Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Your destiny has been decided."

Steve sighed, narrowing his eyes at the target he'd hung up on the wall, straightening his back and imagining the target was actually Darren's face- it helped improve his shot.

"You can't change what I have planned."

Phrases from a conversation Steve had hours ago were still repeating in his mind, like a broken record...over and over and over.
That man and his despicable voice, despicable pride, and his despicable control over everything.

Steve shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts, aiming for the target, arm outstretched. His eyes had focused and unfocused on the target about a hundred times by now, and he still hadn't fired. His mind wouldn't shut up. Finally getting tired of his own antics, Steve pressed his finger down on the trigger without further ado.

"Make your own destiny? You are a fool, Steve Leonard, and your foolishness will bring your demise."

He missed it.
The arrow didn't just not hit the bullseye, it completely missed the target and ended up going through the door, wedged in the wood right above the door knob.

Steve heard a gasp.
Somebody had been standing outside.

"Who's there?"

Silence ensued for a moment, before the knob turned slowly, making it obvious that whoever was on the other side was hesitant to enter.
As expected, Gannen stood at the doorway, mouth set in a hard line, studying Steve from where he stood.

At the sight of his mentor, Steve lowered his arrow-gun.

"What's with the look?"

"You...are still pondering about the things Mr. Tiny spoke of?" Gannen asked, entering the room and shutting the door behind him. Steve didn't reply immediately, he had pressed his lips together and was slowly pacing left and right, the arrow-gun dangling from his hands.

"Of course, how can I not? That mug in the boots gets on my damn nerves...." Steve mumbled, rubbing his temple with the free hand, "....and he's distracted me from my plans on torturing Darren. Why is it that he gets to decide my future? I am nobody's pawn!"

Gannen sighed, "Steve, haven't you tortured that boy enough? Might I remind you that you have just one more meeting left with the hunters, after which you must kill them. This...revenge has gone on for far too-"

Gannen lost his sentence mid-way, given the daggers Steve was glaring at him. They had discussed this before too, and it never ended quite peacefully. Steve's venomous hatred knew no boundaries at all, and moments such as these would act as reminders to Gannen about how important this petty revenge business was to his Lord.

"What I meant to ask was," Gannen quickly steered away from the subject of Darren, "doesn't the role of the Lord Of The Shadows suit your desire of endless power? Why would you not want to fulfil the prophecy?"

Steve stopped pacing, halting in front of the little window of the dusty room. His eyes searched for something pleasant to rest on, but there were only ruins of infrastructure and dirt and dust wherever he looked. Then it occurred to him.

With a faint smile playing on his lips, Steve let his eyes carry themselves up.
The skies were always pleasant.

He was glad Gannen couldn't see him. His mentor was quite perceptive, great at deciphering body language...which at times, Steve realised, was actually a nuisance. Because there were things he wished to hide from his mentor, plans in his head that he didn't wish to expose, knowing all too well that if he did, judgement would arise even in those seemingly never-judging eyes of Gannen Harst.

Steve didn't agree with the so-called prophecy that Tiny had bestowed upon them. Sure, the idea of having limitless power and authority was quite the seductress, but there was one matter, Steve felt, one matter of decision that should have been completely in his control. This matter of decision was what he found difficult to discuss with Gannen.

Abruptly turning around when his trance ended, Steve answered Gannen's inquiry with a voice that contrasted sharply with the hazy one that had been carving thoughts in his mind.

"I just don't like the fact that-that...football..is in charge of how my future turns out. Why does he act so smug, anyway? Someone needs to teach that bastard a lesson."

Gannen's brows drew together as his eyes narrowed ever so slightly, no doubt, Steve thought, trying to decode the strange behaviour the Vampaneze Lord had tried so hard to avoid. But he knew when to remain quiet and when to question, so he nodded slowly and moved on.

"Well, he is the one man you can absolutely not afford as an enemy, my Lord. It is better to just accept fate as it is."

Gannen thought he was handing out a warning that was fairly obvious and already known, so he didn't give much thought to how Steve would react to the statement, since it wasn't news. Rather, Gannen got distracted by a large crow that had settled upon the ledge outside the window.
He was so engulfed by the large size and the fine black feathers of the bird that he missed the dangerous glow that gleamed in Steve's eyes, the way the corners of the man's lips curled ever so slightly- and he definitely didn't hear the wheels that had begun to turn in Steve's chaotic mind.

"Oh, Gannen. You're a genius."

"There must be a summoning spell....or something."

"Boss, we should make a star on the floor and light some candles and sacrifice something!"

Steve turned so he could address the vampet, who had suggested the idea with an unimpressed grimace.

"Evanna isn't a demon, you nitwit." He spat, going back to staring at all the "research" that had been collected by his clan and was now sprawled across the large table in front of him.
His clan surrounded Steve, Gannen by his side, watching as he evaluated their information collecting skills.

Steve noted with agitation that they had picked out whatever book and printed out whatever paper that had seemed mythological, thus resulting in a large pile of things Steve now had to go through and filter by himself, since they were too stupid to do even basic, simple tasks.
Idiots.
Steve's adept eyes skimmed through the material, his hands tossing away books and papers that didn't interest him or have anything to do with his current goal. Steve paused when he saw that some genius had not even tried, actually picking out-

"Who the hell printed out a synopsis for Twilight!? I specifically asked you all to bring me materials about witches and how to contact them!!"

"What have I told you about saying that word?"

Everyone in the room flinched as a cold breeze bit through the air. The voice that had spoken sounded to each individual occupant of the chamber as if it had spoken right into their ears. The words from the phrase echoed, bouncing off the ceiling and the walls, reinforcing themselves into the minds of the stunned vampaneze and vampets.

The flames dancing on the candelabra chandelier shivered.

When Steve recovered, he turned around to face the door and when he saw nothing, his eyes began frantically searching the shadows that were cast upon the room.
For a moment, nothing happened, and just when Morgan had been about to suggest that the hideout was haunted, a shadow in one of the corners of the room moved, growing, until a beautiful woman appeared from within the shadow's core, hands on her hips, regarding Steve with a hard expression.

"Lady Evanna," Steve smirked, "what a pleasant surprise."

"We have been, for the entire day, trying to contact you, my Lady. It is good to know our efforts were not in vain." Gannen bowed slightly as the witch walked past him, circling the table as she regarded the material on it.

"Oh yes, I was here the whole time. I just didn't show myself because watching you lot try to contact me through Ouija boards and whatnot was rather amusing." 

Steve's jaw dropped.

But Evanna didn't take much notice of his reaction, instead, something on the table caught her attention. Tilting her head slightly, her poker face transitioned into one of pure amusement as she reached for whatever interested her.

"Why.....is there a synopsis for Twilight?”

"Well, what is it? Why did you wish to speak to me?" Evanna asked when the final vampet left the chamber.

Steve looked up from where he sat, meeting the witch's knowing eyes with his signature smirk. He may have appeared rather confident and calm on the surface, but both he and Evanna knew he was anything but.

When he failed to answer, the witch raised a questioning brow. However, she was patient, and for some reason, something in the air that night- perhaps the chill, or the inkling of a brewing calamity - told her this was something she had to listen to.

Steve was, while she waited, thinking of how to go about what he had to say. Evanna noted how his eyes were tracing the lines in his palms, back and forth, back and forth. She could practically hear the mumbling voices inside his head, the many opinions, encouragements, warnings.

Evanna had her elbow resting on the table, chin on the back of her hand, with the other she drummed her fingers on the wooden table, her long nails clicking rhythmically against the hard surface.

Click. Clack. Click. Clack.

She watched Steve carefully, her eyes never leaving the man, so when there was a shift in his facial expression, she stopped. Her fingers hovered above the wood, her brows knitted together as she waited for the man to speak.

"I....had a proposal to make....."

"Are you insane!?"

"Why, yes! When did you start noticing?"

Evanna did not laugh, much to Steve's disappointment.

Suddenly, she cast her eyes to the left, then to the right. Steve thought he saw trepidation filling in them, but when he tried to look more carefully she had already squeezed them shut and was whispering what, to him, sounded like mumbo jumbo.
She stayed like that for a moment, eyes closed, hands bundled and pressed against her chest, breathing rapid. As if awaiting a tragedy to strike her at the very moment.
Steve studied her with curiosity.

The witch opened her eyes slowly, seeming to have calmed down.

"Uh....what did you just do?"

Steve's question was lost when Evanna slammed a hand onto the table, her waist elongated as she lurched over the table, looming over Steve, locking her frantic eyes with his.

"What you have just told me is not only rash, but also insane and impossible," she spoke slowly, in a hushed voice that was barely above a whisper, "Desmond Tiny is an immortal, you fool. You cannot kill him— and if he were to even catch a whiff of what you plan to do, he'd punish you in ways I can't even speak of. You'd wish you had never existed."

Steve stared up at her, shocked initially, but as she went on his face adopted a rather arrogant look- but still, he said nothing, for a while the witch and the vampaneze lord just stared at each other, speaking volumes without the need to utter a word.

And then Evanna sighed, sinking back into her seat and rubbing her temples.

"I know you tire, too," Evanna looked up when Steve began, squinting, "...of his control over everything."

Well, she had known Steve Leonard to be an intelligent man with keen eyes for observing...but for him to have picked up her thinning tolerance towards her cruel father? She had never expected that.
Especially because he had only been present three times with both Evanna and her father in the same place, and spoken to her only once....

"I know you do not agree with his final plan, the Lord of the Shadows. Or do you, given that you're just going to willingly let this happen?"

He was striking her sentiments, sly demon that he was. He didn't give a damn that the world was going to end or how it ended, he just needed the witch on his side, and how else to get her to pick a side without emotional blackmail?

"I....Of course I don't. But he decides the law. We are nothing in strength compared to him...." Evanna mumbled, before sharpening her voice, "And if you do not wish to follow his prophecy, why not make peace with the vampires? Why wage a war on Destiny instead?"

"Because I don't want peace!" Steve spat, catching himself before he disrespected the witch any further with the tone he was using, "I...want to kill them all. Get my revenge. But I don't want to kill Darren, not yet anyway. I want to make him beg for death. I want to make him watch as I rip the hearts out of everyone he loves!"

Evanna was silent, watching Steve with an unreadable expression. Steve took a moment to compose himself, calming down and burying the urge to cackle that was arising in him the more he thought of bloodshed.

"But I only have a limited number of times I can meet him, the next time we see each other will be the last chance we get before we have to fulfil our...destiny. I want to become the Lord of the Shadows. But I want him around when that happens."

When Steve finished, he stopped eyeing the liquid in his glass and looked up to see if he could catch the witch’s face contort with emotion.
It didn’t. The only time he had seen her display any feelings was a few minutes ago, when fear and shock had riddled her eyes.

“So, you wish to eliminate my father because you don’t accept what he’s written for you, and eliminating him is the only way you’re ensuring things work out as you have planned without any further interventions.”

Steve nodded, now wearing a smirk, as Evanna summarised his plan.
The witch shook her head.

“He’s too powerful for you. You cannot defeat him.”

“Maybe not alone....”

Evanna raised an eyebrow, to which Steve responded with a further suggestion.

"What if...there was to be an alliance?"

"Alliance? Between?" Evanna interrogated, despite already knowing what the madman was hinting at.

"Two clans, long ago divided due to difference in...feeding beliefs."

"Would they pair with you? After all you've done? Betraying Darren’s trust, then killing his mentor....is he even aware of Darius yet?” Evanna had expected some sort of hesitation from Steve when she reminded him of his deeds, but he didn’t seem to be bothered by the aide-memoire.

"No, he isn’t. But that's where your diplomacy skills come in, Evanna." Steve grinned.

"What makes you think I'd be willing to help you bring down my father, despite knowing of his strength?"

Silence.
A moment later, Steve spoke up, still grinning like a cheshire cat that knew all too well that it was right.

"The gleam in your eyes, darling."

Chapter Text

"Not fair! You said you'd play with us today!"

Three pairs of eyes- full of despair- looked pointedly up at the tired vampire, who could only rub his neck awkwardly and offer a weak excuse. Something about him "not feeling good."

"You never feel good!" Lilia, the half-snake girl rolled her eyes, to Darren's amusement.

"I know, I'm sorry. Maybe tomorrow?"

Unanimous disapproval was immediately voiced in the form of whines and groans. Before they could guilt-trip Darren any further, however, the children were being interrupted.

"Come now, children, give Darren some space." Truska wagged her finger at them playfully as she neared the group, holding a basket to her hip.

The children turned to look at her. They were not afraid of her like they were afraid of their mother, because while their mother's wrath was terrifying, Truska rarely got angry. Nonetheless, they respected her, so they obeyed (albeit a little begrudgingly).

"You owe us ten games now." Shancus mumbled as he trudged away, towards the cirque.

The group had accumulated a bit further away from where the cirque was based, because it was a spot Darren frequently visited. Every time he wasn't found anywhere around the tents, it had become common knowledge in the past two months that he would be found there, on the cliff beyond the trees, where the sky was limitless and the city shone like a cluster of diamonds at night.

"Thanks." Darren mumbled after the children had gone into their tent. He heaved a sigh of relief and dropped himself onto a rock embedded within the ground. He always used it as a seat when he visited, it wasn't uncomfortable and didn't make his back sore. It could've even made a decent beanbag, in his (controversial) opinion.

"No problem." Truska settled down next to him, on a smaller rock that, in Darren's experience, provided less comfort. Darren watched her carefully, ready to offer his seat.

However, Truska didn't flinch or even look inconvenienced, she just hummed and set the basket she had been carrying between the two of them. She pushed it gently towards Darren, making the vampire look up at her quizzically.

"Open it. I spent whole week preparing it."

Truska originally spoke a strange language that sounded like seal-talk. Evra had taught her how to speak English over the years, but she had a very obvious and thick accent. Sometimes, she struggled to get the right pronunciation of certain words, and sometimes her grammar slipped, but she could speak fluently enough now to make overall sense. 

Darren raised both his brows to depict his astonishment and thanked the woman as he picked the basket up and settled it in his lap. He studied the wicker basket, which had a bundle inside it wrapped in a patterned cotton cloth. 

"You know gift is inside basket and not basket itself, yes?" Truska asked sweetly, making Darren realize he had stared at the basket for a bit too long. He apologized sheepishly, which only made Truska laugh.

Upon pulling the cloth aside, Darren was welcomed by a strong scent of sweetness and a beautiful sight of long, purple flowered shoots that lay bundled together and resting at the bottom of the basket. In the middle, a white crystal lay; a thin, purple ribbon was tied around it.

Darren didn't know anything about the language of flowers (he didn't even know what these flowers were called), or much about crystals, or why he was even being given this gift, but he was grateful either way.

"Truska, this is wonderful. Thank you so much!"

The woman was beaming. She pointed to the flowers.

"Do you know what type they are?"

Darren shook his head.

"Lavender," Truska smiled, leaning back on her arm, "Great healers. And that," she pointed to the crystal, "is a quartz crystal. It cleanse emotional pain."

Darren nodded as the woman explained the meaning behind her gift, expression turning a little dismal.

A week ago, Darren's clogged emotions had been released, thanks to Truska. Two months after the death of his father figure, mentor and friend, Darren had finally mourned him and come to terms with the reality of losing Mr. Crepsley. Truska had been there every step, and the process helped the two form a stronger, closer bond.

But yesterday, she had told him there was still some way to go till he could move on. She had explained to him that letting his emotions flow was like pulling a knife out of a wound; in other words, it was only the first step towards healing.

"You still need to take care of wound. And even then, scar might never go." She had said.

Truska moved, interrupting Darren's recollection. She was reaching for the crystal.

"Here," she picked it up, that was when Darren noticed the thin leather chain tied securely to it. It was a self-crafted necklace!

"Try wearing it for few months. Flowers will rdie soon, but you stay with the cirque, we can just ask Mr. Tall to bring us more. He help me get these."

She added to the instructions, telling him how to use the crystal. Darren nodded as she went on, not really taking anything in (unintentionally). It was just that he didn’t really believe in any of this stuff, and most likely would not find any comfort practicing whatever she was asking him to– but of course, he expressed his gratitude by wearing the crystal around his neck. Truska patted his shoulder and got up, bidding him a good night.

Darren was then left alone with his thoughts, and the enriching fragrance of the dying flowers.

It had been a few hours since Truska had left, and though Darren didn't have a watch he guessed it was around 2 AM. There was something odd about the night. He couldn't put his finger on it but there was a cold bite in the air, despite it being the peak of summer.

From time to time, Darren would get an eerie feeling that someone was watching him from the trees. At first he thought it was Harkat or Mr. Tall, since they often snuck up on him, but no, it wasn't them. Before long, the prince decided it was time to retire to his tent despite it being two hours earlier than his normal bedtime.

But the feeling of being stalked persisted all the way back to the cirque, and even when he made it to the campsite. As he walked to his tent, Darren threw cautious glances behind him every now and then, but it didn't make a difference since he didn't see anything. Darren rushed inside his tent when it came into view.

Once inside, the first thing he spotted was a shadow standing towards the center of the tent.

Suddenly, he knew why he felt as if he had to expect something that night.

Even though he couldn't see clearly, somehow he was sure that the uninvited guest was Evanna, the witch.

"Hello, Darren."

"Evanna." Darren returned the greeting, apathetic.

He pushed past her and made his way to his hammock, setting the basket Truska had given him on a small wooden table nearby.

"I have something to share with you. It is a matter of urgency."

Darren was interested, but he didn't want to be. Seeing Evanna so soon after Mr. Crepsley's demise was....it stung, to say the least. He laid down in the hammock, facing away from her, and gripped the crystal around his neck absentmindedly.

She could've stopped it from happening. She could've warned them. But no, she remained complaisant and obedient towards her cruel father's cruel laws, not a single utterance of disapproval falling from her sealed lips. She was just as guilty as Destiny and Steve.

"I know you are angry with m-"

Before she could continue Darren was snapping, sitting up sharply to face her, making his bed rock violently. Anger had contorted his face, and he hoped Evanna could see the disgust tracing his features.

"If you have information or....advice," he spat out the word, "about the war, just share it. We don't need to talk about anything else."

Evanna said nothing for a while.

Then, after a moment of deafening silence, she sighed deeply. Darren could make out the shape of her arms beginning to rise above her. He wanted to ask her what she was doing, but before he could, Evanna was whispering in a hushed voice, as if saying something to someone beside her. Darren squinted.

He didn't see anyone else next to her.

It concerned him enough to make him step out of the hammock.

At that very moment, Evanna stopped whispering and a gust of wind seemed to generate within the tent. It slammed into Darren, gently shoving him back with a force that was not enough to make him lose his balance. And then, as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone.

The tent lit up with a soft blue glow that emanated from....Darren couldn't tell. Wherever he looked, it appeared as the source of the light. It was as if he was in a strange dream.

"I am sorry about Larten," Evanna spoke, Darren's attention returned to her, "your anger is directed at me for the correct reasons. For far too long I have been a pliant pawn to my father, because I was afraid of him and what he could do."

Darren listened carefully, not sure where she was going with this but definitely willing to hear her out. It sounded like the beginning of a speech.

"Well, no more. I will not stand by and watch him play with anyone anymore. I will not let him dictate our destinies, or to use us- or anyone else- for his entertainment," As angry as Darren had been with Evanna, hearing her say these things eased some of that anger, it was released in the form of a small smile on his lips, "Darren, I am waging war against Desmond Tiny!!"

Of course. Rebelling against a man like Desmond meant calling for war. He had expected nothing else. But it still came as a shock.

His eyes had adjusted to the dim lighting, he could see the ferocity and solemness in Evanna's expression. It became clearly obvious how important this was, of course. But now that it had finally been said, the declaration of a rebellion, Darren didn't really know how to react.

He agreed with fighting Destiny, he just..didn't know if it was possible to defeat an immortal, all-powerful being. Evanna was powerful, of course, but her knowledge and strength were not much when compared to her father's. Besides, there was already the War of Scars going on- which would make it a little impossible for Evanna to find allies. As much as Darren wanted to help, he simply wouldn't abandon his people, or leave them alone to deal with the likes of Steve.

Evanna could see she had left Darren speechless, so she wasn't expecting an answer, at least not immediately. She continued to clear some of his doubts by informing him that this war would directly also affect the war of scars, but she was uncertain how.

"Wait, wait," Darren pinched the bridge of his nose as he pondered over what was happening, "but...if you're starting a new war, will there be two wars going on at the same time? I hope your war takes place in another world!"

"You won't join me?"

"How can I abandon this war, Evanna? I won't."

The witch raised an eyebrow as she studied Darren, her eyes boring into his with an intensity that made him uncomfortable.

"I thought you were angry with me for following the path my father carved for me, and yet here you are, continuing a war that he scripted."

Darren grit his teeth, beginning to say something but unable to think of the right way to go about it. He hadn't been good with words, especially when it came to verbal communication, and this inability to communicate effectively angered him beyond infinity in moments such as this.

"I don't have a choice." He snarled finally, earning a dry chuckle from Evanna.

Evanna wasted no more time. Sternly, she suggested a truce between the rival clans, a "temporary" pause to the war, she called it.

Darren blinked.

Not just a truce, but for her to hint at an alliance between the vampires and vampaneze- Darren wondered if this whole "waging a war against destiny" was messing with her common sense.

First, it just wasn't possible. Both the clans would rather perish than side with the other. Second, Darren thought it was a little too late for such a proposal. Maybe he would have considered it under different circumstances, where Leonard didn't exist.

"No." Firm, irate, he gave his first and only response.

Darren was aware he probably needed to discuss this with Vancha, Debbie, Alice and Harkat but he was familiar with how they felt about the Vampaneze, how they had been impacted by Steve. He thought it was pretty clear what their decisions on this would've been.

"Very well." Evanna mumbled, visibly disappointed.

The glow in the tent began diminishing slowly, and the world seemed to shift around them, back to reality.

"Be careful not to mention this to anyone. You can only speak of this in my presence, or else he might find out." She meant Mr. Tiny.

And with that, the glow completely died and Evanna was no longer in the tent. The darkness had become softer due to the glow of the rising sun creeping in through the fabric of the tent, first rays of gold trickling gently around the tent. Even as a sun-fearing vampire, Darren found beauty in the stillness and softness of the atmosphere around him. It was a sharp contrast to the one Evanna had formed earlier.

Sighing, Darren fell back into his hammock, lids already heavy. Bells chimed in the distance, lulling him to sleep, echoing over the storm impending in his mind.

The Little Person had been observing his friend all evening, and there was definitely something wrong. Darren wasn't speaking much, he didn't even laugh at Rhamus Twobellies when he gobbled up plates along with the food on them and then spit the plates out (Darren's favorite comedy routine....it wasn't even funny).

So when Darren was finally done with his chores and began making his way away from the campsite, Harkat followed. He knew Darren wasn't going to his usual spot since he only liked going there when it was completely dark, when the lights of the city started flickering to life. For now, the sun was setting, so Darren was probably headed to the narrow stream that ran somewhere deeper in the forest.

Darren was aware that Harkat was coming along, he turned to wave at the little person and then stopped to let Harkat catch up to him. They chatted about little, everyday things before Harkat asked the question he had thought about all afternoon.

"Darren, what's been....bothering you?"

The vampire didn't seem to be troubled by the inquiry, to Harkat's relief, Darren actually appeared quite nonchalant about it. It was probably because he had been expecting this conversation. He had caught Harkat's looks of concern throughout the evening, and he also knew that it was no secret that he had a tough time hiding things.

There was a struggle Darren had going on inside. He wanted desperately to tell Harkat what had happened last night, but he knew better than to go against Evanna's warnings. While he didn't agree with her proposal of a truce or alliance, he did still want her to win against Destiny. He wouldn't want to squander her chance by unintentionally snitching on her.

He would simply have to wait till Evanna was around again- and something told him she would be back.

The vampire shrugged.

"Just...something came up. I'll tell you some other time, okay?"

Harkat's face dropped. He wasn't exactly as knowledgeable about therapeutic conversations and techniques like Truska, but he wanted to be there for his friend. He wrongly assumed this gloomy mood might have something to do with Mr. Crepsley, and he wanted to help somehow, but he didn't want to be invasive and guilt Darren into a confession. Harkat wished Truska would manifest out of thin air. She would know what to do.

Harkat paused in his tracks, it took Darren a moment to notice. The vampire turned around to look at his friend, who was wearing a look he easily deciphered; a mixture of concern and hesitance regarding how he should approach the situation.

Darren hated that. He hated worrying his friends, which was why he had ultimately stopped showing them parts of him that were still mourning.

"I'm fine, Harkat. I promise."

Harkat studied Darren for a while, silent and unblinking. Then, he nodded.

"I need to get...back to Merla, she...must be looking for me," He began to walk the other way, waving once more at Darren, "I'll be done...in some time. Meet...you at the river...for a picnic?"

"Totally! I'll wait." Darren waved back, and with that, he too was on his way.

It took him a few more minutes to reach the stream.

Darren settled onto the grassy river bank, bundling his legs and bringing them to his chest so he could rest his chin atop his knees. Two months ago, he would've never thought he would willingly sit still and silent for more than a few minutes, and now here he was, meditating every now and then- it had pretty much become a routine. Evra had taught him how to breathe and let all thoughts pass without judgment or interference. Initially, he would speak and narrate Darren's experience for him, but by now the vampire could do it without the need of someone else speaking.

The river bank was an excellent place to meditate, the sounds of the soft, gurgling water swept over the mind to silence it, and happened to be the only tools that helped him reach a meditative state. Darren shut his eyes and inhaled deeply, letting go of his awareness. Tension eventually melted off his muscles, and he sunk into the ground as he relaxed. Deeper, deeper.....

Snap.

His eyes shot open.

Had that been a branch?

Darren didn't have to look hard to notice that someone was on the other side of the river, not on the river bank but behind a bush. Even with his superior eyesight, he could not see their face since they had spun around and were rushing into the forest.

Darren jumped up, not thinking twice about whether or not he should follow. Something was just urging him to.

A few stones protruded up from the water, and though the river was narrow, the stones were still convenient steps. Darren reached the other side with no effort and continued chasing after the stranger, who had not gotten very far.

For some reason, even with Darren's inhuman speed, he could not catch up to the hooded figure. He only managed to get close, but ultimately remained out of reach. It only took a while for his imagination to become idle. His thoughts were becoming vague and muddled, so it took some effort for Darren to realize that he was going further and further away from the cirque, and that he probably would have to struggle to find his way back, still, he could not stop. His feet carried themselves forward, as if they had developed a mind of their own, and eventually it didn't even feel like he was running. It felt more like..floating? The world blurred, his vision hyper-focused on the figure in front of him. All feelings, thoughts, along with sense of direction and time twisted once-

before fading completely.

The last rational thought he could make sense of was about meditation, and how scary it could be when it was forced.

He didn't know for how long he had chased the stranger.

His mind was awakening slowly, even though he had never slept it still felt like he was coming to, becoming aware of himself and the scene around him. Still, his body was not his just yet, all he could feel was his tingling, numb limbs.

Just as he had been about to call out to the person in front of him, they stopped abruptly. Darren was suddenly given control of his body, which caught him off guard, so he could not stop himself in time. He collided with the stranger.

Well, not really.

He went through the figure and collapsed onto the dirt.

Groaning, Darren got up slowly. After recovering, the vampire turned to look at who- or what- he had (quite stupidly, in hindsight) followed.

He frowned when he saw who was standing above him.

"Evanna? Seriously? What the hell?"

If she wanted to lure him so badly she could've simply shape-shifted instead of wearing that dumb cloak.

They were in a small clearing surrounded by thick, dark-barked trees.

Darren wondered for how long and how far from the cirque she had made him come. The sky was blue, and the sun was falling through the large, tall trees encircling them. He had chased Evanna for an entire night? Or had it been more than one?

The more he evaluated his situation, the more concerned he grew. Darren didn't recognize the trees- they looked larger, darker and thicker than the ones around the cirque-which meant he was in a part of the forest he was unfamiliar with, and the conclusion was that he...well, he was lost.

"Sorry, Darren. I had to do this."

The vampire pushed himself off the ground. A question had already begun forming at his mouth when he spotted a face emerging from behind her and stopped. It belonged to yet another hooded figure, and was obscured by the shadows of the many leaves above them. The newcomer pulled their hood down.

Darren's blood ran cold.

The man standing beside Evanna was none other than Steve Leonard himself, Mr. Crepsley's murderer. He was grinning delightedly at his rival, who could only stare through widened, unblinking eyes.

Seeing the face of his mentor's killer just two months after everything that had happened was unbearably painful. A memory Darren had tried hard to bury into his unconscious mind began to resurface, and suddenly all the work Truska had put into Darren's mental healing came undone.

In his state of shock, Darren didn't notice that the trio was not alone. Gannen Harst had appeared (seemingly out of thin air), and was standing next to Steve. A handful of other Vampaneze were positioned here and there, and as much as Darren wanted to give Evanna the you-should-be-ashamed-of-yourself look, he just couldn't tear his eyes away from Steve.

"Hey, Shan," Steve began, rattling Darren out of his stupor, "miss me?"

And that did it. Something inside Darren snapped.

With an anguished cry, Darren lurched forward, fingers shaped like claws, ready to tear the skin off Steve's stupid face. Evanna moved aside, but so did Steve, and Darren missed. The vampire would've continued striking, too, if it hadn't been for the unanticipated force knocking him backwards into a tree. Darren cried out as his back slammed into the trunk with enough strength to force all the air out of his lungs.

At first, Darren was under the impression that Steve had punched him (even though he hadn't felt a punch), but upon looking up, he found that his assumption was wrong.

Evanna had outstretched a hand, and was most definitely using magic against Darren. Although he couldn't see her powers or energy manipulation, the vampire prince could certainly feel it. Naturally, he would've sunk to the ground after being thrown into the tree, but a force held him up and against it, almost as if he was tied to it with a rope.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Darren yelled, almost hysterical. He knew she wanted him to join Steve, but for her to try and force him like this? That too, to take him alone? She could've at least brought Harkat. Being alone in the situation felt terrifying and unfair.

"Weren't you supposed to be neutral?"

Evanna was not going to respond to him, he could tell.

"You can't do this! Evanna!" His throat felt sore.

The witch looked grim. Darren searched her eyes and expression to see if there was a shift, a realization, maybe she would stop this madness- but no, her expression remained firm and unchanging. Darren let out a defeated huff, shaking his head at her and ignoring Steve's persistent gaze that lingered on him.

The witch offered no response still, instead she whispered something to Gannen, gave a warning glare to Steve and spared Darren a stern look before turning and disappearing into the woods, leaving the vampire alone with his sworn enemies. Darren understood he would be given no explanation as to what was going on.

"Well, boys. You know what to do." Steve nodded to Gannen, his upbeat tone sharply contrasting the tragic mood swirling around Darren. When the vampire looked up Steve was already watching him, lips twisted in a sardonic smile.

Darren cussed at him.

Steve laughed.

Before anything else could happen, Gannen Harst was approaching Darren, and without warning, he released the same knockout gas Darren had inhaled on the night of Steve's big revelation. A protest was beginning to tumble out of Darren's mouth, but it was lost half-way through.

Darren's world spun violently and faded to black.

Chapter Text

Steve rolled a pebble under his shoe in a small, circular path, deeply interested in the feeling of dragging the object across the uneven ground. His gaze wandered the scene ahead, focusing mainly on the thicket of odd trees that stood above the clear waters of the swamp, but it could not sit still anywhere.

Suddenly becoming uninterested, Steve kicked the pebble away. He stood still for a while, but he was frantically looking around himself for nothing in particular. He shifted from one foot to the other and instinctively looked at his watch, a habit that would have to go soon considering the watch had stopped working two weeks ago (and he had no idea when it would work again). 

A flash of white sparked to his left, a good distance away from where he was standing. His eyes lit up immediately– his long wait was finally over. Evanna had come back, and they were finally going to speed things up.

Steve spotted the witch- he hadn't seen a portal or anything, she just seemed to appear out of thin air- and his eyes trailed behind her, stilling at the figures trudging in her footsteps. He didn't particularly care for them, but it sure was sweet to see the looks of disapproval lining their features.

The group walked around the cave, and finally came to the mouth, where Steve stood in wait. Upon seeing him, the vampires (and allies) behind Evanna made little to no effort in hiding their disgust, which only made Steve happier. 

"This way." Evanna muttered to them over her shoulder, giving Steve a warning glare before leading the little group inside the cave. Steve rolled his eyes and followed suit after a few seconds.

From the outside, the cave looked like any other cave, uninteresting and probably dangerous, but on the inside it was entirely different from what anyone could ever expect. A few steps after entering it, the top of the cave seemed to reach higher and eventually became completely free of stalagmites. When the stalagmites disappeared, so did the vision of a simple dark cave. Suddenly there would be soft orange light, and the inside would be revealed to look more homely.There came a gentle dip in the ground, and it expanded over a large area that resemble a lounge of sorts, the ground then curved back up, because the cave didn't finish there. Although one couldn't see from where the group was standing, the arched carvings in the cave's walls opened up to more hallways and rooms. 

Of course, the Vampaneze lounging around didn't go unnoticed. With rotten luck, Vancha spotted his brother just as Gannen had turned to look right at him. The Prince glared for a moment before averting his eyes. 

"He's there." Evanna broke the silence, making everyone except Steve turn to look at her. She was looking somewhere, Debbie's eyes quickly traveled to where Evanna wanted. The teacher gasped, rushing forward first, without a second thought.

"Darren!" 

"Why have you...locked him..up, like some...animal?" Harkat looked up angrily at Evanna, who offered a simple explanation.

"He wasn't being reasonable."

Harkat's observation had been somewhat exaggerated, since Darren wasn't being treated like an animal at all. Sure, there was a force-field blocking the doorway of the little room he was put in, but only because he kept insisting on leaving. He had a comfortable bed, books, a fireplace and other things to keep him entertained; anything he needed would be given to him yet he insisted on sitting with his back against the wall and doing and responding to nothing. 

He looked up instantly when he recognized Debbie's voice, and immediately spotted his companions in the background, also coming towards him. The first time since the whole "abduction", Darren's eyes came alive. He stood up and got closer to the barrier, which wasn’t a set of bars, but a force-field that was colored a light purple. It seemed to have a semi-fluid texture, but was actually cold and hard when touched. When Debbie reached the barrier, it began to recede into the walls. 

Evanna watched the scene. Darren was telling his companions about the day he went missing, no doubt, and as he mentioned details of Evanna aiding Steve in capturing and restraining him, all eyes turned to look at her, some with confusion and others in anger. She was not fazed. She expected her relationship with Darren to have been damaged, probably irreparably, but war required sacrifice, of both the Self and the bonds it held.

Evanna gave Darren and the rest some time to catch up before she revealed the plan to them– a discussion during which Darren remained detached and distant.  As predicted, the vampires were shocked and horrified at the thought that they'd not only be teaming up with the Vampaneze, but also going against Destiny himself. What seemed to surprise them the most, however, was the fact that Evanna was encouraging this. It did not seem like her at all.

"What has that conniving, sly bastard done to you?" Vancha spoke up without thinking, referring to Steve and implying Evanna had been influenced. Annoyance etched onto her features.

"Neither he, nor any of your transient kind, can do anything to me," She spoke bitterly, "this decision is my own."

Silence fell on the group once more. Then, with a sigh of defeat, Vancha decided to at least hear the woman out. At this, Darren had stood up abruptly and marched towards the cave’s exit. He wasn’t leaving the area (because he couldn’t) so Evanna didn’t bother. She nodded for Vancha to continue.

"Fine, let's say there is a truce between the two clans. Then what? I'm hoping you have thought this through and through."

Evanna did not answer immediately, because it was a foolish thing to ask. As the conversation continued, Debbie found herself growing more and more worried about Darren. After about two minutes of his departure, Debbie too got up without warning and went looking for the Prince.

“I can’t believe she did that to you,” Debbie had her arms folded across her chest, staring ahead. 

“I couldn’t believe it either.” Darren mumbled, slumped next to her. He was finally out of that confined space, perched on a flat platform on top of the cave entrance. Both his and Debbie’s legs were dangling off the edge. The rest of their group was lurking around, mostly conversing amongst themselves, or with Evanna. 

“What do you think? I mean, about all this? The ceasefire, the alliance….the new war?” Debbie turned to look at Darren as she asked the question, a little taken aback (yet again) by how different he looked. Maybe more tired, a bit older? Something in him had definitely changed. She didn’t know if this change had occurred after Mr. Crepsley had died or since this whole thing had started two weeks ago.

“I think it’s all a steaming pile of shit,” Darren mumbled, expressing venomous disgust despite the quiet tone.

Debbie’s brows furrowed.

“So…you’re not going to agree to anything she says? Then we walk out of here?”

Darren looked at her now, a growing impatience urging him to snap. But he held himself back. His frustration was aimed at everything but her. And it would be unleashed on those who deserved it.

“I don’t know, Deb. I already refused to collaborate before, and then she pulled this stunt. Who knows what happens now?”

“Well, she can’t force us to do anything.” Debbie said firmly, nodding to herself assuredly. Maybe that was her trying to be optimistic, or maybe she genuinely couldn’t see the convoluted web they were caught in. Darren remained silent, eyeing a few trees underneath. He thought he saw a hooded figure branch out of one of the trees— but he blinked, and it was gone. 

Probably his imagination.

The sound of rustling grass made both of them turn to look over their shoulders. Vancha and Alice had joined the duo, with Harkat at their side. With a heavy sigh, Vancha sat down opposite Darren, prompting the vampire to turn around and settle with folded legs, away from the edge of the platform. Debbie followed.

“I talked to her.” Vancha began glumly. Already from his expression, it was obvious that whatever had been decided would not make anyone happy.

“What did she say?” 

Before Debbie could get a response, Evanna was joining them. Darren’s reflexes told him to turn away, but his rage made him focus a glare at her instead. Evanna ignored him. 

“I told him what I will tell you. You have no other choice but to participate in this.” 

Debbie pursed her lips. 

“That’s….not fair, is….it?” Harkat rasped, to which Evanna merely shrugged.

“Hardly anything is,” she continued, “If your fate did not concern the future of the rest of the world, I would have let you be. But we all know what Tiny has planned, and I am giving you a chance to refuse him and his plans. And you wi–”

“Just like him.”

There was a pause. All eyes turned to Darren, who was shaking his head, gaze averted to the side. 

“Excuse me?”

The vampire scoffed bitterly again, “You are just like him. Just like Tiny.”

Evanna’s face darkened, Vancha’s eyes widened, he signaled to Darren to cut it out. For some reason, that only fueled Darren’s rant. He looked at the witch– being thrown off slightly by the sheer wrath shadowing her features, but continuing regardless.

“Forcing others to be your pawns, play your little games for you, and then pretending like you gave them any choice at all.”

“I am nothing like him.” Evanna said, her tone was one of pure ire, “and you better watch your mouth. I’m already interfering in Tiny’s plan, I will have no problem pulling you apart piece by piece.”

And that was that, Darren fell silent, and he looked away.

“And you say I pretend like I am putting this in your hands,” Evanna continued, but addressing everyone this time, “I am not. I am telling you here and now: you have no choice.”

And with a harsh turn, the witch was gone, leaving the group in silence.

There was a certain distance that Steve and Darren would need to maintain – and not in terms of staying apart. This was a closeness they had to keep. It was a rule of Tiny’s that Evanna had found a loop to – yes , they were supposed to kill each other the next time they’d meet. But…what if a certain meeting never ended? If they stayed around one another at all times, technically there would be no “next” meeting. 

You don’t meet someone you’re already next to. 

When Evanna had relayed this requirement to everyone else, it had taken a while for most to grasp the idea. But it wasn’t that hard to understand— Steve, for one, was delighted at the aspect of tricking Tiny in such a simple yet foolhardy way.

Darren, on the other hand, couldn’t get more disappointed.

The only plus side was that he didn’t need to stay LITERALLY by Steve’s side. There was a certain range within which they both had to be of each other, and it was thankfully not TOO small. Meaning, he could still go without seeing Leonard’s mug too often. 

After that scene on the cavetop, Evanna called everyone for a meeting in the lounge. As everyone took their places, Gannen emerged from one of the arched doorways. Vancha stiffened beside Darren, but the younger prince was too busy watching Vampaneze pour out and settle around the cave to notice.

"Since this is an alliance now, we share all information with each other, and we make plans together.,” The witch began, seating on a couch of twigs and leaves, “Besides, you didn't think I was going to waste my time repeating this entire discussion separately with them, did you?"

Darren's brows furrowed, but he said nothing. He didn't feel like even looking at the witch, let alone speaking to her. He looked to his palms instead, studying the lines that carved into them. Mentally, he was preparing himself to face Steve again. It was inevitable, no matter how much he wanted to believe he could avoid him. Personally, he didn't agree with this whole alliance thing; if he happened to find a sharp object in his hand and Steve close-by, alliance be damned, he'd kill that grinning bastard where he stood. 

His daydreams had distracted him from the fact that the object of his thoughts was already present right in front of him, sitting beside Evanna with a leg thrown over the other, spreading like he owned the damn place. So of course, Darren was unpleasantly surprised when he looked up to find Leonard grinning at him.

"As you are already aware, defeating Tiny will be no easy feat," Evanna began, either completely oblivious or intentionally ignoring the growing tension between the two men, "and you must be prepared to enter a world with horrors the likes of which you've never seen before."

Steve looked away first. He turned his head and regarded the witch sitting to his left.

Evanna then started listing rules they had to abide by, not because of some petty laws she was making up, but because it was the best way to hide their rebellion from Mr. Tiny; if he got a whiff of their plans so early, when they were not even prepared, he'd unleash hell upon them.

The first rule she started with was the rule of silence- nobody was to speak of any of their plans because Tiny's spirits were everywhere, and relayed information to him in a blink of an eye even if he was on the other side of the never-ending Universe. 

"Sort of like texting, right?" Steve commented, but was largely ignored. Some Vampets laughed.

"Then why are you.." Alice pointed a finger at Evanna, "....why are we...?" then at herself, leaving her sentence incomplete as it was obvious where she had been going with that. If they weren’t to discuss anything, what the hell was this?

For a split second it looked like Evanna would've lost her patience, but she didn't. She explained that there were ways to hide from Mr. Tiny. 

Evanna found out accidentally.

"I had found that scar in the fabric of the Universe,  back when I was in another galaxy," if one really, really focused, they would have noticed how the corners of Evanna's lips turned up ever so slightly, "I spent a few days there, just studying the way the stars rippled around it, twisting away from it. Some were exploding but very slowly, so I could see them burst with pure energy and then there were others, being birthed by the disturbed gas and dust. There were flashes and the scene seemed to change every now and then. The sky around the scene was whirling and spinning, and the ground beneath it all was switching between two states as well. It went from giving life to dying, from being enriched with the most exotic plants to being dry, barren and torn. When I touched it, it felt like whatever it was presenting as..."

Everyone had quietened down. Even Steve seemed genuinely awed and interested. It took some time for everyone to visualize the images in their minds, take in the magic that they unfortunately had not experienced and probably wouldn't ever see- so they took their time, and Evanna let them.

Apparently, being there had made Evanna invisible to Tiny, who was constantly monitoring all his gifted children. When they had met again after that, he had questioned her angrily about what had happened and she had told him about the place. Tiny then made her come along with him as he went there and made her assist him in closing it up. However, they would soon come to find that the reason behind the cause of the irregularity, and therefore the key to the solution, were both a mystery. Not even Tiny could decode it. So instead of shutting it down, he set barriers on that entire galaxy, effectively isolating it from the rest of the Universe.

It had taken him a few months to set the barriers up, in which Evanna had collected as much information about the irregularity as she could've. By understanding the basics of the disturbed energy and space-time, Evanna understood the fundamentals of what she called “cloaking”. 

"As the name suggests, it cloaks me-physically, verbally, energetically- making me and whatever I want completely invisible to Des Tiny."

"Wouldn't he notice that you're missing? Just like he noticed when you first found the irregularity." A voice from behind Darren called, making him turn to look.

 Gannen Harst.

"No, that was the second tricky part. When I cloak myself and the people around me, I have to generate visions of us interacting randomly, ones that Tiny and his spirits can see. It was difficult to do alone, but now I have a few companions who assist me and have these clones ready for various situations."

Evanna went on to establish that the cave they were in, and the area outside the cave, was cloaked 24/7, and there were several other witches working constantly to cover it up and make it seem like Evanna existed elsewhere. Even everyone else present with her had been copied and pasted in the "real" world. In fact, this place they were in right then could be thought of as another plane of existence. 

Most of the people gathered in the room didn’t really get what she meant– it was too technical and intangible to be grasped, but that was okay. They didn’t need to understand the mechanics of magic to follow the rules she was laying out. 

It was all really simple.

When they were out in the “real” world, as long as Evanna was not in their presence, they could consider themselves exposed. And when they were exposed, they could not mention or discuss any details of the plan.

The only time they would be summoned to the cave (and other cloaked “bases” belonging to Evanna) would be when important breakthroughs would be made. They could not stay in those areas, lest Tiny visit them for whatever reason. 

And with that, Evanna concluded the meeting. 

“In some time, you will all be returned to the Surface,” that was what she was calling the “real” world, “until then, disperse.”

The gathering started to break away gradually as the Vampires and Vampaneze drifted apart. Just when Steve was about to get up, Evanna stopped him.

“You, sit,” she ordered, before looking to Darren, “You as well.”

Both men obliged. Steve looked a little weirded out, but Darren retained that air of hostility. As if being forced to stay in Steve’s orbit wasn’t bad enough, now he was being ordered around like a dog. And there truly was nothing he could do about it. Seeing the scene unfold, everyone else got the hint to get out– and quick.

Vancha patted Darren’s shoulder once, sharing a look with him, then glaring at Steve briefly before walking out.

When the trio was alone, Evanna’s beady eyes bore into Darren. Steve was next to her, so he didn’t really have to look at Evanna in the face. 

“For the better of this mission, it would be best for you two to keep your personal quarrels aside.” She stated.

Darren’s eyebrow twitched. Steve leaned back, smiling ear to ear as he looked at Darren, unshaken by the Vampire ignoring him. 

“Me, well, personally I’m great with letting go of grudges, ‘Vanna,” Steve said sweetly, turning to look at her. The absurdity of his statement made Darren scoff in disbelief, he momentarily forgot he didn’t want to look at Steve and eyeballed him. It took him a moment to realize the comment had been… satire …but it was far more sinister and offensive given their history. He thought this was all a joke?

“Fuck you.” 

“You know, I’m beginning to think that’s exactly what you wanna do.” Steve laughed. As always, he knew how to be fucking infuriating. 

Darren grit his teeth, lunging forward once more. This time, Evanna didn’t intervene. 

“So when it’s not about your feelings, everything’s a fucking joke, huh?” Darren grunted, wrestling Steve to the floor and punching whatever he could. Steve retaliated. Back and forth, they rolled around, letting the pent up tension fuel their attacks. Evanna watched, unimpressed and clearly not entertained.

“You’re the one who showed me the funny side of things when you made a joke out of me!” 

Punches were thrown, blood was drawn– Evanna only stepped in when Darren grabbed a nearby object and raised it above his head to bring down on Steve’s face. Both of them froze– or, more accurately, were made to freeze, very much against their will.

“Enough,” the witch sighed. One movement of her hand separated them, sending both of them stumbling away from each other. 

“Whatever that was, you got it out of your system.” 

“No I didn’t! I have a hell of a lot more where that came from!” Darren shrieked, trying to lunge forward again but being held in place by a force.

“I don’t care,” Evanna eyed him, “you initiate an attack, or try to hurt each other, I will turn you both into frogs!” 

Steve chuckled at that, out of breath. Evanna’s neck snapped in his direction, and in a blink of an eye, she was on him. Standing so close he could count each individual hair of her unibrow. (Yuck.)

“I’m not joking, but feel free to test me,”

Steve’s smart-mouth remained closed. There was something about her gaze at this proximity– he did feel fear from it. He was too overwhelmed to respond. Darren watched, a little relieved.

“And you had better refrain from those little jabs you take for a reaction, if you know what’s good for you.” 

Steve finally found it in him to nod, then he was harshly shoved to the floor.

At the same time, the force holding Darren in place was gone. But he knew better than to try and attack Steve again. 

“Now go. And remember this.”

The men shuffled past her, not really looking at each other as they exited the cave. Darren joined Vancha and the rest outside the cave, promising to tell them what had happened later. And despite everything that had happened and was happening…he felt slightly more relaxed.  For a few moments, he couldn’t understand why he was feeling like that when his situation was the worst it could be. It was after they had already returned to the Surface, and spent a whole day in their usual lives when he realized something he wished he could tell Truska.  

Beating Steve Leonard up was the only therapy for him.