Chapter Three (Alexander)
I did not want to be here.
I hated myself for being so rude about it, but I was tired of playing the nice guy. It obviously was not getting me anywhere in life. At least, no where safe and comfortable. Instead, I ended up battling evil rebel and my own love interest.
And said love interest was acting as if our kiss or his past never happened. He just stood in the ridiculously eleborate suite, still wearing his casual business attire instead of changing into something more comfortable, which is what I had done. I wasn't trying to impress anyone anymore, so I stuck to a loose Concordia long sleeve shirt and loose baggy pajama pants.
"What did you think of the city? I remember you visiting once when you were much younger with your parents, am I right?" Vladimir asked casually as he spread out what looked like just business and work files out on one of the glass desks, his eyes watching them for a moment before he looked up with a light smile.
"I vaguely remember things... And it's beautiful, as usual." I responded cautiously. I wasn't going to let Vladimir bait me into anything. I didn't want to end up accidentally flirting with him, or accepting his attempts. Or any attempts to be nice to me.
I'm not sure what exactly made me more angry about Vladimir.
The fact that he wasn't totally honest, even though he claimed to be. The fact that he seemed to hold no guilt for any of his wrongdoings. The fact that he didn't kill Newell as he had originally promised.
It could be any number of things, but right now, I was annoyed at having to share a room with him. I considered pretending to fall asleep in Mark or Slade's room, but I'd be a third wheel and ruin their vacation plans. Not to mention, I didn't want to make this out to be a big deal.
I was just here to get away, and then hurry back to Amber and Mary-Kay for the last week of my winter vacation before I had to return to school.
"How's school going? Are you doing well in your studies?" Vladimir asked as he took a seat, folding one leg over the other as he wrote something on one of the many papers on his desk before lifting his eyes. I stared at him for a moment, then frowned.
"Just fine." I replied shortly. Vladimir cocked his head, the corner of his lips lifting in a little smile.
"You're giving me short responses. What happened to eleborating on your college adventures?" He asked curiously, making me frown now. That was another thing that annoyed me, and yet, another thing that shamefully turned me on. Vladimir was smart. No, not just smart, intelligent.
He was powerful, intelligent, elegant, proper, and charismatic.
He was everything I wanted in a partner, and I hated myself for falling head over heels for him.
"I'm tired. I want to sleep." I told him flatly as I closed the book that I had been pretending to read, placing it on the nightstand beside my bed. Vladimir hummed a bit, turning in his seat to his work.
"Pity. We'll talk more once you get some rest... Goodnight, Alexander." I just kept my eyes closed, debating whether to actually fall asleep or not. I was tired from the trip. My body was sore from sitting and my stomach still churned a bit, making me wonder if I was the same with planes as Storm was. At the same time, I was afraid of falling asleep in a room alone with Vladimir.
I'm not sure why. I knew he wouldn't do anything to me. I suppose it was just irrational fear. I hadn't shared a room with someone before. Even when it came to hotels, I was too uncomfortable.
So I laid there for a while and before I knew it, I was falling head first into a deep sleep and a creepy nightmare.
I was in the hotel room, but Vladimir was nowhere to be found. I frowned and slowly slid to my feet, approaching one of the doors, opening it to see a walk-in closet with the lights turned off. But... Something was in the room, making a weird creaking noise. I felt a chill course up my spine as I nibbled my lower lip. I didn't want to turn the lights on, but my hand had a mind of its own as it flicked the switch on.
My eyes widened and I gave a low cry when I saw Nicholas in the room. He stood there wearing his soccer uniform, blood caking his throat thickly. Somehow, his head was reattached with staples and his skin was a deathly pale.
"What're you doing, Alex?" He asked, his voice wet from the blood that was streaming down his chin from his lips. I trembled, stumbling back and falling back on the floor. Nicholas came up to the doorway as I scrambled back, breathing hard. My heart was pounding like crazy, rising toward my throat as tears welled in my eyes. He looked exhausted, but irritated at the same time.
"Alex... What're you doing? Why aren't you killing them?" He murmured, his voice terrifyingly cold.
"I-I don't... I don't... I can't..." I choked, feeling the tears spill over and pour down my face. I sniffled every so often, watching Nicholas tilt his head only slightly, making his neck crack. I whimpered, covering my mouth as I watched a couple staples pop off, his head teetering to the side. Nicholas was frowning at me.
"Don't you love me anymore, Alex?" He asked, then tilted his head back. I tried to pick myself up off the floor, but my whole body suddenly felt heavy. I felt like I was fighting some unseen force to get to my feet. Nicholas reached out, blood caking his hand and dripping from his fingers to the floor at my feet.
"Alex... Why don't you love me anymore?" He breathed, gurgling up his throat and pouring from his mouth. I gritted my teeth, trying to fight back the sobs and trying to find my voice, but it was lost as I cried, falling back onto the bed, trying to scoot back away from Nicholas, who stopped at the edge of the bed.
"Because he doesn't love you; he loves me." The voice made me snap my head back to see Vladimir on the bed behind me, his icy cold eyes watching me intently. But instead of the smiles he usually wore, he was expressionless. I gasped and started to scramble off toward the bed, but Vladimir caught me around the waist and pulled me up against him. I looked up to see Nicholas glaring at me.
"You love the guy who killed me, Alex? Is that why you let me die?" He demanded. Just hearing him say that made me cry out in pain as I writhed against Vladimir's arms as they tightened around me. His bare skin searing hot against my own alarmed me as I looked down to realize I was naked and Vladimir was only wearing a pair of tight leather pants, his hands touching me everywhere.
I gasped and cried out, writhing and pulling to get away. I reached out toward Nicholas as he watched, his eyes narrowed hatefully.
"You deserve this," He managed, his voice shaking as I whimpered, "You let me die, Alex. You aren't doing anything to save people."
"He's smart for a human." I gasped at the familiar voice, turning my head to see Newell standing beside the bed. He was blindfolded, just as I remembered him. Chains encircled his arms into an uncomfortable position behind him and his clothes were torn and dirtied. He wasn't smiling either. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I'd say he was crying.
"B-But..." I couldn't find the words and every time I was ready to say them, Vladimir would jerk me hard in his arms, hurting my stomach and making the words disappear. I kept fighting to keep his hands off my groin, his breath hot and rotten against the back of my throat.
"You reap what you sow, Alexander," Newell murmured, blood dripping from the corners of his lips as he spoke, "You protected him. You defended him. It's only fair that you fall into the pits of Hell with him."
"N-No! He's not...!" I lost my voice as Vladimir's fangs brushed my throat. I panted hard, reaching back to try and push him away, my eyes squeezed shut. A second was all it took before I opened my eyes again. Nicholas was in front of me, his bloody hand cupping my cheek. Newell was beside me, his fangs bared and ready to bite into the other side of my throat.
I screamed, writhing and thrashing.
"Get off! Get off! Stop touching me! Get away from me!"
I kept my eyes shut, shoving and elbowing and squirming to get away from the hands that were touching me. I kept squirming until I realized I was awake. I blinked rapidly, looking around quickly in alarm before I sat up, breathing hard.
The room was completely silent. I looked at Vladimir, who had fallen asleep at his desk. I blinked a couple more times, then slowly slid out of my bed. I looked out the window across the room to see that it was nighttime now. I steadied myself on trembling legs before I approached Vladimir.
He was slumped in his seat, his head resting on the piles of papers and files under his head. He looked exhausted, his hair a bit unruly as if he had been running his fingers through it repeatedly. It took me a moment to realize he had dark circles under his eyes, his lips slightly parted and giving a little peek at his sleek white fangs.
Despite everything, the awful nightmare, all the people Vladimir had killed and the one he was tormenting now, he didn't look evil at all. He just looked like an overworked father struggling to please everyone, struggling to prove that he had what it took to dominate an entire species.
You reap what you sow.
Newell's words echoed in my head, making me cringe. I shook my head before reaching out to touch Vladimir's shoulder, but he didn't move. I frowned and gave him a little shake. Wow, I never would've guessed that he of all people would be a heavy sleeper. I sighed and looked around for a moment, then plucked a pillow of his bed, bringing it over to place under his head on the desk. I pulled a couple blankets up and draped them around him before I turned the desk lamp off.
I don't know why I did that either. I was angry at Vladimir... Or maybe, that's what I kept telling myself.
Maybe I was just angry with myself. Why did I forgive Vladimir? Why was it so hard to hate him?
Why did I love him?
I grimaced and quickly scurried back to bed, crawling under the covers and curling up. I fought sleep for an hour or so before it engulfed me, sucking me into a deep empty darkness that I welcomed with open arms.
I felt like I hadn't slept very long, however, when I felt warm sunlight pouring in on my face and the sound of someone talking on their phone. I grimaced a little, rolling over onto my back, squeezing my eyes shut tightly before peeking them open to stare up at the expensively designed ceiling. I sat up slowly, rubbing at my eyes before I caught sight of Vladimir leaning on one of the chairs in the main living room, his head cocked as he spoke gently into the phone.
I could easily hear from where I was, though, and tilted my head toward him to listen carefully.
"Is that so? Well.... Yes... I suppose. No. Do not feed him... I don't care how much he's throwing a fit. Do not feed him... Then stuff his mouth so you can't hear it. No, William... Yes, William. I understand. Just a couple weeks and I will return. You will be relieved of that duty once I return. Yes, of course."
I grimaced a little, then slid completely out of bed as I went to my suitcase, taking out some clothes. When I turned around, Vladimir was standing just a couple feet away, making me gasp out loud. He looked mildly surprised that he frightened me before he smiled.
"Good morning, Alexander. Did you sleep well?" He asked. He didn't mention anything about the fact that I had pretty much tucked him in the night before, so I didn't mention it either as I shrugged a little.
"Somewhat." I muttered. Vladimir hummed thoughtfully, cocking his head.
"You were squirming a little last night before I fell asleep. Nightmare?"
"Probably. Can't remember."
"No, I suppose you wouldn't... Well. Feel free to shower. I've already done so." Vladimir gestured to the bathroom and I gave a nod before heading to the bathroom. I shut the door and stripped down, pausing to stare at myself in the mirror. I frowned, touching my shoulders at my torso. I could still feel Vladimir's fingers on my skin, his nails digging into my arms and ribs, from my nightmare. It gave me a chill as I shut my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath.
Just a nightmare.
Just a nightmare, that's best forgotten.
The door opened behind me, making me gasp and grab a towel to hold it over myself until I caught Vladimir's reflection to see him smiling, his eyes closed.
"Sorry. I came in to tell you that I'll be heading to the restaurant downstairs for breakfast. You're welcome to join me whenever you want." He said, then ducked back out. I had a strong feeling that just because his eyes looked closed, didn't mean they really were. I rolled my eyes and went to the door, locking it now before I dropped my towel on a nearby rack. I stepped into the shower case and turned the hot water on, relishing at the feel of it on my skin.
I closed my eyes, letting it rain down on my face, soaking my hair and body.
Don't you love me anymore, Alex?
I jumped at the sound of the voice, my eyes flying open. I whirled around to stare into the bathroom, but it was empty. I frowned, confused. Maybe I was just more tired than I thought. I shook my head and turned back in time to bump into Nicholas. I gasped, stumbling back into the wall of the shower to see Nicholas staring at me, eye sockets gaping and empty, blood bubbling from the gash in his throat, turning the shower water red.
"Don't you love me anymore, Alex? Why aren't you killing him?" Nicholas' lips moved slowly as he pronounced each word with power.
I whimpered and fell to my knees, covering my ears and squeezing my eyes shut.
This is a nightmare! Just another nightmare!
I'm asleep!
And someone needs to wake me up!
"Alex, why are you ignoring me?" Nicholas murmured, crouching down in front of me. I ducked my head, opening my eyes when I realized the water under me wasn't going down the drain. I cried out to see Newell's reflection in the water, his lips parted to reveal his fangs that were bared in a silent scream.
I shot to my feet, scrambling and slipping as I managed to throw the shower case open, only to slam into Vladimir, who looked surprised, especially when I shrieked. I pushed away from him and almost fell, but he caught me again, trying to steady me.
"Alexander, what are you doing?" Vladimir asked, surprised. I blinked rapidly, staring at him in shock as I breathed hard, my lungs aching and my legs trembling. He was still staring at me, waiting for a response. I reached up quickly and cupped his face in my hands, touching his face and his shoulders and his hair to make sure he was actually here.
"B-But I locked--"
"You can't lock me out of anywhere." Vladimir responded calmly, still frowning in concern. I blinked and looked back into the shower case to see it was totally empty, the crystal clear water pouring into the bottom of the case, disappearing down the drain. I looked up at Vladimir, who waited for me to respond.
"I... Uhm..." I couldn't find the right words. Vladimir raised an eyebrow, then glanced down. I blinked, then followed his eyes. I felt my face catch fire as I realized what he was staring at, making me gasp and wiggle out of his arms. I instantly stepped back, covering myself and glaring at him.
"Get out!" I ordered. Vladimir held his hands up, shrugging.
"It's not my fault. When someone starts screaming, I have no choice, but to come." He responded, then paused to mull over his words before chuckling at the hidden meaning. I glared and stepped back into the shower case, slamming the door shut so it rattled. Through the blurry door, I could see Vladimir stand there for a moment longer before he left the bathroom.
I showered quickly and got out, changing into a pair of black jeans and a low cut navy shirt with elbow length sleeves. I tugged my black sneakers on before heading out into the living room, where sure enough, Vladimir was missing. I was relieved. I didn't really want to face him after the incident in the bathroom.
I mentally cursed myself for acting silly. But how did I have such a nightmare while awake?
Only one person came to mind and I was going to get my hands on them one way or another for getting their nose into my business.
I downed a couple bags of blood to keep me going until dinner before I grabbed my wallet, tucking it away and heading out into the hallway. I didn't want to bother Mark, knowing that he'd probably still be asleep by now and Storm was probably downstairs with Vladimir. I also didn't want to bring Slade along because he'd already gotten a little nosy into our world and judging from Zander, he didn't want Slade getting anymore involved than he already was.
I headed downstairs, moving quickly and sneakily so I wasn't caught. I went outside and managed to hail a taxi. As soon as I got in, my cell phone rang, making me sigh as I gave the taxi driver the directions to the street I needed.
"Hello?" I asked rather distractedly as I tried to memorize the street names and buildings.
"Where are you," Mark complained into my ear, making me grimace, "I'm bored! Slade and I wanna go see the Colosseum, but nobody wants to come with us. And you're not in your room." I sighed in frustration, pausing to direct the taxi driver before I glanced out the window, watching the ancient buildings go by.
"Listen, Mark, I really don't have time for this. I'm trying to meet up with a friend of mine." I told him, pausing to hear him go silent in confusion before he groaned.
"Why didn't you take us with you then?" He demanded, making me roll my eyes.
"It's just gonna be a boring visit. I'll be back in an hour tops. Then we'll go sightseeing. In the mean time, get settled into your room." I advised, glancing out the window again just in time to see a familiar face. My eyes widened.
"Aspettare! Stop the car!" I exclaimed, hearing Mark demand what the hell I was talking about. I hung up on him with a quick goodbye before the taxi pulled to a stop and I got out of the car quickly. I shut the door behind me and bolted onto the sidewalk, my eyes searching the crowds of tourists and civilians trying to get on with their daily lives. I spotted the familiar boy heading into a gift shop and I quickly squirmed past the crowds until I made it to the Minerva's Den gift shop.
I finally got inside, welcoming the cozy feeling inside. Little trinkets, necklaces, books, and clothes hung on racks and sat on shelves. A couple people were milling about and I instantly caught sight of who I was looking for as I walked around a glass shelf holding miniature statues. Standing in front of rows of necklaces was Luca Moretti.
He was my age, but he was just a bit shorter with dark brown hair that curled at the ends and very pale, empty blue eyes that were staring at the necklaces, but not seeing them. He wore a loose black blazer over his button up shirt and black slacks to his matching loafers. He looked more like a casual business man than what he really was.
"Hello, Alexander." He greeted politely with a soft, boyish voice. He turned to face me, one hand in his pocket and the other at his side, his eyes missing me by a good couple inches. I frowned uncomfortably.
"What are you after?" I demanded. Luca looked mildly offended as he cocked his head.
"I am not after anything. Why do you blame me for everything?" He asked, his Italian accent thick and gorgeous. I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn't see my irritation; I knew he felt it.
"You've been invading my sleep. I thought the Oneiroi didn't mess with the minds of my people anymore." I added in irritation, watching Luca avert his eyes.
Luca Moretti was what the Greeks had once called Oneiroi. They were somewhat like sleep gods. They personified types of dreams and Luca was especially known for bringing out everyone's worst fears and memories into a nightmare. It was the only explanation for my terrifying nightmares.
"I am offended by your accusation," Luca responded after a moment, looking in my direction, "My people and I have given our word. We would no longer interfer with your nightmares. Are you sure it is not guilt that torments your sleep?" I grimaced uncomfortably, shifting and watching the corner of Luca's lip quirk before I scowled.
"Where's Vincent? You're not allowed to wander alone, right?" I asked dryly, watching Luca's little smile disappear. His eyes seemed to drift a little, as if he was trying to find things to stare at despite not being able to see.
"He is here also. He is parking our car. We have come to greet tourists." Luca answered, making me scowl at how casual he sounded.
"Of course. I got your greeting." I replied bitterly, watching Luca frown.
"I have told you. We have not infested your dreams." He protested defensively now, making me snort in disbelief.
"It's invaded, Luca. And how can I trust you? After the last time..." My voice trailed as Luca paused to think about my correction, then shrugged.
"I do not understand why there are so many words for the same thing in English. It is too complicated... And, last time was not my fault," He added, looking uncomfortable, much to my surprise, "I only do what I am told. What else am I going to do with myself? Go to the movies?" I was mildly surprised by his strange sense of humor before I coughed awkwardly just as the bell at the front door rang. I glanced up to see Vincent walking in, his deep brown eyes and dark hair that was brushed back from his face, wearing an expensive Italian suit.
"Why did you stop talking to me?" Luca asked, sounding annoyed.
"My apologizes, young master," Vincent's voice spoke up, making Luca's eyes widen a bit in surprise at the sound of his caretaker, "It took me a while. I hope you were not being bothered." Vincent's eyes locked on me and I stared back with a frown until he seemed to recognize me, his eyes getting bigger.
"Alexander Gray?" He asked for confirmation.
"Yes." I responded calmly. Vincent sighed in relief, then extended his hand kindly, which I shook just to avoid any awkwardness.
"It's such a pleasure to see you again. The last time I saw you, you were so small. Five?" He asked and I nodded, making him smile. Luca just stood nearby, staring off into space, cocking his head.
"It's wonderful to have you back. I didn't recognize you back at the airport, but now that I look at you... You look so much like your mother. She was a beautiful woman. How is she?" Vincent asked, all smiles and I didn't have the heart to tell him that my parents and I weren't speaking. I just smiled.
"She's well, thank you." I replied, making Vincent look relieved. I caught movement out the corner of my eye and saw Luca frown at our conversation. It reminded me of the whole reason I came here as I looked at Vincent, unnerved now.
"I came to discuss something with the two of you." I told him. Vincent looked confused while Luca huffed, folding his arms over his chest tightly.
"He believes that we paddled with his mind." Luca told Vincent, who looked at him even more confused. I rolled my eyes.
"Meddled, Luca. If you're going to use American slang, use it right." I ordered, making him scrunch his nose up as he mouthed the words over and over again, most likely in an attempt to remember them before I looked at Vincent, who frowned.
"We are unauthorized to meddle with the dreams of your species. What makes you think it was us?" He asked, cocking his head a little. I frowned, letting that sink in. The Oneiroi were a very proper and polite species, at least, most of the time anyway, but they did have their jobs to adhere to. They fed off the energy produced in dreams.
If someone was having a highly sexual dream, that lust is converted into energy for the Oneiroi to continue on living. Same went for nightmares, blissful dreams, and so on and so forth. What scared me more is that somehow, and I knew it was Luca no matter how innocent he played it, was the fact that Luca knew about Nicholas. He knew about Newell. And he knew about Vladimir.
I mean, he already knew about the last two, but the fact that he knew Newell was trapped in Vladimir's basement and that Vladimir and I had something going on also unnerved me. Luca was smarter than he looked and just because he was blind didn't mean he was hindered. In fact, it made his abilities double in power.
It was why the Oneiroi always sent him out to do work in our world. He only had Vincent with him to make sure he didn't do something stupid in front of humans to give himself away.
"I had a nightmare last night. It was unlike any I'd ever had before. At least, one that I can remember." I added with a frown as I tried to replay the nightmare in my mind. However, the harder I thought about it, the further away it became. I blinked quickly, reaching up to touch the side of my head as I felt a headache ensue.
"Are you all right, Alexander?" Vincent asked, concerned. I blinked again, then looked up and lowered my hand, frowning as I shook my head slowly.
"I'm... okay. I just... I can't remember what it was about. I just know it was awful. And it involved three people, but..." My voice trailed as I looked at Vincent, who frowned. I couldn't blame Vincent. He wasn't into nightmares and terrors. He was more of a laidback Oneiroi, who fed off dreams that happy families dreamt about. They provided a massive amount of energy, but a nightmare... My eyes drifted to Luca, who was staring a couple inches above our heads.
Vincent said something in Italian and Luca responded with something that sounded very rude and made Vincent grimace before Vincent looked at me.
"He says he didn't visit you." He replied, making Luca 'tsk'. We looked at him to see Luca's blue eyes wandering to find where we were, his hands reaching out a little as they bumped into one of the shelves, making Vincent wince as he steadied it, then took Luca's hand.
I watched with a faint bit of interest as Luca clenched his hand around Vincent's in a way that reminded me of how Storm took Mark's hand whenever we went somewhere crowded or dangerous.
"I did not visit your dreams, Alexander. I have no desire to see what goes on in your mind, especially if it involves your lovers situation." Luca added with a smirk, making my cheeks darken. Vincent blushed a little as well, clearing his throat as I frowned.
"How... How did you know about that?" I asked. Vincent started to speak, but Luca cut him off.
"It is all over our world. Is gossip. You must open your ears. They talk of you and Vladimir as if you were Angelina Jolie and Brad Kipp." Luca responded with a shrug, making me scowl.
"Brad Pitt, Luca."
"Is that not what I said?"
"No."
"Oh, is close enough. We did not meddle in your dreams, Alexander. If anything, you should be asking Vladimir. He has enough power to call himself demigod, does he not? Question him." Luca replied carelessly, then gave Vincent's hand a tug. Vincent nodded his head to me as I sidestepped to let them pass. As they did, Luca smiled lightly, his eyes staring straight ahead, but his voice directed at me.
"You should not blame others for your mistakes, Alexander." He told me, then disappeared out of the gift shop with his caretaker, leaving me to stand there, glaring after them before I looked away, confused.
Vladimir had plenty of power, I'd admit that. I'd never personally see him fight, but last Christmas... When the building had exploded and collapsed into ruins, that I knew was Vladimir. He had done something to destroy the building and the people inside. The only survivors other than myself and my friends were Kristophe and Claude.
And Claude had taken off. There was no trace of him anywhere and talking about it was taboo, in case Kristophe overhead.
What could Vladimir have done to me while I slept if he was already asleep himself?
There was only one way to find out and I was dreading it.