"Chloe is definitely up to something," Jonno said, taking a large bite of his pepperoni pizza. "I caught her googling magical artifacts, being all shifty." He swallowed his mouthful. "I think they may be searching for some kind of weapon."
Eric had already finished his third slice, and was now staring at the caravan ceiling. "A weapon, you say?" He patted his stomach. "You think they're planning an attack?"
"Dunno." Jonno was tearing pieces off his napkin absent-mindedly. "But it's worth finding out."
"What do you suggest?" Eric lowered his voice. "A stake-out up at the castle?"
Jonno shook his head. "Too obvious. They'll be expecting that." He dropped another napkin flake on the table. "But I have a hunch that whatever they're up to, Robin Branaugh is at the center of it."
Eric grabbed their paper plates and headed for the kitchen. "What makes you say that?"
Jonno shrugged. "He keeps skipping class, and then when he does show up he can't even keep his eyes open. Must be spending all his time up at the castle." Jonno stared out the dark window thoughtfully. "I think he's hoping Vlad will turn him, now that he's come of age."
Eric eyed him. "Hmm, yes; Branaugh would have both motive and opportunity." He stroked his chin, muttering to himself. "He's always had an unhealthy obsession with the Draculas."
Jonno thought that was rather rich, coming from him. Out loud, he added, "Those blood-suckers have been brainwashing him for years. They're probably coaching him to become another Renfield-in-training."
His father shuddered. He'd had more run-ins with the castle caretaker than he cared to remember. "Keep an eye on him. Let me know if you see anything out of the ordinary."
Vlad was sick of being holed up in the castle—he threw his book to the table in disgust. "We should go out."
"Out?" Robin asked. Chloe had gone home a few hours ago, after the three of them had outlined a study-plan for Vlad. Theoretically, they were supposed to be training. "Where?"
"Anywhere. I don't care," Vlad groaned, rubbing his eyes. "Any good movies come out, lately?"
"Nah." Robin slouched in his chair. "We could always go round my place."
Vlad winced. "Your house isn't much of an improvement. No offense."
Robin sighed. "What's there to do in Stokely?"
"We could go bowling," Vlad suggested. His companion shot him a disgusted look.
"Or we could hang ourselves."
"It was just a suggestion." Vlad clambered to his feet, stretching. "Let's go for a walk, then."
"We could go to the park?" said Robin. He grinned. "Maybe howl at the moon a bit?"
"Yeah," Vlad smiled. "That'd work."
"When you said you wanted to 'howl at the moon', I thought you were taking the mick," Vlad hissed.
Robin had climbed atop one of the park benches the second they'd arrived. "Quit your whining and get up here."
"But," Vlad protested, but Robin cut him short, grabbing him by the wrist and tugging hard. Vlad clutched at Robin's hand as he found himself flying several feet into the air, feet scrabbling for purchase. The vampire steadied himself on the bench, eyeing the chain around Robin's neck. "Oi. Watch it."
Robin looked terribly pleased with himself. "Where's your sense of adventure?" He put his hands around his mouth, and before Vlad could stop him, let out a long, drawn out howl toward the sky. "Aaa-oooooooooo…"
Vlad covered the other boy's mouth with a wild look. "Stop it! You'll wake everyone in the neighborhood."
"I'm calling my people," Robin insisted.
Vlad shook his head in disbelief and chuckled. "You're a nutter."
Robin put his arms around Vlad's neck, leaning into him. "You love it."
Vlad smiled, despite himself. He kissed Robin soundly, still somewhat amazed he was allowed.
It was strange, but… to Vlad, it almost felt as if they'd been doing this all their lives. Kissing Robin just seemed so natural; like coming home.
Vlad pulled away first; Robin panted. "Oh yeah. Breathing is a thing."
"Speak for yourself," Vlad reminded him.
Robin stuck his tongue out at him, then leapt to the ground, holding out his hand.
Vlad put his hand to his forehead, with an air of drama. "Why, thank you, kind sir."
Robin gave him a regal bow. "Enchanté."
Vlad took the proffered limb and hopped off the bench. Robin stepped closer, placing his other hand at Vlad's waist, and shot him a cheeky grin. Vlad raised his eyebrows.
Robin braced his first hand against the small of Vlad's back, and without warning pushed the vampire into a low dip, supporting Vlad's weight with one arm. Robin eyes sparkled with mirth.
Vlad wrinkled his nose at him, but made no attempt to escape. "Prat."
"Did you know?" Robin said with a chuckle, "Your face goes all grey when you're embarrassed."
"You're kidding." Vlad stared.
Robin helped him back to his feet. "I think it makes you look rather fetching."
Vlad groaned. "Great." He put his hands in his pockets, taking a moment to gaze up at the stars. "You know, it's really inconvenient, not being able to see what you look like."
"I can imagine." Robin gestured toward the road. "Fancy going for a walk?"
"In a minute." Vlad pointed. "Hey, look at that; Jupiter's out."
Robin looked up. "Are you sure that's not just a satellite?"
Vlad rolled his eyes. "Yes." He glanced longingly at the sky. "At least I still get to look at the stars."
"You're taking this whole vampire thing better than I expected," Robin said, gently. "If you ever want to talk about it…."
Vlad shrugged, following him to where the grass gave way to cement. "I just... hate feeling trapped."
They headed around the bend, passing under a streetlight. "We should do this more often," he added. "This is nice."
"Yeah," Robin agreed. He kicked a small rock in their path, and they watched it skip along the road.
There wasn't a car in sight. Stokely was pretty dead at this time of night.
"You seem to be handling the addiction well, too." Robin shot Vlad a furtive glance. "Is it getting worse?"
"Maybe a bit," Vlad admitted. "It's also easier to ignore now, though. I guess you could say I have a good distraction." He smiled shyly at Robin.
Robin lowered his voice, glancing over his shoulder. "Do you need to—you know…?"
Vlad scowled. "I'm fine, thanks."
Robin put a hand on his shoulder. "Just tell me when you get hungry. I can help."
"I said I'm fine." The vampire sighed. "Can we talk about something else?"
"Why?" Robin said suddenly, stopping in the middle of the road. "Why do you do that? I'm just trying to help."
Vlad looked away. "I'm just not in the mood to argue about it."
"I don't know why you always have to make this so difficult." Robin sighed. "It's been days since you last fed. You have to eat eventually."
"Not if I don't want to." Vlad turned away.
"That settles it then, does it?" Robin scoffed. "You're only putting off the inevitable. This isn't going to just go away, Vlad." Vlad stared at the ground. "Would you at least look at me when I'm talking to you?"
"No, I don't think I will." Who did Robin think he was, bossing him around? His father? "It's getting late," Vlad muttered testily. "I think we should head back."
He started to walk, intent on bringing Robin back home.
Robin called out from behind him. "Hey! I wasn't finished!" Vlad kept on walking, pointedly ignoring him.
"I said look at me."
Vlad halted, mid-stride, as an odd tingling sensation flooded through his arms and legs. He felt his head start to turn, as if his jaw were being pulled by an invisible thread. His shoulders and torso soon followed, and his legs didn't seem to belong to him. At last he stood still, facing the taller teen.
Robin's eyes seemed to bore into his soul. Vlad was helpless to do anything but stare back; but as he did, a strange sense of well-being washed over him, soothing his prickling nerves.
Robin had asked him to look, and, well... here he was. How wonderful. Vlad was suddenly overcome with the certainty that whatever it was Robin wanted most in this world, Vlad would see that it was done.
Robin blinked, and the spell was broken. "Vlad?"
The vampire sagged, clutching at his temple. "Ow. What the hell?"
"I'm so sorry," Robin stammered, eyes wide. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Vlad said, suppressing a shudder. His head throbbed. "That was really... something," he managed, not sure if he could even describe what had just happened in English. "What was that?"
"I think..." The other teen looked a bit green around the edges. "I think I'm gonna be sick." Robin stumbled to the edge of the road, bending over just in time.
Vlad followed, wincing in sympathy. He reached out, but stopped himself at the last second, unsure of whether his touch would be welcome at a time like this. He fidgeted uncomfortably. Could he be any more awkward?
Robin straightened, wiping at his mouth with a grimace. "Chloe was right."
"About what?" Whatever Vlad had been expecting Robin to say, it wasn't that.
When Robin had finished checking his shoes for signs of sick, he said slowly, "I can't remember her exact words, but back when we first found out about the amulet, Chloe said that whoever wears the amulet can force vampires to do their bidding. I think... that's what just happened." He looked at his hands, as if they were to blame. "I told you to look at me, and..."
"Yeah." Vlad felt oddly exposed. "Remind me to never get on your bad side," he joked, rubbing at his arms. "Is that what being under hypnosis is like?"
"Maybe?" Robin's brow furrowed. "To be honest, I don't think I really remember anything, you know... after."
"Weird." Vlad wished his skin would stop prickling. "I don't think I could forget something like that."
"I swear I didn't mean to do it, Vlad."
"I know," Vlad said hastily. "It was an accident." He wrapped an arm around Robin's shoulders and gave them a light squeeze; partly to reassure him, and partly to assuage some of his own lingering unease. "Let's get you to bed. You have school in the morning."
Robin nodded, still looking vaguely ill.
They stopped in front of the Branaugh house, the way they had a thousand times before. Normally, they might have waved, cracked a joke—sometimes, they didn't say anything, and went their separate ways in silence. Tonight was different.
Robin spotted Vlad's expression, his own uncertainty reflected back at him, and pulled his leather jacket more tightly around his shoulders. "It's nice out tonight, isn't it," he said, when the emptiness grew too loud.
Robin could have hit himself. What a load of bollocks. How about, I'm sorry I stole your free will, Vlad. Or better yet, I really want to kiss your perfect mouth. His face grew warm.
Vlad nodded, licking his lips. "Yeah, it really is."
Robin's eyes couldn't help but be drawn to the movement. There were probably dozens of reasons he shouldn't kiss him; not the least of which were his brothers. He glanced up at the south-facing window, which overlooked the front steps. If the twins saw, he'd never hear the end of it.
Plus, his mouth probably still tasted of sick. Robin grimaced. But Vlad was clearly a little shaken up from earlier, and looked like he needed some kind of reassurance that they were still okay.
Surely one little kiss wouldn't hurt?
Vlad seemed able to read his thoughts. "It's okay," he whispered. "We don't have to do anything. See you later?"
Robin nodded tightly. "Yeah. Later." His heart sank.
Coward! His brain berated him. What do you have to lose?
"That's my cue." Vlad waved sadly at him, and turned to leave. Robin waved back. What are you doing? Don't just stand there!
He watched, as if in slow motion, as Vlad ran toward the shadow of a nearby tree, then launched himself into the chilly night air.
That's my boyfriend up there, the bizarre thought occurred to Robin, as he watched Vlad float away, his cape billowing out behind him in an absurdly photogenic pose, which reminded Robin strongly of the film posters which lined his bedroom walls. Shame to see him go.
Robin didn't think—he ran forward, and leapt, in a rough approximation of Vlad's much more graceful trajectory, aiming for the vampire's heels. His brain caught up to what he was doing just in time to be impressed that he was actually within reaching distance. Robin stuck out an arm blindly, managing to catch hold of the other boy's ankle, and tugged Vlad's leg sharply in a downward direction.
A split second later, they hit the ground—fortunately, Vlad's quick reflexes spared them both a messy landing—and somehow, they even landed on their feet.
A breathless moment passed, in which Robin's stomach seemed convinced it was still flying. His heart was pounding like mad.
Vlad was looking at Robin as if he'd never seen him before.
"I wanted to give you a proper good night," Robin said breathily, by way of explanation, and before his courage could abandon him, pulled Vlad into a searing kiss.
Vlad held himself stiffly, then seemed to sag into his touch. "Good night," he murmured when Robin stepped back.
"Good night," Robin said.
Vlad was still grinning like a fool when he reached the last row of houses at the base of the hill. He felt lighter than a feather, like the slightest wind could pick him up and carry him off.
So, this was love.
He stooped to pick up a rock, smiling as it scattered across the pavement.
He had seen a whole new side of Robin, tonight. He thought of the way Robin had looked, howling at the moon, gazing down at him fondly as he dipped Vlad over his arm...
What a prat. He picked up another rock, tossing it up and down several times before drawing back, lobbing it across the street.
The stone went farther than expected; it skipped several times, once on the cement, twice over a hedge. Vlad cringed as its final arc sent it crashing into a car parked in his neighbour's driveway, setting off its sirens. A horrible wailing sound split the still night.
Vlad covered his ears. The neighbour's lights came on, and he panicked, fleeing to the row of bushes lining the house. He risked a quick glance around the hedge, eyeing a woman in a fluffy robe and slippers who had come out to investigate the fuss.
He couldn't help but feel a bit foolish. What was he doing, crouching in the dark like a criminal? He was a Prince of Darkness, for God's sake. Vlad squared his shoulders, stepping out from around the bushes and into the light.
"Hi—Ms. McCarthy, isn't it?"
The lady, who looked to be in her mid-forties, had been bent at the hip, examining the wheels of her car. She straightened when she heard her name, clutching at her lower back. She squinted at him. "You're that Count boy, aren't you?"
"That's me." Vlad tried for a charming smile.
Ms. McCarthy harrumphed, clearly unimpressed. "Should have known you'd be the cause of it. Teenagers these days; no respect for private property."
Well, he had tried to play fair. Vlad stepped closer, pushing a bit of his power into his gaze. "I'm terribly sorry, Ma'am, to have caused you trouble. I'm happy to pay for the damage." He pushed harder. "Surely we can come to some sort of understanding?"
"Yes, of... of course..." Ms. McCarthy's face went slack as she spoke, and she dropped the mug she was holding. It shattered on the pavement, much to Vlad's horror, slicing a deep gash across her foot.
Ms. McCarthy just stood there dully, seemingly unconcerned with this development, and stared at Vlad with a blank expression.
"Ms... Ms. McCarthy!" Vlad stuttered, eyes wide. He ran forward on instinct, intent on examining the extent of the damage, but stopped himself just in time. Don't breathe.
"Sit," he ordered. "Where is your kitchen?"
Ms. McCarthy did as she was told, squatting stiffly and pointing behind herself. "Just down the hall and to the right," she said, her voice a low drone.
Vlad darted around her, opening the front door—and cursed. He couldn't enter. He needed to be invited.
But an invitation had to be willingly given in order to count—it was one of the rules.
He turned, gazing down in bewilderment at the chaos unfolding before his eyes. Ms. McCarthy was still perched awkwardly on her front steps, although her right slipper was now drenched completely crimson.
Vlad was trying very hard not to panic. It wasn't working. Think, Vlad!
The scent of the blood had begun to waft its way toward Vlad's face. He backed away, covering his mouth with his hand as the first lick of the smell hit him, but the motion only sent more of it into his nose.
Oh…. His fangs emerged, and suddenly, Vlad realized he was famished.
And there his prey sat, less than a metre away; totally helpless. She's yours for the taking. What are you waiting for?
I… I can't. The part of him that was still rational had noticed that the blood on Ms. McCarthy's slipper had started to drip onto the pavement. That couldn't be a good sign.
He tore his eyes from the puddle of blood, forcing himself to look at the woman's face. This was his neighbor. A knot of self-loathing twisted in the pit of Vlad's stomach.
He was in control of his own destiny. Not his reflection, and certainly not his addiction.
He knelt, still covering his nose and mouth, fighting against the intense urge to pounce. It took every ounce of willpower not to grab his neighbor's leg and….
He ripped off a piece of his shirt, tying it in a tight knot around Ms. McCarthy's ankle. He risked one last deep breath, then rotated her body so that her foot was elevated.
"Look at me," he said. "Is there anyone else at home?"
"My husband," Ms. McCarthy said slowly. "He's asleep. I was in the kitchen; I heard the alarm and came to the door…."
"Never mind that," Vlad interrupted. "You will call 911, and tell your husband that you dropped your mug and cut yourself." He was running out of air to speak with. With the last of his breath, he said, "The pain is not that bad, but you need to hurry."
He snapped his fingers, and sped off until he was safely behind the hedge. He waited until he heard Ms. McCarthy gasp, and the door slam behind her as she scrambled up the stairs, yelling for her husband.
Vlad let his head fall back against the wood. That had been way too close.
His stomach rumbled.
He glared down at it furiously. "This is all your fault," he hissed, then frowned. No, Vlad—it's your fault. You should have listened to Robin.
He pushed away from the tree, fighting the urge to kick something. All right, so he was a little hungry. So what? He'd escaped without mauling his neighbor, hadn't he? That meant he was still under control.
Yes… but for how long?
His mouth watered.
Robin rubbed his bleary eyes as a sharp rapping came from the window. He sat up, suddenly on full alert. "Vlad? Is that you?"
"I'm sorry to wake you. Can I come in?"
"Of course!" Robin rolled himself out of bed, pushing the covers onto the floor. He padded to the window, shoving it upward until he was face to face with a distraught-looking vampire. "Are you okay, mate? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Vlad clambered into his bedroom. "You were right. I need blood. Now."
"Oh." Robin was glad his blush was obscured in shadow; then again, Vlad could see in the dark. "I'm glad you came to your senses." He noted the guilty look in Vlad's eyes, and lowered his voice. "Did something happen?"
"No; nothing happened." A look of disgust flitted over the vampire's face, and Robin decided to drop it. For now.
"Come here," he said instead, scooting backward on the bed and opening his arms. Vlad's face crumpled, and he allowed himself to be captured in a fierce hug.
"I don't want this," Vlad whispered into his shoulder. Robin rubbed calming circles into his back.
"I know." Robin put a hand on the back of Vlad's head, pulling it lightly it until Vlad's lips were pressed against his neck. "Take what you need."
A few tears ran down Robin's collar, and he tightened his arms around the other boy protectively. "Shh... it's all right, Vlad. It's not your fault."
He bit back a hiss as Vlad's fangs punctured his skin, then closed his eyes. The gentle pull at his neck as Vlad sucked the blood from his veins was both thrilling and soothing, all at once; like jumping into a pool on a scorching hot summer's day.
Vlad moaned, pressing closer. Robin let him, still rubbing circles through his t-shirt. After a few minutes, Vlad pulled away; his lips were wet.
Robin didn't care. He kissed him, holding the vampire close to his chest. When he finally released him, Robin licked his lips, curious. His blood tasted like metal. Vlad watched him closely, his eyes dark.
"Feeling better?" Robin asked, combing a gentle hand through Vlad's hair.
Vlad nodded.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
The other boy started to shake his head—then seemed to sort of collapse in on himself, and curled into Robin's chest. Robin listened as Vlad recounted what had happened, combing his fingers over and over through the teen's hair.
"It was horrible," Vlad whispered, when he had finished. "I never want to feel like that again." He wiped at his mouth. "Can you do me a favor?"
Robin looked into his eyes, searching; what for, he wasn't sure. "Of course. Anything."
Vlad hesitated. "Can you use the amulet's power to order me not to hurt anyone?" he asked; gauging Robin's reaction.
Robin bit his lip. "I—I would, but I don't know how."
"Please. Just… try?"
How could he refuse anything Vlad asked of him, when he looked at him like that? Robin nodded, thinking hard. How had he done it earlier?
He cleared his throat. "Vlad."
"Yes?" Vlad asked, looking puzzled. Robin swore under his breath.
"No—that was supposed to be part of it." He stared at Vlad, and tried focusing on how frustrated he had felt, back in the park, when Vlad refused to admit that he needed Robin's blood. And look how well that had turned out? His eyes narrowed.
"Vlad…. I hereby forbid you from biting anyone apart from myself. The next time you crave blood, you will come to me. You are not to feed from anyone else."
Vlad gazed at him, transfixed.
Robin grinned a little, despite the gravity of the moment. He didn't even feel sick, like last time. Besides; it was okay, because Vlad had told him to do it. And really- it was so cool that he could finally do something that Vlad couldn't, for once.
He snapped his fingers, and Vlad blinked groggily. "It didn't hurt that time," Vlad muttered.
"Did it work, d'you think?" Robin asked, curious. Vlad seemed to think about it, then shrugged.
"I suppose we'll find out. Either way—thanks for..." The vampire clutched at his head. "Oh, never mind, there it is. Ow... That is so weird."
"Sorry," Robin frowned. "Is it that bad?"
"No; it feels good to obey." Vlad covered his mouth at the omission, looking scandalized. "Robin, you're doing it again!"
"Am I?" Robin said, awestruck. "Awesome." He wisely decided not to comment on the first part of Vlad's statement, though he filed that interesting piece of information away for later.
He yawned.
The guilty look made a comeback. Vlad shifted. "I'll let you sleep. You've had enough sleepless nights thanks to me."
"Will I see you tomorrow evening?" Robin asked, tugging on Vlad's shirt. Vlad leaned in for a chaste kiss; it was interrupted by a second, larger yawn from Robin.
Vlad yawned as well, and laughed. "Guess yawning's still contagious."
"Fascinating," Robin said, leaning back against the wall. His body felt like it was weighed down with bricks. "Don't know why I'm so tired, all of a sudden…."
"It's probably the blood loss," Vlad said softly. "You should get some rest. I'll be back tomorrow."
"Promise?" Robin demanded, his eyelids fluttering shut. Vlad kissed him, then stooped to rescue his covers from the floor.
"Promise."
