against the boy, and wished him well. But he didn't like that Darius was here. Innocent as he was, Darius was part of Steve Leonard. And that didn't sit right.
"Darius has been through far too much for one so young." Gannen spoke up. "I was very concerned when I found out my apprentice had made a half-vampaneze of his son."
"He did not consult you first?" Larten asked, eyes narrowing.
"Of course not. I heavily advised him against it, so he left during the daylight while I was asleep and told me after the fact." Gannen explained bitterly.
Whatever retort Larten uttered never reached Mika's ears. The rest of the world faded to black and the surrounding chatter became unintelligible static as Mika heard Jakob Wiles' voice inside his head.
JW: Let me in. Emergency. We're under attack.
Not even Mika's poker face could take that hit. He went pale as death, and Arrow noticed immediately.
"You good, Mika?"
"None of us are good." Mika heard himself say. His heart rate redlined as pressed his palm into the door panel on his arm rest.
The second Jakob was inside, Mika bolted towards him. Arrow and Vancha followed, snapping urgent questions but Mika ignored them. Jakob was panting so hard he could barely speak, face flushed and beaded with sweat like he'd finished a marathon.
"Talk to me, Wiles. What the hell is going on?" Mika shouted.
"Vampire Mountain is under attack!" Jakob choked out, the second Mika was within earshot. "The vampaneze… they're invading the lower tunnels… at least a hundred. I've already sent every guard I could… and the Generals… Sires, we're at war again."
"The Elders are leading an invasion! It was a trap!" Arrow bellowed before anyone else could speak up. Six feet away, Mika could feel the fury emanating from him. Arrow rounded on Shane and Gannen, who appeared just as stunned as the vampires.
"You think we put in all that work just to turn on you? Is your opinion of us still that low?!" Shane fired back, seething.
"Gannen, did you know this was going to happen? Did the other Elders lead them here?" Vancha demanded, voice low and harsh as he faced his brother.
But Gannen's face was ashen and devoid of expression as he shook his head at Vancha.
"I am reaching for Lars and Evin through our mental connection, but I feel nothing. They're dead… and recently so." Gannen murmured. There was a tremor to his voice that didn't bode well.
"They were probably killed by the invaders on route to the mountain!" Jakob interrupted desperately, wild eyes darting around the room at impossible speeds. "These vampaneze are rogues, they didn't come here to serve the Elders."
"They're trying to stop the peace treaty before it happens. Harkat, go find Darren and Gracie. Once they're back in the Hall of Princes, Vancha, Arrow and I will join the defence efforts in the tunnels." Mika interjected grimly, glancing from Vancha, to Arrow, to Kurda. Each looked more troubled than the next. Harkat nodded obediently and left the Hall. Once Harkat was out, Vancha sealed the door behind him.
"I'm not waiting for anything!" Arrow shouted, eyes alight with bloodlust. "We have a mountain to defend! Who's with me?"
A cheer went up from the handful of Generals scattered around the room at Arrow's battlecry, but Mika's eyes were on Jakob. His face had gone from red to stark white, and his eyes were haunted as he stared back at Mika.
"Sire, wait. As I was helping my colleagues drive the vampaneze back, I heard them say - they - they're here to break out the prisoner -"
The room erupted into chaos again. Larten swore so magnificently it put both Mika and Vancha's notorious cussing skills to shame.
"Charna's fucking guts." Mika groaned. "Alright Wiles, take every spare guard you can find and station them around the dungeon."
But Jakob didn't move. He appeared frozen in place, staring back at Mika with the same dazed expression.
"What are you waiting for?!" Mika snapped incredulously.
Jakob's lips were moving but it took him a moment more to find the words.
"Mika… the vampaneze leading the attack said they're here on the orders of Kurda Smahlt." He croaked at last.
Mika's blood turned cold.
It was happening again.
This can't be happening again.
We are the jack-o-lanterns in July setting fire to the sky
Here, here comes this rising tide, so come on
Put on your war paint
The others were shouting back and forth in panic but their words blended together into a senseless cacophony Mika couldn't process. All he could do was stand paralyzed like a hunted animal, cornered with nowhere to run.
It was happening again.
Mika was no longer trying to mask his emotions as he turned to face Kurda. What was left to hide after he'd been ripped to the bone, every nerve left raw and exposed in front of the whole world for the second time? What was left after this?
He saw his own heartbreak mirrored in Kurda's eyes as they stared at each other across the invisible divide. But Kurda didn't look solemn and remorseful like when Darren exposed him. He was shaking his head frantically, eyes wide in panic as he fought to get the words out.
"Mika, no! This wasn't me! I swear it wasn't! I don't know what he's talking about. I wouldn't do this to you." Kurda choked out. As he stepped closer and reached out, Mika instinctively took a step backwards, shaking his head.
"You already fucking did it to me, Kurda!" The words exploded from his throat with so much burning venom, he could practically taste blood as he spat them out. And when all of that painstakingly rebuilt trust imploded into itself, the shattered pieces tore every old scar open again. Seven years of healing came down to nothing.
"Think about what you're saying!" Kurda's voice shook but didn't break. "Why would I coordinate an attack to threaten the peace treaty?! It doesn't make sense! Someone's framing me!"
"Did I not warn all of you that taking Leonard as a war prisoner had the potential to turn disastrous?!" Larten roared, drowning out Kurda's voice. "He is attacking us from the inside-out, and using our own to do it!"
A chorus of troubled murmurs rippled through the crowd as Kurda turned to face him.
"Larten, how could you say that? You were there in the Cavern of Retribution when Leonard stood up and told his clan that my ideals were a cancer! And are all of you forgetting Leonard coordinated an attack on Gracie? She's my daughter too!"
"And why would any of us ever believe another word out of your mouth? It's the vampaneze who never lie! All we know is we can't trust you! And I know what I heard!" Jakob cut Kurda off. Jakob advanced in what was clearly intended to be a threatening gesture, but Kurda didn't yield to him. He stood straight-backed and defiant in the face of his accuser. Jakob seemed to shrink under Kurda's gaze, but didn't look away.
"You seem to know a lot, Wiles." Kurda addressed the wide-eyed guard captain coolly. Jakob drew breath to snap back at him-
"Enough!" Vancha's whip-sharp voice cut through the chaos. "Arrow, gather the Generals and lead the defence of the tunnels. Mika and I will stay here and get to the bottom of this."
The Generals nodded and departed as Vancha instructed, but Arrow didn't budge. He remained standing between Mika and Kurda, passionate fury twisting his face.
"I'm not going anywhere!" Arrow roared at Vancha, drops of spittle flying from his mouth. "Seven years ago we let the traitor walk free, and look where we are! I don't trust you or Mika to finish the job. I'm not leaving this room until Smahlt's dead!"
"Arrow, use your head! What would Kurda have to gain by putting in all this work just to turn on us?" Vancha hollered back, lightning flashing in his dark eyes as he stared Arrow down. But there was a shade of fear there too. "Surely you cannot be this thick! On the very night we're set to enter the era of peace Kurda risked everything for, you think he'd throw all that away to send us back to war?! THINK!"
Arrow didn't have a retort. His outrage faltered visibly at Vancha's defence, but he didn't entirely let his guard down. His eyes darted between Kurda, Jakob, and Vancha. He seemed to be pointedly not looking at Mika. But Arrow's grudge was the last thing on Mika's mind as Jakob's gaze landed on him.
"Sires, please. He's been working for them since the start!" Jakob croaked. "Can't you see? His plan failed last council, so he set the trap a second time because he thinks we're all too stupid to see through him! He's trying to use you again, Mika."
"Silence, Wiles." Vancha barked. "Go check on the prisoner."
"I've already doubled the guards around him, Sire." Jakob affirmed. "Only the best."
Vancha nodded grimly, but there was a shade of suspicion in his shrewd eyes.
"Mika. Look at me." Kurda's voice was the quietest in the room but it drowned out all the noise in Mika's head. His eyes followed the voice until stormy grey locked onto ocean blue, and the last of the chaos faded into the background.
"What's going on?" As hard as Mika tried to fortify his voice with the harsh, battle-ready edge he kept on standby, all he could hear was plaintive desperation.
"I don't know." Said Kurda, low and urgent. "Listen to me. You know this accusation doesn't make sense-"
"How dare you address the Princes, you snake?" Jakob scoffed from Mika's right side, his breathing rough and jagged with emotion. "You have to believe me, Mika! I trusted you to keep me safe while we were at war. Now please, trust me like I trusted you-"
"Shut your mouth." Kurda cut Jakob off deftly without even looking at him. And there was a defiant, authoritative undertone in his voice that Mika had never heard. The determination in Kurda's eyes and voice was unyielding. Even when his voice faltered it didn't break. "Mika, you know someone here is lying… and I know you know it's not me."
"Mika, don't listen to him! It's all a lie! He turned on you!" Shouted a third voice. Abrupt, louder and more frantic than any that came before, cracking through the suffocating silence that had fallen. The words made landfall like a hurricane and Mika felt his soul break and die all over again. He was facing away from the others, but there was no mistaking Renley's voice.
Mika hadn't even noticed that Renley didn't leave when the other Generals did. And even though Renley was standing behind him, the visceral conviction in his voice was all Mika needed to hear. With the edges of his vision blurring in fear, Mika slowly turned. And as he looked to the source of the accusation, he saw that Renley's shaking hand was pointing not at Kurda… but at Jakob Wiles.
"I remember now! I remember everything! You're trying to stop the treaty! You intended to seek out the vampaneze who'd oppose peace, and you tried to drag me into it!" Renley roared at the top of his lungs, teeth bared in a snarl as his eyes shot daggers at the guard captain before him.
"I think you're confused, General Azerion. The vampaneze don't lie. But we already know that Smahlt is perfectly capable." Jakob retorted, glaring Renley's daggers right back at him. But there was a vein bulging in Jakob's temple, and his jaw twitched - and Mika saw it.
Renley's shrewd, battle-hardened face reddened in outrage. There was no trace of his typical unflappable demeanour as he advanced quickly on Jakob.
"You're the only liar here, Wiles. I remember it all now! You thought I'd help you! But when I told you I was going to expose you to the Princes, you tried to kill me!" Renley hissed. Furious as he was, his eyes were alight with vindication. Because he finally remembered.
Silence. Impossibly deafening silence as Renley's words hit their mark. Jakob's face was grey.
Mika turned to face Renley directly, limbs tingling. He felt his lips moving, but he had to fight to get the words out.
"Ren, are you sure?" Mika finally rasped, knowing it was a redundant question. Renley's eyes said it all.
Renley approached, chiselled jaw stiff with determination. He squeezed Mika's shoulder hard. The fire and fury in his eyes softened but didn't fade as he looked at Mika.
"You know how I feel about Kurda. I know how you feel about Kurda. And you know how I feel about you. I wouldn't stand here and defend him here and now unless I was damn sure." Renley murmured, neither breaking eye contact nor relaxing his vice grip on Mika's shoulder.
Mika nodded numbly. But something shifted as Renley's affirmation cut through the chaos. When Mika looked back at Kurda he felt like he could breathe again. And only when his body relaxed did Mika dimly register that Renley had let go of his shoulder and stepped back.
Kurda was standing there in the same spot, waiting for Mika's eyes to find his once again. And when they did, this time it was Kurda's that were clouded with heartbreak and disappointment.
"I'm sorry." Mika tripped over the words, a rare occurrence for him. Tripped because he knew they didn't help. The revelation that upended his world seven years ago was not, and had never been the whole truth. He knew better now. All that healing wasn't worthless. The rebuilt trust was real. And yet, in the face of a baseless accusation, Mika's knee-jerk reaction was to look Kurda in the eye and say, "Yeah. That sounds like something you'd do".
Kurda shook his head sadly. But there was nothing more Mika could say. He couldn't keep his undivided attention on Kurda any more than he could on the night of the ruined investiture. Because, then and now, there were fucking vampaneze in the basement.
Mika took a deep breath and refocused. This time, it wasn't hard. Gritty determination and sheer rage were taking over. His hollow, heartbroken shell lay discarded once and for all. Sire Ver Leth was back in control now. And he'd never let himself inhabit that weak, powerless vessel ever again.
"Is it true, Wiles?" Mika growled as he squared up with his protege. "Did you fuck me over after I trusted you with the most important assignment I've ever given anyone? When you looked me in the eye and told me you had it handled, did you already know this was going to happen?"
"Sire, please! General Azerion suffered a terrible head injury. His memory is unreliable. I have no idea what he's talking about!" Jakob was stammering, and that told Mika everything he needed to know.
"LOOK AT ME! You hate the vampaneze! What do they have over you?" Mika was full-on interrogating him now. The last of the fog cleared, leaving the chilling truth in plain view. They were all in grave, immediate danger. Harkat still hadn't returned, which meant Gracie was still roaming the mountain somewhere. Mika had no way to get in immediate contact with her.
"You're done. It's over." Renley goaded Jakob, venom dripping from the words. "Tell him what you've been hiding or I'll do it for you."
"It wasn't me! Please, Mika. You know me better than this! Azerion's confused, or lying! He must be in on it with Smahlt!" Jakob protested. Mika could practically hear the younger man's heartbeat rattling his ribcage. It was all so clear now. The wheels were coming off and whatever this was, it was blowing up in Jakob's face. Mika felt a pang of nausea as he recalled the previous night when he'd looked this man in the eye and confided his fears - all so Jakob could bring those fears to life.
"Go to hell, Wiles. You're pathetic." Renley's ruggedly handsome face was twisted into a mask of disgust as he looked to Vancha, Arrow, Kurda, then finally Mika and shouted, "The Vampaneze Lord isn't dead. He's our war prisoner."
The silence that followed was so all-consuming it was as if the world stopped turning.
Leonard.
Steve Leonard.
The Vampaneze Lord had been pulling the strings from inside Vampire Mountain this whole time.
So we can take the world back from a heart attack
One maniac at a time we will take it back
You know time crawls on when you're waiting for the song to start
So dance alone to the beat of your heart
"You… you sold us out! I trusted you!" Mika roared. This time the words left his throat aching with fury rather than fear. It stemmed from the very core of his soul. He launched himself at Jakob and slammed him roughly into the wooden pew behind them, pinning him there. "I built you up from nothing! When you were too stupid and inexperienced to tell your right from your left, I gave you a chance! When you lost Arlo, I held you as you screamed! When you fought your way back from that, I honoured your resilience with responsibility I thought you'd earned! How deep does this run, Wiles? Who else is in it with you?"
"No one else! It was only me! He threatened me! I had no choice!
"LIAR!"
Jakob finally gave up trying to hold onto the remaining tatters of his facade. There were desolate tears streaming down his face now as he stared up at Mika, shaking his head bitterly. Hatefully.
"Arlo didn't die for this! He didn't take that bullet so you could walk away with your life and use it to destroy this clan from the inside out! I'd rather serve a Lord that sees honour in bloodshed than a Prince that rolls over and surrenders to the enemy." Jakob panted, every syllable tarnished by the hatred he was no longer masking. "You're the traitor here, Sire. Not me."
"Is that what you think the treaty is? A surrender? Jakob, you have no fucking idea what you've done!" Mika shouted in his face, roughly shaking the young man's shoulders as though that would somehow trigger a system reset and bring back the Jakob he thought he knew.
"Did you know?!" Vancha bellowed at the top of his lungs from the other direction. Mika whipped around to see him advancing on Gannen, eyes wild. And as different as it was, Mika knew Vancha was experiencing the same moment of panic-stricken devastation Mika felt when Wiles put the blame on Kurda's head.
Gannen's guarded face darkened, and he took a step back from Vancha.
"Brother, it's more complicated than you realize-"
"DID YOU KNOW, HARST?!" This time it was Shane Astor shouting. He too had rounded on Gannen, latching his hands around the shoulders of his fellow vampaneze as he forced eye contact.
"Of course I knew!" Gannen spat, sounding strangely devastated rather than defensive. He shoved Shane away and faced Vancha. There was a hitch to Gannen's voice Mika didn't know how to read. "I didn't ask for this, and I hate myself for being connected to him! But the prophecy was clear - I didn't have a choice! I was bound against my will to defend him at all costs, which included keeping his secret."
"That's why you bargained with his life in the Cavern of Retribution. You hinged your cooperation on us keeping him alive." Kurda murmured. Mika could see the gears in his mind whirring as he swiftly pieced together the missing pieces that had been hidden until now.
"And why you asked us to keep him prisoner indefinitely. You wanted to cut him off from both clans, to distance yourself. And as long as he was alive, you weren't in violation of the prophecy." Arrow added hollowly. His righteous anger had dissipated - now he looked so stunned he barely seemed to know where he was.
"And your role in the treaty? Was it real, Gannen? Do you truly believe in peace, or did you just need to get into the mountain?" Vancha croaked, transfixed on his brother. There was a strangely plaintive note in his voice that Mika had never heard there before. But he understood it. Love comes in many forms, and all of them are complicated. And Vancha's love for his brother was every bit as tangled as what Mika still felt for Kurda.
Gannen's face was still unreadable as drew breath to speak. He never got a chance.
Mika sensed movement behind him and suddenly he knew what was about to happen, but he didn't have time to defend himself before the guards, the fucking guards he gave Jakob Wiles the honour, the privilege, the responsibility of coordinating, descended around them. It became vividly clear how premeditated this truly was.
For one single moment the Hall of Princes exploded into chaos and bloodshed. Mika killed the first guard that touched him with a reflexive, lethal blow to the temple. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Vancha and Arrow dispatch one each and injure three between them. Mika turned to attack another -
CRACK.
The unmistakable sound of a bullet fired from a gun, made even harsher by the way it echoed off the smooth domed walls of the Hall of Princes. So percussive it debilitated the heightened senses of every vampire in the room. Mika automatically tried to scan the room searching for the source of the noise, but his vision went black as he winced in agony. The world slowed down for a second, and that second was all it took for someone to take hold of his arms violently, twist them behind his back and force him to his knees. When his senses sharpened, he acknowledged the feeling of a cold metal ring pressing into the top of his head. An icy chill ran down his spine and he froze in place.
They all had guns.
It had been a warning shot; the man who'd fired it was standing in the centre of the room. His arm was still raised above his head, holding the smoking pistol aloft. He too was cringing from the sound, but unlike the stunned captives he'd been ready for it. Every single guard in this room had been ready for it, while the others were blindsided and left defenceless.
Now there they all were - Mika, Vancha, Arrow, Kurda, Larten, Renley, Gannen, and Shane. All on their knees, each with two guards at their backs. One to hold their arms. One to hold the gun to their heads.
"TRAITORS! Every single one of you is a disgrace to your position!" Vancha snarled up at his captors, panting in rage. "Bloody cowards! Plotting against your Princes and cheating our weaponry laws because you know the entire lot of you couldn't handle the three of us! You'll all die on the stakes for this!"
"Shut your mouth, Sire March." growled the guard at his back, shaking him roughly. Vancha let loose a volley of violent threats and obscenities Arrow, Larten, and Renley immediately joined in the chorus. Mika held his tongue with great difficulty; relieved to see none of them were trying to physically fight back against their captors. No vampire was immune to a bullet to the skull. A single shift of the trigger, and they'd be of no further use to the clan they were sworn to defend. Mika looked away from them, trying to catch Kurda's eye. But Kurda's stare was fixed on Jakob, eyes blazing with wrath.
"So this was your game plan, Wiles? To pin your treachery on me and watch as the clan goes right back to war? If you thought that would work, you still don't understand why I did it the first time." Kurda murmured. His voice was low, but it carried. The quiet spite in his voice simmered with more rage than all the others combined. It gave Mika goosebumps.
"Any honourable vampire would rather die fighting than stand behind you in peace. You've never understood that. And that's why you've never belonged here." Jakob spat. The contrast between Jakob's unrestrained vengeance and Kurda's icy composure was chilling.
"I remember you having some thoughts about the vampaneze allowing their human soldiers to use guns. Do you think Arlo would be proud of you? Manipulating fully-blooded vampires into defying our ancient laws of combat?" Mika challenged Jakob. He felt a glimmer of satisfaction as Jakob seemed to flinch at the acidic disgust in his voice.
"Every single one of these brave men consented to bending the rules for the greater good!" Jakob fired back, gesturing wildly at the guards. "The gods will forgive us for firing a bullet or two if it keeps you from dismantling everything your predecessors stood for, and calling it peace! Think about the Princes that came before you! Would they be proud of this?"
"He's leading his own version of the Last Stand." Shane Astor muttered.
"Does that make your movement the Second Last Stand?" Vancha replied darkly.
"Never. We risked everything to defy the prophecy. We wanted security, even if it meant clan unity. This man is merely a puppet of the Lord we thought we killed. It seems they've found common ground in bloodlust." Astor explained seriously. His eyes narrowed as he looked to Jakob. "You are a disgrace to your clan! Blood-traitors, all of you."
"When do I get to shoot this purple-skinned sack of shit?" Growled the guard restraining Shane.
"The orders were clear! Keep them alive until instructed otherwise. Don't touch Astor. The Lord will want to speak to the man who committed treason against his own." Jakob growled, then his face brightened with a grim smile. "And there he is now."
A familiar hum came from the doorway and Mika's heart sank. Darren was the only Prince left who could open this door from the other side.
"Darren, don't! Get out of here!" Vancha's panic-stricken voice echoed off the walls as he too realized what was happening.
The doors parted, and Larten let out a gasp of shock and dismay. Darren walked in, or more accurately was dragged in. It was clear he'd fought his captors every step of the way. Half his face was covered in a bruise that seemed to be darkening by the second. He was heavily restrained with a rogue vampire guard on one side and Steve Leonard - the true Lord of the Fucking Vampaneze - on the other.
Hey young blood, doesn't it feel like our time is running out?
I'm gonna change you like a remix
Then I'll raise you like a phoenix
Leonard was glowing, his face alive with sick delight as he laid eyes on the sight before him. But there was more to the entourage. Several feet away, Kurda made a strangled gasping sound while Mika felt his own heart drop into his stomach. There were two other guards with them, bringing the total to three more rogues they hadn't accounted for. Mika immediately recognized them as Soren and Ammon. And the one escorting Darren was Vandar. The three guards who'd attacked Gannen and Shane upon their arrival. The three guards Jakob had taken to the dungeon.
Mika hadn't just asked, he'd ordered Gracie was to distance herself from this. Mika didn't give her orders lightly, so he assumed she'd take it seriously. But all she wanted was to be a good friend to Darren, the only soul in this place who knew what it was like to be a kid in this world. And because of her fierce loyalty and determination, Mika's deepest fear was coming true for the second time in a month. But how could he fault her for that?
In true Gracie form, she looked more pissed off than scared. She was glaring at her captor with a gaze so icy the air seemed to cool. But Mika knew all of her subtle mannerisms. He saw right through her tough front, because he was hiding behind the same one. But the second she caught his eye she seemed to crumble from the inside-out. Even from across the room he could see her lips form the words "I'm sorry."
He shook his head slowly, hoping the subtle gesture would tell her no, you have nothing to be sorry for, I'm the one who's sorry, it's all my fault , you shouldn't even be here-
"Now this is a magnificent view!" Leonard gloated as he led the guards to the front of the room "What I'd give to be able to take a picture. The mighty Princes of the vampire clan on their knees in a nice little row… bowing to the Lord of the Vampaneze himself. Doesn't get much better than that."
"We will never bow to you!" Arrow roared. Mika winced but all he could do was watch helplessly as Arrow broke free of his captors and flew at Leonard. Another deafening gunshot and Arrow crumbled to the floor. The moment of blind terror was short lived; he staggered to his feet and as he was restrained and forced back to his knees once more, Mika got a clear view of both the entry and exit wound in Arrow's upper arm. Just a flesh wound. That in itself wasn't enough to kill an adult vampire in their prime, but it sure wouldn't give him an advantage.
MVL: This isn't the time to die reckless. We need you here.
Arrow shot Mika a sideways glance out of haunted, hateful eyes. Mika hadn't seen that look on his face since Kurda's first trial.
"And yet, here you are. On your knees at my feet." Leonard sneered at Arrow. Then he cast his manic gaze around the Hall of Princes and inhaled deeply as though he was trying to breathe in the ancient magic of the room itself.
As he preoccupied himself with that, Mika nudged Arrow telepathically again.
MVL: Mind-link with Hale. Have her gather the Generals and wait outside the Hall. One of us will find a way to get to the control panels and re-open the doors. Tell Vancha.
Arrow nodded numbly.
"Congratulations. You lied your way in here by breaking your clan's moral code. Hell of a Lord you are." Vancha spat, visibly shaking with rage.
"When did I lie to you, Mr. March? I was down for a nap when Darren hand-delivered me here on a silver platter! If you felt that strongly, you had every opportunity to kill me before that happened." Said Steve with an air of annoying rationality.
"You told us the Vampaneze Lord was holding my sister's child over your head! What was I supposed to do?! Risk missing what could've been my only chance at finding him?" Darren bellowed. Then he let out a harsh gasp of pain as his escorting guard sent him reeling with a punch to the temple.
"I'm sorry, Uncle Darren!" Darius whimpered.
"Don't apologize to him." Steve barked at his son. He shot the boy a withering glare, and Darius shrank away fearfully.
"You never should have dragged the child into this. It was cruel and unnecessary. War is no place for a child." Gannen murmured low and steady, speaking up for the first time since Leonard arrived.
"If I wanted your opinion, I'd ask. We'd still be in the fucking wilderness somewhere if I took your advice! You're mine, Harst. I own you. And you were a fool to forget it even for a second." Leonard sneered at his mentor, eyes dancing with malicious amusement.
The silver-haired man cast his gaze around the vast room once again, and his smile widened further yet.
"You have to admit, this is a little bit funny. All your heightened security in case the vampaneze side goes rogue at the last minute… you barely trusted them and yet they're right there on the floor with you!" Leonard chortled. "The amount of faith you place in your subordinates made it almost too easy. You really thought a vote would put it to rest forever? Time to face the truth, Sires. Your clan was built for bloodshed. You don't have to agree. We won't be needing you anyway."
"Kill us here and now if you want. It changes nothing. There will always be courageous, true-hearted vampaneze and vampires that will rise against the insanity you call leadership. Your secret is out. The decoy trick won't save you a second time." Said Astor, voice laden with emotion.
"Shane Astor, is that you?" Leonard grinned as he peered down at the stone-faced vampaneze. "You sure thought you created a revolution. That must've been a thrilling five minutes."
"Astor has more honour in his little finger than you do in your entire body. You're an insult to the vampaneze." Kurda growled.
Steve let out a loud, harsh scoff and rolled his eyes.
"This gets better and better! The fact that Smahlt's still alive tells me everything I need to know about the state of the vampire clan. I'm offended that any of you would think for even one minute I'd work with him. Please." Leonard threw his head back and laughed; the sound was cold and sharp like fragmented ice."You're all right about one thing, though. It took you a hot minute to figure it out, but Mr. Wiles is pretty pathetic."
"You'd still be rotting in the dungeon without me." Jakob grunted, reddening. "My men didn't have an easy time flitting across the continent rounding up your supporters. Much less tracking down all those vampets to borrow their firepower."
"Cheating, treacherous scum!" Arrow snarled. Leonard made a deft hand gesture at the guards restraining Arrow, and the armed one dealt a crushing blow to the back of Arrow's head with the handle of the gun. Arrow let out a roar of pain, but Leonard paid him no further attention.
"Credit where credit is due, Wiles. You played your part adequately. But don't expect an award for your performance." Leonard continued flippantly. "When we go back to war I can't imagine either side's going to want you. Hope the fifteen minutes of fame was worth it."
"Was it, Wiles? Was it worth this?" Mika chipped in, dead-eyeing his disgraced protege. Jakob held his gaze but it appeared to be a struggle for him.
"It will be." He muttered before turning his back to Mika.
"I'm bored. Enough small talk!" Leonard barked. He clapped his hands with childlike enthusiasm that paired eerily with the bloodlust in his smile. The glow from the Hall of Princes seemed to reflect off his icy blue eyes, exposing the true scope of the manic, unhinged rage that lived within him.
He stopped about a foot away from Gracie. He tilted his head to the side, running his tongue over his teeth as he looked her up and down. Mika tensed instinctively and the guard pressed the gun barrel into his head even harder, silently reminding Mika he was powerless.
"You don't need her for whatever you're trying to pull here, Leonard." Said Mika. He spoke as quietly and non-threateningly as he could. He wasn't even close to having the upper hand in this situation, and he couldn't protect Gracie if he was killed for fighting back. Not to mention she'd have to witness it. But he couldn't sit passively either - "You already have us where you want us. Let the guards walk me to the door. I'll open it and let her out of this room, then I'll close it again. You have my word I won't try anything."
Leonard spared Mika half a glance, nose wrinkled in disdain and condescension.
"Right. Because if I had any intention of compromising here tonight, I'd make allowances for you. Know your place, tough guy." His words dripped with ugly sarcasm. The sound of it hit Mika like a gut punch, and for a moment he wondered if his own voice sounded so casually cruel when he himself deflected severity with sarcasm.
Leonard's eyes lingered on Mika's stony face for a moment more, then Kurda's, before snapping back to Gracie. She didn't shrink away. She stared back at him with immovable resentment.
"You look even better without those bars blocking my view." Leonard remarked, punctuating it with a wink. "Even if you weren't useful to me, I think I'd still keep you around. What's a Lord without a Lady?"
Mika immediately forgot his precautionary words to Arrow about this being no time to die recklessly. Blind fury eclipsed logic and Mika instinctively moved to scramble to his feet, ready to break his captor's grip and charge headlong into Leonard and rip his heart from his chest, no matter how many bullets he took along the way. He could survive a few rounds to the chest. Surely the guards, inexperienced with firearms, wouldn't have good enough aim to make a lethal headshot once Mika was more than a few feet away. But before he could break free, a violent impact to the back of his head sent him crumbling to the floor instead. Lights popped and flashed in his vision as his eyes watered in agony.
"Move again and I pull the trigger." The guard growled into his ear. And Mika was powerless to do anything but lay with his face pressed against the cold floor with one eye on Gracie.
Her expression never wavered. In one swift motion, she drew back and took a merciless swing at Leonard's face. She hadn't had nearly enough time to start honing her new vampiric strength to its full potential, but Leonard still thought he was dealing with a human. His guard was down and her punch was solid. Leonard went reeling back, and when he recovered his balance there was a thin trail of blood trickling from his nose.
Mika felt a grim sense of pride buried in the moment of terror that ensued. He'd taught her how to throw a perfect punch years ago. She picked those skills up so quickly, and Mika felt honoured to pass them on to her - while simultaneously living in fear of the day she might have to use them.
Leonard didn't look angry as he straightened up and reassessed. If anything, the punch seemed to have endeared him even further.
"Damn, half-vampire already? Your boyfriend's body is barely cold." He smirked, still smiling as he wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand. "Too bad you already picked your side, Princess. You would've made a hell of a vampaneze."
Her face glazed over with the same deep, burning fury Mika felt when he faced Jakob.
"Get fucked, Stephen." Gracie replied through gritted teeth as dead-eyed him.
Mika winced, and he heard Kurda groan in dismay a few feet away. Do not under any circumstances take shit from anyone ever was a concept they'd instilled in Gracie since she was old enough to understand words. They didn't think to add a footnote that specified but maybe don't push your luck in a hostage situation. But Mika knew in his heart that she was safe for now. Like the night she'd been attacked in the city, they wouldn't harm her. Not yet. As long as Mika was alive, there was potential to use her as leverage against him. And that didn't make him feel any better, but it did buy some time.
Leonard seemed to have lost interest in Gracie for the time being. He turned his back on her and began to walk slowly up the aisle towards the throne platform, arms aloft as he revelled in the spotlight.
"Noble Princes of Vampire Mountain! I suppose you're wondering why I've gathered you all here today, and why I've kept you alive thus far. I'll admit I don't need all of you for the next step… but I thought you should bear witness to it. More for my own amusement than anything else."
"This has gone too far!" Larten bellowed, thrashing against his captor. "Your quarrel is with me, and me alone. If you have even a shred of dignity, duel me now and be done with it!"
Leonard paused, turned back around and gave Larten the same scathing sneer he'd given Mika. He knelt on the floor, eye to eye with Larten.
"You still think you can call the shots just because you're on your home turf." He laughed viciously. "Here's the thing, Creepy. Taking your life has nothing on what I'm about to do next. You're not even a Prince! You're nothing but a circus act! That's all you've ever been."
"Fight me, then!" Darren bellowed, fighting against his restraints just as his mentor had. A futile effort. "Stop playing and fight me, Steve! I'm the one who struck the deal for your life twice. I'm the one who left you behind when we were kids. We both know it was always meant to come down to this. This has only ever been about us."
Leonard straightened, and rotated on the spot to face Darren again. He looked truly, sickeningly at ease in this situation. All eyes on him, basking in the fear and hatred coming from all sides.
"I don't know if you've noticed, but I've levelled up in the world. The prospect of fighting you to the death simply doesn't thrill me like it used to! But taking your precious mountain from the inside out? Re-igniting the war you thought was over, and commanding it from within the Hall of Princes itself? That thrills me."
Wearing our vintage misery
No, I think it looked a little better on me
A feral roar exploded from Vancha, followed by an equally feral snarl of pain as the guards slammed him to the floor.
"Are you insane?!" Arrow shouted, red-faced. "Send your clan back to war if you want it so badly! We'll fight you til our last drop of blood! But you have no power over the Hall of Princes. If you killed all four of us now, you'll starve to death here. Because those doors don't give a damn if you're the Lord of the Vampaneze. They will never open for you."
Leonard stared down his nose at Arrow with cruel amusement while Arrow glared back at him with fiery hatred.
"I never said I expected them to open for me." Leonard smirked. He glanced back at Darius, and motioned for the boy to approach him. But when the guard released him, Darius ran to Darren's side. Leonard's eyes narrowed shrewdly, and for a moment he appeared to struggle to keep his temper in check. But then he smiled coldly at his son and his old friend.
"Bring them both." He told the guards. They nodded curtly to him, and steered Darren and Darius up the aisle in the direction of the throne platform. Darren continued to resist violently every step of the way, while Darius appeared more disassociated with every step he took.
"It's not going to work, Steve!" Darren panted. Tears of fury steamed from his eyes but his voice didn't waver. "If I try to reblood him as a vampire you'll kill us both!"
"You were right about one thing. His life is a bet I'm willing to take. I might not have been so hasty if he hadn't sold his own father out." Leonard sneered, winking. He reached down and squeezed his son's shoulder far too tightly.
His eyes travelled slowly, purposefully down the line of hostages. When they landed on Gannen, they lit up with madness. Gannen's face remained frustratingly unreadable and in that moment Mika felt he couldn't even take an educated guess at where the sullen vampaneze's loyalties truly lay. Unlike his brother, he played his cards close to his chest.
"You know what's next for you, Gannen. I don't want you as my enemy." Leonard murmured. His voice took on a tone that contrasted strangely with his typical flippant malice. He addressed Gannen with more gravity than any of the others. And despite all contradicting evidence, it seemed there'd been mutual trust and respect between them at some point. How much of that remained was anyone's guess.
Gannen said nothing. He remained statue-faced and motionless as he stared up at his rogue apprentice, as though waiting for a cue.
"I'm going to have this guard let you go. And I order you to rise to your feet and take your place at my side where you belong. Fall in line here and now, and I'm willing to overlook your lapse of judgement." Leonard told Gannen quietly. "I believe you wanted to help your brother lead both clans into whatever pipe dream you concocted. But I know you, Gannen. You're a true vampaneze through to the core. The prophecy was clear, and your destiny is to serve me without question. Do you understand?"
Gannen nodded mutely.
"Gannen, don't. A truly honourable vampaneze wouldn't be part of this. To hell with the prophecy!" Vancha croaked, still pressed against the floor. He was staring uneasily up at his brother out of the corner of his eye.
"Is it still talking?!" Leonard scoffed. He rolled his eyes in Vancha's direction before refocusing on Gannen. "It's time now. Take your rightful place."
Leonard gave a deft hand signal, and the two guards around Gannen removed their hands and took several steps backwards.
Time stood still. The only sound in the room was Darius's fearful sniffling and Vancha's ragged gasps.
"Rise and serve your Lord." Leonard ordered Gannen in that same tone of quiet vindication.
Gannen slowly straightened and rose to his feet until he stood straight-backed before his Lord.
"Well done." Said Leonard softly. "That's step one. I know you already know what step two is." He smiled again, looking past Gannen now. His eyes landed on the guards holding Vancha. A deft nod from Leonard, and Vancha was dragged up from the floor and forcibly held on his knees.
Leonard placed his hand on Gannen's shoulder and gently steered him so he was facing his brother directly. Leonard's smile somehow widened further yet as he reached for his belt and withdrew the long knife that was strapped there. He slipped the blade into Gannen's hand, and Mika felt a cold chill of foreboding.
"Go ahead, Gannen. Prune the ugliest branch of the family tree and I'll never question your loyalty again. You know you want to. Come on! I'll even let you have his throne."
Neither brother spoke. Neither even breathed as they stood there. Mika suspected the hall could've started collapsing them and neither would've noticed. There was only the angry, desolate tear that trickled from Vancha's eye as he looked up at his brother.
"Kill him, Gannen." Leonard hissed. "It's him or you."
Gannen took a deep, steadying breath.
Shane, Larten, Darren, and Arrow were shouting in panic, a clamour of barely coherent pleas, bargains, and threats punctuated by violent warnings from their captors not to try anything. Mika looked to Kurda; but his wide blue eyes were trained only on Gannen and his face was unreadable.
Slowly, mechanically, Gannen took a step towards his brother with his knife aloft.
"May we be triumphant, brother." Gannen whispered.
And with one smooth motion, Gannen raised his arm. His blade reflected the glow from the domed walls as it sliced through the air towards Vancha's unprotected neck.
Vancha drew back, evading the blade by mere inches. But Gannen didn't falter. His body rotated in a smooth 360 degree turn on the spot, with all the lethal, effortless grace of the leopard his ex-assistant wanted so badly to embody. The very universe itself seemed to hold its breath as Gannen's blade arced in a clear path to the Vampaneze Lord's exposed throat.
I'm gonna change you like a remix
Then I'll raise you like a phoenix