[9:40AM, January 18, UTC +02:00]
ADAM rolled his shoulders to ease out the crick in his neck and looked up from the stack of utility bills. The breakdown of the electricity consumption over the past two weeks looked frightening, and he resolved to discuss it with the children once they returned from school. He set the papers aside and turned to look at Ecru who was wrapped around his pillow like a koala, snoring softly.
=ADAM!=
Adam looked down at one of the papers, focused all his attention on a dot and blanked his mind, hoping that if he avoided letting out any loose thoughts, the disturbance would go away.
= I KNOW YOU'RE AWAKE, ADAM!=
He sighed. He could never be so lucky.
What is it?
=CHICKEN!=
He groaned and rubbed his eyes. He really wasn't in the mood for this at this time of the day.
I'm coming down. Don't touch anything.
=HURRY!=
He heaved himself out of the chair and slid his feet into his fuzzy black slippers. He reached for the thermostat to turn down the set temperature, then moved over to the bed to pull the duvet over Ecru's shoulders. Sure, they had more than enough money to pay for whatever the electricity bill would eventually amount to, but the present circumstances had set his attitude towards conserving energy, whether magical or physical. Ecru shifted under the covers, rolling to lie on his stomach and Adam slowly sat on the bed beside him and reached over to push the hair out of Ecru's face. He had noticed the changes in Ecru's appearance over the last three days; his skin was still pale, but more creamy than deathly, his lips and cheeks were now flushed pink, and his hair seemed richer, more like dark brown than black. He had been handsome as a vampire but now he looked almost...angelic.
"You're staring," Ecru muttered. Adam smiled.
"Only because you're so adorable."
Ecru wrinkled his nose and turned away without opening his eyes. "Creep."
Adam chuckled and leaned over to plant a kiss in between Ecru's shoulder blades. He slowly trailed his lips upwards towards the base of Ecru's neck and grinned at the shudder he got in response.
"What are you doing?" Ecru asked with a husky voice. Adam couldn't tell if it was from sleep or arousal. He hoped the latter.
"Trying to wake you up. It's nearly ten and I'm sure our breakfast is cold."
Ecru groaned. "I need another hour. Or two. Or five. Just...leave me alone."
Adam sighed. "I know you're struggling to readjust but you have to stop this habit of staying up all night only to sleep during the day."
"Why? It worked just fine before."
"But things are different now, and you know it. You're disrupting up your circadian cycle and offsetting your metabolism and hormone levels. We can't afford to have anything messing with your health."
Ecru sat up and turned over, his eyes narrowed into a confrontational glare. "Are you speaking out of personal concern, or as my team leader?"
Adam huffed and shook his head. "Does it matter either way?"
They stared at each other for a few tense seconds, before Ecru raised the duvet over his head and slumped back into bed.
"I'll be down by twelve."
Adam knew from his tone that there was no point saying more. He sighed as he got up and eased the tension in his back, his gaze still fixed on the spot where Ecru lay.
=CHICKEN!=
I'm coming!
He scowled as he left the room, walked through the corridor and down the stairs. He met large glowing blue eyes as soon as he turned towards the hallway that led to the kitchen.
"You know, I liked it better when you could talk."
Erwith grinned, though with his dragon teeth it looked more menacing than friendly.
= Burned a couple of trees before I accepted that I don't have a voice box. Good thing I still have my magic, eh?=
Adam hissed and shimmied around Erwith's large scaly body which took up most of the space in the hallway. He walked through the kitchen doors and into the pantry where the large metal door of the walk-in freezer was located opposite the storage shelves. He pushed the unlock button and it swung open, leading into a frigid room where metal racks holding a variety of foodstuff were arranged along the walls. Damilare had restocked recently, so there was enough in there to get them through a six-month famine. He grunted as he pulled two bags of whole chicken off the rack and quickly made his way out of the freezer, using his elbow to push the button for the door to close behind him. He dropped the bags into the sink and turned the hot water tap, then turned around to watch Erwith. Erwith had settled in front of the kitchen door, crouched with his wings tightly folded against his broad back and head on the cold tiled floor. Adam grabbed the kettle and put it into the stream of the hot water, filled it halfway and flicked the switch as he placed it on the stand.
=How long before Elisabeth comes back?=
"About five hours. They return after three, as always. You know this, yet you keep asking every day."
He whimpered and closed his eyes. =I miss her.=
"She'll be with you all weekend. Actually, no, she'll likely be training all weekend."
Erwith moaned and Adam resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Erwith's core personality was still reflected in his actions and the thoughts he pushed out, but there were certain attributes that came from the fact that he now had a dragon's brain. He was impulsive, demanding, and overly expressive with his emotions, and though Adam knew these features were part of his original human nature, they seemed to have been ramped up to the maximum setting.
=So I assume that means Ecru is done with the devices.=
"He should be," Adam replied. "I assume that's what he was doing all night. For all I know, he could have just been moping around again."
=Why do you say that?=
"I think he's trying to hold on to the feeling of being a vampire for as long as he can. He still avoids the windows during the day and acts like he doesn't need to eat. I've caught him checking his teeth more times than I care to count. It's pointless, but every time I say that, he goes back to sulking."
Erwith made a chuffing sound that sounded like a gruff chuckle. =For someone so smart, you don't have a lot of emotional intelligence. Try to imagine how he feels. He despised humans and fully embraced his vampire identity for over seventy years. He never expected this to happen. It's almost like he died a second time, but now he has to continue living in a fragile human body, forced to change his habits and accept that he is once again part of the race of people he hates so much.=
Adam paused as he let the words sink in. "Wow. That was really...astute."
=I know. Sometimes I miss my opposable thumbs, but all in all, I think I got an upgrade.=
Adam snorted and turned towards the kettle as it started bubbling. He picked it up just before it clicked off and took a mug from the dish rack. He saw that the sink was getting full as the meat bags had covered the drain, so he turned off the tap before going to the cabinet and grabbing the box of lemon and ginger herbal tea.
"So how do you feel," he asked as he dropped the tea bag into the mug and poured in the hot water. "Being a dragon, I mean."
=Not sure how to really describe it. I've only been like this for a week and I know I'm bigger, heavier and constantly need to watch my strength, but other than that, I feel normal. Except now I can fly and breathe fire and probably snap you in half with my tail. =
"And have developed a strange addiction to chicken."
He huffed. =It keeps me happy. I wouldn't be eating so much if I could just get drunk and pass out like I used to.=
Adam raised his eyebrows. "You can't get drunk?"
=Turns out alcohol makes dragons really sick. No happy buzz, just straight to hangover.=
Adam laughed. Erwith thumped his tail and growled, but Adam held his hand up and motioned for him to calm down.
"I just thought: What if Oberon only made you a dragon so you won't drink yourself to an early grave?"
Erwith's eyes narrowed, but he seemed to consider it. Adam moved the teabag around the hot water and inhaled the zesty aroma, before pulling it out and throwing it in the bin.
=I would have said it was a pretty dumb reason but I've seen him even worse things for dumber reasons. So I don't know. Where's my chicken?=
Adam turned. The water in the sink had gone cold yet it didn't seem like the meat was anywhere close to being defrosted. But from the look on the dragon's face, he didn't think Erwith cared. He pulled the Ziploc freezer bags out of the sink, opened them, and pinched them together by the corners with one hand to avoid getting the scent of raw chicken on his fingers.
"You know, one of these days, you'll have to start earning your stay here."
Erwith looked up at him, giving an unimpressed leer. Adam heard footsteps approaching and dropped his load in front of Erwith, who narrowed his eyes at the plastic bags of pale plucked chicken dripping on the floor.
=Is this how you serve a guest?=
Adam ignored him and turned just as Damilare appeared around the corner.
"How's progress on the training room?" Adam asked.
"So far, so good," Damilare replied as he stepped over Erwith to get into the room, taking care not to get the hem of his trousers caught on the spiny projections running the length of the dragon's neck. Adam noticed a thick manila folder in Damilare's hand and mentally groaned.
Just what I need. More paperwork.
"What's that?"
"Quarterly report from last year," Damilare replied as he placed the folder on the kitchen island and went to rummage through the fridge. "Stocks, account statements, you know, the works. Jason sent it this morning."
Adam raised his eyebrows. "'Jason'? Are you really that familiar with our accountant?"
Damilare closed the fridge and turned around, holding a box of lychee juice. "I've never even met the man. It's just easier to use his first name than say 'Mr. Samuel-Fuller'."
Adam sighed and held out his hand. "Alright, let's see it."
"We lost about ten percent in the stocks and most of our shipping companies are still recovering from the recession," Damilare replied absently as he grabbed a drinking glass. "But the other investments kept us in the green. I think we should look into a few other revenue sources. Maybe Silicon Valley or something in the media sector. The profit margins in the tech industry are astounding, and there's been a steady shift towards artificial intelligence so many of the companies are looking for investors. I figured since we have sufficient capital, it would be a good idea to...why are you looking at me like that?"
Adam dropped his eyebrows and chuckled. "I'm impressed. How did you think of all this?"
Damilare snorted. "I guess you forgot I studied economics and business analysis."
"Wasn't that an online course?"
"From Havard."
=Slay.=
They turned around. Erwith was trying to pull out the second chicken and looked up at them when he realised they were staring.
=I thought it was appropriate. It's something I hear the kids say.=
"You're fifty-two."
=Your point being...=
"Please stop talking."
The lights dimmed and brightened quickly before one of the bulbs blew out. Erwith's hackles rose while Damilare looked around with mix of caution and confusion.
"Fusebox?"
"Doubt it," Adam replied as he walked out of the kitchen, went up the stairs and headed for his bedroom. As he suspected, the bed was empty. He went into the toilet, walked across to the opposite door, and knocked.
"Ecru?"
There was no response, but he picked up the sounds of movement and metals clinking. He twisted the doorknob and opened, and was immediately hit by the smell of metal and burnt plastic, mixed in with the scent of smoke and leather that was distinctly Ecru. The windowless room was harshly lit, and the air vents in the walls pumped constantly, creating a dull machinery hum in the background. Adam stepped over the pieces of metal, nuts and bolts that littered the floor as he walked in. The bed was unmade – not that he expected it to be – and covered with numerous gadgets in different stages of construction. In the corner of the room, where the lights seemed to be concentrated, was a large workbench spilling over with wires, rubber casings, circuit boards and other electrical parts. Ecru was seated on a tall swivelling stool in front of it, his back to Adam, hunched over and focused on something.
"Ecru?" Adam called again. Still, no response.
He moved towards the workbench and stopped at a safe distance to watch. Ecru had magnifying goggles on, and moved his hands subtly across a small ovoid console mounted at the back of what looked like a thin rubber strap. His fingers moved nimbly in subtle swipes and flicks, controlling tiny wires and pieces of circuitry which shifted and folded and repositioned themselves in a way that seemed almost organic. Adam marvelled at the sight. Technomancy was one branch of magic he had no working knowledge of, which seemed oddly ironic as Ecru was much older and expected to be out of touch with modern things like electronics. He could still remember when Ecru first suggested it over twenty years ago, when they had considering the many potential uses of their energy magic. Adam thought it was ludicrous – especially with a name that sounded like a bizarre portmanteau of two things that should never go together – but Ecru stuck to his guns, and with a lot of help from Kojiro who had some experience from working with a group of mages in Germany, he delved into a field that seemed too occult even for the occult.
Adam had attempted to understand it, but once Ecru started talking about subatomic charge states and electromagnetic wave conversions, he decided that some things were better left unknown.
"Everything going as planned?"
Ecru didn't respond, but the slight twitch in his eyebrow showed that he had heard. Adam stepped closer and Ecru suddenly brought down his hand and stopped working. Adam thought he was going to say something, but he simply reached over and grabbed a flat plastic casing which was under the pile of rubber tubing. He placed over the small console he had been working on, fitting it seamlessly such that the closure points were invisible and it blended with the rest of the strap. He turned around, threw the finished item onto the bed and grabbed one of the half-finished ones to start working on it.
"It looks-"
"You shouldn't be here," Ecru muttered glumly.
"I just wanted to see what you were up to. There was a power surge earlier."
"As you can see, I'm working," Ecru replied, his eyes still focused on the device in front of him. "And I prefer to do so without distractions."
Adam's fists clenched, but he swallowed the rebuttal that formed in his mind. He sucked in a deep breath and stepped away from the table, noting the slight droop in Ecru's shoulders as he walked backwards and settled on the bare corner of the mattress. He sat there quietly, and Ecru resumed working for about a minute before he stopped.
"Why are you still here?"
"Because we need to talk."
"You should leave, for your own safety."
"I know what you're trying to do. You want to be left to your thoughts. And I know how dangerous that is right now, so I'm staying."
"So, what, you're here to stop me from thinking? What do you think I'll do, kill myself?"
Adam sighed. "The fact that you suggested it means you've considered it. I don't want to fight. Just talk to talk to me. Please."
Ecru sat still and remained quiet. Adam pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms around them. The hum of the vents continued in the background, emphasizing the stretch of silence and making the situation seem even more uncomfortable.
"Remember how we met?"
Ecru didn't respond. Adam smiled and stared at a circuit chip on the floor.
"It was a cloudy night. Full moon. I was on a solo mission to take down a vampire coven that had been terrorizing a group of villages around Santander. I psyched myself up by thinking of all carnage I had seen, so by the time I reached their fortress in the forest, I was ready to destroy anything that moved. And then you showed up. I expected the speed and agility, after all you were a vampire. What I didn't expect was that you'd deflect my energy blast and throw one back at me."
Adam looked up. Ecru was still quiet, but by the subtle readjustment in his position, he was listening.
"Every move I made, you countered it. It was frustrating and exciting at the same time, because I was so used to having things go my way in a battle. At a point, I gave up trying to kill you and started testing how well you could keep up. We stopped fighting and started having fun. You were like nobody I had ever met. Intelligent, quick-witted, intuitive, simply incredible. But beneath all of it, there was a loneliness, a sort of...detachment from everything. You were putting up a good fight, but your heart wasn't in it. And it got to me. So I asked who you were really fighting for, and you got angry. Not at me, but at them, the coven. You spoke of the way they treated you, the things you had suffered at their hands. You got even angrier when I said I was willing to wipe them out and spare you. You wanted the satisfaction of ending it all yourself.
"I did something stupid that day; I made a deal with my enemy. I let you walk away, only because you promised to deal with the coven. I had to lie to Eugene, who our leader at the time, that I'd finished the job. And I waited nervously. Two weeks later, we heard of the massacre at Wayfarer's. A vampire had gone rogue and killed off all his blood-brothers, leaving only his sire. It was a shocking news to everyone else, but I was so happy I think I cried. It meant you were free. I searched for you. For seven bloody years, I searched for you. I had practically given up when I saw you in Saint-Etienne, riding a motorcycle, dressed like you hadn't updated your wardrobe in two decades. But you were so different. Your charisma was like a supernova, and I loved it. Especially when you asked to grab a drink and smiled like you knew I couldn't refuse."
He sighed wistfully and brought his gaze to focus on Ecru again. Ecru's shoulders were slumped, and his head hung over the worktable. Adam leaned to the side in concern, wondering if he had slept off, but then he sniffed and shook his head.
"I get it," he murmured
Adam blinked. He hadn't expected any sort of response, and he sat up expectantly.
"What?"
"You do not need to let me down easy or remind me of how great I used to be," he said with a dead tone. "If you want to break up with me or kick me off the team, just do it."
Adam blinked repeatedly. He was too confused to think of a response, and his silence must have been seen as an agreement because Ecru turned around slightly, but refused to look at him.
"I will finish the devices before I go. It is the least I can do. It is actually better this way. Do not worry about how it seems. I am not angry. It is only sad because we have been together for so long, but you still have to do what is best for the team, and I-"
"That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard."
Ecru turned fully to look at him. His face was a mask, but Adam could see the sheen over the stormy grey eyes that betrayed his emotions. Adam got up from the bed and moved to stand in front of him.
"Is that what you've been so worried about? You really think I'll kick you out because you're not a vampire any more? I get that you were stronger and faster, but did you actually think that was all I saw in you? And did you think I said all of that just to point out how much better you were before you became human?"
Ecru's eyes wavered and tears pooled at the brims, but he still kept up the stoic expression. Adam placed his hands on Ecru's knees and leaned forward so their faces were inches apart and their eyes locked on each other.
"Do you honestly believe I stayed with you for twenty-three years because you fed on blood and couldn't stand sunlight? You really think that's what kept me interested?"
A tear escaped, and Adam reached up to Ecru's cheek and wiped it with his thumb. Ecru face flushed as he sucked a sharp breath and released a choked sound.
"Please don't leave me."
Adam stood and pulled him into a hug, letting him sob against his chest. It hurt to see Ecru like this, but Adam understood that so much of Ecru's attitude to life had been hinged on being a vampire that his breakdown was hardly surprising. Adam felt arms wrap around his midsection and squeezed back on Ecru's shoulders.
"Ecru, I never thought you were amazing because you were a vampire," Adam said softly. "You were amazing and a vampire. Now you're just amazing. And I hope you never forget it."
Ecru shuddered and tightened his hold.
"Bordeaux," he said, sniffing. Adam smiled when he caught the meaning of his name declaration, and as he leaned over to kiss the top of his head, he felt a strong tugging sensation at the back of his mind.
=ADAM, DOWN HERE NOW!=
He pulled back and smiled apologetically when Bordeaux looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes.
"Erwith is bugging me again. I better go see what he wants before he breaks something."
Bordeaux rubbed his eye and nodded. Adam turned to leave but then he felt a firm grip on his wrist, and Bordeaux pulled him down and planted a firm kiss on his lips. Adam chuckled and kissed him back, and they moulded against each other, holding on for what felt like an infinite length of time until they had to come up for air.
"I love you."
"I know," Bordeaux replied with a small smile. "Now go."
Adam turned away and slowly made his way back towards the kitchen. He was surprised when he arrived and found it empty, so he sought out their energy signatures and followed his senses towards the lounge. Erwith had managed to squeeze himself in through the double doors, and Damilare, Adrianna and Kojiro were standing around the large television, all staring intently at the screen.
"What's going-?"
Kojiro shushed him, and Adam turned to face the screen which was showing a news channel's live broadcast of a reporter wearing a gas mask.
"-fifty-four reported deaths in the last thirty six hours following the detonation of a smoke bomb that released what has been confirmed to be a mutant strain of diphtheria in the departures lounge of Sydney Airport. The Department of Health has been working round the clock to trace and quarantine all who were exposed to the blast as well as close contacts, which, from our last update, has reached a staggering three thousand people and counting. Meanwhile, the search is still on for this man who was confirmed on security footage to be responsible for–"
The broadcast shifted to a grainy image of a gaunt man who looked to be in his mid-thirties, with dark hair, deeply set dark eyes and a scruffy beard. He seemed to be looking directly at the camera, as though he wanted to be seen. Adam looked away with a frown, wondering why the report was so important, but then Erwith growled. He looked at the dragon who was staring off angrily at the screen, and back at the image, then gasped as his eyes widened in recognition.
"That's...Nathan."