A Feast For The Vampires

XVIII

“Homer,” Orpheus warned with a quiet voice and furrowed eyebrows. “Don’t.”

Homer sighed and ruffled his hair, its thin, long and black fringes falling onto his forehead. He clicked his tongue and walked to the round table that was in the centre of the room and leaned on its edge. Orpheus moved to stand in the corner with a blank expression.

Kimi gave them a stone-cold expression, and watched them like a prey that had predicated the attack of its predator, but stood and waited for its death.

Tobe cleared his throat, drawing the attention of everyone except Kimi. “Mikaelis?” He sighed because Kimi didn’t reply to him. He strode to Kimi. “Mikae—”

“Don’t fucking touch me! Don’t fucking talk to me!” Kimi growled, casting his gaze on the metallic floor.

Tobe raised a hand to place it on Kimi’s shoulder. “Just calm—”

“Fuck you!” Kimi rushed to run out of the room, but Tobe stopped him with an iron grip around his wrist. Kimi shuddered at the feeling of skin against skin. “Fucking let go!” Tears pricked at his eyes. He scratched at his teacher’s hand with blunt fingernails. “Let go!” Fear clogged his throat and the tears finally fell. “I SAID FUCKING LET GO!”

Tobe’s jaw snapped and he yelled, “and I said calm down!” His eyes shone a lustrous amber, frightening Kimi to his bones. He pulled Kimi closer to him like he was a wooden puppet. “Calm down or I’m ready to nail you to the wall so we can talk.” His voice came out shallow, breathy yet deadly. Threat was evident and true in his words.

Kimi’s expression hardened and he locked his jaw. He looked up at Tobe through his tears. Tobe let go of him with a scoff. He stumbled, but caught himself and glued himself to the wall. He gave everyone a scared look.

I still feel fear. He grazed his arm with his fingernails. I still fucking feel the fucking fear.

Zee watched as Tobe swallowed thickly, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes shut. “Tobe, are you alright?” She was about to walk to him but he stopped her with a raised hand.

Tobe shook his head and walked to the corner. He held his throat and looked at Zee with a blank stare. “I’m fine.”

Zee nodded in understanding. Raaf just sat against the control panel, his back hunched and his arms folded over his bulky chest. Rin and Raja stood beside each other, quiet and still. Dae-yang just rubbed at her waist, her eyes stuck to the floor.

One, two... Tobe counted in his head, trying to calm his temper. He bit the corner of his lips and tightened his shut eyes. Calm. Down. He sighed and opened his eyes. “Now,” he breathed, “where were we?”

“Calming a human?” Homer mumbled under his breath. This made Tobe give him a hard look, and he shivered. “So—”

“This isn’t a joke Homer,” Tobe calmly reprimanded, his tone unemotional.

Raaf breathed through his nostrils and looked up. “Lord Ọbafi I suggest that you forget about the fledgling. We have better and more important things to discuss about.”

Homer furrowed his eyebrows. “Fle—”

“Homer,” Qharis warned with a loud, domineering voice. He looked at her with a raised brow. “Shut up.”

Homer bit down on his words and looked away like a snotty child, his lips puckered in irritation.

Raaf spared him a sidelong glance and straightened his posture. “I suggest you speak now.” He looked at Tobe.

Tobe turned to Kimi, who was still shaking in fear and anger, his expression ghastly. “Kimi?”

Kimi raised his head in response. “What?” he croaked.

His schoolmates gave him worried looks, most especially Dae-yang. Raja’s face was more tired than concerned, while Rin’s was dull. But deep down, they knew that they all could relate to his fear, anger and confusion one way or another.

“What is it?” He dug his fingernails into his arm, wincing at the prickling pain that resulted.

He was being drowned in fear and pain. They pinched at his self-respect and maimed him, and it made him even more bitter.

I’m letting my fears bridle me. I’m fucking letting them dominate me. He lightly shook his head and the thick, corkscrew-like fringes of his short afro danced around. Look up Kimi. Fuck it, look up! They can’t do anything! He slowly raised his head after silently cautioning himself. He sighed and eased his back against the wall.

Tobe raised a brow at him. “Are you ready to listen?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” He sighed. “Now”—he looked at the others—“who’s going to do the talking?”