Blood Moon

Blood Moon
-Original Work-
Warning: yaoi, yuri, graphic violence and gore, supernatural creatures, OC POV, etc

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Chapter Ten


THE OFFICER THAT entered the hotel took one look at the body and the blood that had splattered over the carpet and peppered the soft colored walls and automatically reached for his shoulder communicator as he turned around to face Raven and me. I remained leaned against the wall, arms crossed over my chest. My phone was clutched in one hand and my gun in the other. I hadn’t bothered trying to put either up because sudden movements in these situations were never a good idea especially with a gun involved. Instead, I took in his features as he requested backup.

His eyes were the shade of green that you’d see Easter eggs painted with. It was pale, soft and almost white against his irises. There was no darker shade of green to circle it leaving those eyes looking as if they were left unfinished. Or maybe I was comparing him to Mr. Peter’s eyes from before, which was an odd thought. I moved my attention to the rest of his face before I could think too much on the matter. The officer’s skin was just as tan as my skin was. As far as I could see, his complexion was natural and free of scars. Then again, the uniform that he wore that didn’t quite compliment the golden tan of his skin or the reddish brown of his hair didn’t leave much to see other than his face and arms. I listened to the approaching footsteps of other officers coming down the hall and continued my observation. He was attractive, I’d give him that. His face was made up of soft angles and almost pouty lips that left him teetering between handsome and beautiful. It would have probably all depended on his facial expression. Right now, his face was handsome, set into that hard focused expression cops often had. “Are you two alright?” He questioned us in a voice that almost seemed too soft for a man that was six foot four inches and made up of what looked like nothing but lean muscle. It was almost like he was whispering at us but wasn’t intentionally doing so.

“Yeah.” Raven spoke up. He’d taken almost completely out of the room probably to get away from what laid in the floor.

“And you, Mr….” The pause after his question made me blink slowly. It gave me the time to remember what he’d asked and to decide what the proper answer was.
“Ah, Thiago Tiaz. Yeah, I’m fine…” I finally said and looked down at myself. The button down shirt I’d put on was rumpled and there was the beginning of a stain on my pants leg but overall I was good. “So what’s going to happen?”
“They’re going to take pictures here…clean up and move you to another room on another floor.”
“No questioning?”
“No.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because this guy is wanted on several counts of murder.”
I paused and looked over to the body. From what I could see, the guy had been bald. His face was long and rectangular in shape and was still contorted into that surprised expression he’d had before collapsing. “How did you identify him so quickly?”
“He killed my partner two years ago. I could never forget that face.”

I looked back to the officer and watched his expression. For what, I didn’t know. Maybe I expected to see a pained look in those terribly pale eyes. I didn’t. What I saw was acceptance, the kind that left you feeling hollow yet knowing that you done all you could have done to make the outcome different. I nodded. I’d done them a favor by killing this one. “Can we start moving our things now?”

He took a quick look around and shrugged. “I’d suggest grabbing your suitcases otherwise; they won’t let you leave with them.”

Raven and I moved to comply but it was Raven who actually did what was suggested. I grabbed my duffle after holstering my gun. We had started to walk back to the door when uniformed officials began to flood the room. I didn’t recognize any of them but now that I was taking them all in, even at two at a time, the first officer stood out. Not because of his eyes or that he looked beautiful in that worldly way. It was because I could see the effort he put into being normal now. As soon as I noticed this, it was like a switch being thrown. I could feel a cool touch of energy against my skin much like a feather running along my arm. I rubbed at my forearms and tried to gauge what flavor of energy this was. It was cold ruling out a shapeshifter. The few I had encountered had energy that ran at room temperature, at best, and boiling hot, at worse. I’d yet to find one that had energy this cold.

“Thiago?”
“Hmm?” I turned my head tearing myself from my assessment.
“You’ve been looking at Officer Leski like you were analyzing some kind of complicated formula…”
I glanced around then back at Officer Leski. He and Raven had been the only ones to notices. I jerked my head toward the door of the hotel to signal that I’d only answer their questioning gazes when we were out of the room. They followed me out without protest. “I can’t put my finger on it but you’re not exactly human are you?” I asked once we were outside. I watched him falter and Raven’s eyes widen. It was a little blunt for my tastes normally but I was curious. I couldn’t pin him as a vampire on my own. He looked a little too alive but then again he could have fed well.

“How….most people can’t tell….” He murmured. I stayed quiet. I guess the best response would have been: I’m not most people but as far as I knew, I was ‘most people’ with a little extra on the side—just a little. “I’m a servant.” He finally answered my question and I wasn’t sure I liked it. Servants weren’t the type of servants you’d leave in charge of your houseplants and lawn when you were away on vacation. Before it had been shortened to just one word, the term had been human servant. They were humans metaphysically tied to vampires through markings. The markings could be given willingly or unwillingly but the end product was the vampire gaining eyes, ears, a voice, and most importantly protection during the daylight hours. In return, the human was given supernatural strengths and speeds without sacrificing their humanity. Since when did the cops hire people with close ties to the monsters like this? He must have read the though on my face. His shoulders flexed slightly as if he were getting ready for a fight. “I already had some abilities but becoming a servant. It has improved my abilities tenfold and my work isn’t compromised.”

I held up my hands in a nonthreatening manner knowing that last part had been said out of defense. “It wasn’t any of my business. I apologize for that.”

Something relaxed but he continued standing to his full height, proud and determined. “It’s alright. You’re not the first to question.”

“Would it be wrong of me to ask what you’re using and why?” I may have been pressing my luck but honestly, I needed to know these things eventually. Why not learn now?

“Glamour. It makes me blend in better.” I nodded and tried to see past what was being done. I’d heard of glamour but hadn’t seen it personally. He must have figured out what I was doing because he smiled. And just like that, his face was softer and more beautiful than handsome. I shook my head and his smile widened. “The glamour can only be dispelled if I’m touched.” As he explained this, that worldly beauty faded slightly leaving his face slightly less perfect. I wasn’t sure if it was making it easier or more difficult to look at him.

When they finally announced that they had our room ready almost two hours later, I couldn’t have been happier. They had moved us up a level figuring that if someone were to come through the window, it would be harder. The room was almost just as soft as the previous one. The walls and carpets were stark white with gold lines running horizontally at the center of each wall. Above that line was a painting for each all keeping to the gold coloring yet still adding a splashes of green, blue and red. There had been an entertainment system that was boxed in by gold colored couches. Once again we’d been given a room that could have been easily stained. I could almost see the vibrant contrast of red splattering the floor and shook my head. If it happened, it happened. If it didn’t, there was no point in thinking about it.

“Now what?” Raven asked as I walked through the room. I took the bed positioned in the center of the wall across from both the window and the bed. The other was positioned on the other side of the room with the extra half wall formed by the bathroom on its right side ruling out the window. I wanted to have both entries in sight.

I started to answer him but the answer apparently had gotten his people together faster than I could have. My phone rang and I picked up without thinking much about it. “Hello, petit repas.” The purring voice on the other end of the phone caused my breath to catch though no energies accompanied the French accented baritone. I hadn’t expected to hear from Adriano.

“What do you want?”
“My my, so polite are we not?” Though the tone was said in that pleasantly neutral tone only the older vampires and very good pretenders could muster, I could still pick up on the sarcasm. I scoffed. Before I could tell him that I was in no mood to play around, he was speaking again. “I would like to see you tonight, petit repas.” He stated. At the same time, he let what shields he had in place down. I swayed as his power found my flesh again but only for a moment. I threw my shields up quickly and slightly sloppily. As I commented on his statement, I began slowly patching up the weak spots and holes left.

“Tonight? I don’t have all of my people here yet.”
“That, how do you say, is not my problem. I want to see you now.” Despite the presence of my shields I could feel the lick of his powers like cold winter breeze against my skin. It raised goosebumps along my flesh like I was standing in this breeze with nothing on. I concentrated harder on the shields hard and the coldness was gone. He chuckled softly and I shivered from the memory of what that laughter was capable of.
“Cut it the fuck out.” I stated feeling the first tendrils of anger. It was unnerving to have any creature capable of penetrating my shields even more so when this creature was a master vampire and one I had to meet with. If he could do this over the phone, what could he do in person?
I heard him chuckle again and this time didn’t shiver. “I do not know what you are talking about.”
“Don’t act coy. It doesn’t suit you.”
“You have known me but a few hours and even that is limited to the voice you hear now. How do you know what suits me, petit repas?”
“I don’t need to know you. You are a master vampire with his own territory. You know what your powers are and know that you are just millimeters from breaking a cardinal rule. For that alone, you could be sentenced to execution.”
“Ah reciting the laws of my people. Your kind always resort to such things when nervous.”
“My kind?”
“Your kind.”
He didn’t elaborate and I didn’t bother asking him to do so. I wanted off of the phone with him now.
“What time?” I asked instead.
“I will give you until one, petit repas, to meet me at the Baiser de Sang. Do not waste time as the night will not last forever.”
The click of the phone signaled that he’d hung up. I threw the phone on the bed and raked the same hand through my hair.

“Who was that and why do you look pale?” Raven asked.
“That was Adriano, Master Vampire of St. Louis. He wants to see us….me tonight at one.”
“But….what if Nigel isn’t here by then?”
“Then I go without him.”


To Be Continued……