Chapter 6
Maxim let Jason’s joy at seeing Raven alive and well play out. The fledge had frozen, overwhelmed. Confusion, not fear, was written all over his face.
“Jason, perhaps we could take this inside?” Maxim said.
Jason pulled back, his light brown hair falling into his face. “Yeah. Right. Sorry, but just—dude, I went out to look for you all over the Forum, but no one had seen you. What the fuck happened? Where were you?”
Maxim cleared his throat and herded Jason back into the room, then gestured for Raven to follow as well. It took the young vampire longer to move, but once he crossed the threshold, he walked right to one of two beds, sank down on it, lay on his side, curled up, and hugged his knees to his chest.
Jason frowned. “What’s up with you? Where were you?”
Maxim let the door fall shut behind him a little too loudly. “Jason. Thank you so much for being patient with Raven.”
“Uhm, right. But—”
“Such a nice place you have.” Maxim strode farther into the room and looked around. There wasn’t much to it, just a minuscule kitchenette, a door that likely led to the shared bathroom, and two desks and bookshelves. “Will you kindly show me around?”
“Show you—huh?”
Maxim put a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “Pretend I’ve never been to a dormitory. Explain how all this works.”
Jason gave Maxim a befuddled look, then he glanced at Raven, who’d not moved a muscle.
“Okay. I mean, yeah. There’s not much… Like, this is our reception area.”
“Oh, dear me, you’re so very right. Indeed. Is this where you offer refreshments?”
Jason narrowed his eyes at Maxim. “Do you…drink? Anything but blood? I mean, Raven, you mind if Mr. Vallois has some of your vodka?”
“Oh, vodka? Dear Jason, I must reject the offer. Vodka is no good without some Mary in it.”
Jason’s eyes narrowed further. “Wait. Are you…trying to be funny?”
“Yes.”
“Oh. Gotcha. Right. That was pretty funny.”
Maxim smiled, showing all his teeth. “Thank you.”
Jason’s brows crept up his forehead. “Fuck. I think—Raven, I think he and you are the same kind of weird. Seriously though, can someone tell me what happened?”
Maxim heard Raven exhale. The noise was too quiet for Jason’s human hearing, but it showed that Raven was still there, was still listening. Good. Better than fleeing to the shelter of your own mind.
“We will not be discussing this. You will not speculate, and you will refrain from asking. You will do those things because you are Raven’s friend, and because what he needs now is your acceptance.”
“My acceptance?”
Maxim nodded. “He’s a new vampire.”
Jason’s mouth fell open. “He—Raven?” He rounded his own bed, the one closer to the door, and stopped, only then appearing to really see the way Raven had curled up. “Oh, fuck.”
“Meaning?” Maxim asked.
Jason looked at him. “Not like that, but this wasn’t planned? Just…Raven, are you okay?”
Maxim walked over to Jason and put a hand on his shoulder. “You were about to give me a tour of the room. I should like to see the shelves. And perhaps the bathroom. Do you clean it?”
“Yeah. Raven’s a fucking nuisance about cleaning the shower. We have a dedicated bottle of vinegar to get the water stains off the tiles.”
“Do you object to a clean shower, Jason?”
A nervous chuckle broke out of Jason. “Are you joking again?”
Maxim shrugged. “Not particularly.”
Maxim kept Jason talking. It wasn’t hard.
Jason was one of those people who could keep a conversation going all by himself and failed to get offended or upset by most things.
When he was done with the tour of the admittedly small room, Maxim got him to show him the photographs again: the ones he’d taken with Raven during various outings, the ones he’d shown him when he’d first been looking for Raven, frustrated that no one seemed to care, that no one seemed to want to do anything.
“…and this was the department party. Not really a party, just orientation for the freshmen and free food. I was volunteered to help.” He pointed. “By that guy.”
“That paper hat suits you, Jason,” Maxim said, though he looked at Raven smiling just behind Jason in the selfie while piling a plate with food, wearing a similarly ridiculous hat.
“You have a bad case of the sarcasm, Mr. Vallois. Anyone ever tell you that?”
“Oh, on a regular basis. Say, could you do me a favor?” He dug out his wallet and handed Jason a bill. “Head to the nearest bookstore. Find me either the newest Kawaii Demon Hunter whatever or some of the more unusual science fiction and fantasy that is appropriate for younger readers.”
Jason narrowed his eyes again. “You want me…to buy children’s books for you? And manga?”
“No. Books anyone can read but without themes that will deeply scar younger readers. And the manga. Just use your best judgment.”
Jason looked at the bill. “You want me to spend all of this? On books?”
“Most of it, if you please.”
“Dude, you’re really weird, Mr. Vallois.”
“Thank you.”
“Whatever.”
Jason grabbed his jacket and opened the door, but stopped before he headed out. “Raven, I’m glad you’re back, okay? I was just super worried, but I’m glad. Whatever happened, you’re home now.”
Maxim saw Raven’s brow furrow, saw him flinch slightly as the door closed behind Jason. Calmly and slowly, Maxim walked toward the bed and sank to the floor to sit cross-legged where Raven could see him.
“He’s a good roommate, is he not?”
It took at least a dozen slow, vampiric heartbeats, but in the end, Raven nodded. “I didn’t volunteer him though. He wanted to help out. He likes being in the middle of things.”
“That sounds about right. Did you enjoy that party?”
Raven shrugged. The movement was tense, much like most of Raven’s muscles. “It was for the freshmen, like he said. I don’t—I’m not that outgoing, but it was all right.” He heaved a sigh. “I can’t stay here, can I?”
Maxim was tempted to look away. He was tempted to lie. He was tempted to meddle so much with everyone and everything around Raven that he would be able to continue school, at least for a time. That would make it worse though, in the end.
So he kept facing Raven and said, “It might not be the most ideal setup for you at the moment.”
Tears filled Raven’s eyes. Then they ran over and soaked into the pillow. “Right.”
“Likely, you’ll be able to return to your studies. Perhaps in a few months. Or maybe I can have an internship arranged for you, something that will make it so a semester off will not hold you back much.”
Raven sniffled. “Doesn’t matter. I’m… It doesn’t matter anymore.”
It was Maxim’s turn to sigh. “Raven, do not give up. Take back the power they thought they had over you. Take back your very self. Do not give up.”
The fledge said nothing. His silent tears kept flowing. Maxim had no idea whether he’d been heard, but Raven’s eyes were clear despite all those tears, and that was something.