“Not as well as you if you’re already visiting Gary. I knew His Lordship is generous with his whores, but I didn’t think he’d shower you with gifts already.”
Moss had expected having to face the stigma of working in his position sooner or later. He just hadn’t thought it would be too soon, or in such a way. He hid behind a practiced mask of politeness, something his mother had taught him once he’d grown old enough to be introduced in society. “I’m afraid you are mistaken. My position with His Lordship is different.” He paused and offered her a bland smile. “My abilities do not lie in your area of business.”
Turning away from her, he directed his attention toward the lawyer once more. “Mister Bertrand, expect a visit from me the day after tomorrow. His Lordship is not a patient man, so do have the documents clear and in order by then, and preferably, an explanation for the mistake.”
He felt a certain satisfaction when the two new visitors gaped at the exchange. Even if their conversation hurt his standing in front of the lawyer, he refused to show shame.
“My Lady, good sirs, I bid you an excellent day.” He tipped his hat and made his way out.
He kept a carefully blank face while he left Bertrand’s office and headed toward his waiting carriage. Once inside, he leaned against the comfortable cushions and closed his eyes. “Home,” he told the coachman.
It seemed odd he considered the Bloodmoor residence his home after only a week. But the longer he stayed there, the more attached he became to everyone, and to Vane in particular. The man drove him crazy with his occasional lustful moments. Moss had begun to look forward to the blood-drinking episodes. His feelings for Vane were increasing to nearly dangerous proportions.
Of course, Moss had fucked up more than once in his tricky relationship with the bloodkin. He’d been far too clingy in some regards, not knowing which way was up in the whirlwind of emotions that made very little sense. It could have been argued that Vane ran hot and cold as well, but Moss had been the one to insist on a platonic relationship in the first place. Vane was enforcing it, just like he should, but it was frustrating to pretend to be calm and polite three-quarters of the day, while in certain moments, during the feeding session, their attitudes were completely different.
Just the other day, he’d practically thrown himself at Vane, blurting out that he was willing to give the bloodkin anything he wanted. Vane hadn’t taken him up on the offer, not that Moss expected him to. But the passion between them remained, simmering under the surface, bursting out when their facades fell. In that regard, there could be no mistake.
Beyond the conundrum that now haunted Moss’s days and nights, he was also well aware that there were many things he still didn’t know about these people. Benson, for example, was clearly hiding something, although Moss hadn’t been able to figure out what. Vane himself had many secrets, but Moss couldn’t expect to be privy to everything in the other man’s life after so little time. The servants appeared and disappeared within the expanse of a moment. One minute they were there, and the other they’d vanished into thin air. Even so, they’d been very friendly to Moss, in their unique manner. In spite of the eerie things happening in the Bloodmoor household, Moss felt safe there.
Even so, he did have his dark moments. Vane did not act like other bloodkin, but Moss still had trouble defining their ambiguous relationship. He’d also become increasingly concerned about his family. By now, he should have reached his uncle’s home, and he knew his parents would wonder what happened to him. He couldn’t help but think of what Vane had told him during their conversation in the city outskirts. His family didn’t have anything of interest left, and to a certain extent, that comforted Moss, but he still felt unsettled at the not knowing.
In the past few weeks, before reaching Clavar, he’d sent them letters, but since he’d begun working for Vane, he’d avoided doing so. They wouldn’t understand, not with the way things were. He himself didn’t understand it too well, beyond the fact that Vane had grown to mean so much to him. He had to try to contact them soon, though, because it was starting to weigh on him a lot.
Lost in his musings, he only realized they’d reached the house when the carriage slowed down and stopped. He jumped out and, after thanking the coachman, went inside. Several servants greeted him in the foyer, taking his coat and hat.
He’d have liked to see Vane, but predictably, the man was not home. Moss didn’t know what Vane actually did, but during the day, he didn’t stay inside. He had no idea when the man slept because Vane always seemed to be running around with various errands.
Still dwelling over Annette’s words, Moss headed toward the study. Perhaps if he got some more work done, he could distract himself.
* * * *
Delcas Deathgrove hit the wall of the lavish lounge, the stone cracking at the intensity of the contact. Vane watched him with disgust, hating the thought of even touching the other bloodkin again. Why did they always have to fight back and question him?
Delcas gathered himself and got up. “My lord,” he said, “there must be some sort of misunderstanding.”
“No misunderstanding. You’ve disobeyed the Imperator’s Absolute Law of our Blood Covenant. You need to be punished.”
Vane knew many of his kind used humans for their pleasure. He couldn’t do anything about that since by bloodkin law, humans were only considered valuable as food. But this same law prohibited killing humans indiscriminately and in the process of feeding. His job was to punish these criminals. It annoyed him since he needed to face the decay of his race on a daily basis.
The other bloodkin in the lounge were quickly backing away. With a wave of Vane’s hand, his guards blocked the door. “Not so fast. You shall witness justice being made.”
He repeated the practiced speech with the ease of experience and saw Delcas go pale with each of Vane’s words.
“My lord, I do not hunt for sport,” he cried. “It was an accident. I needed to feed.”
“A bloodkin requires half the blood from a fully grown human to ensure his abilities work at their maximum potency, but only if you do not feed on a regular basis. Your victim was completely drained, and you also use many other humans. You have been judged, and you will die for your transgression.”
Without further delay, Vane began to walk toward Delcas. The man looked left and right, trying to find an exit, a useless endeavor, since Vane’s troops surrounded the entire building. It was rare for a high-up noble like Delcas to receive punishment, so excitement filled the air, mingling with the fear. The animals smelled the more powerful predator and the imminent kill.
Delcas fled toward the back of the lounge, and Vane followed after him. In a heartbeat, he reached the other man and pounced on him, pinning him to the floor with his weight. Delcas tried to fight back, but he couldn’t do anything against Vane’s greater power. His mind created invisible bindings around Delcas. Vane got up, and using his telekinesis, he forced the other bloodkin to kneel as he retrieved his blade. It was more ceremonial than anything else, since a Kin Lord could easily kill an opponent like Delcas just through the use of their superior abilities.
Vane separated Delcas’s head from his body, feeling a certain satisfaction when the man instantly turned into dust. Delcas had been old, then, since as soon as his life force vanished, the body disintegrated. Yet another reason why this killing had been necessary. Delcas had shadowed the world long enough with his foolishness and decadence.
“Justice has been served,” he said, more out of habit than anything else.
Wiping the sword clean, he sheathed it once again. “Clean this up,” he told a guard while gesturing to the pile of dust and clothing that had once been Delcas.
The man nodded, and Vane left the lounge, relieved to get the damn thing over with. He wanted to go home and enjoy dinner with Moss. As torturous as Moss’s presence seemed these days, Vane found he looked forward to it more and more. Sometimes, only the memory of Moss’s taste in his mouth and the anticipati
on of the next feeding session could get him through a workday. He wanted to fuck the human so badly it seeped into his very dreams.
Another soldier approached, and the moment Vane saw the man’s expression, he knew he wouldn’t be seeing Moss anytime soon. “What now?” he growled.
“We’ve received a message from Thomson, Your Lordship. He requests a meeting tomorrow, at noon. And there’s been another killing in sector D.”
A headache began to throb at the base of Vane’s skull. A visit from Thomson didn’t bode well. More killings combined with Thomson’s arrival heralded a grim future.
Grumbling under his breath, Vane followed his subordinate. Sector D wasn’t far from their current location, and even on foot, they reached the area in maybe fifteen minutes. There were several soldiers stationed around the scene. Vane grimaced as he caught them sniffing the air. His guards had been chosen to be loyal to the Imperator, but oftentimes, Vane caught one of them falling into temptation. Suffice to say it didn’t end well for the person in question.
He gave the guilty parties an ugly look, and the guards immediately bowed their heads in silent apology. Of course, once he came closer, Vane understood their weakness. The smell of blood hit him with an intensity that rivaled Vane’s desire for Moss.
And then Vane spotted the victim, and for a few moments, he panicked. From behind, the body looked exactly like Moss, with the same chin-length hair and slim constitution. His senses cleared, and he realized the blood smelled entirely different. Besides, it couldn’t be Moss. His human was busy with secretarial tasks now, and at the hour the victim had been killed, he must’ve still been at the house.
“Do we know who did it?” Vane asked.
The guard shook his head. “They left no traces. Really clean this time.”
From the corpse’s appearance, Vane had guessed that would be the case. The kill had been clean, the only part savaged the neck. It would seem as much as Vane tried to keep these bastards in line, he’d always have to work overtime in this city.
As he left the area, Vane wondered if he’d perhaps made a mistake in hiring Moss. His human might’ve been better off over the Great Waters. The unrest hadn’t escalated so much there. He needed to consider his options really well from now on.
* * * *
Vane was late. Again. Vane’s schedule made no sense to Moss, but it put him in an even worse mood. Working didn’t help since he just saw Vane’s name everywhere. And as if that didn’t suffice, he noticed payments to one Annette Trevoir. It couldn’t be a name coincidence. He wondered if Vane had gone to see her at the Courtesans’ Guild and silently fumed at the thought.
He didn’t know how much time he wasted just sitting there in Vane’s seat when at last the bloodkin appeared. “Hello, Moss. Working still?”
“Not really, my lord,” Moss answered. Immediately, he caught himself, realizing his frustration showed in his pouty tone. “I’m more or less done,” he rushed to add.
In spite of his effort, Vane caught on. “You are upset. What happened?”
“Nothing,” Moss replied automatically. He’d gotten used to dealing with things on his own, and he realized the mistake only when Vane spoke again.
“I told you not to lie. Now I shall repeat my question. What happened?”
When Vane talked like that, Moss always melted and went into obeying mode. He didn’t know what it was about the other man that made him react like this, but he could never go against Vane. “I had an unpleasant meeting at Bertrand’s.”
“Did the old fool give you trouble?”
Moss shook his head. “I just saw an old acquaintance there.”
He was deliberately vague since he didn’t want to start a problem with the luxury prostitutes of the Courtesans’ Guild. He could still remember what Vane told him during their walk through Clavar. Not that Vane couldn’t handle it. In fact, a part of Moss wanted to tell Vane about it so the other man would teach those whores a lesson. But at the same time, his fight couldn’t be won by Vane’s hand. He had to prove himself, and rushing to his employer when he needed help would just cancel out his very usefulness.
“The full truth, Moss,” Vane insisted.
This time, Moss couldn’t have opposed his master if he tried. “I saw Lady Annette there. We’d met the night you hired me. She was…unpleasant.”
“I see,” Vane said. “Not to worry. I will deal with Annette when the time is right.” He sounded calm, but Moss knew better than to believe his lord would forget about this.
“Now come…I have need of you.”
It was Moss’s turn to realize Vane seemed upset. “Is anything wrong?”
Vane sighed. “Just the usual. I’ll tell you about it sometime, but not now. Have you eaten?”
Moss’s heart began to beat faster at the question. He knew what it meant. If Vane asked him about eating, blood drinking would soon follow. “I had something earlier,” he replied. He’d gotten used to doing so when Vane didn’t arrive in time for their normal dinners.
“Come then. Let’s go for a walk.”
Moss allowed Vane to lead him out of the study. He didn’t wander too much around the house, not without Vane around, so just walking with him side by side was refreshing. Truth be told, they didn’t get to spend too much time together. Moss hoped to remedy that, or at least, take advantage of the time they did have.
Vane led him outside into the garden behind the house. “Have you had the time to explore this place?” he asked. When Moss shook his head, he continued, “Let me show you around.”
The wind ruffled Moss’s hair as they walked into the gardens. Beautiful hedges lined with rose bushes filled the whole area.
Vane shrugged. “I don’t care about it much. It’s all Benson’s work.”
So Vane didn’t intend this to be some sort of romantic moment. Moss’s little bubble of relaxation burst. “Something bad happened, didn’t it?”
“Bad things happen all the time,” Vane answered mysteriously. “But never mind that. About Annette…You’re upset, I understand that, but this is going to keep happening, and not just with people like Annette. Others will look down on you, and you might have trouble finding employment after you leave here. Humans do not like bloodkin or those who associate with them.”
Moss blinked in confusion. “Where exactly are you going with this?”
“I believe it would be best if we ended our arrangement.”
The reply sounded cool and formal, and for a few seconds, Moss couldn’t even speak. He’d thought he’d begun to find a home here, someplace where he could be himself without fear. His relationship with Vane still needed work, of course, but every day, they became closer and closer.
Memories of the past week flashed through his mind, their walk through Clavar, Vane showing him the library, embracing him, offering him a drink, the two of them talking, laughing together at the clumsiness of Pena’s children, and of course, Vane dining on him. It had been going so well. Yes, Vane often ran hot and cold, his obvious lust for Moss at odds with his actual behavior. Still, Moss had begun to adapt even to this awkwardness. And now, Vane suddenly wanted him out? Why?
But Vane sounded serious, and Moss couldn’t help but cry out, “Why don’t you want me here anymore?”
Vane sighed. “I will be honest with you, Moss. The situation is getting increasingly dangerous.”
Moss’s heart fell at the glum announcement. “M–my family?” Perhaps by not letting them know of his location, he’d missed something really important. Perhaps they’d fallen prey to the bloodkin’s charms completely, or worse.
“I’ve inquired into the happenings around Elmya. I should be receiving an answer tomorrow. I will tell you when I find out something. But until then, it would better if you followed your original plan and left for your uncle’s residence.”
A part of Moss wasn’t surprised Vane knew about his hypothetical future over the Great Waters. He hadn’t told the bloodkin what he intended after leaving Clavar, but
with Vane’s power and influence, it couldn’t be hard to find out. Nevertheless, Moss wanted to know for certain. “How do you know about that?”
Vane actually smiled. “I can see into your memories when I drink your blood.”
Moss remembered all the thoughts he’d had about Vane and his face heated in embarrassment. Vane must’ve seen everything Moss felt about him. “Y–you shouldn’t do that.”
“I couldn’t stop if I wanted to,” Vane replied sharply. “If you don’t want me to do it any longer, the solution is easy.”
Yes, Moss knew the solution, but he didn’t want to leave. He’d never been particularly enthusiastic about traveling over the Great Waters. Now, he hated the thought of losing this place where he felt so wanted, so at home. He couldn’t believe Vane truly wanted him gone.
Moss clung to the one idea that could save him. “But the contract—”
“It can be fixed easily enough,” Vane cut him off. “I will pay you for your time here, of course.”
“I was supposed to be here one month at least before I could be paid,” Moss insisted.
“We can go around the clause if we both agree,” Vane offered.
Moss shook his head. “Well, I don’t agree. I want to stay.”
Vane sighed in obvious irritation. “Well, you can’t stay. You’re fired.”
Moss scrambled for something to say. Clearly, Vane had intended to give him a smooth way out, but Moss refused to leave. “I haven’t done anything against the job description, so you can’t fire me.”
Moss could barely believe he was talking back at Vane, but the idea of losing his master gave him courage. Vane seemed as shocked as Moss. “Moss, don’t be stubborn. I told you I’ll pay you.”
“I want to stay,” Moss repeated.
Vane threw his hands up in exasperation. “Fine. Do as you will. Stay.”
Moss would have thought he’d won the battle, but in the blink of an eye, Vane vanished. Moss called out to him, but he received no response. Thankfully, he managed to make his way back to the house with ease, but that night, both the dinner and the blood drinking session were canceled. It would seem he might’ve won the battle, but Vane would win the war.
Bed and Breakfast [Bloodkin 1] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) Page 10