Disclaimer: not mine
Chapter 2
Gladio returned home when Prompto and Noctis made him. They'd remained out all night looking for any sign of Ignis. Prompto had tried tracking his phone but whoever had taken him had been smart enough to disable it. They had nothing to go on, no clues, nothing. There had been no incidents of drugging or kidnapping from the club which suggested either whoever it was, was just beginning and Ignis was their first victim there, or Ignis had been specifically targeted.
He collapsed on the bed they shared, pressing his face to Ignis' pillow, inhaling the lingering scent there. He couldn't imagine his life without Iggy in it. They had to find him and the sooner the better. Insomnia was massive though and while Noctis was going to approach his Dad about searching, even once the police got involved plus whoever Regis could muster…there were still a lot of places to hide a captive.
His mind kept going back to the idea that Ignis had been targeted…but why? Ignis had been right, no one had any interest in him anymore, not since his Uncle's disgrace. Unless someone involved back then had waited years to enact their vengeance and had targeted Ignis as the last of House Scientia? It was more likely than someone targeting Noct for being the last of the line of ancient kings but still rather unlikely. So…what if Ignis wasn't the true target? What…what if he had been taken because of Gladio himself? As much as he hated it, that was more likely.
He'd never told them although he knew Ignis suspected due to various items around the apartment. He could see someone coming after him for revenge. He'd been eleven when his Dad retired but he'd been dragged along with him to 'work', Iris had been kept safe because she'd been a toddler and their Mum had still been alive back then. Dad had retired after she died because someone had to raise Iris. If it was for revenge then there was no way to know who…or what had taken Iggy. It also meant that Noct and Prom were possibly in danger as well, especially if they helped look for Ignis.
They were likely fast asleep already; he'd call them later and warn them.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"Prom?" Noctis mumbled, struggling to wake up as his best friend hovered in the doorway of the connecting bathroom.
"I…I'm scared."
The whisper helped wake him up and Noctis sat up, pulling back the covers in offering. Prompto hesitated but then climbed into the bed and Noctis wrapped himself around him, feeling Prompto tremble. "We'll find him," he whispered, not really sure which one of them he was trying to reassure.
"Why would someone take him?"
"I don't know," he admitted, pressing a soft kiss to the back of Prompto's neck. His Dad knew what had happened, he wouldn't say anything about them sharing the bed so long as they remained clothed. Prompto had always been prone to nightmares so it wasn't like it was the first time.
If Insomnia was still a monarchy then taking Iggy would make more sense since if Noctis was a Prince then Ignis would likely be one of his…what was the term…Retainers! That would have made him a target. But the nephew of a disgraced politician? The Power of Kings was long gone, but Noctis had a very limited kind of magic, it showed up in the family occasionally still. His instincts and intuition were guided by that magic and everything in him said that Ignis had been targeted and that whatever was going on was not over, he was only the first victim. That had him tightening his hold on Prompto. Who would be next? He could fight, his Dad had ensured that, but Ignis had been drugged first and fighting when drugged was very hard.
"Sleep Prom, I'll protect you," he murmured, unable to do anything else.
If they were going to hunt for whoever had taken Ignis then they needed their sleep. Even with the security forces his Dad could call on there was a lot of ground to cover. Tomorrow night they could inform the police and get them doing something as well but that could be too late.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Regis collapsed into his chair, rubbing his leg absently. He was worried, he had known Ignis since he was a child, he was not one to vanish. The fact he had left with an unknown woman and had appeared under the influence of something was very concerning as well. He had contacted Clarus over it, worried something from his hunting days had come back to haunt the children but he was certain that nothing could.
When the monarchy had been dissolved, the Amicitia had lost their position as Shields to the Kings and Queens of Lucis. Many had fallen into hunting as Clarus had in his early twenties and only Lillian's death had brought him back to Insomnia. Regis was glad that Gladio did not seem to be following in his Father's footsteps…except if Ignis had been taken…he may just do so to get revenge should anything happen to his lover.
Regis glanced at the picture of Aulea, the only one he had of her with Noctis, the newborn held close to her chest. She had never recovered from Noctis' birth and he knew it was his fault, the curse of his family. What magic remained in their line was stronger in Noctis than it had been since they lost the Astrals favour and her body had been unable to take the strain, had been weakened too greatly to recuperate after his premature birth. He had nearly lost them both, but his son had pulled through.
He looked up as the door opened and Cor walked in, shaking his head before Regis could speak.
"Nothing," Cor took his usual seat. "The boys plan to look again tonight?"
Regis nodded. "They won't abandon Ignis." Despite that he wanted them both home and safe.
"We either search or keep them safe, we don't have the numbers to do both," Cor warned seriously.
Regis nodded; he knew which Cor would prefer. Cor had been his friend for decades, had known Noctis his whole life, had brought Prompto safely to the city as a toddler. He had trained both boys once Prompto had come into Noctis' life. "Search, we need to know if this is an attack on the old families or just a crime of opportunity."
He would have to trust the boys training to keep them safe. If only he had brought Ignis in as a child, had him trained as well…when they got him back he would have Cor work with him.
,,,,,,,,,
She leant on one elbow, watching as Ignis began to stir with the setting sun. she reached out and ran her fingers through his hair and watched as his eyelids fluttered.
Slowly, green eyes opened and focused on her. A momentary look of confusion melted away into shy adoration. "Sire," he whispered, and she smiled.
"Good evening Childe," she moved her hand to stroke his cheek and he pressed into her touch eagerly. She picked up a glass from beside the bed and pressed it to his lips. "Drink," she urged, and his lips parted obediently, drinking the precious crimson liquid within. Best to get him hooked on human blood immediately.
She then gave him a plate of sandwiches to eat, seeing the 'baby fangs' when he opened his mouth. The full ones would only appear once he was fully a vampire since they wouldn't be needed until then. It was expected that using this method, the Sire would supple the necessary blood and that the changing Childe would not need fangs to hunt until fully transitioned. Until then, he'd still need to eat, and his body would continue to function mostly like a human, although his body temperature had already begun to drop, and he looked paler than he had before.
She retrieved his prepared clothes and had him dress before very carefully touching his mind, she would send him out to find one of the others, boys that night rather than wait. Better to do so before he was officially listed as missing when more people would be searching or at least aware they should call the authorities if he was seen. And the more he could pass as still fully human the better.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Noctis sighed in defeat as he left the club, pulling his jacker tighter around himself as a chill wind hit him. This wasn't their normal kind of place, deeper in the city, but if someone or an organisation was targeting people then it was the kind of place they could have started in.
They'd split up to cover more ground but now…he glanced around, eyes hidden under his hair, but he couldn't see anyone tracking him, didn't mean they weren't though. His hand slipped to where his phone and knife were stored, hesitating.
A noise nearby had him pulling both, hitting speed dial for Gladio to be safe, as he crept towards the alley. He froze in shock as he saw the figure sprawled on the ground, clothing ripped and stained. "Specs?" he whispered, it had to be a trap…unless he'd escaped? Or had he been dumped here to die? "Ignis, can you hear me?" he called out, wary to enter the alley.
To his relief, Ignis moved slightly, stirring, glassy eyes opening to look his way but not focusing. "N…oc…" he slurred, fingers twitching as if trying to reach for him.
Noctis lifted his phone. "Gladio, I found Ignis in an alley off club Ifrit. He's hurt, come quick." He hung up and put the phone away, keeping his blade in hand to be safe, before heading into the alley, dropping to one knee beside his friend. He reached out, finding his skin a little cool as he felt for his pulse, it was slower than normal which was concerning. His eyes were still unfocused, but he was tracking Noctis' movements at least. "Hey," he whispered, gently touching his cheek. "Can you understand me?" he asked in concern, he needed to get him out of the alley and into somewhere more populated but Ignis was taller and heavier than him, he couldn't carry him without Ignis giving him help.
A trembling arm lifted and Noctis gripped his hand, squeezing gently. "Noct…he...lp."
"Come on, we need to move, I need you to help me," Noctis put Ignis' arm over his shoulders and reached down to wrap his arm around Ignis' waist, wincing when he moaned in pain. "Sorry," he whispered, hating to cause him pain but they had to move. "Try to stand, please Iggy, I can't lift you," he urged.
Stupid back injury limited him too much at times, like right then. Prompto was the only one of the group to have seen the scars he'd been left with from the attack and surgeries, a permanent reminder of the last insurgence by a group of dark Fey when he'd been barely eight years old. It had just been bad luck that he'd been attacked, he hadn't been targeted. His Dad had burnt out what little magic he had to keep him alive until they reached a hospital.
It was the one time he had been within the Citadel his family had once called home, all those who had been attacked and survived had stayed there while convalescing. It had all been for publicity for the government, to show they were taking culpability for the breach in the city defences and ensuring those injured had the best care. Despite that, only three of them had recovered, the rest had died.
His wounds had healed but they had left a permanent mark on him. His left leg was weak and extreme temperatures left him wracked with pain. He could run but his gait was odd and if he ran for too long then it left him in agony, the same with sitting for too long.
And at the moment it was definitely a problem as he struggled to get Ignis to his feet. He got him upright somehow but then Ignis slumped against him and Noctis staggered back into the wall. "Easy," he gasped, back screaming in pain.
Ignis stared at him, eyes clear and focused, and then he pressed closer, shocking Noctis by kissing him. The arm around Ignis' waist moved to push at his chest but suddenly Ignis was strong and Noctis couldn't move him. He struggled against Ignis even as Ignis deepened the kiss, a strange flavour coming with his tongue. What was he doing? Iggy was with…Noctis moaned, hand clutching at Ignis' shirt as he relaxed against the alley wall.
This…this was wrong, they had to move, but his body wouldn't listen to him as he slumped against the wall, letting Ignis kiss him, cool hands slipping under his shirt, caressing his skin. He shivered, whimpering into the kiss, that taste… No! He tried to struggle but his body had other ideas, weakly trying to get closer to Ignis.
He heard a female chuckle and then a cold hand caressed his cheek. "You're a strong one to be fighting, then again dear Ignis' blood is not as powerful as a full vampire's yet."
Her words took time to sink passed the fog in his mind, the jolt of terror giving him the strength to pull his mouth from Ignis', panting heavily, struggling to focus. There was a woman… a vampire? Light blond hair, deathly pale skin, white clothing…she weas beautiful but Noctis struggled to fight, to get away, he'd survived the Fey and he would not let some vampire drain him.
Iggy…he looked to his friend, seeing tiny fangs in his mouth. "Nnooo," he moaned in denial and he heard her laugh.
"Hush Childe," she caressed his cheek and then leant in and he tried to get away but Ignis' grip was like steel, pinning him to the wall and then she was kissing him, and he finally recognised the taste…blood.
Vampire blood was….he moaned, thoughts scattering.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
She laughed as she saw blue eyes become glazed, pale skin flushing, even as he whimpered and moaned, seeking more contact with their bodies. She inhaled his scent and then smirked, that explained that. He had really survived an attack and it had strengthened the wisps of magic he held already as a descendant of the old Kings. That had been given him the mental strength to try to resist but thanks to the dose of her own blood that resistance was now gone.
"Come Childe, let us take your new brother home," she told Ignis who nodded.
"Yes Sire."
The three of them vanished from the alley only a minute before Gladio and Prompto arrived.
,,,,,,,,,,,
"Noct?" Gladio called, eyes sweeping the alley, as Prompto watched his back, studying the street. There was no sign of Noctis or Ignis anywhere.
"Gladio?" Prompto asked fearfully and then Gladio knelt, lifting up a shattered phone. "That's Noct's," Prom whispered. "Gladio what's going on?"
"We're being targeted," was all he could tell him, seeing blue eyes go wide in fear. He reached out and pulled the smaller male into his side protectively. Someone had used Iggy as bait for Noctis and now they had both of them.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"Strip him Childe," Sire commanded once back where he had woken.
"Yes Sire," he began work immediately to get his new brother out of the clothing even as his brother tried to touch him. There was something…familiar…of course, they were brothers now, they belonged to Sire. Finally the pale body was bare, and he studied it, smaller than he was, paler, but very attractive.
Sire returned to the bed and lay with his brother as Ignis watched. His brother enjoyed her touch as much as he did. She drew Ignis closer, to kneel behind her, allowing him to caress her body even as she straddled his new brother. He nuzzled at her throat, pressing soft kisses to the skin, hands moving over her body even as his brother gasped and moaned, writhing weakly as she moved.
He watched in awe as she leant over his brother, sinking sharp fangs into his throat even as he cried out. As she drank his body slowly went still, limp, eyes barely open. He moved back obediently to lay beside them as Sire lifted the limp body into her arms, holding her bloody wrist to his lips. Ignis could smell the wonderful scent coming from the liquid, licking his lips but he remained where he was. He was happy when his brother began to drink eagerly until she removed her now healed wrist.
"Sleep Childe," she murmured, settling his brother on the bed, stroking his hair until he fell asleep. She then looked at Ignis and held her hand out to him and he went to eagerly.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Regis held Prompto as the blond shook and cried silently, rocking him gently even as Regis himself fought back his rage. Someone had dared to take his son! He would not allow Prompto to search, he was too emotionally compromised and would be easy prey, especially if Noctis was used as bait like Ignis had been. He knew Noctis would never forgive himself if he was used against his best friend, the one he would marry if he was free to choose.
He swore, when they got his son back, he would find a way around the contract. He would do whatever he had to in order to let Noctis be free to choose his own life.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
She watched as Ignis yawned, curling around his new brother to sleep as the sun rose. She pressed a hand to her stomach, wondering if there was a chance that these encounters would bring about children. Born vampires could have children, turned ones could not. While incredibly rare, it was possible for a human and vampire to produce children. The odds were vastly against it since born vampires had never been human.
They may look rather human but genetically they were somewhat different. They did not procreate the same way; in a way they were closer to birds as they reproduced via eggs. Their bodies were not warm enough to carry a child the way humans did, but eggs could be incubated outside of the body. They had a far lower birth rate than humans because of this and also due to their incredibly long lifespans.
It was why Besithia was seen as such a genius. Somehow, in the genetic manipulation that created MT's, he had given them the ability to produce the eggs, no matter the outward appearance of gender. It had given their population a boost since production had begun. They could only produce one, rarely two, at a time due to their more human based biology being unable to support the needs of producing more at one time but the eggs they did produce were almost guaranteed to produce live young.
By taking Noctis as her Mate, she was ending all possibility of continuing her bloodline without purchasing one of the units. Unless of course she was going to beat the odds and have a human/vampire hybrid, fathered by one of the four boys she was claiming.
The two slept deeply, Noctis due to his first ingestion of her blood and Ignis due to the rising sun. it would take years, perhaps decades, before they could fight the need to sleep when the sun was up. She wasn't affected at all and could sleep when she wished. For the moment they looked like sleeping humans, soon enough they would look more like corpses when asleep.
Plans to grab the blond boy would be more difficult since if Gladio had any sense he would be ensuring the boy remained with him or at home. Hopefully, the boy would remain in the Lucis Caelum home where she could snatch him easily enough. That would wait until after Ignis had been given the second bite and blood transfusion. The coming night would be for helping Noctis through his first feeding and accepting he was to be her Mate.
Ignis' mind had collapsed under her power as was normal, leaving him utterly obedient and seemingly without memory. With time he would adjust and while being her Childe would ensure his loyalty for as long as he existed, he should regain his memory and old personality gradually over time. How long it took would depend on how strong his mind was.
She had the feeling Noctis would the first to recover due to the way he had resisted, he was mentally strong if not physically, not yet anyway. Either way, they would be Mated before it happened, ensuring he would be loyal to her. She knew he loved the blond and the boy was pretty, she could share so long as the boy knew his place. Seeing him with Ignis showed a pretty pair but he would look even prettier next to the other blond boy. That however was at least three nights away, in two nights it would be the time for Ignis' second draining and feeding but once he was awake the night after she would likely have the time to go after the blond. It was good to stagger their transformations so that those further along could help with their new brothers like Ignis was helping with Noctis.
She liked the house she had taken over, but she couldn't wait to take them all home to Tenebrae, to show them true wonder and beauty rather than the harsh lights and stench of the city. For now, she had to tolerate it and they would too as their senses increased because it wouldn't be safe to travel with them for a few months at least. What were a few months compared to the years of waiting she had already endured?
TBC…
