Sjätte Tunnan was a bar that tried to mimic some of the history of Gamla Stan. The feel was decidedly medieval with the low, rounded ceiling that formed windowless, cellar-like booths. For some reason it was popular among paranormals, but Adeem had never liked the place—there was no authenticity to the old.
Nev clasped around the tall glass and hunched over the sturdy oak table. "Am I the only one having a beer now?" the vampire asked.
Adeem nodded briefly and glanced over his shoulder. "We should have gone to another bar." Too many paranormals had opted to come out of hiding. He recognized Vincent Fair together with another fae, and the stench of werewolf hung heavy in the air. There were at least three of them somewhere behind him, and he had a feeling there was at least one sorcerer around because it was simply a bit too warm to be natural. Perhaps they all needed to stretch their legs and breathe a bit to tackle the news, but it wasn't the wisest decision to come together under the same roof, especially not at a human establishment. The risk of an incident was too high.
Nev leaned forward on his elbows. "You wanted a drink, this is the place. I'm not walking another step tonight."
Adeem snorted in an attempt to stifle a laugh. Nev's resistance to moving around was hysterical.
"Whatever. And weren't you hungry?" Nev said.
He'd had dinner hours ago, but Nev wasn't talking about that particular type of hunger. His nature had needs, and Nev's words became a fierce reminder that he hadn't had a decent refill since yesterday. It had only been a taste, but memories of young, stupid love had their special kind of charm. Tonight, he wanted something different—something savory with a tinge of sex.
"You should offer your services, you know. You'd make a fortune," Nev continued. It wasn't the first time the vampire had broached the subject.
"And what's the fun in that?" he asked.
"Well, you'd be helping people instead of taking away memories they'd rather keep."
"Says the bloodsucker."
Nev's jaw tightened. "Blood regenerates, memories don't."
He recoiled, struck with worry. It wasn't like Nev to be snippy.
The sound of wood scraping against the rugged stone floor stopped their conversation, or perhaps it was the sight of Vincent moving toward them with his usual grace. Adeem hated the fae more than anything in the world. Okay, so maybe he didn't hate Vincent. Maybe he didn't even dislike the guy. It was just that the fae's never ending source of optimism got on his nerves. Clearly, the paranormal society in Stockholm was too crowded.
Vincent brushed a strand of silvery white hair from his face. "You should be more careful. I could hear you from over there." He pointed over his shoulder as though it wasn't already clear what he meant.
Nev had a soft spot for the fae and smiled wide for the first time that evening. "Sorry Vincent. I'm blaming the demon."
"Don't be unkind, Nev. Anyway, I only meant you should be careful. It's a special night after all." Vincent's melodic voice was too easy to get lost in—a fine trick the fae used more often than not.
Adeem shook his head and reassembled the words, one by one. Something special. "Is the dragon already here?" He hadn't thought the guy would arrive so soon, but the faltering smile on Vincent's lips was the only confirmation he needed. Damn.
"Yes, but I'm sure it will be fine. He will be fair, right? There's no reason to be afraid." The tight smile on Vincent's lips seemed to convey a wish to reassure them. Unfortunately, the fae's voice betrayed how he really felt.
"Of course," Adeem replied, feeling generous enough to give Vincent a flare of hope. The fae likely had little to fear considering his gentle nature. Perhaps the beautiful creature would become a trophy lapdog to the dragon, but then, each and every one of them was destined to be lapdogs if the dragon got too close, and that was the real problem. He'd heard rumors of entire societies bowing before a lone dragon regardless if the creature had deserved the devotion.
"Have you been called?" Vincent asked.
Nev leaned forward again. "Called?"
"Yes, I'm in the directory I guess. The Guardian's secretary called to invite me to the first official assembly at the Archive. Next Friday. Are you going?" Vincent had regained some of his confidence and sounded quite out of trouble. Adeem had a feeling the fae lacked the ability to worry for long or linger in dark thoughts for more than a second or two.
Nev glanced Adeem's way and shook his head. So, none of them had received a call. Adeem counted that as a good thing.
He had to bite his tongue to sound moderately unaffected. "No, we haven't talked to the secretary, and I have a feeling we'll stay far away from the Archive." In fact, they weren't far from the place. It was located on Riddarholmen, a few hundred meters from where they sat. The majestic building had been the Guardian's palace ever since they'd opened the doors in the late 19th century, but despite its more than 100-year long history, Adeem had only visited once.
Vincent didn't seem to get the message that they'd rather not hear another word about the dragon. "Maybe I can arrange an invitation."
"No," he snapped.
Nev shot him a quick stare in warning.
He quickly corrected himself. "No thank you." It was better to keep Vincent happy. In fact, it was almost an unspoken rule among them to keep Vincent out of harm's way, which included guarding him from impoliteness. That didn't prevent him from getting annoyed with the fae from time to time. And if Vincent knew what was good for him, the fae would drop the topic.
Vincent smiled with his entire face. "Well, if you change your minds."
"We'll let you know," Nev was quick to say, probably noticing how Adeem's annoyance was slipping out of control. Nev proceeded to ignore him for good measure. "I'm sure you'll have fun at the ceremony."
Vincent looked hopeful. "I can send him your regards at least."
He was seeing red by the second. He didn't want to hear of the dragon. Hell, he didn't want to see the guy or let the dragon know of his existence. Nev kicked his leg under the table in warning, probably sensing how his powers licked against the fragile barriers. His anger issues had never been tamed very well, but he liked to call it 'remaining true to his explosive nature'. He had a feeling Nev was the only one who accepted that explanation, though.
"I'm sure the dragon will be happy to know we won't cause him any trouble," Vincent continued, all smiles.
Adeem breathed slowly, desperately trying to calm down and remain focused. A thousand tendrils of his nature had already spread from his core, ready to lash out. He controlled each thread, one by one, until they had retreated back where they belonged. Locked away. For some reason he was feeling volatile tonight.
The fae, seemingly unaware of the danger, glided over the floor back to his spot, leaving Nev and Adeem to reassemble on their own. Nev gulped down his beer until the glass was empty. The distressed frown marring the vampire's forehead refused to flatten, however. It wasn't until they decided to leave the bar and ventured out into the night that the tension eased somewhat.
Nev stared up at the sky, faintly spotted with stars. "Your temper is pretty crazy, you know that, right?"
"I know."
"I mean, come on. It's Vincent. Your aura was pulsing. I was afraid something would happen."Nev had a knack for reading auras, something that came in handy from time to time. Not so much at this moment, unfortunately.
"I'm fine." It was a lie. He'd felt the anger consume him from within, dark and unpleasant.
"You're scary sometimes, and I don't mean that in a cute way," Nev added, shrugging the coat closer to his thin body.
"Well, you know me better than anyone." It wasn't an answer, not really. He wondered what Nev would make out of it.
"That I do."
The began to amble aimlessly toward the city center, taking their time to settle. He could tell the vampire was uneasy, but he couldn't think of anything to say. At least Nev had forgotten about his promise to sit still for the rest of the night.
It was Nev who broke the stalemate. "You're really upset about this dragon, aren't you?"
"Don't," he said in warning.
"Fine, I won't ask."
A gentle wind whipped up swirls of thin snow that rose in gyres around them. A few seconds passed, then, from nowhere, a thick silence descended upon the narrow street. It was a silence of the unnatural kind, a muted atmosphere that made your hair stand on end and your heart afraid.
Adeem squared his shoulders and turned around, ready to meet whatever it was that wanted to interrupt their evening. The oppressive silence turned into something deeper, something complex that was hard to put a name on.
The man emerging from the shadows cocked his head. He was tall, and the black coat he wore gave him a wide pair of shoulders to his slim hips. He looked elegant in a way that few could boast. Asian, maybe Japanese or Korean. It was hard to tell. Not that it mattered. Most of all the guy was terrifying and poised at the same time.
Adeem swore under his breath, already certain of his bad luck. At least Kellerman had known that it was a good idea to stay out of his business.
The man lifted one corner of his mouth. "You must be Adeem."
The amused glint in the man's dark eyes put him on edge. It couldn't be a good sign. Either it was to mock him, or to make him feel incredibly insignificant. Perhaps both.
"You're the dragon." It was a statement rather than a question.
"I'm your Guardian." The dragon seemed to stand taller. "But since I know your name, I'll let you know mine. I'm Kyung. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Adeem didn't believe that for a second, and the veiled threat sent all the wrong kind of signals to his brain. He swallowed hard. He couldn't afford to lose control. Not again, and especially not when the dragon stood two steps away.
Kyung eased the silence around them. "Well, I was merely passing by. Goodnight to you both." The lie was blatantly transparent.
The dragon began to walk in the other direction, probably back to where he came from. For a few seconds, Adeem thought he'd been spared, only to see the dragon pause and turn his head.
"You should listen to your friend. That temper of yours might get you in trouble."
Well, fuck.
A/N second chapter, keep commenting and voting :D I'm going to answer comments in the morning. Now I'm ready to fall into bed and dream of disapproving dragons. hah
And again, I will give you some cliff notes. Don't read them if you don't need them.
1) Vincent Fair is fae. Adeem also mentions werewolves and sorcerers, meaning that we know that this world includes: Demons, Vampires, Fae, Dragons, Werewolves, Sorcerers, and perhaps more.
2) Vincent talks about the invitation to the new Guardian's inauguration.
3) Adeem gets frustrated, and as a result, his powers are getting ready to deploy. He has to fight himself to control them.
4) They happen upon the new Guardian, Kyung, who insinuates that he knew that Adeem was about to lose control.
Now, on to the next one dear reader <3