Moonlight Denial: Shades of Moonlight Book One

Nicoli nearly jumped out of his sneakers as a clap of thunder sounded right above him. After recovering from his initial shock he looked up into the threatening dark grey sky as he held his closed umbrella to his chest. Rain had not begun to fall yet, but it very well could at any second. Nicoli had wanted rain, but he could do without the thunder. Lightening was fine, but thunder was too loud as it rumbled along the clouds.

He took in a deep breath of the muggy air before continuing on his way. His heart was fluttering in his chest. He wasn’t sure if it was from excitement or nervousness. For all he knew it could have been both. The weekend had come and with it the day he was supposed to have his first lesson with Gavin.

At first he had been overly enthusiastic about it, but since Ethan’s teasing words about how hard Gavin’s training was butterflies periodically erupted in his stomach. He had known it wasn’t going to be easy, but he couldn’t help but wonder if it was as bad as Ethan’s simple words made it out to be. Gavin seemed like he would be the type of teacher that was firm and demanding of good, hard work. Nicoli was also certain that the word ‘lenient’ wasn’t in Gavin’s dictionary. Bottom line was that he wouldn’t know how the lesson was going to go until he got there. With that in mind he quickened his step.

By the time Nicoli reached the clan’s house it had started to sprinkle, but it was light enough that it wasn’t too worrisome. The clouds were still teetering between letting loose or holding back a few more minutes, or maybe hours.

He traveled the walkway to the front door. He shook out what raindrops had gathered in his hair and did a quick comb over with his fingers. After the grooming he raised his fist to knock on the door, but before his knuckles could meet the wood the door swung open. Nicoli blinked with his fist hanging awkwardly in the air as his greeter filled the doorway. It was no surprise that it was none other than Ethan.

“Why do you have to do stuff like that?” Nicoli asked as he let his hand fall. “You know it weird’s me out when you can predict my movements.”

“Sorry. It’s just what I do,” Ethan replied with an easy going smile.

“You could at least pretend like you can’t. Is it really so hard to try and act normal?”

“Oh, but normal is so boring and overrated,” Ethan said with a dramatic sigh, but the smile returned immediately. “Come on in. Gavin’s ready.”

Nicoli easily slipped past Ethan and deposited his unused umbrella near the front door and busied himself by untying his shoes. After the first time he tracked mud into the house he felt it was easier to take off the shoes beforehand.

“So, did you find it hard to make up a reason to come here?” Ethan asked as he stood by idly with his hands in his pockets.

“Not really,” Nicoli said as he shrugged off his damp jacket. He hung it up on one of the hangers that were attached to the wall before turning to the other. “I told her some guys from school invited me to hang out with them. She was so happy that I was ‘getting back into my social ways,’ as she put it, that she didn’t go into much questioning about it and told me I could stay out as long as I wanted as long as I was home before midnight.”

“…wow. That’s a surprise,” Ethan said, his brows rising.

“Not really. I know where she’s coming from. Back at my old home I had tons of friends, they were never as close as Zack and Brittany, but with all of those other friends it meant I had a very active social life.”

“And since you moved here that social aspect as diminished, right?” Ethan guessed.

“Exactly, and even though I’ve become so close to Amelia, I can bet you anything my Mom has been waiting for me to spread my networking out even further. So, perfect cover, and it’s slightly true. You and the others invited me to hang out, but you’re just not from school,” Nicoli said with a grin.

“You’re so devious,” Ethan said, matching his grin.

A dangerous glint came to Nicoli’s eye and he came as close to Ethan as he could without touching him. He raised himself on his toes until his lips barely brushed Ethan’s.

“And you would know that better than most, wouldn’t you?” he whispered seductively. Just as Ethan leaned in Nicoli pulled away and began making his way towards the living area. He bit his lip to hold back a smirk when he heard Ethan curse and follow after him.

“You are evil,” Ethan hissed behind him.

“Hey, you’re not the only one that can play the part of the tease,” Nicoli sneered back.

Even though Ethan’s irritating playful behavior had increased since they had slept together, Nicoli was reveling in the fact that he too had great sexual control in their little game. He had always been confident in his sexuality, once he knew just how to use it, but since Ethan had such a strong personality he was enjoying the way he could get the upper hand that much more.

When he reached the living room he poked his head in. He frowned when he saw that Gavin wasn’t there, but someone else was.

“Ah, there’s our lucky little Nickel,” Andre said as he lifted his head and smiled. He was currently lying down on the couch, but he sat up as soon as he saw Nicoli. “Ready for your first day of lessons?” he asked as he stood.

“Uh, yeah, I guess,” Nicoli murmured. He was very hesitant to speak with Andre, given with what had happened the other day. He was further confused by Andre’s normal good natured attitude. He didn’t show even a hint of angry or annoyance.

Andre seemed to be aware of Nicoli’s tentative air and a look of bewilderment crossed his features. His eye traveled to somewhere above Nicoli, to where Ethan had appeared. The two exchanged a glance that spoke volumes and Andre smiled in understanding.

“Oh, Nicoli,” Andre said softly as he approached. He placed his hands on Nicoli’s shoulders and Andre chuckled when he flinched. Andre cupped Nicoli’s chin in his hand and tilted the skittish face up to look at him. “I’m not angry with you for what happened at the meeting. You have nothing to worry about.”

Nicoli stared at Andre uncertainly, gauging the kind words carefully. He then scowled over his shoulder at Ethan.

“Do you ever keep your mouth shut?” he growled. “Are you telling people everything I say?”

“Hey, I didn’t say anything to him,” Ethan said and held up his hands defensively.

Nicoli continued to glower at him, but the hand returned on his face and moved his attention forward once more.

“He’s actually right,” Andre said. “He didn’t mention anything to me. Once I had a chance to get my head on straight I figured you would think that I would have ill feelings towards you for what you said and how you’re acting now just confirms my suspicions.” Both of his hands returned to Nicoli’s shoulders and he looked him square in the eye. “I want you to know I am really, truly not angry with you. You did the right thing by telling us your thoughts and opinions on the matter and I never want you to hold them back on my account. All right?”

Nicoli couldn’t hold back a smile and a wave of relief rolled from his chest to the rest of his body. He hadn’t realized just how scared he had been at the prospect of Andre hating him, but now he felt light and happy to find out his fears had been for nothing.

“Yeah, thanks, Andre,” he said with a beaming smile.

“Good, now give us a hug,” Andre said and spread his arms wide to receive Nicoli into his embrace.

“Uh, no, that-that’s okay, really,” Nicoli said and tried to back away, but Andre caught him and pulled him into a tight hug.

“No, no, you’re still far too nervous. We gotta hug that out,” Andre said as he held onto a struggling Nicoli. “Hmm this may be too big of a job for just me.” He smirked evilly over Nicoli’s head to Ethan. “Care to give me a hand?”

“My pleasure,” Ethan purred.

“Okay, wait, no, no really don’t.” Nicoli’s pleas went unheard and he soon found Ethan pressed against his backside and saw arms wrap around himself and Andre. His face flamed as he was trapped between two rock hard bodies and it wasn’t helping that Ethan was nuzzling the back of his head while Andre was doing the same to the crook of his neck. In any other instance, Nicoli would have been thrilled to be in such a predicament with two gorgeous men, but not when he was in the clan’s house, where anyone else could see them and not when he was expected for a lesson.

“Guys, really. Invading personal space!” Nicoli squeaked as he tried to wiggle out, but it was apparent they weren’t about to let him go anytime soon.

“What the hell are you guys doing?” a voice then asked.

The three looked in unison to see Felix standing off to the side with his arms crossed and a brow raised.

“It looks like you are trying to make a Meatbag sandwich.”

“Really?” Andre asked. The question was followed by a grin as he buried his face back into Nicoli’s neck. “That’s a sandwich I can really sink my teeth into.”

Nicoli yelped and continued his squirming with renewed vigor.

“Felix, help me!” he cried, reaching out a desperate hand.

“Or you can join us,” Ethan suggested. “The only thing better than a Nicoli sandwich would be a Nicoli, Felix sandwich.”

“Oooo a Kitten, Nickel sandwich. Sounds delicious,” Andre purred and leered at Felix as Nicoli kept up his vain attempts at escaping.

“In your dreams, Andre,” Felix growled with a shake of his head. “Now, both of you better get off him before Gavin comes out and clonks you both in the head.”

“He can wait his turn,” Ethan said flippantly then loosened one of his arms enough to crook a finger at Felix. “Now come ‘ere. You know you want a piece of this.”

Felix rolled his eyes and offered no reply as he held out his hands.

Nicoli gasped as a cold blast of air washed over him and he was stunned when both Ethan and Andre were thrust from him, freeing him from their binds. Before the two could regain their balance Nicoli raced behind Felix to hide, though hiding behind a transparent being was rather pointless.

“Thanks, Buddy. I would hug you, but, you know…ick,” Nicoli said, wrinkling his nose in distaste. “No offense.”

“None taken. I’d have to kill you if you tried anyways,” Felix replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Why do you have to ruin our fun, Kitten?” Andre asked when he straightened himself out.

“Because unlike you, I actually care if Gavin gets in a foul mood,” Felix snapped. He turned his back on the vampires and made his way through the hall that went past the staircase. “Come on, Meatbag. Gavin’s waiting for you.”

“Only too happy to follow,” Nicoli said, but before he went after the other he made a face over his shoulder at Ethan and Andre. As Nicoli padded down the hallway he realized he hadn’t been in this section of the house yet. It appeared just like the rest of the house, but he couldn’t help but glance around curiously anyways. They passed by one closed door and headed to another that was at the very back of the house.

“Oof!” Nicoli grunted as he ran right into the last door. He rubbed his face and glared at the wood as he heard Felix snicker inside the room. The bastard had fazed through it without so much as a warning. Nicoli cursed how easily distracted he could be. He was about to throw open the door and yell at Felix when it opened of its own accord.

Frigid, arctic eyes met his own and he felt that familiar tremor pass through his body from being in a powerful presence.

“Uh, hey, Gavin,” Nicoli greeted with an uncertain smile and a small wave.

“Hello, Nicoli,” Gavin said with a nod his head. He then peered down the hall and Nicoli noticed the way his eyes hardened. “I would appreciate it if you would not delay Nicoli’s teachings. Do I make myself clear?”

“We were just having a bit of fun,” Ethan said. Both he and Andre had followed Nicoli down the hall and now stood behind him. Ethan grunted as Andre elbowed him in the ribs.

“We weren’t doing it for our own amusement,” Andre said with an easy smile. “I was just calming his fears and reassuring him that I was not angry with him. We also wanted to loosen him up a bit. He’s nervous about training with big, scary Gavin, and we all know that being tense during one of your lessons doesn’t help anything.”

Gavin stared a hole through Andre for several, silent minutes. He then let out a snort, making his nostrils flare, before turning his attention back to Nicoli.

“Come, Nicoli, I have everything prepared for you,” he said, his voice softer and he placed a gentle hand on Nicoli’s shoulder to guide him inside.

The first thing that struck Nicoli about Gavin’s room was the smell. The heavy scent of cedar hit his nose, nearly making him cough. He found that the source of the smell came from incense. There was a burner placed in the middle of the room and wisps of smoke came from the stick to tease the air.

The incense soon lost his interest as he took in the rest of the room. Save for a mattress shoved into a corner and a curtain covering the window the room was completely bare. There was no furniture, decorations or anything that showed someone lived and slept there. Nicoli thought that for someone who had been traveling the world for over three thousand years he’d have something to show for it.

“Wow, uh…I like what you’ve done with the place,” Nicoli murmured as he wandered in.

“I’ve never been one for earthly possessions,” Gavin said as he walked toward the center of the room. He waved his hand over the incense to help spread the scent.

“Makes getting him Christmas presents he’ll actually keep really, really hard,” Andre whispered in Nicoli’s ear.

“Is there a reason you’re still here?” Gavin asked. His glare had come back full force and Nicoli thanked the Lord it wasn’t directed at him.

“Hey, the whole reason I’m even awake right now is to witness this. Unless I’m mistaken this will be the first time you’ll be trying to train a human. You think I’m going to miss it?”

“I’d rather you would,” Gavin said curtly. “But knowing you I’d have to make you exit the room bodily, so I ask that, if you are going to remain, you be completely silent. One interruption from you and I will make you leave and I will gladly do it with excessive force.”

Andre only grinned widely at him before making the sign of zipping his lips. He then strolled over to the mattress and plopped down, making himself more than comfortable.

Gavin watched him warily until Felix drifted over to him with eyes downcast and twiddling thumbs.

“Gavin, would it be okay if I stayed, too? I’m very interested to see how you will go about this,” he said quietly and peered up at Gavin hopefully.

The icy contempt Gavin held for Andre melted when he looked upon Felix and, if Nicoli didn’t know any better, he could have sworn there was a glimmer of affection in Gavin’s gaze.

“Of course, Felix,” Gavin said quietly. “I have no worries of you being a disturbance so you are more than welcome to stay.”

A wide smile brightened Felix’s face and he clapped his hands together in joy.

“Thanks, Gavin. You’re the best,” he said in delight then quickly went to perch himself beside Andre.

Nicoli was amazed. He was so used to Felix’s snarky personality that it seemed unthinkable that he could be kind and respectful to anyone, but whenever Conrad or Gavin was around Felix turned into a near perfect angel. It was very vexing that Nicoli had to deal with the bad attitude continuously.

“So, do I even have to bother asking if I can stay?” Ethan asked, shoving his hands in his pockets as he grinned.

“No, you have no need to ask,” Gavin said as he turned to him. “Because you are not going to be observing, you are going to be participating.”

“…excuse me?”

Nicoli noticed that Ethan went extremely pale at this news.

“You should know better than anyone in this room, besides young Nicoli, that the mind link is not one-sided,” Gavin told him. “If I am to help strengthen it I need to train both of you. To fortify one-side will be useless if the other is weak and vulnerable.”

“Hey, you didn’t tell me I’d get dragged into this,” Ethan hissed.

“That is because I knew you would find every way to get out of it if I told you beforehand,” Gavin retorted, and his point was verified by the snickers that came from the bed.

“Look, my mental capabilities may be minimal, but Nicoli has none whatsoever. So, really, you should train him first until he reaches my level. Then we’ll talk,” Ethan said. He then made a hasty retreat for the door. He made it only a few steps before a hand twisted in the back of his shirt.

“No, I need both of you if I am even to begin training Nicoli,” Gavin said as he pulled Ethan back. Ethan struggled, but he froze when Gavin turned him and looked him in the eye. “If you will not do this for yourself then do it for the boy. He needs your support and you are the only one that will be able to protect him if he comes under a mental attack. Do not take that responsibility lightly.”

Nicoli had the urge to voice his agreement, but he bit back his words. Gavin had said more than enough on the magnitude of the situation and anything he said would just be drivel in comparison.

“Ugh, you had to say it like that, didn’t you?” Ethan grumbled as his shoulders slouched in defeat.

“I’m only reiterating what you already know,” Gavin said.

“Fine lets just get this over with,” Ethan said with a huff as he stomped his way to the center of the room, like a child forced to do chores.

“What do you have against training your mental abilities?” Nicoli asked as Gavin closed the door.

“I just find it pointless. I think if you have enough brute strength it shouldn’t matter if you can do fancy tricks with your mind,” Ethan said as he punched his fist into the palm of his other hand.

“Is that so?” Gavin asked as he slowly approached the two.

Nicoli instantly gulped at the tone of his voice. Something told him Ethan was in for a world of hurt and Andre and Felix proved his theory. They both shook their heads with a knowing look.

“He never learns, does he?” Andre asked.

“You’re telling me. I think he’s gotten cocker being away for a year,” Felix agreed. “Either that or he’s just an idiot.”

Ethan was about to snap at them when Gavin stepped in front of him.

“If that is what you believe than I would like for you to prove it to me,” Gavin told him sternly.

“Er, prove it?” Ethan asked, unconsciously shrinking back.

“Attack me,” Gavin said. “Land one strike on me using your physical power alone and prove that our mental capabilities are a waste of time.”

“Come on, Gavin, let’s not be hasty,” Ethan said as he backed away. He glanced in Nicoli’s direction and gestured towards him. “Today is all about Nicoli, remember? We should really be getting on with his lesson.”

“I believe this will be a perfect start to his lesson,” Gavin said, not backing down. “He should see with his own eyes how important it is to hone and unlock the skills the mind possesses.”

“Then Andre should have the honor of showing him,” Ethan said.

“Hey, don’t drag me into your stupidity,” Andre said.

“No, it shall be you,” Gavin told him. “This will also be a good chance to re-teach the lessons I’ve given that you have seemingly already forgotten. Nicoli, you may want to step aside,” he then warned.

Nicoli was only too happy to leave the premises and take cover on the bed with Andre and Felix and Andre was more than willing to put protective arms around him and draw him close for “safety.”

“Whenever you’re ready,” Gavin said, standing to his full height and crossing his arms.

Ethan seemed to want to argue, but he knew it was hopeless and he took a defensive stance instead. There was a tense few seconds and a gasp came from Nicoli when Ethan abruptly disappeared. He looked all over the room, but he couldn’t see Ethan anywhere. His eyes then caught a glimpse of blond hair and movement. Before he could focus on it, however, it vanished. He saw the blurs several times and each time it was in a different place.

Gavin did not pull any of these fancy moves. He was as still as a finely carved statue. His eyes were closed and to anyone else it would seem as if he were dozing on his feet. Nicoli knew better. He could see that Gavin’s muscles were taut and ready to spring at a moments notice.

“Do you think he’ll pull it off?” Felix asked Andre in a whisper.

Nicoli looked up from where he was cuddled against Andre’s chest as he answered.

“Not a chance.”

Ethan then made his move. He reappeared directly behind Gavin in midair, using gravity to bring him down to drive his fist into the back of Gavin’s head. For the merest second it appeared that the blow was going to connect, but then Nicoli witnessed something that took his breath away.

Gavin still hadn’t moved an inch in defense, but the air around him rippled and before Ethan could finish his descent he was stopped. He hung in the air for a split second, his face not even registering what was happening before he was thrown by an invisible force into the wall behind him. There was a crunch as flesh met wood and he fell to the floor like a sack of bricks, leaving a nice dent in the wall.

“I believe the point goes to Gavin,” Andre said with a chuckle as Ethan groaned pitifully on the floor.

“Wow…that-that was amazing!” Nicoli exclaimed in delight, never having seen anything like it. “Can you do it again?”

“Ha ha, very funny,” Ethan said as he slowly sat up and rubbed his head.

“Do you see why our mental abilities are just as important as our physical?” Gavin asked Nicoli, having opened his eyes and turned towards the bed. “If Ethan’s mental powers were as fine tuned as his pure strength, he could have deflected my defensive maneuver and would have been able to follow through with his strike. But because he is not properly trained in that area it was easy for someone such as myself to stop him. In all, if one has mastered both the mental and the physical aspects of their potential then the flow of battle can easily turn in their favor.”

“And that is why Ethan is an idiot to undermine the powers of the mind,” Andre chimed in. “Especially in front of Gavin.”

“Quiet you,” Ethan said as he made it back to his feet.

“Man, I can really see why you’re the teacher,” Nicoli said, impressed by Gavin’s worldly wisdom. He quickly detached himself from Andre’s arms and scrambled to his feet. “Let’s get started. I’m so pumped now I want to start right away.”

He longed to do what Gavin had shown. To fling someone aside with just a thought, but he wasn’t delusional. He knew, being human, that he could never gain abilities like that, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to gain full control of his mind. Just to ensure his own safety and privacy was enough for him.

“Ooh, such a willing grasshopper. That’s a change,” Andre said and, now that he lost Nicoli, he drew a less that receptive Felix into his arms, who relented and begrudgingly leaned against Andre.

“I wanna see you say that after your first lesson,” Ethan said as he rejoined Gavin in the center of the room.

“Let’s begin,” Gavin said, ignoring Ethan. Even though he did not outwardly show it, Gavin’s demeanor as he motioned Nicoli into place seemed to show how pleased he was by Nicoli’s willingness to learn.

Nicoli and Ethan were directed to sit on the floor across from each other with the incense burner in between them. Gavin sat to their side, making an unfinished circle. He then told Felix and Andre that if they made any sort of disturbance from then on he would ask them to leave.

“In order to begin we must now get you both into a relaxed state of mind and the best way to do that is to meditate. Close your eyes,” Gavin instructed.

Nicoli waited until he saw Ethan’s eyelids calmly close before doing the same. He had never meditated before. When his mother had started doing yoga he would often catch her meditating before going into her routines, but he really did not know what to expect to gain from it.

With his world now dark he focused on the smell of cedar that permeated the room and danced under his nose. He never realized how calming the scent was until then. It entered his being and tried to smooth away all the tension in his body, but his muscles would not relent so easily. He was almost taken out of his spell when Gavin spoke again.

“Now, I want you to focus on nothing but the sound of my voice. Let all thoughts clear your mind. Do not let any thought remain that will distract you. Breathe in deeply through your nose and release everything: thoughts, fears, anxieties, through your mouth. Nothing can remain.”

Nicoli did as he was told and when he breathed out he felt all the muscles in his body relax simultaneously and he felt at peace in his world of darkness with nothing but Gavin’s voice to keep him company. He had never realized how soothing Gavin’s deep, rumbling voice was. It entered him and caressed every inch of him until there was not a worry to be had.

“Good, good. You’re both doing fine. Now we shall begin building your mental defenses, Nicoli. Are you ready? Do not answer me with words,” Gavin said when Nicoli opened his mouth to reply.

He closed it and simply nodded, trying to keep his focus.

“In your minds eyes I want you to imagine your own mind. I want you to imagine that it is vulnerable and defenseless with nothing to protect it. Can you do that?”

Nicoli did not reply right away. He was not sure how to go about fabricating such imagery, but he tried. He settled for visualizing a brain in the center of the darkness, floating in the blackness with no hope of protecting itself. When he had the image clear in his mind he signaled to Gavin with a nod.

“Good, now I want you to create a barrier around your mind. It can be anything: walls, shields, even a fortress, whatever you want it to be.”

Nicoli pondered on that for a moment then he went with something simple. He continued to picture the defenseless brain, but now he incased it in a clear glass box to protect it. When he had it firmly in his mind he nodded again for Gavin to continue.

“All right, now we shall move on. Nicoli, I am going to have Ethan try and penetrate your defenses. Your only goal is to try and keep him out for as long as possible. Do you understand?”

Nicoli gave another nod. He received a word of praise before Gavin began to murmur. It was too soft for Nicoli to hear, but he figured Gavin was giving Ethan instructions. When he was done he addressed Nicoli again.

“Now he’s going to try and break your defense. Be ready. If it will help you, you can envision Ethan’s assault as an enemy all its own.”

Nicoli took in the suggestion and braced himself. At first nothing happened and his brain in the glass box was safe. Then, without warning, something smacked into his defensive bearer. What was peculiar was that he didn’t just visualize that happening. He felt it.

Another hit came and Nicoli flinched. He tried to remember that this was what the exercise was all about. It was his job to keep his mind safe and to do that he had to prevent Ethan from getting in. A few more jabs came and he focused on keeping the glass strong, he even went so far as to thicken the glass enclosure.

Soon he could perfectly imagine his attackers. He imagined they were big, black birds. Their ebony feathers were so dark that it made the black space around them seem dim in comparison and, if he concentrated, he could make out their teal eyes.

The blows came continuously now and they attacked not just one area, but all over, making it harder for Nicoli to fortify his protective box effectively. The attacks soon became too much and he could see cracks start to develop in his barrier and with each crack he could feel Ethan’s presence slipping in.

“No, he’s…getting in. What…do I…do?” he asked through clenched teeth and he could hear the strain in his voice. He realized too late that taking the time to talk had hindered his concentration and his entire box was now riddled with cracks and Ethan’s presence seeped in on all sides.

“Relax, Nicoli,” Gavin said, his comforting voice breaking in through his frantic thoughts. “Keep fighting him, don’t give in. Don’t give into panic. If he is breaking down your barrier then fix it. Repair the damage he’s done and keep it whole.”

Nicoli did as he was told and focused all of his attention on his box. The only difference now was that the enclosure was not protecting a brain. Nicoli was now the one inside of it and he imagined himself lifting his hands to one of the glass walls and his touch alone began to mend the fractured glass. He tried to keep it up, but as soon as he fixed one crack it seemed a hundred more appeared. He held on, trying to keep his crumbling box together, but soon it was too much and it shattered completely and the flock of birds melded into a mist that surrounded him, completely enveloping him in Ethan’s presence. He had lost.

Nicoli slowly opened his eyes. His eyelids felt very heavy for some reason. The room around him came back into focus and the first thing he saw was Ethan’s smug grin across from him.

“I guess that point goes to me,” Ethan said with a chuckle. “And, just so you know, I was going easy on you.”

“Shut up,” Nicoli hissed. “This is my first day. You’ve had way more practice than I have.”

“Still, I totally – ow!” Ethan flinched and gripped his ear after Gavin gave it a good, swift smack. “The hell, Gavin?”

“Let me make this very clear. This is not a competition. This is a very serious matter of strengthening you both so you can protect yourselves. Do you understand?” he asked sternly and all Ethan could do was nod with a scowl. “Don’t encourage him, Nicoli,” Gavin then said as Nicoli stuck his tongue out at Ethan.

“Er, sorry.”

“It is quite all right and never mind Ethan’s teasing. You did very well for your first try,” Gavin praised and one corner of his mouth upturned.

Nicoli could not help but beam and preen at the praise. It filled him with great satisfaction, but his ear to ear grin faltered.

“But I failed. I wasn’t able to keep him out.”

“I did not expect you to,” Gavin said. “And not because I think little of your potential,” he added when Nicoli’s face fell. “You have quite a ways to go still. Quite a ways. It will take time to build up your mental control before you can repel Ethan with ease. As they say, Rome was not built in a day.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Nicoli said, trying not to feel disheartened by that. “How long do you think it will take me?”

“That depends entirely on your will and determination,” Gavin replied. He then quirked his brow and that shadow of a smile reappeared. “Care to try again?”

“Heck yeah!”

They went through the process again. Nicoli found it easier to slip back into his meditative state the next time. The first couple of tries were pretty much the same as the first. Ethan broke through his glass box in a matter of minutes, but the next few after that Nicoli found that he was able to keep Ethan out just a little longer with each try. It was only a few seconds longer, but with each added second Nicoli found his confidence in himself growing.

“Andre, could you go get Nicoli a glass of water?” Gavin asked when he brought the exercise to a stop.

“Certainly,” Andre said as he rose gracefully to his feet. “I think our little boy deserves a reward.”

Nicoli glanced up at Andre gratefully and watched him leave the room. Nicoli’s throat felt so dry he was sure he was going to be coughing up dust soon. He noticed that he was breathing heavy and that a layer of sweat clung to his brow. It never occurred to him that a mental lesson would make him feel physically tired. It had never even crossed his mind.

He took the chance to look at Ethan. He wasn’t breathing any harder, of course, but there was a definite red glisten to his skin now and there was a sense of weariness in his features.

“How do you feel?” Gavin asked, bringing Nicoli out of his studying and back to the present.

“Um, I feel okay,” Nicoli replied. “It kinda feels like I went out for a long run, but other than that I’m fine.”

“Good, as soon as you are rested we will move onto another area you need to learn.” Gavin then turned to Ethan. “And what about you?”

“Oh, fine,” Ethan said, running his hand through his hair. “No problems here.”

“Really?” Gavin asked. “Because, if I’m not mistaken, just using your abilities on someone else, with no real attack against yourself, should not make you perspire already.” He ran a finger along Ethan’s forehead and held it up to show the glistening sweat.

“I’m just, you know…” Ethan trailed off in a mutter.

“He’s out of practice,” Felix finished for him and grinned when a glare was sent his way.

“It’s as I feared,” Gavin said with a sigh. “It seems you are regressing back to when you were a fresh bloodling. How unfortunate.”

“Hey, I’m not that bad!” Ethan said defensively.

“Bloodling?” Nicoli asked curiously.

“It is what we call newborn vampires,” Gavin answered, ignoring Ethan’s huffing and puffing.

Andre soon returned with the promised glass of water and Nicoli gulped it down greedily. Once Gavin thought he was rested enough they moved on to the next step.

“Now, we are going to be doing the same as before. Only this time your roles will be reversed,” he explained.

“Reversed?” Nicoli asked. “So you mean instead of Ethan trying to break into my thoughts I’ll be trying to get into his?”

“Exactly.”

Nicoli frowned as he studied Ethan and imagined what it would be like to try and mentally muscle his way through into Ethan’s “glass box.”

“Will I even be able to?” he then asked Gavin.

“How will any of us ever know if you do not try?” he answered with a question. “The path to success must be paved with our failures. Only through failure do we learn and grow, but if you let fear stop you from even trying you will never fail or succeed and that is much worse than failing.”

“Right, good point. Let’s give it a shot then,” Nicoli said. He tried to put his fears behind him and remember how good it felt when he was able to get just a little better at keeping Ethan out without ever fully succeeding.

As before Gavin instructed them to go into their meditative states. Nicoli was finding that he liked this part best. It made him feel so at ease with everything. He was beginning to think he should take up meditating regularly. With some guidance he went along with his visualizing in the minds eye only this time he did not imagine a brain or himself. This time he envisioned Ethan standing in front of him and this time the glass box was around the other.

“Do you have a clear picture in your mind, Nicoli?” Gavin’s voice asked through the darkness.

Nicoli lightly nodded. He had never been a very imaginative person and he was astounded by how clearly he could picture everything in the lesson.

“Good, now I want you to use all the strength you have in your body to try and break down his mental defense.”

And Nicoli did just that. He imagined himself striking at the glass box and again he was amazed that he could actually feel like he was hitting something. That he could feel the protective barrier Ethan had put around his mind. His first strike did nothing so he tried again and again and again, but still there was no result. His frustration must have shown on his face because Gavin’s voice spoke to him again.

“Do not give up. Keep trying. You must raise your mental strength in order to overcome Ethan’s defenses. Try to locate the weak points in his mind.”

Nicoli did as he was told and kept up his assault. Soon he realized he could strike more than one area at a time, similar to what Ethan had done. Still the glass box would not crack. After what seemed like eternity he struck against one spot that did not seem as strong as the rest of the walls. He attacked that one spot with all his might and victory swelled within his chest when the glass beneath his fist began to fracture. That joy subsided, however, when the damage was instantly repaired. With a growl of disappointment he pulled out of the link and opened his eyes.

“I can’t do it,” Nicoli said in defeat with a shake of his head. “He’s too strong. I can’t break through.” He yelped in pain when Gavin now gave him a smack to the ear. He gripped the side of his head as it throbbed. It felt like a rock had pelted him going a million miles an hour.

“Nicoli, let me tell you about my number one rule while training,” Gavin said. “You are never to say the word “can’t” or “cannot” or any other variation. You can do anything if you set your mind to it. It is all a matter of will you let yourself get that far.”

“Ooow. Okay, I’ll keep that in mind,” Nicoli said as he continued to rub his ear.

“Good, now try again.”

And they did. Nicoli tried over and over and he struggled not to give up or surrender. It was long and arduous and he never got more than a few cracks in the glass, but still he would not quiet. Finally, Gavin had pity on him and let him stop, saying that they would move onto the most important part of the lesson. After Nicoli and Ethan were allowed another short break they pressed on.

“So, what’s next?” Ethan asked, looking a bit more fatigued after their last mental battle.

“Next we shall work on strengthening your cooperation. If an enemy attacks your mental link it will take both of you to fight them off. You must learn how to rely and feed off the strength of one another. It is the only way to make sure the link will not be broken,” Gavin explained.

“I have a question,” Nicoli said. “You mentioned that if the link is forcibly broken there is a high chance that I’ll die. Is Ethan in danger of that too?”

Gavin hesitated in answering and that made a pit form in Nicoli’s stomach.

“No…he’s not,” Gavin said slowly. “His mind is more equipped to sustain that kind of damage. If the link is broken he will be gravely injured, but it is something he will be able to survive. You are not so lucky.”

“So, in other words, I get the short end of the stick. Again,” Nicoli said as he crossed his arms and glared at Ethan.

“Hey, don’t look at me like that. We’re taking precautions so that doesn’t happen.”

“Yeah, well I would feel better if we had started taking precautions a whole lot sooner,” Nicoli retorted.

“That is enough,” Gavin said, hushing them both. “What is in the past is in the past. All we can do now is prepare for the future and in order to do that we must continue.”

“Sorry,” Nicoli murmured.

“Now, I want you both to go back into meditation only this time I want you to visualize each other and the mind link that connects you. Make it so that the link is something real. Something tangible,” Gavin instructed.

Again Nicoli closed his eyes and relaxed. He imagined Ethan sitting right in front of him. Once again he was astonished how clear he could envision it. He could see every curve in Ethan’s wavy hair, how square his jaw was, the light curve of his nose and the intense color of his teal eyes.

Then Nicoli went to work on picturing the mind link itself. He imagined a bright beam of light that went from his chest into Ethan’s and as soon as he finished visualizing it he could feel it.

“Do not be afraid to let each other into your minds. This takes both of you, so you need to know each other inside and out,” Gavin told them.

A shudder passed through Nicoli as he felt Ethan’s presence swirl around his mind and he reached out and gently enveloped Ethan’s mind until it felt like they had come together and had become one.

He could feel his face heating up. This seemed so…intimate. He had never felt anything like it before. Sure Ethan had touched his mind on several occasions and he had done the same when he wanted to talk, but they had never done anything like this. It was as if they were coming together on a spiritual level. He wondered if all vampires could provoke this feeling in each other and, if they could, Nicoli felt that humans were missing out on something truly exquisite.

“All right,” Gavin said, bringing Nicoli’s thoughts back into focus. “Now I am going to start applying pressure to the link. Brace yourselves.”

Nicoli did so and he waited, trying not to get distracted by the feeling of union he was still experiencing with Ethan. Then it came. At first it was just a light and gentle push against the mind link. It was testing and teasing, much like the first night Nicoli had met Gavin and he was testing to see how strong the link was. Soon, however, it became a harder, more urgent push and Nicoli was beginning to feel uncomfortable and even threatened. That was when Ethan’s mind began pushing back. Nicoli could feel it press against the invading force and Nicoli was quick to join Ethan in protecting the precious bond that connected them. Together they were able to hold Gavin off and away from their minds.

“Prepare yourselves,” Gavin said after a few seconds of this tug-of-war. “I’m going to show you just how important it is to protect the mind link. Forgive me.”

Before Nicoli could really comprehend what that meant the pressure returned, but instead of gently pushing it came down like a sludge hammer. It bypassed Nicoli and Ethan’s meager attempts at defending and struck the mind link with full force.

Nicoli and Ethan both cried out in pain and Nicoli was snapped out of his meditative state as he curled in on himself and wrapped his arms around his head. A great and terrible pain had shot through his head. It was as if that sledge hammer had come down right on his head. He had never felt such agony. Not even when his eye pain was at its worse.

“Fuck, Gavin,” Ethan said. “That wasn’t funny. That seriously hurt.”

“It was not meant to be funny. It was to show you just what will happen if someone truly tries to attack the link directly and what will happen if you do not know how to protect it.”

“Did you really have to do that, though?” Nicoli asked as he found the strength to lift his head. “Ugh, my ears are ringing.”

“Uh, Nicoli…” Ethan said and when Nicoli looked at him a look of absolute horror was on his face.

“What?”

Without answering Ethan reached over and brushed his thumb underneath Nicoli’s nose. When he pulled it back the pad of his thumb was stained with blood.

Nicoli stared at the hand with mouth a gape and blood soon traveled into his opened mouth. He sputtered and covered his face with his hands, trying to stop the flow.

“Holy shit,” Felix whispered from the bed and both him and Andre were leaning forward with wide eyes.

“Wha-what happened?” Nicoli asked, his voice rising in panic. “Did you give me a brain aneurism or something? Am I dying?”

“No, you will be fine,” Gavin assured him. “I inflicted very minor damage, but do you both now understand how dire this is? If that happened from one hit, what do you think will happen if the link were to be broken entirely?”

Nicoli stared down at his bloody hands and the taste of copper spread along his tongue. He felt cold. Very cold. This was proof. It was no longer idle chatter or a threat. He could really die if the mind link was broken by outside forces. The proof was in his hands and slowly dripping out his nose.

A knot formed in his chest and his breathing became heavy and erratic. A kind of numbness spread throughout his limbs and he felt like he couldn’t get enough air into his lungs.

“No, we-we have to do something,” Nicoli said, looking at Gavin desperately. “I can’t – no, please. I can’t die like this. I don’t want to die like this.”

“Nicoli,” Gavin said firmly as he took him by the shoulders and forced their eyes to meet. “You aren’t going to die. Not if we make you stronger. If you can defend yourself you can make sure that no one has this kind of power over you. Ever. Do you understand me?”

“Y-Yeah,” Nicoli said. His voice was soft and he forced air into his lungs to calm himself down.

“Jeeze, I never…” Ethan muttered, making the others look at him. He still had the same horrified expression on his face as he stared at Nicoli. “I-I’m sorry. I never thought – It never crossed my mind that it could actually…” he trailed off, not able to finish.

“Yes, well, that has always been one of your flaws, Ethan,” Gavin said as he released Nicoli’s shoulders. “You tend not to think before you act. At least this time we have a chance to make certain that this does not become a fatal error.”

Once Nicoli had a chance to calm down fully and clean himself up they continued on with the training. It was tedious and excruciating, but they persevered. While Gavin never made a tremendous strike like he did before he didn’t make it any easier. He poke, he prodded, he jabbed, and he full on hit. When Nicoli and Ethan thought they had a good way to keep Gavin out he found another way to get in.

Nicoli wasn’t sure how much time had passed. It could have been minutes or it could have been hours, but either way when Gavin said that they were done for the day Nicoli was exhausted. The second the word “Done,” left Gavin’s lips Nicoli fell back in a worn out heap.

His body was shaking and sweat drenched his skin and had made his shirt damp. He took in deep, ragged breaths and his entire body felt like one giant lead weight. He would have jumped when something soft touched his face, but he didn’t have the strength to.

It took him several moments to force his eyes open and when he did he saw Gavin leaning over him and he was patting at his slick skin with a towel.

“You did very well today. You should be proud of yourself,” Gavin said softly as he ran the towel over Nicoli’s cheek and around his neck. He then used his free hand to tuck a strand of hair from Nicoli’s face and behind his ear.

Nicoli thought that if Gavin ever touched him his hands would be rough and cold, but he was surprised to find that Gavin’s touch was gentle and careful. It seemed unusual for a man of Gavin’s stature and demeanor.

“I believe you should rest now,” Gavin told him. “Sleep is the best way to recuperate from this kind of training.”

“I like that idea,” Nicoli said weakly. His eyelids felt heavier at just the mention of the word sleep.

“You can either sleep here or in Ethan’s room,” Gavin told him.

“Whichever one someone is willing to carry me to. I don’t think I could move even if I tried,” Nicoli replied and, at that moment, he really didn’t feel like trying.

He could have sworn Gavin chuckled, but he couldn’t be sure. He was then lifted into strong arms and raised into the air. Gavin must have chosen to let Nicoli sleep in his room because the next thing Nicoli knew he was being laid down into a bed. Andre and Felix had vacated and the bed was cold from the ghost’s lingering cold, but Nicoli was in no mood to care.

Gavin asked for permission to remove Nicoli’s shirt and when it was granted the article of clothing was gone in an instant. The towel then returned and finished wiping away all the sweat on his skin and, as this was happening, Gavin murmured something about Nicoli getting sick if he went to sleep without drying off. When it was done blankets were pulled over him and Gavin stood from the mattress. The sound of feet clattering along the floor then reached Nicoli’s ears.

“Awe, Gavin, I love it when your sweet side comes out. You big softie,” Andre teased.

“Call me soft when I snap your neck in five different places,” Gavin replied gruffly.

“Well, I think I’m gonna go hit the sack too,” Ethan said. “I am beat.”

“You will be doing no such thing. I have extra training in store for you and it will go into effect now,” Gavin told him.

“What? Why?”

“Because I am sorely disappointed on how far you’ve let your training slip. If I had known you were going to neglect your teachings this much when you left I would have personally stopped you and forbade you to go.”

“I told you he wasn’t going to be happy when he found out how much you slacked off,” Felix murmured.

“Man, come on, Gavin. Don’t be such a hard ass. Can’t we just…”

Nicoli didn’t hear anymore as they left the room and he wouldn’t have hear more anyway as he began to slip away into unconsciousness. As soon as his eyes closed he was gone into some much needed, and much deserved, sleep.

============================Ch. 40 End