Tears of the Neko (21 page)

Damien grinned mischievously, petting
Kayden's silky locks. "I was."

"What's going on?" Roman suddenly appeared
next to the captain, eyes narrowing at the sight of the neko
wrapped around his brother.

Kayden abruptly squirmed his way between
Damien and the back of the couch, and Geoff noted that it seemed
more fearful than playful now. Of course the little thing was
afraid of everyone but Damien it seemed.

"Ouch," Damien swatted gently at the figure
burrowing behind him, still laughing. "I think we need to get those
nails clipped soon."

"Nothing's wrong," Damien told his captain,
sitting on the couch casually as if he hadn't just gotten caught
practically making out with the young neko by the captain of the
guard.

"Fuck," Roman cursed as he turned away from
his brother's study.

Geoff Brenner frowned at the marquis's
attitude before turning back to the duke. "I see things are
better," he surmised, crossing his arms with a smirk.

Damien grinned at his captain. "Much. You
might have gotten an eyeful if you had burst in here like that a
little later."

Geoff rolled his eyes, groaning, noticing
that the poor little neko seemed to shrink in more behind his
master. "Next time, lock the door."

Geoff Brenner turned and ran into Roman as he
went back out of the doorway. "Looks like you are going to owe him
a thousand pounds," the captain joked, nudging the young marquis
congenially.

"The damn thing doesn't even talk," Roman
ranted, frustrated, "It's so ....How can Damien stand to even be
around it? "

"Just because he doesn't like you," Geoff
said, "doesn't mean he's not likable."

****

Damien watched as the door closed, then stood
and turned to Kayden. As soon as his brother and guard were gone,
the little neko uncurled itself. Damien couldn't believe how
important this little creature had become to him in such a short
time. He never thought he'd want anyone, much less feel this
strongly for someone.

He reached down and easily picked up the boy,
gathering him in an embrace. Kayden's thin limbs wrapped around
him, arms around his neck and sleek thighs squeezing his waist.
Kayden nuzzled against his neck, and Damien tucked his head against
Kayden's, the boy's ears tickling his cheek.

"I love you, kitten," Damien breathed against
the fine ebony hair.

Damien felt Kayden's claws dig briefly into
his back as the boy buried his face against his chest. He could
feel the boy's breathing hitch under his hands, and for a second he
thought Kayden was crying.

Then he felt the breath against the skin at
his throat, barely a whisper. "I love you too, sir."

Kayden sat idly on the window sill in
Damien's office, his tail flicking lazily. Several days had passed
since his master had said he loved him, and Kayden had never felt
so content--although he still hated the boots and shoes his master
had made him wear outside the last time they walked. His master was
still a little cautious when they curled up in the bed together,
always making sure that Kayden was secure.

Kayden smiled at the thought of the last few
nights in his master's arms, reveling in the memory of his master's
hands sliding over him, pleasuring him. After Kayden was sated,
Damien would unobtrusively take care of himself, never expecting
Kayden to reciprocate. And while Kayden had hesitantly touched his
master's chest and abs, he was still nervous to explore much
further. Damien hadn't tried to touch him like the others had,
which helped Kayden relax in his touch, knowing that his master
would never hurt him like that.

So, currently he was enjoying watching the
spider in the bush outside trying to spin a web amongst the
branches with a silly smile on his face. Even though it was cool
outside, the sun made the window warm enough. And while he hated
the shoes, he loved the socks that had arrived with all of his new
clothes.

His master was talking with Oliver Druet and
another man, his attorney, Kayden thought. He really didn't pay
that much attention to the men anymore. He'd become more
comfortable around them, now that he knew they wouldn't hurt him.
And most had been rather nice about his presence in his master's
study, seeing him as more of a pet than an intrusion.

They were currently talking about some dinner
party that was going to be happening tomorrow night. Several
important people were supposed to be there, but Kayden didn't
really care. He smiled over at his master when he caught his gaze,
and Damien smiled back.

He was leaning into the window, almost
falling asleep, when he heard his master's voice calling him.

"Kayden," Damien asked, "do you mind going to
the kitchen and asking Ysmenia to send in some tea and sandwiches.
We're going to be a bit longer."

He nodded, as was his habit around others. He
only spoke around Damien, and Damien seemed to enjoy that Kayden's
voice was gifted to him alone.

Kayden made his way silently towards the
dining room, to get to the kitchen door. He preferred this entrance
to the kitchen over the servants' hallway, which always seemed to
be busy.

Strangely, he loved the kitchen. He didn't
think he would like it much with so many people coming and going.
But perhaps because there were so many people, no one hardly paid
him any attention, except the chef, Ysmenia, and Ellis. When his
master was away, he felt safer here. He'd once found that odd,
because too many people used to mean too many hands that could hurt
him, but he was slowly learning that none of these people in the
kitchen meant him any harm. The only time he'd felt threatened here
was around the tobacco-smelling one, and with so many people in the
kitchen the man had never tried anything since the night in the
storeroom.

When he stepped timidly into the busy
kitchen, the chef glanced up at him. Kayden caught the brief smile
on Garin's face before he turned to Ysmenia, feigning
irritation.

"Yas," he called, "The kit is here. His grace
must want something. Hurry up, so he can get out of my
kitchen."

The pleasant older lady playfully smacked the
chef on the shoulder. "Oh, stop it, Garin. You know you like the
boy. You sneak him the best cuts of meat whenever you can. And let
him curl up here by the fire when the master's gone so he isn't
lonely locked up in that little room."

Garin just grunted but winked briefly at
Kayden before returning to peeling vegetables.

"Oh, don't worry about him," Ysmenia petted
Kayden's hair. And, honestly, Kayden didn't feel afraid of the
grumpy chef anymore. He'd gotten used to the man who didn't like
nekos in his kitchen, but Kayden had found that, if no one was
watching, Garin would let him sit by the fire in the kitchen while
he waited for whatever he'd been sent for. He had gotten used to
the movements of the other slaves and servants by now, and none of
them seemed inclined to bother him, much less hurt him. He even
nodded and smiled when they greeted him now.

"So, his Grace wants tea?" Ysmenia
guessed.

He nodded.

"Just tea?" she knew she had to basically
play a guessing game with the boy, since he'd only nod or shake his
head or sometimes point.

Kayden shook his head.

"Hmm, so tea and sandwiches?"

A nod, then he held up three slender
fingers.

"For three? So the master and two
guests?"

Kayden smiled and nodded.

Ysmenia grinned back. "Good. I'll get it
together and bring it in shortly. Why don't you go on back to your
master?"

Kayden nodded and turned to go back down the
short hall to the dining room. He was passing by the large buffet
that lined the back wall for more casual serving, when the scent
hit him.

Tobacco and citrus.

He froze as Roman appeared in the doorway,
blocking his exit.

"Well, well," Roman stalked closer, "What do
we have here?"

Kayden backed up, his spine hitting the
buffet, rattling the vase of flowers sitting on it.

Roman suddenly slipped his fingers under the
front of the neko's collar, twisting it slightly, tightening it
against the back of the boy's neck as he pulled him up off his
feet. Kayden hissed and tried to claw at the arm, but the man's
clothing protected him. As the collar gripped the back of his neck
painfully, he started to kick wildly.

"Shit!" Roman snapped as the boy's knee
landed next to his groin.

He abruptly shoved the neko roughly against
the buffet, causing the vase to tip and water to spill across the
floor. As Roman dropped him, Kayden felt a burst of pain as the
back of his head hit the edge of the buffet. His head exploded in
agony as he slumped to the floor.

"You little brat!" Roman sneered, leaning in
close enough that only Kayden could have heard what he said. "Just
wait till I get rid of Damien. Then you will mine."

Kayden vaguely saw the back of the man
disappear out the archway of the dining room, and then out the
front door before he let the darkness take him.

****

Ysmenia appeared at the door of the study
with a tray of tea and sandwiches. As she quietly set them on the
side table, she noticed her master break from his conversation and
frown. His gaze cast around the room.

"Thank you," he said absently. "Did Kayden
stay in the kitchen to eat?"

Ysmenia looked confused. "No, my lord. I sent
him back right away."

Oliver noticed the tense concern that crossed
his friend's face. "Maybe he just decided to go to bed. He did look
sleepy."

But Damien didn't look convinced. "Maybe.
Ysmenia, can you have someone look for him?"

"Of course, sir. Right away."

Ysmenia darted out of the room back to the
kitchen in a slight panic. Maybe the boy had come back in the
kitchen, and Garin had fed him. When she burst into the kitchen,
she started to accost Garin, wondering if he'd seen the boy, but
stopped upon seeing him conversing with one of the other
masters.

The men looked at her anxiously scanning the
room, her hands wringing in her apron.

"What is it?" her master demanded.

"Um, pardon my interruption, my lord," she
said nervously, "but I wanted to ask Garin if he'd seen
Kayden."

"Kayden's missing?" Harrison frowned.

Garin looked surprised. "He left when you
told him to go back to his Grace. He hasn't come back in here."

"Which way did he go?" Harrison demanded.

"He usually goes through the dining room, to
avoid getting in the way of everyone," Garin pointed to the other
exit.

Harrison turned, with Ysmenia following
him.

As soon as he strode into the dining room, he
noticed the tiny figure curled up on the floor.

"He fell asleep in here?" Ysmenia asked
incredulously. "I knew he could sleep anywhere, but really--"

"No," Harrison interrupted, noting the odd
way Kayden was laying. It wasn't his normal curled up sleeping
position. And while the boy did seem to be able to curl up and nap
just about anywhere, this didn't look normal. His tail was splayed
limply behind him, not curled in contentedly. His body seemed
contorted oddly, not curled in comfortably.

He knelt next to the boy, stepping in the
water. The little neko looked even younger and more innocent than
usual laying limply on the floor.

"It looks like he may have slipped and hit
his head," Harrison surmised, his hand gently tucked behind the
boy's head.

"Oh!" Ysmenia gasped worriedly. "I'll go get
help."

When his hand touched a knot on the back of
the neko's head, Harrison heard a hiss and the green eyes
fluttered.

"Kayden?" Harrison asked. "Kayden, can you
hear me?"

The boy felt tense under his hand, until he
opened his eyes and focused on Harrison's face. The small hand
fluttered to his neck and he coughed slightly before nodding.
Harrison watched the boy struggle to rise.

Harrison abruptly lifted the practically
weightless boy in his arms, eliciting a surprised yelp from the
neko. Kayden briefly struggled in his arms.

"Shhh, it's okay," Harrison soothed. "I'm
just taking you to Damien."

At the mention of his master's name, the boy
settled down. Harrison rose with the thin body in his arms,
striding toward his brother's study, as Ysmenia returned with John
Drystan in tow.

"Sir, is everything alright?" John asked
anxiously, knowing that Lord Damien would be seriously angry if
anything happened to Kayden.

"Yes," Harrison said shortly. "Ysmenia, can
you get the water cleaned up in the dining room before someone else
slips on it."

"Yes, sir."

As she hurried away, John followed Harrison
to the doorway of the study. Conversation stopped as the three men
noticed the young count standing there with the thin figure of the
neko in his arms.

Damien was on his feet instantly, striding to
meet Harrison as he crossed the room.

"What happened?" Damien demanded, practically
grabbing the boy from his brother's arms, curling the neko's body
against him.

"I think he fell on some water in the dining
room, hit his head," Harrison supplied, with John hovering
nervously behind him.

Damien carefully put Kayden on the couch,
feeling gently behind his head, through the strands of ebony hair.
Kayden hissed when Damien pressed on the bruise on the back of his
head.

"Is that what happened, kitten?" Damien said
soothingly, worry darkening his azure eyes.

Kayden's glance around the room to the other
men and his squirming on the couch made Harrison aware of how
nervous the boy still was around so many people, especially knowing
he wouldn't normally be allowed to sit on the furniture in their
presence.