Blood Thirsty

Ch. 8: He Loves You

Anthony fidgeted, pulling on his own clothes, the diamonds on his new ring dragging the cotton. "Well... that's nice and all but..." Anthony softened. Ben didn't know this, but Nino used to be his best friend. Before their parents died, Anthony and Nino did everything together. Now, he barely saw Bianca or Dante. He was closest with Mathew, but now they weren't talking.

"Can you talk to him?" Anthony asked Ben. "I'm pretty sure Johanna already hates me. I don't want to cause any more drama."

Ben nodded. "I'll see what I can do."

Ben followed Nino outside. Anthony meandered to the window, watching as Ben approached Nino from behind. Nino was sitting on a bench, talking into the phone. Ben put his arms around Nino's neck and rested his cheek on top of his head. They melded together in an instant.

Anthony sighed and touched his ring. He wanted to say only a week ago, Ventura felt like a strong unit, like pieces of a puzzle falling perfectly into place. Now, Anthony took himself out. He felt "other" like they weren't all the same anymore. Like the name Ventura suddenly didn't mean anything at all.

The door opened again, but this time it was Knox. He glanced back and forth, making Anthony sigh. "Don't worry. You're safe. I sent Ben after Nino. Hopefully, that human will reign him in."

"I think I like Nino even less as a brother-in-law than an ex-fiancé."

Anthony snorted. He couldn't help it. Quickly, he covered his mouth and cleared his throat, trying to play it off as a cough.

"How are you feeling?" Knox asked.

"Flustered. Like I'm a kid again and my older brother is being a brat."

"No," Knox said. "I mean, how are you feeling health wise? Are you still in pain? Are you still thirsty?"

"Oh, uh..." Anthony took a breath. He hadn't taken stock of his situation since leaving the shower. "I'm definitely better but I've felt better."

"We should get you checked out sooner rather than later," Knox declared and tapped Anthony's shoulder and motioned him to follow. "I need to introduce you to Beatrix. She's our in-house witch and the person responsible for making the antidote."

"So, is there a cure?" Anthony asked, rushing to keep up with Knox's long legs and quick stride. Accidentally, this was a quick tour of the castle too. Anthony would never complain about the speed. His biggest pet peeves included: loud chewers, people that think they're above gossip, and slow walkers. This marriage had a chance.

The more Anthony saw of this castle, the more he was convinced the interior decorator was last alive in the 19th century and they had way too much money to play around with. Knox walked right up to an offensively big portrait of Johanna and the King, Edwin. It was obvious Knox got his looks from his mother.

At least in this painting, Anthony had yet to meet him in real life, Edwin had warm brown hair and a matching thick beard. Everywhere his wife was soft and round, he was all sharp angles and hard lines, like looking at the personification of night and day of the spring versus the winter.

Knox pulled the portrait open like it was a door and led Anthony into a spiral staircase downward. It was all stone from floor to ceiling with medieval lanterns lighting the way.

"If this leads to a kinky dungeon, you have to warn me first," Anthony said.

Knox glanced behind his shoulder, the edge of lips pinched into a smirk. "Do you ever think about what you're going to say before you say it?"

"Not if it's funny." Anthony smiled.

Shaking his head, Knox turned back around, continuing their descent. It started out soft, but it became clear someone was blasting pop music the closer they reached the bottom. At the landing, a large wooden door was cracked, until it swung open and Anthony threw his arm across Knox like a seatbelt, pushing him against the wall. A geyser of white light blew right past them, striking the stairs and bouncing high enough to disappear upstairs. Anthony's skin prickled from the light, threatening to crackle and burn.