Blood Thirsty

Ch. 18: Close the door behind you!

"Ouch," Knox seethed, pulling his arm back. "You know, you could be a little gentler, even when we're in a rush."

Anthony swallowed a mouthful of blood that he just drank from Knox. His sweet candy taste coated Anthony's mouth, but the tension in the back of the car was rancid.

"Sorry, my bad," Anthony said, putting on a nonchalant air as Milan handed him a handkerchief from the driver's seat. Anthony would not say he stole Knox's bodyguard, but Anthony had been spending more time with him than even Knox... but that was mostly because Anthony was avoiding him.

Something Knox noticed immediately and has been chasing after Anthony because of it. Back home, if Anthony was angry with his siblings, he could just hideout somewhere in the castle or go into town to ignore them and then, eventually, the dust would settle, and they could all move on. For whatever reason, Knox was obsessed with talking.

Anthony couldn't get away from the man, but distance would be good. He could let these feelings in his heart die with some distance. He could snuff out that fire, but every time Knox would come back, he'd throw gasoline on the coals, and everything was too hot again.

Kissing him was a mistake.

Accepting the watch so quickly was idiotic.

And yet, Anthony could stop licking his lips. He had also worn the watch every day since they went to New York. Anthony found out upon returning that Knox's mother beckoned him home over another monster attack... Someone had already handled that outside the coven. He didn't tell Anthony that because he knew it was ridiculous. Withholding information was just as bad as lying.

That was why Anthony just didn't speak to Knox at all. He took Milan's handkerchief and wiped his mouth. "I told you to just leave me some of your blood. You didn't have to come."

"And I keep telling you, I'd rather come with you than hope everything's okay. If you left without me, I'd be too worried about getting work done. I'd annoy the entire castle, whining that I couldn't wait for you to come back. Seriously, they'd kick me out."

"I don't believe you," Anthony said, staying strong. It took everything he had to keep his eyes out the window and not at Knox. Anthony could hear the pout. He bet it was so cute.

The cold shoulder was feeling just as cold on the other side. "You're just trying to make a corny pick up line, but I'm here on business."

Beatrix told them the next item for the potion was a dragon's scale. She didn't do much. That scale usually lasted a long time, which was the only positive in this scenario. Dragons were rare and they could be because they lived so long as the world's apex predator. Even Dante or Knox, vampires like them, should be scared. No one Anthony knew had a connection to a dragon.

Phoebe only heard rumors of one living in London. Beatrix directed them to a witch who might be a good supplier. Anthony didn't fight Knox for long, knowing fully well that dragons spoke in currency and Anthony didn't even have the funds to pay an elementary school bully off.

"I wish you would tell me why you're mad," Knox said. "Just tell me what I need to do. Shall I fly one of your brothers to the castle? Do I need to let you feed me until my veins grow dry? You like the watch," he said, and Anthony caught himself touching it. He straightened his jacket over it. "I can buy you a present, anything you'd like."

Anthony sighed. "I don't want anything. Let's just go talk to this witch, find the dragon, and go back home."

"If we're just throwing out presents," Milan said, "I'll take a new Mercedes."

Anthony snorted, and Knox threw himself back into his seat. "I can't believe you've turned my own right-hand man against me."

"I'm not against anyone, your highness," Milan made clear, but the side of his lip curled. "Anthony just brings the worst out of me."