The display on the treadmill blinked with 50.1 km. He'd been at it for a while, staring blankly into space while his legs kept pumping. Others had probably noticed that he didn't jog like a normal person. He ran, briskly, and too far by any usual human standards. But then, he wasn't human, and sometimes he wondered if that was a blessing or a curse. Human life cycles were short enough to allow change. There was this natural progression in human societies that they completely lacked amongst the paranormals. The Council of Guardians had ruled since the last ten dragons fell into submission. They were a stationary presence, a rule that had survived over 650 years.
They needed change, but he wasn't sure the paranormals were ready to get on board. There was no second alternative, no steady opposition who could step in. None of them had ever lived in a true democracy even though the council liked to call themselves democratic. No, the dragon rule had simply been replaced by another set of dictators.
Glancing left, he noticed a woman gawking as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. He adjusted the treadmill and slowed the pace. He should have gone to a paranormal gym, but he wasn't sure he could face anyone who knew who he was. Not today. He needed a clear head, meaning no distractions until he'd come up with some kind of answer.
The question was—take the job, or get the hell out of Stockholm?
He got off the treadmill and reached for the bottle of water beside him. It was lukewarm but better than nothing. Eying the woman, he gulped down the rest until a few drops remained. She continued to stare at him when she thought he wasn't looking. Clearly, she suspected something, but it was a long leap to figure out he was a demon and not one of her kind. It was more probable that she conjured a story of an athlete on steroids. Maybe it was best to pick another gym next time. If the new Guardian caught him doing shit like this in public, he might get in actual trouble.
Kyung's amused grin flashed before him. The dragon had dangled a pretty carrot in his face, offering that sweet word that was impossible to forget. Revenge. Yes, he wanted revenge on his parents. He wanted the council to fall to their knees and then stand up for the atrocities that stained his hands instead of theirs. The ultimate blame lay with his parents, but the rest of the council might as well have been involved. He wished it wasn't true, but in reality, the only way to reach his parents was to strike the entire council.
His thoughts paused when he caught sight of someone moving through the room. The woman inched closer in that way Swedes did when they wanted to speak but wasn't sure how to approach someone. If he waited another few minutes, she would open her mouth with some foolish question. Perhaps her life was the better one. Sure, she would die sooner than she wished, weighed down by old age if luck stayed by her side, but she would likely never know true horror. She would never have to face a beast inside herself—she would never drown in memories of death.
Choosing to walk away before she had the chance to speak, he watched her face fall with disappointment. She would never know that she had survived the encounter with a demon, and perhaps that was another blessing.
He saw a few others on the way to the locker room, but none of them paid him any mind. Most stared into space, just like he'd done, probably thinking about their mundane problems that wouldn't even matter in a few days time. No, he would never trade his life for a human's, no matter how messy it became.
* * * *
The snow squeaked beneath his boots, white and blinding in the sunlight. It had fallen throughout the night, but the clouds had rolled by and opened up the sky for another freezing day. People walked along the quay, but not nearly as many as one would encounter during a sunny summer day. Usually, he felt a sense of peace when he was the only paranormal in a crowd, but there was something in the air that distorted the tranquility. The focus he desperately needed kept evading him—as if he was led on a goose chase through his own mind.
He hadn't slept, but he doubted that was the issue. No, the real problem was the annoying dragon and the proposition he'd made. No, not even that, it wasn't the proposition in itself, it was the eerie feeling that he was already on a leash. He could almost sense the collar around his throat and how it tightened every time he thought of leaving. It was stupid of him to remain in Stockholm, to even consider the job offer at all, but he couldn't let it go. It was as if a part of him had already decided to say yes no matter how irrational the choice.
Leaving the street behind, he entered his building and scraped his boots free of snow. He scooted a stroller out of the way, wondering if it belonged to the couple living beneath him. He'd heard their baby more than enough times to earn them a black spot of poison threatening from above. He couldn't hate children, but he didn't have to like their parents.
The elevator pinged behind him, and he looked over his shoulder just in time to see a young woman he'd never seen there before. His core reacted before any conscious thought had formed, reaching out for her mind. She halted, pacified. Perhaps it was the smell of sex that got him going in the first place, or perhaps it was the raving hunger after a long night of regenerating his powers. He gave in to the urge and searched through her recent memories. The face he saw was vaguely familiar, a neighbor he'd seen once or twice. He could sense her lust and made it into his own. Slowly, he sucked it all out, every detail, every fragment until he'd stolen her experience. It tasted of curiosity, arousal and satisfaction, a perfect blend to settle his hunger.
Withdrawing, he saw how her gaze flickered with unease. She frowned at him, studied the hallway and found her phone. "How did? Where am I?" she asked.
"Strandvägen," he replied. "You were going somewhere."
She checked her phone again. "Yes, I was. I'm off to work. Strandvägen, really?"
He almost felt sorry for her. Almost. But, instead of answering, he continued up the stairs, feeling at least a flicker of contentment as an aftertaste of the memory. She wouldn't remember what she had lost, and he would last for a day or two before he needed to feed on another one.
Taking the stairs two at a time, he quickly made his way to the top floor. He was in no immediate rush, but perhaps he wouldn't feel that strange distortion in the air inside his apartment. He hoped not because it was time to reach a solid answer before the dragon called.
The lock clicked, the handle turned as usual, but the second he opened the door, he knew that something was awfully wrong. He recognized the silence and wanted nothing more than to back out the way he came. Clenching his fist, he fought fear and anger in equal measures.
Kyung appeared in view, casually resting a hand on the backrest of the leather sofa. "You weren't home," the dragon said, smiling as if that explained why he'd entered the apartment without invitation.
Knowing he was already cornered, he closed the door behind him, eased out of his coat and tried to seem calm. Fear wouldn't help him. Fear would only mean that Kyung had him right where the dragon wanted him to be.
"I keep my door locked for a reason."
"And I wanted some privacy for our meeting," Kyung countered. "And, I figured you'd be most comfortable here on your own turf."
Well, it wasn't exactly his turf if the guy had already barged inside. "Then you could have waited until I came home."
"That's what I did, wasn't it?"
The cheek. He didn't know how to handle the amused grin on Kyung's face. "This doesn't help, you know. If you wanted me to take that job you offered, you should have tackled this another way."
"Is that your answer? You're declining the offer? That's a pity."
"The problem is that I don't know what I'm declining."
Kyung's eyes flashed with humor. "Then I better explain. Maybe some refreshments?"
Clenching his jaw, he kicked off his boots and stalked past the dragon and into the kitchen. Refreshments. Right. Not only did the guy break into his apartment, the idiot wanted to empty his fridge as well. "I have gin and that's about it." He fetched two tall glasses from the wooden shelf and a bottle from the otherwise empty freezer. Even if the dragon might say no to a drink, he needed one for sanity's sake.
Kyung stood in the doorway, leaning casually against the frame. Dressed in a dark suit and meticulously polished shoes, the dragon looked all kinds of formidable and official. A perfect pose for a Guardian.
He poured a double shot into both glasses and left them on the counter. If the dragon wanted it, the man would have to get it himself. He regretted that decision as soon as Kyung walked closer. The proximity sent waves of unease throughout his system that awakened his core, but backing away would only make the situation worse. The presence around that man made him feel about two feet tall.
Kyung clasped his fingers around the glass. "You drink it straight?"
"There's water. Don't have anything else." That was a lie. He had tonic and even a lemon in the fridge, but he had no intention of playing a gracious host to a trespasser.
Kyung only shrugged and eased back against the counter, glass in hand and far too close. "So, I'm trying to figure you out."
"Don't." The last thing he wanted was to have the dragon digging through his thoughts. He hoped that wasn't an actual risk, but the extent of Kyung's powers was still unknown to him.
"Now, that's a boring way to start a working relationship."
"We won't have a relationship," he replied and downed half the shot. It stung pleasantly on the way down, a reminder that he was still very much alive.
"We might. You haven't heard any details yet. The problem is that I don't know how much I can trust you with."
"Then we're at an impasse."
"Not necessarily. I suggest a deal."
He didn't like the sound of that. A deal with a dragon. No thank you. "What kind of deal." Again, his brain failed to listen to reason. Again, he wondered just how tightly that collar wound around his throat.
"You work for me, and I'll let your friend, Nev is it? I'll let him continue with his little venture. I won't touch the Nighters. In return, you'll learn what they know about our dear council members. You share what you want with me while we work on this," Kyung gestured between them, "trust issue."
"I'll never trust you."
"You'll learn." Kyung downed the gin and placed the glass on the counter, turning it a few times with his fingers around the rim. "You'll learn because you already know who the true enemy is."
He didn't say a word as Kyung calmly walked into the living room to pick up his coat. Through the doorway, he watched the dragon study his things as if the man tried to catch a glimpse of who he really was. Kyung took his time, assessing, drawing conclusions. Adeem didn't like it, not one bit.
Finally, their gazes met again. "We'll be in touch," Kyung said.
It was only when the door to the apartment slammed shut that he was able to move at all. He drank the rest of the gin and poured another shot, slowly realizing that his lack of response effectively had given him a new job.
A/N I am on a roll!! That means I want medals and stuffs. Or comments. Give me comments. I love those <3 Have a great weekend everyone
Oh, and behold Kyung aka Daniel Henney