''So you'll come.''
The vampire smiled at her friend across the table.
Rowan scowled at her, but the look lacked venom. A common occurrence, as he could never really bring himself to be angry with her.
''Gotta say-'' he swiped a hand across his mouth, wiping away powdered sugar with a casual disregard for manners. ''I'm rethinking that.''
The two of them sat in the crowded Cafe Du Monde, surrounded by tiny tables, the sounds of the French Quarter streets all around them. The light was dim, the sky smothered by gray clouds, a telltale pattering of rain occasionally coming in brief drifts.
Both of the friends were streaked with mud, mostly from foot to knee. They'd just completed a hunting trip, and had gotten a large haul of cash off the kills they'd turned in to a local butcher. Having stored Java's rifle and Rowan's traps in the locked trunk of his car, they'd just finished the tradition of ending such a successful endeavor with beignets.
Courtesy of the hunting, Java had briefly forgone her flowing orange and yellow tops and slit skirts with a simpler, more skintight two piece version of black material.
In Rowan's case, his only concession during the hunt had been leaving his collared overshirt in his car. Now he had thrown it back on, open at the front as ever, over the rest of his usual ensemble-cargo shorts and a tank top etched with a rock band design.
Java glanced at the plate. No beignets now. Those things were always gone too soon.
''Reconsidering?'' She splayed her fingers on the table and looked back up, frowning at Rowan. A horn honked nearby, briefly drawing her gaze toward the minor altercation of a car and a mule drawn tourist wagon on the nearby street, the respective driver's raised voices audible even from there. ''Oh, come on, you promised. It can't be that dangerous. That guy we met at the Market went there and took photos.''
Shifting his broad frame in the chair, Rowan snorted and tossed his head in an irate manner, locking his square jaw. A slight breeze moved his shoulder length hair, colored a deep, striking scarlet-Java often teased him with comparisons to Viking berserkers.
Or Gealic, maybe. Not unlikely, given Java's many dialogues with Rowan over time about his bloodline.
''And?'' Rowan grunted back, drumming his fingers once against one of his short legs. He glanced down at his shirt and rubbed a knuckle against it, maybe checking for loose sugar that could have blown onto his clothes.
Finding none, the boy returned his recalcitrant gaze to the tall, willowy vampire. ''Guy could have gotten lucky. That mansion's old as hell, the roof could fall in on us. Or the floor. And there are the rumors that it's haunted-''
Java brightened immediately, excitement humming in her veins. She sat up straighter, smoothing her slit legged skirt with one hand absentmindedly. ''Even better! Who knows what neat, creepy things are up there. I could get banger pictures-''
Rowan threw his hands into the air. ''Are you even listening?'' he grumbled. ''Ghosts are bad news, just about every actual recorded attack involves, y'know, them killing people-''
''And?'' Java shrugged and stood up, craning her neck to peer at the street in hopes of catching a view of Rowan's car through her long mass of black hair. ''Those attacks tend to be pretty spread out, you know. Once every ten to once every twenty…and pretty sure the authorities would know if there was an actual haunting up there.''
Seeing Rowan roll his eyes, Java added hastily, ''Hey, I'm the researcher here, right? I've looked into that place plenty. People just think it's a weird place for some reason, dude. No recorded ghosts.''
With a long, drawn out sigh, Rowan slowly rose from his own chair in a steady manner that reflected his bearlike frame.
''Besides...I know you're curious.'' Java bared her teeth in a daring green. ''Even if you say its a bad idea.''
Rolling his shoulders, Rowan set his mouth in a straight line. Still, a facial muscle twitched, and Java had plenty of experience reading his expressions.
Quite enough to know she had read his mood correctly.
''...I hate that you have a point,'' he grumbled.
Thunder rolled above them. Java shivered, not at the thought of their future exploit, but rather at the idea of flying in the rain.
''Good thing you've got a car, dude. I hate getting drenched…''
/v\\\\
Rowan tried to drown his unease in the pursuit of speed as they took to the streets.
It largely worked, too, the deep sound of Red's engine resounding deep in his chest.
Red being his car-easily his greatest possession, a handsome 1998 LTD Crown Vic, a dark enough red she was almost black, trimmed with silver. Modified many times over by him to drive in nearly any manner he pleased.
And when he got behind her wheel, Rowan had a much easier time letting go of his problems, leaving them in the proverbial dust of Red's tires and giving himself to the thrill of speed.
A mere few minutes after they'd left the cafe, he was roaring down one of the main streets of the city-Audubon Avenue, or maybe Saint Charles.
He had journeyed New Orleans so much that street names meant little to him now when it came to navigating. Rowan had developed a kind of gut instinct for it, partially fed by visual recognition of buildings and landmarks.
The initial part of the ride consisted of passing through a portion of the old French Quarter; a view made up of buildings seemingly plucked from the past streets of Paris, seamlessly sat side by side in rows, with elaborate ironwork rails encircling their balconies. Many of them were strewn with small gardens of wildy growing plants. Below these sat bustling restaurants, sidewalks of people-human to various other races best described as supernatural-all taking their time in the southern heat, the chatter laced with notes of sporadic jazz from street musicians. Occasional runes from everyday spells floated into the air on occasion, glowing in the grayness of the overcast day. Windows joined their light, sometimes in hues of purple and gold.
Scattered everywhere were small epitaphs, from carvings to statues, of dieties-celtic, egyptian, angels, imagery of the animal spirits held dear by native tribes. Quite frequently, depictions of the Hyborean gods.
By and large, Hyborea housed multiple ancient beliefs-being an old city, New Orleans was full of reminders of this.
At first, the ride had passed in silence, prompting Rowan to crank up a Meatloaf album.
While he and Java certainly had different interests, they also shared a great many, taste in music being one of them.
But enjoyment was only half the reason Rowan had cranked it up.
As much as he wished he could deny it, Java was right-he was tempted by the abandoned mansion too. He did want to know why it had sat there for so long, how it managed to emit an aura that drove people away and somehow staved off demolition when nothing of note had ever seemed to happen there. Despite everything, a part of him thrilled at the idea of encountering a ghost, or setting foot in a place that had likely forgotten the presence of the living.
Rowan decided it would ease his rattled nerves to bring the crowbar from his trunk. Ghosts hated iron, after all.
Maybe a little risk wouldn't be too bad for him.
After all, there weren't any local street racing events this month, Rowan's usual fix of excitement.
'Course, for all I know, a ghost might've moved into that house in the last few weeks.
Rowan almost thought the guy who had sold Java that photograph and gotten this insane ball rolling could have been a ghost. The man had come across as eerie to him, wearing a hooded cloak even in the heat of summer. Even weirder, what little Rowan had seen of his face had almost seemed...familiar.
Which made no sense, considering he'd never seen the guy before.
He was just starting to forget about the weirdo in the market when Java broke the comfortable atmosphere with a topic that she'd been pressing very often the last few weeks.
''Any second thoughts about joining me in the talent show?''
And there it was. Rowan groaned and tightened his hands on the wheel, making a sharp turn with practiced ease. He gracefully eased Red into a lower gear and to a lower speed limit, settling into a cruising ride of thirty miles per hour.
Rowan allowed the thrill of that maneuver to die before answering the vampire, not even trying to hide his irritation. ''How many times do I have to say no?''
Undeterred by his flat tone, Java just sighed and raised her arms, locking her hands behind her head. Arching her back, she leaned into a stretch, speaking all the while. ''Bah, I'll get to you eventually, spoilsport.''
''Don't count on it.''
Java rolled her blue eyes and threw her arm over the back of the front seat. ''Come on...'' she drawled, drawing the word out. ''You've got a great singing voice! I've heard you sing.''
Rowan looked away with a rumble of discontent. ''Only when you've snuck up on me.'' he groused. ''You weren't meant to hear anything.''
No one was supposed to hear him, really. And frankly Rowan had trouble believing he actually was a good singer. It was one thing for him to sound decent to his own ears, and well-Java was his friend. Rowan always figured Java was either biased, or just white lying to be nice to him-and he'd never had the courage to discover otherwise by singing before an audience.
Another few minutes passed, the view outside the windows changing from modestly large French Colonial houses to much larger ones, still carrying the same architectural style.
Rowan craned his neck and peered ahead. His grip tightened on the wheel upon sighting a small park on a corner, a herald showing how much closer they had gotten to their destination.
Java sighed and dramatically flipped her hair over her shoulder, saying what he had predicted she would. ''Give it a chance one day? I'd love you as my partner while I play the guitar...'' She clasped her hands and gave Rowan a sorrowful look.
Right. Among having a lot of academic talent, Java had a talent with instruments that Rowan didn't have.
Either luckily or unluckily for him, at that moment, they had reached the street that housed the city's resident, true haunted house.
Squating on its plot of land and giving off the same creeping feeling as a mausoleum, swathed in tangles of unkept trees and plants, the mansion was a dark mass against the gray sky. The structure in its entirety seemed to draw the immediate surroundings under its menacing shadow, in the manner of a brooding sentinel. Rowan swore he could hear the eaves of the house creaking in the slight breeze as he slowly and warily stepped out of Red. He slowly closed the door while staring at the shrouded outline of the place, a confusing mix of excitement and dread stirring in his gut.
It was a feeling beyond just the normal apprehension he felt when the two of them went urban exploring. As crazy as it sounded, Rowan almost felt that something evil was staring back at them.
Java sprung from the passenger side with far more enthusiasm, light on her feet as ever, and beamed at the house as if it were the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen. Rowan restrained a sigh.
''Whelp.'' Java stalked up onto the sidewalk, stepping without hesitation onto the first section of the overgrown path leading to the house. ''Let's get this show on the road!'' The vampire chirped with flourish.
Rowan warily followed her, his throat feeling tight. He locked Red behind him with a heavy dose of reluctance, still with the lingering thought he should stay behind.
The abandoned mansion's yard being as overgrown as it was, Rowan quickly began to feel that he and Java had proceeded into a jungle. Live oak trees, clearly allowed to grow wild, curved all around them, tangling together and reminding Rowan uncomfortably of a cage. The feeling was only magnified by the dense underbrush, flourishing in the undisturbed dampness. Roots had wormed beneath concrete and created a treacherous minefield, one that Rowan's gaze felt permanently drawn to.
In far too short order he was standing on the mansion's rotting porch. It had all the signs of being grand at one time, edges trimmed with corroded iron filigree, the damaged wood a rich brown that likely marked it as having been expensive once.
With the space blank of any deck furniture, the giant empty deck felt almost ghostly. Rowan tensed in response to a creaking noise, the result of a sudden gust of wind ripping at the desiccated remains of the railing.
Her teeth gleaming in a white grin, Java threw him a look brimming with enthusiasm.
''Ready to light this candle?''
''No.''
He'd tried to keep his tone flat, but the mild sliver of apprehension wasn't enough to hide that now that they were here, Rowan felt an odd kind of tug in his chest.
It almost seemed to be drawing him in.
Java tilted her head, maintaining her grin and clearly realizing that his curiosity had grown to the point that he was fully behind her-regardless of how much he grumbled.
The vampire reached out and gingerly pushed at the mansion's double doors, maybe imagining that the damaged doors would disintegrate at the touch. They were already half open; now the doors creaked inward with a small showing of rust. With an eager, inquisitive smirk, the vampire dashed inside.
Rowan resisted a groan. He glanced back down the cracked walkway, debating the merits of leaving Java to explore on her own.
Instead, against his better judgment, he turned and carefully edged through the peeling doors. Despite everything, Rowan didn't want to miss out, drawn by the promise of something potentially interesting…and by the strange feeling that a part of him burned to be here.
Rowan found himself in a broad foyer, not unlike his aunt's home, but with a far higher ceiling and significantly more antiquated in style. The walls bore green paint, thick curtains laced with mildew covering tall windows that blocked out most of the light. The result was a space that was incredibly dim, with corners swamped in deep shadow. Glancing down revealed a floor composed of damp floorboards, spiked with splinters and strewn with scraps of rotted carpet.
He felt like his skin was crawling. Rowan halfheartedly itched at his arm, slowly plodding toward Java, who had sped ahead onto the first steps of a staircase. His doubts stirred again, accompanied by a mild sting of irritation at how at ease his friend seemed.
Java had climbed halfway up the foyer's grand staircase and had extracted her camera; aiming it upward, she was snapping pictures of what seemed to be a crystal chandelier. The fixture seemed to be reflecting what little illumination there was, casting flecks of eerie, ghostly light that did nothing to pierce the overall dimness around them. It almost looked macabre, the chandelier's iron frame seeming to resemble interlocked bones. Rowan could only hope this was a trick of the light.
''Creepy,'' Java hummed, tilting her head as Rowan climbed the staircase. ''Just what I like to find-huh.''
Rowan reached her, pausing upon an uttered exclamation. ''What?'' He inquired, a little snappishly.
Java didn't seem to notice, perhaps on account of irritation being a common state of being for him. Instead she titled the camera, seeming mildy puzzled.
''The screen's a little frazzled. Either this thing's getting old, or maybe I got it wet...''
Rowan bit at his lip, leaning next to her and peering at the screen. Much to his chagrin, the screen indeed was laced with interlaced static.
''Maybe it's some kind of interference,'' he bluntly posited.
''Like what?'' Java shook her head. ''This thing doesn't have any kind of internet connection.''
The mansion creaked around them, causing Rowan's shoulders to stiffen in unease. He was starting to feel ready to fight or to run; most likely the first option, given it was closer to his nature. The dimness almost seemed to ripple, Rowan whipping around at the implied movement, feeling ridiculous for being so afraid of this place when he'd seen no hint of anything alive in here so far.
Nothing. Rowan grit his teeth.
''What about arcane interference?'' he abruptly suggested.
Java had already started to move on, deciding the static did not hinder her ability to take pictures. She turned around, casting her friend a puzzled look from the top of the steps.
Rowan hadn't moved, his brown eyes narrowed in a look that almost seemed like a dare to prove him wrong.
Hardly willing to give up on exploring such an interesting place when she'd seen nothing to warrant that, and devoted to the flame of curiosity, Java responded promptly. ''We'd be able to sense magic strong enough to do that. You especially, you're better at it than me.''
She tossed her black mane. ''I can't feel anything,'' she quipped, ''Can you?''
Rowan stared a moment longer, then sighed. He began to follow her up the steps, still plainly worried but dropping some of his tension.
''No,'' he grudgingly admitted. ''Not really, there's just kinda this weird gut feeling...''
''Then let's go,'' Java drew the last word out, whirling and closing the distance to the top of the stairs with a few bounds of her long legs.
Really, she felt Rowan had to learn to worry less. The vampire could feel her heart racing a little faster in anticipation as she landed lightly on the landing-balanced on her toes like the gymnast she was. Looking ahead, the vampire beheld a long hallway lined with stained oak doors. Silver mounts for gas lamps, dark and unlit, tarnished by time, occupied the spaces between them.
With her eyes, Java had no need for the lamps to work, the dimness having little effect on her sight. As for the areas of deeper darkness, dusk vampires did not have echolocation for nothing.
She bounced on her heels as Rowan heavily stepped up beside her; his progress having been slower, courtesy of his shorter legs and heavier frame. His expression was still a dour glower, a reaction Java considered wholly unnecessary in the face of exploring such a potentially fascinating place.
Especially as this mansion was in much better shape than Java could have possibly hoped for.
Besides, Rowan always seemed to find his inner explorer eventually.
Rolling her eyes at her compatriot's caution, Java pointed to the first door on the right. ''Now, what could lie behind door number one?'' She said in a tone akin to a jeopardy host, spreading her arms wide with flair.
Rowan grunted. ''I bet an empty room. You really think rich guys would leave their stuff in a place they've abandoned?''
''Still on your spoilsport streak, are we?'' Java quipped, approaching the door and reaching for the handle with her slender fingers. ''Maybe they forgot something interesting-I'm already loving what I've seen of their décor.''
''I'd almost forgotten year-round Halloween is to your tastes,'' Rowan's tone was dry, Java shooting him a bemused look.
''You say that like it's a bad thing.'' The vampire gripped the tarnished knob and twisted it. Meeting brief resistance, she applied some force. The door swung open with a trickle of falling dust and Java slunk through, her gaze eagerly raking the interior of the room.
It was dark as the hallway, walls lined with what looked to be covered furniture, draped in white sheets.
But given what sat in the middle of the room, Java was hardly disappointed. An excited gasp escaped her lips.
''Beautiful,'' she breathed, then jumped as the door was forcefully opened, slamming against the wall. She spun to look at Rowan, who looked as though he had anticipated something leaping out at him.
''What was that for, dude?''
''What?'' Rowan shrugged stiffly. ''I was just trying to flush any possible threa-what the hell is that thing?''
Java furrowed her brows at Rowan's disgusted tone, having quite a different opinion on the taxidermied beast in the middle of the shadowed room. ''I'm not exactly sure...but it's so cool.''
The vampire stepped closer to the gangly creature, frozen in time in macabre glory.
The thing was long, remarkably bony, reminiscent of some hairless underground animal. The head was smooth, bullet-shaped, and eyeless. Long jaws had been propped open; jaws that lacked lips, showing off glinting, razored teeth. It had been frozen in a standing position on two bowed legs, long arms lifted. Claws, glinting almost metallically in the limited light, tipped grasping fingers. The dried hide that covered the entirety of the thing strongly resembled cracked leather, riddled with patches of thin hair.
''What do you think it is?'' Java voiced the question absentmindedly, wanting to touch it, yet afraid of causing her find to crumble to dust.
This was the kind of discovery that set Java's heart pounding with want. Hardly an unfamiliar feeling, though what she had discovered in the past paled in comparison to this. This creature was clearly a rare sight, so different from anything she had ever seen, beautiful in a grotesque way.
If only it wasn't larger than the doorway. There had never been a bigger shame.
Having eyes only for the strange beast, Java heard rather than saw Rowan's unease through the tone of his deep voice.
''Pretty sure you'd just make fun of me for saying what I think.''
This pulled Java's attention partially away from her find, and she pivoted on her heel to give Rowan a quizzical look. He had walked a few steps in, fixing an intense stare on the taxidermied creature.
''Why's that?'' The vampire frowned.
''It looks like a demon to me,'' Rowan said gruffly.
Java blinked a few times. Then an unbidden laugh escaped her, spurred by her friend's absurd notion.
''Demons disintegrate when they're killed. They don't leave enough behind to do anything like this,'' Java responded.
Rowan scowled thunderously, his glare fixing anew on the beast. Eerie green light from the hallway had managed to cast his eyes into deep shadow. ''I know it sounds crazy...but there's no animal like this that I know of. And I know animals.''
He pointed a short, thick finger at the creature's sides. ''It kinda looks like there's traces of Belmut Marks on that thing's flanks. All demons have those.''
Java took another look, trying to see what Rowan was on about despite her doubts.
Indeed, there seemed to be the faintest shimmer of green lines on the hide of her discovery. Still, Java would hardly call that solid proof; logically speaking, it was impossible to taxidermy a demon like this. The countless encounters with demons over the course of history made that more than apperrent.
''That could easily be a trick of the light,'' she raised her camera and snapped a picture with a shrug. ''It's probably a mutant animal of some kind. Which of course means it's a grand discovery for us, and you get to be part of it, dude!''
''Lucky me,'' Rowan's tone indicated anything but as Java gave the rest of the room a cursory glance. Seeing nothing of interest she brushed past him, back into the hallway.
Rowan stood there for a moment longer, staring. The air in this place had already seemed unusually cold, but now it seemed to have plummeted to downright frigid.
His friend was right that by all accounts, preserving a demon like this was impossible. Slain demons left behind nothing but trophies, typically bones, claws, and other small bits.
Still, Rowan had a strong feeling he was looking at an actual, frozen demon.
And if that was the case, he didn't even want to imagine what would have the power to do a thing that by all rights should have been impossible. His earlier feeling that this place carried an evil presence was stronger than ever at this point, very much enforced given demons being physical manifestations of it.
Slowly turning his back on the preserved creature, Rowan stepped back out into the hallway. Java had already moved on to another door, though her disappointed expression indicated seeing nothing interesting.
Rowan was about to walk up to her when a kind of electric jolt seemed to run down his spine, and a strange sense of want welled in chest. He turned as if drawn by a magnet, coming face to face with the door opposite the one he had just left.
''Do you feel that?''
Java frowned at him over her shoulder, her brows pinched in confusion. ''Feel what?''
Despite his better judgment, Rowan edged toward the door. ''A...'' he hesitated. ''I'm not sure...''
He trailed off, staring at the door. Seized by a sudden desire to open it, he stepped forward and threw it open.
''Okay.'' Java said slowly, a hint of unease finally making it into her voice. ''What's up with you?''
Rowan muttered something under his breath, now so keyed into his unknown pursuit that he had no idea what he'd said either. The door swung open further as he shoved it, with an ease as if it were new.
A wave of cold air streamed out almost instantly, raising the hair on his arms.
Within the doorway was framed a dilapidated bedroom, a master bed ringed by stained curtains occupying the center of it. A dresser, wooden surface splintered and partially burned, was the only other object in the room.
Rowan took a step inside. The cold got a little more intense, nipping at his lungs.
Java let out a sharp breath from behind him. ''Nothing in here,'' she said hastily, possibly in a bid to draw him away. ''How about we move on-''
She stopped upon realizing that Rowan wasn't listening, starting to feel cold herself upon noting how stiff his shoulders had gone.
The world now seemed muted to Rowan's ears, the room's features blurring around him-with the exception of the bed.
Rowan began to walk toward it, only vaguely aware of his legs moving.
Sitting in a nest of stained, ragged sheets was an orb, a thing of smooth glass the size of a mellet ball. It glowed a bright green-so bright that it caused a faint stir of nausea in Rowan's gut, though not enough to deter him from stepping right up to it...
''Uh...'' Java's hand flitted on the edge of Rowan's vision, waving. ''Dude?''
''I need it.''
Rowan was only vaguely aware that he had spoken at all.
In an instant, Rowan suddenly felt incomplete, taken by a feeling that in some way this glass orb would make him complete.
''Need it?'' Java's tone was the epitome of confusion. ''What in the world are you-''
Still stuck in his strange haze, Rowan hovered his hands over the glass ball. Just as the vampire was finishing her sentence, his fingers closed the distance and met the cool surface.
The result was a brief, vibrant light; a strobing swath of eye-melting green. Rowan gasped and bent over, his hands fully closing instinctively around the glass orb, fear and a strange euphoria clashing inside him...
As dumb as it might have sounded, Rowan almost felt something was reaching back into his soul.
Filling a space he hadn't even been aware existed.
Then it was over, as soon as it had begun-and Rowan blinked awake to a stinging pain in his palms.
He cursed vehemently, taking an uneven step backward and staring down at his hands. They'd suffered a variety of cuts-Rowan thought he saw a few shards of glittering glass embedded in his skin.
The glass wasn't the weirdest thing to him, though. The cuts almost seemed to be shining with a kind of afterglow, alternating between violet and sickly green. It only lasted for a second, and Rowan blinked several times, torn on whether or not he had imagined it.
A small noise drew his attention toward Java. The vampire had a hand over her mouth, blue eyes wide and stricken, darting from him to the ground. Following her gaze, Rowan beheld a spray of shattered glass at his feet.
''Uh-''
''You shattered it.'' Java sounded strained, mirroring her expression. ''I think, anyway-when the light happened. I guess the glass...''
''Got stuck in my godsdamned hands?'' Rowan hissed through grit teeth. ''No shit.''
Wincing, Java stowed her camera and shifted guiltily on her feet. ''...I guess we should get out of here.''
Rowan nodded stiffly, turning and beginning to walk away from the bed.
By the time the two had made it to the ancient foyer, Rowan had managed to pick out one or two of the larger pieces out, and was just attempting the smaller ones. Java had pulled ahead, Rowan too distracted by the stinging of the cuts to notice her frequent backward looks.
Not that this meant he couldn't sense the guilt loaded in those glances. He wasn't sure whether to be mad at her or not…though this had been Java's idea to begin with.
So a part of him thought he should be. But at the same time, Rowan couldn't really bring himself to be angry at the vampire.
He never could.
As they crossed the entry hall and finally exited onto the neglected porch and finally the overgrown walkway, Rowan let out a sigh of relief at leaving the center of the ground's oppressive pall behind. It made the long trek through the front lawn wilderness almost bearable.
Red was right where he'd left her, and Rowan paused, a thought occurring to him.
In addition to the camping gear that he kept stored in the trunk, he had a first aid kit. With tweezers...and bandages.
He peered at the cuts, weighing whether or not it was necessary to bother with the emergency room.
Of course there had been the light, too. But the flash didn't seem to have actually done anything to him…so it was probably nothing.
Right?
Rowan only felt faintly dizzy, but he'd readily take the first aid kit over going to the hospital. He made a beeline for the trunk.
''Wait.'' Java whirled to look at him, her eyes wide and panicky. ''What are you doing? We need the E.R-''
"No.'' Rowan snapped. For all Rowan knew he could end up detained overnight for 'observation' or something like that, just about the last thing he wanted. Even being held captive for his own supposed good caused a tight, panicky feeling in his chest. ''We just need my med kit.'' He reached for his pocket, then winced when the movement prompted a sharp jolt of pain in his injured palm.
Java blinked, then looked at the trunk. ''Oh. Okay...''
With a grunt, Rowan leaned against the side of the car, curling his hands up, trying to ignore that there was blood starting to drip from them. ''There's tweezers. You could-''
''Use those to pick what's left of the glass out.'' Java nodded, seeming to steel herself, though her guilty expression hadn't faded whatsoever. ''Right. Yea. Of course, okay...'''
Still muttering halfhearted assurances to herself, Java awkwardly retrieved the car keys from Rowan's right pocket. Rowan grit his teeth and half closed his eyes, after slightly inclining his head in a nod.
Java thought maybe he was trying to block out the pain of the cuts.
Cuts that had resulted from her idea...
A little desperately she unlocked the Crown Vic's trunk, opening it and rustling through the canvas folds of a tent, along with a small bundle of firewood coupled with some pieces of fire starting flint, finally discovering the box that was the medical kit under a case of travel pots and pans. All of the equipment was scratched and weathered, indicative of heavy use.
''Kay...'' Java padded back around to Rowan, trying to brace herself for what she might see. ''Ready?'' It went without saying that this small procedure fell on her to carry out. She lay the first aid box on the roof of the car, retrieving the tweezers.
Rowan tilted his head back, and Java caught a glimpse of him gritting his teeth as he opened up his hands.
Java winced at the sight-his palms were red with blood, though it didn't quite seem that he was bleeding out. Luckily for her, a vampire's sight was good enough that the relative dimness of the overcast sky did not hide the glittering bits of glass from her.
Trying to be as fast as possible, Java managed to wield the tweezers to a proper degree of effectiveness. Following this, she clawed in the box for some form of disinfectant, only to stop when Rowan spoke up from behind her.
''It's fine,'' he muttered. ''Just get some of the bandages out. There's no point in wasting the wipes when I can just wash these cuts at the house.''
Java nodded mutely and, feeling numb, sealed the first aid hit and threw it into the backseat of the Crown Vic. ''...Okay.''
A minute later, Rowan had stowed his now wrapped hands in his pockets. He narrowed his eyes and seemed to stare into space for a moment, while Java's gaze bounced between him and the mansion.
''I think you'll have to drive her.''
Java turned abruptly to face him. Rowan looked back, his face drawn, with subtle signs of pain that the vampire could only see due to knowing him for so long.
''Really?''
With how protective Rowan was of his car, Java would have been ecstatic to drive it under normal circumstances. Sadly, under this scenario, Java could only feel a stifling sense of guilt-it was strong enough that it had curdled her stomach, making her feel sick.
''Yeah.'' Rowan grunted, moving with a clear reluctance towards Red'd passenger door. ''Pretty sure trying to drive with cut up hands would be a safety hazard...''
Rowan settled into the passenger side, while Java sidled with obvious trepidation into the driver's seat. She started the car, and Rowan closed his eyes, trying to let the powerful rumble of Red's engine distract him from the fiery pain in his hands. At the same time he attempted to let go of the usual unease that came whenever he let someone else drive Red.
He was feeling mildly sick now, too.
I just have to lie down, he thought dully. Then he'd feel better.
The drive back to his aunt's family mansion passed in silence. Rowan had a sense that Java might be struggling not to cry.
''I know you'd prefer to be driving.'' Java's tone was tenuous. ''This is all my fault...''
''No it's not,'' Rowan let out a long breath through his nose. He blinked his eyes open and glanced out the window as they passed numerous other large houses, their well maintained facades a relief after the decrepit mansion. The citizens walking on the sidewalks helped, too, driving off the feeling of creeping death and abandonment given off by the mansion.
Unfortunately, his aunt's mansion often felt like a mausoleum to Rowan's, too.
As Red approached it, Rowan gazed through half lidded eyes at the mansion-long and rectangular, windows tall and glass paned housed in delicate, twisting iron filigree. The front facade was host to marching rows of columns, tressed with ivy, the overall presence of the building one of a mansion Rowan figured one would see in older districts of Paris.
The third level of the house clashed with the rest-it was a rectangular section of gleaming glass, home to his aunt's office, an indoor greenhouse, and a dozen other things Rowan didn't care to think about.
Rowan thanked the gods his aunt was out of town on business, as she often was.
Java pulled the car through the gate, parking Red in the giant garage. Rowan slowly got out, doing his best not to wince.
Seeing the vampire's gaze go toward a covered object by a work desk and a pegboard mounted on the wall, Rowan hastily decided to distract her.
''Uh..what's under there is delicate. Don't touch it.''
In truth, Rowan was planning something big for his friend's birthday.
He hardly wanted Java seeing it before then.
Luckily, Java looked away and nodded. She backed up toward the lifted garage door. Visibly hesitating, face still darkened with shame, Rowan guessed the vampire was about to offer to stay overnight with him.
''Seriously.'' Rowan moved to the door leading into the mansion interior. He attempted a smile that he hoped looked at least half decent. ''It's not your fault. I'm the one who went and grabbed that thing.''
Another heartbeat of quiet passed. Then Java responded with a watery smile. ''Well…okay. I guess we can update each other tomorrow?''
''Yea.'' Rowan gingerly turned the doorknob.
Java nodded, still a little sadly. She spun on her heel, shifting as she went, and flapped off as a giant bat. The few beats it took for Java to vanish into the sky blew a scuttle of leaves in her wake.
Rowan stared after her a moment.
Then he knuckled the button that closed the lift door from inside, and stepped over the threshold into the mansion.