The Darkest Heart, Chapter Two
Fandom: UKISS
Rating: R
Pairing: ElVin, JaeVin, 2Seop
Chapter: 2/18
Word Count: 11,916 (6,148 this chapter)
Warnings: Language, Gore, Violence, Non-Consensual Sexual Situations, Self Harm
Summary: Some debts can only be repaid in kind, even if their cost was taken by force. When a human hostage saves his immortal life, Eli Kim feels honor-bound to repay that debt. Instead, he finds himself in a rush to save the boy’s life… and his own hidden past.
The yellow hatchback's engine rumbled as Eli turned it off, parking the car in a dark alleyway far from the main street. Stepping out of the vehicle, he could hear shouting and sirens not too far away. He spared a glance into the back seat of the car, studying the shape of the boy sprawled across the back seat. The human was in bad shape. His breaths came in heavy pants, body shaking like a leaf. He was completely pale. Death was not far away.
Pulling his attention away from his charge, Eli turned to look at the building he had parked behind. A massive brick wall marked the presence of the neighborhood's largest and most popular upscale club. Obsession catered to the elegant and wealthy who wanted a taste of the darker side of life. That night, as with every night, patrons moved about in the building, shadows falling onto the ground outside in an otherworldly fashion. Music from whatever live band played inside served as entertainment, drifting out into the evening air and offering the perfect cover.
A kitchen helper looked up from where he was smoking a cigarette on the restaurant's back patio, staring at Eli. Ignoring him, the vampire walked across the alley and onto the back of the property. Turning the corner of the building, he headed straight for a broken-down, rotting wooden door that was set in an indentation in the bricks. The door was understated, looking less like an actual door and more like a neglected maintenance access. To the occasional idiots who attempted to break in, it became a death trap. For Eli, it held the only possible solution to saving the human he had accidentally poisoned.
Staring at the door, Eli stopped to give his position serious consideration before he acted. He hated coming here. The person this door represented was the only one who might have a solution for his current predicament. However, the things that happened behind that unassuming barrier were enough to chill his blood. Desperation had brought him this far, and without it he would never have considered resorting to anything as dangerous as talking to him.
Obsession was a cover business, one that helped fund and fuel the region's supernatural lord. He wasn't a king, at least not in title, but the man who kept order in the chaos of non-human activity in their area was not one to be taken lightly. He acted as both judge and jury, and he also held many secrets and illicit substances that could not be obtained through other methods. If you needed something, he was the one you had to speak to. If you committed a crime, he knew. Nothing could escape his notice and nothing happened without his approval.
Considering that now, Eli knew that he was about to ask for help from a very dangerous creature. The master of Obsession was something far more frightening than a simple vampire. Vampires lived off of blood, a substance that every living creature possessed. They were not greedy, and their manipulation had its limits. This man, whose control stretched for more than a hundred miles in any direction, was far worse. He did not stop at blood. He fed on money, pleasure and greed. He was an incubus. They were creatures of lust, a word that only began at sexual desire and extended to all areas of life. All excesses belonged to him, and he used them to whatever ends he enjoyed the most. More often than not, that resulted in pain or death for people seeking favors, for slights against him... real or imagined.
Eli was keenly aware of the fact that the human boy dying in the car had saved his life. Perhaps not willingly at first, but the fact that Kevin was the only reason he had survived was plain enough. A debt like that could not be ignored, but more than that he simply did not like the thought of that particular human dying because of him. He had no reason to care, and he told himself that it was only because of the life-debt he now owed. He would do what needed to be done to see that Kevin was repaid.
Making his decision, Eli reached up and felt for the buzzer above the door, cleverly disguised in between two bricks. Wishing he hadn't needed to be there, he pressed down and waited.
Several minutes passed without any sign of life from the door. Then, slowly, it slid open. Standing several feet back from the entrance, a tall man with dark eyes and chin-length brown hair looked out at him. He was dressed in several layers of loosely tied silk, giving the false impression of wearing a shawl. This was someone Eli recognized; Kiseop, the incubus's personal slave. His master was rarely far away, but no one could see him without speaking to Kiseop first.
"Good evening," came the expected greeting. Kiseop looked at him blandly. "Can I help you?"
The question was poorly phrased. The slave was little more than a mouthpiece, a fact that Eli was clearly aware of. Kiseop could not help him, but he could grant him an audience with the person he really needed to see.
"I need to speak to your master," Eli told him. "I have a problem and I need a solution. Tonight. Now, actually."
Kiseop nodded, then bowed low to the ground. "Please wait one moment."
Eli stayed where he was, expecting the door to close in his face. Instead, Kiseop turned and vanished behind a solid black curtain that Eli hadn't realized was there. He knew better than to peek behind it, though. So, he waited. Several minutes later, Kiseop emerged once more.
"He has agreed to see you," Kiseop informed him, bowing deeply once more. When he righted himself, he gestured towards the black curtain. "If you would, please follow me."
Without waiting for a response, the slave stood folded his hands in front of him. He led the way into the darkness. The curtains masked a rough stone staircase that descended steeply more than six stories below the city. The isolation from the world outside was both apparent and imposing. Even vampires did not enjoy the feeling of being boxed in with cold stone.
Pausing at the base of the stairs, Kiseop retrieved a set of keys that he had hidden in his layered clothing. With them, he opened the massive, ominous stone door that led into a set of dim hallways. He led the way inside, shutting the barrier behind them, and then stepped in front of Eli and gestured for the vampire to follow him. This corridor was wide, but more oppressive than the stone stairs. Dark walls vanished in places, leading into other halls and passages that branched off into the unknown. Every once and a while, a door would appear on one of the walls, unmarked and seemingly unopenable. The hallway seemed to stretch on forever. Eli had seen these passages before, when he had moved into the region and had to ask for permission to remain in the area, and they had made him uneasy then. That hadn't changed.
After what seemed like an eternity, they came to the absolute end of the hall. Another massive door stood in their way, this one carved out of wood and inlayed with numerous foreign symbols and words, all of them colored gold. Eli didn't have to ask where they were. They had finally arrived at the master's chamber.
For this door, the slave did not bother with a set of keys. Instead, Kiseop reached up and touched several particular symbols around the door's edges and then stroked the center. The door opened in front of them. Bowing low to the ground, he did not look up as he said, "My master waits for you inside."
Cautiously, Eli stepped through the doorway. He found himself in a well-lit room that was a stark contrast to the halls from which he had just come. The floor was made of light-colored wood, and pastel paint adorned the walls in flickering shades that were revealed by the lamps lit all around the room's perimeter. The center of the floor was covered by a massive oriental carpet, the only real decoration the room offered. In the far corners of the room, two men in plain clothes stood at the ready. Guards. They were easy to ignore, however, in light of the room's centerpiece.
A massive throne occupied the far wall, centered and framed by ornate woodwork that was thoroughly at odds with the rest of the decor. Seated in it was the person Eli had never wanted to have to speak to again, the person whose help he needed most. Jaeseop. Tall and more imposing than his thinness suggested, he was every bit the king of his castle just then. He was dressed in black from head to toe, his shirt casually unbuttoned and belt unfastened, formality wasn't needed when he was in charge. A single earring, dangling one white feather, added contrast to his otherwise dark attire. The incubus lounged across the massive seat as though it were a sofa, one leg slung over an arm of the throne. Three women dressed in little more than scraps of cloth and thin scarves were draped over him, ears and tails twitching. The one in his lap purred loudly. Feline spirits, Eli thought, staring.
"Kiseop said you needed my help." Jaeseop sat up a little, removing his leg from the arm of the throne and making a visible effort to straighten up. "I remember you. I can't imagine why you'd need my help. Come over here."
Eli wondered whether or not he could get out of coming closer. Deciding that it would be best not to argue, he did as he was told and stepped forward, staying twenty feet away for safety's sake.
"I have a problem I can't solve," Eli replied flatly. "I thought maybe you'd have a solution."
The incubus leered at him, pushing away the cat girl in his lap so that he could lean forward to look at him more intently. "The last time you were here, you asked for permission to live in my city. And now you're coming here for help without even offering something in return? That's pretty risky, you know. So, what's the problem?"
"I was injured in a fight. Some of my blood got into a human's mouth." Eli was careful with his words. "I'm looking for a cure for the poison, since vampire blood's toxic to humans."
Jaeseop's lips twitched in amusement. "You want to save a human? Why bother?"
Eli clenched his fists. He felt as though he was being laughed at. "He is my property." A lie, but a necessary one. "Is that not enough?"
"Oh, he's your property." The tone of Jaeseop's voice made it clear that Eli was being mocked. He shoved the cat girl off the throne, ignoring the cry she made when she hit the floor. Folding one leg across the other, he looked at Eli imperiously. "Well, in that case, let's say that I have a cure for vampire venom. What will you give me for it? There's no such thing as a free lunch... except in your case, since the human's yours, I suppose."
Payment. The obvious was something that hadn't even crossed Eli's mind. He had no massive amount of secret wealth, at least not the sort he thought the overlord would be interested in. He knew that the incubus valued oddities and exotic treasures, and he doubted that money would be of any real interest. Wealth had different meanings to creatures that lived for centuries.
"I'm not sure what I can offer you," Eli said. "What do you want?"
"How about you for a month?" Jaeseop suggested, his smirk widening. "I'd send you home in one piece afterwards, probably, and you'd enjoy it."
Eli stared at him. "No."
"No? That's a shame. You look like you'd be fun to play with." Leaning back against the throne, Jaeseop scratched idly at his chest. "So you don't have anything to offer, and you want to save a human. Why should I even think about helping you? It's just a human. Why don't you just drain it? If you need a servant that badly, turn it. There's no point in letting it live if it's been poisoned. They die quickly anyway."
Eli did not know the incubus well, but rumors had said that Jaeseop was not a talkative person. Just then, he wondered if humans were something of a sore spot for the overlord. He also knew that he was on dangerous ground. What Jaeseop had told him was common sense; no supernatural would ever lower themselves to the level that he was currently at. None of them would help a human. He could not afford to appear weak despite his request.
"If you can't help me, I'll just check with somebody else," Eli said, taking a risk. He had insulted Jaeseop and he knew it, but the gamble paid off as Jaeseop sat up a little straighter, frowning. Eli leveled his gaze at the lord. "What's your price, or are you bluffing about having something?"
"I have what you need." The words weren't laughing anymore. Jaeseop looked at him sharply, and Eli knew that he had struck a nerve. "But you're the first person in nearly a century to ask me for something like that. I've got it, but it won't be cheap. I only have one set of what you need, and my price will be high. Very high."
Something about the way the words were said sent a sense of morbid discomfort sliding down Eli's spine. "How high are we talking?"
"If I do this for you, you will owe me a favor."
There was no hesitation in the response, and Jaeseop met his eyes evenly as he said them. The incubus only glanced away when the sound of the door opening echoed through the room. Turning slightly, Eli could see Kiseop stepping inside once more. The slave carried a leather case, no larger than a bible, on a silk pillow. Jaeseop motioned him forward, directing him to stand to one side.
"What kind of favor?" Eli asked, shifting his gaze back to Jaeseop.
"Any kind, big or small. I could ask you to kill someone. I could ask you to kill yourself. I could even ask you for that month I mentioned. Or I could just ask you to wash the dishes upstairs for an evening." Jaeseop's eyes lit up as though he were considering the possibilities. "Whatever I ask, and you cannot refuse. That's my offer, take it or leave it."
"And you guarantee that this will cure the human?" Ordinarily, Eli wasn't one to press his point, but he knew that there could be no room for doubt this time. That was especially true when the cost was so high. Owing a favor to someone like Jaeseop could turn out to be a deadly proposition if he wasn't careful. "That it will save his life."
"Of course," Jaeseop told him, smiling. "I'm not one for lying."
Eli thought about the boy dying inside his yellow hatchback outside of the building, blissfully ignorant of everything that was happening. Kevin was just a human, but Eli owed him a great debt. He let his gaze slip back to the rough leather of the satchel sitting on the pillow that Kiseop held. There was much at stake, more than just a human's life, but he had no choice. The answer was simple. He would have to agree, but that didn't guarantee that he would be able to meet the cost.
"What happens if you ask a favor that I can't complete?" Eli asked. "Or you ask me for something I don't have."
He expected an immediate answer. Instead, Jaeseop took a moment to stretch himself out like a giant cat, arching against the wood. Resting back against the throne, he folded his arms over one knee, looking every bit the ruler he was.
After a moment of silent, Jaeseop lifted one hand and jerked his thumb at Kiseop. "Do you know what he is?"
"No, I don't."
Supernaturals did not have any sort of psychic knowledge of the natures of others. While Eli had met Kiseop before, he had not recognized his particular variety of strangeness. He had never particularly cared to find out anything about anyone who was closely associated with Jaeseop, let alone his slave.
"Kiseop," Jaeseop said smoothly, "inform our guest of what you are."
With a bob of his head, Kiseop turned to face Eli. "I am djinn," he said, adding another small bow.
Djinn were something that Eli had heard tales of, but he did not know that Kiseop was one. He had never seen one in person before this. All he knew were the rumors that were passed around bars and rough conversations between conspirators. Djinn were supposedly supremely powerful, more so than anything short of a god. Some of the legends were true: they granted wishes for masters, they were immortal, and at least some of them had once been human. That was all he knew.
"What does that have to do with my question?" Eli asked. The only thing he had gleaned was the fact that Jaeseop apparently liked wishes.
"You honestly can't figure it out?" Jaeseop seemed genuinely surprised, though it smacked of snark. "Djinn are exotic. Trophies, if you can tame them, because they're very dangerous. So powerful. Any one of them could wish this world completely out of existence if they were so compelled, and their masters do not have to give the order. They can act of their own free will."
Eli arched an eyebrow. "Okay..."
"They have a single weakness."
"What is that?" Eli's patience was wearing thin. He was uncertain how long the human would survive under the effects of his venom, and he didn't want to think that a debt had gone unpaid thanks to pointless banter.
"All of their strength and magic comes from one source," Jaeseop said, and his smile widened. "Hope. That's what drives them. They're slaves. All of them. He's no exception, and there's not a damn thing he can say or do about it. But they still have hope. Funny, huh? All tied up, collar around your neck, but there's always the hope that you'll get free. Hope for the future, for a life, for independent thinking.
"So, Eli Kim, the vampire who wants to save a human. Tell me this. I treat him like shit. Why, if he's so dangerous, do I let him wander around my house like this? He's not even wearing a collar. He's not even watched over by a guard or something. I keep him around like a pet. All the magic in the world, and yet he's still here, licking my boots. He won't hurt me. He can't. Why do you think that is?"
That morbid chill in Eli's spine intensified. He had turned his eyes to look at the incubus once more, but in that instant he glanced towards Kiseop. The slave stared at the ground listlessly, not responding to the harsh words that his master was saying. Eli didn't answer the question he had been asked. He didn't have to. He already knew the answer: Jaeseop risked keeping something like that in his presence because he had eliminated any possible threat. Kiseop was a djinn, but he had no magic with which to retaliate. Jaeseop had taken that from him. He had taken away the source. He had eliminated all hope. That thought was just as sobering as any thought of death could be.
When Eli looked back, he found Jaeseop staring at him. "Does that answer your question of what will happen if you refuse whatever favor I choose to ask in payment, vampire?"
"Yes. Very clearly."
"So do you want the cure or not?" Jaeseop asked. "It makes no difference to me, but if you want it, you have to sign a contract concerning the payment. So, sign if you will. Leave if you will not."
"All right." There was no other choice to be made. Eli nodded. "Where should I sign?"
There was no paper visible, but Eli was unsurprised. Contracts in the magical world were not always tangible things with files and notaries to make certain that everything was in order. Jaeseop shrugged. "I thought we might do things a little more traditionally. The old way. Come closer."
'The old way' was the term their kind used for blood contracts and blood seals. Papers could be erased, people could be bribed, but blood never lied. His distaste for killing mortals or even drinking from them did not extent to immortals. Even if it had, he doubted that Jaeseop would have accepted a substitution.
Eli stepped closer to the throne as Jaeseop accepted a silver knife from one of the feline women still hovering around the throne. Wherever she had retrieved it from was a mystery, but Eli could not help but follow the direction of the blade as Jaeseop picked it up and guided it to his wrist. With a swift movement, the cut was made and a stream of bright red bubbled up from the incubus's skin, spilling over the edges of the cut. Eli's throat twisted painfully with a sudden rush of thirst. Blood.
"You first," the lord told him. "Drink, and then I'll do the same and it'll be official. One cure for one favor. Fair deal."
Hesitation was a moot point; Eli moved forward quickly, lips fastening over the cut on the incubus's wrist. The blood was hot and warm, and the contract was momentarily forgotten as he lost himself in the intensity of his thirst, feeling small sparks against his tongue that spoke to Jaeseop being something more than human. The blood made him feel hot and alive. It was addictive.
As quickly as the heat had begun to burn pleasantly down his throat, fingers dug into his hair and pulled his head away. Jaeseop smirked. "Don't get greedy or I might think you like it."
The words brought Eli out of his thirst-induced high as quickly as though he had been slapped. He hoped that the incubus blood wouldn't have any strange effects, a thought that hadn't occurred to him before he had agreed.
"Your turn." Jaeseop tossed him the knife. Eli reached out and caught it before it hit the ground. Despite what it looked like, the knife wasn't actually made of silver. Silver was a deadly metal to most supernatural creatures, and dangerous even to those it didn't poison. For some reason, most of them found it fascinating, perhaps because it was the closest they would ever come to death.
Eli didn't hesitate. He turned the knife inwards and winced slightly as the blade pierced his skin.
"Hurry up," he said, "It'll heal quick."
He didn't see Jaeseop move, but he felt a tug on his wrist and suddenly found himself kneeling on the ground in front of the wooden throne. Jaeseop grinned down at him, fastening a hand around his wrist and smearing some of the blood between his fingers. "Cheers."
The overlord wasted no time wrapping his lips around Eli's wrist, sucking harder than was needed. Eli let out a grunt of dissatisfaction at the unnatural action. Vampires drank from others, not the other way around.
With one last pull, AJ removed his mouth, licking the last few specks of red from his lips. "Tasty."
Eli glared. "Are we d--"
Suddenly, Jaeseop leaned forward and grabbed the back of his head. Dragging Eli forward, he pressed their lips together greedily. Heat and blood registered, sending an electric shock through the vampire's body. Eli shuddered, shoving the incubus away forcefully. The shove disconnected them, and Eli found himself sprawled on the floor, looking up at the lord as the incubus threw his head back and laughed.
"Sealed with a kiss," Jaeseop declared, completely unfazed by his own actions. "Go on, get out of here. My slave will meet you at the main door with your cure."
Eli wasted no time in getting to his feet and walking to the door, which opened for him. He did not bother glancing back towards the throne to see if Jaeseop was watching him leave. He lifted an arm, rubbing at his mouth. He just wanted to be done with the entire ordeal, and especially the strange tingling sensation against his lips. He felt filthy and used, and he was quickly beginning to suspect that he had been tricked. A filthy, demoralizing creature like an incubus had no respect for others. And why the hell had he kissed him?
Countless thoughts swirled through his mind as he followed the corridor, careful not to break off into one of the branching halls that led away from the primary path. He found the door that led to the staircase, the one he had first descended from street level. Opening it, he shoved himself through the opening and shoved the barrier closed behind him as though he was forcing away the incubus's touch. Focusing on the stairs, it took only a moment to climb them, their height overcome with his own agility and speed.
As promised, Kiseop waited for him at the head of the stairs. Eli paused in front of the door, turning towards the djinn with no small amount of suspicion. "Okay. What is it and how do I use it?"
Kiseop took a step towards him, meeting his eyes. "I have what you want, but I am afraid that my master has lied to you."
Already on edge from the events in the throne room, Eli was not surprised to learn something like that. He was very surprised, however, that the incubus's servant would be so upfront about a deception.
"How did he lie?" Eli asked.
"The cure is not what it seems," Kiseop replied. His voice was calm, but he looked unhappy and severely uncomfortable, as though it took him a great deal of effort to reveal the information. "It can cure someone who has consumed vampire blood, yes, but the success rates are not... high. I doubt you will find any hope in this case." Kiseop held out the leather satchel, either side clutched in a pale hand. "But this is what you've bargained for. I hope the cost is worth it."
Eli gritted his teeth. "How many times has it worked?"
"I have not seen it succeed," Kiseop murmured. "Not... the way you seem to hope, at least."
"And how many times have you seen it used?" Eli asked, feeling his tension grow. He did not know if he could trust the slave, but there was no good reason for the djinn to lie to him about something like this.
Shifting uneasily, Kiseop adjusted the thin layers of his clothing, revealing that the layers were simply a coat over a thin shift below it. "I've seen it administered six times, twice under my master's direction."
"How many of those times have you seen it work?"
"Just once," the slave whispered. The words were barely audible. "And the man, he was not himself when all was said and done. He had forgotten himself completely."
He was not himself. Was there a point to trying to save Kevin when he had just been told something like that? Eli looked at the leather pouch, but he did not reach for it. "What do I have to do?"
Kiseop hesitated, clearly anticipating that the cure would be rejected. When it wasn't, he shifted the parcel and undid the top flap, revealing a series of five glass phials. Each of the bottles contained a different color of fluid. A sixth bottle, half the size of the others and colored silver, sat at the end.
"Take these fluids, and use them from left to right. One each day, save for the last." Kiseop pointed to each of them in turn. "You must apply the liquid to his skin in the pattern of the cross here," the slave said, pointing to his forehead, and then pointing to the left side of his chest, "and here. There are words that must be said. You will find them on the paper hidden here in the pouch. After the cross has been applied, have him drink the rest of the day's phial until the last drop. That is very important, you must save the last drop or else you will fail.
"On the last day, if you have done what I've told you, you must mix the remainder of the fluids into the silver phial. Be careful not to touch the contents. You are a vampire, and they may well kill you. You need not paint his skin as you did with these," Kiseop said, indicating the clear containers, "but he must drink all of it and quickly. If there is hesitation, even the smallest measure of it, madness will set in."
Considering the words, Eli hesitated and then reached out to take the case from Kiseop. The djinn nodded, tying it shut before handing it over. Eli held the case gingerly, surprised at the amount of relief he felt at having it in his hands. "Will he simply remain unconscious until the cure is complete?"
"No." The slave hesitated again, staring at the floor. "The process is long and difficult."
"Difficult how?"
"He will be in an unimaginable amount of pain," Kiseop told him. "That is why they say death is sometimes preferable. You might be wise to save him from this torture. Are you still certain that you want to try and save him?"
It was a good question. A moral one. Morals weren't something that most vampires concerned themselves with, but the thought of tossing Kevin's life aside bothered Eli even though Kevin was only a human. Even if he had to suffer. There was not a choice to be made. There were only two things that mattered: he had the cure that he needed, and he was also running out of time.
"I'm sure. I'll take it." He clutched the leather pack to his chest. "Thanks."
As he turned to walk away, he wondered just how much of what he had been told was a lie and just how much those lies would cost him.
The devil's bargain that he had just struck weighed heavily on Eli's mind as he climbed into the car and drove. His destination was clear: he would return the human to his apartment, and he hoped that he could remember the location. Not only was he unwilling to bring an outsider to his own lair, but he supposed that humans might recover better in familiar territory. After all, they were notoriously sentimental.
In theory, administering the cure and repaying his debt was simple. He only had to make sure that the human survived. However, after two wrong turns and a half hour of solid time to think, Eli had already begun to regret the task he had taken on. Six phials, and five of them were to be administered once a day. That meant a minimum of five days. Five days of tending to a sick human. Five days of giving medicine that probably wouldn't work, or might even make the situation worse. Perhaps Jaeseop's djinn was right and he should just kill the boy. Even supposing Kevin survived the night, Eli knew nothing about humans. He had no idea how to keep one alive beyond the absolute basics. He might kill him accidentally out of ignorance.
Reaching no decision, he pulled the hatchback into the parking lot behind the familiar apartment complex and parked. Certain that he was at the right place, he got out and tucked the cure into his pocket. He slammed the door and then looked into the back seat.
"This is so fucking stupid. I'm making a mistake," he muttered under his breath. And still, he didn't turn and walk away. Instead, he opened the car door and pulled the human out. The boy looked surprisingly fragile. His skin was even paler than it had been an hour before, his breaths barely enough to move his chest. The sound of his speeding, fluttery heartbeat reached Eli's ears and the faintness of it surprised him. Kevin looked as though he was at death's door. His blond hair was a stark contrast to his skin, even under the street lamps.
Searching the boy's pockets, Eli found the set of keys he needed. Following what he remembered from their last encounter, he unlocked the door and climbed the stairs. An engraving on one key gave him the apartment number: 6. Shifting Kevin's weight in his arms, the vampire headed directly for the door and let them inside.
Once in the apartment, he did not bother to turn on the light. The faint moonlight streaming in through the windows was enough to show him where the couch sat. He moved swiftly, positioning Kevin on the cushions. As soon as the boy's body hit the couch, the human let out a loud, wordless moan. Pain, not from any cure but Eli's own venom. The sound struck a chord somewhere deep in Eli's chest. It was true that Kevin was just a human, but he was also a person. Eli could not let him die, not when the salvation he needed was so close at hand. But he was running out of time.
Not willing to risk misreading something even with his sharp night vision, Eli flipped on the overhead light, wincing when the light nearly blinded him. Moving quickly, he kneeled beside the couch and pulled the leather pack from his waistband, opening it and retrieving the first phial. Behind the line of small, glass containers, he found the paper that Kiseop had promised was there: an ancient piece of parchment only six inches wide, and as tall as the width of two fingers. The words were printed clearly upon it.
Studying the incantation, he committed it to memory. Then, he lifted the phial he needed and looked at it. There was nothing remarkable or even strange about the medicine. The glass was old, thick, and not much liquid sat inside of it. What little there was held a golden amber color. Eli drew an artificial breath, wishing for once that he could feel his own nervousness as more than just the tension in his limbs. He should have felt more ill at ease, and he did not like the calm in the room as he prepared to do what had to be done.
Pulling the stopper from the bottle, Eli pressed two fingers to the tip and tilted the container until he felt the wetness cling to his skin.
"Credo in prædictas Fatales," Eli said, enunciating as clearly as he could. He pressed his fingers to Kevin's forehead, trying to focus as he drew the sign of the cross over the smooth, pale skin. Kevin's back arched, his forehead pressing up against Eli's hand. Eli wondered if that was a good sign or a bad sign.
With the first cross finished, Eli looked down. Kevin was wearing a turtleneck, and he doubted the cure would be effective through clothing. Taking only a second to make his decision, he grabbed the sweater and tore it straight down the center. A shirt was less important than a life. Pushing the fabric out of the way, Eli glanced only momentarily at the pale skin of the boy's chest, distracted by the expanse of soft skin under his fingers. Admiring him just then seemed inappropriate.
Focusing his thoughts, Eli pressed his fingers to the bottle once more and dampened them. Drawing a cross on Kevin's chest, he recited the second part of the chant. "Cantare non poteram."
The potion tingled slightly against his fingertips, and Eli could feel some measure of warmth beginning to radiate from Kevin's body. The change was small, but he felt more alive even though the ritual had not been completed.
Maneuvering himself so that he sat alongside the couch, he looked at Kevin and tried to judge the best way to get fluid down his throat. He decided to slide an arm under Kevin's head, angling it so that he could simply hold the vessel to his lips and pour it into his mouth. Holding tight and praying that the human didn't choke, he tilted the glass bottle against his lips.
"Saltare nequeo," Eli finished, careful to empty everything but the very last drop into Kevin's mouth. The human offered no protest, not fighting in the slightest as Eli pulled away and stoppered the small glass bottle. Now all he could do was wait. Wait, and hope that nothing would go wrong.
Rating: R
Pairing: ElVin, JaeVin, 2Seop
Chapter: 2/18
Word Count: 11,916 (6,148 this chapter)
Warnings: Language, Gore, Violence, Non-Consensual Sexual Situations, Self Harm
Summary: Some debts can only be repaid in kind, even if their cost was taken by force. When a human hostage saves his immortal life, Eli Kim feels honor-bound to repay that debt. Instead, he finds himself in a rush to save the boy’s life… and his own hidden past.
The yellow hatchback's engine rumbled as Eli turned it off, parking the car in a dark alleyway far from the main street. Stepping out of the vehicle, he could hear shouting and sirens not too far away. He spared a glance into the back seat of the car, studying the shape of the boy sprawled across the back seat. The human was in bad shape. His breaths came in heavy pants, body shaking like a leaf. He was completely pale. Death was not far away.
Pulling his attention away from his charge, Eli turned to look at the building he had parked behind. A massive brick wall marked the presence of the neighborhood's largest and most popular upscale club. Obsession catered to the elegant and wealthy who wanted a taste of the darker side of life. That night, as with every night, patrons moved about in the building, shadows falling onto the ground outside in an otherworldly fashion. Music from whatever live band played inside served as entertainment, drifting out into the evening air and offering the perfect cover.
A kitchen helper looked up from where he was smoking a cigarette on the restaurant's back patio, staring at Eli. Ignoring him, the vampire walked across the alley and onto the back of the property. Turning the corner of the building, he headed straight for a broken-down, rotting wooden door that was set in an indentation in the bricks. The door was understated, looking less like an actual door and more like a neglected maintenance access. To the occasional idiots who attempted to break in, it became a death trap. For Eli, it held the only possible solution to saving the human he had accidentally poisoned.
Staring at the door, Eli stopped to give his position serious consideration before he acted. He hated coming here. The person this door represented was the only one who might have a solution for his current predicament. However, the things that happened behind that unassuming barrier were enough to chill his blood. Desperation had brought him this far, and without it he would never have considered resorting to anything as dangerous as talking to him.
Obsession was a cover business, one that helped fund and fuel the region's supernatural lord. He wasn't a king, at least not in title, but the man who kept order in the chaos of non-human activity in their area was not one to be taken lightly. He acted as both judge and jury, and he also held many secrets and illicit substances that could not be obtained through other methods. If you needed something, he was the one you had to speak to. If you committed a crime, he knew. Nothing could escape his notice and nothing happened without his approval.
Considering that now, Eli knew that he was about to ask for help from a very dangerous creature. The master of Obsession was something far more frightening than a simple vampire. Vampires lived off of blood, a substance that every living creature possessed. They were not greedy, and their manipulation had its limits. This man, whose control stretched for more than a hundred miles in any direction, was far worse. He did not stop at blood. He fed on money, pleasure and greed. He was an incubus. They were creatures of lust, a word that only began at sexual desire and extended to all areas of life. All excesses belonged to him, and he used them to whatever ends he enjoyed the most. More often than not, that resulted in pain or death for people seeking favors, for slights against him... real or imagined.
Eli was keenly aware of the fact that the human boy dying in the car had saved his life. Perhaps not willingly at first, but the fact that Kevin was the only reason he had survived was plain enough. A debt like that could not be ignored, but more than that he simply did not like the thought of that particular human dying because of him. He had no reason to care, and he told himself that it was only because of the life-debt he now owed. He would do what needed to be done to see that Kevin was repaid.
Making his decision, Eli reached up and felt for the buzzer above the door, cleverly disguised in between two bricks. Wishing he hadn't needed to be there, he pressed down and waited.
Several minutes passed without any sign of life from the door. Then, slowly, it slid open. Standing several feet back from the entrance, a tall man with dark eyes and chin-length brown hair looked out at him. He was dressed in several layers of loosely tied silk, giving the false impression of wearing a shawl. This was someone Eli recognized; Kiseop, the incubus's personal slave. His master was rarely far away, but no one could see him without speaking to Kiseop first.
"Good evening," came the expected greeting. Kiseop looked at him blandly. "Can I help you?"
The question was poorly phrased. The slave was little more than a mouthpiece, a fact that Eli was clearly aware of. Kiseop could not help him, but he could grant him an audience with the person he really needed to see.
"I need to speak to your master," Eli told him. "I have a problem and I need a solution. Tonight. Now, actually."
Kiseop nodded, then bowed low to the ground. "Please wait one moment."
Eli stayed where he was, expecting the door to close in his face. Instead, Kiseop turned and vanished behind a solid black curtain that Eli hadn't realized was there. He knew better than to peek behind it, though. So, he waited. Several minutes later, Kiseop emerged once more.
"He has agreed to see you," Kiseop informed him, bowing deeply once more. When he righted himself, he gestured towards the black curtain. "If you would, please follow me."
Without waiting for a response, the slave stood folded his hands in front of him. He led the way into the darkness. The curtains masked a rough stone staircase that descended steeply more than six stories below the city. The isolation from the world outside was both apparent and imposing. Even vampires did not enjoy the feeling of being boxed in with cold stone.
Pausing at the base of the stairs, Kiseop retrieved a set of keys that he had hidden in his layered clothing. With them, he opened the massive, ominous stone door that led into a set of dim hallways. He led the way inside, shutting the barrier behind them, and then stepped in front of Eli and gestured for the vampire to follow him. This corridor was wide, but more oppressive than the stone stairs. Dark walls vanished in places, leading into other halls and passages that branched off into the unknown. Every once and a while, a door would appear on one of the walls, unmarked and seemingly unopenable. The hallway seemed to stretch on forever. Eli had seen these passages before, when he had moved into the region and had to ask for permission to remain in the area, and they had made him uneasy then. That hadn't changed.
After what seemed like an eternity, they came to the absolute end of the hall. Another massive door stood in their way, this one carved out of wood and inlayed with numerous foreign symbols and words, all of them colored gold. Eli didn't have to ask where they were. They had finally arrived at the master's chamber.
For this door, the slave did not bother with a set of keys. Instead, Kiseop reached up and touched several particular symbols around the door's edges and then stroked the center. The door opened in front of them. Bowing low to the ground, he did not look up as he said, "My master waits for you inside."
Cautiously, Eli stepped through the doorway. He found himself in a well-lit room that was a stark contrast to the halls from which he had just come. The floor was made of light-colored wood, and pastel paint adorned the walls in flickering shades that were revealed by the lamps lit all around the room's perimeter. The center of the floor was covered by a massive oriental carpet, the only real decoration the room offered. In the far corners of the room, two men in plain clothes stood at the ready. Guards. They were easy to ignore, however, in light of the room's centerpiece.
A massive throne occupied the far wall, centered and framed by ornate woodwork that was thoroughly at odds with the rest of the decor. Seated in it was the person Eli had never wanted to have to speak to again, the person whose help he needed most. Jaeseop. Tall and more imposing than his thinness suggested, he was every bit the king of his castle just then. He was dressed in black from head to toe, his shirt casually unbuttoned and belt unfastened, formality wasn't needed when he was in charge. A single earring, dangling one white feather, added contrast to his otherwise dark attire. The incubus lounged across the massive seat as though it were a sofa, one leg slung over an arm of the throne. Three women dressed in little more than scraps of cloth and thin scarves were draped over him, ears and tails twitching. The one in his lap purred loudly. Feline spirits, Eli thought, staring.
"Kiseop said you needed my help." Jaeseop sat up a little, removing his leg from the arm of the throne and making a visible effort to straighten up. "I remember you. I can't imagine why you'd need my help. Come over here."
Eli wondered whether or not he could get out of coming closer. Deciding that it would be best not to argue, he did as he was told and stepped forward, staying twenty feet away for safety's sake.
"I have a problem I can't solve," Eli replied flatly. "I thought maybe you'd have a solution."
The incubus leered at him, pushing away the cat girl in his lap so that he could lean forward to look at him more intently. "The last time you were here, you asked for permission to live in my city. And now you're coming here for help without even offering something in return? That's pretty risky, you know. So, what's the problem?"
"I was injured in a fight. Some of my blood got into a human's mouth." Eli was careful with his words. "I'm looking for a cure for the poison, since vampire blood's toxic to humans."
Jaeseop's lips twitched in amusement. "You want to save a human? Why bother?"
Eli clenched his fists. He felt as though he was being laughed at. "He is my property." A lie, but a necessary one. "Is that not enough?"
"Oh, he's your property." The tone of Jaeseop's voice made it clear that Eli was being mocked. He shoved the cat girl off the throne, ignoring the cry she made when she hit the floor. Folding one leg across the other, he looked at Eli imperiously. "Well, in that case, let's say that I have a cure for vampire venom. What will you give me for it? There's no such thing as a free lunch... except in your case, since the human's yours, I suppose."
Payment. The obvious was something that hadn't even crossed Eli's mind. He had no massive amount of secret wealth, at least not the sort he thought the overlord would be interested in. He knew that the incubus valued oddities and exotic treasures, and he doubted that money would be of any real interest. Wealth had different meanings to creatures that lived for centuries.
"I'm not sure what I can offer you," Eli said. "What do you want?"
"How about you for a month?" Jaeseop suggested, his smirk widening. "I'd send you home in one piece afterwards, probably, and you'd enjoy it."
Eli stared at him. "No."
"No? That's a shame. You look like you'd be fun to play with." Leaning back against the throne, Jaeseop scratched idly at his chest. "So you don't have anything to offer, and you want to save a human. Why should I even think about helping you? It's just a human. Why don't you just drain it? If you need a servant that badly, turn it. There's no point in letting it live if it's been poisoned. They die quickly anyway."
Eli did not know the incubus well, but rumors had said that Jaeseop was not a talkative person. Just then, he wondered if humans were something of a sore spot for the overlord. He also knew that he was on dangerous ground. What Jaeseop had told him was common sense; no supernatural would ever lower themselves to the level that he was currently at. None of them would help a human. He could not afford to appear weak despite his request.
"If you can't help me, I'll just check with somebody else," Eli said, taking a risk. He had insulted Jaeseop and he knew it, but the gamble paid off as Jaeseop sat up a little straighter, frowning. Eli leveled his gaze at the lord. "What's your price, or are you bluffing about having something?"
"I have what you need." The words weren't laughing anymore. Jaeseop looked at him sharply, and Eli knew that he had struck a nerve. "But you're the first person in nearly a century to ask me for something like that. I've got it, but it won't be cheap. I only have one set of what you need, and my price will be high. Very high."
Something about the way the words were said sent a sense of morbid discomfort sliding down Eli's spine. "How high are we talking?"
"If I do this for you, you will owe me a favor."
There was no hesitation in the response, and Jaeseop met his eyes evenly as he said them. The incubus only glanced away when the sound of the door opening echoed through the room. Turning slightly, Eli could see Kiseop stepping inside once more. The slave carried a leather case, no larger than a bible, on a silk pillow. Jaeseop motioned him forward, directing him to stand to one side.
"What kind of favor?" Eli asked, shifting his gaze back to Jaeseop.
"Any kind, big or small. I could ask you to kill someone. I could ask you to kill yourself. I could even ask you for that month I mentioned. Or I could just ask you to wash the dishes upstairs for an evening." Jaeseop's eyes lit up as though he were considering the possibilities. "Whatever I ask, and you cannot refuse. That's my offer, take it or leave it."
"And you guarantee that this will cure the human?" Ordinarily, Eli wasn't one to press his point, but he knew that there could be no room for doubt this time. That was especially true when the cost was so high. Owing a favor to someone like Jaeseop could turn out to be a deadly proposition if he wasn't careful. "That it will save his life."
"Of course," Jaeseop told him, smiling. "I'm not one for lying."
Eli thought about the boy dying inside his yellow hatchback outside of the building, blissfully ignorant of everything that was happening. Kevin was just a human, but Eli owed him a great debt. He let his gaze slip back to the rough leather of the satchel sitting on the pillow that Kiseop held. There was much at stake, more than just a human's life, but he had no choice. The answer was simple. He would have to agree, but that didn't guarantee that he would be able to meet the cost.
"What happens if you ask a favor that I can't complete?" Eli asked. "Or you ask me for something I don't have."
He expected an immediate answer. Instead, Jaeseop took a moment to stretch himself out like a giant cat, arching against the wood. Resting back against the throne, he folded his arms over one knee, looking every bit the ruler he was.
After a moment of silent, Jaeseop lifted one hand and jerked his thumb at Kiseop. "Do you know what he is?"
"No, I don't."
Supernaturals did not have any sort of psychic knowledge of the natures of others. While Eli had met Kiseop before, he had not recognized his particular variety of strangeness. He had never particularly cared to find out anything about anyone who was closely associated with Jaeseop, let alone his slave.
"Kiseop," Jaeseop said smoothly, "inform our guest of what you are."
With a bob of his head, Kiseop turned to face Eli. "I am djinn," he said, adding another small bow.
Djinn were something that Eli had heard tales of, but he did not know that Kiseop was one. He had never seen one in person before this. All he knew were the rumors that were passed around bars and rough conversations between conspirators. Djinn were supposedly supremely powerful, more so than anything short of a god. Some of the legends were true: they granted wishes for masters, they were immortal, and at least some of them had once been human. That was all he knew.
"What does that have to do with my question?" Eli asked. The only thing he had gleaned was the fact that Jaeseop apparently liked wishes.
"You honestly can't figure it out?" Jaeseop seemed genuinely surprised, though it smacked of snark. "Djinn are exotic. Trophies, if you can tame them, because they're very dangerous. So powerful. Any one of them could wish this world completely out of existence if they were so compelled, and their masters do not have to give the order. They can act of their own free will."
Eli arched an eyebrow. "Okay..."
"They have a single weakness."
"What is that?" Eli's patience was wearing thin. He was uncertain how long the human would survive under the effects of his venom, and he didn't want to think that a debt had gone unpaid thanks to pointless banter.
"All of their strength and magic comes from one source," Jaeseop said, and his smile widened. "Hope. That's what drives them. They're slaves. All of them. He's no exception, and there's not a damn thing he can say or do about it. But they still have hope. Funny, huh? All tied up, collar around your neck, but there's always the hope that you'll get free. Hope for the future, for a life, for independent thinking.
"So, Eli Kim, the vampire who wants to save a human. Tell me this. I treat him like shit. Why, if he's so dangerous, do I let him wander around my house like this? He's not even wearing a collar. He's not even watched over by a guard or something. I keep him around like a pet. All the magic in the world, and yet he's still here, licking my boots. He won't hurt me. He can't. Why do you think that is?"
That morbid chill in Eli's spine intensified. He had turned his eyes to look at the incubus once more, but in that instant he glanced towards Kiseop. The slave stared at the ground listlessly, not responding to the harsh words that his master was saying. Eli didn't answer the question he had been asked. He didn't have to. He already knew the answer: Jaeseop risked keeping something like that in his presence because he had eliminated any possible threat. Kiseop was a djinn, but he had no magic with which to retaliate. Jaeseop had taken that from him. He had taken away the source. He had eliminated all hope. That thought was just as sobering as any thought of death could be.
When Eli looked back, he found Jaeseop staring at him. "Does that answer your question of what will happen if you refuse whatever favor I choose to ask in payment, vampire?"
"Yes. Very clearly."
"So do you want the cure or not?" Jaeseop asked. "It makes no difference to me, but if you want it, you have to sign a contract concerning the payment. So, sign if you will. Leave if you will not."
"All right." There was no other choice to be made. Eli nodded. "Where should I sign?"
There was no paper visible, but Eli was unsurprised. Contracts in the magical world were not always tangible things with files and notaries to make certain that everything was in order. Jaeseop shrugged. "I thought we might do things a little more traditionally. The old way. Come closer."
'The old way' was the term their kind used for blood contracts and blood seals. Papers could be erased, people could be bribed, but blood never lied. His distaste for killing mortals or even drinking from them did not extent to immortals. Even if it had, he doubted that Jaeseop would have accepted a substitution.
Eli stepped closer to the throne as Jaeseop accepted a silver knife from one of the feline women still hovering around the throne. Wherever she had retrieved it from was a mystery, but Eli could not help but follow the direction of the blade as Jaeseop picked it up and guided it to his wrist. With a swift movement, the cut was made and a stream of bright red bubbled up from the incubus's skin, spilling over the edges of the cut. Eli's throat twisted painfully with a sudden rush of thirst. Blood.
"You first," the lord told him. "Drink, and then I'll do the same and it'll be official. One cure for one favor. Fair deal."
Hesitation was a moot point; Eli moved forward quickly, lips fastening over the cut on the incubus's wrist. The blood was hot and warm, and the contract was momentarily forgotten as he lost himself in the intensity of his thirst, feeling small sparks against his tongue that spoke to Jaeseop being something more than human. The blood made him feel hot and alive. It was addictive.
As quickly as the heat had begun to burn pleasantly down his throat, fingers dug into his hair and pulled his head away. Jaeseop smirked. "Don't get greedy or I might think you like it."
The words brought Eli out of his thirst-induced high as quickly as though he had been slapped. He hoped that the incubus blood wouldn't have any strange effects, a thought that hadn't occurred to him before he had agreed.
"Your turn." Jaeseop tossed him the knife. Eli reached out and caught it before it hit the ground. Despite what it looked like, the knife wasn't actually made of silver. Silver was a deadly metal to most supernatural creatures, and dangerous even to those it didn't poison. For some reason, most of them found it fascinating, perhaps because it was the closest they would ever come to death.
Eli didn't hesitate. He turned the knife inwards and winced slightly as the blade pierced his skin.
"Hurry up," he said, "It'll heal quick."
He didn't see Jaeseop move, but he felt a tug on his wrist and suddenly found himself kneeling on the ground in front of the wooden throne. Jaeseop grinned down at him, fastening a hand around his wrist and smearing some of the blood between his fingers. "Cheers."
The overlord wasted no time wrapping his lips around Eli's wrist, sucking harder than was needed. Eli let out a grunt of dissatisfaction at the unnatural action. Vampires drank from others, not the other way around.
With one last pull, AJ removed his mouth, licking the last few specks of red from his lips. "Tasty."
Eli glared. "Are we d--"
Suddenly, Jaeseop leaned forward and grabbed the back of his head. Dragging Eli forward, he pressed their lips together greedily. Heat and blood registered, sending an electric shock through the vampire's body. Eli shuddered, shoving the incubus away forcefully. The shove disconnected them, and Eli found himself sprawled on the floor, looking up at the lord as the incubus threw his head back and laughed.
"Sealed with a kiss," Jaeseop declared, completely unfazed by his own actions. "Go on, get out of here. My slave will meet you at the main door with your cure."
Eli wasted no time in getting to his feet and walking to the door, which opened for him. He did not bother glancing back towards the throne to see if Jaeseop was watching him leave. He lifted an arm, rubbing at his mouth. He just wanted to be done with the entire ordeal, and especially the strange tingling sensation against his lips. He felt filthy and used, and he was quickly beginning to suspect that he had been tricked. A filthy, demoralizing creature like an incubus had no respect for others. And why the hell had he kissed him?
Countless thoughts swirled through his mind as he followed the corridor, careful not to break off into one of the branching halls that led away from the primary path. He found the door that led to the staircase, the one he had first descended from street level. Opening it, he shoved himself through the opening and shoved the barrier closed behind him as though he was forcing away the incubus's touch. Focusing on the stairs, it took only a moment to climb them, their height overcome with his own agility and speed.
As promised, Kiseop waited for him at the head of the stairs. Eli paused in front of the door, turning towards the djinn with no small amount of suspicion. "Okay. What is it and how do I use it?"
Kiseop took a step towards him, meeting his eyes. "I have what you want, but I am afraid that my master has lied to you."
Already on edge from the events in the throne room, Eli was not surprised to learn something like that. He was very surprised, however, that the incubus's servant would be so upfront about a deception.
"How did he lie?" Eli asked.
"The cure is not what it seems," Kiseop replied. His voice was calm, but he looked unhappy and severely uncomfortable, as though it took him a great deal of effort to reveal the information. "It can cure someone who has consumed vampire blood, yes, but the success rates are not... high. I doubt you will find any hope in this case." Kiseop held out the leather satchel, either side clutched in a pale hand. "But this is what you've bargained for. I hope the cost is worth it."
Eli gritted his teeth. "How many times has it worked?"
"I have not seen it succeed," Kiseop murmured. "Not... the way you seem to hope, at least."
"And how many times have you seen it used?" Eli asked, feeling his tension grow. He did not know if he could trust the slave, but there was no good reason for the djinn to lie to him about something like this.
Shifting uneasily, Kiseop adjusted the thin layers of his clothing, revealing that the layers were simply a coat over a thin shift below it. "I've seen it administered six times, twice under my master's direction."
"How many of those times have you seen it work?"
"Just once," the slave whispered. The words were barely audible. "And the man, he was not himself when all was said and done. He had forgotten himself completely."
He was not himself. Was there a point to trying to save Kevin when he had just been told something like that? Eli looked at the leather pouch, but he did not reach for it. "What do I have to do?"
Kiseop hesitated, clearly anticipating that the cure would be rejected. When it wasn't, he shifted the parcel and undid the top flap, revealing a series of five glass phials. Each of the bottles contained a different color of fluid. A sixth bottle, half the size of the others and colored silver, sat at the end.
"Take these fluids, and use them from left to right. One each day, save for the last." Kiseop pointed to each of them in turn. "You must apply the liquid to his skin in the pattern of the cross here," the slave said, pointing to his forehead, and then pointing to the left side of his chest, "and here. There are words that must be said. You will find them on the paper hidden here in the pouch. After the cross has been applied, have him drink the rest of the day's phial until the last drop. That is very important, you must save the last drop or else you will fail.
"On the last day, if you have done what I've told you, you must mix the remainder of the fluids into the silver phial. Be careful not to touch the contents. You are a vampire, and they may well kill you. You need not paint his skin as you did with these," Kiseop said, indicating the clear containers, "but he must drink all of it and quickly. If there is hesitation, even the smallest measure of it, madness will set in."
Considering the words, Eli hesitated and then reached out to take the case from Kiseop. The djinn nodded, tying it shut before handing it over. Eli held the case gingerly, surprised at the amount of relief he felt at having it in his hands. "Will he simply remain unconscious until the cure is complete?"
"No." The slave hesitated again, staring at the floor. "The process is long and difficult."
"Difficult how?"
"He will be in an unimaginable amount of pain," Kiseop told him. "That is why they say death is sometimes preferable. You might be wise to save him from this torture. Are you still certain that you want to try and save him?"
It was a good question. A moral one. Morals weren't something that most vampires concerned themselves with, but the thought of tossing Kevin's life aside bothered Eli even though Kevin was only a human. Even if he had to suffer. There was not a choice to be made. There were only two things that mattered: he had the cure that he needed, and he was also running out of time.
"I'm sure. I'll take it." He clutched the leather pack to his chest. "Thanks."
As he turned to walk away, he wondered just how much of what he had been told was a lie and just how much those lies would cost him.
The devil's bargain that he had just struck weighed heavily on Eli's mind as he climbed into the car and drove. His destination was clear: he would return the human to his apartment, and he hoped that he could remember the location. Not only was he unwilling to bring an outsider to his own lair, but he supposed that humans might recover better in familiar territory. After all, they were notoriously sentimental.
In theory, administering the cure and repaying his debt was simple. He only had to make sure that the human survived. However, after two wrong turns and a half hour of solid time to think, Eli had already begun to regret the task he had taken on. Six phials, and five of them were to be administered once a day. That meant a minimum of five days. Five days of tending to a sick human. Five days of giving medicine that probably wouldn't work, or might even make the situation worse. Perhaps Jaeseop's djinn was right and he should just kill the boy. Even supposing Kevin survived the night, Eli knew nothing about humans. He had no idea how to keep one alive beyond the absolute basics. He might kill him accidentally out of ignorance.
Reaching no decision, he pulled the hatchback into the parking lot behind the familiar apartment complex and parked. Certain that he was at the right place, he got out and tucked the cure into his pocket. He slammed the door and then looked into the back seat.
"This is so fucking stupid. I'm making a mistake," he muttered under his breath. And still, he didn't turn and walk away. Instead, he opened the car door and pulled the human out. The boy looked surprisingly fragile. His skin was even paler than it had been an hour before, his breaths barely enough to move his chest. The sound of his speeding, fluttery heartbeat reached Eli's ears and the faintness of it surprised him. Kevin looked as though he was at death's door. His blond hair was a stark contrast to his skin, even under the street lamps.
Searching the boy's pockets, Eli found the set of keys he needed. Following what he remembered from their last encounter, he unlocked the door and climbed the stairs. An engraving on one key gave him the apartment number: 6. Shifting Kevin's weight in his arms, the vampire headed directly for the door and let them inside.
Once in the apartment, he did not bother to turn on the light. The faint moonlight streaming in through the windows was enough to show him where the couch sat. He moved swiftly, positioning Kevin on the cushions. As soon as the boy's body hit the couch, the human let out a loud, wordless moan. Pain, not from any cure but Eli's own venom. The sound struck a chord somewhere deep in Eli's chest. It was true that Kevin was just a human, but he was also a person. Eli could not let him die, not when the salvation he needed was so close at hand. But he was running out of time.
Not willing to risk misreading something even with his sharp night vision, Eli flipped on the overhead light, wincing when the light nearly blinded him. Moving quickly, he kneeled beside the couch and pulled the leather pack from his waistband, opening it and retrieving the first phial. Behind the line of small, glass containers, he found the paper that Kiseop had promised was there: an ancient piece of parchment only six inches wide, and as tall as the width of two fingers. The words were printed clearly upon it.
Studying the incantation, he committed it to memory. Then, he lifted the phial he needed and looked at it. There was nothing remarkable or even strange about the medicine. The glass was old, thick, and not much liquid sat inside of it. What little there was held a golden amber color. Eli drew an artificial breath, wishing for once that he could feel his own nervousness as more than just the tension in his limbs. He should have felt more ill at ease, and he did not like the calm in the room as he prepared to do what had to be done.
Pulling the stopper from the bottle, Eli pressed two fingers to the tip and tilted the container until he felt the wetness cling to his skin.
"Credo in prædictas Fatales," Eli said, enunciating as clearly as he could. He pressed his fingers to Kevin's forehead, trying to focus as he drew the sign of the cross over the smooth, pale skin. Kevin's back arched, his forehead pressing up against Eli's hand. Eli wondered if that was a good sign or a bad sign.
With the first cross finished, Eli looked down. Kevin was wearing a turtleneck, and he doubted the cure would be effective through clothing. Taking only a second to make his decision, he grabbed the sweater and tore it straight down the center. A shirt was less important than a life. Pushing the fabric out of the way, Eli glanced only momentarily at the pale skin of the boy's chest, distracted by the expanse of soft skin under his fingers. Admiring him just then seemed inappropriate.
Focusing his thoughts, Eli pressed his fingers to the bottle once more and dampened them. Drawing a cross on Kevin's chest, he recited the second part of the chant. "Cantare non poteram."
The potion tingled slightly against his fingertips, and Eli could feel some measure of warmth beginning to radiate from Kevin's body. The change was small, but he felt more alive even though the ritual had not been completed.
Maneuvering himself so that he sat alongside the couch, he looked at Kevin and tried to judge the best way to get fluid down his throat. He decided to slide an arm under Kevin's head, angling it so that he could simply hold the vessel to his lips and pour it into his mouth. Holding tight and praying that the human didn't choke, he tilted the glass bottle against his lips.
"Saltare nequeo," Eli finished, careful to empty everything but the very last drop into Kevin's mouth. The human offered no protest, not fighting in the slightest as Eli pulled away and stoppered the small glass bottle. Now all he could do was wait. Wait, and hope that nothing would go wrong.