Six years. It had been six years, two-hundred seventy-one days, and twelve hours since Dietrich left, and I had not heard from him since. I missed him sorely, and hoped that nothing had happened to him on his mission to Istavan, where he planned to unsettle the peace between the Terran and Methuselah that divided the city in half. He had gone directly after the leading Methuselah power in the city: Count Gyula Kadar, and his wife Maria. I knew he planned to dispose of Gyula's wife, but what after that I was not sure… He was a tricky boy, but I did not doubt for a moment that he would make me proud of him. Such a smart one, he was.
Now, here I was, sitting before my organ playing some old sheet music I had found for The Phantom of the Opera, recalling what it had been like to train that little bastard… He was a downright pain in the ass to me, and I knew it was intentional, until he realized what I was capable of doing to him. I scared him half to death, and he never troubled me again. Naturally, I pitied him and nearly apologized for what I had done, but the boy had to learn. If he did not, then I would never be free of his blasted rebellion.
I always recalled his face at this time. His pretty, angel face. I knew he would lose it when he reached that special age… Terran boys never stayed so beautiful into puberty… It was really a shame that I would never see such a pretty face on that boy again, now that he was… Nineteen? Yes. Twenty in two month's time. I sighed, my fingers resting languidly on the ivory keys as I stared up the length of the enormous silver pipes, framed with beautiful, polished mahogany, inlaid with ebony. I could not focus, could not keep my mind on the notes to be played…
"Why did you stop?" I nearly fell from my chair, and nearly did not recognize that voice, "I love it when you play the organ. I've missed it so much…" his voice had dropped the sarcasm of a child, and regained something else; a smooth, entrancing tone that made my ears sing and yearn to have him speak again.
"Dietrich?" I stood, and turned to him, smiling to find that I still had a head of height on him. I was also, thankfully, completely wrong in my assumptions, that he would lose his angel face to age… If anything, he was even prettier than I remembered. I stroked his cheek, and his eyes closed, his hand resting on my own, and he fell against me, arms winding around my back as he buried his face in the front of my uniform. I knew he was smiling, even without seeing it, and I was smiling too.
"Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to work in a church, Isaak?" he muttered, his voice muffled, "I could hardly keep my eyes off the choir boys… And Esther…" he shivered.
"Esther…?" A girl? A girlhad caught his eye? I could not help being jealous, though I was sure there was no comparison when placed next to me, like the choir boys, but even so…
"Yes. She's pretty…" he chuckled, "And a nun. That would never work out well, and you know why," he stood on his toes and kissed me, smiling. "So, do I have to fight Helga to get my chair back at dinner tonight?" I smiled in return, and nodded,
"I am sure she was hoping you would never come back, but now that you have… Come. We will see what she says," I chuckled, resting my arm across his shoulders, glad to have his warmth again, and we entered the Great Hall together, finding many of the Order already there. A few greeted Dietrich, and I found icy-haired Helga in the left hand chair, as she had been the moment Dietrich had left at the age of thirteen, the place she swore would be her permanent seat from then on. She looked up to see what all the commotion was about, and when her eyes settled on the boy beside me, she scowled horribly, shifting firmly so she was more comfortable in her seat. This was going to get very ugly very fast…
"Ahem… Helga, I believe you're in my seat," he smiled pleasantly.
"Your seat? Hmph! Zis has been my chair since long before you vere born! I vill not give it up again so easily."
"Oh, really?" he chuckled softly, "Well, I think Master Cain thinks differently. Is that a problem?"
"Herr Nightroad has not objected. I sink his confidence in you vas limited... As vas my own…"
"But now, I am back, and I will have my place across from Isaak, Helga," he was scowling too, and she finally rose from her seat, staring down her nose at him like she always did.
"Zen vhy don't you takeit back?" she snarled. If this went any further, I was going to have to step in…
"I don't know… If we fought, it might force Master Cain to take violent measures, and I don't think that would be good for either of us." Helga gave a soft smile,
"Zough… I vould look forvard to seeing his Krusnik form…" Dietrich chuckled, smiling mischievously.
"You mean… You haven't seen it?" she gave him a puzzled look, "Well, that isinteresting…"
"Vat do you mean?"
"Well, I've seen it, and Isaak has seen it… Many times…" the smile he gave me would have made me blush were I any less a man, "But… You haven't? Well, I suppose Master Cain really doesn't trust you as much as you'd like…" she seized the collar of his uniform violently, jerking him to her eye level,
"Listen to me you little—"
"Enough, both of you," I pulled them apart, "Helga, you sit here, and Dietrich here," I directed them toward their places, with Dietrich on Lord Nightroad's left, Helga beside Dietrich, as it should be. "Di, sit down. Now."
"Yes, Isaak," he sighed, and took his place, smiling. Helga gave him the most poisonous look I had ever seen, and viciously grasped her wine goblet, taking a drink.
Finally, I took my seat, folding my hands in front of me on the table as Helga continued to glare maliciously at Dietrich over her wine, turning to Balthasar to divert her attention. He did his best to comfort and reassure her, but she refused to make peace with Dietrich. Very well… I could not force her to, and honestly, I did not blame her, but… There was nothing that could be done. Lord Nightroad had put him there, and none of us dared to question the rules of the Krusnik.
When our Lord finally took his place at the head of the table in all his white-robed glory, I finally asked Di about his stay in Istavan.
"How did your work in Istavan go? Well, I hope." Dietrich took a sip of his wine, grimacing sourly. Apparently he still did not have much of a taste for wine.
"Everything was actually going well there for them until I showed up," he smirked, "Gyula was happy with his wife, the Methuselah were content, and the church kept the human masses under control. I finished off Maria one evening when she had gone on her typical trip through the city, handing out food and medicine to those who needed it, and Gyula lost it. He swore vengeance on the Vatican, as if it was their fault, and killed the Bishop of my church. Esther was upset, since the Bishop was the closest thing to a mother she'd ever had, and as a result would kill anyone I told her to as long as they were a Methuselah." He looked up at me, wondering what I thought, and I smiled proudly. He was living up to his potential, as I had hoped.
"I also planned to use the satellite called the Star of Sorrow, which Gyula's wife had built to restore power to the city, against the Vatican, and sweet little Esther bought my faked death, which Gyula had agreed to set up himself. And then his men burned the church to the ground," he chuckled.
"Sadly, the Vatican had already sent someone to stand in for Bishop Vitez, and apparently was supposed to gather up Esther and myself and bring us back to Rome. It was a priest by the name of Abel Nightroad," Lord Cain's interest was piqued, "Is he related to you, Master Cain?"
"So… It seems my little brother has finally come out of the darkness… How ironic that he would end up working for them, and a shame he only puts his powers to use for humankind…" he shook his blond head, sighing as he swirled his wine with one hand.
"Tell me, Di, did he use the Krusnik form?" I asked, as my attention, too, was caught.
"Yes, at eighty percent. He wounded Gyula, and he somehow knew how to disable the Star of Sorrow."
"Naturally," Lord Nightroad muttered, "He and I were the pride of the UN's space program, and head of the Mars Colonization Project. Lieutenant Colonel Abel Nightroad… But, my memory of that grows foggy. It was such a long time ago." Yes… It truly was. The UN had not been put to use since pre-Armageddon, and I realized how easy it was to forget my Lord's age with his youthful appearance.
"Gyula finished himself off after that, but the priest didn't drain his body as I expected him to."
"He wasn't always like that. Because of herhe refuses to act like a proper Krusnik, and shames himself by acting as a simple human. Very few know his true nature." Her? Well, he could only be referencing that woman he had killed; the fourth of his kind. I had no idea she had influenced his brother's change.
"Very interesting… So, he uses his Krusnik powers only for 'good', and, in addition, he refuses to drink? I would love to meet him personally," I said. My Lord Cain was interesting enough, but I would love to meet and observe his siblings if it were possible.
"You will in time, Isaak. Abel has always been the one to stick his nose in places where he shouldn't, so it is only a matter of time before he finds one of you again. Please, keep me a secret for now. I want to see the look on his face myself when he finds out I am still alive…"
After dinner was finished, Dietrich and I returned to my room, where I played the new sheet music Balthasar had written especially for my organ. Naturally, Di loved it, and I rather liked the way he leaned against me as I played, his warmth welcoming, and I leaned back in return. His hands wandered, massaging my shoulders, straying down my chest and curling around my long, dark tendrils of hair, pulling to tilt my head back so he could kiss me. My fingers faltered in their playing, and I turned to him, standing to allow him to wrap his arms around my waist. I led the boy to bed, smiling suggestively, and pressed him down onto the soft sheets, topping him and stealing his soft, pink lips. He purred, shuddering as I sucked the crook of his neck, pulling his clothing out of the way.
"Ohh, Isaak…" he moaned, arching his spine, "It's been so long…"
"Mmm…" I pulled back and smiled at him, stroking his soft, brown hair. Wait… What was that?
"What is it?" he asked, cradling my jaw between his palms. I pulled back his shirt, and on his neck I found a dark bruise, a recent one, in the shape of two puncture wounds. Marks from a Methuselah… And there was only one who they could have come from. His eyes widened, "Wait… Isaak, I can explain!" I shoved him back roughly as I stood, straightening my slightly rumpled uniform, "Isaak!"
"NO!" I rounded on him, and he yelped like a frightened child and shrank back, "There is nothingyou need to explain. You let him mark you, and to a Methuselah… That, boy, is the worst insult you could ever have offered me. How dareyou give yourself to him."
"But Isaak… It was just… a negotiation…"
"Then you will do as I taught you and manipulate with words. If the only sort of negotiating you can do is flat on your back then you are no more than a common whore." I turned away from him, "I want you out of my room by the time I return, or you will have hell to pay." I heard him leave my bed,
"Isaak… Please, no, I—"
"OUT! I WANT YOU OUT!" The shadow at my feet warped and twisted, standing upright and molding to the shape of a black gargoyle, which emitted a low, rumbling growl.
I stormed out of my room, tense as a cornered viper. It was going to take more than a simply apology from Dietrich to fix this mistake, and I doubted his ability to come up with suitable reparations, regardless of his brilliance. He was one to hurt people, not to help them.
Even though I had told him to get out of my room, I did not even sleep there that night, staying instead with Lord Cain, who, as a Krusnik, hardly ever needed sleep as long as a ready supply of Methuselah blood was present. I even avoided Dietrich all the next day, choosing instead to head to the library to read, seeking its silent seclusion to relax and clear my head. I fished my reading glasses out of a desk drawer, setting them on my nose as I strode to the nearest shelf and began browsing the numerous titles. I sighed deeply, frowning, realizing that some titles shone like a beacon in the dark with this disappointment that weighed on me. Romeo and Juliet, Dante's Inferno, The Scarlet Letter... Oh, that last one pulled a growl from my throat. But... Dietrich was marked in a much different manner than a vibrant, crimson letter. He bore the obvious sign of his betrayal on his neck, and, as a human, would bear it only for weeks at most. That ungrateful bastard... If Gyula was still alive, I would have made him pay myself.
Finally, I settled on a title, one that I could not relate to Dietrich, but to Lord Cain and his brother: Frankenstein. Yes, that would do... I pulled it from the shelf, taking a seat in the suede-covered chair to my right. I was undisturbed for quite some time, missing dinner with the rest of the Order, but I didn't want to see him. Not this evening, at least.
Quick footsteps stirred me from the relaxing serenity of the library, and I expected Dietrich to come bustling in, sobbing and begging for my forgiveness, but it was not him. A part of my heart sank slightly.
"Ah, Isaak. We were wondering where you had gotten to." I slid my glasses down my nose to look up and find Balthasar, dressed in his black priest's robe, a crimson cross taking the place of his usual Order armband. I said nothing, staring in disbelief as Helga stepped out from behind him, a smile on her face,
"If you are hungry, Kämpfer, ve can have somesing brought to your room."
"No... Thank you... Helga, I thought you hated me?"
"Vat? No, not you. It is Dietrichzat I hate. I could only have guessed zat you vere zhe von zat did somesing to upset him. He vas moping all evening, zen met vis Radu, zhe new Mesuselah. I sink he is Dietrich's new subordinate," she shrugged. Of course she would love the fact that Dietrich was hurting, and it took a great amount of effort on my part not to tell her off for talking down on him... But I vowed not to protect and defend him until he, if ever, fixed this problem his association with Gyula had caused.
"Hm..." I eyed her in a puzzled manner, but dismissed my thoughts that she could be planning something, conspiring either to unseat me or Dietrich, and I may dislike him now, but I could never hate the boy. In such a situation, I would protect him... "You know, I think I would like something to eat... Can you have something sent to my room? I will go and pick out a good wine from the cellar..." I stood and closed my book, "Good evening, Helga, Balthasar," I bowed to them, leaving my unfinished book on a side table. They would ask me for details on what happened between me and the boy if I stayed too long, and I was in no mood to share it with them. I headed straight for the wine cellar, the stairway on the bottom floor in the back of the kitchen, through a heavy wooden trap door. I pulled it open, and disappeared into the darkness inside.
On the walls were rows and rows of fine wines I had been keeping around for quite some time, collected from all around the world, and they were reserved for Lord Nightroad, Dietrich, Helga, and myself only. Every year I collected wine, brought it down here, and brought up only the best to drink, and now I was browsing the names and dates once again, finding a nice one to go with dinner. My slim, rectangular glasses were back on my nose, and I pulled a bottle off the shelf, reading the name, my eyes skimming the date when a set of gold-capped fingertips came to rest on my hips.
"My Lord," I smiled, glancing back. His chin came to rest on my left shoulder, right next to his most favorite spot to drink from me, the most sensitive part of my neck. I shivered delightfully, replacing the bottle of wine on the shelf and pulled out another. I felt one of his hands wind in my lengthy, raven hair, pulling my head to the side so he could rest his lips against my skin.
"I missed you this evening. What happened between you and the boy?"
"While he was away in Istavan, he betrayed me..."
"Betrayed you? How?"
"By allowing Count Gyula to mark him, and sold his body as payment..." I frowned, and Lord Cain lifted his head to speak in my ear,
"Perhaps he was just jealous because I always have you?"
"He cannot use that against me. You do what you do to me for my sake, so feeding on my blood is not so painful. And I have been by your side for years longer than I have known him. Though it is forbidden for Terran and Methuselah to love as he and I do, to be marked and taken by another of my kind is a terrible insult. I am not so sure I can forgive him." He turned me to face him, meeting my eyes with those piercing blue ones of his. He saw right through me, as always.
"But you want him to apologize, don't you?"
"Of course I do. It has only been one day and already it hurts too much. There is no doubt in my mind that I truly love that obnoxious little bastard, but I will not go easy on him just for that. I want him to come to me weeping and begging my forgiveness before I will actually consider it."
"Understandable," Lord Nightroad smiled, "So, what is the wine for?"
"Dinner. I was hoping you would like to join me in my room. Would you?"
"As long as I can have a taste of you afterward." His tongue flicked out, sliding against my skin, just under my jaw, and I reached past him to retrieve a good wine from the shelf. This one would do nicely, I think.
"Of course, My Lord. How could I refuse?" I smiled, and Lord Cain took two wine glasses from their hanging place.
"Lead the way," he released me, and stepped away, following behind me as we headed back to my room. Helga and Balthasar were still there, setting a small table up for me and our Lord..
"Isaak," Balthasar bowed, "Milord," he bowed deeper, and Helga's gaze snapped up. She was quick to greet Lord Cain.
"You did not say zat he vas joining you for dinner," she looked frantically around for a second chair, hell-bent on pleasing him.
"Helga, don't worry about it. Just fetch me another chair, would you?" She blushed when he smiled, and she returned it, inching past me so as not to touch Lord Nightroad as she left, heels clacking quickly as she scurried off to find him another chair.
"I had a feeling you might be coming, Milord, so I set another place for you. I hope it pleases you." Lord Cain said nothing in return, stepping out of the doorway to allow Helga to pass through with his chair, setting it in place before they both said their farewells and left the two of us. Setting the wine glasses down, Lord Cain beckoned me to come and remove his cape, taking the bottle of wine from my hands so I could reach up and unclasp to gold-enameled buttons at his throat. I slipped it from his shoulders, laying it gently on my bed, taking a seat across from him. He poured the wine,
"Isaak, if you will," he handed both glasses to me, and I slit the very tip of my finger, dribbling a drop or two of blood into his glass, and handed it back. He swirled it, and tasted as I selected items for my plate. "Mmm... Out of all the Methuselah I have ever drank, you are the very best. It must be your age," he chuckled.
As I ate, I could not help but stare at him. I always stared at him when no one was around, but it was hard not to. His skin, his hair, his very being radiated with perfection in a way that only an immortal could. At least... As far as I knew Krusnik could not die from natural causes. As I understood it, a Krusnik can only be killed by one of its own kind, and even then, only through the destruction of a vital point like a heart or the removal of their head. Not an easy feat, even for another Krusnik to manage.
"When you finish, would you mind giving me a massage?" he drained his glass and stretched with all the grace and power of a white Siberian tiger.
"With pleasure, My Lord." I smiled at him, picking up the pace at which I ate, never losing any of my usual grace or manners. Though I knew he would wait should I take my time, I chose not to. It was always a great desire of mine to get my hands on him; to touch him and remember why I called him my beloved Lord and Master.
Finally, finishing the last of my wine, I stood, and so did he, removing his boots and stretching out on my bed beside his cape. I knelt, reaching up to take the minuscule silver zipper at the collar of his robe between my thumb and forefinger, pulling it down slowly until it was stopped by the twin belts at Lord Cain's waist. Gently, I peeled the robe from his body, and as soon as his hands were out of the cuffs, I stroked the thin, gray, skin tight fabric of the long-sleeved shirt he wore beneath his robe.
"Do you want this off as well?" he nodded, sitting up as I pulled it over his head, exposing luminous, pale skin.
"I love how you take your time, Isaak... It's far more relaxing than everyone running around, trying to please me in every way possible... Not that I don't enjoy the attention, but..." he chuckled softly, smiling.
"As far as I see, there is nothing to rush about. The others look to me as a bridge between you and them, but they wouldn't dare bother me when I am alone with you. We have all the time in the world to do whatever we want. Now, where do you want this massage?"
"Hmmm... Here," he smoothed his hands down his chest and stomach. I rested my hands on his abdomen, fingers trailing on flawless skin all the way up to his shoulders. His eyes closed, and I watched as my own long-fingered hands hypnotically slid across his chest, pressing down and rubbing gently in small circles. He purred, encouraging my stroking, his hand coming to rest gingerly on my lower back, as if I would leave him. Not likely, but I liked the contact, and was not about to complain.
I fell asleep curled against him that night, and woke the next morning alone when the chill got to me. My stomach rumbled with hunger as I sat up, stretching and yawning. I looked around with a sigh. It was as if Di had never even been here... As if we had never met... I wanted to check up on him, so, on my way to the Great Hall, I passed by the room of the Pyromancer, Radu Barvon. There really was no other place he could stay, as he had no other subordinates, so I could only assume that he would sleep there. I caught the very tail end of their conversation:
".....Radu? How do I get him to forgive me?"
"I don't know, Puppet Master. You'll have to ask him that, won't you?"
"He'd never tell me..." Very good, Di. You're a smart boy. You had better figure it out. "And it isn't like I can bribe him or something, sexual or otherwise... Isaak isn't some teenager whose head is ruled by his hormones. He's a middle-aged Methuselah, who makes a greater lover than I think he realizes..." I was flattered, really, and I could tell there was sincerity in his words, but I forced back the urge to rush in and tell him I forgave him. Certainly not in front of a lower ranking member of Rosenkreuz; one of my status could not be seen behaving in such a way. "A simple sorry isn't going to do it..."
"If you don't mind me asking, what did you do?"
"I... Well, I... Let Gyula take me like a cheap prostitute, and he marked me... Marked me like Isaak does..."
"Ah... Yes... I could see why he is so angry... Look, Puppet Master..." there was a great deal of disappointment in his voice, the very same that I felt toward the tawny-haired boy. "Why don't we go down to breakfast and discuss this later?"
"Yes... Let's do that..." he sighed. Radu seemed to agree with me on how shameful Dietrich's actions had been, and this only knocked the boy's mood down further to be looked down upon by an inferior. I disappeared down the hall, pushing open the main doors to the Great Hall. As soon as they saw me there, the entire room fell silent. Of course they would have noticed my absence, and of course they would assume it was something between Dietrich and I. How very right they were.
I took my seat, pretending nothing had happened, folding my hands in my lap as I waited to be served. Dietrich and Radu entered the Hall, Dietrich's eyes widening when they settled on me. Slowly, he crossed the room, taking his seat gingerly across from me, but I ignored him. Instead, I chose to have a rather engaging conversation with Helga, to put emphasis on just how I felt about what he had done. As a result, he did not touch his food when it was brought to him, instead choosing to mope about while the rest of us enjoyed ourselves. He would glance at me, almost teary-eyed, but I would turn away and not look a him. Dietrich left the table early. I heard Helga chuckle softly, pleased with what I had done to him. Now might be the best time to expect and apology... But first, I planned to make him wait just a little longer.
Finally, I left for my room, intending to play a few things on the organ before I went to him, but as I entered the door of my room, he was already there, seated on my bed, his fair cheeks tear-streaked.
"You hate me... Don't you?" he mumbled, "But I don't blame you. I'd hate me too..."
"I think hate is a little strong."
"Is it? You won't even look at me... and you spent last night with Master Cain. Damn it..." another tear escaped his liquid amber eyes, and he stood, glancing up at me, "Isaak... I'm so sorry... I... I don't know what I was thinking..." his gaze fell to the floor. God, I could not handle seeing him like this any longer. I was going to break down like he had if I did not do something... So, I stepped forward, and embraced him tightly, running my fingers through his soft hair. He gasped softly, as if not sure how to react, until his arms found their way around my body in return. Dietrich emitted a soft, shaky sigh against my shoulder, hugging tightly to me.
"It is all right... I can forgive you, Di... I think you have learned your lesson, and I never wanted you to feel like I did not love you any more..." I gave him a kiss. The deepest, most passionate kiss we had ever shared, I think, and he sighed through his nose in relief, glad to know that I had thoroughly accepted his apology. When I let go of him, still stroking his hair, I smiled.
"Yes... I've learned my lesson... I promise I'll never do it again... I've spent too much time with you to do that again..." he leaned close to whisper softly, suggestively in my ear; I could hear the devious smile in his voice, "I'll only ever let you touch me... So how about it? Can I show you how glad I am to be back with you now?" I chuckled, still grinning, and laid him out on top of the sheets.