The Progeny: Chapter 36

Caius was standing in the ugly peach coloured bathtub with the jet of the shower smacking against the back of his head. His clothes lay in a wet heap at his feet along with all the pieces of Varsee’s and Alexander’s outfits that weren’t leather. Alexander’s duster coat was hung -clean yet a little torn- on the hook behind the door, and two sets of leather pants and a leather jacket were folded over the towel rack.

Due to the clothes blocking an easy path to the plughole, the grim blood red water rose up to Caius’ ankles. He could see lumps of dead vampire floating around like it was some sort of stew. He closed his eyes as he shampooed his grimy hair. When he had stripped off his t-shirt, he had noticed the faint indentations of the Nest vampire’s fang marks in his shoulder before they had healed completely. Now he was scar free. Well, his body was, but as for his mind…

Seeing all that blood and gore, watching those vampires being slaughtered, helping with the slaughtering… it brought back so many memories.

There’s sadness in your eyes. Like you’ve lived too long and seen too much.

Robin’s words were branded on his mind like the burn of silver. Maybe he had lived too long. Maybe he should have died in the Rage like all those other ancients. But he hadn’t because of Evie. He had promised to protect her. That they would make it out. Together. Because he was her Maker and she was his progeny and when they were together, nothing could stop them.

But now she wasn’t his progeny and he could feel them growing apart. He had sensed it in the bitterness of her tone before they had left to find the Nest and again when Varsee had scolded her for answering that phone call. She hadn’t even looked to him for some sort of emotional support. In fact, it had been like she hadn’t known he was there the entire time they were scoping the road.

Something had changed when she became Varsee’s. He had tried to ignore it but it was there. Just something…off. A sort of separation. As if no matter how hard he would try to get things to how they once were, there’d be a force pushing back against him. And that force was Varsee. Or, more like Evie’s bond to Varsee.

Caius grabbed the soap and started to lather up his body and wipe away the blood that was reluctant to leave certain crevices. He needed to stop letting his thoughts spiral and become so dark. He had Robin now and he wasn’t going to let him down the same way he had with Evie when she had been first Turned. He couldn’t let his own problems get in the way of his duties to his new progeny.

After rinsing himself, Caius knocked off the shower and grabbed a towel. He rubbed it over his dank hair and body before wrapping it around his waist and heading to the bedroom. Giddy cries and growls were coming from Alexander’s room and Caius figured that Alexander and Varsee were still riding the waves of adrenaline after killing, the way him and Milah had done together all those years ago.

Caius twisted the knob of his and Evie’s bedroom door and felt a weird blip of nerves when it pushed open with ease. He had thought it had been locked. He had expected it to be locked.

He stepped inside and closed the door. Evie, in bed and under the covers, jerked upright and her big hazel eyes met his. And there was that weird blip again. It was like he was confronting a stranger. Like he was looking at the woman he loved yet… was seeing someone else as well.

Red started to form under her eyes and her lower lip trembled. “I’m so sorry,” she whimpered and covered her mouth to stop the sobbing noise that left it. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea that was going to happen. I feel like such an idiot. Please don’t hate me.”

Caius quickly dropped to the foot of the bed and grabbed her hand, pulling it from her mouth and sandwiching it cherishingly between his. “I could never hate you.”

“Varsee hates me.”

His heart plummeted at the mention of her name. “No, she doesn’t. She’ll get over it.” A loud thwack sounded from a few rooms down and a chorus of giddy laughter erupted. A smile tugged on the corner of Caius’ mouth. “I think she’s a little preoccupied at the moment anyway.”

Evie smiled back.

“Who called you, Evie? Who was he?”

She pulled her hand from between his and wiped a red tear from her eye. Her gaze casted downwards. “I met him after I left you. He seemed nice and he was fun to talk to.” She sighed, fiddling with her fingers on the duvet. “But then he had called and asked me to meet him at a pub. I did and I was chased out by Nico’s men. I thought he must have had something to do with it but he helped me escape and I got so confused.” She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head as if fending off the messy memory. “That’s when you found me behind that take-away. When you killed his men and saved me. I had been meaning to call him and try and get everything straightened out but I guess I forgot. And then I saw his name on my phone and suddenly everything came rushing back.”

A short silence followed as Caius digested the information. “So he is working with Nico? I mean, it’s pretty clear now isn’t it?”

She nodded. “Sort of. But it still doesn’t explain why he helped me.”

“Maybe to make you think you had a friend on the inside? And so then it didn’t seem weird that he called you to track your location.”

Her face tightened with pain. “Maybe.”

Caius shifted closer and pulled her towards him. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his bare back and rested her face against his chest. He held her close and could smell the raspberry scent of her hair, or maybe it was his.

And just like that, holding her in such a familiar way made all of his doubts disappear, like the bloody pulp down the plughole. He squeezed her tight and felt a rush of emotion which made the backs of his eyes burn with unshed tears. This was the woman he loved. And he wasn’t going to let her slip through his fingers.

She turned slightly and let his lips brush across her forehead before she pulled out from his chest. “So what was the Nest like? Did you kill them all?”

He nodded. “They’re all gone. They won’t be bothering us again.”

She smiled. “Good.” Her gaze fell absently to his sharp collarbone and her fingers brushed along his shoulders and biceps. “How was it for you? Killing, I mean. I know you’re very anti-violence.”

“I liked to think of it not so much as killing but more as avenging you.”

She smiled and looked back up, meeting his gaze and she circled her arms loosely around his neck. “That sounds more like you.”

He’d like to think it sounded more like him, too.

Suddenly, he felt a rush of dizziness that made his stomach lurch, and he touched his shoulder reflectively. “I’m low on blood. One of the crazy vampires decided to try and take a chunk out of me.” He peeled away her hold of him. “I’m just going to get a drink and refuel.”

She lay back down on the bed, resting her head on the pillow. She snuggled under the duvet and smiled over at him. “Okay. Come back up when you’re done.”

He nodded, patting the lump of her leg and got to his feet.

After throwing on a simple brown dressing gown in the wardrobe that had a curious dark stain down the front, Caius padded bare-footed down the stairs.

“Did you know that vampires came from a dude that got bitten by an infected vampire bat? How cool is that?! It’s like a superhero origin story,” said Robin, probably sensing Caius’ presence but he never took his eyes off the T.V. Caius was sure he was in the exact same position he had been in when he had left him.

“That’s a myth,” said Caius, making his way into the living room. “There are tonnes more. Like how the original vampires had been cursed by the witches of Salem. Or that the moon gave birth to them. Or that they came from the remains of the dead and dug their way out of their own graves. Or, which is my particular favourite, that the original vampires are the unborn children of Lilith.”

Robin furrowed his brows and finally tore his eyes off the screen. He was currently watching a nature programme about nocturnal animals “Are any of those true?”

Caius shrugged. “Nobody knows. Well, the original vampires would know but no one knows where they are or even if they’re still alive.”

Robin looked content with his answer and turned back to the T.V. Caius went into the kitchen and poured himself a glass from a blood bag. Half a glass of blood was sitting in the fridge. With his glass in hand, he walked back into the living room. “Is that your glass in the fridge? The one from before?”

“Yeah,” Robin replied with that gormless voice of a teenager only half paying attention. “I put it back. It was going funky.”

“You didn’t drink it?”

“You told me not to until you gave me permission.” He tapped his stomach. “Plus, I already ate.” A smile tugged on the edge of his lips.

Caius felt a little guilty for being surprised yet again. He had no reason to doubt Robin yet he just couldn’t believe how good of a progeny he was.

“By the way,” Robin said, turning to Caius. Caius lifted an eyebrow to him as he drank from his glass, “who were those men I killed? I’m confused. There’s a scientist man that kidnaps vamps and what again?” He rubbed his head as if the thinking hurt.

Caius sank down onto the sofa beside him. “Dr. Nico Bergan is a scientist who we’re guessing works with the government to try and cure vampirism. He took me. I was in a cell in his basement for over a week. He pumped weird serums into my body. It was absolute torture.” Caius’ body stiffened at the memories of blacking out from sheer agony and wishing for it all to be over. “He took Evie, too, and experimented on her. One of his serums worked and she became human. But only her.” Robin opened his mouth to speak but Caius cut across him, knowing what he was about to say. “She was Turned again, by Varsee, after being attacked by the Nest. We’re guessing Nico is so interested in her because the key to his cure becoming universally successful probably runs through her veins.”

Robin furrowed his brows in thought. “So, Evie wasn’t always Varsee’s progeny?”

Caius dropped his gaze in defeat. “No. She was once mine.”

“Oh my God, that totally makes sense now why you and Varsee are at each other’s throats-”

“We’re not at each other’s-”

Robin backhanded Caius’ arm, cutting him off. Caius looked up to see his progeny’s eyes sparkling with realisation. “Varsee is not just protective. She’s territorial. She thinks you’re trying to steal Evie from her.”

“I can’t steal Evie. She’s not a possession.”

Robin shrugged. “A progeny is sort of a possession.”

If she still loves you, she is still yours.

“Is that how you feel?” Caius asked.

Robin shrugged, looking complacent. “I guess. I don’t mind it, though. Makes me feel like I belong.” A smile played on his lips and he dipped his head. “It’s kind of nice.” Robin barked a laugh that took Caius by surprise. “You know, I thought you and Varsee had some weird sexual tension thing going on, that’s why you two acted so weird around each other. And I didn’t blame you, dude. That chick is hot as hell. Terrifying - but hot. ”

Caius furrowed his brows.

“I mean, it was just a guess. How was I supposed to know what was really going on? That whole cure thing and being Turned again… that is some seriously crazy shit.”

Caius nodded in agreement but also felt that Robin being under the impression that he had some sort of sexual feelings towards Varsee was some ‘seriously crazy shit’. He only had eyes for Evie.

“Have you had a look through that door?” Robin pointed to the white door on the wall that the stairs ran along. Caius furrowed his brows. Had there always been a door there?

“No. No, I haven’t.”

“I got bored waiting for you so I had a wander. It leads into a fancy dining room and then off that there’s this room at the back full of, like, olds records, posters, a few instruments. There’s even a grand piano back there.”

Caius could feel the tingling sensation of happiness deep in his stomach. “Really?” he asked, turning back to Robin. “You play piano?”

Robin scoffed. “Oh yeah, I thought I wasn’t being bullied enough at school so I thought I’d learn the piano, too.” He rolled his eyes.

“You’d get bullied for playing the piano?”

“A guy would get bullied for showing an interest in anything at all creative,” he replied, looking back to the T.V.

The thought that being creative was now somehow shameful wounded Caius a little but he let the notion pass. He relaxed back against the sofa and watched the screen. “Anything good on?”

“Not really. Not tired though.”

“Me neither. I think this blood has given me a new lease of life,” said Caius, inspecting the contents of his glass curiously.

Robin smiled. “Yeah, you usually just look like the walking dead.”

“Wake up, lovebirds.”

Caius jerked up and winced at the pain that lanced up the right side of his neck. He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his neck to ease it. When he opened his eyes again, he realised with a start that he was still in the living room. A weight pressed against his side and he turned to see Robin sat upright on the sofa beside him, using his shoulder as a pillow.

Alexander grinned at them both and Caius shifted his body so Robin slumped further and further. When his head hit Caius’ lap, he bounced up with a deep intake of breath. He blinked hard, his brown eyes wide and bleary. After realising where his head had been and noticing Alexander’s knowing smile, his face fell and he scrabbled his way to the opposite side of the sofa, as far from Caius as he could get.

He stared at Caius accusingly as if he had taken advantage of him. Caius ignored the look and scrubbed away the sleep that had crusted in his eyes.

“You two looked cosy. You know the sun went down like an hour ago, right?” said Alexander. He looked fresh and well rested with his blonde hair rumbled yet tame. He was wearing a much more casual outfit than his last one, a simple white t-shirt and skinny black jeans.

Caius pushed himself to his feet and quickly tied the cord around his dressing gown tighter when it started to gape. Alexander frowned, obviously disappointed.

“I was supposed to go back to Evie,” he said, making his way past Alexander.

“Don’t worry, kid, you can snuggle up to me whenever you want. Just ask.”

Caius turned to see Alexander settle on the sofa by Robin and push Robin’s hair back as if to get a better look at his face. Robin just stared at him with his fingers curled into the sleeves of his jumper. When Caius looked back to continue his way to the stairs, he blinked in surprise to see Evie stood before him in a black long sleeved lace top and charcoal jeans. She looked at Caius, and then to Alexander and Robin on the sofa. Her brows pinched together with hurt.

“I waited for you. I waited until the sun came up. And then I woke up alone,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.

“I’m sorry, Evie. I had every intention of coming back upstairs. I just… I fell asleep. I’m sorry.”

“You should have seen them, Evie,” Alexander said from behind them. Caius squeezed his eyes shut, knowing he wasn’t going to make this situation any easier. In fact, he was sure Alexander was just going to dig his hole that bit deeper. “The two of them all snuggled up together on the sofa. It was so cute.”

Evie looked taken aback. “You stayed down here with Robin?”

“We just fell aslee-”

She shook her head and lifted her palm to shush him. “It doesn’t matter. I need a drink.” She passed him and entered the kitchen. The door swung shut behind her. Caius looked back to see Robin and Alexander watching him from the sofa, cringing as if witnessing the conversation was just as painful as being a part of it. Caius dropped his gaze and headed up the stairs to change.

In the bedroom, he spotted a brown paper bag by the side of the bed which he must have missed before. Inside it was a bunch of clothes. Men’s clothes. Caius tipped the bag upside down on the bed and let the contents spill out. A pair of black corduroy pants, a brown soft suede jacket, a simple black t-shirt, a pair of polished brown lace up boots and black boxer shorts clattered onto the made up bed. A smile tugged on his lips as his hands ran over the clothes before he disrobed and redressed into the outfit that looked like it had been handpicked for him.

Everything fitted perfectly and for a moment, as he looked down at himself, he felt like he was back at home. Back when it was just him and Evie. Back when things were simple. He expelled a sigh when he looked back up and came back to the present that was full of cat covered china plates, fringed cushions and three extra vampires.

When he returned downstairs, everyone had congregated in the living room. Varsee and Evie were in the armchairs, and Alexander and Robin seemed to have not moved from the sofa. Alexander’s blue eyes shone when he noticed Caius, and a smile filled his face. “You found the clothes!” He stretched out his arms as if to embrace him. “What do you think? Do you like them?”

Confused, Caius ran a hand down the soft suede of the jacket. “You got these?”

Alexander nodded affirmatively. “I came back with some stuff for Evie after work then realised if I didn’t get anything for you, too, you’d be raiding that old man’s wardrobe and I couldn’t have that so I went back.”

“But… how did you know I’d even like this stuff? And that it’d fit?”

“I may have had a little bit of help.” His eyes flicked to Evie. “You have a very… unique style, and I knew you weren’t happy with what I put you in so I thought I’d better get you something you’d be comfortable in.” He arched a delicate eyebrow as his eyes wandered up and down Caius’ tall frame. “And I have to say… you do look good.”

“Well, now that you’re dressed,” said Varsee, pushing herself to her feet. She was back in her usual attire of a blouse and smart jeans. “We can go.”

Everyone got to their feet and Caius noticed Robin had a giddy twinkle in his eyes.

“Where are we going?” asked Caius.

“To celebrate,” answered Alexander, weaving his way out of the living room. “We just destroyed the Nest. We deserve to have some fun.”

“Fun?” Caius echoed, as if he’d never heard of the word before.

“Yep,” grinned Alexander. He stood before Caius and clapped his shoulder playfully. “We’re going to a vampire bar.”

*   *   *

The five vampires came to a stop before a simple one story brick building. A neon sign that read Crimson Moon in blood red letters pulsed above the door. Robin quickly shook his hand out of Caius’ grasp and wiped his palm down the front of his sweater with a grimace. He had kicked up a fuss again when Caius had told him to take his hand so he could navigate them both at vampire speed. Varsee had offered her hand to Evie and she had seemed happy enough accepting it. Alexander had led the way.

The windows of the club were blacked out and an intimidatingly muscular man stood beside the door holding a hard expression. Alexander’s blue eyes shone with a mixture of mischief and mirth as they studied the building. “Ever been to one of these places?” he asked, looking back to the group.

Caius didn’t know if he had asked him specifically but he answered anyway. “Not for a long time.” His eyes were on the building but he could feel Evie looking at him, her gaze prickling his neck.

“What about you?” asked Alexander.

“No.” It was Evie. Her voice sounded soft and almost hurt. “Caius never let me.”

Alexander tsked. “Little harsh don’t you think, old man?”

Caius just threw him a glare. Alexander smiled- knowing he’d pushed a button- and looked to Robin. “You?”

Robin shook his head. “I’ve always wanted to but they never let me in. Too young.”

Alexander stepped closer and Robin’s dark eyes looked up at him a little fearfully. Caius understood the reasoning behind his progeny’s unsure posture. Alexander was a hard man to pin down. You never knew what he was going to do next but the longer Caius spent time with him; the more he was starting to feel at ease around the vampire. Not necessarily comfortable, but just no longer feeling like he had to keep his eyes peeled. It was the way he grinned. Like a predator.

Alexander cocked his head, inspecting the teenage vampire. “Well, your age isn’t going to restrict you anymore, kid. There’s a whole new world out there for you to enjoy. Starting tonight.”

A flicker of a smile turned up Robin’s lips at the corners ever so slightly. Alexander seemed pleased with the reaction and ruffled his hair. “Let’s go.”

The big man at the door glanced at the group as they neared and nodded his head to the door. They all passed through except Robin who was shoved back. Robin wheezed and rubbed his chest with a frown.

“ID,” said the bouncer, sticking his chest out and narrowing his eyes at Robin suspiciously.

Robin gulped and looked to the rest of the group who had stalled in the doorway.

“Pop out your fangs, kid,” said Alexander.

Robin gulped and did as he was told. He flinched at the sound of his own fangs extending and looked up to the bouncer uncertainly. The bouncer nodded gruffly and gestured him to go inside.

Caius kept his eyes on his progeny as he followed the group through the short entryway. At the end of it were two dark curtains shutting off the rest of the club. Alexander squeezed his way through the group to get to the front and threw the curtains back with the easy flourish of someone who had done it a hundred times before. Caius felt his nerves humming through his body as he followed on behind Alexander, Varsee and Evie. He pushed back the curtain and stepped through with Robin by his side.

The first thing that Caius thought was that the outside was deceiving. The club stretched out further than he had visualised. A long bar ran along the right side and booths ran along the left. The décor was all velvet and leather, either blood red or midnight black. A dance floor was set in the middle and far at the back was a large stage with a catwalk. On it were dancers strutting around with feather boas. Pole dancers in skimpy leather outfits swung around on raised circular platforms.

Most of the punters were also dressed in the same sort of attire. Women in tight PVC corsets and heavy black makeup. Men with leather pants and spiked cuffs around their wrists. It was all just how Caius remembered it and it was making him feel sick. People had died because of vampires and their hunger and these people were going around celebrating it? Treating vampires as if they were providing some kind of service by biting them and drinking their blood? It was disgraceful. Vampires shouldn’t be idolised because no matter how stable they were… deep down they were all still monsters.

Alexander sashayed his way to the bar with his sister as Evie and Robin stared in wide-eyed awe. The music that the dancers were moving to would have been considered loud to human’s ears but to Caius, it was low enough for him to catch fragments of conversations and the thrumming, excited beating of hearts. The bass vibrated through his bones and made the stale blood in his veins hum as if he still had a heartbeat of his own.

“Diana! How’re things?” called Alexander, leaning over the bar and giving a slim woman with a sharp black bob a one armed hug.

“Not bad. Can’t complain.” She smiled and nodded towards the main stage. “Are you going to be up there tonight?”

“Afraid not. I’ve just come to let off some steam with my sis and some guys I know.”

The woman – Diana – pouted. “Shame.”

Alexander laughed. “Well, if you come to the VIP room, maybe I’ll give you a private show.” He winked which made Diana flush and bite down on her painted red lips. Alexander grinned and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively before his slim figure disappeared into the throng.

Varsee was standing in front of the bar with Evie by her side, her eyes everywhere. The lighting was low yet every now and again the platforms of dancers and the main stage would be basked in a red glow. Caius found himself an empty stool at the bar and sank down onto it with his head bent so his hair fell forwards and shut him out.

“What can I get for you?”

He tilted his head up to see a man behind the bar cleaning a glass. He had a shaved head and a tattoo of some sort of demon crawling up his neck. A human, Caius could tell.

Caius flicked his eyes to behind the bartender and studied the shelves of spirits. There were all sorts to intoxicate humans. A scotch neat was really needed right about now. He was so emotionally exhausted and to get into a state where he could wipe his mind completely clear sounded extremely appealing. But sadly he wasn’t a human and with the self-healing of a vampire, there was no way he could drink away his problems.

Then he saw the three mini fridges that were filled with bottled blood. He knew the blood came from willing donors and there was a backroom somewhere where they were all filled. “A bottle of O negative, please.”

The bartender nodded and spun round to get his drink.

“Really?” asked Varsee, her eyebrow raised. “We take you here where you can drink from the vein for free and here you are paying for the bottled crap?”

The bartender placed the bottle before him and Caius took it. “Drinking from the vein has never done much good for me. And actually, you’re paying. I have no money.”

Varsee huffed and shoved a note into the bartender’s hand. “You’re supposed to be an ancient.”

A tentative pat on his shoulder made Caius turn. Robin was looking over at a group of woman stuffed into one of the booths, his dark eyes sparkling. “Err… can I?” He looked back to his Maker. His tongue flicked out to the corner of his mouth. Caius inspected the group of girls that were eyeing them both up, giggling amongst themselves and hiding behind their drinks. “They keep looking at me. I think they know.” Robin popped out his fangs, showing them to his admirers. They all squealed with excitement and beckoned him over. He looked like a child in a sweetshop, his eyes huge and round. He was practically salivating. “I can’t believe I’m an actual stud.” He spun to Caius. “Can I go? I promise I’ll behave. I can control myself. You know I can.”

Caius nodded, giving in. “Okay. But stay close.”

Robin beamed at him before vampire-sprinting over to the girls. Caius watched as he was swarmed. His admirers stared in awe, touching his fangs and stroking his arms as if he were the most wonderful thing they’d ever laid eyes on. And Robin was loving every minute of it.

“I can’t believe we’re in one of these places,” said Evie, taking the stool beside him. “Of all the years you were my Maker and you never trusted me enough to be in a place like this, did you?”

Caius felt worn out like an overworked parent and being in an environment which he hated was not helping his discomfort. And now, on top of that, Evie was looking at him like she had a bad taste in her mouth.

“I knew about the biting, Evie,” he said simply, taking a swig of his bottle of blood.

Evie blanched. “I only used Michael when you were away. And it was more than just the blood. I liked the company.”

Caius shook his head. “I’m not talking about Michael.”

“Then what-”

Caius sent her a pointed look and she looked down sheepishly.

“To live in this world, you must accept its rules. You can’t go around drinking from the delirious because they cannot fight back. Just because they don’t know what you’re doing, doesn’t mean it’s okay to do it. That’s exactly why we shouldn’t compel.”

“But I didn’t compel them. It was their fault they were in that state. I mean, sure, I sometimes used my compulsions when I worked on the door but they had it coming.”

Caius shook his head sombrely. “That’s why I never allowed you to come to one of these places. I knew if you couldn’t resist the temptation of an unconscious drunk on your way home, how were you supposed to resist a club full of willing humans?”

“Well, the whole point of vampire bars is that we don’t need to resist. Here we can be exactly who we are.”

“And what exactly is that?” He peered at her through his hair.

She lifted her chin. “Vampires.”

Caius shook his head. “We have bagged blood. The humans have provided us with an easy way for us to quench our hunger without having to act like animals. This freedom we have in these places… it leads to a slippery slope.”

“And you don’t think I can handle it,” said Evie indignantly. “That’s what it all comes down to, isn’t it? You don’t trust me.”

“I don’t trust any vampire when it comes to their natural instincts. Myself included.”

“And yet you let Robin do whatever the hell he wants,” exclaimed Evie, throwing her arm out to gesture to the booth where Robin now sat with a girl on his lap and blood dripping from his chin. “And he has killed a hell of a lot more people than I have.”

He noticed the tremor in her voice and looked back at her to see red brimming her eyes. He had nothing to say to her to make her feel better so he stayed silent. After a moment, Evie hopped off the stool and crossed over to Varsee. Her Maker stroked her red hair cherishingly and smoothed her hand down her side. “You can go if you want to,” said Varsee. “Go and drink. Just stay where I can see you.”

Caius managed to catch the look Evie threw at him before she turned and headed across the dance floor towards the booths. It was a look that tightened his chest. A look that said, ‘see, she trusts me.’ A look that showed that she favoured her new Maker to her old one.

Scratching the label on his bottle, Caius found himself slipping into some sort of dazed trance where he was thinking and feeling absolutely nothing. He liked it. Everything that was happening around him was just white noise.

“Hey.”

Caius blinked hard and shook his head. Varsee was on the stool beside him, her head cocked curiously. “You okay?”

He heaved a sigh. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. You seem very… distant. Like you’ve got a lot on your mind. Look, I know you don’t approve of these places but you could at least try to enjoy yourself and not be such a wet blanket.”

Caius looked around the club. He noticed that Robin now had a different girl on his lap and was feeding from her wrist. A bolt of pain lanced through his middle when he spotted Evie with her fangs in a tanned man’s neck- her hand firmly placed on his flat stomach. What was worse about the image was that she didn’t look out of place – unlike himself and oddly, Varsee too, in her smart business attire. The black lace of Evie’s top and her statement vibrant, blood red hair made her look beautiful and dangerous, much like a certain vampire who he would like to forget. With an effort, he pulled his eyes away and searched for the missing member of the group.

“Where’s Alexander?”

Varsee rolled her eyes and folded her arms on the black surface of the bar. “Probably fangs deep in some blonde bimbo.”

“How can you be like that?”

She furrowed her brows. “Like what?”

“Like it’s no big deal. You clearly love him yet you seem unconcerned about him being intimate with other people.”

“You mean like how your girlfriend is being intimate with that guy over there?” She gestured to Evie.

Caius pressed his lips into a thin line and refused to look. “No, I’m not just talking about biting. I’m talking about the way he acts around Robin and… well… me.”

Varsee laughed. “That’s just who he is. I love my brother more than anything in the world but who would I be if I tried to change him? Sex, to him, is a distraction. He needs company. He can’t stand being alone with his own thoughts. And as long as he doesn’t get himself into any trouble, he can do whatever the hell he wants.” She took Caius’ drink and took a swig.

“Look, I heard what you were saying to Evie before.” She placed the bottle back on the coaster. “About being on a slippery slope. And I totally agree with you. I mean, we are both ancients. We have seen how easily things can go bad, right? And you are just being cautious. But you have to understand that you have to loosen the reins a little bit, otherwise they will never learn for themselves. And then you’ll find yourself being the bad guy.” She gestured to Robin with a nod of her head. “You’re doing right with him. It’s like being a parent. You’re bound to make mistakes with the first one. But you learn.”

“She thought you hated her, you know?”

Varsee blinked. “What?”

“After what happened with the phone call. She thought you hated her. Do you?”

Her lips quirked into a smile. “Of course not. I was angry. She put us all in danger but we’ve all come out in one piece. I’ve learned to forgive and forget. You can’t live for as long as I have and hold grudges.”

Caius took another swig of his bottle and bent his head down. His hair flopped forwards but he could still see Varsee in the corner of his eyes, inspecting him. “You’re starting to feel it, aren’t you?”

“Feel what?” he sighed.

“Age.”

He clenched his jaw and put his elbows on the bar, fisting his hair. “It comes and goes.”

“I understand.”

And for once, Caius actually believed he was talking to someone who did. Separating himself from vampire culture and pretending to be human had come with downsides. One being that he could never talk to someone completely openly and objectively. Sure, he had always had Evie but she barely knew what was going on herself. Which- admittedly- was his fault. He had closed her off, too. But now he was talking to an ancient. An ancient seven hundred years older than him. And maybe she had the answers.

“It was that Nest, wasn’t it?”

Caius dropped his fists and looked to her, his eyebrows furrowed with distress. “Everything has just come at me all at once. Things that used to feel right just don’t fit together anymore. First my Maker shows up and then-” He sucked in a startled breath and caught himself just before he mentioned Guardian and the Court. He still needed to keep that under wraps so Evie wouldn’t fret. “-and then Turning Robin. Being a Maker again… then… then the Nest.” He squeezed his eyes shut.

“The killing. The blood. The… thrill of the fight. It’s just…” To his surprise, he was shaking. He balled his hands on the bar. “I feel like I’m slipping back. Back to who I was. You live so long that you find things repeating themselves. I can’t repeat my past. I have to be strong. For Evie. For Robin.”

He jerked back when Varsee placed her hand over his. He looked up and was met with the wild, maelstrom of her eyes. “It’s the people that feel like they need to be strong that crumble the quickest. Give yourself a break, Caius. I can take care of Evie. And Robin-,” she laughed softly, flicking her eyes over to the booth he was situated at, “you’ve picked a good one there. And trust me, I have a sixth sense about these things. I know how to pick a good progeny. And you have the gift, too.”

“Are you talking about Evie as well?”

She nodded. “She’s a good vampire. You need to trust her a little more. Your mistakes don’t have to be her mistakes. I know that I am her Maker now and she is mine, but she will always carry a part of you with her. And you know why I accepted that so easily? Because I know you’ve done a good job at raising her. You should be proud of her, Caius. Stop focusing on the clouds and start seeing the silver linings.”

A moment passed as he thought over what she had said. She smiled and retracted her hand. “You know, I didn’t actually choose Evie. I was forced to Turn her.”

“I know the story. I was just paying you a compliment. How about just accepting it?”

Caius laughed softly and brought his bottle to his lips. “Okay. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

The two ancients sat at the bar, Varsee bobbing along to the beat of the music and stealing a mouthful of Caius’ bottle of blood every now and again. Why didn’t she just buy her own bottle? Well, he guessed she had bought his so it made sense…

Caius mostly kept his head down, only turning every so often to check up on his progeny. He knew that Varsee was keeping an eye on Evie so he didn’t torture himself by watching her antics. Then he spotted a room at the back of the club roped off and hidden by a curtain. ‘VIP’ glowed in red letters above the door. The curtain was knocked by someone passing. He caught a glimpse of Alexander relaxed on some sort of golden throne. A young, handsome looking man with dyed white spiked hair and black eyebrows was perched on the clawed arm of the throne and was bent forward so Alexander could suck on his neck without shifting position. The white-haired man had one hand pressed firmly on the back of the throne as his other idly brushed under Alexander’s t-shirt, stroking his stomach. Alexander had his fingers curled into the back of the man’s neck as the woman sat beside him on a regular black sofa stroked his hair, trying to get his attention. The last thing Caius saw before the curtain swished back into place was Alexander hooking his leg behind the white-haired man’s knee and tugging him down on top of him.

“Well hello there,” purred a man, swooping up beside Varsee. Varsee smiled up at him with slight pity in her eyes as the man dressed from head to toe in tight leather looked her up and down.

“Hi,” she replied, swinging her legs out from under the bar so she could face him.

He licked his lips. “I’ve been watching you over here, drinking from the bottle. You’re not a vanilla vamp, are you?”

She laughed, the sound tingly and wicked. “Oh, I’m definitely not vanilla.”

Clearly getting excited, the man shifted from foot to foot and ran his hands over his short black hair. “Well, I’ve been told I taste as good as I look.”

Varsee rose to her feet and took his hand. “Well then, you must be quite a treat.” She looked back to Caius. “Are you alright?”

Caius nodded and waved her off. “Sure. Go.”

She smiled, flicked her long blonde hair over her shoulder and led the man off towards the booths.

For a good few minutes Caius sat undisturbed as he continued to peel off the label from his bottle. A vampire lover tried to get his attention by presenting him with her bare forearm and giving him a suggestive eyebrow raise. Caius merely looked at the woman dressed in a very revealing purple and black PVC corset, mini skirt and stockings, before turning back to the bar and sipping at his drink. The woman huffed her annoyance and passed by.

Swivelling around on his stool, he narrowed his eyes to scope out Robin. Then he felt the familiar feeling of his brain being tampered with.

Come outside, said Milah within his skull.

A flurry of delight blossomed deep in his gut at the sound of her voice. He had been hoping she’d call on him again. He so desperately needed to get things straight with her after the life-changing realisation that she wasn’t as much of a heartless bitch as he had thought she was for the last several hundred years. But then the delight turned to doom and a shiver crawled up his neck.

His Maker was calling on him. Milah was calling on him. History had taught him that that was never a good sign.

Why? he asked her through their bond.

Just come outside. And bring your new pet.

She sounded tense. When Caius hesitated to move, Milah used their bond to hurry him up. Caius cried and clawed for the bar as he slipped off his stool. The pain knocking inside his skull was like thousands of red ants biting his brain. He toppled forward but managed to catch himself.

Stop! He snapped to his Maker.

Then hurry up.

His agony suddenly disappeared and his body sagged with relief. He found Robin in the same booth, a girl in each arm, and vampire-sprinted over to him.

“Robin.” Caius placed both palms on the circular table, trying to get his progeny’s attention while he was busy whispering into the ear of a girl with dyed electric blue hair.

Robin turned and smiled, showing bloody fangs. “Caius! My main man! Come join us! Have a taste.” He elbowed the girl at the edge of the booth and she instinctively thrust her wrist under Caius’ nose. Blood was oozing from the gnarled wound that no doubt had been Robin’s doing.

Caius shook his head and she dropped her arm with a pout.

“We need to go.”

Devastation filled his progeny’s deep brown eyes and a symphony of groans of disappointment came from his array of girls. “Why? I’m having fun!”

Caius’ jaw clenched. “Don’t question me. Just come.”

He started for the door, not looking back, but he could hear his progeny clambering his way out of the booth and rushing to catch up.

“What’s this about?” Robin asked at his shoulder, wiping the blood from his chin as if attempting to look presentable.

Caius sighed and pulled back the curtains to reveal the door. “I don’t know.”