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THE THREE VAMPIRE PRINCES in attendance were Paris Skyle, Mika Ver Leth, and Arrow (The absent Prince was called Vancha March)

Paris Skyle had a long gray beard, flohite hair, and no right ear, and he was the oldest living vaht hundred earth years or more He orshiped by the others, not only for his ie and position, but for his exploits when he was younger - according to the legends, Paris Skyle had been everywhere and done everything A lot of the tales were outrageous - he’d sailed with Columbus to Aht beside Joan of Arc (a vampire sympathizer, apparently), and provided the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s infamous Dracula But that didn’t mean the tales weren’t true - va creatures

Mika Ver Leth was the youngest Vampire Prince, a ?mere" two hundred and seventy He had shiny black hair and piercing eyes, like a raven’s, and he dressed all in black He looked even sterner than Mr Crepsley - his forehead was creased rinkles, as were the sides of hishe rarely smiled, if at all

Arroas a thickly built baldhis arhter whose hatred of the vaendary He’d beena General, but she had been killed by a vaht Arrow He returned to the fold, sullen and withdrawn, and trained to be a General Since then he had devoted himself to his work, to the exclusion of all else

All three Princes were burly, muscular men Even the ancient Paris Skyle looked like he could toss an ox over his shoulder using a single hand

"Greetings, Larten," Paris said to Mr Crepsley, stroking his long gray beard and studying the vaood to see you in the Hall of Princes I did not think I would look upon your face again"

"I vowed I would be back," Mr Crepsley replied, bowing before the Prince

"I never doubted it" Paris smiled "I just did not think I would be alive to welcohts are numbered"

"You will outlive us all, Paris," Mr Crepsley said

"We shall see," Paris said with a sigh He fixed his gaze on me while Mr Crepsley bowed to the other Princes When the vampire returned to my side, the old Prince said, "This must be your assistant - Darren Shan Gavner Purl has spoken approvingly of hi heart," Mr Crepsley said "A fine assistant, ill one night ht indeed!" Mika Ver Leth snorted, squinting at me in a way I didn’t like "He’s just a boy! This is no time for children to be admitted to our ranks What possessed you to -"

"Please, Mika," Paris Skyle interrupted "Let us not speak rashly All here know the character of Larten Crepsley We must treat him with the respect he has earned I do not knohy he chose to blood a child, but I am certain he can explain"

"I just think it’s crazy, in this night and age" Mika Ver Leth grumbled his way to silence When he was still, Paris turned to ive us, Darren, if we see time since any were presented before us"

"I’m not really a child," I ht years It’s not ed"

"Precisely!" Mika Ver Leth snapped "It’s the fault of the vampire who blooded you He -"

"Mika!" Paris snapped "This va and his assistant have corant it or not, they deserve to be heard politely, not challenged rudely in front of their colleagues"

Mika collected hiritted teeth "I spoke out of turn I will not do so again"

A athered that it was ize to an inferior, especially one as no longer a General

"Coht forward for us "Sit and tell us what you have been up to since last we met"

Once ere seated, Mr Crepsley ran through his story He told the Princes of his association with the Cirque Du Freak, the places he’d been, the people he’d h, he asked to speak to the Princes in private He told them in whispers of the mad vampaneze, and hoe’d killed him They were disturbed by the news

"This is worrisome," Paris mused aloud "If the vampaneze find out, they could use it as an excuse to start a war!"

"How could they?" Mr Crepsley responded "I aer part of the clan"

"If they were suitably enraged, they could overlook that," Mike Ver Leth said "If the rumor of the Vampaneze Lord is true, we must tread very carefully where our blood cousins are concerned"

"Still," Arrow said, contributing to the conversation for the first time, "I don’t think Larten erred It would be different if he were a General, but as a free agent, he is not bound by our laws Were I in his position, I’d have done the sa He acted discreetly I don’t think we can fault hi at me, he added, "Not for that"

With the h out of the e returned to our chairs and raised our voices so that everyone in the Hall could hear

"Now," Paris Skyle said, adopting a grave expression "It is time we returned to the business of your assistant We all know that the world has changed vastly these last few centuries Humans are more protective of one another and their laws are stricter than ever, particularly with regard to their young That is e no longer blood children Even in the past, we blooded few of them It has been ninety years since we last added a child to our ranks Tell us, Larten, why you decided to break with recent tradition"

Mr Crepsley cleared his throat and locked eyes with the Princes, one after the other, until they settled on Mika "I have no valid reason," he said calmly, and the Hall erupted into barely contained shouts and muffled, hurried conversations

"There will be quiet in the Hall!" Paris shouted, and all noise ceased at once He looked troubled when he faced us "Coames You would not blood a boy out of simple whimsy There must be a reason Did you kill his parents, perhaps, and decide it was your place to take care of him?"

"His parents are alive," Mr Crepsley said

"Both of them?" Mika snapped

"Yes"