A fire crackled uselessly in the marble fireplace in Lothaire's quarters in Midnight. He had no need for the fire, but at times he just like to watch the flames devour things. He sighed as he glanced around the living room area. His pet fox Lily lay curled by the fire, and his fugitive friend Dimitri sat reading some Russian newspaper in an arm chair. Lothaire wanted something more. He was actually bored with being in Midnight among the screams of slaves being broken. He stood from his chair and looked to Dimitri and Lily and announced that he was departing, to go for a walk and clear his head.
Lothaire walked the long corridors of Midnight, but walking in a square can only offer on limited time to think. So Lothaire crossed the broad lobby and headed out into the night. He got out of range of the protection of Midnight and teleported into the city. He appeared in a back alley and headed out on the streets. It was late, but not to late for people to be out. Lothaire walked, thinking and scheming about things he wished to accomplish. The night was young. and at 236 HE was young. Much lay before him, but he needed to sort things out.
It was still early enough for crowds of people to be walking the streets, and Lothaire simply blended in with them and moved with the flow. The silly mortals had no idea that a god walked among them, or that he could bring death to them in seconds. He listened to the swirl of mortal thoughts around him. Yes this walk would be refreshing, as long as he wasn't recognized by another of his kind or a hunter. Lothaire had heard through an associate that the family of a girl he sold from one of his brothels may have taken out a contract on him. But the night was full of open possibility...he just had to find a path.
Desiré definitely wasn't a hunter, and actually didn't know that vampires even existed. He was a shifter, that much was true, but he was still new enough that, while he realized that some people smelled WAY weird, he didn't know enough to be able to figure it out, yet. Why would he ever think that vampires existed? He might start thinking that other shifters existed, but vampires? Yeah, whatever.
He'd stayed at the library for as long as he could, working on a project with a classmate, and then they'd gotten some food (because reading was hard work), but now it was home for Dez. He has his parents' car (now the old one, since he'd wrecked the last 'old one'), and the only parking he'd been able to manage had been back by the school. It hadn't been worth driving to get food, not when the hunt for a parking space was so often fruitless. Everyone was amazed that he was even willing to drive after that wreck, but he was actually pretty okay with it. He'd been made a shifter, after all, and he'd learned through some accidental trial and error (besides the major healing he did while he was sick with the shifter infection) that he could heal pretty damn fast. It made him less paranoid about driving, though he still worried sometimes.
Another cool thing about being a shifter were the senses. Besides being able to tell that some people smelled funny (and that some just smelled bad), he could see and hear better. In a mass of people, that wasn't all that important, but when going into a dark parking lot, it was nice and useful. Since that was where he'd be going shortly, he was glad for it. The city wasn't amazingly safe, even if he hadn't really had any problems, and it was good to be on your guard.
He had no idea.
Lothaire was wandering aimlessly, just lost in thought. Midnight was grand, but he yearned for something new. His brothels were steadily filling his bank accounts so no worries there. He wanted something amusing, something different for a change, however brief it may be. He stretched his mind, looking for someone in the sea of mortals that might provide that amusement. They were like useless drone ants, just running about wasting their pathetic lives chasing futile dreams. Lothaire chuckled as he brushed across the mortal minds, their lives were so brief...so futile...so pointless.
As he strolled through the crowd something stopped him. He reached a little harder to pinpoint the different mind. A shifter? And it wasn't any breed he had ever encountered before. He probed deeper and came up with...a house cat? That was a new one. How nice that would be to complement Lily. And what a prize it would be to have in Midnight. He probed deeper, this one was naive to the very existence of Lothaire's kind. How very amusing. Lothaire pushed the thoughts of biting and abducting the shifter to the back of his mind, this cat was going to find out how the mice feel when cats toy with them. Lothaire reached out with his mind and poked
I know what you are...
That ought to get his attention. Lothaire walked up the young man. If things got out of hand Lothaire was confident the boy was not threat, he had no connections, and he wasn't a massive shifter like a lion or tiger.
"Its true you know, I know all about your kind."
There, a simple ice breaker.
Fortunately, there are some benefits to being oblivious, and those include the mind's ability to explain things in a rational manner. Did Desiré honestly think that he'd just heard that man's voice in his head? Hell, no! The thought didn't even occur to him. With the way his senses had been since he'd been given that injection, it wasn't all that unusual for him to hear something he'd have never been able to hear before. He was slowly getting used to it.
That explained hearing it, but not what was said. He stopped dead in his tracks, glancing around for a second before he told himself that it had nothing to do with him and he should keep moving. That was when he saw the man that was coming up from behind him (before he stopped and started looking), and he had to admit, watching this guy walk up to him really wasn't striking him as a good idea. Besides the crazy long hair, the guy was just weird looking, and definitely had a weird way about him. Then, there was the smell once he was close enough for Dez to distinguish him from the rest of the crowd, and that wasn't good.
It was one of those smells that didn't make sense.
"My kind? Listen, mister, I think you're mistaking me for someone else. I have to get home," he said firmly, giving the guy a very questioning, non-trusting look and turning to keep following his original path. He would feel better once he got to his car and got out of there. This guy was already creeping him out.
Lothaire felt the fear rise in the boy, that was good and bad. If he ran away scared, there would be no fun to be had from this little encounter. Lothaire rolled his eyes at the boys words. He knew the shifter would probably smell the lingering odor of fear that clung to most Midnight vampires, or the harsh smells of metal and marble...and blood. But he had to keep the boy from fleeing. He reached down and harnessed his Kendra abilities and projected calming images and feelings into the boy, just as he would a potential slave during the breaking process, but Lothaire wasn't attempting anything sketchy...he just wanted some conversation.
"Stop....you are right to fear me, but I mean you no harm. You seem rather clueless, and in need of some education and you are in luck that I am severely bored this night and I am willing to provide that education for free...."
Lothaire tried to project as non threatening of a vibe as he could, but really as a trainer it was hard to not be fearsome and intimidating. He easily kept pace with the boy as he walked, letting him know that he couldn't just run.
There was a lot that Desiré could smell on Lothaire with the man following him, right beside him, and none of it was reassuring. Actually, a lot made him think of the wreck, and that was the big problem here. He had limited experience with violence and anything similar to Midnight, so the smell of blood and metal made him think of the car, and the constant dripping he'd heard as his blood soaked the car seat and then dripped onto the floor. He'd asked the doctors about it, and one of them had finally explained what it was. Now, he almost wished they hadn't, but at least he knew. Even with human senses, he remembered the smell of the blood and metal, and he had enough instincts to go with that cat form to know fear when he smelled it. It wasn't the man's fear, though. It was as though he'd been with someone who was very afraid, and Desiré didn't like that, either.
The feeling of calmness and harmlessness was just plain confusing, especially with what the guy was saying. Education? What the hell kind of education could he be talking about? Why did the guy smell of fear and blood, yet feel comforting? It didn't make sense, and even if he didn't bolt right then, he didn't think that sticking around for long was a good theory. Walking into the dark lot with this guy matching his steps wasn't smart, either.
Stay near people. Yeah, that was the way to work it. If there were other people around, less could happen. This was still New York City, so weird things happened in front of 50 people, but it was less likely. Safety in numbers.
The cat part of him didn't like that part, either. It wanted him to slink off into the dark and get away from this guy. What if the man could keep pace, though? Desiré was in extremely good shape, and he'd realized that he was faster since being infected with the cat thing, but this guy was weird, talking about 'his kind'. What was that all about?
"Dude, you have 30 seconds, and if you get any creepier or make any less sense, I'm screaming," he declared, and he meant it. He wasn't so proud that he wouldn't draw massive amounts of attention to them to save his own ass.
Scream? For what, help? If he so wished Lothaire could easily silence the boy before help reached him. But he didn't wish to do any harm, just to toy with him. He increased the calming radiation. He felt the boy's memories of a severe car accident surface as his sense of smell picked up the odor of blood. He tried to help force them down, but they were strong in the boy's mind, and added to his panic at Lothaire's presence.
"I know you are a shifter, and you can sense that I am not a normal mortal. I am a vampire, and you are hopelessly naive to the world that you are now a part of. You are something unique, and I have never encountered one of your breed before. Certain cats are very rare....but house cats? I have never even heard of such. Oh, and don't even think of screaming...it would do you know good, and I have no ill will towards you."
Hopefully the boy would be reassured enough to talk with him. If there were others of this breed Lothaire would certainly find one to add to his "collection" in Midnight. This boy was fascinating....even if he had no idea what the night around him held. Lothaire could feel other vampires moving about the city, some randoms, some Single Earth, even a couple minor Midnight hangers on. How fortunate for this one that he ran across Lothaire in a rare mood.
Personally, Desiré didn't think he was all that fortunate. He would have been more fortunate to have never run into Lothaire, or any other vampire, as far as he was concerned. In fact, vampire? Was this guy nuts? "Seriously? A vampire? Is that the best you've got?" he asked, obviously not believing it, and actually a little unsettled by the fact the this guy was putting out so much in the way of calming vibes. He hadn't at first. What the hell was going on?
He'd said the Dez was a shifter, though. The doctor had said that, too, and it had occurred to him once or twice that there might be other shifters, but he'd never really seen one. It had been suggested that the doctor's ladyfriend (or whatever she was) was one, but Dez had no reason to really believe it. He hadn't seen it. He didn't know if she was a cat like he was, or what. He was supposed to see her again sometime, because she'd offered to keep an eye on him and make sure everything went the way it was supposed to. Whatever that meant.
This guy knowing this, and even mentioning house cat, was even more unsettling. He hadn't bolted yet, but that was because his fear hadn't spiked into something that demanded flight. Why not? This was way more than he should have needed. "Listen, I don't know how you know that, but I don't really feel like talking about it in a crowd of people, and I'm not going anywhere with you." That was for sure, but seriously? Talk about turning into a cat in a whole crowd of people? He'd sound more insane than the guy who'd just said he was a vampire.
Lothaire smiled as the realizations hit the boy. He also smirked at his desire to avoid talking in a crowd. The best way to remain anonymous was to stay in the crowd. The mindless sheep around them weren't paying attention to anything. The thoughts in the boys mind of a doctor telling him he was a shifter were interesting. How many doctors actually knew about shifters? Was if a guild doctor like that Victor he had heard about his sire foolishly stalking? Or perhaps, perhaps some doctor had figured out the genetics of a shifter and had crafted this breed. That would of the utmost interest to him and probably most of his associates in Midnight. Just thought of custom bred pets was enough to really key Lothaire into this kid.
"I do not wish to take you anywhere, or to harm you as I have already stated. And there are others like both of us roaming the city as we speak. Some of them would harm you, even kill you given the chance. But if you walk with me you will be protected for the time being, and you will have a better understanding of the world around you. Talking as we are in a moving crowd will draw no attention. I must admit I am intrigued by your breed and I can sense that you were not born as you are....so how is it you came to be a shifter?"
Lothaire knew the burden of this new knowledge would be a great deal to process at once, but this boy seemed intelligent enough for it. He wanted to find out the origins of this breed. It could lead to great things for Lothaire. What a wonderful surprise this night had brought.
He had no doubt about the whole 'safety in numbers' thing regarding the crowd, but that didn't mean he wanted to just throw his whole, weird, story out there. People he knew might be around. He did go to school near here. He still wasn't so sure about telling this 'vampire', anyway.
"Kill me? Who would want to kill me? I haven't done anything," he insisted, and credit where it's due, he wasn't afraid. That wasn't a panicked tone, but an angry one. Nobody should have any reason to want to kill him, and he knew it. Only a psycho would want to kill someone for no reason. Being offered 'protection' wasn't nearly as much reassurance as it was supposed to be, but at least he wasn't focused quite as much on the smells that made him think of the accident. Why not? He didn't know. He could still smell it, but it felt like it was in the background now. It was strange.
This guy could sense that he wasn't born a shifter. Yeah, because 'sense' made all kinds of sense. No pun intended. He still didn't get how this guy knew these things, and 'o hai, I'm a vampire!' really just wasn't enough for his satisfaction. "I don't want to talk about it. I was in a really bad wreck, and talking about it just makes me have nightmares all over again," he told the guy, and he wasn't even really sure why he admitted the bit about the nightmares, except that he just didn't want to talk about it. It was true, he'd had nightmares worse when he was 'open and communicating' about what had happened, but he also wasn't going to give out any information on who'd helped him. The doctor hadn't wanted that information getting out, and Dez was certain that the woman didn't want to be chased down by some crazy dude who needed a haircut.
"Like both of us? What do you mean?"
If Lothaire had still been capable of pity, he would have felt it for this boy. Dropped into a world he no clue about. The cruelness of it was fascinating. But since Lothaire had already breached that wall, he felt that he should explain some of the rules. He could probably dance around admitting what exactly he did for fun and profit for the time being. Midnight was only something he discussed with fellow Vampires, or the traders that brought him slaves. The boy's ignorance could lead to an early death, or some other trainer managing a snatch and grab on so rare a prize. That just wouldn't do. Lothaire would either take him eventually or try to find the Doctor who apparently had found a way to synthesize breeds.
"Well, as you have probably read in vulgar fiction...we vampires do subsist on blood. A hungry young vampire with no grasp of things could snatch you off the street and drain you. There seem to be many things that you are unaware of. I understand your reluctance to talk about your experience, trauma has a way of blocking things...making them painful. But there are things you must know. By both of us, I mean there are Vampires roaming the city as we speak as well as shifters. Some of these vampires are harmless, some less so. As a shifter you do enjoy free blood status, which will afford you some protection no matter what you are told. You are a step above these pathetic mortals that flow past us. You are no where near as powerful or significant as a vampire, but still....you can enjoy your superiority over the humans. But also, your unique breed sets you apart from the more mundane breeds that walk these streets. I have traveled far and wide in the past two centuries and you are the first of your kind I have encountered."
There, give him a taste of how things work. Build his confidence. That would lower his guard. Perhaps he would talk more, or at least relax his mind. The trauma of the wreck had indeed created blocks in the boy's mind. Lothaire had encountered such things before, sometimes from trauma HE inflicted. All he needed was some time around the boy and he could work past it, and try to peer in and discover the identity of that mystery Doctor.
It was probably a good thing that Desiré didn't want anyone's pity, since he sure as hell wasn't getting it here, but he was fine without it. He didn't like having others looking at him and knowing anything about that whole mess, or his state of affairs. He preferred to present a confident, strong front, and this vampire was messing with that.
An early death or being abducted would mess with it worse, though.
Really, vampires? For real? Yes, this guy was talking vampires. Like, Dracula, except in quantity. Brilliant. Had he gone insane?
Actually, he'd thought that the first time he shifted, so was this really any different? He knew that he could, in fact, shift, so was it really so hard to believe that vampires existed. Yes. Still, though. He'd have said that turning into a cat was impossible a few months ago. Being told he was 'superior' didn't really sit right, either. He didn't want to be special, not like that. He didn't mind being stronger and faster, but he didn't need to be something other than a human. He wasn't an animal, and he wasn't immortal, so what superiority? He was mortal and still human. He was just a human that had a few advantages. That didn't make him anything other than human, though. No, it didn't. No less human than his brother, or his parents, or even his asshole uncle. The last thing this was going to do was build his confidence, since being told that not only was he not human, but he was the only one like him that this vampire had ever seen, pretty much meant he was a freak. He'd thought that since it happened, but now he was basically having it all confirmed. Great.
Well, being a freak who could turn into a cat was better than being a one-legged freak, right? He thought so, most of the time.
"Freeblood status? What's that?" he asked, and you had to give him credit for picking up on the important bits. It was one of the things he didn't understand as soon as he heard it, so of course he asked.
Well at least he was a quick learner. The free blood bit was important. After all, it was the only thing standing between this boy and Midnight. Lothaire was know to bend and sometimes break the rules, but this just wasn't one of those situations. Too much knowledge could be gleaned for this one. He had to humor him, toy with him. He was already starting to unravel the memories of the wreck, and it was every bit as horrible as some of the things he had done in his time. No wonder there was a block there, involuntary as it was. He was trying to catch a glimpse or whisper of the doctor, but so far all he was seeing was twisted metal and the steady drip of blood. No wonder the boy had recoiled from him, he knew that the scent of blood clung to him, and probably that of all the iron in Midnight. He also had neglected to change clothes after visiting one of the donor slaves for dinner, so the blood scent would be extra strong. But free blood status...how to explain the subject without exposing himself and Midnight. Blaming slavery on Mayhem would be amusing, but foolish.
"Free blood...yes free blood. It is exactly what it sounds like. You are a free being. There are, how should I put this...vampires that collect shifters and humans. Humans are not protected, and can be bought and sold at will. Shifters are a bit more complicated. They must be sold in by a member of their breed or family. Some vampires of course will disregard the rules, but they are usually dealt with by another part of our community you should be aware of. There are those out there that hunt our kind...they are called appropriately enough Hunters. They have their own little factions and such, but basically they exist to hunt the super natural being or human that offends the wrong person and gets a price on their head. As I told you...giving me a chance to speak will provide you with much education. Our world does have rules to play by."
Yes, and hunters were a very real threat to one such as Lothaire. He had been hunted before, and it was not a pleasant experience. In fact, if it hadn't been incompetent Nazi hunting humans he might not be here today. Though now at least he had Dimitri for back up, and a small army of slaves to act as human shields. Lothaire wondered how true the rumor of the contract on him was as they walked the streets, suddenly very aware of how exposed he was. He again spread his mind above the crowd, the better to ensure his security. He would have to stall for more time to probe the shifter's mind.
He was thinking that maybe talking to this guy would be useful until he heard about people being bought and sold, and then he was of the opinion that everything he learned just brought on more nasty information that he didn't want to know. "You're talking slavery. You're saying that vampires make slaves of people. That's insanity."
He didn't think the guy was lying, though. This was too elaborate for a lie, and why bother? If the guy was really a vampire, then he could probably kick Desiré's ass up and down the street. He wasn't stupid, and there was also the fact that he was paying attention. He'd said that you could only be sold in by a member of your breed or family. His family sure as hell wouldn't ever sell him, and this guy had just said he was the only one of his 'breed' he'd seen. God, 'breed'. It sure as hell sounded like an animal.
Hunters, too. Wow, life was a blast, wasn't it? He shouldn't have even gone out that night. Then, he wouldn't be here, dealing with this mess or cat things, or anything. No nightmares about trees and twisted, sharp metal or dripping blood, and no waking up and being relieved that he could move his left arm and leg, both of which had been pinned in the wreck. He'd been lucky about his arm, actually, since it had been broken and cut up badly, but it would have healed up alright on its own. It was the way that he let his leg rest against the floor, right near the door and that side of the car, that had meant that it was crushed upon impact. The counselor who tried to insist that he talk all the time kept telling him that the nightmares would go away, but he didn't see that happening if he kept talking about it and thinking about it. That was why shoving it off in the corner was for the best, but it was such a vital thing. Every time he thought about his situation, being a shifter, all that, it boiled down to the wreck. He wouldn't be here if not for that.
"What kind of rules are you talking about?" he asked, looking cautious all over again. He really didn't trust this guy, or the harmless, comforting feeling he was giving off. It didn't feel like it fit.
Yes it was a mass of information to digest, and not all of it was pleasant, but thus was life. Lothaire knew that talking about slavery would put him on shaky ground. But he wanted this boy aware, in case one of his less than honest associates found him. Rarity was prized highly by trainers, and this boy was certainly a prize. The more he knew, the longer he would remain alive and free, and the greater the chance Lothaire might discover this doctor. With the ability to create breeds, he could become a legend in Midnight, more god like than ever. He smirked to himself at the idea. Having that ability might even be impressive to their all powerful mistress. But back to the matters at hand. The rules of the game....they were simple, yet oh so important.
"Well, it is quite simple really. You are a free blood shifter, you can not be bought or sold unless your family first sells as I said. Or if you enter the trade willingly, as some have done. That should protect you from abduction. But just for your sake, if you encounter vampires, be respectful. If you encounter hunters well, you should fight or run if they have a contract on you, if not then just try not hinder their pursuits, some of them are trigger happy. The existence of our world is pretty much free knowledge, but it would probably be best for you if you kept these things to yourself lest you be thought crazy. And yes humans are bought and sold freely, and it is slavery...but really they are little more than cattle. Being apart from them grants you a unique freedom, a chance at a life that means more than their trivial pursuits and pointless lives."
He was rambling slightly, but of course humanity was just cattle for Vampires. Lothaire hoped that one day Vampire kind would put aside their petty squabbles or that those that opposed a glorious reign by Midnight would be destroyed. They were gods, and as they were worshiped as deities in ancient times, so he wished it to be again. Shifters would still fit into the equation in some capacity, probably still as pets and in some cases as beasts of burden. What a glorious day that would be indeed. But he was getting off track. He needed to concentrate on the task at hand.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Cattle? Did he seriously hear that right? Cattle? Bullshit!
"I've heard enough. Thanks for you concern and the information, but it's time I head home. Goodnight," he said firmly, not even about to argue with this freak about it. Cattle. This guy was talking about vampires having slaves, and humans being open territory, then calling them cattle? How was Desiré supposed to be sure that this guy wasn't one of those vampires that had slaves?
Shit. ShitfuckmotherfuckerFUCK.
He smelled of blood, which might make sense for a vampire, but what about those other things? The fear, and the metal? Why metal? Why so strongly? What was metal? Cars were metal, but that wasn't it. That was just his brain having a stupid hang-up. What else was metal? What could be used like that? Chains. Chains were metal. So were bars, like in a jail. He didn't know how those things worked, but why else would this guy stink of metal like that? And the fear. There was too much of that on him.
Yeah, Desiré was done. That was enough.
So Lothaire had over stepped himself in his enthusiasm. Oh well, he had had his fun. Perhaps a little bit more active learning would be appropriate. The shifter did need to learn the natural order of things, and his place in them. Lothaire drew his mental faculties back from the crowd. He allowed himself to radiate his usual Midnight aura of power, pain and fear. If the boy really was as unique as Lothaire believed, a lesson in how vampires could ruin your day might help keep off the black market. As the crowd thinned and they passed a solid brick wall Lothaire whirled and pinned the boy against the wall. He leaned in close, his maroon eyes bleeding away to solid black orbs. He made sure as he spoke his fangs were plenty visible. And he drew his mental powers up and assaulted the boys mind with the memories of the car wreck.
"My, my how ungrateful you are. I offer you advice and you have such thoughts about me. Boy, you don't know what pain is until you cross a trainer of Midnight. We can twist you and bend you and break your very soul. You are one of a kind...be glad you are free blood. Any trainer would be ecstatic over such a unique prize, but there are the rules, and the hunters. Despite your speed and strength, you are still only one step up the ladder from an ordinary human and we will always be stronger, and quicker.
Also, as you may well have realized by now, we can invade your mind. How does it feel to be so powerless? Remember, we are here, watching and waiting. Best you always mind your manners so that you do not become someone's dinner. And know this, I will find out where you came from whether you want to tell me or not.....your free blood status just keeps you out of Midnight, not out of my reach. But I think this is enough of a lesson for one night. Perhaps next time we meet you will not have such impolite thoughts blaring out for the world to here."
Lothaire slackened his grip and allowed the boy to slide back down the wall till his feet were back on the ground. He had made his point, and there was no doubt in his mind that the boy was terrified enough that he would flee at the first hint of a vampire, trainer or not. Let Single Earth try and sort that out. He would be watching the boy to see if he went back to his creator or if there was any way to snatch the information from his mind. All he knew was that it had been a doctor that perhaps had a female companion that was a shifter, that left too many possibilities in a city this size and this over run with the super natural. He glanced back at the boy one last time with the light reflecting from his black eyes and his fangs bared by the arrogant smirk on his face, then turned and teleported, something he had oh so accidentally forgotten to inform the boy vampires were capable of. Oh well, school was out for the night.
Being manhandled just wasn't something Dez was cool with. He never had been, and he never would be. Being a vampire didn't make this guy special enough to manhandle him, and he'd been about to snarl exactly that as soon as he was done hissing in pain over being smacked into the wall. About to, but then the memories of the car accident hit him full-blast, as though he was back in the car, going through it all over again.
Sebastian was in the seat next to him, clinging to the 'oh shit' handle and looking horrified, something he hadn't initially remembered, but he'd seen it at the time. He tore the steering wheel to the side to avoid back-ending the car in front of him, his stupid drunk friend, and careened towards the trees with the wheels sliding around in the mud on the side of the road. He'd forgotten that it had rained, but how could he really? What he'd never forget was the split-second decision, as he was headed right for a massive tree, to try to pass it by on the driver's side. He wasn't willing to risk not making it on the passenger side, not with Sebastian there, even if he thought he'd have had a better chance of making it. Didn't want to risk it, and now? Now, it was like slow-motion. Was that because of the vampire? Had to be, because he remembered it happening fast.
This was worse. At least then, he couldn't see it coming, not with any time to think about it and understand how bad it was going to be. Then, he hadn't seen the way the car impacted the tree and kept moving, being crushed and tearing up bark and wood in the process. He hadn't seen the metal crush his leg, sharp and broken edges tearing into the skin and muscle, nor had he had to take in the way his arm had been torn up, all that shining glass raining down on him at the same time, as though it was some kind of macabre confetti. He hadn't remembered all this detail, because within seconds of impact, his body had been rocked around and his head had impacted the tree. He'd blacked out then, and the memories and pain blacked out this time, as well.
It left him shaking and terrified, that much was true. He was breathing hard, gasping for air and wide-eyed, but Lothaire was just sucking up the satisfaction from being able to remind him of what had truly scared him. Desiré wasn't afraid of vampires, or this vampire. He was afraid of this gaping wound that he apparently had.
He didn't say anything as the vampire monologued, but that was because he needed time to recover, and when he looked up to see the asshole grinning, he flicked him off in time to watch him disappear. Just, vanish. Great. So vampires could do that, too?
Wow, he needed to figure out more about this, because it was absolutely ridiculous, but first, he needed to collect himself and remember where his car was. He'd walked to avoid going into a dark parking lot with that freak, and now he had to retrace his steps. For now, he was just going to lean on the wall, drop his bag, and just catch his breath.
"Asshole."
"I still don't see why you wanted to wait until the last minute to tell me you needed to go to the library and get these books for a report due in two days. I was supposed to go play soccer with a few of the guys from the college," Lance said, an accusatory glance thrown in his sister's general direction as she fumbled through her pocket for her library card.
Laura smiled brightly at him. "You didn't have to come," she said. She took the two books he was holding from him and handed both those and her card to the petite blonde behind the counter. "I am capable of going here by myself, you know," she reminded him sternly.
As the librarian checked Laura out, Lance only smirked at her. "It's okay, we played soccer Tuesday night. I'd rather hang out with you," he replied smoothly, taking the books from the woman and handing Laura her card back.
Laura snatched it out of his hand and thrust it into her back pocket. "You mean stalk me," she corrected him. She turned so quickly she hit him with her long blonde hair, and Lance only laughed as he followed behind her, doing his best zombie impression as he carried her books.
"You know," Laura said as they stepped out onto the street, "it wouldn't kill you to get a life. Or a girlfriend. I have this really nice girl in my chem class I could totally set yo---"
Lance cut her off with a wave of his hand. "No thanks, Laura. Knowing you, you'll bring home little old Mrs. Wilson from down the hall. God, she gives me the creeps. Did I tell you she grabbed my ass when I was bent over in the hall the other morning? I dropped like, ten pounds of mail - you know we've been forgetting to check it? Anyways, yeah, there I was, fully dressed about to go to class, and I feel this little pinch on my ass. And when I stand up, she's just gliding by with this grin on her face. It was GROSS," he shouted, shivering up and down and making a face.
"So's your face," she said absently. Laura had stopped paying attention and was looking around. She could sense a very agitated aura, someone who was extremely upset - and they were close. It was familiar enough that it caught her attention almost instantly, and she held up a warning hand to Lance, trying to tell him to be quiet. She didn't have to - as soon as she'd stilled, he straightened like an Irish Setter.
"Kind of feels like..." he trailed off.
"It's coming from around the corner," she said, looking at him with a serious gaze. "Come on, let's check it out." She turned on the heel of her tennis shoe and jogged to the end of the sidewalk, and then turned the corner, Lance very nearly on top of her for how close he was. He almost ran into her when she stopped abruptly, but his balance kept him from mowing her over.
"Dez?" they said at the same time. Laura looked up and gave her brother an annoyed stare, but for the moment, she was thankful he was there. They spread out and began down the mouth of the alley, Lance lingering behind enough in case whatever had caused him such distress came back. Meanwhile, Laura knelt down next to her friend.
"Hey, what happened? We could feel your heart pounding from like a mile away," she said. It was an exaggeration, but not unwelcome, given the circumstances.
He decided, after a few minutes trying to pull himself together, that there was no way he was going to be driving that night. All that work he'd put into trying to move on and get back into the swing of normal life, and it had been completely destroyed by one prick's moment of boredom. It had taken an absolute force of will for him to get back into the driver's seat so soon after the accident, and he'd been slowly making himself more alright with it each time he drove, but it had been difficult. He was doing well, right up until tonight. Now, everything was fresh in his mind all over again, the pain and terror right there where all he could do was think about it, and it was almost like he could hear that dripping blood reverberating through his mind again. After all, when he'd woken up in the car, that's what he'd heard. He'd been dazed and in so much pain that he couldn't think straight, but he'd remembered that. That, and worrying about Sebastian.
Frankly, he wanted to be sick. There was no reason any normal human should ever have to deal with shit like this, and how had he gotten so lucky? This vampire had to fuck with him because he was a shifter? Was that it? So, he'd either gotten to be a cripple for the rest of his life, or be harassed by psychotic fairy-tale monsters instead? God, what was this, a twisted game of 'Would You Rather'?
To make things better, perhaps even literally, he had company.
"Holy shit!" he hissed under his breath when he heard his name, flinching and looking up only long enough to realize who it was and that he wasn't under attack again, and then Lance was standing back to watch everything and Laura was kneeling beside him while he rubbed at his face and ran his hands through his hair in an attempt to pull himself back into an alright mindset. When had he ended up in a crouch against the wall, instead of standing up? He didn't remember, and didn't really care.
"A freak who called himself a vampire stopped me on the street," he told her, just saying it out loud sounding like he was insane already. Maybe he was. Post-traumatic stress, or something. The doctors had said that was possible, but he'd blown them off. "He was spouting something about slaves and being unique, and then he attacked me."
There, the Reader's Digest version. He could give her more details after he could think straight, and after he knew that he wasn't insane and she wasn't going to laugh at him. He still thought he might be. Flashbacks were making him think that weird things were happening. That made more sense than vampires that could disappear in a blink of an eye. "This sounds crazy. Being attacked by a vampire? I think I had some kind of panic attack, about the accident, and I guess that did something. I don't know," he added, sounding about as confused as he felt, but even if he'd been willing to rationally accept the idea that it was a vampire and life was absolutely, stupidly insane before, now he didn't know what to think. It might be PTS.
"I'm gonna go check around really quick," Lance said. Something visible about his movements had changed, and his sister could feel the heat raise off of him as he pushed out with his power. His jaw was set as he turned on the heel of his shoe and vanished out onto the sidewalk - Laura knew that if he found whatever vampire had done this, they wouldn't be able to ever do it again.
"Dez, I just need you to take a few breaths and calm down, okay?" she said. She placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to determine if he had any injuries. She wasn't a Smoke, so she couldn't heal him, but she could at least get the skinny on what was going on. She determined he was seriously shaken, but not physically ailing in a way that was serious.
"Okay," she said slowly. "I believe you," came next, followed by a, "I'll explain later." She stood up and held out her hand to him. "Come on, let's go back to the apartment. I'll fill you in when we get there, but I need you to walk this off for the moment. He could still be close by, and my priority is getting you safely out of here." Something about Laura's tone suggested that he didn't necessarily want to argue with her for the moment.
As she turned, Lance appeared at the entrance. "He's gone," he said, his voice low and obviously irritated. "Let's go back home. It'll just be easier to deal with there," he concluded. He waited for the two of them, looking a lot more serious than Dez had probably ever seen him.
"Yeah, that's what I just said," she replied, holding her arm out for Dez to take. She wasn't in the mood for any surprises - at least if a vampire tried to snatch him now, they'd really have to go through her.
It was kind of funny - despite the fact that they were obviously not twins, Lance and Laura operated on a system that could have been described that way. They were polar opposites most of the time, but at the moment, they were synced up in such a way that it could have been laughable to Dez had it not been at his expense.
Desiré didn't really know what it was about Lance that had suddenly become different, but his head shot up when the guy said he was going to check around, and he watched him for a moment, trying to figure it out. It was different, there was no denying, but he didn't understand it, and it really wasn't helping his heart rate or his general demeanor, so Laura distracting him and putting her hand on his shoulder was actually a good thing. It meant that he zeroed in on her, and nodded, taking a few deep breaths and trying to pull himself back into his normal level of calm. It sucked, because he was usually so relaxed, but not about the accident. That wasn't cool, at all.
His pulse spiked again when she said she believed him, and his eyes flicked up to her again, this time not sure what to do about it. It wasn't like he didn't trust her all of a sudden because of it, but it was just....he'd just blamed his panic attack on a vampire, which sounded ridiculous even to him, and she believed him? How could she manage that? He stared up at her for a second when she stood and offered him her hand, telling him they'd go back to the apartment she and Lance shared, and he accepted her hand, but it still made no sense. She was talking about getting him safely out of there, and filling him in, but he'd mentioned vampires.
Oh, god, she wasn't some closet goth freak, was she? If so, he was going to be up shit's creek if she somehow found out about him. He hadn't thought of that as being an issue, since who would believe that he was some kind of shapechanger person, but if she believed in vampires....? God, he didn't even know what to do, other than to go along with it. At least he knew her and Lance, and didn't think they were in it to hurt him, or whatever had been going on with that guy.
You know what? Yeah, that wasn't a bad idea. He'd spent time hanging out with them before, and when all this calmed down, it would all be fine. They could be like normal and all laugh about the idea of vampires, even though Lance and Laura reacting like some kind of battle-ready machine together at the idea that there was someone dangerous in the area was a little...odd. Okay, a lot odd. Clearing this all up was going to be for the best, seriously.
"Alright, this makes no sense, but back to your apartment. I can handle that. I...lost my car, anyway," he said, adding the last as he took her offered arm and a moment to look around. The idea that he'd imagined that man was getting less likely, since he definitely wouldn't have ended up here if he hadn't been trying to stay near people. He'd have gone to his car, which was parked in the school lot, so technically, he'd lost himself instead of the car, hadn't he? Wow, this was brilliant.