Love Bites

I made a stop at my apartment, planning on changing out of my day old clothes so I could look almost as nice as Thorne. It was disgusting that she was with someone like Oliver, someone who had no regard for life. Oliver seemed to be under the impression that because he had hardly lived nobody else needed to live either, at least in terms of a proper life. I pulled on a red button down shirt with black pants before walking out of my apartment to climb back into the Impala. My phone buzzed and I was almost shocked to see Kellin’s name pop up.


KELLIN:if anything happens between T and O let it go 2nite man. I need to talk to you about the thing with C


I stared at my phone. Why would he need to discuss that? Everything was worked out. There was nothing to discuss. I replied with an okay before driving to the bar Thorne, Valerie, Nikki, and Oliver were meeting Kellin at. They were sitting at a corner table with Kellin and a man with long, light brown hair. “Have I missed anything?” I asked, squeezing in next to Thorne. She shifted between me and Oliver, her warm skin brushing up against me. I was so pissed she had a thing for him. It was so obvious. Oliver didn’t even look at her like a person. He looked at her like an annoying chicken he wanted to plump up for the slaughter house.


“Just Christofer,” Kellin beamed, smacking the brown haired man on the shoulder. Christofer didn’t seem to mind. He sipped on a tea silently, tattooed hands daintily covering the cup as he watched us all behind lavender lenses in his sunglasses. “We all know Chris right? My roommate at the college?”


Of course Oliver and I knew Christofer. He was one of the few people around here who wasn’t a vampire but might as well have been one. I wasn’t quite sure how he had done it but Christofer had managed to harness the immortality of a vampire, turn it into an essence, and only used it once every few years when he saw age lines or realized he was getting a few years ripe. I don’t want to say he was a warlock or anything but he was obscenely talented with alchemy. “Long time, no see, right?” the potion master chuckled. “How have you been, Oli?”


Oliver folded his fingers together and rested his chin on them, smiling brightly at Chris. “Lovely, Mr. Ingle. Life couldn’t be more interesting at the moment. Are you coming to my party? It’s soon. Very soon.” It wasn’t an invitation. Oliver was ordering Chris to come to the party so he could brag to everyone about the alchemist.


“I’m always down for a good time,” Chris smiled in an unsettling way. He sounded genuine but at the same time, something about him was just off. He’d always been like that but it never made being around him any easier. “Thinking of a good time, why doesn’t someone go ask the DJ to play something good. Hey, go ask for Don’t Stop Believin’.”


Thorne snorted and made a comment about “overrated” music before Oliver promised her something else. They left together as Valerie got up for a drink. Nikki never moved but that wasn’t a problem for Chris who produced a miniscule vial from his sleeve. When Nikki wasn’t looking, Chris poured a magenta liquid into the grave digger’s shot that promptly put him out cold on the table.


“Geez, his babbling was getting annoying,” Chris grumbled, relaxing a little. He sipped on his tea as his friendly hippie facade faded a little. “Andy, I have a new idea,” he said suddenly.


A new idea? No, we’d agreed on our idea. There was nothing to change about it. “What is this idea?” I questioned, scooting closer to the guys.


Kellin and Chris exchanged glances. “Well, we agreed to turn in Oliver for you so someone would take out Thorne, allowing you to get closer to him,” Kellin began. “I know the agreement was going to be repeal the complaint once Oliver was out but what if…what if we don’t? What if we transfer ownership to Chris?”


I flinched not only at the suggestion but also the phrasing. “Ownership” made it sound like we were talking about cattle or an inheritance of something no one particularly cared for. “Why would we do that?” I asked. “Chris doesn’t even know Thorne.”


“I have erm, some clients who would like to have someone like Thorne, if you catch my drift,” Chris said softly. “Kellin would be able to help me tailor her to their tastes before we fence the finished product.”


“My science project is going over really well by the way,” Kellin added proudly. “She’ll be safe. She won’t even know what’s happening.”


I stared at them both blankly. “Let me get this straight. You want to take Thorne in turn for helping me get Oliver?”


“Come on, it’s not like you have any kind of attachment to her,” laughed Chris. “She’s just a blood bag like me.”


“Yeah? Then why not hand yourself over?” I demanded.


“Because I don’t fit the bill,” the alchemist shrugged. “I cannot recreate myself and help reanimate the dead-“


“Who’s your client?” I snapped. “Kellin? Kellin’s the only one who’s still hanging on to people-“


“If Ashley’s brain or body weren’t half eaten with maggots, you’d want me to bring him back in a second,” Kellin spat. “We gave you Oliver, now give us Thorne.”


“This isn’t what we agreed to,” I growled. “We agreed we’d take Oliver out together. That we’d all let Thorne go. I’m not changing my mind just so you can go on playing Dr. Frankenstein.”


“You want her for yourself,” Kellin sighed. “You’ve gotten soft.”


Chris played with a peace sign hanging from his neck. “What would you expect from the guy who still can’t accept what he is after 200 something years?” he mused.


“No, I haven’t gotten soft. I just keep my promises,” I argued. “We let her go. Kellin, you can’t tell me you want to see her go off to whatever weird twisted freak Chris knows.”


Kellin blushed but pouted. “There’ll be others,” he muttered. “She’s not even like us so who even cares?”


“I care,” I barked. “Oliver cares.”


“Oliver dies,” Chris stated firmly.


“He can do that but God dammit, Thorne has to stay alive.”


“I see you don’t like the proposition,” sighed Chris. “That’s alright. We have our methods. We have no further use for you, Andy. Your pact has been broken so you may consider yourself a target.”


“Because I think your idea is immoral and wrong? Seriously?” I hissed. “I could just as easily report Kellin for associating with YOU! I can’t believe either of you. She didn’t ask to be dragged into this and I can’t imagine that the both of you can’t see that, let alone sympathize with her.“


Kellin frowned. “You’ve never been very good at realizing the opportunities you have, Andy,” he mumbled. “Sure, she’s human but we can always find you another one.”


“I don’t want another one,” I snarled as I stood up and slammed my hands on the table. “Don’t think I won’t be warning Oliver.”


“You won’t have time to warn Oliver,” snickered Chris. “He’ll be busy with Thorne and his guests.”


“You just wait,” I growled. I turned on my heel and with a flourish, started searching the bar and the rest of Bourbon Street looking for Thorne and Oliver. It was about time I came completely clean with her and it was only fair. Never in a million years did I think I’d try helping the man who turned me or even ask for his help in return.

Notes

Aha! An update that didn't take for fucking ever to put up!