17
Tobias
Tobias lay down and pressed his back hard against the cool solidity of the Brooklyn Bridge to avoid looking at the tiny cars rushing by below.
“This is where you go when you get all broody?” A strong breeze feathered through his dark hair and toyed with the fabric of his coat, but he didn’t move a muscle.
“Yes. You never mentioned a fear of heights.” Rion remarked, eyes dancing with mischief.
“It’s really more of a strong discomfort.”
“Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?”
“In a life-or-death situation I probably wouldn’t notice it so much.”
“You asked me to take you to a location where we would not be disturbed in order to gather yourself before returning to our responsibilities. I believe this fits the parameters of the request.”
“Fuck you, Le Roux.” Tobias flipped him the bird.
Rion chuckled softly. “Do you wish to go somewhere else?”
“Nope, I’m the King of New York. I’ve been to Hell and back. I can handle a damned bridge.” Tobias looked over to Rion’s casual stance, eager to focus on anything other than the distance to the ground below. The male was far too relaxed in this environment. “You seem in a better mood.”
“Indeed. I have fed.”
“You mean to tell me all the drama earlier was because you were hangry?”
“Perhaps.”
He massaged both eyelids. “Christ.”
“Something has been troubling me. Does it not strike you as convenient that at the precise moment we decided you should take on a new servant, the Savior delivered you exactly what was required, all but gift wrapped?”
“I don’t know…” Tobias tried to concentrate on the rough stonework beneath his palms. “Did it not occur to you that maybe He recognized we needed help and stepped in to provide it?”
“Perhaps.”
“Look, I wasn’t thrilled about the idea, especially once I realized she was pregnant. I might be many things, but there are lines I won’t intentionally cross. This would usually be one of them.”
Rion tilted his face upward, enjoying the wind against his bare cheeks. “It was the knowledge they would not survive without intervention that cinched it.”
“Yeah, pretty much. I hate charging in when I can’t see the whole picture. That’s the annoying thing about faith, I suppose. But we’ve come this far.”
“True. We are quite resilient, apparently.”
Tobias smiled a little. “I have no clue what we’re going to do about the situation with your father, but I know we’re going to get Kitty and Christo back.”
“I hope you are right.”
“We just have to focus on one problem at a time. How are you doing? Are you up to what lies ahead?”
Rion exhaled swiftly. “I do not have a choice. I will do what needs to be done.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“Well, apart from the… ahem, strong discomfort, you seem somewhat gathered. Shall we return?” Rion held out a hand.
Tobias took it and they dematerialized. Back at the penthouse, they found Lori draping blankets over Charisma, Dominic, and Aaron. They’d fallen asleep on some of the couches in the large open living space between the den and the kitchen.
The angels had also taken armchairs and couches. Lori appeared to be the only one still awake.
“Vixen’s gone to bed as well. We should let the others all sleep here. They can get settled at the palace tomorrow,” Lori said.
“Of course,” Rion said.
“Yeah, no sense in waking them now,” Tobias agreed. “All right, well I’ve still got a few things to take care of before I Fade for the day.
“I hope it includes feeding.”
Lori’s stern tone caused his lips to part in surprise. He considered a smart assed response, but thought better of it. “Yes ma’am.”
“Good. We’re going to need you at your best tomorrow.”
“See you on the flipside.” Tobias said, before blurring out of the building and heading back to Brooklyn.
***
Tobias awoke from the Fade to find two females and a male snuggled up to his still form. Unlike him, they were on top of the covers and fully clothed, but that wasn’t the point. What the hell?
“Hey!”
He prodded the nearest body, a bit more aggressively than he’d intended. The poor girl jerked into a sitting position with a look of horror plastered all over her face.
“W-w-what?”
“Why exactly are you in my bed?”
“We were told to be available when you woke. We didn’t know when that would be, so we decided to wait here. We got a little tired.”
“I’m a vampire, I’m awake whenever it’s not daylight. It’s not rocket science.”
The other two mortals had reached full consciousness by this point. “Good evening Mr. Martelli, sir.” One of the females offered a nervous smile.
“This is my private bedchamber, to which you were not invited,” he said coolly. “If I ask you to be available when I wake, it means knock on my door at dusk. We are not cuddle buddies. Understood?”
All three scrambled off the bed and assembled in a line, issuing a flurry of apologies.
“All right.” He waved at them flippantly as he pulled into a sitting position. “Who’s first?”
The meal didn’t take long. As soon as he’d showered and shoved any remaining insecurities under the rug, he made his way out of the bedroom. Derek waited for him in the hall.
“…You good?” Tobias asked.
“Was breakfast to your liking?”
“That was you?” Both brows leapt at the implication. It seemed out of character for the male. Tobias had always been crystal clear on the expectations of his subjects.
“Yeah. Althea told me to make sure there were feeders at your bedside for when you came out of the Fade. I didn’t think you’d like that, but they insisted and you told me I belong to them now, so I had to make a call.”
“You made the wrong one. Althea is your mentor for training. I still call the shots, are we clear? Nobody, and I mean nobody, comes to my bed without my approval. The security breach alone could have been catastrophic. We’re on the brink of war and I’m responsible for every life in this building, Undead or otherwise. ”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Martelli. I told them to lock themselves in; I thought it would be enough. I would’ve stayed to guard the door for you, but I had to Fade, too.”
“Yeah, yeah. Just don’t let it happen again.”
On his way to check in with O’Brien, Tobias ran into Althea and Keziah in the hallway. Both grinned at him, as though their joke had been hilarious. He was in no mood for their shit, so he flipped them the bird and continued walking.
In his wake, he heard Derek addressing the two females in heated tones, with plenty of cuss words decorating the conversation. If what lay ahead wasn’t so ominous, Tobias might have been amused.
Will
While Tobias had been in the Fade, Will had stepped into ‘guardian’ mode and made the rounds.
He checked in with every charge who wasn’t somehow connected to Tobias and Diabolus Loco, which was all he could do at this point.
His heart ached with each subsequent encounter.
It felt like goodbye, no matter how much he tried to tell himself otherwise.
He also transported Charisma, Dominic, and Aaron to the underground palace and located two unoccupied rooms for them to make their own.
Leaving them with promises of checking in as soon as the worst was over, he set off in search of Tobias.
The vampire king was in his office, tending to what seemed like mundane paperwork.
“Everything in order?” He asked, upon entering.
“Yeah, I guess so.” Tobias arose from the desk and parked a hand at each hip, without making eye contact.
He took a drag on his cigarette and exhaled swiftly. “Are you nervous?”
“Of course I am. I’m responsible for the safety of an entire state of vampires and servants, and I now have eleven mortals dependent on me surviving the evening.”
“Maybe you should try not to think about the numbers. Instead of looking at everyone who is seeking refuge behind you, focus on the two people in front of you that we’re going to rescue. Two seems more manageable, right?”
Tobias blinked a couple of times and stared at him. “Actually, that’s helpful.”
“I’m full of–”
“Shit? Yeah, got that memo already.”
The angel simply laughed. “So, what’s the plan?”
Tobias stared at him. “Why do I always have to come up with the plan?”
“You’re the king.” Will shrugged.
“I’m not your king, you dumbass.”
“Secretly, you wish you were, though. Am I right?” He wiggled both eyebrows.
“I swear to God, Jones…”
He grinned from ear to ear. “You know you love me. Now, what’s the plan? I’d like to know before Rion decides it’s his plan and tries to make adjustments.”
Tobias scrubbed both hands over his face. “I swear running a daycare would be easier than this zoo I’ve been saddled with.”
“Well, give it a couple of months and we could add daycare to your job description.” He ducked instantly to avoid the smack in the back of the head before Tobias could move a muscle.
Shit. Either we’ve been spending too much time together, or I’ve started to get predictable. I’m not sure what’s worse. Why does he have to be such a pain in the ass?
With exaggerated enunciation, Tobias continued. “We go. I attempt to negotiate. We locate Christo and heal Kitty. If at any time the situation escalates beyond our control, we call in the immortal allies, higher level members of the NYC Kiss, and maybe the puppies.”
Will sniggered.
“What?”
“You called them puppies.”
“I…” Tobias paused as realization sank in. “For fuck’s sake. Hounds. I meant to say hounds.”
“I knew you’d come around eventually.”
“Could you get some damned perspective?”
“Mmmkay. It’s a reasonable plan. What are you going to do to stop Rion going rogue to save his sister?”
The vampire narrowed his gaze. “That’s your job.”
“Cool, cool. As long as we’re clear.” Will put on his best contemplative gaze.
Tobias stared at him. “What?”
“Although, if it looks like you’re about to die, screw Rion, I’m getting your ass out of there. Just saying.”
Tobias was still muttering and mumbling as they dematerialized.
Will smiled to himself. An aggravated Tobias was far more useful than a nervous one.
Being the subject of his anger suited Will just fine if it meant a greater chance of them all coming home again.
They had to win this battle with Marquez if they ever hoped to win the war against Leviathan.
Especially, when it was still unclear what they were up against.
At the penthouse, Rion was pacing from one end of the living area to the other. Lori, Vixen, and Lyla sat nearby on the sectional leather couch, watching in silence. The angels had resumed their sentinel behind everyone.
“Oh thank God,” Lori muttered when she saw them.
“Rion has suggested I stay here,” Lyla said to Tobias. “At first I was offended, but I believe I understand now. The three of you must show your strength as a trinity first. I, along with the angels, will be on standby until our assistance is required.”
“Yeah, that about sums it up.” Tobias nodded. “Thanks for letting us do it our way.”
“Of course,” she said, though her smile was just a little too sweet.
Will observed the chill in the air and knew she barely had a lid on her emotions. “You’ll be our secret weapon,” he said to her, “right? Imagine Marquez’s face when we reveal you’re on our side. Satisfying, am I right?”
“We should depart at once,” Rion interjected.
“All right, keep your panties on,” Tobias said.
“You wear panties?” Lyla gave Rion a curious stare.
“On that note…” Will said with a chuckle.
And, just like that, they took a step into the abyss. No matter how it went, Will knew nothing would ever be the same after this.