Trinity Blood

Heir to the Throne of Roses

Ch.13 Focus

The door opened in the same run down hotel. Ion entered cautiously, searching for his comrade. Finding the bed, the most obviouse spot empty, padded on his tip toes into the small room. He wasn't beneath te bed or in the single faded armchair, or at the wndow, though he could smell his scent near. A narrow door leading to what he guessed was the suite's bathroom radiated the strongest scent.

Turning the knob he peeked through the opening. 'There you are' He saw his silver head draped over the edge of the tub, but on following it to the rest of him was shocked.
'Damnit, naked? What is with this man?'
His mouth twisted in discomfort, he avoided looking at the sleeping man as he shook his shoulder harshly. Annoyed in his sleep, his placid face frowned and he twisted his arms out of his hands.
"Abel," he tried in his boyish voice. When he didnt respond, he yelled loud enough for the neigboring floors to hear, "Abel!" 'Idiot, what does it take to wake him up?'

Abel's body awoke with a jolt, making a loud tumbling noise. The people in the room below knocked on their ceiling. Ion could hear their muffled complaints. 'Its evening and this oaf is just stretching' he thought angrily, 'And at a time like this'

Rubbing the sleep from his face, the first thing Abel noticed was that he was exposed, the second being a very irked Ion flicking his eyes around everywhere in the tight bathroom except for his general air space. Shuffling to cover himself he stuttered,

"W-what are y-you doing here?"

"What are YOU doing here?" He answered back, still not meeting his eyes. "Sleeping exposed in a bathtub in some suspicious hotel?"

"Its not suspicious, and I was bathing!"

"Really? With air and imaginary soap? You've become messy Abel."

"I'm not lying! There was water here when I fell asleep." he whined, true he was in a compromising position, but where the hell had he popped up from anyway? Who was he to say anything about suspicion, Abel should be the one asking questions. For example who's side was he on, attacking him so fiercely.

"How did you find me?" He asked him. He felt uncomfortable sitting naked like a child in the too-small tub, but he knew it would be worse if he were standing and yelling down at him from his height.

"You speak as if you do not wish to be found by me". the little blonde remarked, sneaking a momentary softened look at his partner.

Abel finally met eyes with him, and past his boying stuborness saw a tinge of sadess.

"You've been here all along?" Ion asked looking at him worriedly. He saw genuine relief in his eyes. "Its good to see you in one peice."

"Can't cause much harm in just one day." He combed his hair out of his face, most of the blood had dissolved but he still felt dirty, both inside and out.

"One day?" Ion cocked an eyebrow, "You've been gone for three days tonight."

Abel blinked several times in astonishment. That's why there was no water. It must've drained slowly through the gaps in the plug in three days time. He couldn't believe he had been sleeping for that long. Just then he realized how hungry he was. He took his hands away from his lap to feel his skin, it felt clammy. It must've taken at least a day for the water to drain, then two to sleep there drying like a towel.

Ion cleared his throat and looked off into the tiny space in the bathroom. Unless he had a keen intrest in tasteless wallpaper, this was as much as he was going to share with Abel as long as he remained exposed.

"Oh! Forgive me Ion, could you please hand me something from the room? I didn't bring anything in here with me." He asked apologetically, covering himself again.

"You didn't bring anything period. Here." Ion tossed in a bloodied pair of cream colored pants.
Abel felt his chest ache at the tsight of it. No matter how long he slept he couldn't escape his current situation. He found himself wanting to fall back asleep the pants off of the side o the bathtub he asked weakly, "is Esther alright?" This question only grazed what he felt he needed to ask. His real concern was if he had seen any movement from cain, or if he had seen the shape-shifting maid again. He figured his sister would have enough eyes in the city to tell him, he was sure she was watching him now.

"She was in shock for a while then she slept through it. She's perfectly fine physically...," a wad of cloth he recognized as the window curtains landed on his lap ". .. however as far as mentally, she's a nervouse wreck."

Abel's heart fell further. Once again the same burning to disappear came over him. Standing up slowly, he wrapped and knotted the curtain around his waist. Despite its length it still didn't reach the floor.

"My everything is sore" he complained.

"I'm not surprised, you've slept in a soup bowl for three days." Ion said humorously, "not exactly your brightest moment." he chuckled darkly. The preist was so ridiculous at times it lightedned the heavyness of their constant troubles. He saw Abel's smile fall and approached him.

"What happened to you back there, when we were attacked?" Abel asked him in a low voice.

"I can't remember. I was held in the palace's hospital wing until this afternoon. But I kept contact with her majesty your sister through page. I was poisoned heavily, that is all we know. Although the source was identified as a cocktail of flowers found in the empire. The maid's true name we could not find." Ion sighed sadly, "I apologize. I was not myself." His eyes fell closed, thinking of the only part of that night he could remember, he felt ashamed to have fallen into her trap."

"Does Seth know where he is?" Abel looked at him intensely, "Is he close to the palace?"

"From what little we were able to cover, with me being critically intoxicated, no. Not near the palace anyway."

Abel felt the tension in his chest relax a degree or two. He was releived, but he knew he could not be in the palace to protect Esther. Her gaurds, and Mary now knew someone was after esther, and thought that Abel was a murderer. He imagined that even stepping on the path to the gate would prove impossible to him. Ion of course, was a different story.

"And what do they think of you?" he asked, stepping out of the bathroom and beggining to rummage around for something closer to clothes.

"I was found injured by you, so they immediately thought I cut off from you, and I didn't argue. We needed some kind of way into the palace, and I think Mary approves of me to some degree." Ion's cheeks grew slightly pink. Abel pretended not to notice. The closest thing he found in the room was a yellowed bath robe.

'This is insane, I don't have time for this I need to focus' he dropped the robe on the floor and automatically went for his suitcase. Then, mentally slapping himself, remembered he had run here with no luggage, not even his wallet or glasses.

"Do you know what they did with my luggage?" he looked over his shoulder at the boy tapping his foot near the window. He saw him snap out of a deep blush.

"They gathered everything you touched and have it off limits in the closet of the room you occupied. The whole area is being inspected."

"Damn." he swore. "Do you know where Seth is now?"

Ion blinked several times and looked off into space.

"Her bakery most likely."

"Get her here, and tell her to bring me something to wear."

Ion started for the door, but his shoulder was caught by Abel as he sped past him.

"Actually, broaden it to something that fits, and remind her that my goal is not to stand out. Knowing her I would be in the same outfit as you."

Ion smirked at him but didn't know whether to be insulted or not about his royal clothes.

"I'll do my best to remember that." he said sarcastically and left using haste.