Cirque Du Freak: Larten Crepsley's Daughter

Chapter 4

I avoided the sight of Larten for a good month while the rest of the vampires flooded to the Mountain. I knew they were going to see what should be done with Darren, my replacement, and Larten since Larten did the unthinkable adn blooded a kid. Within that time of me avoiding him, Darren decided to make friends and he eventually found me when Gavner and Kurda were too busy with visiting with Larten.

"You're Jordan, right?" Darren asked politely. I'll give him this, he was quite convincing.

"Yeah, Larten Crepsley's other huge mistake," I said as I dropped off my errands to the kitchen and walked out. He followed me as I made sure none of the Vampire Princes and Gavner were looking around for me so I could escape into my room and relax for once.

"What?" he asked as he looked at me.

"Yeah, kid, you're not the only mistake Larten's made," I snapped as I thought about his orange hair and his noticeable scar taking up his face.

"What would you know? You're a human, right?" Darren asked.

Doesn't he know anything?

"Hell no," I said as I turned to him. "I was blooded just before you were."

"Seriously?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"Seriously," I said as I looked at my fingertips. I held them up for Darren to see. "See? I guarantee you have the same marks on your fingertips as I do on mine."

Darren looked to his hands and then at me for a confirmation.

"So, did Gavner blood you?" Darrn asked when the silence was too much to bare for him as I made my way to the room I could see the moon in.

I stopped and he stopped. "Nope," I said as I turned to him with fire in my eyes. "Your boss did."

Shock filled Darren's eyes when the words came out of my mouth.

"You mean, Mr. Crepsley blooded you too?"

"Yeah," I said. "I asked him to. You know, since I was his blood and all."

"His blood?"

I stopped again when we neared the hallway that lead to it. "Yeah, his blood. I am his daughter, you dunce."

I kept going, leaving Darren behind. "Well that would make much more sense."

"So, how did you convince Larten to blood you?"

Darren paused for a moment, taking in my question and thinking about it. "I wanted him to save my best friend." I turned around as he stared at me. "Mr. Crepsley's spider bit him."

I forced back the overpowering laugh festering inside me, begging to come out. "Madame Octa, right?"

"You know her?"

"Know her? Darren, I had to take care of her while Larten and I were traveling with the cirque," I said.

"Yeah, I stole her. She bit Steve and sent him to the hospital, so I made a deal with Mr. Crespley," he said. Then he added, "Long story short."

As much as I fought with the laughter back, it burst out in a roarous laughter that echoed through the hall. Darren stared at me.

"I can't believe you stole Madame Octa. What in this world possessed you to take that wretched thing?" After having to care for her, I knew exactly who was prized in my "father's" eyes.

Darren shrugged. "I like spiders."

"Yeah, it shows. I still can't believe you stole a vampire's spider. That's a good one."

"Jordan, can I ask you something?"

I paused before answering, "Yeah, sure; go ahead."

"Why do you hate me so much?"

I stopped for a second. "I don't hate you. I hate Larten." I turned to him. "You want to see what my favorite place in this entire mountain is?" He nodded, his eyes made it feel like we would be in trouble if anyone else saw it but him and I. "You have to keep it a secret from Larten and most of the others."

"Okay," he said as he nodded in agreement.

I walked down the corridor more and came to the usual door. I pushed it open while saying, "This is where I come to hide."

Darren's eyes grew wide. He looked around it and reminded me of Belle from Beauty and the Beast when Beast showed her the library of her dreams.

"This place is the only place in the Mountain with a window and balcony. No where else in this place is there either. Believe me, I've checked," I said as I sat down and let him take it all in.

"Do you come here often?" he asked as he sat down on something.

"Yeah, almost every night to watch the sunrise."

"I can see why," Darren said. He looked to the window that lead to the balcony before turning back to me. "Are you going to the party at the end of the week?"

"Perhaps," I said, proud I was using a word Gavner used on me a lot.

"What do you think they will do to me and Mr. Crepsley?"

I shrugged. "I don't know," I said. "The Princes seemed to accept me, but I work for them now."

Darren nodded and looked away from me again. I wondered what he was thinking about. "Can you and I be friends?"

"What?"

"Just hear me out before you strike me down," he started as he stood up and faced me. "You're my age and we were blooded by the same guy. You have no reason to hate me and I have no reason whatsoever to hate you. Why can't we be friends?"

"Good point, Shan," I said as I stood up and shookl his extended hand. "Fine, we can be friends."

We smiled. I was happy to have found another half-vampire like I was.

I got ready for the trial in front of the Princes. I was going to sit by a young vampire named Lucious. He was only a hundred and in charge of keeping me seated. Apparently I needed a babysitter now. I was nervous for Darren. He was the one who had to plead for his life in front of the Princes. I just hoped they would somehow degrade Larten some for doing it in the first place when he knew the laws fully well.

I hardly listened when Larten gave his speech and even when Arra said something. But it was when Paris asked if there was anything else to add to anything. I felt the urge to stand up and get my father into even mroe trouble with the Princes. He was supposed to become a Prince. Now, I was going to make him regret turning the option down.

Just as I was starting to sit up, Lucious pushed me back down. He looked at me when I stared at him. All he did was shake his head no. Okay, so Gavner might have foreseen something like what I was thinking to happen, which would explain the unnecessary babysitter. 

I hardly paid attention to the rest of the trial. It wasn't totally Darren's fault that he was a vampire. Instead of forcing him to do the trials, I personally thought they should have made Larten go through the Trials instead of Darren. Darren didn't deserve it. My blood boiled with fury. I was seeing red and it wasn't because I wanted to drink blood either.

When the rest of us vampires were dismissed, I high-tailed it out of there ignoring people around me and what was being said around me. Hell, I was going to miss my duties. There was no way in hell I wanted to be around those... those... beasts that wanted Darren to prove himself worthy to be among them. All of them should thank their blessings that Darren wasn't among the Vampaneze. Now wouldn't that put a damper on the rest of the Vampires' day... I mean, night?