Vigil (16 page)

unsurprised when I tell you that nothing is more precious to me.

Therefore if anyone wishes to harm me, they will strike at me

through you.”

Adin kept silent but gave Donte’s arm a squeeze. It didn’t help

being reminded of their past; of how Santos had attempted to

use Adin to harm Donte over old vendettas.

Adin made the decision to tell Donte everything he knew. If

he was going to expect the same from Donte they had to begin

somewhere. “Harwiche has Auselmo’s papers. Santos sold them

to him to spite you. He’ll want to trade for Bran and he knows I

won’t allow it. I don’t want to go to war with you on this but I’m

prepared to protect that boy,” Adin said in a rush. He wanted to

get it out into the open, in case Donte either didn’t understand or

Boaz hadn’t shared that information. “I’m sorry. I should have

told you. I should have said exactly what—”

“Hush caro.” Donte lifted Adin’s hand to his mouth and

kissed it. “I know what Santos told you, but he was playing with

you. Harwiche has nothing that belonged to Auselmo. Santos

only told you that to cause trouble between us. I think when he

saw you in Paris it occurred to him as a parting shot. I told Boaz

to reassure you. Did he not?”

“No he didn’t.”

“That is troublesome.” Donte frowned.

“Santos.
That prick
.” Adin felt foolish and angry.

“He’s been manipulating men and women for centuries, try

not to take it personally.” Donte walked between the still barren

fruit trees, ghostly skeletons reaching spindle-fingered for the

night sky. Adin followed him, stepping carefully in the loamy soil.

“I did check it out, after Boaz indicated I should look into it.”

“I wonder why Santos thought I wouldn’t tell you, at least

eventually. That I wouldn’t ask you to help me protect Bran, and

find another way to get Auselmo’s things back.”

Vigil
105

Donte chuckled. “Because, più amato, he has completely

underestimated you.
Again.
I can’t tell you how happy that makes

me.”

“Really?”

“Certainly. He expected you to be jealous at the very least. Or

angry that I would once again put my love for Auselmo on the

scales and weigh it against what I feel for you.” Donte turned

and put his hands on Adin’s shoulders. “He expected you to take

Bran and run from me, fearing that I would sacrifice the boy for

mementos from my one true love.”

“I see.” Adin didn’t have to share that he might have preferred

if Donte didn’t refer to Auselmo as his “one true love.”

“But because you love me and trust me, you came to me for

protection instead. Santos completely underestimated your faith

in me.” Donte appeared delighted with his conclusion.

“I wonder if you know how particularly annoying you’re

being right now.”

“I beg your pardon?” Donte’s fine features slackened with

surprise.

“While you’re congratulating yourself because your human

came so quickly to heel, are you aware that I’ve been feeling

terrible about the whole thing?” Adin punched Donte’s arm.

“The thought that—once again—I might cost you something

valuable and important to you has been preying heavily on my

mind. Not to mention your apparent willingness to sacrifice me

in the past. It isn’t the best recommendation.”

Donte rubbed where Adin had landed his blow. “I did notice

you didn’t explicitly mention that Harwiche had Auselmo’s papers

at first, did you?”

“Because you had an
imp
in Santos’s employ!” Adin spit. “Did

I need to be explicit? And anyway, I alluded to it straight away

and I just
did
mention it.”

“Well. It was a lie. And despite my past behavior I intend to

help you to protect the boy.” Donte gazed at Adin seriously. “If

106 Z.A. Maxfield

you ask it of me.”

“You’d do that?” Adin hardly dared to breathe.

“For you, caro, yes. If the boy is precious to you then we

will keep him safe.” Adin was about to argue when Donte raised

his hand. “I can foresee no need to break my vow to protect

Christiano. Other than his little lie to you, Santos is uninvolved.

And as for Harwiche… he hardly matters now, at any rate.”

Donte took off back the way they’d come, walking briskly. “The

rain will come down in buckets any minute. You must go back

inside. I shouldn’t like you to become ill.”

Adin went after him, reduced to practically leaping from place

to place in his hurry to catch up and not harm his feet. “What do

you mean, Harwiche hardly matters?”

“Harwiche was injured,” Donte muttered. “Someone broke

into his home and stabbed him with a letter opener. They…

played with him first.”

Adin stopped in his tracks. “
What
?” he cried out. “Wait.
Stop
.

What
?”

Donte turned and met Adin’s eyes. “I found him or he’d

be dead. Someone nearly killed Ned Harwiche last night, and I

believe… It’s likely they were looking for Bran.”

“Boaz will be in bed, I expect.” Donte spoke in low tones

once they’d entered the kitchen. Adin was soaked through and

shivered with the cold. “Do you know how to use this?” Donte

pointed to a simple electric kettle. “You should have something

warm to drink.”

“You’re joking,” Adin accused.

“What?” Donte picked up the pot and pulled off the lid, gazing

earnestly into the interior of the white plastic appliance. The cord

slipped off the counter and dangled, hitting the cupboard with

a thud. “You’re shivering. If you make tea I’ll change and bring

you my dressing gown so you can remove your wet clothing—”

“You don’t know how to use an electric kettle?”

“Think, Adin. When would
I
ever have occasion to employ

one?”

“That’s true enough.” Adin took the pot from Donte with

a nudge of his shoulder and watched as he left the room. He

poured water into the vessel and plugged it in before searching

the cupboards for tea. When he found what he liked, he turned

his attention elsewhere.

Removing his clothes, peeling them off until he wore nothing

but goose bumps, Adin opened the door and dropped his wet

things outside. Only then did he realize that if the footsteps on

the stairs belonged to anyone other than Donte he might have

some explaining to do. Adin turned just in time to see Donte in

the kitchen doorway.

If vampires had to breathe other than to talk, Adin would

have said Donte held his breath. As it was, it looked like Donte

was certainly moved by what he saw. He halted in his tracks, put a

hand on the door frame, and smiled warmly. Adin felt devoured

by Donte’s eyes. His face heated as he stood there, fighting the

urge to cover himself with his hands.

108 Z.A. Maxfield

“You are utterly perfect, più amato,” Donte practically purred.

He stepped forward so slowly Adin was mesmerized by every

move he made. It had been months since they’d done a home-y

thing like having tea in the kitchen while the household slept.

Adin wanted to savor and prolong the moment, so he remained

cautiously still. “I found you handsome when we first met on the

plane. I planned to steal my journal back from you, and when

we spoke, I decided to play with you a bit. You were so cheeky; I

thought you deserved to be pulled down a notch or two.”

“I am Donte,” Adin teased, the familiar refrain singsong and

silly, “apex of the food chain on this planet…”

“
Enough
.” Donte stood behind Adin and draped the robe over

his shoulders, holding it so Adin could push his arms into the

sleeves. “Will you never tire of mocking me?”

“Probably not.” Adin bit his lip to keep from laughing.

Donte wrapped the robe around Adin as he pulled him

back into an embrace and kissed his neck. “I was going to say I

thought you were beautiful when we met, but I had no idea how

truly extraordinary you were, nor how much you would come to

mean to me.”

“
Donte
.” Adin’s heart sped up.

“I had the opportunity to think while you were in Paris without

me. I was engaged in some rather difficult business negotiations,

and I realized I had practiced some of those most unpleasant

tactics on you. It’s no wonder you left me.”

“I didn’t leave you, Donte.”

“You left our home,” Donte reminded Adin. “You didn’t say

when you’d return.”

“But I would have returned.” Adin leaned his head back on

Donte’s shoulder, finding it exactly the perfect height, as always.

“I believe you know that.”

Adin felt Donte’s lips twitch on the skin of his neck. “Perhaps

I did. I grew impatient, caro, can you forgive me?”

“Always.”

Vigil
109

“Do you promise me? Always?” Donte’s voice was urgent.

“My always,” Adin replied. “But that’s not what you want, is

it? Is that going to be enough?”

Donte pressed kisses on Adin’s nape then, so close the breath

he didn’t really need to take lifted Adin’s hair and ruffled it. “It

will have to be.”

Thick curls of steam indicated water boiled in the kettle, and

Donte let Adin go.

They sat together at the long table as Adin brewed their tea

in an old ceramic pot. The air seemed to hang thickly, shivering

with possibilities. Adin automatically poured two cups, simply for

show. Donte might take a few sips, but that too, was a façade.

Even as Adin sat across from his lover, he knew they were playing

at domesticity, knew he was kidding himself.

Reminded of the Japanese tea ceremony, Adin tried to imbue

his every movement with something symbolic and beautiful.

Something memorable that revealed his emotions, which he

wasn’t completely comfortable sharing. When he took his first

sip he sighed with contentment.

“What?” Donte lifted his cup and idly looked over Adin and

Bran’s chess game.

Adin captured one of Donte’s hands. “It’s nice to have you

here beside me. Does that sound lame?”

“I assume lame is being used as an insult these days?” Donte

allowed Adin to keep his hand but his attention remained on the

chessboard.

“Do I sound foolish to you?” Adin pressed.

“No more foolish than I am, trying my best to tie you to me

forever when that’s the last thing you desire.”

“Being tied to you is not the problem, Donte, I thought you

understood that. I don’t want to be—”

“Turned into a monster, yes.” Donte circled a finger on the

rustic table, but wouldn’t meet Adin’s eyes. “I understand. I’m

sorry. It’s late and I’m tired.”

110 Z.A. Maxfield

Adin frowned. “Tired?”

“Yes.” Donte took up his teacup. There had been something

about Donte that seemed different to Adin and he wondered

how he’d failed to noticed it. A shadow against Donte’s skin,

under his eyes. A slight hollowing of his cheeks. “I’m feeling

rather more of my years than usual, caro. I thought a bracing

walk might help but I’m still a little fatigued.”

“Does this happen often?” Adin asked, frowning. “I thought

you were immortal, immune to things that make humans sick. I

thought you never—”

“I can’t become diseased, Adin. But I can be fatigued. Often

the fault is my own. Either I don’t eat enough, or I choose

unwisely.”

Adin grew worried and offered himself. “Then take what you

need from me, lover, you know you don’t need to ask.”

“I will be fine, Adin.” Donte shook his head. “I took enough.

Your tea will be just what I need. Or maybe we can retire, yes?

I’ll draw your portrait while you sleep. It’s true that I haven’t let

myself rest lately.”

“If you’re certain…”

“I’m sure.” Donte looked back to the chessboard. “Who was

white?”

“Bran,” Adin told Donte. “That’s the tie-breaker; he’s a

strong player. Surprisingly good for someone with little formal

education.”

Some expression Adin couldn’t read crossed Donte’s features.

“You’ve grown very fond of him.”

“I have.” Adin grinned. “But you have nothing to worry

about, he told me he ‘fancies girls’.”

“What a relief,” Donte teased. He was still gazing at the

board. “You realize that if he recognizes his advantage here he’ll

have you in eight moves? Like this?” Donte reached out to touch

the queen’s bishop; the one Bran had advanced to take Adin’s

knight, but drew his hand away as though it burned. He stood up

Vigil
111

quickly, sliding his chair back with a scrape against the tile floor

that sounded thunderous in the quiet house.

“What was that?” Adin jumped up so fast he nearly knocked

over his teacup.

Donte glanced at the chess set and then back at Adin.

“Nothing,” he said crossly. “It’s nothing.”

“That was
not
nothing,” Adin pressed. “What happened just

now?”

“Just now—” Donte shook his head and resumed a casual