Chapter 3 #2
“It’s a matter of a personal nature. My friend has married recently, and his behaviour has changed in a way that has left me wondering if something strange is going on.”
“I see. In what way is your friend acting oddly?”
“He was never the sort to limit his passion to one man. I’ve known him for decades, and not once has he allowed the control his husband seems to have over him.
I admit we’ve had a few physical encounters, and would like to do so again, but he is refusing and is limiting our interactions at the behest of his husband. ”
“It’s not uncommon for newly married people to want to be faithful to each other,” Trevir said. “You’re one hell of an ex to be compared to, Dorian. Most men would be a little worried.”
“But my friend is a vampire of a certain standing. Vampire marriages are political and don’t involve much in the way of monogamy as far as I’ve seen. So, I’m concerned my friend’s husband has enchanted him somehow.”
“You’re not wrong on the vampire front.” Trevir scratched his beard. “Is his new husband magical?”
“Yes.”
“I see. Who are we talking about?”
He’d come this far, and he thought Trevir would have already guessed. “Robin Flint.”
Trevir puffed out his cheeks. “The whole of Hollywood is talking about how he got married, and there’s not even a sniff of him being interested in anyone but his husband. It’s like he’s a completely different guy.”
“My point exactly.”
Trevir sucked his tongue. “As far as I was aware, before he got married, he didn’t have a permanent lover; now here he is joined at the hip to his new man, which is, as you say, out of character. But I think the biggest factor is who he married.”
“I’m aware of Prince Simon. He’s pretty enough for a fae, and no doubt well-connected.”
Trevir laughed. “Well-connected? He’s Prince Simon of the Calanti tribe and the Dark Viscount of MacLove—future Dark Earl. That’s a serious pedigree. I imagine Robin has more than fancying his husband as a reason to stay faithful.”
“The vampires and the fae often marry for political means.”
Trevir leant forward. “I think you might be overlooking something. Before his marriage to Robin, very little was known about Prince Simon. I believe he was deliberately kept in the fae realm, away from prying eyes.”
Dorian hadn’t thought much about Simon beyond him being a potential thorn in his side. “So?”
“Dorian, how do vampires make baby vampires?”
Dorian hadn’t expected the question. “What? They don’t, they’re turned.”
“Exactly, but Prince Simon is the son of King James; the title of Dark Earl will be passed through a blood connection. None of the other Vampire Houses do that.”
Dorian still wasn’t sure what Trevir was getting at. “And that matters why?”
Trevir’s expression was serious. “No one will say this outright, but you’re probably trying to go up against a vampire-fae.”
Dragons didn’t really worry about other species, and he wasn’t sure what Trevir meant. “Doesn’t mean much to me.”
“Fae can be devious and dangerous, vampires vicious and manipulative. Put the two together, and you get a powerful and dangerous creature. Prince Simon still limits his interactions in this realm; information about him is not easy to come by, and while mine is only a hypothesis, I don’t think I’m wrong. ”
Dorian didn’t care what Simon was; what he wanted was for Robin to be safe. “Are you saying you can’t help?”
“I’m just warning you of why Robin might have changed his ways. Vampire-fae magic is supposed to be very powerful.”
“Maybe Simon has enchanted Robin,” Debi said. “If that’s the case, Robin might not be operating under free will, and we should help set him free. Dorian’s really worried about his friend.”
“Simon would be more than capable if the legends are correct,” Trevir said. “A worrying development for Robin and the House of Hewel. I can’t imagine they would like one of their own to be played like a fiddle.”
Dorian wasn’t sure about that angle. Robin wouldn’t have gone through with a wedding if his Head of House wasn’t on board, and from what he knew of Sebastian Hewel, he was a scary motherfucker, not someone to be crossed.
However, if Trevir was right, then Dorian might earn serious brownie points, not just with Robin by setting him free, but with other, even more important vampires.
“Then you understand why I’ve come to you for help.”
“Absolutely.” Trevir fished in his robe and pulled out what looked like a red rubber ball.
“Do you have anything Robin’s touched before and after his marriage?
I might be able to get a vibe off them, see if there’s a way to confirm the difference.
I’ve no doubt your instincts are correct, but we want to be certain, as we could be putting ourselves in a dangerous position. ”
Dorian pointed to the script he’d been reading. “There’s that. He gave it to me a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve a watch from last year which was a gift to celebrate the success of one of my films.”
The watch was one of several presents Robin had bought him over the years. There had been times when he thought there was more behind them, but Robin hadn’t been the type to buy romantic gifts for people.
Debi stood. “Do you want me to grab the watch?”
“Yeah, it’s on my dresser. You know the one.”
She raced away. Dorian turned back to Trevir.
“When I first thought there might be an enchantment, it was more wishful thinking. Robin had rejected my advances, and I was annoyed. Now, I’m worried that I’m right, and even if we don’t end up as a couple, I owe it to my friend to make sure he’s safe. ”
“The myths around vampire-fae suggest anything is possible when it comes to what they are capable of. If I can get a trace for Robin from each of the items and they are different, then it’s evidence that something else is going on.”
“He did change so dramatically. I get that love can do strange things to people, but there’s a limit.”
Debi reappeared with the watch, which she laid next to the script.
Trevir leant over the table and rolled his rubber ball across the script and down the length of the watch.
The ball glowed, then flashed several colours, reminding Dorian of a dog toy.
“I’ve filtered out the different traces.
Three people have touched both items. I can exclude you and Debi, which must mean the third is Robin. ”
Trevir stared at the ball while muttering something that made no sense to Dorian, sounding like unrelated words thrown together. “Quip, see, blink, wish, fest.”
“Well?” Dorian asked.
“Every being gives off a signature energy pattern, and it should be constant once they reach their maturity, but there is a clear difference. Minor changes can occur due to stress, illness and exposure to certain activities, but not to this extent.” He frowned.
“This could be serious. Robin might be in danger.”
“If he is, then we need to act,” Dorian said. He wanted Robin as a lover, but he was also a friend, and if he was in trouble, then he needed to act to stop something worse from happening.
“The change in signature isn’t definitive evidence, and I think the enchantment would mean Robin wouldn’t listen to reason without concrete proof.
If Simon is manipulating Robin, he would have taken measures to prevent interference in that way,” Trevir said.
“But there is a way to fight fire with fire. It might take some experimenting, but would you be willing to try?”
Now his suspicions had been confirmed, he had to do something. “Yes, although you need to remember I’m a dragon, so you’re going to have to factor that in.”
“I think your dragon nature would work to our benefit. My first thought was to use a potion to somehow disrupt Simon’s spell. The trouble is, we don’t know what it is he’s used, and the broad-acting potions generally need to be drunk, and they have an obvious taste.”
“Robin’s not going to drink something he’s not sure of.”
“This isn’t going to be straightforward,” Trevir warned. “What we could do instead is work a charm into your cologne to heighten your dragon thrall and a dust that could make Robin more susceptible to your advances.”
“I don’t see how that would help. He’s already knocked me back.”
Trevir smiled. “If you can divert Robin’s attention away from Simon, the enchantment would be weakened, and then we can see if it can be broken. You’d be weaning Robin off his husband and onto you. It won’t work immediately; you’ll need to see him several times.”
“That’s easier said than done.” Dorian huffed. “He’s not willing to meet with me as often as he was before.”
“You still have your business interests,” Debi said. “You’ve got a photoshoot for a new fragrance promo in a few days.”
“Perfect. I can be ready by then,” Trevir said. “We’ll need to monitor the response, but I’ll ensure my availability so we can do so as soon as possible after you’ve exposed him to the cologne and dust.”
Dorian thought he must be missing something “How would I get a powder on Robin? He’s bound to notice. He’s the sort to pick a speck off his lapel.”
“You could touch him or cover an item he might handle. Your new cologne should be a good distraction. But don’t overdo it the first time; it’ll be better if you can allow the charm to build.”
He was genuinely worried for Robin. From what Trevir had found, it appeared his husband had trapped him, and Robin had no clue.
If Simon were a vampire-fae, then he could have all sorts of terrible plans for Robin.
Dorian wasn’t going to sit back and do nothing.
He would rescue Robin from the prison he didn’t even know he was being held captive in.