Last Breath - Part 26
Notes | Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15
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33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50
Minho was quick to curl up in the one hotel bed, while Onew was busy making sure the window was covered. Minho just pulled the covers over his head, tired of thinking, and worrying, and just wanting a moment of inner peace that he knew would be impossible to achieve.
He had to come out of the covers when there was a sudden itching in his nose, "I need a tissue."
Onew abandoned the window, which Minho couldn't help but smile at when he saw that Onew had shoved the hotel room's painting into it. Onew returned from the bathroom and tossed a roll of toilet paper at Minho, which was easily caught by the human.
"Thanks," Minho was saying as he pulled off a piece to blow his nose into.
"What is it again?" Onew asked suddenly. Minho was just lifting a tissue over his nose, but paused to look curiously at the vampire. "What's what?"
"The reason that Jonghyun has human memories."
Minho twitched, "You forgot?"
"That's pretty much how it works." Onew said, crossing his arms and pouting, as if defensive about his failed memory. "If it had to do with my human life, it's hard to remember."
"It's weird.." Minho said, "The memories are obviously there, but you just can't reach them?"
Onew nodded, "It is weird. So why is Jonghyun different?"
"I don't know. I just.. your sire promised you that you wouldn't forget him, and we thought because of that.."
"My sire." Onew narrowed his eyes, "I should have used that, talking to Key."
Minho looked thoughtfully at Onew for a long moment before he continued about his business, blowing his nose into the tissue. As he did, Onew raced to his side, grabbing the hotel room's phone. Then, he quickly stopped himself, cursing. "He could track this phone. I should go steal one."
"You want to call him again?"
"Yes. To mention my sire." Onew walked to the door, saying, "You stay here."
"Do you have to steal a phone, Onew?" Minho asked before he could leave. "Can't you just borrow one?"
Onew rolled his eyes, "You're worried about me stealing now? Do you want to call the police to ask them to help Taemin?"
Minho narrowed his eyes at him, "You don't have to be like that."
Onew stiffened a bit, and then sunk, "Fine. But I'm just saying.."
"I get it." Minho said, frowning and reaching for the roll of toilet paper, which was really rather thin and rough for his noseblowing. "You won't be gone long?"
"I won't go even a mile away." Onew said.
"Don't forget. Your sire."
Onew frowned at him.
".. Do you want me to write it down?" Minho asked.
"I won't forget." Onew said, wrinkling his nose and hurrying out the door, half-slamming it shut.
Minho felt terribly vulnerable, being alone like that. Rather than retreating back under the covers, he stared cautiously at the door, waiting.
***
"You're calling me back again?" Key asked, sounding almost exasperated. "Should I share a little more information about you with your human?"
"He's not listening this time." Onew answered. He stood on a dark street, by the unconscious duo that he'd taken the phone from. "My sire." he blurted out, before there was any forgetting to be done.
Key's voice was cold, and he stiffened, "What about him?"
"If The Council figured out that Jonghyun has human memories because of him, what kind of opinion do you think they'd have?"
"Are you asking me to give you Lee Taemin so I can defend your sire's honor?" Onew could hear a certain unusual hesitance in Key's voice as he continued, "You are.. really starting to piss me off, Onew."
"I want the hunter."
"And what would I say to The Council? That I let him get away? I already told you what my mission is."
"You're not saying no." Onew noted.
Key was silent for a moment, and then said, "I'll give you a chance, how about that? I'll text you an address and you can show up to try to save Taemin. If you can't, tough shit. If you can, fine. Either way, you disappear by the time the sun comes up. Got it?"
Honestly, the deal caught Onew off guard. "And you'll take responsibility for Jonghyun?" he asked Key.
"Do we have a deal, or not?" was Key's irritated response.
"How should I stand a chance against all of you?" Onew asked in a slight growl.
"You probably don't. Why would I make this easy for you? Do you think that protecting your sire's honor means more than anything to me? I care, Onew, but I'm not a fucking idiot. Come and get Taemin if you want to, or don't. I'm sending the address. He'll be gone by the end of the night, one way or another."
Key hung up, moving immediately to the text screen of his phone. In front of him, a car pulled up, but he didn't even look up as Taeyang, Daesung, and Seungri noisily got out of it. He put in the address, and sent.
"Hey," Taeyang said to him, as Seungri and Daesung walked ahead into the warehouse. "You should get some blood yourself now."
Key closed his phone, the message done sending, and he looked up at Taeyang. "Tell Jiyong that Onew.."
"Onew?" Taeyang asked.
Key frowned, eyes hooded in his thought. He was caught in a memory from long ago, of the vampire who'd made him special, of the vampire he'd loved.
"Key?" Taeyang pressed.
"Onew isn't coming for Taemin. He already talked to The Council." Key finished in a lie, and swiftly walked to his car. Taeyang looked after him, the slightest bit suspicious, but he let it slide and went into the warehouse after the others.
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