Chapter Twenty-One

CAMERON

 

As he led them down the hall and into the elevator, Cameron tried to shrug off the annoyance that crawled just under the surface when he had consumed vampire blood. His mind was jumbled with too much…fae, soul-marks, and a nod to his newfound heady power. His mind was clear, completely devoid of the thoughts he always had to keep at bay. It was as if he could throw a switch and hear the thoughts of people for miles now, and just as easily turn them off. He had played with it when he was in the shower. For the first time in his life, he savored his control. For years, he had worked to build the wall. He envisioned it as a dam that fenced off the voices. But sometimes, especially when stressed, the wall would crack, and he would become overwhelmed; also, at night when he was trying to sleep and couldn’t focus on keeping them out. Now, however, they were gone. It was a strange feeling to be in control on this level. He wondered if he could hurt or kill with a thought like he had done with Jacks. The idea intrigued him in a way he knew he would never have allowed himself to think about if he didn’t have vampire blood in him. And now he realized what the technomage had meant about it boosting one’s abilities. He also realized he was uninterested in ever being without vampire blood again.

They stepped out into the cool autumn evening, following when August gestured. Syn was suspiciously quiet. He could feel her judgment but didn’t want to engage. Sure, he had just fucked the hell out of some stranger. It was something he would never have done without the inhibition-lowering blood. But Nathen had wanted it, and hell, he had wanted it too. He admired August’s fine ass as they walked and wondered if there was going to be an encore.

Impulsively, Cameron grabbed Nathen around the waist and kissed him, his tongue invading Nathen’s mouth for a shot of relaxation. A burst of sensation akin to orgasm emanated from their wrists, and Cameron stepped back with a loud groan.

Nathen studied his hand and noted that the emblem pulsed like a heart with green light. “That’s odd…though felt nice,” he commented.

Shivering with the release, Cameron stared at his wrist with awe. “What the…? Yeah…I wonder if that would happen every time I kiss you.”

He stared hungrily at Nathen but was interrupted when Syn said, “What are you going on about?”

Nathen snaked his arms around Cameron’s neck and gave him a slow sensual kiss. As their tongues played with each other, the leaf did indeed pulse like a heart, spreading a pleasurable feeling that rose up their arms. Stepping away from the apparent experiment, Nathen laughed. “Yep, seems like that’s it. But it didn’t happen in the bathroom. Why now?”

“Oh goodness,” he sighed, the pulses of ecstasy rushing through Cameron were too much. He roughly pulled Nathen into an alley and slammed him against a wall with a strength that mirrored Nathen’s own. “This will not do.” Pressing his hard cock against Nathen’s leg, he ground against him.

He was vaguely aware of Syn’s protest and then growled acquiescence as she stood at the mouth of the alley, her back turned to them. He was fully aware of August, who had peeked around the corner and then took up vigil near Syn, amused and aroused himself. He was also vaguely aware of the minds in the area, all of whom he turned away from the alley.

“I need you. Now!” he growled, his hand finding its way into Nathen’s pants and grasping his cock, stroking him with a need conveyed through their link.

Nathen smiled softly. “As much as I think this is hot, we shouldn’t do that here. We need to find out what’s going on and talk with August’s friend, and Syn doesn’t look too happy.”

The rejection hit him hard and Cameron pushed himself away from Nathen. “Fuck you,” Cameron seethed and stormed past Syn. “Lead the fuck on,” he instructed August who looked at everyone hesitantly.

Nathen soothed, “The blood does interesting things to you, babe. I like it. Take the anger out later tonight, yeah?”

Cameron mumbled something, though Nathen could see his retort had turned him on even more. His anger was driving his sexual desire and feeding back on itself. He smirked at Syn, “Sorry…”

“At least you know enough to be ashamed. That’s good, and you better be.” She shook her head with mild amusement and annoyance and continued to follow August.

“You assume there will be a later tonight.” Cameron countered moodily to Nathen. “We’re going into a coven of vampires. Maybe a few of them will want me.”

He shut Nathen out with a mental shove, enraged by him and uninterested in his enjoyment of his annoyance. His usual control and ability to maintain neutrality was faltering. What the hell was he doing with a boyfriend anyway? It would all end in shit. It would be better to end things sooner than later. What happened last night with August proved Nathen obviously wanted other guys.

Cameron frowned when Syn linked her arm through his, gently tapping his head. He hadn’t realized he had shut out all communication with everyone. “What?”

“For one, I hate you like this. For two, you didn’t hear me calling you. So, you must be thinking pretty hard there. Want to let me in on what just happened? And what’s the thing with your wrist? And who is this August person? Honey, I’m worried about you.”

Huffing out a breath, he filled her in, not taking in the grandeur of the old city around them. In typical Syn style, she listened without interruption. He held back only the specific details, but otherwise outlined their meeting August, mind blowing sex, and a dream which somehow was not a dream, still fresh in his mind. He inspected his wrist with disdain as he outlined accepting a “boon” and the fact it was a forever thing.

“Like herpes!” Syn chirped in.

Cameron barked out a laugh. “Great! Fae herpes. That’s what I’ve got. And to make matters worse, when I kissed Nathen earlier, instead of the usual relaxation I got this…thing,” he held up his arm and waved it around for emphasis. “Made me aroused to the point of explosion. Fucking dick is still hard. And Nathen couldn’t give a flying fuck. It’s not like he has anything to worry about in that department. So, he’s just over there laughing at me. God, I’m so over this boyfriend thing.”

“Cam, you do know that’s just the blood talking, right? You love Nathen. More than anything I’ve ever seen. I’m sorry you’re horny and high, but you kinda did that to yourself. Fuck, you’ve played enough videogames to know not to take a fucking ‘boon’ from a monster thing. Now you’re cursed. Great. Suck it up, buttercup.”

“Yeah, but if I can’t even kiss him without this bullshit, who the hell wants it? Especially if he couldn’t care less. Fuck him!” Cameron threw his hand in the air. “Fuck this!” he shouted, drawing attention from people nearby. He fixed them with a glare, and they moved away, glassy-eyed, as if nothing had happened.

“You know I will be here for you when you come down, but I think you also know having sex in view of the public is not a good idea. I’m sorry I upset you, but maybe it’s best we talk about this when you’re sober…and not hard?” Nathen smiled nervously, trying to make the situation less awkward.

“Go to hell,” Cameron said calmly. “You know I can make people blind to us, and last night when it didn’t work out so well, we got to meet August. And that worked out pretty damned well for you, didn’t it?”

August glanced back and then turned away, keeping his eyes faced forward. “Almost there,” he called back.

“Well, I would say it worked out well for both of us. But you’re right, you could have hidden us from view. I keep forgetting that. Regardless, Syn was here, and I doubt she very much wanted to see us have sex together. Again.”

“Okay, boys, don’t pull me into the middle of this,” Syn let go of Cameron’s arm and hurried to catch up with August who shot her a sympathetic smile.

“Screw you, Nathen. You obviously don’t need me, and the feeling is fucking mutual. Once August’s friend gets rid of the nanite herpes you gave me I can start working on getting rid of this fucking thing. Fuck, you should just go back home. This whole fae bullshit is my fight.” Cameron’s voice was getting to the point of screaming and his normal fair skin shined red.

“I think you know that’s not true. In fact, you can read it from me and be absolutely sure it’s not. But okay, after August’s friend explains things to us, I can leave you alone if it is what you want when you are sober.”

Grunting, Cameron stalked forward, shutting out everyone again and reveling in the fact he could. For the first time in his life, he was blessedly alone in his own mind.

The group reached a nondescript apartment building. It was older with a well-maintained façade and balconies for each of the units. August explained, “My group owns this entire building. We each have our own unit, which makes things easier for us. This one here is the communal one.”

He led them into a well-furnished apartment decorated with Mardi Gras colors. Sitting on the floor, her legs folded under her, was waif of a woman with pixie cut hair, dyed bright red. She had several books opened around her, and she looked up as they walked in.

“My, my. What have you brought?” She smiled and her fangs were extended.

“A mage and a vampire walk into a bar…” August laughed. “This is Cameron, Nathen, and their friend Syn. Everyone, this is Paige, my creator.”

Nathen inclined his head. “It’s an honor to meet you, Paige. August has told us only good things about you.”

She hummed appreciatively. “And polite too.” She stood, smoothing down her midriff, cutoff T-shirt, depicting a bright sun over an ocean. She wore green-and-pink polka-dot pajama bottoms that clashed with everything in the room. “Seems the three of you had a lot of fun with each other last night.”

August smirked. “If you only knew.”

“Oh, you’ll fill me in.” Paige passed by him, grabbing his crotch and giving it a rub. “So, what brings you all to my humble abode? New recruit?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at Nathen.

“Not quite,” August responded, settling into a wide leather chair and gesturing to the seats: a matching chair, a rocking chair, and a large leather couch.

Cameron plopped down in the rocking chair, and Syn perched closer to him on the couch. He began mentally attacking Paige, trying desperately to get through to her mind and inwardly groaning that even though he had such power—he could feel it flow through him—he still could not touch vampires unless they had his blood in them.

“We are being recruited to help them,” August explained as Paige took her seat in the other large chair. “You know the Arachane war? Well, these guys are going to stop it. And we need to help them. I’ve been in contact with an oak fae…Dara. She explained a few things we didn’t know. Like how fae can’t actually hurt one another. Hence the fact we’ve been recruited. These guys know where the queen is, and so…” he trailed off, offering a small smile.

“Uh-huh,” Paige said. “Go on.”

August rolled a shoulder. “Well, I just want to help them.”

“Take off your shirt,” Paige instructed, her eyes narrowed at August.

“Paige…” His voice had a pleading tone to it.

She tilted her head to the side, her eyebrows raised. August shot a quick, embarrassed glance at the guests and rose, pulling his T-shirt up over his head.

Paige gasped and stood slowly, her eyes glued to the new ring of leaf scars that had replaced the arcane runes. “Who did this?” she demanded, reaching out to touch the replacement.

“The fae…Dara,” he said, his voice laden with emotion.

Nathen nodded. “All three of us got it, though we had to accept them willingly. She made sure to point that out. She called it her, their, boon.” Nathen lifted his hand and exposed his wrist. The medium-sized oak leaf scar was visible with its articulated veins, which gave off a slightly green glow.

Paige’s attention slid from Nathen back to August. “You accepted this? Willingly?”

August’s gaze danced all over the room, falling anywhere but on Paige; then he offered an apologetic nod, his head hanging low.

“I see,” she said, taking a step away from him.

“Paige, I didn’t mean…” His glance shot to the other three.

“You said you wanted us to help them. So, we help them,” she said matter-of-factly, settling back into the chair.

“He also said you could possibly get rid of some fae-created nanites that we’re infected with,” Cameron piped up.

“Another boon from Dar-a,” Paige dragged out the fae’s name in a mocking tone.

Cameron corrected. “No. These are gifts from Nathen. Apparently, he’s created by some fae creature, too, and they infected him to keep tabs on him. And so now the three of us are infected. It’s all fucked.”

Paige let her head fall back against the chair with laughter. “Sure. I have a ritual that will cleanse the blood of all three of you. Call it a kind of magical dialysis, if you will. We do it every few months to make sure we’re not spreading infections or whatever. Though once one of us contracted a magical disease, and it worked for that. Don’t see why it won’t work for nanites.”

“What’s it gonna cost them?” Syn asked, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees.

“Now that, ma’am, is a good question. You guys aren’t members of the coven, you’re not planning on joining, you’ve gone and screwed up my second in command here, and now we’re supposed to help out with a fae war?” She shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. “The fact is that we need thirteen members and are now down to six.”

“Seven,” August corrected with a half smile.

Paige fixed him with a mixture of sadness and acquiescence, then shook her head. “Six.”

“Paige!” August said, falling onto his knees before her and capturing her hand.

“You’ve wanted to go for some time now. I’m not sure why you’ve stayed for so long. It’s time to move on; you’ve proven that.” She gently reached out and traced the leaves across his chest. “In any case, if you all know any vampires who would like to join, or any possible humans who would accept the gifts our coven can offer, then I think we’d be even. I need August’s replacement.” She gently ran her fingers through his long chestnut hair. “And to bring my family back up to thirteen.”

August’s anguished look tugged at Cameron as he sat staring down at his hands. He opened a channel through the four of them, gently prodding, “August, what’s she talking about?”

“She’s right. My heart hasn’t been in this coven for a very long time. I stay out of loyalty.” he admitted. “Also, fear. I mean, we’re a family of immortals. And who else is out there I could stay with unless I made them like me? I could. I know the rituals, but still. I have no interest in a coven of my own and no real motivation to go out on my own. But…I guess this happened for a reason.” He traced the leaves across his chest.

“Doesn’t hurt any less,” Syn offered.

“I don’t know anyone who I’d send to become vampires, but I can ask my mom. She knows more people down here. Maybe Nathen here would like to stay though?” Cameron said with a shrug.

Syn kicked his shin. “Don’t be an ass!”

Nathen’s brow furrowed with confusion. “No, I don’t want to stay here. I am kind of hoping to get the nanites out and not get them back. We can clean them now, but there’s no telling if Impetus just infects me again from a glass of water, or something less innocuous like an air freshener in the bathroom.”

“He’s being a dick,” Syn imparted.

“Don’t go back there. You can stay here with this coven and never have to deal with Impetus again,” Cameron said sarcastically.

“Fuck, I hate you like this!” Syn mentally shouted.

“Okay, well, whatever. Guess there’s plenty of time to figure out more members. If we don’t all die fighting August’s little war. Come on, let’s go get your blood cleaned.” Paige let out a low sigh and squared her shoulders.

Nathen, Syn, and Cameron followed Paige into a large circular room with a sigil carved into the wooden boards of the floor. Nathen paused, conveying recognition from one of the books he had been reading. “It’s a protective ward, commonly used for ritual blood magic, though I don’t know much more beyond that.”

Paige gestured at Syn. “Pretty thing, please stand there. You will not be able to help with this particular magic.”

Syn seemed all too happy to say, “Alrighty.”

“August, you know the deal. Stand in the middle. Nathen, Cameron, you as well. When we start, you three will interlock hands in a triangle and clear your mind as best you can. Your will and thoughts make it harder to affect you.” She moved to an altar with a large, red, leather-bound book, opened it, and started leafing through. After a long minute she stopped and looked up.

“Fae gifts, boons, and blessings,” she addressed them. “I will tell you what I know, which is not a lot about what you did to yourselves.” She referenced the book. “Fae blessings are rare but come in threes.” She glanced back up with a smirk. “Dara found her three idiots.” Syn laughed in the back at the comment.

Paige read from the book. “It says, ‘The fae can choose any three conscious creatures, including humans, or all the enchanted animals, plants, or objects with strong compounded spirits. Once blessed, over time they become more than they were, but less understood by their peers.’” Her gaze drifted back up. “That could explain the changeling stories: humans that were blessed and changed as they grew.”

She returned her attention to the book. “Removing them… ‘If willfully taken they may not be removed, and for all intents and purposes become part of the creature. If given by force, they can be expunged because they are not fully integrated. Once part of the being, they resonate together and become one.’” Paige hummed. “That’s all I have. Though I personally have heard stories, but because it’s so rare it’s hard to confirm. It’s said that when one dies and comes back—if you believe in that sort of thing—they come back as part fae, or something fae-like. That may sound nice, but it’s not, because you become part of a collective. A collective of the type of fae that gave you it’s gift.”

She paused, her elven head tilting in contemplation. “On the bright side, you become truly immortal and can choose to come back as anything you wish, remembering all the while what you are. However, it’s like playing a game in god mode, and it becomes boring. Fae just watch existence—the wars and love stories, like we watch TV. They watch but rarely interact, except to influence from the shadows. The ones that get noticed are dealt with by other fae by actions of tools like us, as they tip some arbitrary balance they maintain. They usually live vicariously.” She kept an even tone. “I don’t know if I should envy or pity you…maybe both.” Paige shook her head. “Okay, idiots, intertwine your hands together and clear your minds.”

“Great, just great,” Cameron groused. “I don’t care about all that. I mean whatever, right? Guess there’s nothing to be done about it right now. But I won’t believe there’s no getting rid of it. Just need to figure out how. Boons are supposed to be helpful. All I can tell is this is bullshit and in no way helpful. Fuck, I’m going to have to break up with you over this shit.”

As August caught both of their hands, Cameron grasped Nathen’s hand and cut off contact with everyone. Clear his mind? How the hell was he going to be able to do that?

August gave a pitying look between the two of them, and his protest was cut off. He caressed Nathen’s hand. “It’ll be okay. You guys will figure it out.”

“This will sting a bit,” Paige said with a sadistic undertone.

At first there was nothing happening, and Cameron almost said something until he saw the steam start to rise from them.

Paige mumbled in a different language—Latin maybe? As she continued, it was like his skin was starting to sizzle. He was sweating and noted beads of silver-red liquid pool into streams that ran down and dripped from Nathen’s face and exposed body. His clothes slowly changed color into the same silver-red hue.

Serves him right.

Cameron held on tightly to both August and Nathen, watching in horror as virtually every pore on his body seeped the viscous fluid. Gritting his teeth, he wondered if August and Nathen were in this much agony? Probably not, considering they were both dead. A state that he wondered if he’d be in soon if this continued. His fingers dug into both Nathen and August’s marble hands and fat tears stained his cheeks. Growling, his head fell forward and he relaxed his grip in order to flee the searing agony, but realized August and Nathen were holding fast.

What the fuck? Cameron began fighting, pulling at his hands, trying to run as a cry to make it stop vibrated at the tip of his tongue. His clothes were sodden. And the stench! Like metal on metal, as if Syn had taken her soldering gun to every inch of his flesh. “FUCK!” he bellowed, head thrown back. He pushed August and Nathen to make them let go of him.

As if a weight were lifted, the fire that roiled through his entire body was gone, and he slumped to his knees. Nathen and August both held onto his hands and August kneeled, helping him to sit. “That was much worse than it’s ever been before,” he said in an apologetic tone. “And messy.”

August released Cameron to help tug off his sodden shirt. “You guys can have some of my clothes. I actually suggest we burn these.”

“Hell, no. Those are mine,” Paige countered. She opened a closet and pulled out a large basket of books which she emptied and set the empty basket between them. “You can keep your shoes. I want everything else.”

August chuckled and unbuckled his pants. “You guys stay here—I’ll bring some robes, and you can shower at my place.”

Dragging deep lungfuls of air, Cameron rested his head on his knees.

Nathen knelt beside him and managed. “Are you all right? I’m sorry about all of this.”

Opening a channel, Cameron said, “Whatever. It’s not your fault and at least this means one of the issues is taken care of. I hope.”

“We should seek out Theo and ask him if there’s a way of blocking reinfection for good, maybe get an upgrade on these bracelets he created? Did you want to take a shower together?”

“Yeah, whatever. Gonna need to get this shit off,” he grumbled, feeling as if he’d been drenched in egg whites.

Syn and Paige had been talking and Cameron was too exhausted to tap into whatever their conversation was. As August returned with two robes, Paige brushed by him with Syn in tow. “We’ll be hanging out in the living room.”

Cameron hauled himself up and slipped out of the rest of his clothes. “This stuff is gross.”

“Super gross, but at least it comes right off.” August agreed, and Cameron realized he was freshly showered and laughed internally at the vampire speed.

He turned to find Nathen completely naked and slipping into the robe August had brought. He shook his head and at a human speed tugged on the provided robe, following August out into the main foyer and up the stairs to another apartment. This one was decorated in less contemporary, though still comfortable, heavy wooden furniture. “Bathroom is second door on the left. Take your time. I’ll be downstairs with the girls.”

After he was gone, Cameron trudged to the bathroom and frowned in disgust that the robe had soaked up some of what had been left on his skin.

Nathen followed and both slipped out of the robes and stepped into the shower, already running with hot water. Allowing the shower to cascade over his body, Cameron let out a gasp when he was suddenly spun around and smashed against the tile wall, Nathen’s mouth on his. The intensity of their “boons” started beating as if they had orgasmic hearts in their wrists.

With a jolt of both arousal and irritation, Cameron angrily returned the kiss, his tongue an invasion against Nathen’s as he tried to push Nathen back. He realized with even greater annoyance that the vampiric strength he had enjoyed earlier had faded and Nathen restrained him fully. He groaned with frustration as the alien sensation on his arm reminded him of Nathen’s earlier rejection which caused him to pull away from the kiss. “What the hell are you doing?”

Nathen answered, “Finishing what I started on the street, if you are okay with that?”

“Why would I be okay with that?” he asked breathlessly, his erection betraying his tone.

“Well, your penis is getting harder, and you are not saying stop, but I can if you don’t want this.”

“Sure, just like you did in the alley. Looks like stopping is what you’re good at,” Cameron groused, turning away from Nathen and into the water to allow it to run over him.

Nathen hands glided down his sides and around his front to gently stroke him as he pressed his own erection into Cameron’s crack. The thrumming in his wrists pulsed stronger and was spreading across the length of his hands, up his arms, cascading goose bumps down his shoulders.

Nathen suckled his ear. Cameron sighed, his resolve faltering. Pressing back against him, the maddening sensations that rocketed throughout his body overcame him, setting every nerve on fire with desire for Nathen. When Nathen had kissed him in the past, he had a sense of relaxation and arousal. With this thing on his arm, the libido side had exploded. His cock ached and he was overcome with gratitude when Nathen began stroking him. He had never experienced a pain so strong throughout his body as it begged for release.

Tears spilled from Cameron’s eyes as he ground back into Nathen, his legs parting as his hips angled back. The “boon” throbbed, muddling his thoughts. He needed more sensation, more pleasure, more, more, more! He needed…to be owned by Nathen, in every way. “Fuck me, please,” he begged.

“Are you sure?” Nathen’s husky tone begged for permission. Hands roamed over Cameron’s body, gripping and kneading.

“God, no,” Cameron whimpered, aloud. “Yes.” He struggled, unable to focus as desire assaulted him, raging through his core, chasing away any clarity or ability to hold onto any thought. “Please,” he begged, the breathless guttural plea echoing off the tiled bathroom as Cameron braced himself against the wall in front of him, the water pouring down over his shoulders. His head fell forward, bowing under the weight of physical need which verged on lunacy.

Nathen’s cock dragged against Cameron’s tight pucker, pressing forward and soliciting a sharp exhale of pain. Nathen grasped Cameron’s throat and his head snapped back. Cameron cried out as his body fought the intrusion. But when Nathen’s fangs sank into his flesh, he relaxed, allowing Nathen to sink deep into him before the inevitable immediate orgasm that coursed through his entire being. His tight unused star clamped around Nathen, the heat sheathing and milking him as Cameron came explosively. The sensation encompassing him, drove Cameron to wantonly press back against Nathen, his hips rolling encouragingly. Then his world turned black. Cameron was falling. As if he had blinked and fallen forever, then blinked again—he was surrounded by color. And no longer standing in the shower.