Chapter Four (Alexander)
Just how was I going to confront Vladimir anyway?
I couldn't just walk up to him and demand why he'd throw nightmares in my face. Besides, I wasn't even sure if Luca was telling the truth or not. I was just curious because the way Luca denied it so firmly made me question the situation.
And what if Vladimir did do it? Why was he tormenting me? Was he angry at me for not accepting his feelings? It's not like I was the only one to blame. After all, he too decided not to date me because according to him, he was afraid. I wasn't sure what exactly he was afraid of. Was he afraid I'd reject him?
Psh, yeah right. The fact that I loved him was plainly obvious. Was he afraid that I'd get hurt because of his job? I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself... So I was kidnapped once. It was once and I was caught off guard. I was too paranoid now for anything like that to happen again, which is why I wasn't letting this dream thing go. It couldn't be guilt.
I had nothing to be guilty for. I didn't do anything to hurt Nicholas. The one who got Nicholas killed was Newell. He'd ordered Kristophe to persude Nicholas to join their cause and through Newell's harsh manipulation, Nicholas was ultimately killed by Vladimir, who was only trying to protect his son.
Kristophe was also not to blame and he'd already suffered enough for anything he'd done wrong. His own twin brother had tried to rip Kristophe's fangs out, succeeding in the destruction of one of them, which was now replaced with porcelain. Even so, I could tell it still caused Kristophe pain.
I sighed miserably as I got out of the taxi and headed toward the hotel, rubbing my temples as I tried to think of some way to talk to Vladimir in a casual way that didn't make him suspicious. Although, I had the itching sensation that Vladimir would catch on quickly.
I went into the hotel and road the lift back to our floor, only to find Mark and Slade outside in the hallway. Mark looked surprisingly fashionable, wearing black low ride jeans and a loose long sleeved shirt with one shoulder sliding off. Slade was wearing low ride jeans that were sliced all the way down to his ankles along with a long sleeved shirt that showed off his belly and what looked like a new piercing of the Italian flag. He was also wearing a very girly headband on his head with a black lacy bow and a skull at the center.
"Where are you two going?" I asked flatly, making them jump and look up. Mark beamed and flung up a pamphlet in my face.
"There's this really awesome concert at one of the venues here! It's some band called Radioactive Plasma! They play some pretty cool rock music. I mean, I don't completely understand everything they're saying, cuz they're Italian, but it's still cool!" He added, waving the pamphlet at me, making me raise an eyebrow.
I took the pamphlet from him, frowning at the picture of the stadium where thousands of people were crowded around the band. It looked like a four man band and the pamphlet was in Italian, which made me wonder how they read it in the first place.
"Well, cool." I said at last, handing it back. Mark snorted, folding his arms over his chest and sticking his chin out defiantly.
"What'd you mean well cool? You're coming with us." He stated, making me blink and look at him uncomfortably as I shifted, trying to think of an excuse.
"I dunno, Mark. I think I'm still experiencing a bit of jet lag. I just wanna rest--"
"No," Mark insisted, though his voice had turned into a bit of a whine, "We're here on vacation and I haven't gotten to hang out with you at all! Come on, Alex! Please? Just tonight! Afterwards, I promise you can sleep all you want." Slade grinned as he withdrew an ID from his pocket, flicking it around.
"An', mate, we're eighteen. The legal drinkin' age is eighteen. We can get dead drunk an' not hafta worry 'bout tomorrow, eh? It'd knock ye out col'." He agreed, making Mark's eyes widen. I glared at Mark, putting a fist on my hip.
"Mark, you stopped drinking."
"But it's legal now!"
"You were practically an alcoholic before."
"A beer a day is not alcoholism."
"You're right," I paused, watching Mark glare at me suspiciously before I snorted, "It's the path to alcoholism." Slade rolled his eyes and sauntered over to my side, draping an arm around my shoulders, making me study him uneasily as he sighed wistfully.
"Come on, mate, we ain't doin' nofin' illegal anyway. Come wif Mark an' I. It'll be great! Music, booze, a break from all this hellish shit tha' keeps followin' us." He added, shrugging his shoulders as he looked into my face. I studied his expression, frowning as I debated the offer.
I hadn't been able to party at all really, even at Amber's place. Mary-Kay wasn't a fan of alcohol in her apartment and Amber enforced that rule. Not to mention, it was an apartment and loud music was prohibited.
But what about Vladimir? Now that I thought about it, maybe it wasn't Vladimir or Luca. What if it was just part of the jet lag experience? Was that why I felt so irritable lately? I couldn't tell if I was trying to convince myself or something else, but either way, I'd done it so I sighed at last.
"Fine, fine. But I have nothing to wear." I added, glancing at Slade, who grinned.
"Ain't it a good fing tha' we's the same size?" He asked giddily, then grabbed my wrist, making me yelp as he tore me toward the room he shared with Zander. Mark came right up along behind me, grinning from ear to ear excitedly as we shut the bedroom door, pulling the chain lock over before Slade rushed to one of his many suitcases, digging and throwing out clothes. Mark yelped as Slade threw a silky shirt on his head, making him throw it onto Zander's bed, which was neatly made while Slade's was just a massive pile of blankets and pillows.
"Aha!" Slade declared, then turned to me and threw me a shirt. I caught it, holding it up to study the layered collar that fell around the neckline with sleeves cut off just at the center of the bicep. I glanced back at Slade as he went to find me a pair of pants. I sighed and reluctantly pulled my shirt off, dropping it on the bed. I felt Mark's eyes on me, making me glance up at him curiously before he snapped his head to look the other way.
"Something wrong?" I asked him, wondering if I was teasing him or truly interested in why he was staring at me. He folded his arms over his chest and just gave me a shrug, making me look at Slade, who was looking back at me, confused before he held up a pair of black skinny jeans with a glittery stripe down the side. I gave him a sour look.
"You're so flamboyantly gay that it makes us look straight." I deadpanned, making Slade snort as he threw the pants at my face.
"I'm not one to label people anyway." He replied, shrugging his shoulders sassily, making Mark snort.
"You label us as vampies." He pointed out, making Slade grin as he leaned back on the bed, kicking a foot up cutely.
"Cuz there's a difference between labels and species." He answered, making Mark roll his eyes. I sighed, but didn't argue with Slade's fashion choice as I dropped my pants, making Slade harrumph. I looked up, frowning as Slade glanced away innocently.
"What now?" I asked flatly. Slade shrugged, peeking out the corner of his eye at me before looking away again, his lips a pout.
"Ye expect to go to a rock concert wearin' those kinds of undies?" He asked me boredly. I felt my cheeks flame as I held the shirt in front of myself, looking at him pointedly.
"No one's going to see my underwear. Why does it matter?" I demanded, surprised at how offended I was at his comment. It's not like it mattered, right? It was just underwear. Slade merely shook his head, giving me a look that said I didn't understand anything. I scowled.
"Well, I'm certainly not wearing your underwear." I retorted, making Slade burst out laughing as Mark snickered behind me. I switched the shirt to cover my backside from Mark before I snapped my head to look at Slade, who waved a hand in his face idly before folding his arms over his chest, pointing a finger at my underwear.
"Jus' do what I do when there's nofin' cute to wear under jeans." He responded, then smirked. I looked at him, confused for a moment before the realization hit me and my face flamed.
"I am not going commando." I responded stiffly. Mark choked on his breathing and threw himself onto his side on the bed, burying his face into a pillow as he coughed and laughed at the same time. Slade beamed.
"Nooo... Course not." He agreed, but he was just doing it to annoy me. I glanced from him to Mark, who was sitting up, wiping tears from his eyes before he grinned at me. I looked between them again, then rolled my eyes and shooed them away. They just turned their backs as I dropped my underwear, wondering why in the hell I was doing this anyway.
I didn't even like rock concerts, not that I'd ever been to one. I remembered Nicholas coming up to me one time in early high school to ask me if I wanted to attend one with him, but when I asked my mother, she almost grounded me.
"No! Absolutely not! I forbid it!"
"But, mother, that's not fair--"
"Not fair? Alexander, you have no idea how dangerous these concerts can be! People are killed there and not to mention, all that adrenaline will drive you insane. And all that loud music is completely unnecessary. No. I forbid any rock concerts. If you wanted a concert, you should have attended the Beethoven Symphony at the community church."
"Mother, I don't like Beethoven. I like Green Day."
"Another awful band. No. They sing nothing, but obscenities."
"But--"
"Enough, Alexander, or I'll ground you for two weeks."
Although, not that it would have made much a difference-- being grounded and not being grounded. Either way I was confined to a rigorous schedule that my parents made sure to keep in check. For some reason, the memory fired something inside me and I took a deep breath as I changed into the outfit Slade had picked out for me before I cleared my throat, making Mark and Slade turn to give me a once over.
"Wowww," Slade exclaimed, dragging the word out before smirking, "Ye look good in glitter."
"Just don't be offended if someone calls you gay." Mark added, making me shrug as I straightened the shirt out a little bit, glancing up.
"What's it matter? I don't speak Italian.... Well, anyway." I tacked on, frowning thoughtfully as I tried to remember the last time I even had to use the language. Slade whistled as he picked out a couple blue wire bracelets from his suitcase, shoving them onto my wrists, making me look at him.
"S'impressive if ya ask me. I can hardly speak English correctly 'af the time." He replied, giving me a smile.
"Tell me about it. Half the crap you say is gibberish to me." Mark responded, making Slade give him a sour look before looking at me brightly as he stepped back.
"Perfect! Ye look good as new! Come on, then. Let's head on over so we's can get there afore the really big crowds do." He announced, making Mark and I share looks before following him to the door. I felt strange without my underwear on. The jeans were softer on the inside, thank goodness, but it still felt uncomfortable with the back of the zipper rubbing my groin. I just took a few deep breathes to calm myself as I follow Slade and Mark out of the hotel.
Slade was calling up Kristophe to give us a ride and I noticed people passing by, giving us hungry looks. It never surprised me. Sometimes I felt as if humans could easily pick us apart from them with those curious eyes of theirs. A woman gave me a flirty smile as she passed, brushing her fingertips over her lips, making my eyes widen for a second until Mark elbowed me.
"What happened to being gay?" Mark asked with a smirk, folding his arms over his chest as my eyes followed the woman down the street before I looked at him flatly.
"She's pretty. I don't have to be straight to see that." I replied flatly. Mark snorted, then hummed.
"So... Have you met anyone hanging out with Amber in Lansing? I've never been there before." He added, making me frown a little before shrugging as I scanned the streets, ignoring the looks we were attracting.
"Ah, well... I'm not really looking for anyone. I just want to graduate so I can get a job and find my own place." I admitted, making Mark scrunch his nose up.
"Sounds expensive. If you need help--"
"No," I interrupted, pausing when Mark gave me a confused look before I corrected myself more calmly, "I mean, I want to do things on my own. I've ridden my parents coat tails long enough. I want to get my own job and get my own place. On my own." Mark studied me for a moment, then shrugged as if he couldn't understand it.
He probably couldn't. Before realizing he was a pureblood, Mark had been living in a beat up old trailer in the middle of a crowded, drug infested trailer park. He had been living with the man who loved his mother, and the old man had taken every chance he could to remind Mark of how awful and useless he was.
Mark also quit high school early, but he could afford to do that. He married Storm and all of Storm's riches became his, as well as any money his parents had left behind most likely, which had to be a lot. The Drakon Clan was known for being powerful and rich, just like the Gothicas and the Grays.
But I was going to be the first of my clan to actually do things on my own and not ride on the family's inheritence that kept getting passed down through the generations. Unless, of course, you could Amber, but she used a good portion of whatever money she had to start up her business and it was a rather nice place for an occult shop.
"Kristophe's comin' 'round to give us a ride," Slade said with a miserable sigh, making Mark and I look at him in confusion at his exasperation before he looked at us in annoyance, "An', unfortunately, Zander asked Kristophe to stay wif us. By tha', I mean we's got ourselves a babysitter." Mark groaned impatiently and I just pretended to be annoyed by silently averting my eyes.
Although, I was rather thankful. I was nineteen, I didn't need a babysitter, but I responsible designated driver would be nice. I could only hope that Kristophe would at least somewhat enjoy himself.
"We'll get him to drink," Mark suggested brightly, "I'm sure he'd be entertaining if he were drunk."
"I didn't think of tha'," Slade grinned eagerly, putting his hands on his hips, "Le's get him so wasted, he'll fall 'sleep in tha car." So much for designated driver. And I had a strong feeling that Kristophe wouldn't be a fun drunk.
Although Kristophe seemed to be doing much better after the situation with Claude, I knew he was still stung by the betrayal and in the process of healing. Not to mention, Kristophe had been one of Newell's right hand men. That had to be a for a good reason and underestimating him would be a bad thing.
And even though Kristophe showed signs of having changed his heart, I knew he wasn't truly in it. Kristophe always made decisions based on what was best for Claude and what made Claude happy in the end. The fact that Claude had run off with the rest of the rebels meant Kristophe could change sides-- if he was desperate enough to get Claude back.
From what I heard, Kristophe and Claude were a lot closer than brothers should be. I had overheard Mark and Storm talking before the trip that Claude had Kristophe wrapped around his little finger. Or, for lack of better words, they were also lovers. I wouldn't deny that after having heard their little business going on outside the room I was locked in when they kidnapped me.
Sometimes, I wondered if Kristophe even had a mind of his own.
And I hated myself for thinking so poorly of him.
Speak of the devil, the sleek black limousine pulled up and Kristophe got out. I was midly surprised to see that he wasn't wearing the suit Vladimir got him, but instead, wearing a pair of tight leather pants that hugged his long, slender legs nicely and hugged his sharp hips. A long-sleeve silky navy shirt with a low cut neckline. He actually looked rather attractive as he studied us, resting an elbow on the hood of the limo, his cheek against his palm.
"Don't you three look all dressy? Get in before we're late." He added, before stepping back and climbing in. Slade grinned and bolted to the door, throwing it open and climbing inside. Mark followed and I came in close behind him. I reached out for the door to close it behind me when something caught my eye.
Vladimir was standing near the entrance to the hotel, smoking a cigarette and letting the smoke curl into the air. How long had he been there? I hadn't even noticed! He crushed the cigarette under his foot and glanced in my direction, making my eyes widen. I quickly slammed the door shut and sat back on the seat as Slade popped some music into the stereosystem, sending music thumping through the limo.
Mark popped out a soda, tossing it to Slade and tossing me a bottle of blood, making me wince as I just barely caught it.
"I love Rome," Slade declared, holding his soda up, "A toast! To a bloody fantastic vacation!"
"Amen!" Mark chirped, bringing his drink to his lips. I said nothing, just started to hold my bottle to my mouth before I hesitated, watching them down their drinks, breathing sighs of relief. I set my bottle down and glanced out the windows, watching the lights flash by, the music making my ears ring.
But I had a feeling the concert was going to be much, much louder than this.
We pulled into the parking lot and Kristophe let the valiet take care of it as he led us to the line that was already beginning to reach around the side of the building. Mark and Slade were too busy gushing about the music that was already exploding from the inside of the stadium. College students, high school students, and groups of friends were all lined up, cheering and chattering excitedly in Italian.
Despite all the throbbing excitement going around me, I still felt oddly hollow. I sighed, reaching up to brush the hair our of my face, tucking it behind my ears before I looked up at the sky. Even with all the powerful lights around us flashing and glowing brightly, I could still see the stars glittering in the sky above, the moon dangerously close to full.
"You still look for the moon even with all of this going on around you." I looked up at Kristophe, who was looking at me. He was wearing that pokerface of his again, which used to mean nothing to me, but for some reason, my paranoia was heightened.
"I'm not used to all this. I'm like a hermit coming out of its shell for the first time in... forever." I admitted uneasily, glancing around at the crowds before looking back at Kristophe, surprised to see him looking a little sad, despite the faint smile on his face.
"I feel you. I'm not used to so much socializing at once." He responded. I relaxed, but just a little bit.
"I'd think being around Vladimir all the time meant you'd see more people." I pointed out, hooking my thumbs into the loops on my jeans, careful not to pull them down too low in case people realized I wasn't wearing anything underneath. Kristophe gave me his little smile.
"Oh, I don't really follow him everywhere, literally. I just drive him everywhere and keep track of chores in the house. When it comes to taking him places, I wait for him in the car. He doesn't trust me enough to bring me into his meetings as he does William." He explained honestly, making me nod slowly.
"That must hurt." I pressed. Kristophe's eyes flickered as he seemed to mull that over before shrugging.
"It doesn't matter to me. I'm from the other side. I killed people because Newt told me too. I wouldn't trust me." He answered, making me lift a brow until the line began to move, making everyone explode into cheers, including Mark and Slade, who practically made my ear drums burst. The line surged forward and we paid for our tickets to enter. The place was flooded with people, shoulder to shoulder, hip to hip.
Multicolored lights flashed and strobe lights lit the place up while the music was so loud it even made the ground vibrate and my lungs tremble in my chest. I was instantly uncomfortable by all the action going on around me as well as the dull ache in my throat from the scents that assaulted my senses.
The first, and most noticable scent, however was the roaring sweet, yet metallic scent of blood rushing through the bodies around me. My fangs throbbed in my mouth and for a second, I was nervous that someone would notice them, but people were running around with fake fangs in their mouths and glow-in-the-dark jewelry and clothes. I risked opening my mouth to let my fangs free, hoping not to cut my lower lip.
"This is great!" Mark shouted over the music, elbowing me, making me raise an eyebrow before glancing around. Bodies were mingling together, couples of all genders with their lips locked, bodies grinding together as cups clashed together.
At the center of the stadium was the band with all their instruments plugged in, guitar picks violently strumming their cords and drumsticks beating loudly on the drums for an effective bass that made my stomach quiver.
Slade and Mark were already dancing and I noticed Kristophe's eyes drifting over the crowd. He was pretty tall, so he could easily see the tops of everyone's head. His eyes landed on me when he saw me watching before he smiled, then leaned in close. His lips brushed my ear as he spoke loud enough so I could just hear him over the music and people cheering.
"Don't look so awkward, move." He urged, then leaned away. Despite telling me to do so, he wasn't moving at all. Just standing there, ignoring the way people would purposely brush by him, their hands touching his hips and arms. I nibbled my lower lip, then glanced at Mark, who was easily shifting and throwing his fist up in time with the drum. Slade was very obviously flirting with a guy nearby, who was smirking at him and dancing way too close for comfort. Part of me made me wonder what Zander would think about that.
I also noticed, though, that Slade was avoiding the man's hands and whenever the guy leaned in to touch him intimately, Slade would lean away. Someone might think he was teasing him at first glance, but I had a feeling he was just doing that to let the guy know he wasn't available for anything more than a dancing partner.
I turned my head to find Kristophe again, but my eyes widened when I realized he was no longer standing beside me. I blinked and looked around quickly, seeing a little swell of concern rise in me. It's not that Kristophe was a kid and couldn't take care of himself, no. Kristophe was way older than I was. He may look like he was in his early twenties, but he was definitely reaching his fifties in reality.
It was the fact that I didn't trust him on his own. He was a pureblood Druid in a giant auditorium of humans, their most vital points all revealed with the skimpy, glowing clothes they wore. The band picked up the pace as a DJ booth opened up behind them on the stage, adding a touch of something techno-like to mingle with the rough rock that was blasting through the speakers.
"Dance!" Mark's voice yelled in my ear, making me turn to look at him to see him writhing amongst the rest of the bodies as they danced. I didn't even have to dance to feel hips bumping into mine, arms brushing against mine, fingers touching my back. I nibbled my lower lip and just moved a little bit, still searching the crowd for Kristophe before I felt someone's hands on my hips.
I almost jumped when I realized it was Mark sneaking up behind me, laughing in my ear. He was dancing extremely close to me, his lips against my ear.
"There was a guy looking at you like he was about ready to rip you to pieces right here in front of everywhere," He was saying loudly, but just loud enough for me only, "Consider this me being a bodyguard." I mouthed a thank you, making him nod as he continued to dance extremely close to me.
I felt his groin pressing against my backside, making my heart jump into overdrive. My stomach clenched and heat spread up to my cheeks as Mark rested his head on my shoulder, looking at me curiously. I just turned my head the other way, taking deep breathes as I tried to dance like everyone else, but I think I was too tense.
"Don't tense up so much," Mark called into my ear, his hands moving to take my arms, shifting them with his, "Quit bein' so stiff already!" I almost laughed at that, but managed to catch myself as Mark slid himself against me, his hands clasping over mine as I tried to draw them in again. He pulled them away from my stomach so we were dancing in a way that would probably tell people we were together.
It didn't make me uncomfortable because I didn't have a boyfriend or a husband, but Mark did. What Mark was doing should've made him uncomfortable, but he seemed fine cuddling up to me.
I instantly thought about what had happened last year in the hotel room, making my cheeks flush further. I was snapped out of my daze, though, as someone pushed their way in front of me and Slade was standing front of me, grinning as he dropped a couple glow-in-the-dark necklaces around my neck. He clipped a few onto my wrists as Mark unlaced our hands, taking only a small step back so he was no longer grinding himself against me.
"Oi, Marky! No bangin' on the dance floo', ye horny bugger!" Slade laughed, making Mark scrunch his nose up at Slade's slang. I laughed at that and Mark just rolled his eyes, snatching a glow-in-the-dark pacifier from Slade, dropping it around his neck. Slade smirked, then seemed to notice someone was missing as he glanced around before looking at me questionably. I shrugged and mouthed that I had no idea where Kristophe went off to.
"This is more like a rave than a rock concert!" I called into Slade's ear. Slade paused to think about it, then shrugged.
"Makes no difference to me! Music is music! I like all music!" He announced, making Mark laugh. I started to speak, but there was a sudden surge in the crowd and Mark was slammed up against my back side, making me gasp as he grabbed onto me to avoid getting carried off. Slade also caught me, our forehead smacking together. I grimaced and Slade made a face, before grinning into my face, pecking me on the nose. I was surprised, but didn't have time to say much as Mark was pressed harder against me, gasping in my ear.
"Sorry! There's something going on behind us." Mark muttered in my ear, grimacing. I managed to swivel around a little to peer past Mark, seeing that a place had opened up in the stadium where a guy was showing off his dance moves, twirling and throwing himself around in a way that made me wonder if he was tripping on acid or something.
Unfortunately, the crowd surged again, cheering for the guy, who was showing off his ridiculous dance moves, making Mark press up against me. I hissed past clenched teeth when I felt him press against the front of my jeans, making the zipper bite into my groin.
That was the last time I'd ever go anywhere without wearing something underneath this. I cringed in pain, then felt Slade's hands on my hips, gripping them tightly as he pressed himself against me, his mouth against my ear.
"Yer not enjoyin' this at all, are ye?" He asked me, making me blink and tilt my head back to look at him.
"I need to use the bathroom!" I lied, pushing out my lower lip in an overexaggerated pout, making Slade laugh at me. He nodded and took my hand. I latched onto Mark's hand, dragging him with me as Slade led us weaving through the crowd toward a mostly abandoned hall that led to the bathroom.
A few people were coming out, giggling. I was only mildly disturbed that a woman came out of the men's room, her arm linked with two men, who were practically purring like cats as they cuddled on her. I ducked into the bathroom, surprised at how clean it was for a public restroom.
"Wow," Mark admitted, shifting uncomfortably, "I'm really sorry, Alex. I wasn't doing that on purpose." I smiled, shaking my head.
"It's fine. I saw what was happening." I answered, making him look at his feet, still embarrassed. Slade grinned, leaning on one of the sinks, laughing.
"I thought that was tha best part! Ye two looked like ye was ready ta snog." He chuckled, making Mark look at him in irritation confusion. I ignored them and ducked into a stall to lean against the wall, taking deep breathes to cool down.
My fangs were still pulsing in my gums, twitching to drink something. Mark and Slade were too busy arguing about Slade's use of British slang and the fact that we were being smashed together like sardines. I should've brought blood tablets, I realized with a grimace.
"Oi, Ally, ya okay in there?" Slade asked, rapping his knuckles on the stall door.
"It's a Druid thing," I called back to him, hearing him sigh, "Go ahead back out there. I'll catch up with you in a few minutes."
"Ye sure," Slade pressed, sounding uncomfortable about leaving me alone, "Is really crowded out there, not sure if ye coul' fin' us again."
"I'll be fine. I'll just listen for your guys' voices or something, or meet you at the entrance." I assured. I heard Slade begin to protest again, but Mark moved for him.
"Gotchya! See ya in a bit!" Mark called to me, dragging Slade out, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I leaned against the stall door, closing my eyes and taking big deep breathes as I tried to steady myself and my pulse. I parted my lips, baring my fangs to the warm air outside, feeling sweat run from my temples down the sides of my face.
My heart thrummed in my chest, still quivering from the violent amount of bass. I could still feel it through the floor, making the ground tremble. I held my breath as a couple people burst into the bathroom, someone laughing as their footsteps scuffed on the floor.
"You really know how to party. Claude wasn't lying, was he?" A man laughed, making me blink as the man's laugh was answered by silence. Curiosity made me turn and peer through the crack in the stall to see Kristophe standing near the furthest wall. The man with him was tall and thickly muscled with his dark hair slicked back tight in a ponytail with deep green-brown eyes. A deep scar ran across his bare back, glow-in-the-dark necklaces coiled around his neck and wrists. When he turned around, I noticed that the scar on his back was joined by another, making me frown in confusion. They were two neat scars running vertically by his shoulderblades. He turned toward the stall and I moved quickly, stepping onto the toilet seat quietly.
"You're quiet, though," The man commented, his accent definitely not Italian as it held more of an ancient lilt to it that made me cock my head in curoisity, "He mentioned that. He talks about you a lot."
"I really don't care," Kristophe replied, making me grimace at the tightness to his tone, "I want to know why he sent you to find me. Or whoever did. I don't associate myself with the rebellion anymore." I almost sighed aloud in relief, but managed to contain it as I heard the other man give a childish whine.
"Oh, come on, you can't just walk away and join the other side... Especially with all that you know. Did you say anything to Vladimir or his whelp about Newell's plans? After all, you were Newell's favorite doggy. You'd bend over for him if he asked." The man added. Through the crack in the stall, I saw a tic working its way into Kristophe's jaw, his eyes narrowing a little.
"No. I did not. I don't need to. Vladimir probably already knows. And you're stupid to keep fighting against him. Vladimir is a lot stronger than we thought. He destroyed an entire base with just his mind. What'll he do if he actually has to use his fists? You think any of you will make it out alive?" Kristophe demanded, making the other man wave him off nonchalantly. He stooped over a sink, turning it on and splashing his face.
"I have full confidence that we'll destroy Vladimir. After all, we know his weakness now." The man added, making Kristophe glare at him. The man backed up and turned to face Kristophe with a wicked smirk, revealing a pair of fangs, but those fangs were not the fangs of my people. They were thicker and nastier. They almost reminded me of a canine's.
"And if you are unwilling to help us obtain that weakness and use it against him, you too will fall with him. And it's too bad... You're so pretty." He added, reaching up to touch Kristophe's face. Kristophe's eyes flashed and his hissed, sending a cold chill through me at how evil it sounded. Almost like a really pissed off cat as he slapped the man's hand away and reached up, catching him by the throat and slamming him against the wall. The man winced, but didn't wipe the smirk off his face as he looked down at Kristophe, who glared up at him hatefully, his fangs still bared and wet with saliva.
"You will not threaten him. Either of them. You can go back to the cesspool that you came from, pig," He sneered hatefully, "And tell them to abandon home. Our world is changing and it's time to stop living in the past." The man seemed very offended by this as he snarled in Kristophe's face, making a move to punch him in the gut, but Kristophe let go of his throat and leapt back, his back smacking into my stall door, making me twitch.
"You've been brainwashed," The man spat, making my eyes widen as I watched his pupils swirl and become three little pupils that looked like black commas in his green-brown iris, "You're falling for their lies. Our world was just fine the way it was long ago. Vladimir is going to ruin it with his new changes and you're just following him around like the obedient little puppy you are."
"Woof woof." Kristophe snapped, baring his fangs further. The man snarled again, but instantly calmed himself as the door opened and closed as someone came in to use the bathroom. Kristophe and the man glared at each other for a moment longer before Kristophe spoke.
"Rot in hell, Sen." Kristophe finished, then left the bathroom, leaving the man known as Sen to glare after him. My lungs were starting to burn as I still held my breath, ignoring the person who was using the stall next to me as Sen whipped out a very expensive looking iPhone, dialing a number and looking down at a small screen. I couldn't see who was on the screen at this angle, but I recognized the voice that spoke.
"Judging from the piss ugly look on your face, you lost." Claude muttered bitterly, making Sen scowl.
"Just give me a little more time."
"No, forget it. Come back here... If you want something right, might as well do it your fucking self because there's always fucktards like you that fuck shit up." Claude spat, then hung up, making Sen roll his eyes before sighing as he tucked his phone away before leaving the bathroom.
I finally stepped down from the toilet, nibbling my lower lip uneasily as I stepped out of the stall, my chest tight and my ears ringing.
What just happened?