Baz's head snapped up, nearly hitting his head on the wall. He blinked a few times to adjust his eyes to the darkness. He was in his study. Apparently he had fallen asleep at his desk... Again. He was sweating, but not from heat. He had had that awful nightmare again. He had been having the same one since he was small. He was swimming in a pond, barely skimming the surface. A piece of seaweed would hit his leg and he would jump, plunging into the water a bit deeper. Another piece would wrap his leg, soon followed by another and another, each dragging him under. When he would break the surface again, the world was ablaze. Everyone he loved stood around him, being burned slowly. His mother, his sister, and Simon were all being burned to death and he would look down and see the fire pouring from his hands. He would be plunged under water again and wake with a start, every time. Shaking, Baz stood and awkwardly shuffled down the hall to his and Simon's bedroom, wanting nothing more than to collapse into bed and sleep for a few more hours, but his stomach growled.
Sighing, Baz changed his course and walked instead to the back door. He put on his coat, sliding outside and closing the door behind him. His breath plumed white in front of him. One thing about this poison that was technically bringing him back to life was that, of course, his body temperature was rising. He wasn't used to being this hot. Literally. He walked through the thick snow, trying to shake snowflakes out of his black hair. Up ahead he saw one of his traps had been triggered. He wandered to it and carefully unwrapped the hare. It barely flinched at his touch. He held it close, trying to get its blood flowing faster. Finally it twitched and kicked a leg. Baz withdrew a black case out of his coat and pulled out a needle filled with a clear liquid. He pricked it into the rabbit's fur making it wriggle a bit. And he waited. For about five minutes he waited for the drugs to completely numb the rabbit. Finally it stopped moving, its heart barely beating, and he completely drained the creature, trying to force himself to be cold and brooding as he had before. It didn't work. He finished and placed the carcass in the snow, turning away. He had the strangest feeling that he was being watched. Which he was. He walked farther along the moonlit path, listening carefully to his footfalls. When he stopped suddenly, he smiled. An out of place step. He coughed and kept walking until he reached a cliff. He stood a few yards away from the edge and tensed. Quick steps, panting, the crunch of snow. Just as the person reached him, Baz reached back and grabbed their arm, swinging them over himself. He kneeled on their chest, holding their hands above their head with one hand. Baz looked down, surprised to see a young man, no older than himself. He had been clutching a small knife, which had fallen about a foot away.
"Now who the hell are you?" Asked Baz in a strangely calm voice. The boy shook violently, scared out of his mind. Baz rolled his eyes, trying not to get frustrated. "Okay, come on. I at least need a name" he said flatly. The boy, in response, clenched his jaw, making it obvious that he wasn't going to speak. Baz, sighing, pulled out a piece of rope he had brought for his trap and quickly tied the boy's hands together. Baz stood and picked up the knife, preparing to hurl it off the cliff. He stopped suddenly when he saw an engraving on the blade. Curious, he carefully tucked it away into his pocket.
"Alright, up we go" he said, tugging the boy up and towards the house.
Baz banged open the door, yelling for Simon. He came running out of the bedroom a moment later, eyes blurry and hair messy.
"What!? What!? What's wr- wait, who is this?" He stuttered, gesturing at the tied up boy. "Baz, it's three o clock, why do you have a hostage?" He asked, looking suspiciously at Baz, who put on a mock hurt face.
"Wow, you instantly assume that I'm in the wrong? For your information, he came at me with a knife. Go put on a shirt and follow me" he said, pulling the boy down a staircase and into a basement. Bending the boy's arms awkwardly, he was able to sit him in a chair, keeping his hands tied. Simon came bounding down the stairs, still looking confused but more awake now.
"Okay, simple questions. Who do you work for?" Asked Baz, clearly annoyed. The boy watched him blankly. He choked back a growl, which quickly turned to a cough.
"Baz?" Said Simon, watching him with concern. Baz waved him off, stumbling out of the room. A few seconds later they heard a sink turn on upstairs. Simon, with clenched fists, turned on the boy and grabbed him by his shoulders.
"You see that?" He growled, pointing at the floor where Baz had been. A few splatters of blood were now shining on the concrete. The boy gulped and nodded. "Up there is the man I love most in the world, and he is dying. And I need to stop whoever is doing the killing. So you had better fess up the answer before I beat it out of you"
The boy's eyes were wide and scared, but he slowly shook his head. Face reddening, Simon prepared to hit him. He shook his head more vigorously. He opened his mouth wide and Simon gasped, taking a step back. The boy did't have a tongue.
"Okay then" said Simon after a moment. "Yes and no questions, then"
Baz leaned up, swishing water in his mouth. When he spit it out, it was a deep red. His head was pounding and his stomach ached. He stood shakily and made his way to the stairs, attempting to walk down. He stopped a few steps down and sat, breathing deeply, face contorted with pain. He felt as though he had been punched in the jaw. With an iron. He raised a hand to his mouth and quickly pulled it back. In a panic, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He quickly turned to the camera and switched it to face himself. He slowly pulled back his lips to reveal... Nothing. His fangs were gone
