The Circle Diaries III

A/N: Took a bit of a break from Dark Trials to write this because my mind went back to Darius for a hot minute, so here's a bit more of his backstory + a snippet of that sequel hook I was thinking about while writing the last few chapters of Blood Song. Included the full title here since apparently, it was too long for the title section. Enjoy!

The Circle Diaries: Beginning of Eternity

Tabriz, Persia - Year 1550

The sun set over the turquoise domes of Tabriz, leaving violet and gold streaking across the sky. Inside the private quarters of the royal palace, Crown Prince Darius sat at a low, carved table, his four-year-old son perched on his knee while his seven-year-old daughter let out peels of laughter as her mother tickled her. They sat across from him and his wife, Anahita, smiled softly back at him. He couldn't help but return that smile.

Darius was a man who possessed the world - the blood of kings, the love of a woman he respected, the devotion of his children and the adoration of a court that saw the future glory of the Safavid Empire.

But he also possessed the quiet, desperate affection of Farhad, though he'd tried to discourage such things after his marriage, for the sake of all of them.

Farhad had been Darius's companion since their youth - a brilliant poet, his grace rivalled only by the burning intensity in his eyes. Before he'd been wed, while the palace slept, they'd made love behind locked doors. But he'd made it clear to Farhad that while Darius saw their bond as a cherished, fleeting sanctuary within the strict boundaries of royal duty, Farhad saw it as his entire universe.

And Farhad was rotting with jealousy.

That night, after Anahita had tucked the children into bed, Darius met Farhad in the secluded garden alcove where night-blooming jasmines over cold marble.

"So, my friend. Why did you want to talk to me tonight?" Darius asked as they at across each other at the low table. Taking the pitcher, he poured some wine for the both of them.

Farhad smiled tightly.

"I watched you with her today," he said, his voice low. "With Anahita and your children. You looked at them with so much warmth... the kind of look you would only give to me before. I though this was only a political arrangement, Darius."

Darius sighed. "Farhad, we have spoken of this. I am the Crown Prince. Anahita is my wife, the future Queen in the eyes of the realm, the mother of my heirs. What I shared with you-"

"Is your dirty secret," Farhad spat, his eyes piercing Darius's. "A scrap thrown from the table of the Crown Prince. You play the dutiful husband, the beloved father, the pristine heir! And I am left by the wayside to watch you live a life I can never fully share!"

There was a moment of silence, but Darius did not look away.

"You know I love you," Darius said softly, voice full of affection. "But I will not abandon my crown or family."

Farhad said nothing, but his face told Darius everything of the pain and anger he felt. Darius's own heart thudded, but he forced himself to push it all down. His people were more important. He opened his mouth to speak the damning words, the sickening feeling in his gut only rising more.

"I'm sorry, but if you cannot accept this, we cannot be friends. You will need to pack your things and leave this palace at once."

Darius held his breath as both men looked at each other, his expression one of determination as Farhad's eyes filled with tears. Darius steeled himself even more. This needed to be done.

Finally, Farhad averted his eyes and stood sharply, knocking his still full goblet. Wine spilled over the edge of the table and onto the stone beneath. As his old friend walked away, Darius stood and stared after him, the nausea growing. For a moment, he considered taking it all back, tell Farhad that he didn't need to leave, but what good would that do for anyone?

At the entrance back into the castle, Farhad stopped but did not look back.

"If this is truly the end, I would like to give you this before I leave,"

In the next blink, Farhad appeared in front of Darius in a blur of colour. Before Darius could react, sharp pain pulsated in his neck as his former friend gripped him tightly in his arms. So tight, his embrace felt like iron. Darius screamed in pain and shock, a sound that was quickly cut off by the hand over his mouth.

Several moments passed and shadows gathered at the corners of his eyes. The world began to darken, and all Darius could do was envision the faces of his family. Something in his mind whispered that he was being led towards death.

Darkness overtook everything.

When Darius opened his eyes, all he felt was pain coursing through his body, his throat burning as a relentless pang of hunger consumed him. He looked about him, all his senses so much sharper than before. He was lying on a bed, Farhad sitting beside him. Through his pain and confusion, he pieced together that they were in Farhad's room.

Farhad leaned towards him, his brows furrowed. Reaching out, he placed a gentle hand on Darius's shoulder. A moment later, he pressed a vial of red liquid to Darius's mouth and forced him to drink. The hunger slowly subsided, allowing Darius time to gather his thoughts a little more.

Still sweating profusely, he sat up and looked at Farhad, touching the place on his neck where the pain had been. The skin was smooth, but he was sure that Farhad had been biting him.

"What... what did you do to me?!"

Farhad looked at him softly. Pleadingly. "I turned you into the same as me. So we could be together for eternity. Now, you have no choice but to be with me."

Darius swallowed before repeating himself through gritted teeth. That hunger was starting to come back.

"What did you do to me?!" he forced out through gritted teeth.

Farhad sighed and looked out the window at the still night sky. "I turned you into a vampire. A creature who feeds off blood but can live forever. Surely, you noticed the changes in me when I came back from those mountains just two months ago."

Darius stared before shaking his head. Lies. It just wasn't possible.

"No. I don't understand. I... I need to go back to my family," he said, his voice cracking. He stood to leave but didn't even make it one step before Farhad was in front of him again.

"It is done, my love! We are eternal now. We can leave this court together-"

Leave... leave?!

Darius didn't hear the rest as that hunger raged in him, bringing with it a terrible rage. Somewhere inside, he knew Farhad was telling the truth. And with that, the realisation of everything he'd just stolen from Darius. With a roar of pure rage, Darius lunged.

The fight was short but brutal, fuelled by strength and speed that would have surprised him if he was in his right mind. Grabbing the knife from the table, he grabbed Farhad by the throat and drove it right through his heart.

His former friend's eyes widened and he gasped, clutching Darius's hand. His skin began greying out before turning pitch black, then he collapsed at Darius's feet, unmoving.

For several moments, Darius stood there, numb. He could only stare at Farhad's body, unable to comprehend what had just happened. When he snapped out of it, he dropped the knife and fell to his knees next to the body.

Hours later, morning light shone in, shocking Darius when it burned him. Screaming, he quickly fled to a shadowy corner of the room, watching with wide eyes as Farhad's body burned and turned to ash right in front of him.

He knew then that his normal life was completely gone. That he needed to flee.

Throughout the day, he heard the frantic rushing about of everyone in the castle searching for him, his more heightened senses very nearly overwhelming him. Especially when his wife had entered the room, her scent too much to bear. He'd managed to close the curtains by now, having kept himself carefully away from that burning light, then swept Farhad's ashes beneath the rug.

As Anahita had walked in, he'd hid beneath the bed, holding his breath until she left. The hunger in him had made him salivate at the scent that suddenly filled the air - the rich, coppery one that he was now sure was blood. So strong it had nearly made him rush towards her.

More hours passed as he stayed under the bed, staring at Farhad's ashes. How the man had told him he would like to sleep in until nighttime, laughing and joking that it was due to long nights spent on his craft. Darius had laughed right along but never questioned it. Now he knew why.

When night finally fell, he fled the castle, avoiding trying to avoid anyone, though he wasn't completely able to. Before he could stop himself, he'd bitten and fed on one of the lone guards, the taste of the blood driving him to feed until that guard had died. Darius had wiped his mouth, staring down at the body of a man who'd spent his days making sure everyone here was safe, and the guilt was too much to bear.

Far away from the castle after that, he glanced back at the place he was leaving behind. Everyone he would never see again. He turned away, cursing Farhad and hoping the selfish creature was still burning in hell.

***

Isfahan, Persia - Year 1664

The night air breezed through the courtyard. Darius sat upon the stone bench, eyes scanning a map that was spread across the table in front of him. His eyes fell on the armlet his long-deceased seventeen-year-old daughter, Zarya, had given to him when he'd dared to visit her, at least. Long after getting his hunger more under control.

"I never believed you were truly gone, father," Zarya had said tearfully as he held her in his arms in her room.

He couldn't keep the truth from her, no matter how horrible. He told her everything, took her away from the palace to show her what he'd become... and then watched as she ran from him in terror. He never thought she would come back, until several weeks later, she'd tracked him down and gave that armlet to him, promising to keep his secrets. And making him promise to stay out of their lives - something he'd somberly agreed to. A final embrace later, she was gone. As he watched her leave, sorrow and pride filled him. At the very least, he knew she would be able to take care of herself.

He touched the armlet now, the lion crest of his former house engraved into it. Even now, he cherished it as much as he missed the family he'd had. His own son, Iraj, had become the Shah he'd always wanted him to be, bringing prosperity to his people as much as he could. But seventy years into his reign, war had begun crumbling the empire his family had worked so hard to build. Watching his family from afar, trying to keep it from being turned into ash, was something Darius couldn't abide. So, he'd set out and created an army of his own - full of ones that loved their Empire and would give their lives to defend it. Darius even turned those he'd needed to into vampires, then coached them in the ways of their newfound immortality.

And here he was now, planning their next attack. The tattoo on his left bicep - the head of a calm lion with twin bands beneath - was a testament to how far they'd gone to defend their people, and each member of his army wore it proudly.

A shadow fell across the map, but Darius already smelled that all too familiar scent. She'd been lurking around a lot more, trying to find a way to speak to him. Now, she had the chance.

"Lady Donya," he greeted without looking up. "Your house has already sent your brother to join us. You will not be needed here."

Donya stood before him, her tall stature just as commanding. He practically sensed those blue eyes glaring.

"I wish to join as well, Commander," she said, her voice clear and steady. "I came to offer my steel."

Darius looked up then. His gaze was heavy, centuries of weight behind it. "Our Empire is full of men with swords, Lady Donya. Why should I take interest in a daughter of a noble house who should be ensuring the future of that house?"

"Because those men fight for coin or Shahs who will be dust in forty years," Donya countered.

Darius raised his eyebrows. Donya took a step forward into the firelight. "I have watched you. You do not fight for the Shah. You fight for the people. You are the Guardian the stories speak of."

Darius let out a short laugh. "Stories are for children. My army is a burden. It is a life of shadows. You are still a young woman, the prime of your beauty and your standing. Why would you want to throw it away to march in the dirt?"

Donya looked right at him. A woman's life in this empire was limited, but Donya had spent her life hunting in the hills and reading the histories of the warrior-queens of the Steppes.

"My 'standing' is a cage," she said. "My father intends to marry me to a cousin in Shiraz so he can settle a debt. I would rather die on a battlefield than live as a line item in a ledger. I know what you are, Commander. I have seen your men walk away from wounds that should have killed them."

Darius stilled for only a moment. Then, he stood to his full height. Donya did not flinch as he came close.

"I am a monster, Lady Donya. My 'soldiers' do not just march. They hunger. They kill. And they will never walk in the sun again."

Donya gripped the hilt of her own blade, never breaking his gaze. She looked at him the way a woman who had already decided her own path would.

"Then let me be a monster with purpose," she whispered. "I sought you out. I volunteer to serve. If you want a soldier who will never question your command and who has nothing left to lose but a life she hates, then look at me."

Darius searched her face and saw the same spark that he still carried - the same one as his daughter in her own youth. He couldn't help a small smile, but he still had to act the part of the Commander.

"Fine. If this is truly your wish, then you would start by showing me how much you can take. You will have a week of hard training by my most trusted and if I deem you unfit, you will need to leave and never return. Is that understood?"

Donya nodded, nothing but determination on her face. "I accept."

***

In the months that followed, Donya had impressed him. She learned fast, and even if she had been beaten to the point of exhaustion, she would not relent. Darius admired that stubbornness as much as the intelligence and resourcefulness she showed. He guessed that's how she'd found out what he was in the first place.

A year later, he turned her into a vampire, and she became one of his longest surviving soldiers in the war. A war they won. Then again, as Darius would later experience, Empires rose and fell. The world would always change and not everyone would stay the same...

***

The Dungeons, Year???

Darius could only lean against the wall, unable to move after having desiccated due to all these centuries with no blood. He had never been unable to feed for that long. The pain had been excruciating at first but dulled as his body weakened to the point where all he could do was sit there, alone, barely hearing the signs of life passing by him as if he wasn't even there.

Time marched on as he simply sat there, the hazy faces of all those he'd loved and lost throughout his long life haunting him all over again. Made him wish he was put to death instead. He thought he was going to go mad and wondered if Evie had been right to tell him to fight the sentence. Evie, who'd been unable to move on as fast as he'd hoped, still reaching out through the bond to speak to him for a while. To make love to him through their shared dreams.

At first, he couldn't help but being drawn to her all over again - his light in this dark, wretched place. Until he could no longer stand the unfairness of what he was doing - stopping her from moving on. One day, he'd been harsh with her. Told her he no longer wanted to see her and blocked her out as much as he could. Hated himself when he saw the pain and sadness in those eyes. Eventually, she'd also faded away.

He'd almost, almost wanted to reach out and pull her back to him but steeled himself. This is exactly what he deserved, just as much as Evie deserved to have a life of her own, unburdened by him.

Someone entered his cell and pressed something to his mouth. Suddenly, liquid was poured down his throat, the metallic taste hitting him. Hunger roared back into life like never before. His fingers twitched but he was still unable to move. A few moments later, he managed to bring his hands up to take hold of the bottle desperately. The person holding it let go and backed away as he tipped the bottle back and drank, not caring if some had spilled. Soon, he'd emptied the contents, and bottle was taken away.

Opening his eyes, Darius looked at them. It was an unfamiliar dark-skinned woman with braided hair, wearing a yellow blouse and black pants, grinning at him with elongated fangs.

"Welcome back, Darius," she said. "I'm Tamara."

Darius squinted at her. After a moment, he spoke, voice slightly hoarse. "I take it that our time is done?"

"Of course. Come with me. You must desperately need a shower and clean clothes."

Darius almost laughed at that. He definitely did and was happy to finally be out. Slowly standing and following Tamara, he walked down a set of halls that looked different than when he was brought in. Over the years, he'd heard the sounds of multiple renovations being done. The walls and floor were now made of grey marble, still maintaining the dreariness of this building with so many levels full of prison cells for vampires that had committed crimes.

The inner circle had been kept underground, society wanting to bury the biggest blight in their most recent history as deep as they could. Darius wondered if they should have been kept there forever. Three and a half centuries hadn't been much time for the guilt to fade. He wondered how the others felt and when he would get to see them. Tamara looked at him, her eyes softening.

"It's going to be a lot to take in. The world's changed so much."

Darius gave a half-smile in return despite everything. "Oh, I know. I've seen so many things change over so many centuries."

Tamara smiled back, but it faded a little. "I was turned nearly a couple of centuries after you all were imprisoned but I heard about all of you and everything that had happened. Especially with Evie. She's come a long way since then. Can't wait to see you all again."

Darius gazed ahead. Evie. Hearing her name for the first time in so long brought back all those intense memories of their time together. All the feelings he thought would have been gone by now but weren't. Just frozen, like he had been. He wondered if she really would be as glad to see him as he would be to see her but doubted it. Surely, she would have moved on by now.

"Is she well? What about Ruixi?" Darius asked.

"They're both alive and work together. They've been doing a great job keeping the peace between witches and vampires so far," Tamara answered, looking ahead as they reached a door. She opened it and smiled at him. "Take as long as you want."

Darius thanked her and she left, closing the door. Taking a breath as he replayed her words, he put it all aside for now and went to take a long overdue shower, relishing the water on his skin. He gave it about one hour before he felt like he was pruned enough.

***

The inner circle were gathered now in one room and Darius looked around, noting each face. The others did the same. He'd missed them all terribly. Donya, Elif, Michelle and Sakura, who all looked extremely relieved to be out, though they all had a haunted look in their eyes. Ethan, Paul and Kail were standing in different parts at the edges of the room, silent as they glanced about with that same look. Darius wondered if that's also how he looked.

Ethan sat at a table by himself, a deep frown on his face.

"Did anyone see or hear other vampires when you were taken out?" Ethan asked suddenly, cutting through the stifling silence.

"No, actually," Sakura said after a moment. Others shook their heads as well.

"What, you think it means something?" Michelle asked. "We've been locked away for a long time and apparently things have gotten better. Maybe there aren't as many vampires committing crimes bad enough to land them here."

"... Unless they are and they're being killed instead." Paul spoke up for the first time.

Silence fell as they contemplated this. That theory made sense. They were in a multi-layered building with no other signs of prisoners being kept locked away. So why the facade? What if that had been the condition for the peace that Tamara had talked about?

"If that's really the case, then the world hasn't really improved much, has it?" Donya said softly, staring into the space in front of her.

Darius looked at her. Gods, her time here had really affected her. She looked wearier than ever in all the centuries he'd known her. Walking forward, he gently touched her shoulder and her eyes turned sharply to his.

"Let's go ask," Darius said. Everyone nodded.

They went to open the door but surprisingly it was locked. Darius tried with all his strength to break the doorknob, but it didn't budge. Letting go, he backed away and shared a look with the others as dread crept in. They were being held in by magic.

A moment later, the door opened and Tamara stepped inside. Before he could stop her, Michelle darted forth and grabbed the younger vampire by the neck.

"What are you doing?!" Tamara blurted, eyes wide.

"We just tried the door and couldn't get out. Why lock us in if we're supposed to be free?" Michelle demanded, squeezing.

"I-I'm sorry. This door was spelled to keep vampires in a while ago. I forgot to tell you!" Tamara choked out, trying to break Michelle's grip.

"Michelle! Let her go!" Darius called out. He believed her about that at least.

Still glaring, Michelle did so. Tamara coughed, rubbing her neck as she glared back.

"Sorry about that," Darius said. Tamara shook her head.

"Whatever. I'm just here to take you guys to Evie."

They all exchanged another surprised look. Evie was here to meet them after all this time? Darius supposed it did make sense for her to be there when they got out. Despite everything, she probably still cared about some of them at least, being that they had been a major part of her life.

The door was still open and they followed Tamara out. A few hallways later, they finally made it to the lobby. Evie stood by a window, facing away from them as she looked into the darkness outside, arms wrapped around herself.

"Evie," Darius breathed as they got closer, unable to hide the longing in his voice. The gladness that she was safe.

Turning, a smile spread across her face. She walked to him, glancing at the others as well. Darius's eyes swept over her. These years had changed her a lot. She now had short hair that was dyed black, had gained some more muscle than last time. The biggest thing that caught his eye was the tattoo that she now had on her left arm - the same lion and twin bands around her bicep.

Getting closer, she drew him into a hug, and he wrapped his own arms around her, taking in her more earthy scent, mixed with berry shampoo. He smiled. Even after all this time, she still liked fruit scented shampoo and body wash. Guess some things never change. Gods, he'd missed her. He instinctively tried to reach out and speak through mind the way they used to, but all he got was silence.

His smile faded a little when he understood - the imprint bond had dissolved into nothing by now. Sighing, he backed away and forced another smile as he looked at her again. He'd expected this to happen, after all. Even had encouraged her to move on. He should be happy that she had.

"To what do we owe this pleasure?" he asked instead, his fingers lightly tipping her head back slightly.

"Gods, I forgot what a charmer you were," Evie smirked, eyes flickering to Elif. The other woman laughed. A few more sniggers went around, even from Paul. "I just came to see you all again. The world's changed a lot and might as well walk you all through it."

Before Darius could reply, Ethan walked forward. Letting go of her, Darius backed off as Evie hugged Ethan too. Her eyes flickered to Kail, who had stilled completely, his eyes fixed on her.

"Evie, we're glad to see you but..." Ethan said. Evie sighed and leaned away.

"You have questions about this place. About why it's so empty." Evie finished for him. They all looked at her and she sighed again. "I'll explain soon."

It was then that Kail moved for the first time. He walked to her and she watched him, no sign of fear on her face as he got closer.

"Evie, there's more going on, isn't there? Something's happened. We're out earlier than we were supposed to be."

Everyone looked at him in shock.

"How do you know?" Paul asked.

"I kept an ear out all these years. It's only been about two hundred years, hasn't it?" Kail asked, turning to Tamara. "I heard you say it a few days ago."

Tamara's eyes widened, flickering worriedly to Evie. Evie grimaced.

"I hoped to ease you all into this, to lessen the shock after your time here... but we're in trouble and need help."

"What kind of trouble?" Darius asked, bewildered. He stepped close to her again, realising something else - that Ruixi wasn't here even if Tamara said she was alive. "Where's Ruixi? Is she okay?!"

"She's safe!" Evie said quickly, dragging her eyes away from Kail. "But we have something we need you all for."

They all stared at her. What could have possibly gone wrong?

Looking at Evie, her face lined with worry, his eyes went back to the tattoo they shared now. Whatever had happened, she was trying to protect people from it now. Darius nodded, Ethan and Donya following. The rest reluctantly did as well, letting her lead them out of there. To his surprise, Tamara followed. In hindsight, it should have been a telling sign that she was the only one seeming to work here.