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Fate and Blood, 50 percent Solution	By : HimeAndi Category: S through Z > The Saga of Darren Shan Views: 1359 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: All characters used without permission and are owned by respective Creators . See contect for specific copyright

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
Various required disclaimers, too long to be posted properly:

Cirque du Freak created and held by Darren Shan and various world publishers. All characters are used without permission. HimeAndi makes no money from this story.

Shattered Glass created and held by Elaine Bergstrom, soon to be re-released as self published material. All characters are used without permission. HimeAndi makes no money from this story

Twilight is owned and held by Stephenie Meyer, published by Little and Brown. All characters are used without permission. HimeAndi makes no money from this story.

Basic Instinct is held by Carolco Pictures. All characters are used without permission; HimeAndi makes not money from this story. (yes I said Basic Instinct!)

Sabelle Simone held by the author, please contact for any possible use (Right...)
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Darren turned away from the louver he had been peeking through. He was shocked and confused; he would never have thought his cold and sometimes cruel master was so… gentle and caring. He had felt bad peeking at the pair at first, but then he was fascinated and moved by the scene. He knew for certain that they had only met the night before, yet he had a feeling that only people who really cared about each other, if not loved each other, would act like that. It was not a dirty thing to see, though it was obviously exciting to watch.
He rubbed his head; he hoped they had not noticed him watching… he had simply wanted to know what was going on. Now he knew. He sort of wished he didn’t now though. How could he reconcile the jerk who wanted to kill his friend with the man who had just been so romantic and tender to a girl he barely knew?

Sabelle smiled and turned her head to kiss Larten’s forehead. “I don’t know what to say.” He chuckled a bit.
“Me either. I just felt… like we both needed this. And before you ask I am fine. I will feed again later if it makes you feel better.” He slid to the side and leaned over her on his elbow. “People will think we’re smitten.”
“They might be right. Alice was teasing me about it, a little. That was why I was scared… I am afraid to care so much, and so soon. But, it is not like I meant to feel this way. And before you ask, it’s fine if you are not quite so smitten yourself.” She laughed and stretched her arms over her head, then snuggled close to him, trying not to weigh his silence too heavily. She could not imagine that he felt quite as much as she did. Vampires were notorious in their difficulty with changing, or even learning new things. Emotions usually were slow to develop within them, and she was ready to deal with that. She would still work to the end she needed to achieve, regardless of how he acted from then on.
Larten pondered her words very seriously. Smitten was perfect to describe his feelings so far. She was beautiful, intelligent and made his blood boil like it had not in years, not since he was with Arra. He felt a very pressing need to protect her, and a strong desire to kill the Vampire who had shredded her emotions so badly. The fact that she still associated with and wanted to help any Vampires still was amazing to him, even if they were not all of the same sort she had originally known. He really did not know what he felt, or how deeply, but he was hardly going to toss her aside now. He looked down at her, and was pleased to see her smiling.
“We will see, I suppose.” was all he felt comfortable saying. She nodded, pleased to hear even that much instead of a rejection. “Now then. What say we get dressed, and meet du Cirque?” he said, but did not really make a move to rise just yet. She pressed a finger to his lips.
“We really should… but I am certain I really cannot walk this time. Not yet.” He chuckled and lay back again.
“A Vampire should have stronger legs, but I also feel rubbery. Maybe later.” Sabelle nodded sagely.
“Maybe… much later?” She turned to face him and started to convince him to delay the meeting for some time yet…

Darren sat at the dining area, watching the adults around him with new eyes. He could see the flirting more clearly, and also judge who was more involved than others better. He was amazed by his own naiveté. But then again, he only had his parents as guides for relationships. He knew that his parents loved each other, and they kissed chastely in front of the kids… but what he saw now, the pointed glances, the subtle innuendos… man he had been blind!
And when Crepsley and Sabelle did finally show up, all eyes were on them, especially Darren’s. Crepsley was serene as usual, while Sabelle looked calm and relaxed; yet both were glowing. It was pathetically obvious now that he knew to look for it. And he was sure many of the freaks could see it too. Gertha looked torn between despair over Sabelle being so pretty, and relief that she was obviously not interested in anyone but the Vampire beside her. The bird lady looked upset, but then she had always had a crush on Crepsley or so he had been told. And Truska looked plain confused, her lovely face screwed into a strange frown. Darren had never seen more than a bit of affection, mutual respect between the two.
In fact, the oddness of it made him confused. He saw jealousy all around; nothing too obvious or mean, but it was there. Why would anyone care, if they had not cared about Crepsley before? Or was it simply that overnight, Crepsley had a beautiful girl attached to him? Maybe that was it; no one had thought the scarred Vampire would even look for a girlfriend, much less land one who was such a looker.
Sabelle, for her part, was easy to get along with, and conversed naturally with everyone. She ignored the subtle sniping with grace when it came, and was adept at avoiding answering questions she did not care to answer, such as where she had been all day. She smiled and answered “Doing research,” smoothly. She also carefully nibbled at some snacks brought out to share, even thought Darren had heard her say she was not hungry. In other words, she was doing an excellent job of integrating into the group, better than Darren had done in the beginning.
Crepsley noticed Darren’s odd demeanor, and sidled over to him. “You all right?” he asked casually. Darren did his best to not flush or stammer, nodding instead of speaking. Crepsley eyed him a moment then nodded for Darren to come with him. The boy winced and followed as Sabelle casually chatted with some of Cirques female performers.
The Vampire stopped on the bridge and leaned on the railing pensively. Darren tried to act casual, leaning as well, but knew Crepsley was not fooled.
“So, you are still angry about Steve, correct?” The Vampire said calmly. Darren shrugged, and then scowled in what he hoped was convincing way.
“Well yeah, he’s my best friend, and I really don’t think he is gonna kill you… and certainly not kill a girl! He would not kill Sabelle, I know it.” He said stubbornly. Crepsley nodded and turned to him.
“So, if he does try, you will wait to be proven right, and then what? Feel bad, say you are sorry to our dead bodies? I need to know that you will step up and protect us, even if it means hurting Steve at the same time.” He glared at Darren fiercely. The boy glared back then nodded.
“I can agree to that. I wouldn’t let him do something… since he might be controlled or something anyway.” Crepsley nodded, knowing this was the best he would get for now. He looked back over the water, wondering what else might be bothering the boy. He was skittish and could barely even look at him or Sabelle…
Oh dammit he hadn’t…
“Darren, what were you doing this evening?” He asked warily. The boy had been caught eavesdropping before, after all, and he was a teenager with all of a teenager’s unseemly curiosity. Darren gaped at him then stammered something about walking around… and Larten instantly knew he was lying. He felt his skin prickle with a mixture of emotions, ranging from fury at being spied on, to smugness about what Darren had seen to embarrassment for himself and Sabelle… luckily he caught the scent of gasoline, and the faint rumble of a cars engine. Utterly unwittingly, he crushed the wood railing under his hands then whipped his head towards Darren.
“Tiny is coming. You better become scarce. I will deal with you later.” He headed back to the group, pondering what the next hour was going to bring them.
Sabelle was now the utter center of attention of the female members of the troop, and was torn between amusement and horror by this fact. They were all incredibly curious about her, about Larten and most of all, why she was staying in Lartens tent; wasn’t she worried about what people would think? Gertha was especially concerned about the propriety of it, and was digging for information.
“I mean wow, he should have asked one of us to put you up; it’s no bother you know.” She said, resting a cool hand on Sabelle’s wrist. Sabelle looked at her and nodded, then smiled serenely.
“But, I do not really see that it’s such a worry. I mean… he sleeps all day, and I have work I need to do… and I do not mind in the least. You know, I am aware that he is a Vampire. It is not like he’s going to drink from me without permission.” Gertha’s eyes were wide a saucers, while the other girls were looking at each other, unsure what this meant exactly.
“You would let him drink your blood?” Gertha asked breathlessly. Sabelle chuckled and took a sip of water.
“Why not.” Now they were really in a dither. Her tone and her expression spoke volumes about the possibilities of how and when and where Larten might get blood from Sabelle. Gertha leaned even closer.
“You mean… you two are… involved?” Sabelle affected a startled expression.
“Whatever do you mean?” She gasped. Gertha looked at the other women, then back into her eyes.
“You are dating then? Making out even?!” Sabelle bit her tongue to stop a laugh then smiled knowingly.
“Yes, we’re dating. Making out even. Is that wrong?” The girls gasped in unison then all squished closer, as if to keep the men around from hearing them.
“What is it like, kissing a Vampire?!” the bird girl asked. Sabelle waved a hand, still smiling. This was fun.
“Come now, he’s still a man, just not quite a human man anymore. It is the same as kissing anyone, of course. He doesn’t have fangs you know.”
“But, he’s not all that pretty. I mean why would you… kiss him?” Gertha asked, but her tone indicated that she did not believe her own words. Sabelle lifted a brow; Looks aside, and he was not ugly by any means, Larten was sexy as hell. He walked straight and tall like a god, dressed well, and had that deep voice, a voice that poured into the ear like warm cream.
“Well, looks are not everything after all.” She leaned in closer and stage whispered, “He has the most amazing body under those clothes!”
Every one of the girls gasped and leaned back, eyes wide and interested. How could they know this; he never ever was seen less than fully dressed, long sleeves and tall collars always in place. She nodded. “He’s built like an Adonis.” The implications of this now made them oooh and start chattering among themselves as Sabelle sipped her water again, smiling into her glass. Suddenly she felt a breeze behind her. She did not stop to think, grasping a throwing knife she had hidden in her sleeve and preparing to turn around…
Larten grasped her shoulders, leaning over to speak very quietly. “Mr. Tiny has arrived. Can you girls stay here with Miss Simone until we call for her?” His face was deadly serious, and all amusement died under his stare. They all nodded, pulling closer to her as he strode towards Mr. Tall’s tent.
“Oh man, Mr. Tiny is so scary! He’s got to be curious about you, but how did he find out about you so fast?” Gertha gasped, resting a hand on Sabelle’s arm again. Sabelle shrugged, still grasping her knife. She did not trust this, but was willing to let Larten handle it for the moment.
Mr. Tall was waiting in his tent; a quick discussion about what they were to say about Sabelle and her relationship to Larten ensued before they fell silent. Mr. Tiny stepped into the tent, his horrid yellow suit and ugly green Wellingtons garish in the light. Mr. Tall bent his head respectfully, but Larten simply crossed his arms and glared at the small man. Tiny seemed unperturbed, smiling widely and opening his arms as if to embrace them, though he did not actually come near enough to do so.
“Mr. Tall! And Larten Crepsley, how marvelous to see you! I got word of a new addition to Du Cirque! I am dying to meet her!” Mr. Tall shifted uneasily.
“Miss Simone is not a performer, Desmond. She is a guest of Larten’s, that is all.” Tiny’s face fell into delighted disappointment.
“Not a performer? Tsk, I thought only working freaks could stay here! Bending the rules, Mr. Tall?” Larten shook his head.
“We do have guests now and then, Desmond. Why do you concern yourself with such a petty errand? Really, sniffing out rumors like a gossipy old woman? So beneath a man of your… stature.” Since Mr. Tiny was far shorter than Larten, much less Mr. Tall, so this was a bit of a cut. However Tiny simply smiled again, waving a hand.
“Of course I am curious. Freaks fascinate me, so do the happenings of Vampires. So, is she also a Vampire? A lady Vampire, how rare!”
“No, she is not a Vampire, simply a human woman. I suppose you will not go away until you meet her and see for yourself.” Larten sighed, starting to pace a little. Mr. Tall would not, could not give Sabelle to Mr. Tiny since she was not a member of du Cirque, but he was still concerned. It was a bit of a breech to have non-member people who were not contributing stay here.
“I would dearly love to meet the lady, yes!” Tiny exclaimed, clapping his hands excitedly. Larten nodded and left the tent, flitting back to grab Sabelle. He nodded to the girls and flitted back with her, not wanting to give Tiny any time to pressure Mr. Tall in any way. Luckily Desmond had simply seated himself and was waiting eagerly.
Sabelle brushed her hair back and stepped away from Larten, her eyes going straight to the newcomer. She nodded at him, but made no move to go to him when he lifted a hand to shake with her.
“Mr. Tiny, I presume.” She said smoothly. She was not sure what to think of him; he looked silly yet felt utterly wrong to her. No one who looked this harmless was ever actually harmless, not in this world she found herself inhabiting. He rose and came to her, obviously determined to touch her. She also felt the same probing that Mr. Tall had tried on her, and focused on keeping her mind blank. If he noticed, he did not show it.
“And you are Miss Sabelle Simone! So lovely, so lovely! What a pleasure to meet a friend of my dear Mr. Crepsley!” he cried. She felt his cold clammy hand take hers and nodded.
“How do you do? I am admittedly surprised to see a visitor knowing about me so soon after my arrival. You must have some fine informants, Mr. Tiny.” She stared at him, noticing his slight hesitation. He was not expecting her to be so blunt, it seemed.
“Yes, well, it pays to be well informed, don’t you agree?” He held her hand far too long; they both jumped when Larten grabbed Tiny’s free arm. He had been reaching for her hair with a strange little instrument in hand.
“None of that Desmond. She is not a freak or a Vampire, and you have no right to snoop into her life!” Larten growled. Tiny actually paled a hint, letting go of her hand and backing away when Larten let go of his guilty arm. Sabelle frowned at him and leaned closer to meet his eyes.
“Mr. Tiny, I do not think I like your behavior. We are both guests here, correct? A good guest does not steal from his hosts or fellow guests.” Mr. Tall’s face was shocked, but Larten smirked as Tiny flushed with anger.
“What are you really doing here then, my dear?” he suddenly asked.
“I am visiting our “dear friend” Larten, of course.” She smiled sweetly.
“And how long have you known your “dear friend”, I must ask.” She pulled her head back and then chuckled, looking at the Vampire and then shaking her head.
“Mr. Tiny, you may ask all the questions you like, but I feel no obligation to answer them. It is not really any of your business, is it?” The small man’s face darkened; the entire room darkened with it. She felt her spine go cold in response.
“Anything to do with any Vampire is my business!” he growled. Her eyes widened at this bold statement. Suddenly Larten spoke firmly.
“I do not belong to anyone, Desmond. And you do not own any Vampires, only pathetic misguided Vampaneze. You do not have the right to meddle with humans, and you know it.” He growled. Tiny took a breath then smiled again.
“You’re right, I do not own anyone, not even the Vampaneze. I am simply an artist, sculpting the future with whatever materials I can find lying around.” He said smoothly. However the glare shooting between him and the Vampire was heavy and meaningful. “Let me ask this then, Larten… It is obvious that this girl means something to you. Isn’t that right? What are your plans for her?” Larten shifted a bit then shrugged.
“We shall see. She is free, not your plaything. Now is there anything else?”
“Wellllll… How is your assistant doing… I was hoping to see him this time.” All of them grew wary at this, Sabelle glancing at Mr. Tall.
“Darren is working. He does as he pleases here. I suppose he is busy elsewhere, Mr. Tiny.” The giant said carefully, seeming to hope he was not told to find the boy. Tiny laughed and sat again, a clear indication he was not done prying yet.
“Of course, of course. Has he perfected his own act yet? Or is he simple Mr. Crespleys assistant, nothing more?”
“He is not going to have an act, he merely helps me with my act as my assistant.” Larten said, pacing again. Sabelle moved to sit as far from the war-monger as she could, not entirely able to hide her concern.
“So, I assume you will be visiting often, Mr. Tiny. After all, such burning curiosity will not stop until it is satisfied.” She said quietly. She was surprised when he smiled and nodded.
“So true, Miss Sabelle. It’s so rare, a Vampire having a human companion. Fascinating indeed. So strange that I did not see you coming…” He smiled smugly; Sabelle was clueless, but nodded.
“Well, we should have a nice supper some evening then. We can discuss things in an more friendly atmosphere, and while I still reserve the right to not answer questions, who knows? Maybe we can slake your curiosity eventually.” Larten looked at her with alarm, but she ignored it, watching the little man and liking his surprise very much. She compounded it by refusing to speak another word to him until he finally left. He was polite, even friendly, but she refused to take his hand again as he left. All he did get from them was that she and Larten were more than causally involved, which seemed to make him feel very delighted to know.
After his car had pulled away they were silent for a moment. Larten was already planning to leave immediately, but kept that to himself for the moment. He had little doubt that the Little People were listening for their master, so he would have to get Sabelle and Darren far from camp to reveal his plans.
“I am worried about this Larten. He will get what he wants, he always does, in the end.” Mr. Tall said tiredly. The Vampire nodded then turned to Sabelle.
“Let us take a walk. I will meet you at my tent.” She stood and took Mr. Tall’s hand.
“I am sorry for the trouble.” He smiled wanly.
“He has become more trouble of late. He was gone for so long, I had almost thought he was not coming back. He has plans, for certain. Good luck.” She headed out of the tent, Larten trailing her slowly.
“Should I find Darren?” she asked softly. She saw some of the Little People gathered around the tent, shoving each other and trying to hide from their gaze.
“No, I’ll find him. Do not speak to anyone, please.” He disappeared, making her sigh as she headed for his tent. She sensed the Little People following her and scowled. She stopped and turned suddenly, and they scattered like leaves. She sighed and hurried to her destination, stepping inside and making sure none of them were hiding inside the tent. She grabbed her coat on instinct and had just shrugged into it when Larten and Darren arrived.
“Do not say a word. We’re going to take a run so Darren and I can feed.” Larten said casually, scooping her up. She took a deep breath then closed her eyes. She was still amazed at the sensation of such speed; it was like she was in limbo, though she could see everything moving by, barely; she assumed Vampires could see fine while they flitted. The wind was silent though, all she could feel was Lartens arms around her. She was a bit alarmed by how long they were in “limbo” this time though. They stopped, both Vampires gasping as much as she was. “Another breath, quickly.” Larten snapped and they were off again. When they stopped, she gasped for air, blinking curiously. They were at a beach this time.
“Where are we?” Darren asked, looking as confused as she felt. Larten set her down and shrugged.
“The southern tip of Florida.” Sabelle gasped at this revelation.
“That’s almost two states from Du Cirque!” she exclaimed. Darren flushed with pleasure, pleased he was able to flit as fast as his mentor. Sabelle was truly amazed; it had been such a short time to get there! These Vampires were definitely much faster than any others she had encountered.
“Yes, well, I wanted to be sure we are not followed, or overheard. We cannot possibly stay at du Cirque any longer. I need to take Darren to the Counsel of Vampires at the Mountain anyway, so that is where we will go, but we will take a circuitous route. Be warned, once we are on the way to the Mountain, flitting is not allowed, so the journey will be hard on all of us.” He began to pace, his coat swirling around him. Darren was wide eyed.
“What? Vampire Mountain? Why?” Darren’s voice went up in excitement. Larten sighed.
“Darren, I have not told you much about this life, for your own safety. But as a half-Vampire, you are in a vulnerable position. You need to prove yourself to the Vampire Counsel and the Princes, or they will never stand with me should I have to protect you from the Vampaneze in a real fight.” They all fell silent, the information sinking in. Time was short in all directions, it seemed.
“Okay then… We’re going to Vampire Mountain by the long way around. Got it.” Darren sighed unhappily. Sabelle waited, wondering what else as going on. Larten was unusually pensive. Suddenly she felt movement in her pocket. She might have spent a lot of time with Vampires, but she was still a human girl at heart. She shrieked, making Larten and Darren jump as she held her coat placket away from her. Something scuttled from the pocket, and leaped onto her shoulder. Sabelle’s knees wobbled; she was too light headed from the adrenaline rush to be embarrassed by her behavior as Octa huddled on her shoulder.
“Hey Octa! Whatcha doing in Miss Simone’s coat?” Darren laughed nervously; she was deadly poisonous after all. The spider bobbed and exuded a smug air as Larten patted Sabelle’s other shoulder.
“I am sorry, I forgot to mention that she likes pockets, especially ones she should not be in.” Sabelle nodded, gasping for breath. She scooped Octa off her shoulder and held her at eye level.
“Naughty girl… You could have asked or something…” she pressed a hand to her chest; she was truly unable to catch her breath suddenly. Her eyebrows puckered a bit. She handed Octa to Larten and sat where she was, gasping deeply. Darren knelt and shook her shoulder.
“Crepsley… she’s really white, and cold.” He said worriedly. Larten hauled her up silently; he suspected what was wrong with her, and felt a bit badly about it. He nodded to Darren to follow, heading back to du Cirque. Unfortunately, Sabelle could not hold her breath as long as before so it took five flits to get back. Larten set her down outside the camp and ordered Darren to stay with her, disappearing instantly.
Sabelle curled up, feeling icy cold. She noticed her hands were white as marble and stared in horror. She looked up at Darren.
“Can you hear my heart? Tel me!” She gasped. Darren nodded.
“I can barely hear it and it’s so slow, what’s wrong with you?” He pulled his jacket off and dropped it over her shoulders over her own coat in am attempt to warm her.
“I think… it is the UnDead blood… I have not eaten and Larten…” she paused and would have blushed if she had enough human blood to do so. Larten appeared suddenly, the strongbox he had hidden her stash of blood in under an arm, and speaking into her cell phone.
“Yes she will be fine. She cannot talk right now, here, talk to Darren.” He handed the phone to Darren and opened the box. Sabelle shook her head, alarmed by the possibility that more Vampire blood would change her permanently into something no longer human. Larten grimaced at her.
“You start with it, then I’ll give you this.” He produced a pint of blood from the box. She cringed at the sight of it, and how much she wanted to drink it. Her eyes met his then looked away she fumbled to grab a vial of her 50% solution. Her fingers were too numb to open the vial however. He picked one and uncapped it, then tilted her head back so she could drink it. She took the vial from him and swallowed slowly, then flinched. Larten had shoved her sleeve up and jabbed an IV line into her arm, and was feeding the pint of blood into place. She did not know if she were disappointed or relieved by his plan.
“Uh, I’m Darren and this is? Uh huh. Crepsley is giving her IV blood, actually. Yeah. Uhm…” Darren muttered in confusion. Sabelle smiled a bit, and then closed her eyes as she felt her body doing too many things at once. She was hot and cold by turns, and she could feel her veins tightening, so the human blood was literally scraping through them. It hurt like hell. She stayed quiet and held her face utterly still so the two Vampires did not realize that she was in pain, and made a mental note to be more careful with sharing her blood and how well she fed herself. She stared intently at the blood as it drained into her arm, needing something to focus on beside Larten or Darren. It drained quickly, and she felt the discomfort fading, along with a growing sensation of gnawing hunger. That was good at least.
“Sabelle?” She felt Larten shake her shoulder and blinked up at him. He and Darren were staring at her oddly. “You have some color back…”
“You were speaking in some weird language too.” Darren said nervously. She frowned.
“What did I say?”
“You were saying the same thing over and over… Zeeckornee?” Darren stumbled over the word. Sabelle looked away.
“Szekorny. We survive.” She said softly. She stood suddenly, pulling the IV from her arm; the bag was empty anyway. She grabbed another vial and stalked deeper into the woods, not even stopping when Octa made a massive leap to her shoulder from Darren’s and utterly forgetting that Alice wanted to speak to her. Thankfully she did not hear them following her, though of course she probably wouldn’t, not if they did not want her to. She was not quiet herself, not at first. However she slowed eventually, and took her first deep breath since Florida. She shook her head and reached up, petting Octa.
“I’m not mad at you, you know. You’re just a curious bit.” The spider bobbed and stroked her fingers, making her smile. She had no idea if Octa understood her, though felt it likely she did; she had no idea how deadly and temperamental Octa really was. The spider was unpredictable at best and it was likely the only reason she was so passive was because she sensed the difference in Sabelle’s blood. She paused and took a few more drops of the vial blood, the sighed. “Szekorny. Well, now he knows where I am for certain.” She wondered if Larten had figured out who had taught her that word; he was no idiot, he must know. He also knew why her blood had suddenly been devoured. Oops.
She cocked her head and listened to the night; it was silent and still. She sighed and put the vial away. The last thing she needed was for what little human blood she still had to be eaten by the Vampire blood again. She sat gracefully and watched the spider clamber about on her arms and legs. She sighed again and pondered what she was doing and how the hell she was going to survive the coming months. She figured Larten would want them to disappear for a few weeks, to throw off any searches for them, before they headed to their actual destination. That was fine and she was curious about how they were to shelter the Vampire during the day. He must have plans and ways to hide himself; he possibly even had safe places already set up. Then she wondered how she and Darren were to be kept healthy; most Vampires hid far from society when they were on the run after all. She really did not think hotels were an option, and was rather unwilling to use them anyway. There was no way their party would not gather attention; Larten might be able to pass as Darren’s father in age, but never in appearance, and she was in her early twenties, not a possible relation to either. She could not know that Hotels were fine for the Vampires, too certain of her own assumptions.
Octa tapped her wrist with a leg, gaining her attention, the spider seemed to be pointing back towards camp.
“Oh, you’re a clever girl. You must be much smarter than a normal spider. All right, let’s go.” She stood and headed back, finding Larten waiting for her, Darren nowhere in sight.
“You will need more blood I think. You are still white as a corpse.” He said in a matter of fact tone. She shrugged.
“You are probably right. I take it that was from your emergency stash?” He smirked.
“Never without. You do not always have time to hunt when you need to, and sometimes you dare not. I have killed on accident before. Seba almost broke my neck for it.” He handed her phone to her, ignoring her curious look about this “Seba.” “That girl Alice is very worried. You should let her know you are all right. She blistered my ear for draining you too far.”
“Nonsense. It’s my fault entirely. I need to eat better.” She said, flipping the phone open. It rang before she could dial. “Yes Alice, I am better. No, I am not fine, but I will be. No, do not send the boys, its fine. Look we can’t talk now, not really. I’ll fill you in later… or not, since you know already. Sheesh you can be annoying!” She chuckled and ended the call just as Larten grabbed her around the waist.
“Take a breath.” She groaned but obeyed, opening her eyes and finding that they were in a hospital. She had a feeling he was never this incautious about entering such places and felt worried.
“No way, we’re stealing blood?!” she gasped. He ignored her, moving quickly to a startled nurse and breathing into her face. The woman slumped in her seat instantly. “Impressive! But really Larten, we shouldn’t…”
“It is here to help people, right? You are a person, so we will use it to help you.” He opened a freezer and grabbed four bags of blood. She groaned but sat as directed as he fed a new IV line into her. She refused to look at the blood as he held it above her head.
“What is wrong, you are acting oddly.” He asked. She nodded.
“I’d rather drink it, you see, but that would not be much help would it. Besides I never actually drink human blood.” He was silent after that, and she kept her gaze on the floor as he traded out the bags until he deemed her nearly recovered. He tucked the empties into his coat and used his saliva to close her arm, then woke the nurse. She stared at him fearfully.
“It is all right. We will not harm you. Now, I want you to remember nothing about us and our visit. Instead, you saw two strange men. They were very frightening, and they hit your head to knock you out. All you can say about them is they were dirty and cruel, and they wanted to sell the blood to humans who think themselves Vampires. Is that not right?” The nurse nodded, eyes wide and unblinking. “That is very good. Now, you will take an inventory of the blood and ten bags are missing. All of them are type O, and those can be replaced quickly.” He purred, leaning closer to her face. The nurse nodded again. “Now, I am sorry about this. I promise you will recover with only a headache. Close your eyes.”
Sabelle jumped as he struck the poor woman on the temple, catching her as she slumped towards the floor. He laid her there as comfortable as possible, and then took six more bags of blood. He turned to the stunned Sabelle.
“It has to be believable. There are many Vampires and Vampaneze who steal blood, as well as misguided humans who think they are Vampires when they are simply silly. Do not worry, she really will be fine. Take a breath.” Sabelle did so, then blinked when they resolved not at du Cirque, but in a small stone building. It was very damp and cold inside, but it was clean. He lifted a very well camouflaged trap door and hopped into the utter darkness within. She looked around curiously, realizing this must be one of his hiding spots.
Vampires will be Vampires, she supposed.
Larten popped back out, making her jump then smack his arm. She realized suddenly that Octa was on his shoulder. “About Octa here, why did she come with me?”
“Oh… I wanted to keep an eye on you. She can lend me her vision, and she likes you, so I figured it was a good way to make sure you were not getting into trouble.” He said simply. She sighed.
“Perfect.” She held her hands out. “Where to now?” He smirked and slung her up again, waiting for her to take her breath, then bringing them back to his tent. She removed her coat, sighing heavily. She was tired, not surprising. And she was hungry, also not surprising. She turned to him.
“I am going to get some food, I hope. And you and I need to discuss what we’re doing tomorrow in detail. I’ll be back.” He nodded and sat at his desk, setting Octa down and looking thoughtful. She stepped out of the tent and ran straight into Darren.
“Sabelle, can I talk to you… alone?” he looked at the tent warily. She nodded and slid her arm through his, making him flush a little.
“Take me to the food tent and I’m yours for thirty minutes. I am starving.” She said cheerfully. He led her there, looking nervous but pleased with himself. Once she was handed some leftover stew, she waved him to the seat opposite hers. He looked around, but the performers were drifting off to bed, so they were actually quite alone.
“I made sure to lock the Little People in their tent, by the way… um… So, uh…” she lifted a brow as she waited, curious about this hesitation.
“Yes Darren?”
”I uh…Crepsley knows I was peeking at you two earlier… in the tent… this evening.” He turned an incredible shade of red for a half-Vampire who was severely anemic. She froze then jumped as her spoon fell to the table. She was also blushing and stared at him in horror.
“You what?” She gasped. He retrieved her spoon and held it out to her, nodding miserably.
“I dunno why, I just… well gee, it’s Crepsley and I could not believe anyone would even you know, kiss him… and I was so… curious I couldn’t look away, and… I am really sorry, I am so, so sorry…” He started to stammer. She covered her face with her hands, mortified. Still it shouldn’t shock her if he did catch them snogging, now…
“Look I am sorry, but… I am scared he’s gonna kill me now! He was so mad! If Mr. Tiny had not come, and then you got sick…” Darren blurted, wringing his hands. She looked at him incredulously.
“So what, you want me to save you from Larten’s ire? I would like to kill you myself just a little right now you know! But Darren, he is not going to kill you! How ridiculous to think so…”
“Hey the guy made me a half Vampire, broke my neck, tossed me off a building and let me get buried alive… He’s ordered me around, forced me to drink human blood until I liked it… I think he could really hurt me and not even care!” His alarm made her laugh suddenly.
“Oh Darren, silly boy. He won’t kill you; if he was going to kill you he would have done it within seconds of finding out. But he is probably going to punish you and if you cannot do the time, do not do the crime. Take your punishment like a man and learn to not spy on people!” she said, taking up her spoon again.
“Damn… fine!” he hung his head. “I am sorry about it you know.”
“Yeah I am sure you are. How much did you see anyway?” she looked up then blushed again as he wriggled and looked away. “Darren… how long did you look?”
“Uhm… I saw all of it.” He said, voice strained. She groaned and covered her eyes with her free hand.
“Great. Wonderful. You know how comfortable it is, knowing you’ve seen me naked, Darren? It’s not comfortable at all! You’re a kid!”
“I’ve kissed a girl you know!” he blurted, still not meeting her eyes. “And I am twenty, even if I don’t look it.”
“Congratulations.” She muttered. She was not pleased to know Darren was in fact older than she was by a year…
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Fate and Blood, 50 percent Solution