Chapter Twenty-Four (Xed)
"I can't believe this! That stupid idiot is going to get himself killed!"
I sat on the bed in silence with Starling sitting beside me, yawning sleepily and holding a pillow in his lap as we watched Newell pace in front of us, tugging his jacket on and pushing the hair back out of his face in frustration.
Newell was angrier than he was earlier and I made sure not to do anything to upset him further. I merely sat there and listened to him fume over the fact that Hunter had abandoned us for a suicide mission. Even as a merman, I knew well the name of Gothica, particularly Vladimir Gothica. I had seen him do things no other creature had ever done. Things that made me wonder if he was a demon rather than a vampire. Hunter was signing his own death contract by attacking him, no matter how good he was at hunting anything non-human.
Vladimir was so non-human, he made the rest of us look human. And he was about to make Hunter look like a pile of mangled meat that even I wouldn't touch. Newell knew that and that is why he worried. Why he was worried about Hunter, however, annoyed me. I personally didn't really care for Hunter. He was useful, that I'd admit, but he was too friendly with Newell. I didn't like it.
But Newell was concerned and I had a feeling that Newell was going to do something about it from the way he jerked his boots on and laced them up, then shot Starling and I a dirty glare.
"Don't just sit there like a couple of idiots, we're going after him now!" He barked. Starling whined, but I held a finger to my lips, warning him not to argue with Newell. Thankfully, he'd learned what that meant and obeyed as he got up. I helped him dress and packed up our things as Newell paced, pausing every so often by the window to peer out into the snowy night. I frowned at that, coming to stand beside Newell.
It only succeeded in spooking him, though, much to my disappointment. Did he really think I would kill him? How awful of a nightmare did he have that it made him like this?
"We don't have transportation," Newell muttered, folding his arms tightly over his chest and keeping his eyes on the snow outside, "And while we're close to the manor, we're not close enough to walk and not freeze to death." He meant steal a car, and there were plenty in the parking lot to steal. The problem was driving it. Newell was too short to reach the pedals, Starling was a child, and I had no idea how to drive a vehicle. I could barely walk, let alone drive one of those contraptions.
"This is the worst situation we've been in for a while. So much for our sneak attack on Vladimir." Newell grunted, rubbing at his temples when suddenly the room phone rang. Newell looked up and I stared at the device as it rang on and on. Newell and I shared confused looks before he approached it and picked it up.
"Hello?" He asked sternly. There was a pause and he blinked, looking up at me in disbelief before he nodded, more to himself than the woman.
"Yes, I know him... Thank you." He went quiet for a while, but held the phone to his ear. I frowned and came closer so I could hear the phone call. There was some crackling on the other line before a chillingly calm voice spoke.
"Hello, Newell." Vladimir Van Gothica greeted. Newell clenched the phone in his hand and gritted his teeth before swallowing hard.
"Vladimir," He returned stiffly, "I was just... coming to visit." Vladimir scoffed on the other line.
"Visit? Well, that's nice to know. It gives me some time to get rid of the pests in my house."
"Mice?"
"No, just a big fat rat."
"I hate rats."
"Me too," Vladimir agreed, then there was a long pause before he continued, "Well, I'm assuming you don't have a ride the rest of the way here, so allow me to send Kristophe to fetch you and bring you here. I'm sure you don't have a problem with that."
"As long as you don't kill me, that sounds like a good idea."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
"Of course not."
"He'll be there in twenty minutes." He hung up. I didn't bother to wonder how Vladimir knew where we were, because judging from the conversation, Vladimir had captured Hunter. It sounded like the human was still alive, however, because Newell seemed relieved by that. He gestured for me to follow and he took Starling by the hand, leading us out the door and down the hallway to the check out desk. We gave the money for the night and went outside. I was surprised Newell wanted to be outside as it was rather cold.
Although, he seemed warm in his turtleneck, jacket, long pants, and boots. Starling shivered a little and clung to Newell's side. He wore one of Hunter's jackets, one of Newell's shirts and a pair of his pants with his extra pair of shoes. I simply wore a long sleeved shirt and leather pants. I wasn't particularly cold. The air had a bit of a nip to it to me, but otherwise, it wasn't unbearable, not like it would be to some humans.
We didn't actually stand outside for twenty minutes, more like fifteen as a long black stretch limo approached the hotel. Newell's eyes narrowed. He didn't like flashy, it commanded too much attention, and he wasn't very fond of gaining too much attention, especially with the bounty on his head now. The driver got out of the car and approached us.
I instantly recognized him as a former member of Zephyra, now an employee of Vladimir. Kristophe Drakon was a tall, slender man with midnight black hair that fell to his shoulders in straight locks, his bangs swept across a pair of piercing blue eyes. He was beautiful in his own way, but even he didn't hold a candle to Newell.
"Kristophe." Newell greeted stiffly. Kristophe stared at Newell for a moment before smiling lightly and opening the back door to the limo, gesturing for us to enter.
"It's nice seeing you again, Newell... It's been a while." He added. Newell seemed wary of him, but just nodded his head in agreement and ushered Starling in first before following him inside. I started to go in, then paused and cast Kristophe a warning look. Kristophe's eyes flickered and while he didn't show it on his face, I could practically smell the fear brewing in his mind. I stepped into the limo and he shut the door behind me before going to the driver's seat.
The car started and we were off. I was thankful for the heat of the car compared to the chill outside. Newell and Starling seemed to enjoy it as well. Of course, Newell wasn't going to simply sit there and enjoy the ride. He went to the mini fridge and took out every bottle of blood wine Vladimir had hidden inside. He shoved all six bottles into his bag, then paused when he felt my eyes on him.
How could he possibly want to drink after what happened last time? Wasn't he afraid it would happen again? Apparently not. He curled his lip at me, then looked away, roughly zipping his bag shut and sitting back as we waited out the ride. It didn't take too long to arrive at the Gothica Manor, a beautiful building indeed.
It was an intricately designed building with a mix of gothic architecture and modern with a large domed roof peeking out near the right wing, probably home to a ball room of some sort. Vines crept up along the sides of the building, snow nestled on the twigs and branches. Kristophe pulled right up to the house and dropped us off so he could park the limo in its appropriate spot.
His twin brother, Claude, was the one who opened the door for us. Unlike Kristophe's attempt to be polite, Claude instantly curled his lip at us and Newell didn't hesitate to return the gesture with one of his own.
"You have balls coming here." Claude told us as he stepped aside to let us in. Starling scurried in, not noticing Claude's hostility as he spun around in awe to look at the interior of the lobby. Newell cast Claude a pointed glare.
"You also have gall to come here. Oh, that's right, you had no choice because you were a limp sack of nothing." He replied. Claude stiffened and was steps away from bashing Newell over the head if Kristophe hadn't come inside. Claude instantly eased up on Newell to rake Kristophe with a hot, hungry stare.
How odd that the culture allowed siblings to become lovers, but not Newell. They would judge him merely because he looked like a child, when he was actually much, much older than that.
Claude shut the door, taking the chance to look at Kristophe's backside as Kristophe looked at us unknowingly with a pleasant smile.
"Allow me to fetch Vladimir. Claude will take you to the den in the mean time and have the kitchen prepare a meal." He said to us, then bowed respectfully before departing. Claude watched him go, then gestured for us to follow him into the den.
The den was lit up with a warm fire place that made Starling squeal in excitement, running over to hold his hands into the fire. For a second, each of us was alarmed to see him do so. His hands were right in the fiery hot flames, but as we drew nearer, we realized his hands weren't blistering or burning.
Dragons were fascinating.
"Right," Claude muttered, then shook his head and looked at us, pausing to give me a suspicious stare before looking at Newell, "I know what you eat, but what does your merman and monster eat?" Newell seemed surprisingly offended by the insult to Starling.
"He's a dragon, you arrogant prick. And they both eat vampire flesh, so do us a favor and skewer yourself for them." He replied icily. Claude scoffed at the threat, but he did seem uneasy now.
"Let's go for something less... I dunno. Suicidal."
"Darn."
"What about cow meat?" Claude asked dryly. Newell frowned, then glanced at me. I wasn't too fond of the meat that humans harvested from the animals, but it was better than nothing, so I nodded and Newell agreed. Claude departed, after casting Starling one last odd stare. Newell sighed, frustrated as he rubbed his temples.
"I am so glad he doesn't work for me anymore." He muttered, dropping his arms to his sides. I just cocked my head at that, then looked over at Starling as he continued to warm his hands up on the fire. It seemed warm to him, but it also seemed that his skin was fire proof. How intriguing. I came to stand beside him, a bit uneasy around the fire as it would definitely burn me should I touch it. Newell kept a safe distance and chose to sit in an armchair to watch us. I watched Starling beam and coo at the fire that seemed to snap and crackle happily in response.
We didn't have to wait very long before Claude brought us our food. Newell was hesitant to drink his blood and Claude scowled.
"I wouldn't poison it," He snorted, "Vladimir would kill me and I use that term literally; he would kill me. And I dunno about you, but I like having sex and necrophilia ain't the icing on my cake." With that, he departed. Newell glared after him, then looked down into his glass. He stared at it for a while longer, then set it aside. I frowned, then looked down at my meal. It was done rare, as was Starling's, and Starling ate quickly without hesitation, humming contently at the meal. But if Newell wasn't going to eat, I felt I shouldn't either, despite the glare he gave me for pushing my plate away. I only shrugged as a response. Before he could argue with me, thankfully, footsteps approached the den and Newell was on his feet instantly.
Vladimir entered the den with a dominating presence. Royalty and power oozed from every pore of his perfectly sculpted body. Lean muscles tight under a black silk suit, the top buttons of his white dress shirt undone. His black hair was swept to the side, his bangs neatly cut just over his icy cold blue eyes. He had an eerie stare that made me wonder if he could read peoples' minds, as he sometimes happened to know just what people were thinking.
I was mildly surprised to see Alexander join him. Alexander wasn't too fond of Newell, much like everyone else. Alexander was incredibly beautiful, like a porcelain doll that would have sculptors everywhere weeping with envy. His pale blonde hair was a bit on the long side, cut longer in the back than in the front with bangs that framed his face and fell across his blue-grey eyes. He was impeccably dressed in a black and gray argyle v-neck sweater over a gray t-shirt and black jeans that hugged his hips tightly. He looked more like an angel than a teacher.
"I didn't think you were still traveling with the merman." Vladimir commented as he entered, a hand casually in his pocket with the other at his side. Newell watched him cautiously, but remained calm and stoic.
"It was his decision to stay." He replied in monotone. Vladimir's lips quirked up at that as he cast me an interested stare. He wanted to know why I would stay with Newell and he probably got the wrong idea... Or rather, the right idea. Alexander was also giving me a curious stare. I hadn't seen him since the incident in Rome when he'd been viciously attacked and kidnapped by Zephyra. He looked much better than he did before. Back then, he'd been beaten and tortured, tears streaking down his face constantly.
Now he looked much more like a dictator's husband and a stereotypical rich person than a frightened college student.
"Well," Vladimir continued, "I'm guessing you probably want to know what happened to your rat." Newell played innocent.
"My rat?" He asked. Vladimir snorted, waving a hand idly in his face as if Newell's attempt left a bad smell in the air.
"Oh, please. You know better than to pull that on me, Newell. I still know everything." He reminded, making Newell grind his teeth together behind closed lips. I could see a tic forming in his jaw at Vladimir's jab at the fact that Newell no longer had his telekinetic powers, the ones that had vanished in the middle of his fight against his father.
"I don't want to play games," Newell said at last, his tone cold, "I want my human returned... and I want the most updated research you have on your powers." Vladimir raised an eyebrow at that.
"Research? Oh, you mean the research I'm not gonna give you. Right, that one. Nope, but I can return your human to you if you ask politely." He offered. Newell seethed at that. He wasn't about to beg, even if he did want Hunter back; it wasn't worth it. Newell and Vladimir had a stained history that Newell would never let go.
"Nooo," Starling said suddenly, grabbing everyone's attention as he went to Newell and hugged his arm tightly, "Prettyyy. Mm, ahhn, fing bah." I wasn't sure what he meant. His English was terrible, and he'd lived in this country his whole life. Newell grimaced at Starling's affectionate hug and attempt to speak. A wicked smirk swept across Vladimir's lips.
"Well, isn't this the most exciting thing in the world? You have a child." He said. Alexander didn't seem pleased with that.
"What are you doing dragging a kid around with you with the bounty on your head? Are you trying to get him killed?" He demanded. Newell cleared his throat, something Starling knew meant to calm down, so he reluctantly obeyed, but pouted in the process. Newell glared at Vladimir and Alexander.
"I brought him here in hopes that you would take him in." He informed.
"And you care about him," Vladimir exclaimed in mock astonishment that made Newell curl his lip, "Well, gentlemen, call the press, call the Whitehouse, because Newell Drakon actually cares for another soul on the planet... Too bad it wasn't you, though, huh?" He looked at me. I frowned at that and Newell scoffed in disgust.
"He's a child. I may not be a saint, but I am not the Devil and I will not condemn a child to this life." He snapped in irritation. Alexander frowned.
"Where are his real parents?" He asked. Newell glanced at him, disinterested.
"They were killed. He's not a human child either... He's a dragon." He stated. The smile left Vladimir's lips instantly. Alexander paled and looked right at Starling, who didn't seem to notice their shock and just smiled with an innocent twinkle in his bright silver eyes. Alexander and Vladimir exchanged nervous glances. To see Vladimir unsettled was stunning. He was quite confident-- No, rather, downright cocky and he had every right to be.
"A dragon?" Alexander asked for confirmation. Newell nodded, then took Starling by the hand and led him closer to Alexander.
"Starling, show them what you can do with the fire." He ordered. Starling gave Alexander a nervous look, reminding me of a child on their first day of school, before he reluctantly went to the fire and put his hands in it. Alexander's eyes widened and he grabbed Vladimir's arm for support. Vladimir just nodded, more to himself than Alexander, as he watched in awe.
"He's actually a dragon. You found a dragon." Alexander stammered in disbelief. Starling seemed bored with the fire trick and came over to stand by Newell and whined.
"Prettyyy."
"Why does he say that?" Alexander asked. Newell looked uncomfortable now.
"He doesn't know how to say my name." He answered. Vladimir made an odd sound like he was trying not to laugh, so it sounded like he was blowing a raspberry past his hand before he cleared his throat and tried to stifle his laughter.
"So he calls you pretty?" He asked. Newell glared.
"I can teach him to call you dickhead." He returned. Vladimir scrunched up his nose at that and Alexander made a sound of disapproval.
"No," He protested, clenching his fists, "Dragon or not, he's still a child and that is not appropriate language to use around him. Where did you find him if he wasn't with his parents?" Newell averted his eyes for a moment before looking back at them.
"In the woods on our way here. He was living on his own until he tagged along with us." He replied. Vladimir raised an eyebrow at that.
"Tagged along or you picked him up?" He asked. Newell glared.
"That's not really the problem right now. I just want my human and my research. You can take the kid in return. Surely he'll be of some use. You can even give him to your son and son-in-law." He offered, making me frown. Starling didn't seem to understand the conversation, having no idea that Newell was trying to get rid of him. While my heart ached for the child, I knew it was best that he not stay with us.
It was too dangerous. Someone could capture him and use him against us, or flat out kill him and even I would be crushed to know that something awful could happen to him.
"Well," Vladimir said calmly, "It's a bit late. Why don't we discuss this tomorrow? I'll have Claude and Kristophe set you up in a couple of rooms."
"I don't want to stay here." Newell said stiffly. Vladimir shrugged nonchalantly, turning to exit the den.
"That's fine. I'll just keep your human in my freezer for when I get thirsty." He said. Newell glared at him and Alexander cleared his throat uncomfortably, touching Vladimir's shoulder. Vladimir glanced at him and I found myself envious of the way they shared a deep, intense stare, as if they both knew what the other was thinking. I glanced at Newell, who shifted uncomfortably. I could tell he just wanted to grab what he needed and leave.
We were in the lair of the beast right now. Vladimir may be acting relatively polite now, but I'd seen him angry before and I was in no mood to see him again. Especially retaliating against Newell, who I knew was quite skilled in pushing people's buttons, be it on purpose or accident.
"All right," Vladimir sighed wearily, running a hand through his hair before placing said hand around Alexander's waist to pull him close, "I'll take you to your human." Newell seemed relieved and took Starling by the hand, leading him as Vladimir led the way. I stayed close to the back of our group, eyeing Vladimir cautiously. While I probably couldn't do much against him, I could still try in case he decided to turn on us.
Suffice it to say, I didn't trust Vladimir. While he was a powerful dictator who seemed rather fair politically, he was still dangerous. He'd destroyed more than half of his own species in order to reach the power he had now. No one fought him after he destroyed his own parents and the Drakon Clan. No one would dare when he could snap their necks with so much as an eye flicker.
Vladimir led us through a few hallways and up a flight of stairs to a relatively dull bedroom and inside lying on a bed, unconscious, was Hunter. He looked surprisingly okay, save for a bit of a pale chalky look to him. Newell frowned, releasing Starling to approach Hunter before casting Vladimir a suspicious glare. Vladimir held his hands up in defense.
"We didn't hurt him--"
"We," Alexander stressed, glaring at his husband, "There's no we here. I was trying to be nice to him and you just did your weird mind trick thing on him." Vladimir shrugged and looked back at Newell.
"Your human was going to attack him and I happened to step in and hit a pressure point. He's unconscious right now and I plan to wipe his memory of this visit. The last thing I need is a human hunter after me. Especially one with such potent blood." He added, licking his fangs. Alexander looked a bit ill at that. Newell frowned, stepping away from the bed and facing Vladimir.
"Potent blood? Look, the only reason Hunter showed up here is because you had his parents killed." He stated. Vladimir frowned.
"Me? I don't even know him."
"Rice. That's his surname."
"Ohh," Vladimir said slowly, "No, then I know him by his real name. Him and his younger brother, Peter, right? That family?" Newell nodded. Vladimir sighed, exasperated as he looked at Hunter. His eyes glowed as if he were remembering something before he shook his head and looked back at Newell.
"I'm still wiping his memory. I don't want him to find his way back here. I'll replace his memories with something else and let you know about it so you can explain it to him, and whatever you do, don't slip up on him, or else things'll get sticky." He explained sternly. Newell gave Vladimir an annoyed stare.
"You can wipe memories?" He asked. Vladimir smirked cheekily.
"I can do whatever I want." He responded. Newell narrowed his eyes, grinding his teeth together again. This wasn't about just their rivalry together; it was the fact that Vladimir still had his powers and Newell did not. Why? We still weren't sure, but we would be one step closer if Vladimir gave us the research information. Apparently Vladimir was also mildly curious about his abilities and had hired several people to begin research. And I could tell he experienced a lot of tests judging from the red spots where a needle was inserted into his skin.
"All right," Alexander said gently, trying to ease the tension in the air, "Let's let the human rest. Vlad, I'm going to take them to their room to give Claude and Kristophe a break." Vladimir instantly frowned at that.
"It's their jobs to do it." He reminded, but Alexander smiled at Vladimir over-protectiveness and gave him a peck on the cheek.
"It'll just take a few minutes. In the mean time, you go ahead to bed." He assured. Vladimir hesitated, casting Newell a quick glance that determined Newell was less of a threat than me, because his eyes swept over to me. There was a dangerous, predatory glint in Vladimir's eyes before he tipped Alexander's head so he could kiss the top of it before he left the room. Alexander watched him leave with a shy smile.
"You two have gotten awfully comfortable since the last time I saw you." Newell commented, his tone dry. Alexander blinked, then turned to Newell with a guarded expression.
"Well, it... It was hard at first, but things are different now. Vladimir's gotten laidback."
"I'd say he's gotten worse," Newell muttered under his breath, making Alexander frown curiously, "He's got someone else he's trying to protect, which will make him even more paranoid and distracted. It's a good thing he has his powers. Any normal person would break under the pressure of having his kind of power and position and people to protect." Alexander was silent at that. He seemed to be thinking it over before Newell cleared his throat to remind Alexander of our rooms. He nodded and led us out of the room, down the hallway.
"Would you like seperate rooms?" Alexander asked. I expected Newell to say yes, but to my surprise, he shook his head.
"I would prefer it if we shared a room." He responded. Alexander nodded politely and took us to another wing of the house where the guest rooms were. We entered a luxerious bedroom complete with a canopy bed, leather sofa, and flat screen television. There was even a walk-in closet and connected bathroom. Starling went straight to the bed with a happy squeal and flopped on it, rolling around on the sofa quilts there. Newell scowled and went to scold him, but Alexander waved a hand at him.
"It's okay," He said with a soft smile, glancing over at Starling, "He kind of reminds me of my little brother." Newell blinked and cast Alexander a curious stare.
"You have a brother now?" He asked. Alexander nodded, reaching up to tuck a lock of hair behind his ear, a proud expression on his face.
"Yes. His name is Julian. He's a great kid." He replied. I noticed he didn't offer Newell to meet him. It was probably a good idea, however. While Alexander was being polite to us, I knew he wanted us gone as much as Vladimir did. It was unsafe for us to be here. It was putting both of them at risk of Zephyra coming after them again and judging from the way things were before, it was the last thing Alexander or anyone else wanted.
"I'll leave you guys alone now. If you need anything, there's a call button on the wall near the bed. It'll let Claude, Kristophe, or one of the other servants know and send them right here." He told us. Newell nodded his thanks and waited until Alexander had left, closing the door behind him, before he released a heavy sigh, scanning the room with tired blue eyes.
"He's gotten taller," Newell muttered, then paused before saying under his breath, "Or I've gotten shorter." I wanted to tell him that wasn't true, but I supposed in a sense, Alexander had gotten taller. He used to look like a teenager, young and fresh, and now he looked like a hardworking model of some sort. He obviously worked out judging from his tight, lean muscles too. A good thing considering Alexander wasn't much use in a physical fight. He was more of a thinker and a peacemaker, something that attracted people to him. There was a light about Alexander that put people at ease.
The exact opposite of Vladimir.
I'd never seen a couple so different. While Alexander was friendly, polite, and good natured, Vladimir was dark, engimatic, and rude. Even when Vladimir smiled, you could see the judgement sparking in his eyes as he picked out every last flaw, right down to the filthy thoughts that brewed at the back of your mind, lost to you, but found by him. It was eerie and I was thankful to be out of his presence.
Meanwhile, I stood at the foot of the bed while Newell showered and prepared for bed, again. Starling had fallen asleep on the bed, hanging upside down on the edge. I walked over and gently settled him under the covers. I tucked him in and paused to study him.
I wasn't attracted to Starling like I was to Newell, which meant it was more than just physical appearance and it didn't mean I was perverted. Starling was a child. I saw him as one of my little brothers. He did vaguely remind me of my third youngest brother, Milo. Milo was also very excited and was constantly going on adventures. He tended to find himself in trouble when he wandered too close to the feeding grounds for sharks or the time he'd gotten caught in a fisherman's net. He was very smart, though. He'd chewed his way through the net and freed the fish and himself. He'd been attacked by a shark before too, but again he managed to outsmart the beast and ended up bringing its carcass home, like a dog pleased to show us his gift.
Starling was much paler, though. My people were always basking in the sun and because of the region we lived in, our skin was naturally an olive shade. Starling also had hair like gold. It was blonde, but it was shiny as well. It was as if the strands were truly made of gold. His eyelashes were the same color. He was tiny as well, but not as small as Newell. Newell was at least a few inches shorter than Starling.
The bathroom door opened suddenly, making me look up. Newell came out in a towel, going straight to his bag as he ignored me. I frowned, cocking my head as I sat on the bed by Starling, watching as Newell took a bottle of blood wine from his bag. My eyes flickered and narrowed.
How could he possibly want to drink now? And after what happened last time...
But I couldn't stop him. Newell did what he wanted, no matter what I said. Oh sure, I could have opinions, but Newell would slap them away if he didn't agree.
So all I could do was sit there as Newell sat on the sofa and turned on the television, but muted it. He watched the images flicker on the screen as he downed a full bottle, and because of his size, it effected him much quicker, and heavier. It only took an hour for him to pass out on the sofa.
My heart ached for him. I didn't understand why he was stressing himself out. He didn't have time to worry about trival matters. We needed to leave Starling here where he was safe, grab the research, and leave. Even if we left Hunter behind. The man was only in the way anyway.
I eventually got up from the bed, going to Newell so I could carry him to bed. I pulled up short, however, to see that he'd sprawled out on the sofa. His towel just barely hid his gentials, his tiny hand still wrapped around the nose of the bottle that dripped a few precious drops of the expensive drink. His cheeks were pinkened and his breath came out in slow, gentle whooshs. I cleared my throat, kneeling down and prying his fingers off the bottle. I set it aside on the coffee table, then wrapped the towel around Newell, lifting him up in my arms. His head fell back limply and he murmured something inaudible in his sleep as I carried him to the bed.
I adjusted him in my arms so his head wasn't falling back anymore and resting against my chest. I hesitated as he sighed sleepily, rubbing his cheek against my chest. The simple gesture sent my blood on fire and my groin instantly hardened. I forced myself to set him down carefully on the bed. I took his wet towel away so he wouldn't catch a cold, making sure to keep my eyes averted from his nudity.
If there was anything Newell hated most, it was having people see him naked. He loathed the idea that someone would see him naked. He was incredibly self-conscious.
I set his towel aside and grabbed one of my shirts to dress him in as it was easier to slip it over his head than one of his own shirts. I rarely wore mine anyway. I wasn't fond of shirts, or pants, really. Clothing was far too confining for my tastes.
I sat Newell up and he slumped forward, grunting as I set him against my arm.
"Stop fooling around." He mumbled in his sleep. I ignored him, pulling the shirt on over his head and adjusting it so his arms went through the sleeves. I started to place him back on the bed when I noticed his eyes were open and he was staring at me. I paused to stare back at him. I almost expected him to have one of the odd episodes he'd been having ever since I used my spell on him in New York, but instead, his eyelids fluttered and a sleepy, drunken smile swept across his face.
He reached his arms up, hands sinking in my hair. I bit back a purr of content at the feel of his fingers sliding through my hair. He stared up at me with glazed over eyes before he parted his lips. For a second, I thought he was going to kiss me before he winced and let go of me, covering his mouth with his hand before he leaved over the side of the bed and vomited. I grimaced and stepped back to give him space and avoid getting dirty as he vomited on the carpet.
I had a feeling Vladimir wasn't going to appreciate this.
I waited until Newell was finished before he slumped on the edge of the bed, head still hanging off in case, a string of saliva hanging past his lips. He stared sleepily at the floor before hiccuping.
"I really need to stop drinking." He murmured. If I could speak, I'd sarcastically reply with "you think". It was obvious he didn't handle his alcohol well and he became odd when he was drunk. I couldn't tell if he became serious or if he simply became aroused. Either way, alcohol didn't vote well for him.
But before I could clean him up or do anything, he passed out again, slumped over the edge of the bed. I sighed and got up, grabbing a clothe from the bathroom to wipe his face before I settled him back on the bed again, on his side, in case he decided to vomit again. I did my best to clean up the mess on the floor before I went to the sofa and laid down.
I wasn't particularly tired. I'd gotten too much sleep the past few days. Instead, I laid there and stared up at the ceiling.
This was going to be a long night.