The Things We Fear

It took a few moments for the room to adjust to the barrage of things Marcus had just said. It was the eyeliner guy who first answered.

“We don’t have any indentured servitude or slaves. We do have a hierarchy, but in the same way, this town had a mayor, a sheriff, and other important figures,” the boy shrugged from the floor. There had been only so many places and as more dancing bodies had slowly made their way to join them, several had chosen the floor to lounge across.

The eyeliner guy had left his chair to join the throng of bodies. Marcus might be tempted to label the way he was lying across several others as being seductive, but having read a little about packs and shifters, he wondered if it was similar and more for comfort and bonding touch than how a human may interpret it.

“Like how at schools there’s the principal,” Eyeliner guy continued, “followed by the heads of departments, then the heads of years, then the rest of teachers, before all us students, which tends to go year by year. Even if we don’t subscribe to the divine right of kings anymore, we still follow a class system. Which is arguably more human than vampire anyway. So other than following rules like not biting people without permission, whether for food or turning, and having to come to weekly get-togethers at the house, the vampire house, not this one, I don’t think there’s much?”

“It’s like going into another culture, there are differences and social rules he’d be expected to follow, but he’d be seen as a foreigner learning rather than some lesser species. Although some of the old vampires may hold a bias, so I can’t lie and say it would be perfect,” Abigail winced as though recalling someone specific.

Marcus was grateful they weren’t at least sugarcoating it, but he still felt apprehensive.

“And hunters?” Because it hadn’t escaped his notice how they’d avoided that particular issue.

For some reason, several of the eyes went to the body next to him. Turning to look at James as well he raised an eyebrow.

“Right,” the boy coughed, “Well, the pack still patrol the town borders, to keep any potential threats at bay, largely any supernaturals migrating into the area, and we have a lot of people in and working with the forest rangers so there’s, that,” Marcus had known the other boy long enough to know when has stalling. “And Err,” he used to do the same thing to his mother when trying to avoid lying to her but not wanting to tell her the truth either.

It would have been funny to watch that familiar trapped-fear look on the other’s face if it wasn’t filling his stomach with lead.

“He put up magical protections, wards and sigils to keep those with ill intent out and even if they do make it past the town borders, there’s like a no man’s land area where they’re trapped before he can investigate and deal with them.”

“He?”

James was looking at everyone as though hoping they would be the ones to spill and not force the words from the wolf’s mouth.

“Reverend Domm.”

“Wait, Devil Dearest? The sperm donor? Asshole extraordinaire,” this earned many protests from the room, but Theo continued on either oblivious or ignoring them, “Your bio-dad, he’s the one protecting the entire town?”

Marcus hated how his best friend sounded a little impressed by the end. He had no idea what to say to that. He was not about to compliment the man. If he knew the guy at all, it was more likely that the whole thing was part of a larger scheme to benefit his life in some way. Probably getting protection money from the various supernatural species, or being owed favours. Cassius’ did nothing out of the kindness of his heart, but he would happily look like the good guy if it turned a situation in his favour.

“We were told his son was, y’know, in the know,” James added still not looking in his direction.

Which given their bodies were still pressed together seemed a little stupid.

“Despite you knowing I knew werewolves were real?” He couldn’t help challenging.

“Alpha, my mom, said you would probably forget it, or try to rationalise it, and it was better to keep you out of all this,” the heat rested high on James’ cheeks as even his ears turned pink.

Marcus had to scoff at this, but given how deeply in denial most of Breckon Heights were about the strange things they saw–his mind tripped over the thought. Magic wards across the town. Magic being denied even when seen. People within a magical field, influenced by magic, to ignore magic. Had he been a wolf he would have wanted to growl.

“Just what else do my father’s wards do exactly?”

James startled a little at the change in conversation.

“They keep us safe,” one of the flying girls from earlier answered.

Marcus had forgotten how most of the room appeared to be listening in on their conversation. At least this answered that the group were most likely witches. They all held that spark of fanaticism in their eyes whenever talking about that man. It made Marcus’ stomach roil in distaste.

“Yeah, sure,” he scoffed, “because my father is all heart.”

He saw from the corner of his eye as someone lunged at him, before he even had time to react, James had the guy pinned to the floor, fangs out and snarling at the other.

“We understand you and your father do not have,” Abigail winced, “the best relationship, but please understand, to us, in our community, he is a figurehead. An important person who has helped many of us,” turning to Theo, “He even helps to procure the blood bags to ensure we’re all fed.”

Marcus especially did not like the way the girl seemed to be trying to get his best friend on side. That desire to growl was growing again. It was only because he knew it would sound truly pathetic in a room full of shifters and vampires that he managed to resist.

Taking a deep breath, Marcus recognised when it was pointless to argue. These people were probably brainwashed or affected by his father’s magic in some way. It would be stupid to try and open their eyes, especially without concrete proof. Even then, they would probably still defend the man.

“Yeah, it’s kinda a big deal in the community that the good rev’s son rejects him so cruelly. You got a lot of enemies, kid.”

Marcus wasn’t sure when Daniel had come closer, maybe when his brother had been ready to rip that guy’s throat out. He’d likely gone to stand as backup, or for entertainment, with the elder Toulez brother it was 50/50, the guy had always enjoyed causing trouble.

“Cassius and I have an understanding. It’s no one else’s business. I don’t butt into your family’s business, so do me the same courtesy,” it was a veiled threat as much as a comment.

He hadn’t outed the wolves or kicked off when they’d cut him off like a rotten limb. They shouldn’t make comments about his situation. Plus, it wasn’t a lie. He and Cassius did have an understanding. Marcus knew the man was a narcissistic sociopath, maybe even a psychopath, and he kept his distance. Cassius understood Marcus could make the man’s life difficult if he wanted and chose not to as to ensure the least amount of interaction between the two.

Marcus was also pretty sure Cassius was several hundred if not thousands of years old, and that he’s had plenty of kids in that time. Part of the reason Marcus feared the man was just waiting for the right moment to sacrifice him. Where were all these supposed siblings? It was another suspicious part of Cassius’ past that didn’t make sense.

“Ignoring the family drama, can we get back to the whole, me becoming on if the undead or not issue?”

Marcus gave his friend a weak smile, partly grateful and part apologetic.

“What are you thinking you want to do?” He asked carefully.

“I mean, it sounds like my options are agony and probable death, or being undead. Not the life I would have chosen, but…”

Marcus hated that the other had a point. He didn’t want Theo to be a vampire.

“The sun thing?” He asked, hoping it would be so bad it would tempt Theo to try the cure.

“Oh, we’re not sure where that came from? We’re pale so our skin burns easier, especially if we haven’t had enough blood, but sunscreen works on us as well as any human.”

“Silver?” Even Marcus could hear the desperation in his voice.

Abigail shook her head.

“See, bro, a bit of blood, and it’s all good. Wait, can I eat garlic? Cause my mom’s part Italian and I’ll be dead within the week if it is.”

The vampires all started snickering. Abigail pulled a face as she scrunched her nose.

“You can eat it. It won’t kill you, but we have a heightened sense of taste, and garlic is not pleasant.”

“To vampires,” James perked up, having returned to his place on the couch, “Wolves don’t have that, but we taste all the excitotoxins in foods more than vamps too, so it’s much of a muchness.”

The arm went back behind his head. Marcus was careful to keep his body relaxed as he leaned back in the chair a little, feeling the short hairs on the nape of his neck brush against his warm skin. He sighed, already knowing Theo had made up his mind. It didn’t matter how much Marcus didn’t like it, it was Theo’s life, or unlife as it was about to become, it wasn’t his place.

“Will he be safe around other humans? You said five days,” he saw the clock now showing ten thirty. Four days had passed since the bite, “will he finish transitioning over the weekend? Will he want to drain any humans nearby?”

“We’re not sure–bitten vampires are rare these days. We’d prefer to take him to the coven home tomorrow evening, to see him through the final stages, you’d be welcome as well,” she added quickly, likely seeing the protest plastered across Marcus’ face, “it would be safer. Even if he only loses control for a moment, he could do a lot of damage.”

He sighed. It made sense. He hated how much sense it made. Hated the puppy-dog eyes Theo was sending his way even more. The decision was made; it was either get with the programme or get left behind. He refused to leave his best friend behind in this new world. Trust the sunshine boy to be the reason he was being dragged kicking and screaming into the darkness.

“Fine,” he turned to James, not sure why, but instinct led him, “Will you be there?”

He ignored the gasps and low rumbles from various parts of the room.

“Shifters and vampires don’t go into each other’s personal dens. It would be a bloodbath waiting to happen,” the boy tried to communicate with his face how sorry he was. The same way he had that day when he’d been pushed into the car and removed from each other’s life.

“Right,” he said flatly. Pushing the memory down with the rest of his emotions. “Where’s the bathroom?”

“Just down there,” Abigail pointed to one of the other velvet curtain drapes, “fourth door on the right.”

He nodded thanks before following her directions.

Once away from the room, he realised how suffocating the atmosphere had been in there. As though the accumulation of so many supernaturals charged the energy in such a way, that it physically manifested like a blanket over the world around them. Shaking it off, he looked at himself in the mirror. He could have passed for a vampire with how pale he currently looked. His sleeping pattern had been a mess the past few nights, suggesting Theo stay over whilst healing so his mom wouldn’t get suspicious of the scratches. He’d have to go home tonight, but by the sounds of it, they’d be spending the next night in the vampire’s home. Within their lair. He hoped it wouldn’t be as dark as they were in the stories.

Splashing water on his face, he almost missed the door opening and the dark shadow that joined him in the bathroom. It was physical, not like the ones whispering around them, but when the ones connected to him started hissing in warning, he wiped the water from his eyes quickly.

“Hello?”

Shadows couldn’t take physical form, he knew this, but that was the only way he could think to describe the thing that closed the bathroom door behind itself.