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Serpent's Salvation

By: Ophiucus



 This work is copywrited and is property of the author. It may not be reproduced, borrowed, put on some website or even printed out and made into paper airplanes without the permission of the author.

Any resemblance to any people alive or dead, or any event is purely coincidental, unless 
A) You are a koo-koo for cocoa puffs delusional psychopath (in which case you might want to seek professional help) or 
B) You are the luckiest son of a bitch on the entire planet. I hate you.

This story is gay mythology-based fantasy fiction. If gay stories offend you, you in the wrong place. If you are underage, I can't stop you from reading (just make sure you locked your door first, you pervert). If it is illegal in your area, well, that's just really sad. It is also a real story, not gonzo sex. If you just want a quick wank, this is probably not your bag. If you want romance, intrigue and action with sex as an eventual added bonus, pucker up sugah.

On with the tale!

---Prologue---

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

It was conspiracy. The news that Aurel's assistant had just given him had cut to the heart. He had grown up with Baruch, trusted him like a brother, and now to find out... 

 Betrayal.

He clenched his eyes shut for a moment before recovering his mask and turned back towards Mychael. 

"Did you find out anything before he died?" Aurel said, once again shuttered and hard.

"No. He turned vicious. We thought we had him cornered. We never thought that he'd..." Mych's voice trailed off. He was unaccustomed to making excuses. He never had reason to before. And the memory of what had happened; he shuddered involuntarily as his mind shied away from even contemplating it.

"We're still searching his things. There might be something that will help us", Mych said, even as his face said otherwise.

Aurel shook his head, eyes staring out the window at the violently crashing sea below. 

"No. Nothing can help us."

---Chapter 1---

"I wish that you would reconsider this, Aurel. We can keep you secure when everything is locked down, but we can't make any promises when you invite everyone and their performing monkey in," Mych said, acknowledging a passing guard as they walked through the private hallway. "Your house is a logistical nightmare." He had to pick up his pace to keep up with Aurel's long-legged stride. Not that he was a small man, not even close, but Aurel was at least half a head taller.

"We've been over this Mych. The council meeting was scheduled long before our problems started and it's my turn to host. I can't lose face right now, there is much more at stake here than just me."

"I know that," said Mych, "more than anybody. But if something happens to you all of our plans are dead in the water anyway."

"Hmm."

"Pun definitely intended. No one will pick up where you left off."

Aurel took a moment to consider this. "There are a few who might take up the gauntlet."

"But nobody that could do it justice. You know that. It isn't bragging on your part, just stone cold truth."

"I've given you extra men, extra money and extra equipment. I'm as safe as I'm going to get Mych. I trust you to do what needs to be done. We are fully committed so quit acting like a hen."

"That's mother hen to you," said Mych. He expected a sharp reply but Aurel just kept walking. They slowed their pace just a little as they approached a polished wood door with an intricate lock system.

"Remember," said Aurel, "no oral communication from you or the other guards outside of the private living areas. Not while the house is occupied."

Seen and not heard, boss.

"Damnation," Aurel said, "I wish I could do that."

Perfection isn't easy to achieve.

Mych sighed like a Martyr before wincing and rubbed his throbbing bicep. "What was that for?"

"Insubordination. And I barely tapped you."

Mych rolled his eyes as he did a security check. "If that was just a tap I don't know why you have us around in the first place."

"It strokes my ego."

*****

They took a labyrinthine jumble of corridors towards the library. Aurel nodded to the door guard before slowly licking his lips, letting his senses spread, even as Mychael inhaled, nostrils flaring gently, both seeking the identity of the room's occupants. The guard had told Mych who was present, but redundancy could mean the difference between life and death.

Clear.

Mychael's thought was a gentle flutter in his mind, confirming what Aurel already knew. 

Despite the multitude of precautions they had already taken, Mychael entered the room first; his fluid, graceful movements belied the fact that he was prepared for violence. He prowled the library out of habit while scanning the leather volumes and comfortable chairs for anything out of the ordinary. Aurel closed and secured the door behind him before turning towards the rooms occupants. He scowled as he walked up to one of them, picking the man up in a powerful embrace.

"Get off me!" The voice was good humored, the accent blunted and Americanized, but the struggling was very real. Aurel was almost crushing him. Putting him down, Aurel smiled for the first time in days, his dark chocolate eyes crinkling at the corners, a smile that coaxed a similar response from the blue depths of the man in his embrace. Aurel loosened his tight clasp but didn't break the physical contact.

"I've missed you," he said.

"I've missed you too. It doesn't mean that I want to dance with you." Alex flashed him a lopsided grin. "I admit that it would probably be much more interesting if you were a girl," he mused, looking pointedly at Aurel's eye level pectorals. "But I only dance with your sister. Sorry to disappoint." Aurel's laugh sounded forced even to himself. 

"I wish she could have come," Aurel said. 

He must not have been quite successful in keeping the wistfulness at bay because Alex felt the need to tighten the hug for a moment before releasing him.

"Misha wanted to be here, but honestly, it's for the best. If anything ever happened to her or little Nicki…" 

"I know," Aurel said. "You don't have to say it."

"Anyway, the hug was from her and she is expecting a phone call from us both."

"I will do so tonight."

Aurel turned to the other two men, greeting them and clasping their hands in turn. 

"Cai, Ruvn."

Mychael nodded a greeting to the men as well, his gaze lingering on Ruvn. Tall, dark, rather gaunt, he looked like a storybook undertaker, a perfect foil for his sarcastic sense of humor. The humor wasn't present at the moment however, as Ruvn gave a mournful shake of his head. 

Nothing. 

"We've gone through everything of Baruch's", Ruvn elaborated, "and we've found nothing. They must have been extremely careful. No scent trails, nothing on the computer. They could have used an old fashioned drop, but we haven't been able to find it. It's unlikely that they would have a telepath of their own." 

"You know how they feel. They wouldn't get near enough to one of us to poke us with a sharp stick, let alone trust us with something so politically volatile," Mych said.

"They?" said Alex.

"Just a general term. We have no idea," Ruvn said. 

"Oh, I have ideas aplenty, just no concrete evidence." Mych replied.

Aurel sighed, resigned. "Don't look so upset. It is nothing less than what we expected. We have about half an hour before we do the pretty. Cai, have you heard anything?" He looked at the other man, almost his bookend in terms of size and build, but blessed with the white blond hair and chiseled face of a Viking.

Mordecai sat down and poured himself a drink from the colorful cut crystal decanter at his elbow, then took a sip before urging the others to join him. They all metabolized alcohol swiftly, so there was no worry over ill effects or the blunting of instincts. "So far, no rumors, nothing out of the ordinary. Everyone believes that Baruch's death was a tragic accident. There have been a few comments about the coincidence of so many accidents so close together, but nothing concrete. Everyone suspects that something is wrong but nobody is pointing fingers. It is only a matter of time though; your enemies are like swift raptors when they sense easy prey. Not that we are easy prey," he added, before they could speak, "but it is a vulnerability."

"Niran is gloating," Alex said.

" But that's no more than usual. And Mercer is being a typical hard ass." Cai shot a wicked grin at Alex as he used the borrowed colloquialism. "There is a lot of support for you Aurel, but..." He shifted in his seat, not quite meeting Aurel's eyes.

"But?"

Cai looked at him candidly. "They have to be wondering what will happen if they ally themselves with you."

"I've been wondering that myself," Aurel said. 

"Aurel, you can't just-"

"Listen to me." The others gave a start of surprise when Aurel cut off the beginning of Alex's tirade. "There is danger here. I am walking a tightrope and anyone connected with me could be a target. One of our own has already betrayed us, Clan members have gone missing, have died. I believe in what I am doing, I've risked my life for it, but I can't ask you to do the same Alex. You have a bound mate and a son. You have your own Clan to worry about. I will not endanger you or your people. I won't endanger my sister."

He looked around, taking them all in. "I won't endanger all of you."

"You won't, will you? Who are you to order about the head of Clan Von Erlach?" Alex said, his even voice and flashing eyes more forceful than any shout. In that instant it was easy to see how someone so normally laid back could inspire radical devotion in his people. "You are not my keeper. I rule in my own right and I make my own decisions. Your sister wouldn't be happy with your casual dismissal of us either. We believe in what you are doing. As a former outcast myself I have a stake in this as well. You're my brother and I'll support you even if you're going to be a total jackass about it." Alex rested his elbows on his knees as he leaned towards Aurel. "Who helped you negotiate the Garuda Accords? Who volunteered to be one of your ambassadors when everyone else was expecting certain failure? Did you think that would be a cakewalk or a tiptoe through the tulips? It could have blown up in my face." 

The silence was uneasy.

"I thought as much," Alex said. "I helped you then and I'll help you now." He relaxed into the leather sofa and took a sip of brandy. "Besides, I wouldn't want your sister to cut me off. I've become accustomed to certain…things." 

Instead of rising at the bait as he usually would, Aurel looked pensive for a moment, absorbing everything that was said. A weight that he hadn't realized existed lifted off of his chest, leaving him almost lightheaded with relief. He had been willing to go it alone, but it would have been much more difficult, perhaps impossible. Even suicidal. Maybe he was selfish, but the response he received had been the one he had hoped for. Still, he had needed to give Alex an out. Aurel blindly gripped Alex's hand and said "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Though I will have to tell Misha about your little lapse into idiocy. Be prepared for a tongue lashing like no other."

Aurel looked at Cai, who had gripped his other hand. "Cousin, where you go, I go. You and Misha are the only family I have." The moment was ruined when Alex cuffed Cai on the back of the head. 

"Leave someone out Cai?" Alex said.

"My apologies. Aurel, Misha, and…little Nicki," Cai replied, playfully ignoring Alex's glare. 

Mych and Ruvn had been lost in thought during the exchange, sharing a silent communion before Mych spoke for both of them. He had to struggle past the lump that formed in his throat. "I'm not used to speaking so seriously, but if there was ever a time for it I suppose this is it." He took a deep breath. "Aurel, we have no choice in the matter. You made the choice for us the day you took us in and thumbed your nose at the rest of the world. Our own tribes don't want us. They even hunted us for sport before you came along. Everyone else was happy to let us find hell in our own way but you gave us a family when we had nothing." The confession was difficult for him. He was looking at the floor; his hazel eyes squinted as if looking into a bright light, unruly black hair partially hiding his expression. "I can't repay that, I don't have money enough, even friendship enough to cover that debt, but I can die trying," he said, finally meeting Aurel's eyes with the fierce determination in his own. Ruvn nodded his solemn agreement.

Aurel stood abruptly, turning to the door to hide the unaccustomed tears that threatened to pool, grappling with the foreign feeling. He mentally chastised himself. He never relinquished control. He never showed strong emotion. With the depression he had fallen into, he didn't think he had any strong emotion left in him besides despair, and even before that he had been reserved. Aloof. 

Alone.

He kept his back to the others, holding himself rigid to conceal his turmoil. He almost choked before giving gruff thanks to Mych, unwilling to reveal his weakness, but equally unwilling to ignore the heartfelt words of a rare friend.

"Cai, will you and Ruvn go on ahead? We will meet you at the entrance. Mych, I need you to tell the guards that we are prepared to leave."

The others left quickly, even Mych, who could have easily communicated with the other guards from inside the room. Only Alex now remained, staying behind to mock him with worried, questioning eyes. Aurel would have walked past him, but Alex bared his way with an arm and a glance. Aurel pointedly ignored him, but didn't push past, knowing that he would have to submit to a discussion. 

"You look like shit Aurel."

"I'm fine."

"Cut line. You don't look fine to me," Alex said, "and I'm sure Mych would agree."

"He hasn't said anything to me."

"He worships the ground you walk on. Of course he hasn't said anything."

"Maybe Mych hasn't become all touchy-feely since he married my sister," said Aurel.

Alex grabbed Aurel and turned him to look at him. "That was beneath you."

Aurel still couldn't meet his eyes. "I know." 

"I'm just concerned Aurel," Alex said, " It's not like you would've won any beauty contests before, but now you look haggard." Aurel knew it was true. He hadn't been sleeping enough, and small lines of worry had appeared around his eyes. He wasn't what he would have termed classically handsome on the best of days, but he had always considered that his blunt, leonine features suited his large frame. Ruggedly masculine was what he thought when he was being particularly generous with himself, but now he just felt drawn.

"Your sister will have me skinned if she finds out I didn't do anything to help. We both know that it isn't just recent events that have affected you like this, It's been coming on for a while now. Talk to me. Please." 

It was the please that did him in. Aurel studied the toe of his shoe like it was the most important thing on earth, trying to convert his thoughts to words and finding none. It would have been novel if the matter were not so serious; he was rather known for his glib tongue. He just didn't know what to say. He searched for the words to describe what he felt. If he felt.

How do you tell your brother that you are lonely, that he had taken away the one person that made your stark life bearable? Aurel hadn't realized the magnitude of his loss at first. He was happy for her, truly. He had gone on as he always had, only gradually sinking into the depression that now consumed him. No Misha to lean on when he needed to be strong for everyone else. No Misha to be his conscience. No Misha to pretend with him. She had left pretend behind when Alexandru had swept her off her feet; beautiful blond Alex, giving her the real thing and showing him the parody his life actually was. Aurel had thrown himself into his work to make up for the lack in his life but now… He was breaking down. His political life was in danger of being assassinated as thoroughly as his friends and associates. He was at the end of his tether.

His consternation must have shown, because awareness fell over Alex's face like an eclipse. Aurel winced at the look of sudden understanding, and seethed at the thought that he was pitied. He threw off the hand that had come to rest on his shoulder and snarled, stalking out the door to meet Mychael.

Alex watched him walk away with an impotent sadness. Mates were so rare and so highly prized; everyday he thanked a God he had once denied for the love of his life. He was sure that Aurel had lost any hope he had once held for something, someone, to give him the same joy.

"Aurel, I know there is someone waiting for you."

*****

The early evening was a cool grey that blended into the harsh sea, a hint of pink and a foam of frothy white the only delineation between the water and the sky. The birds that normally circled the churning waves were curiously absent, gone to easier, safer shores. The house was stark and imposing in it's isolated splendor on the bluff, its sward of green lawn a clean contrast to its monotone elemental surroundings.

They gathered in an underground chamber, a cavern in the rocky coastline below the manor that had been modified suitably for the purpose. There were only two entrances, the narrow concrete passage that led from the main house, and the sea, a tempest of water and rock that kept most people from exploring too close. It was a discrete entrance as much as an escape, one that most of their number used. 

Despite the ocean noise and the rough rock walls, or perhaps because of them, the large room was well appointed. Recessed lighting softly lit the thick, jewel toned rugs, comfortable club chairs and honey colored wood that graced the leveled floors. A bar in the corner served drinks and a buffet table held an array of gourmet canapés and more mundane foods of every description. Aurel would be the first to admit that it resembled a gentleman's club. He had planned it in detail. On more than one occasion he had been forced to suffer the hospitality of those who were less inclined towards simple creature comforts and more towards Spartan masochism. 

People were still occasionally ascending the spiral stair that led down to the pool that fed into the ocean but most had already arrived. The meeting wasn't to begin for another half an hour, but everyone gathered early to cement alliances, reaffirm private agreements, and publicly snub those who displeased them, all under the pretense of mingling. Aurel silently walked through the gathering, Mychael hard and inscrutable at his side. He preferred to use this time to appraise his adversaries rather than posture, bullshit or both. 

He smiled to himself. Apparently Cai was not the only one to have his language mangled by Alex's bad influence. He parted ways with them both at the door like they had arranged, intent now on sizing up the gathering. 

His was a subtle lot, but almost no one could maintain a rigid guard indefinitely. Anything could betray a person's true thoughts, a shift in body temperature, a nervous hand gesture, a blink. Rhys always laughed nervously before telling an untruth. Aurel nodded at the man as he went past. Sadira always glanced to the left. Aurel bowed graciously to her before continuing his circuit of the chamber. The money he could have made if only he went into poker instead of the often unrewarding path he had chosen. 

No matter how often they gathered, Aurel could never quite escape the feeling of awe he felt. It was a riveting kaleidoscope of color and culture. He idly identified a dozen languages and made a guess at over a dozen more. Farsi. Tagalog. Deutsch. Thai. No thieves' bazaar of the imagination could compare to the eclectic mix of people and costume on display. Here, a dour British professor talking to a jeweled Arabian prince; there, a Polynesian dancer in agreeable conflict with a kindly Asian monk.


Serpent's Salvation Ch. 02



This work is copyrighted and is property of the author. If gay stories offend you or if they are illegal in your area, leave. Any resemblance to any people alive or dead, or any event is purely coincidental. If any of the main characters resemble you...well, lemme find my number...

Chapter 2

Sebastian was in a bitch of a mood. He maneuvered his utility rental into one of the less trafficked campus parking lots and came to an abrupt stop under the shade of a large, half denuded tree. He killed the engine then fumbled with the clasps and mesh pockets of his dull grey canvas gear vest in a habitual check for film and other necessities. He found his lighter, but the search for cigarettes came to naught.

Motherfucker.

He didn't smoke much, and never in the field, but sometimes a man just needed something to soothe frayed nerves. As Sebastian saw it, smoking was a hell of a lot better than some of the alternatives he had been offered. He resigned himself to a nicotine-free morning and got out of the vehicle, shouldering a large pack and tripod, mounting the pavement for the trek to the photography building.

Several people took note of him as he passed. One girl broke away from her friends and jogged up to him even though he deliberately shunned eye contact.

"Mr. Fell! I..." She broke off her tentative English as he raised his face to hers. "Ah. Perhaps I'll talk to you later," she said, as he hurried away.

Several others started to approach as he made his way through the quad, but they all retreated at the sight of his scowl. Their brightly expectant faces fell a bit and they retreated without saying a word. The last few weeks he had been so open, smiling, practically inviting you to say hello or venture a question. This new Sebastian was, well....new. 

He had never cared about how he looked. In his line of work function was definitely preferred to form. Depending on the place, the weather or the assignment, you could find him in white button down and khakis, fatigues, or even a parka and snowshoes. Today was khaki day. He could go months without being able have a proper haircut so he resigned himself to a shoulder length style that was really no style at all. It was casually pulled back into a ponytail, but tendrils of his slightly curling dark hair usually escaped their insufficient prison to get in his eyes and annoy him. 

He might not have cared about his appearance, but many others cared about little else having to do with him. He was a knockout. Nothing he did to himself, not the studious silver-framed glasses, not the broken nose he had gotten in an embarrassing incident in Brazil, detracted from his magnetism. The fact that he didn't realize his appeal made him all the more charming. Usually charming that is. Until today.

Whereas most days he found himself followed by a mixed bag of photo majors and predatory females, today they left him blessedly alone. He smiled with fierce satisfaction blazing in his green cat's eyes. Maybe some of them weren't as dumb as they looked. He wasn't feeling up to small talk and the polite dismissal of increasingly overt sexual innuendo.

 I wonder what they would say if I suddenly said sorry, honey, but I like cock. Can't get enough of it. 

He entertained himself with the idea briefly before discarding it. He already had a few male students orbiting around him. No need to trade in the gaggle of biddies for a parade of sycophantic twinks. They were all much of a muchness. It wasn't like he was closeted really, he just didn't wave any rainbow flags. And it wouldn't do to poach in his own preserve.

Besides, the irony would be too much. If he didn't have one of his own firmly attached he would have forgotten what a penis looked like. He had lived like a monk since Jared made that spectacularly dramatic exit from relationshipdom a few years ago.

Sebastian tried to shake off his more morose thoughts as he entered one of the newer buildings that housed the photo lab and several studio classrooms. He searched for the key to the rather bare temporary office that was given to him but gave up the hunt when he saw that the door was already ajar. The smell of coffee wafted into the hallway. He closed his eyes, savoring the aroma for a regretful second. Water of the gods. He nudged open the door and glared at the rooms lone occupant.

"You jerk."

"What?"

His assistant Rob tried to look innocent, batting his pale blue eyes. He failed miserably. 

"You know what. You know I can't drink it and you deliberately ambushed me with it. You....you..." Words almost failed him. "Coffee guerilla!"

Sebastian set down his equipment and dropped himself into an ergonomic nightmare of an institutional chair, glaring at his so-called friend. Rob only blinked.

"Well, who pissed in yer chili this mornin," Rob drawled, deliberately mimicking Sebastian's softly slurred southern accent and one of his favorite sayings. Sebastian just flipped Rob off and opened up the caffeine-free coke Rob handed to him from the tiny fridge in the corner. Friends could be the very devil.

"Darlin, who needs other people when I can piss in my own?" Sebastian deliberately matched Rob's teasing exaggeration. He was used to the grief his accent caused, and had actually come to enjoy it. He loved it when people naturally assumed that southern meant stupid. Almost as much as he loved proving them wrong. And when he traveled abroad like now; well, everyone loves a cowboy, even if he doesn't look the part. 

Maybe not everyone. He winced at the memory.

"Ah. Just trying to get in touch with your inner asshole then?"

Even in the midst of a raging bitch fit, Sebastian couldn't quite turn off the banter he always fell into with Rob. "Yes Rob. Yes, that's it. You've found me out. That sabbatical I took last year was all a front. Instead of Spain I went to the highest reaches of the Himalayas where I was initiated into secret rites by monks trained in the shit-throwing-monkey style of ninjitsu. They realigned my chakras and made me a master of asshole kung fu. Happy?"

Rob licked his finger and fired an imaginary gun at Sebastian, an acknowledgement of a hit in their ongoing game of competitive one-upmanship. Score one for Seb; the first hit of the day.

"Very. So how did things go last night, or do I really need to ask?" 

Sebastian groaned as he thought about how to best answer Rob's question. He had hoped to avoid this. Trust Rob to get to the heart of the matter.

"C'mon, you've been calling him for weeks, what happened when you just showed up on his doorstep?" 

"How do you know that I went to his royal highness' last night? Maybe I had a hot date instead."

Rob snorted. "With what, your right hand? Quit feeding me a line of bull Seb. You haven't had a hot date in..."

"Ok, Ok! Uncle!"

"You haven't even had a lukewarm date in God knows how-" Rob's opinion was cut off as Sebastian covered Rob's mouth with his hand.

Rob was like a terrier sometimes. Sebastian wiped Rob's spit off of his palm while he indulged in a little fantasizing involving his knee and Rob's groin.

" It was even more imposing than I'd been told. Real eerie in a vintage horror way, but it was a gorgeous house if you're into that sort of thing."

"I'm not," Rob said. He had a fifties ranch home with a tiki bar.

"Shut up. I didn't ask you. I'd say it was rhetorical but it wasn't even a question you dumb Yankee."

"White trash fag."

"Carpetbagging breeder." 

Rob's eyes twinkled at Sebastian's insult. "You really do need to get laid. Maybe a one night stand could find that bug up your ass and replace it with something bigger and better." Sebastian gave Rob what he hoped was a withering look and ignored him in favor of continuing his story.

"I was surprised that there wasn't a fence and a security gate." And he had been. There had been a lot of selective planting, but nothing close to a live barrier and nothing to bar the grounds from the outside world. 

Nothing to bar the outside world from it, either. 

"I've never seen a place quite like it. It was so melodramatic, like a palace for a modern-day Heathcliff." If Heathcliff was surrounded by armed men guarding the fortress. Hmmm. That was another odd thing. On reflection he didn't think that the men were really armed at all. But it had felt that way.

"Heathcliff? Isn't that a comic or something?" Rob looked confused. Sebastian smirked.

"Heathcliff. You know, Wuthering Heights? The Brontes?" The look on Robs face was blank.

"Jeezus Rob, don't you read anything but photography magazines?" Sebastian said, disgusted. "You must've read it in school." 

Rob drew himself up to his less than imposing height of 5'7, pulling on a careful mantle of offended dignity. "Of course I read." He returned Sebastian's skeptical look with a haughty one of his own and a toss of his hair before a lopsided grin cracked the whole sham to pieces. " I just finished another Playboy Letters anthology."

The laughter was just what Sebastian needed. He shook with almost hysterical mirth for several minutes, laughing until his sides ached. Rob hovered nearby, giving him a pat on the back, clearly confused. "Seb, it really wasn't that funny."

Sebastian wiped at a tear as he got himself under control and smiled his first real smile of the day. "I know, it just felt good."

"Do you want to tell me what it's all about?"

Sebastian felt guilty for a moment because he couldn't put his complete trust in his best friend. But only for a moment. He knew that any omission he made was for Rob's own welfare.

"I can't. It...it's personal." He couldn't quite meet Rob's eyes.

"So it doesn't have anything to do with last night?"

Sebastian shook his head mutely, unwilling to perjure himself outright. If Rob realized that he was lying he was kind enough to keep his suspicions to himself. Friends could be wonderful.

Sebastian decided to break the silence before Rob could ask any more questions. "Anyway, He has a circular drive so I just parked in front of the door, got out, and knocked." That sounded good. No mention of that curious tension that had held him as he approached the house, not a word about...them. "It took a while for someone to answer though". Someone had been just on the other side of the door, he could feel it. He had felt their alarm and something more, something he couldn't quite define. "Maybe the house is short staffed."

"Maybe it's just staffed with a group of pricks."

If he only knew.

Sebastian hated deception, but he was also a pragmatist when it came to applying the 'fine art of Texas bullshittery' as his granddaddy had so eloquently put it. Needing it and accepting it didn't make it any easier though. He had to physically restrain himself from squirming like a naughty kid in a corner, because here was The Big Lie.

"The butler looked at me like I was day old vomit and held my card like it was infected with every venereal disease known to man. Never trust someone who speaks in the third person."

"Maybe they teach it in Butler school." Rob looked thoughtful as he lightly scratched his day old growth of auburn scruff. "Are there butler schools? Hell, do people still have butlers?"

Sebastian ignored him in favor of finishing his story. He put on his best chi-chi tone and stared down his nose as he delivered up a snobby caricature. " I regret to inform you that Mr.Draco is not receiving anyone. No, we are not at liberty to divulge Mr.Draco's whereabouts at this time sir. He is a very busy man. We will, however, see that Mr.Draco receives your card and hears of your request." He had Rob in stitches with his sour look.

"I think I can translate all of that for you. In other words", Rob said, "Go away, don't call us we'll call you and get shankered."

"Very succinct of you." Sebastian said as he gave a silent sigh of relief. "And much better I think."

They went on to talk about other things; the rest of the seminar, places to visit during their stay, and Rob's potential female conquests, whose numbers, if Rob was too be believed, were legion. Sebastian was almost absurdly grateful for the reprieve but he couldn't help but dwell on last night's events. The real events, not the tissue of lies he had spun.

He had driven up the circular drive and parked as he said, but he had felt eyes on him, and those eyes had felt...different. He was used to sensing animals, almost communicating with them on some level apart from everyone else. He never told anyone about it, even though many called him a magician or some sort of witch doctor for his ability to get the pictures that he did; for the sixth sense and the ability to shield his presence that had helped him capture the impossible. 

It had put him at the top of the heap career wise, but it also set him apart from 'normal' people and he was damn careful to keep that knowledge to himself. He had visions of witch-hunts and scientists herding him with cattle prods.

Never before had he felt something so profoundly cunning. Intelligent, even. Perhaps human. He couldn't normally sense people but he knew instinctively that what he felt was no mere animal. It made him feel hunted, like a nervous rabbit. It wasn't a feeling he was fond of. 

He had barely made it to the door when he felt the person on the other side. The door almost vibrated with a barely suppressed cocktail of curiosity, disbelief, anger and distrust. And that was only one of them. The buzzing in his head was slowly gaining volume as others added their discordant feelings. He couldn't quite catch thoughts, but he could feel them, like hushed whispers just out of hearing range. They were upset. Something out of the ordinary had set them on edge.

It couldn't be him.

He caught a movement out of the corner of his eye as he knocked and found himself looking at a man near the corner of the house, and then another. A shaft of fear raced down his spine as another, then another appeared as if by magic, stepping from the shadows to loosely surround him. They were dressed identically in dark grey pullovers and cargo pants. 

They weren't close enough to make out individuals, but their shared expressions were identical and belied their almost casual stance. Sebastian wasn't fooled. He knew how to fight and he recognized that relaxed looking pose. It would have been easy to let himself fall into the same position, but he was definitely outnumbered and wanted to show them that he posed no threat.

He opened his mouth. Whatever it was he was going to say to try and placate them died before ever leaving his lips as the heavy door swung open to reveal another man in the same uniform. He watched the silent communication between the members of security with trepidation and not just a little amazement. He kept his face carefully blank. Sebastian couldn't begin to imagine what would happen if they knew that he realized...what?

He still wasn't sure. Were they human psychics much like him? Military experiments? Aliens? 

"What do you want?" Sebastian gave a little start at the guard's abrupt question.

"I...I..." Smooth Seb, very smooth. He started to reach into his pocket for a card but froze as the man made a small move towards him. He quickly put up both hands in the universal gesture for harmlessness. "I have a business card that I would like you to give Mr. Draco. I've heard about his collection and I would love the chance to see it. I'm quite well known for my work." His nervous laugh was a bit self-deprecating, his attempt at a smile feeble at best. "I don't really do studio work but snakes are a bit of a hobby of mine and..." Great, now he was babbling while Mr. Testosterone Psychic debated killing him and devouring the corpse. He looked like he would relish the experience then go back for seconds and thirds.

"Give me the card." 

Sebastian removed a card and a pencil, quickly jotting down his number at the university under the guard's distrustful gaze. The man practically snatched it from him before closing the door in his face. Sebastian was open mouthed at the rudeness he was shown and turned toward his car with a fulminating look at the other guards, who had edged closer. They herded him into his vehicle, the savage whispers in his mind never abating.

He had never been so happy to make a get away in his life, not even when Maggie O'Connor surprised him on prom night by getting naked in the park and grabbing his dick. He did the same thing now that he did back then; got into his car and drove away like all the creatures of hell were chasing him. 

Perhaps they were.

The feeling of being watched didn't leave him on the trip back to the city. He felt the soft hairs on his nape lift as he parked, felt the eyes on him as he entered his apartment. The soft hiss of their silent communication was a wispy tendril in his brain. As he huddled under the sheets that night, willing sleep to come, he could feel them out there in the darkness. 

It was a very long night. He had spent the greater part of it trying to analyze just who and what they could be, when he wasn't plotting to send them Jehovah's Witnesses. Mormon missionaries. Fine copies of the Bhagavad Gita. He also spent a goodly amount of time castigating himself for not kicking some ass. The result was no sleep and circles making his eyes stand out in harsh relief.

Sebastian had been so lost in his thoughts that he completely missed Rob's question.

"Huh?"

"I said, I'm heading to the store for some supplies, would you like anything?"

"Uh, no, no thanks." Sebastian flushed at being caught woolgathering.

" Not even a Mountain Dew?" Rob was and evil man.

"Bite me."

"Sorry hot stuff, I like boobies. Your extravagant blandishments and sweet nothings are wasted. Ain't no way I'm gettin on your dick." Rob got up and walked to the door with his typical loose-limbed stride, stopping with his hand on the knob. He turned to Sebastian with a grin like a cheeky monkey Seb had once shot pictures of in the Amazon. Seb had really hated that monkey. 

"You know, you tell a really good story there Seb. It even had me fooled for a minute. It's too bad that you always physically deflate a bit when you're done being full of it. Throw in a blue ox next time and you might even have a genuine tall tale." Rob licked his finger and fired the invisible six-shooter at himself. He pointed his index fingers towards the ceiling, sticking out his chest cockily in an arrogant 'I'm-number-one' pose as he left, leaving Sebastian groaning and cradling his head in his hands. 

Motherfucker.

Thank you for the kind emails, you have no idea how inspiring just one can be, so keep sending them. Chapter three will be posted soon and four is almost finished. Don't worry about me leaving you hanging; I know exactly where the story is going. I don't have an editor, so any mistakes are purely my own.



Serpent's Salvation Ch. 03



This work is copyrighted and is property of the author. If gay stories offend you or if they are illegal in your area, leave. Any resemblance to any people alive or dead, or any event is purely coincidental. 

Chapter 3

He had been awake for almost an hour, carefully keeping his mind blank. The only sound to be heard was the ticking of a clock like a metronome.

Tick...tick...tick.

If he concentrated on the ticking he didn't have to think. If he didn't think he didn't have to...

Tick...tick...tick.

Time had no meaning. He could have lain there like that for hours. Days. Aurel would have gladly spent the rest of his life in bed. He wasn't quite sure when things began to change. A slightly discordant note at first. A small hiss of breath, a slight rustle of fabric. Each intrusion into his carefully crafted cocoon was resented, but he couldn't bring himself to confront the intruder and the emotional fallout that would erupt when he did. He pulled the jacquard bedcovers more tightly around him, clenching his eyes shut, praying for sleep and willing away whoever it was that had invaded his room. He wished they would go away. He wished them to hell.

He had just started to think that he had been left alone when he heard the strike of a match, smelt the acrid tang of the spicy, exotic blend of tobacco and felt the crackle of the cherry as the cigarette took light. Aurel cringed. There were only two people in the world he couldn't yell at, tell off, ignore or beat the daylights out of; and Misha didn't smoke. He held his own breath at the first inhalation, waiting for the exhale, knowing what would come after. He wasn't disappointed.

"I know you're awake Aurel. You have been for the past hour. I used to think that I had gained a modicum of patience, but I find myself tired of the wait."

Aurel just snorted in disbelief and curled in upon himself even tighter. Seth never lost patience unless someone was being abominably stupid.

"Aurel. You are being abominably stupid."

Aurel sat up in shock, his huge eyes seeking out Seth in the dim light. The click of a tablelamp and it's harsh light was another disconcertingly anticlimactic note. Seth gave him a little frown of distaste as he took in Aurel's rumpled appearance; the morning stubble, the slept in clothes.

"You look like I just kicked your puppy. It doesn't suit you at all. And close your mouth."

Aurel was amazed to find that his mouth was indeed open and shut it so quickly that there was an audible snap of teeth against teeth. He couldn't believe Seth. He had expected sympathy, commiseration perhaps, even condemnation. He hadn't counted on this. Whatever this was. Tears began to form in his eyes. He had expected Seth to understand.

Seth sighed as he extinguished his cigarette and got up from his chair. He seated himself next to Aurel on the huge bed and gently took one of his hands in his own. "Aurel, I would be lying if I said I understood."

Aurel heard a terrible sob and realized with horror that it had come from himself.

Seth gathered the bigger man in a fierce hug. "You misunderstand. I am not making myself clear enough and you have not given me the chance to do so." They both rocked while Aurel did his best to cry himself out and Seth did his best to explain. "I do not understand the modern anti-homosexual fixation at all." 

Seth considered any date followed by an Anno Domini 'modern'. 

"You forget. I was raised in a society that accepted almost any form of sexual expression. Relationships between men were an honored thing. The bias and bigotry that stigmatizes it now is a new concept and that is what I don't understand. You have nothing to be ashamed of. When I said that you were being stupid I just meant that you were blowing it all out of proportion."

"My father..."

"Your father was an asshole." If Aurel had thought that Seth was through with his surprises, he was dead wrong. Seth never cursed, at least not in any language that Aurel knew, and it wasn't like him to speak ill of the dead. "Vaclav was about his own affairs, his own agenda and maintaining the status quo. He has nothing to do with you, with the man you have become. He had little enough to say about your life when he was alive, why should you grant him the opportunity to hurt you when he is gone?" Seth smoothed Aurel's mane of bronze hair in a soothing gesture. " Besides, he would have considered this a mere hiccup compared to the changes you have been trying to bring about. If he is spinning in his grave it is because of that, not who you are and who you love."

"Oh god! The council," Aurel said. Seth's reminder brought the past night back and Aurel relived the evening's abrupt end in slow motion. The color drained from his face as he remembered what he had done, what he had jeopardized, but Seth was quick to reassure him.

"I made your excuses for you and gave them a good story as well. No one would dare question me. You were contacted about an unfortunate, but pressing family crisis and we tabled your recommendations for another time."

"That will only add to the rumors."

"Yes, but they will have nothing concrete."

"What about the guard? I can't remember at all. Did I hurt him?"

"No. Mychael said that he was shaken, but unharmed. He was worried about you in fact."

"Mych talked to you?" Aurel said.

"Of course. How do you think I am here? I did not give him a choice I am afraid. I told him that I could help you, and agitated as he was, he agreed; despite his reservations. He was frantic, even to the point of turning to me."

"It isn't as if Mych-"

"Please, do not tell an untruth on my account. I know that Mychael dislikes me. I also know that Mychael and I understand each other," Seth said, then reconsidered. "Perhaps that is stretching the truth a bit. Shall we say that I comprehend Mychael well and he would prefer to think that he understands me."

"How do you know? I didn't think that you had ever looked inside him. Frankly, I can't see him allowing it."

"What makes you think that I can only function with the Sight? You do very well without it," Seth said. "And it is not a question of him allowing it. I have not asked."

"I'm sorry Seth. I didn't mean to offend you."

Seth smiled slightly. "So quick with an apology. There was no offence taken."

"I just- I don't know what to do Seth. I can't do this. I can't be with a man."

Seth was beginning to get annoyed. He sat up, smoothing his fingers through his thick black hair.

"Aurel, the only ones on the council who will care are the same feeble-minded malcontents who are opposing you in the first place. You know as well as I that most of our kind are extremely elastic. We have learned to be as a matter of survival. Immortals with perpetual Victorian values don't win congeniality awards."

"No! It's not that. Well, not all of it," He admitted, not wanting to actually lie to Seth about the reservations he did have.

"Well what is it then?" Seth was definitely annoyed, his black eyes narrowing in his otherwise smooth face. "You have a mate. A Mate! You should be singing your praises to the gods for what they have given you," Seth said, gesturing towards the heavens. "Most live countless lifetimes without one and you have been singled out and blessed. Most of our kind would kill for that kind of bond, male or female. What does it take Aurel? What is it that will make you happy?"

"Seth, I...I don't know how to be with a man."

If Aurel hadn't looked so anguished, so stricken by his admission of ignorance, Seth doubted that he could have stifled his laughter. As it was he had to cover his mouth with his hand to hide the small grin there. Aurel truly looked lost.

"Aurel, it is all just parts and feeling. There is no mystery to the male body. You possess one yourself." Seth let his smile show. "As Alex would put it, it is just tab A into slot B." Aurel began to smile as well, and then gave a start as he caught himself. Was he insane? This was serious. 

But Seth had caught that ghost of a smile and pressed his advantage. "The beast with two backs, getting your dick wet, knocking boots." He was visibly relieved when Aurel finally did laugh at the incongruity of Seth; the elegant, sophisticated Seth, uttering such silliness. "I am glad that you laughed Aurel. I believe that I have exhausted my poor store of sexual euphemism. If you hadn't I would have been reduced to rude gestures of the Italian variety." Seth was reassured moments later when Aurel hesitatingly began to confide in him.

"I've never even been attracted to a man Seth. I know that you're considered a handsome man, but I look at you and feel nothing but affection and filial love. Men who in one way or another could be accounted attractive surround me, but I haven't felt even a small spark. There's nothing there.

"And this man?"

Aurel thought for a moment "I've never seen him Seth. I only know his name and his scent." Aurel toyed with the bound edge of the burgundy bedcover while he pondered what to say. "I've only been with women, and that was a long time ago. I'm sure you know how it is. Sex is interesting at first, but with our lifespans it eventually becomes mechanic and a bore without a mate. Honestly, I was never much interested in the first place. It was too much time and energy to invest in a woman with so little payoff." Aurel shrugged as if to shrug off all of those long ago trysts. "I thought perhaps that my true passions lay with politics, that I was unsuited for a relationship."

Aurel looked up, meeting Seth's eyes with his own unnaturally bright gold ones. "I was wrong Seth. There is something there, something I can't even put into words and I haven't even laid eyes on him."

"But..."

"I'm scared." Aurel's expression was as stark and blunt as his words. "I've never even thought of myself in this position. I don't know the rules of male courtship. I don't even know if he is...homosexual." He'd finally said it. He had expected to feel something when he uttered it for the first time. Distaste, relief, a biblical earthquake...something. But it was just another word.

"You have to find out then. You are a goal setter. Make a plan of action and go out there and do it. Wallowing in your own misery is not going to advance you in the least. You must find him and win him."

Aurel couldn't stomach the cajoling tone or the happy sentiment. "You don't understand Seth! I'm vulnerable like I've never been before. A goddamn stranger holds my life in his hands. A human. I thought I was close to Misha, close to you and Mych, but he can crush me with a word. Even if he does want me he might refuse the gift. Can you imagine being offered your every dream on a silver platter and then having it ripped away along with your heart? I can. I'm fucking terrified. You don't have a mate Seth. You don't know."

"I know." Seth's words were a quiet whisper, but they detonated like a nuclear bomb.

"What?" Aurel stopped his seething long enough to look, really look at Seth, and he immediately grew remorseful. Seth was...sad; his gaze pointed somewhere inward, a place no one else could hope to touch. He reached a tentative hand out to Seth, trying anyway, regretting his unthinking outburst. 

"I must apologize again. I seem to be doing a lot of that lately."

"No, it's fine." Seth grasped Aurel's hand and squeezed it against his shoulder where it lay. "It is good to talk of it. My memories of that time should be celebrated, not mourned. I had a mate once, long ago. He was everything to me."  

"Your mate was a man." It was a statement that didn't really hold any surprise.

"Yes. And we were very much in love. When he died," Seth stopped for a moment and shook his head, mentally reliving that awful time, "When he died, I died with him."

"Oh Seth, I didn't mean to..."

Now it was Seth's turn to comfort. "Now, now. Don't fret. I am consoled by the words he gifted me with before he died. He told me that we would meet yet again in this life. Though that may sound cliché by Hollywood standards, he was a powerful man with immense gifts; gifts much greater than my own. I knew he spoke the truth and I have waited for that day with joy in my heart."

Aurel's curiosity got the better of his polite tendencies. "How long has it been?"

"Over Seven thousand years."

Aurel couldn't wrap his brain around the magnitude of Seth's suffering. Seven thousand years. Seven thousand years alone. Aurel had barely managed three hundred and he was whining. He felt unworthy.

"Do not look so, Aurel. The years have been kind enough to bring me friends such as you. I have a purpose. My life, if not my soul, is full. And I do not think that the wait will be much longer." 

For an instant Seth's eyes flamed, and Aurel knew that what he had always mistaken for black was really an intense midnight blue. "No, I think that the waiting has neared its end." Aurel knew better than to question Seth; his word was inviolate. If Seth believed it then it could be written in stone. 

"Aurel, he was worth it. He was worth every second, every minute of waiting. I would wait until the end of time if it were required. I think that you will find that your mate is worth everything as well."

Aurel was grateful that Seth had shared so much of himself, but he had to know.

"Seth...I know that you may think that it's idle curiosity, but-"

"You want to know how he died."

"Yes," Aurel said, surprised at his own temerity.

"I understand your curiosity only too well my friend. If I were in your position I would want to know the truth of it." Seth took a deep breath.

"If you don't want to tell me, It's all right," Aurel said.

"It is not that I don't want to tell you, but even now the words are hard."

"Then-"

"He was murdered."

And that was when Aurel realized that he truly knew fear.

"Seth! Everyone I know is an assassin's target!"

***

Sebastian's day had gone from bad to worse. Rob didn't say much the rest of the day but the looks he kept slanting towards Seb made him want to plant his fist in Rob's pretty little face. The weasel. 

Little things kept going wrong too, as if a gremlin was hot on his heels ready to throw a spanner into the works at a moment's notice. First that ruined length of film, then that female Professor that wouldn't take no for an answer, even when Rob came to his rescue by calling him sweety and giving him a peck on the cheek. She had barely blinked before inviting them both out. Rob laughed himself flaccid at the look on Seb's face. Just who was that Murphy guy and what would be the best way to kill him? 

By the end of the day Sebastian was beat. The lack of sleep had taken its toll and he couldn't even give himself an injection of caffeine as a jumpstart to the day. Bloody allergy. He had settled for root beer and a sugar high, but the effect just wasn't the same. 

He had also managed to convince himself that the hunted feelings of the night before were figments of his overactive imagination and borscht-induced indigestion. Sure, Mr. Draco had scary security, but they wouldn't have followed him. Kept watch on him. Scared the bejeezus out of him at 3 AM. And they were just some regular guys, ya know?

He was still telling himself this as he made his sluggish way to the SUV, lugging his pack behind him. When he finally reached the vehicle he gave a dramatic sigh and then cursed. The car would be covered in bird shit. Something in him almost reveled at the injustice of it all. See! God is out to get me. Solid proof. Well, not quite solid. A bit goopy and slimy, but proof nonetheless. 

Sebastian was wrestling with his key in the lock and singing the first verse of 'Poisoning Pigeons in the Park' when he was blindsided by sensation. He dropped his pack in surprise. So much for figments. He closed his eyes in resignation and tried to pinpoint the location of his watchers. Two...no, four. A slightly different vibe from the two that were almost out of his range, that's why he missed them at first. They were different from the ones last night. 

 The other two were closer, one on each side, holding their positions. Waiting. He was about to turn around and do something really stupid like confront one of them when he felt another.

A thrill of recognition went down his spine even though he instinctively knew that he had never met the person who inspired that reaction. His ring of keys joined his bag on the pavement with a clatter. Sebastian opened his eyes and whipped around to lock eyes with the man who had given him such a jolt, ignoring everyone else. He never knew what hit him.

Oh Lord. That was Sebastian's last cohesive thought for some time. The man standing in the quad was overwhelmingly gorgeous. He was one of the largest men Seb had ever seen; at least 6'7, perhaps more. His body was beautifully proportioned, perfectly muscled biceps melting into muscular, tanned forearms dusted with golden hair; amazing pectorals. Seb wanted to rip the casual pullover away from the stranger's body to bare his abdomen. It would be cut just a bit, with a delicious innie. Then maybe nibble down the length of his hip to the crease at the junction of leg and groin as he slowly uncovered what lay there. Wouldn't that be a hell of an introduction? Hi, I'm Sebastian. Can I suck your cock?

And his face...it was indescribable. Not pretty, not quite handsome, but solid, rugged, fierce and wonderful. His full lips were slightly parted as if on a gasp and Seb had the urge to trace his tongue along the corner and then plunge in.

The feel of this man was different from what he had felt with the others. Gone was the sullen menace, the aura of barely leashed violence. There were no slight whispers or stray thoughts clouding his head, making him wary, just a soul-deep longing. He wasn't like the others, but he wasn't quite like Seb either.

Sebastian was hyper-aware of every small movement the man made, however. Every rise and fall of his chest. The movement of his Adam's apple as he swallowed. The slow clenching of his hand. Beautiful hands, slightly callused, sinews flexing in a ballet of movement. Every motion was cataloged, memorized and stored; memories to be looked at later and wondered over. 

He was so, so much more than Seb had ever dreamed a man could be. He wasn't even technically Sebastian's type, but Seb hadn't even known that this particular type existed. It was as if God himself had cobbled together a man from the deepest yearnings of his subconscious mind. One look at a complete stranger and Seb knew he would never be the same again.

He still felt threatened, but it wasn't his body that he now feared for; it was his soul.

He had no idea how long he stood there staring, drinking in the vision, but he grudgingly broke eye contact when a streak of dark grey entered his peripheral vision, kicking in his truant sense of self-preservation. He looked around for one of the absentee guards, finding no one. When he turned back to the man that had held him so captivated, he was gone. Vanished. Like a figment

Stupid figment.

Sebastian rubbed his face in his hands and sagged against his vehicle as he was swamped with a feeling of dejection. He really was going mad. The feeling of pursuit had left as quickly as it had come, leaving him alone and trembling in a car park with a painfully full erection and a heavy heart. Instead of the fear he should be feeling he was swamped with a trembling anticipation and a want that defied all logic. He hadn't even had the presence of mind to snap a picture. If that wasn't the definition of insane he didn't know what was.

"Hey Seb."

Sebastian's head snapped up to see his friend Rob getting into his own rental.

"You know you just sat in a bunch of bird shit, right?"




Serpent's Salvation Ch. 03



***

Aurel was almost hyperventilating by the time he got back to the car. Mych held the door open and helped him in before taking the seat opposite. Ruvn was up front; Cai and Alex were in the back with them. Mych nodded to the driver before turning back to Aurel. He waited until the car was moving before initiating conversation.

"He knew we were there," Mych said. Aurel just nodded, still shaken by the brief encounter.

"Aurel, are you Ok?" said Alex.

"We have more important things to worry about Alex. He's fine," Mych snapped.

"Fuck you," said Alex. "I have a mate. I've gone through this and I can tell you that his reaction is definitely not normal. He shouldn't be freaking out just seeing him, at least not like that."

"Mych is right Alex. I'm all right. I just..." Aurel paused to put his head between his knees and take another deep breath. "I wasn't freaking out because I was near him. I freaked out because I couldn't go to him. I can't be with him." He raised his head. "I wanted to. I still do." He lowered his face again. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"He knew we were fucking there. I told you this was a bad idea." The look on Mych's face was stoney as he told them what happened, the way Sebastian had whipped around, seeking them.

"But how? Did one of you give him a signal?" Alex said, blatantly ignoring the thunderous look on Mychael's face.

"Of course not. I would have known if a member of my team had connected with him. And he isn't one of us," Mych snarled, anticipating Alex's next question.

"How can you be sure? You've admitted that you can't even smell him. None of you could," Cai said. "I even tried. Didn't get a thing." Mych was about to explode when Aurel cut in. 

"He isn't." They all got quiet as Aurel sat up, obviously more in control. "I can sense him just fine. He isn't like any of us."

"Mych, do you have any ideas?" Alex said.

Mych sighed, unable to maintain his anger. "When they first told me I had thought, maybe, Vampire, but no. Not possible."

"Why not?" Cai said. Mych slanted him a look before addressing his answer to Aurel.

"You can smell him. The undead have no body odor. What few vital signs they still possess are almost impossible to detect, even for us. In any case, they're extremely rare, despite the stories you may have heard. I've only ever met two. Besides, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that he's no Count Dracula." He looked at Cai again and smiled without humor. "He was just standing in the sun."

Cai colored but said nothing.

"Hell. I'm sorry. It wasn't a bad idea. I just don't want to admit that I don't have a clue," Mych said.

"Join the club. He's no shape shifter that I've ever met," Alex said.

"Nor I." Aurel had scented him and still didn't know. "I had assumed he was human. I didn't realize the upheaval that he'd caused with his visit until this morning."

"Afternoon."

Aurel smiled slightly at Alex's correction. "Afternoon then," he said. "You know, you are all taking this fairly well."

"Are you demented? I'm not taking this well at all," Mych said.

"Not that. My, well..."

"Lifestyle readjustment?" Alex offered.

"Something like that."

"You aren't mooning over me, so I'm cool," Alex said. 

"I think my problem stems more from your taste in men." Cai grinned as Aurel's brows began to gather in a frown.

"How would you know what my taste is like?" Aurel said. Cai removed a small pair of binoculars from his coat pocket and waved them.

"What can I say? I'm nosey."

"And what's wrong with my taste? I thought he was quite attractive." That was the understatement of the millennia. He had never been so overcome with lust. One glance at Sebastian had blinded him to all. Not even the fact that Seb was a man could stifle the earnest need he felt just being near him. He had felt it in every pore. His other half.

"Well, he was a bit of a geek, wasn't he?"

"Geek?" Aurel's glare effectively silenced the few chuckles that escaped suppression. 

"Geek? He's doing a series of guest lectures and fieldwork. Did you really expect him to wear club clothes? And besides, he was quite...muscular." His face heated at the thought of just how muscular Sebastian's ass had been. You could calibrate sensitive scientific equipment using the arc of that perfect, perfect ass.

"TMI!"

"What?"

"T. M. I. Too. Much. Information, "Alex said.

Aurel couldn't believe that he had said that out loud. He blushed. He never blushed! But then again, he'd never accidentally commented on the glory of someone's posterior either. "Sorry." He sounded anything but.

"No doubt. Stop getting so wound up. You know we're teasing you," Cai said. But he couldn't help adding, "I guess he's just not my type."

Just the thought of Sebastian being anyone else's type was enough to make Aurel's blood boil with barely suppressed jealousy. Something else to agonize over. Could his mate have a lover? 

Aurel turned on Mych. "What about you? Do you have a problem with it?"

Mych barely stifled a snort of laughter. "I've no problem with it. In fact..." Mych quickly caught himself and fell silent.

"In fact, what?" Cai said.

Mych sat up abruptly as a thought struck him. "We could be thinking about this all wrong. Maybe he is human."

"A human able to get past your men?" Alex said. "Don't get me wrong, you're a jerk, but you're my kind of jerk. I respect your abilities. No way is he human."

"No, hear me out. Humans know almost nothing of us. Why should we know everything about them? Why couldn't certain myths hold a grain of truth just as ours do? Witches. Psychics. Hell, he could be a grey alien in disguise for all we know. There is more under Heaven and Earth and all that."

"Great. My boyfriend: space cowboy," Aural said.

Cai threw an empty water bottle at him. "You know what he meant."

"Yes, I know. I also know that I should've never gotten cable."

Cai cocked his head as he studied Aurel. "He's good for you."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Blindingly. You were a stuffed shirt. I haven't seen you this loosened up in; I don't know, a long time."

"Is that a good thing?"

"I'm happy for you." Cai studied his fingernails. "Almost jealous in a way. You and Alex are in a very exclusive club." He looked up. "I've missed you. The real you."

"I don't know if I'll have a happy ending Cai."

"And that's what concerns me," Alex said, turning solemn. "If any of our speculation is true, you realize what this means?" 

Mych nodded. 

"He's valuable. An asset to the wrong hands, or a way to strike at you at the very least. He could be in real danger," Alex said. "Too many people were there last night. Too many of our own people witnessed what happened, let alone guests that might have caught on. Maybe he isn't detectable cross country, but boring detective work would find him fast." The fact that one of their own could have betrayed them remained unspoken.

Aurel closed his eyes and leaned his head against the back of the seat. "I've already thought of that Alex", he said. "Mych has men protecting him now. Trusted men. I can't be with him but I won't leave him alone. I just had to see him at least once."

"There is another possibility Aurel, and you need to hear it," said Mych. 

Aurel cocked one questioning brow at him. "This sounds serious."

"Dead serious. This Sebastian has a gift. He can get in through any radar. Ours. Yours. I didn't put men on him to protect him, though that is a secondary consideration. I put them on him to protect you. You're too trusting where he's concerned. You need to prepare yourself for the fact that he might be a tool working for the opposition." 

Thank you for the kind emails, you have no idea how inspiring just one can be, so keep sending them. Chapter four is almost finished. 



Serpent's Salvation Ch. 04



You know the drill. All of this mythological goodness is property of the author and can't be duplicated in any way by anybody without permission of the author. This story is pure fiction; any resemblance to anything or anybody is in your own head dude. If M/M stories offend you or are illegal for you to view, leave. I love feedback, so email me! 

Home, at least temporarily, was one of those plug-ugly communist-era flats that everyone lived in and no one had the money to repair. Sebastian traveled light as a habit, so other than a few clothes and a couple of photographs the place was remarkably bare except for a few essentials he had managed to rent with the place. The ugly sofa was surprisingly comfy, and Rob was quick to stake his claim on it when he came over.

Sebastian wasn't sure why Rob came over at all. Rob had scored a much better place to stay after spending some time and research locating an apartment. They had been adamant about separate places. The one time they had roomed together had been a strain on their friendship. Seb had hated breakfasting with a different half-naked woman each morning, and Rob had disliked Seb's neat freak tendencies.

"Damn Seb. You need to slow down. Pushing yourself like that ain't healthy."

"Healthy? You're eating a donut."

"Maybe so, but I'm not the one with a nosebleed."

Sebastian immediately caught at his nose with a tissue to keep from staining his shirt. So much for a witty comeback. He was relieved to see that the napkin was only lightly spotted. His nose had leaked like a sieve last night. "Did I ask you to come over and taunt me?" 

"A few more days of this and your ears will look like cauliflower too," Rob said.

"I'm working out."

"By sparring yourself into oblivion everyday?"

"It's a great dojo. And it relaxes me."

"Yeah. I was just about to say that you looked relaxed."

"Piss off."

Seb wasn't quite surprised when Rob stomped out. He knew that Rob was worried about him, and a bit hurt that Seb wouldn't tell him what was wrong, but what options did he have? 

Rob had been scaling back his verbal assaults the last few days, finally lapsing into a pensive silence for the most part. Perversely enough, Seb was both pleased and irritated by this all at the same time. Though if he was to be totally honest, everything was irritating him. 

Sebastian flexed his fist, wincing at the movement of his torn knuckles. Four days of working up a sweat at the gym, getting his ass handed to him on the mat, working the heavy bag, throwing bombs, and he still couldn't rid himself of the tension that hounded him day and night.

They were still there.

Dammit

They had retreated some, true, but he could still feel them at the very periphery of his range. All day, all night. Their presence was light and not nearly as antagonistic as before, but stalking was still stalking. He had even tossed around the idea of calling the cops; constables, big men with sticks, whatever the hell it was they had here. He had shit-canned that notion quick. It wasn't like they were a crackerjack force anyway. And just what was he supposed to tell them? He could just imagine.

"Excuse me, I have a crime to report."

"Yes sir. How may we assist you?"

"The psychic alien-hybrid bodyguards of one of your first citizens won't stop followin' me."

The constable raises his eyebrows in amused condescension at the crazy foreigner and reaches for his tonfa.

"No, really!" Seb would say, digging his grave a bit deeper. "And the tragedy is that my stalkers just aren't doin' it for me."

"What?"

"Well, if they're going to follow me and make my life hell the least they could've done was send that sexy stud to do the job."

Sebastian groaned and shook his head, trying to erase the image from it like an etch-a-sketch. He'd be in a loony bin quick. Lately he had been wondering if a loony bin was just about his speed.

He hadn't been able to get that guy out of his mind in the week since their encounter. Less than a minute of goo-goo eyes and he was obsessed. And horny. Horny and obsessed. Did he mention pissed off? Horny, obsessed, pissed off and disgusted with himself. Bleh.

He had even been debating the pros and cons of picking up some guy in a club for sex. It wasn't his style, but he also blamed that on the guys in grey. They must've performed some sort of psycho-sexual cock voodoo on him because his nose wasn't the only thing leaking like a sieve lately. It wasn't normal for a twenty-nine year old to jack off at least four times a day. Not this twenty-nine year old anyway.

He couldn't do it. He had argued with himself over and over but the fact remained that he just couldn't bring himself to find a meaningless screw. He had excuses, good ones. He wasn't sure if his connection to his watchers was two way. What if they knew what he was thinking? He had a hard time even pissing in a public toilet. How could he perform sexually when a group of military-modified psychopaths were in his head doing cartwheels and grading his technique like Olympic judges?

That's what Sebastian told himself, but deep down he knew that wasn't what stopped him. He couldn't fuck a nameless stranger. The only person he wanted to have sex with was The Stud.

He sighed, resting his cheek on his less-injured hand as he curled into the arm of his sofa. Rob had left right after Sebastian's insult, muttering to himself about horse's asses, so Seb could be stupid in peace. 

It wasn't the sex. Not that they had had sex. Not even a hi, how are ya, but he didn't think it would be just the sex when they got around to the sex. If they got to sex. It would really help to know who the guy was though because they just had to get around to some serious sex. Alien or not. Hell, Seb was psychic. If The Stud could overlook Seb's little psychic foibles, it would be the height of bad taste for Seb to hold Studly's lack of earthling status against him.

Seb melted into the upholstery, indulging in some goo-goo eyed contemplation. On some level he knew that he would want to kick his own ass later, but he couldn't help it. When he wasn't aggressively keyed up and spoiling for a fight he was mooning around like a teenage girl. 

Angry. 

Lovestruck. 

Violent. 

Sappy. 

God he was bipolar. And horny, don't forget horny.

The Stud.

He had always felt silly saying the word stud before in a sexual context, having spent much of his life on a farm; but hey, the shoe fit. Oh boy did it fit. 

It was mental shorthand for The Most Awesomely Beautiful Hunk of Studly Manflesh Ever, Hands Down, No Argument, No Way, Uh-uh, Period. It wasn't the easiest thing to even think during his masturbation fantasies, and T.M.A.B.H.S.M.E.H.D.N.A.N.W.U.P. lacked a certain something, so The Stud it was.

He sank further into the couch as he summoned up the image engraved on his mind, an easy thing to do since the sofa lacked half the springs it should have possessed. He hadn't taken a photo, but he really didn't need one. He was extremely observant at the worst of times, but this…this was positively pornographic.

Photographic! Photo. 

Damn Freud.

He ran one hand up under his shirt caressing his chest and nipples while the other inched down his abdomen and explored the drawstring of his pants. Just who was he kidding? He had seen plenty of porn over the years but nothing; absolutely nothing equaled the image of that beautiful man fully dressed in designer casual.

He undid the tie at his waist as he recalled the bare shadow of firm nipples and solids pecs revealed under soft knit fabric. He tweaked his own with a gasp, wishing that it was The Stud's hand, The Stud slowly removing his pajama bottoms, drawing the waistband over his already leaking cock, fingers lightly brushing the shaft. He moaned in appreciation as the fantasy took over, as he imagined reciprocating the move. The Stud would be big, uncut; beautiful.

He gripped just under the flared crown with his fist, using his thumb to spread the slick pre-cum over the head, imagining a larger hand than his own, one with long fingers dusted with sparse gold hair. 

He moved the other hand down his side and over his thigh as he began to work the head of his cock with a twisting movement, lips parting on a soft gasp. He stroked the lean muscles, edging towards his balls…

Ouch!

He had forgotten about his injury. 

Fuck.

It really hadn't hurt all that much but it had been enough to let reality intrude, and it intruded like a freight train, decimating his not-so-safe little fantasy.

What was he doing? Sebastian started to leak silent tears, his cock rapidly deflating as his lust was replaced with shame and fear. What was happening to him? He felt completely out of control, and that scared the bejeezus out of him.

He never thought with his dick. He never let anything come between him and his friends. He never let his work suffer because of his personal life. He never beat the tar out of himself on a daily basis to feel more in control. He had never, ever obsessed over a stranger the way he was now.

Especially a stranger that was toying with him in some demented game.

He couldn't go on like this. He just couldn't. He was emotionally raw from the worry and the guilt, and tired from long nights of no sleep. When he ate at all his diet sucked. His own behavior astonished him. He had never considered himself neurotic. Hell, he couldn't even watch Seinfeld because he wanted to throttle everyone involved, yet here he was, putting the entire cast to shame. Where was the cool, consummate professional; the in control, only vaguely bitchy Seb he had lived with for the majority of his existence? Probably at home nursing on his mamma's tit, because this Seb was a mass of nerves.

Something had to change. He couldn't go on like this. It looked like it would be up to him to do the changing. That thought intimidated him, almost made him accept his current status, but it had to be done for his sanity's sake if nothing else. He had an ornery streak a mile wide, and pride wouldn't let him just run away. Neither would his contract.

A half hour later he had a plan. He was shirtless and hunched over the decaf coffee he was nursing, idly tracing the scars in the surface of the table with one finger. He felt dumb as a bag of hammers for even calling his hairbrained idea a plan, but he couldn't think of any other way to gain peace of mind. He was almost terrified of the outcome, envisioning bloody mayhem and ritual murder.

He conveniently ignored the little voice at the back of his mind that said 'and you just might be able to see him again.'

***

Mych wouldn't be the first to admit that Aurel looked terrible. He took a moment to look at his friend and employer, taking in the careworn features. Aurel had lost a little weight; his cheeks were a bit hollowed. Mych felt his gut twist for a moment before he ruthlessly quashed the unwelcome sentiment. 

If he had taken the time to consult a mirror, he would have seen the same signs of distress on his own face. The same haunted look in his own eyes. They really hadn't spoken in days, not since the debacle in the car. He only hoped that they were able to bridge the chasm that had developed between them.

Aurel was standing in front of the open wall safe, completely absorbed, staring at what looked like a pendant on a length of cord, twirling it this way and that to catch the light from the fire. When Mych got closer he could see that it was a small silver vial on a leather thong. He backed away abruptly, almost falling in his haste to backpedal, alerting Aurel to his nearness. Aurel gave a small start and looked at him before taking meticulous care to replace the vial in its velvet-lined box. He gave it pride of place in the safe before shutting it and setting the custom lock.

"Silver?" Mych's voice was tight.

"I'm sorry. It's necessary."

"For what?"

"It's necessary." Aurel didn't back down, just stared at Mych in challenge. The only thing that saved Mych from blanching at the cold look was sheer stubborn will and a sense of duty.

"Aurel, he's coming."

"What?" 

"He's coming here. Sebastian. We have to lock things down."

"Here? He can't come here." Aurel began to look a little panicked. "My God. Nothings resolved. What is he thinking?"

"He's not. He's already on his way. Neither of the options we have are satisfactory. If we physically stop him or detain him we show our hand to anyone interested enough to be watching. A few of us can cloak, but not on that scale. And if we turn him away from the door-"

"No!" Aurel's response was instinctive. "I mean…" He sat down and buried his head in his hands. "I don't know what I mean."

"If we turn him away he will probably just come back, another flag raiser to an interested party."

"So what are you suggesting?"

"Invite him in."

Aurel felt electricity arc through him at the thought. Sebastian. Here. In his home. A riot of emotion crossed his face.

"But it isn't safe. Not for him."

"And not for us either. I know you don't want to hear it but you pay me to be suspicious. I'm here because you trust me to make the hard decisions concerning your safety." Mych's eyes almost became pleading. "I'm not asking you to shun him forever, I'm just asking you to be cautious."

Aurel's eyes narrowed. "Mates don't betray each other Mych."

"How many mated pairs do you know?"

Aurel looked abashed. "Three."

"Ah, a princely cross-section I believe." Mych ignored Aurel's glare. "Unfortunately the decision has already been made for us and inviting him in is the least threatening solution."

"How so?"

"If…and it's a big if; if one of our own has turned traitor then the enemy knows everything. That means Sebastian is already a pawn in this game and won't suffer any more by meeting you."

Aurel cringed at the thought.

"If an outside source has merely made some assumptions, then they are most likely doing a little recon to see if he is worth their while. If that is the case then the best we can do for him is to go along with his wishes. Let him see the collection, do his thing then get the hell out, just like any other human." 

Mych caught Aurel's rapidly developing smile and quickly admonished him. "That means no public displays, nothing. And for God's sake, don't look at him like you did the other day! At least not in public".

"You really think this is a good idea?"

Mych looked exasperated. "Yes. I can't make a promise that they won't try for him because of his abilities, but that could have been an issue, mate or not "

In the space of a heartbeat Aurel had transformed from brooding depression to joyful anticipation. "Thank you Mych. You have no idea how much." He made to jump up but Mych halted him with a stern look.

"Don't thank me yet. Thank me by being careful. Remember, as head of your security, when he's here my word is law in matters of your safety. Our security checks came up clean but you know that means less than nothing. People aren't always bought with money. This could easily be a case of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer."

But even Mychael's stern reminder wasn't enough to eradicate Aurel's foolish grin. "When will he be here? When can I see him?"

"About half an hour."

"Half an hour." Aurel sprang up like a jack-in-the-box. "Half an hour?" He looked down at himself in horror. His shirt was slept in, he could feel several days' worth of beard and he knew his eyes were...

"I look like…like…"

"You look awful. Alex said you looked ridden hard and put away wet; whatever that means."

"I have to hurry and get ready. I don't know what to wear. I need a shower. Do you think he likes cologne?" Aurel was walking to the door, almost speaking to himself. 

"No cologne, you can't blunt your sense of smell." Mych wasn't sure if Aurel had heard him.

"I really need a shave, and-" Aurel seemed to catch himself, turning back abruptly and striding towards Mych.

"And I do have to thank you," Aurel said, just before engulfing Mych in an embrace and planting a huge kiss on his mouth out of sheer joie de vive.

As he was leaving Aurel was so preoccupied with his plans he never noticed Mych touching his lips, or saw the single tear that escaped his eyes. 



Serpent's Salvation Ch. 05



This work is copywrited and is property of the author. If gay stories offend you or if they are illegal in your area, leave. Any resemblance to any people alive or dead, or any event is purely coincidental. My neediness knows no bounds; I require constructive feedback. Feedback I say!

Chapter 5

He was a moron. More-on. Moh-ah-ron. His grandpa could get about six syllables into that one word and Sebastian deserved every single one of them. 

Seb turned off the main road and pointed his vehicle towards the coast. The road was irregular here, littered with potholes and winding its way back and forth with no rhyme or reason that he could see. It had been close to dark during his last jaunt, so he was only now seeing the marshland on each side; sometimes rich with vegetation, sometimes inhospitable. The avian population alone would be enough to warrant a return visit. Perhaps a class fieldtrip? 

Yeah, right. 

The closer he got to his destination, the less pressure he put on the gas. He was fidgety, tapping his fingers against the wheel, jingling change, checking the mirrors every minute to see if they were following. His eyes said no, but his mind was screaming "yes, you fool!" 

He tried not to think about what he was doing, which was a pretty stupid thing to do, but he didn't want to lose his nerve. What would he say to them? 

If he told them to stop following him they would know that he knew that they were...something. They would ask questions he wasn't prepared to answer. Maybe torture him for information. The Stud blindfolding him, tying Seb down and making him scream for... 

Seb shifted in his seat, his jeans now uncomfortably taught. Maybe not torture. 

He needed a game plan. He could play it cool, like this was just a follow-up visit. He still wanted to see the collection. Play it cool, try to put them at ease, find out more about them and then split. 

He straightened up in his seat with a look of determination as he put on a bit more speed. 

Play it cool. Yeah. 

***

The house looked a lot less threatening in the light; the broad shadows and dark corners gone, replaced with mellow aged stone and a soft patina. The cobbles in the drive were a sepia-toned rainbow, the greenery lavish and a bit wild. 

There was a statue of a coiled serpent at the front of the drive, huge and weathered, half covered in waxy ivy. He had missed it in the dark. The front door was centered with a large round knocker; a bronze snake's head, fangs bared. 

So far so good. No grey guys. No blood. No mayhem. Just the little tickle in his mind. He could deal with a tickle. 

Seb wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. He had worn them for comfort. He couldn't help the fact that they hugged his ass like a vice and made his cock look - well, even he was impressed. And he definitely didn't have you-know-who in mind when he picked out his tight white tee. Functional. He was functional. His contacts gave him better peripheral vision. The gel kept the hair out of his face. 

He checked the functionality of his clothing for the tenth time before lifting the heavy ring of metal, letting it fall against the door with a satisfying thunk. 

It barely had time to echo before the door swung open. Seb was taken aback by the sudden response, but hid it well. He had known that someone was behind the door but assumed they would leave him to stew like before. 

The one thing he couldn't hide was a look of disappointment. He had told himself over and over that he wasn't going there to visit The Stud, but as soon as he saw the man behind the door he knew himself for a liar. 

He had it so, so bad. 

Not that the man at the door was a trial to look at. He was handsome enough if you went for the tall, olive, muscular, devastatingly attractive type. In a word, boring. The guy was smiling, but it was a tight smile that didn't even come close to his watchful eyes. A predator. One that Seb recognized. 

Seb thanked God for that small favor. He could keep track of them individually. It didn't seem like much, but it was something. This was one of the men from campus last week. The mental signature was the same. 

Asshole. 

"Hi. I'm Sebastian Fell. I came by last week and left a card." 

Sebastian pasted on a smile that was just as false as the one worn by Mr. Macho and put out his hand in greeting. He could hear the muffled resonance of psychic conversation as the other man extended his hand as well. Seb expected a show of strength, a crushing alpha-male grip to assert superiority, but was pleasantly surprised when the man was nothing more than firm and abrupt. 

"Mr. Fell. Your reputation precedes you. Please, come in." 

"Thank you, Mister-?" 

"Mychael Tiserova. Just call me Mych." 

Seb entered the house as Mych stepped aside and almost gaped in awe. Seb had been in some ostentatious houses for parties, a few dinners. He even had wild monkey sex on a sixty thousand dollar table with the barely legal heir to an American dynasty. Seb thought he had experienced posh, but this was- 

"Wow." 

Mych laughed. "That was the first thing I said as well." 

"It's amazing." 

"It's been in the Draco family for generations. They take great pride in it." 

"I'll bet." 

"I'm sorry about your reception last week. We're usually more hospitable but we were having some security issues." Mych made a motion for Seb to follow him.

"I hope it was nothing too serious." 

"You have nothing to worry about now. They've been remedied." If it wasn't for the sharp spike of anger Seb felt, he might have believed it. He just hoped he didn't have to be 'remedied.' 

"Sure. I was wondering if I could make an appointment to talk to Mr. Draco." 

"I'm taking you to see him now. He's waiting in the library." 

"I wasn't expecting to see him so soon, but if you think he wouldn't mind-" 

Seb was about to say more when he saw a guard emerge from a shadow to stand near the door. It was the guard that had answered the door last time, just before all of Seb's problems started. Same piggy nose. Same glare. 

Mych gave a sharp bark of humorless laughter. "He won't mind. He's a great fan of your work." 

Seb followed Mych to a recessed area that fed into a hallway, but he hung back a few feet, ostensibly to look at a fine piece of intricate bas-relief. After making sure Mych wasn't looking, he took the opportunity to stick his tongue out at the guard. Seb laughed as the guard's eyes widened, then turned to play catch up with the hunky jerk-face. Mych was probably getting an earful, but in for a penny and all that. 

Childish? Perhaps. Satisfying? Oh yeah. 

***

The fall of their footsteps on the marble sounded ominous in the never-ending hallway, or maybe he was just too keyed up. Mych was just ahead of him; silent, at least orally. Mentally, he might as well be singing songs of solidarity. 

Just how many of these guys were there anyway? A handful? A dozen? An army? The thought of an army gave him pause. He had loosened up after the cordial, if bogus, reception, but Nameless Dread was returning full force. 

Much more of this anticipation shit and he would work himself into a doozie of a panic attack. He had never actually had a panic attack, but there was a first time for everything. 

He was surrounded. He had walked into the lion's den. He was the dumbest person on the planet. How could he begin to illustrate the extent of his folly with mere words? They were everywhere. 

He had so much extracurricular sensory information bombarding him; he couldn't sort it all out. It was exhausting, so he tried to tune it out, or at least filter it. It would probably take some practice. Unfortunately, practice takes time, and time was not a luxury available to him. 

Mych looked behind to see if Seb was still with him as they stopped at a pair of double doors. If he noticed Sebastian's growing unease, he didn't show it. 

He inserted himself between Seb and the lock as he worked his magic, taking care to preserve the mechanism's secrets from uppity Americans what got above themselves. That's what Sebastian assumed anyway, based on the other man's secretive actions. 

The lock made a little snick noise as it gave and Mych turned the handle, opening the door. He stepped back and gestured for Seb to step through. Seb hesitated. He wasn't so sure that he wanted Mych at his back, but reluctantly started through the door when no other option magically presented itself. He was halfway through when his breath left him in a hiss. 

It was The Stud. 

Sebastian's eyes devoured him, head to toe, with a few lengthy pit stops in between. The wheat-gold shock of hair, black polo shirt, brushed steel belt buckle, and below the buckle... 

Seb didn't realize he was staring until someone cleared their throat. He quickly raised his eyes from the focus of his rapt meditation and flushed in embarrassment. It was only then that he saw the others. 

Jeezus Tapdancing Christ. 

He gulped and suppressed the urge to flee. There was nowhere to flee to; the quick snick of the lock behind him made sure of that. All of the bravado drained from him along with his tan as he surveyed the group of men in front of him. 

He felt them then. Unshielded. Not just their physical presence; he touched their minds and felt the tension restraining their raw power. Mental, physical, barely contained. A core of iron will and ripped strength. A brutal hurricane condensed like coal into a diamond, like Spanish steel into a blade; impervious and deadly. 

And he knew, just knew that he was no match. Not for any of them. Not for Him. Seb was a strong man. Strong in body, strong in conviction. He had never known how frail a strong man could feel. 

He opened his mouth to say something, form some sort of harmless greeting, bland as rice pudding to put them at ease, but to his horror, all that he managed was a timid, "Well, are you gonna eat me or what?" 

So much for playing it cool. He hung his head, mortified. He waited for them to lash out. 

And waited. 

Seb was prepared for everything. Everything! Vicious attack, plagues of locusts, demons doing graceful arabesques before disemboweling him from toe to tonsil; everything. 

Everything but what actually happened. There was complete silence for a brief moment after he spoke, and then everyone started laughing uproariously. Seb cracked open an eye in disbelief. They were all howling, practically falling down, their mirth was so great. They would try to stop for a moment to school themselves, but one look at The Stud or him and they were cracking up again. 

But not The Stud. 

No, The Stud kept quiet as a furious blush consumed his face along with a scowl that was directed at everyone else. 

Who were still screaming like rabid hyenas. 

Seb quickly lost what fear he had as his annoyance built. First they stalk him and scare the crap out of him, make him alternately pissed off and stupid horny, and then when he finally gets up the gumption to confront them they laugh at him? Well, he'd see about that. He was just glad he had worn a coat that hid his rampaging hard-on. Something told him that an obvious erection would put him at a greater disadvantage than he already was. 

Seb squared his shoulders, set his jaw and walked right up to the object of his obsessive fantasies, extending a hand. His eyes were militant, daring the other man to refuse. 

"I'm Sebastian Fell." 

That first contact of flesh against flesh was exquisite, unexpected; completely disarming. It involved the lightest connection of fingers, nothing but the most casual of touch, but it encompassed every nerve ending he possessed. It was as if every cell in his body gave a collective sigh and said 'yes.' The infinitesimal stroke of thumb against palm resonated along his spine, making him shiver. 

"Aurel. Aurel Lucius Draco." He cleared his throat, a lovely sound, before continuing. "The pleasure is all mine." 

"Ah..." Sebastian's mind boggled. Pleasure. Him. Aurel. All in the same sentence. Just the mention of pleasure was enough to send his mind cavorting down avenues best left on the internet or tucked discretely into a brown paper bag. 

And his Stud had a name. Aurel. 

The big blonde guy next to him was the first to recover his composure, straightening his lips and clutching his belly; slightly out of breath. He decided to do the honors when Aurel just stood there.

"I'm Mordecai Draco, his cousin." 

Sebastian cataloged them in his head as the introductions were made. Viking; check. 

"Aurel's brother, Alex Von Erlach." 

Boy band refugee; check. 

"You've met Mych…" 

Asshole; check. 

"And Ruvn Pavel, another member of the security team." 

Lurch; gotcha. 

The other men were still grinning at the two of them and Sebastian couldn't figure out why, until he realized that they were still clasping hands. He hurriedly disengaged and looked away, missing Aurel's disappointed frown.

Everyone was quiet for a moment, unsure of where to start. The silence began to reach the uncomfortable stage before Mych picked up the reins and invited everyone to sit. Sebastian was grateful for something to do, something to keep him occupied so he wouldn't make a spectacle of himself by staring at the bronze god across from him. He accepted a drink from Mordecai with a tentative smile and a 'thanks'. 

"No problem. And it's just Cai." 

Aurel was just staring at Sebastian hungrily, not giving a damn what anyone else thought of it, but a quick elbow from Alex spurred him into speaking. He had rehearsed some things; smooth phrases, that sort of thing, but his memory and suavity failed him. He gave Alex a frantic look, begging for help. Alex just smiled. 

"So, Mr. Fell-" 

"Sebastian, or Seb." 

"Sebastian." The word rolled off of his tongue like it was caressing a lover, and just the sound of his name in Aurel's mouth made Seb painfully hard. They both went silent again. Seb felt tongue tied in a way that hadn't happened since his first awkward pre-teen dance. He could see himself acting like an ass, but he couldn't seem to do anything about it. Talk? Hah! 

The entire scene was painful to watch. An eon seemed to pass before Mordecai rolled his eyes and tried to help. 

"So, Seb, I've heard that you are a nature photographer. Aurel has been telling me all about your work." 

In a perfect world, Aurel would have taken the hint and ran with it, but he remained mute, just looking at Sebastian in awe. 

"Yes. I'm here for a few months with the University. Technically, I'm an animal behaviorist. Snakes have always been a fascination of mine, and when I heard about your extensive collection…" Seb shrugged and offered an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry if I was pushy. Sometimes I don't know any better. Tunnel Vision, Rob calls it." 

"Rob, who's Rob?" 

Sebastian blinked at Aurel, surprised at the sudden tension. "My assistant and sometimes best friend." 

"Sometimes?" 

"When he isn't getting on my last nerve." 

"I have one of those." Cai smirked at Alex, who ignored him. 

"Why isn't Rob with you now?" Aurel said. 

"You know how some people are on again, off again? We're off again. I'm being a pain in the butt, and he's always a pain in the butt. I can't disown him though; he's like a brother to me." Seb was a little confused when Aurel suddenly relaxed. 

"I hope you brought a portfolio. I've seen some of it, but I was hoping to see more. You're an amazing photographer." 

"I'm a passably good photographer really. Animals just seem to like me." 

"I'll say," Ruvn muttered. 

"Excuse me?" 

Ruvn cleared his throat. "Nothing. Sorry." 

"Where are you from?" This from Alex. The conversation was not exactly what you would call linear. Sebastian was sure he was being interviewed, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out why. He couldn't figure out a lot of things. He couldn't stop sneaking peaks at The Stud- no, Aurel. 

"Austin, Texas. But I live in Houston now." 

"I've been to Houston." 

"I'm sorry." 

"You don't like it?" 

"It's not that." Seb frowned a bit. "Well, I guess it is that. It's ugly compared to the Hill Country. The food's good though." 

"Then why live there at all?" 

"I moved there to be with my last ex and I've been stuck in a bit of a rut since the break-up. That, and I'm lazy." He said the last with a self-deprecating smile that would have made Aurel melt if Seb hadn't said a hot-button word. 

"Ex?" 

"Two years ago." 

"So there's no one current?" 

Sebastian gave him a questioning look. "No. Rob was just nagging me about dating again." 

"So, Seb," said Ruvn, "Are you a homosexual?" There was a collective gasp from everyone in the room. Mychael looked ready to commit murder. 

Ruvn! What the fuck do you think you're doing? 

Ruvn flinched but didn't respond, just shrugged his shoulders. Aurel was aghast at the blunt query, almost ill, but that was nothing compared to how he felt when he heard Seb's reply. 

"Nope." 

Grief. Aurel felt crushed by it. To be so close and yet... 

"I'm gay." 

"Come again?" Alex was confused, and judging from the other's expressions, he wasn't the only one. 

"I live in the Montrose." Seb started to tick off on his fingers. "Just off the top of my head I know at least sixteen Gays, seven Queers, a few Fags, five Flamers and even a Screaming Queen. I don't think I know any homosexuals. Sounds clinical." 

"What? No partridge in a pear tree?" Alex said, looking amused. 

"I'm working on it." 

Seb was addressing Alex, so he missed Aurel's expression as it eased. If Atlas had his burden removed he couldn't have matched Aurel's look of relief. 

Ruvn looked rueful as he twisted his glass in his hand. The weighty censure of the room was focused on him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you with my question." 

"Why would it offend me?" 

"Because you're...ah. Uh. I'm not sure." Ruvn was obviously uncomfortable, and looked to Mych to bail him out. Mych just shrugged. 

Your foot, your mouth, my friend. You're just lucky that I don't have to kill you after all. You had better find a place to hide though.

"I'm not embarrassed by it," said Sebastian. 

"It's just that you don't look like a..." Ruvn trailed off as he realized how that sounded. 

"Uh-huh." 

Ruvn gave the others a helpless look, but help was not forthcoming. Aurel just deepened his scowl, if that was possible. 

"I'm sure I read it somewhere, in an interview or something" Ruvn said. It sounded lame even to his own ears. 

"So you've been reading up on me." 

"Only to see your work!" 

Mych finally took pity on Ruvn, leaving the quiet sidelines and charging into the fray. "Forgive my friend here. We only recently let him out to play with the other children." He ignored Ruvn's glower. "We're actually quite tolerant. I only hope that everyone's as accepting." 

Sebastian sighed. "Not really, but it's a nice thought." 

Aurel couldn't help it; he had to know who had hurt Sebastian. He would crush them. "Your parents?" 

Seb was getting a little ticked off. "Actually, I was kicked out of my house as a young teen, living on the streets as a male hustler to put myself through school. I slept wherever I could and sometimes ate out of dumpsters." 

"Really?" Aurel was already making plans for their eventual demise. They would suffer like no other human in the history of the world. 

"No." 

Cai almost spit his drink across the room at the look on Aurel's face. As it was he was very uncomfortable with the alcohol that entered his sinus cavity. 

"My parents are hippies. They thought that me being gay was a great solution for world overpopulation. When some fundamentalists told them that fags recruit they were ecstatic. My coming out was a total non-event. The only downside is that they keep introducing me to every swishy guy in the commune." 




Serpent's Salvation Ch. 05



"If they don't approve of children, how did-" 

"Cheap wine and mushrooms." 

"Ah." 

"I should probably send a thank you letter to Boone's Farm." 

Alex laughed deeply before finishing his drink and standing. Still grinning, he patted Aurel on the back in a commiserating way before shaking his head and walking towards the door. "I've got some things that need taking care of Aurel. I'm going to get out of your hair," Alex said. He was gone before Aurel could respond with something cutting, but his laughter echoed behind him. 

Almost like clockwork, Ruvn and Cai began to make their excuses. Ruvn unfolded from his chair like a black umbrella, muttering something about a security matter before fleeing. Cai just rose from his seat in the corner, eyes sparkling, obvious in his enjoyment of the show. He shook Seb's hand with genuine warmth and walked out, stopping to whisper something in Aurel's ear. Judging from Aurel's _expression, it wasn't flattering. 

Only Mych remained, unsure about what to do, poised between staying with his friend and giving him privacy. Seb was a threat on several levels. The most immediate level was physical, but Mych was confident that Aurel could handle one measly human. If he was human that is; the jury was still out. Mych's _expression became pugnacious and he was about to sit back down when Aurel caught his eye. 

You dirty, underhanded bastard. 

Puppy dog eyes. They should have looked ridiculous on a man like him but were surprisingly eloquent in a purely disgusting way. Mych was no match for the power of those eyes. If he had considered Seb eminently dangerous it wouldn't have worked, but truthfully he couldn't see a reason to deny them time alone. Not any reason that Aurel would accept. 

Mych wasn't so sure that he could accept it either. When had he become this selfish? He knew Aurel could tear the other man apart. 

He gave them a tight look before leaving, closing the door behind him with a gentle whir of the lock. He walked down the hall with a steady gait, leaving one last thought trailing behind him. 

Don't make me regret this. 

Not anymore than I already do. 

***

Sebastian just stared at the door as it closed. The room had cleared so quickly it was hard to process that he was left all alone…with Him. 

"Why do I feel like I've just been approved?" 

"You have. Security wouldn't have left me alone with someone who wasn't." 

Seb jumped. Aurel's voice was much closer than it had been a minute ago. He turned to find out that he was within reaching distance. Aurel looked…intent.

"Ah. About the collection-" 

"Would you just like a tour or do you want to shoot it?" 

"Both. I need to evaluate everything first." 

"We can do the tour now if you like." Aurel took another step forward, giving Seb no choice but to step back, pressing himself against the door. 

"Th-t," Seb cleared his throat of its sudden constriction, "That would be great." 

"Well then, do you want a tour?" Aurel asked, taking the last step and pressing himself to Sebastian, arms boxing him in. 

"Or do you want the full tour?" He punctuated the question with a slight grind of his hips before descending to cover Sebastian's shocked mouth with his own. 



Serpent's Salvation Ch. 06



This story is fiction, copyrighted and property of the author. It can only be reprinted with permission of the author. Any resemblance to anything or anybody is one hell of a coincidence. If M/M stories offend you or are illegal for you to view, scram.

*

He was drowning.

After hearing of Sebastian's impending arrival from Mych, Aurel had lectured himself while getting ready. As he hurried through his ablutions he told himself that he could stay calm, collected. He would remain in control. 

His social strengths were many. He was charismatic; sophisticated without being pompous. He was friendly, but never clingy. He was polite. He had nice teeth.

He wanted Sebastian, needed him, but that didn't mean that he couldn't function like a normal adult. This was the most important thing he would ever do in his lifetime. If he could charm the Garuda into retracting their claws, he should be able to attract one human male. He just had to.

He knew what needed to be done. He could finesse this. 

Make him comfortable.

Be complimentary. 

Show an interest. 

Say something witty.

Smile. Mischa always said his smile was his best asset.

He was comparing ties for the umpteenth time when the absurdity of his behavior caught up to him. Ties? He'd rather wear nothing at all.

Mych insisted on being the one to meet Sebastian at the door. To Aurel's dissatisfaction, he also insisted that the others be present for their initial meeting. 

A chaperone. At his age. Not for the first time Aurel wondered who was really in charge. It wasn't him. If he were in charge Sebastian would already be here, chained to a bed.

It was a nervous wait. Uncomfortable. Everyone seemed to have advice. Mych with his list of do and do nots. Alex with his courtship remembrances.

And then...

He was there. All of Aurel's resolutions, all of his ideas of careful seduction, all of his vaunted control went straight out the window as he stared once more at sheer perfection.

He didn't understand one word of what went on around him. He was on total autopilot. Mechanical responses to questions he didn't hear because of the thundering of his blood. On some level he recognized the other's attempts to include him, but he was struck dumb. He operated totally on emotion. Fury. Relief. Jealousy. Despair. Lust.

Love.

He felt primitive. Suddenly, kidnapping Sebastian and keeping him chained didn't sound bad at all. It would keep others from looking at him, coveting him. It would keep Aurel sane.

He nominated Alex for Sainthood when he finally left, taking everyone with him. Mych was harder. Aurel might not have had psychic ability, but he tried to put as much pleading into his eyes as possible, begging him for time alone. He could see Mych waver, then acquiesce.

He didn't know what he was doing. He wanted to talk, truly. He wanted to know Seb. He wanted to know his hopes and dreams. He wanted to know who Sebastian was, he wanted to hear Seb's laughter. He wanted...

Oh how he wanted.

He was drowning. Seb's lips and teeth, the taste of him, all cinnamon toothpaste and male. The dueling of tongues unwilling to submit, moist flesh against flesh hardwired to his very heart. 

He cradled Seb's face in his large hands; slanting his head so he could probe deeper, plunder with his tongue, get inside Seb. Get so far inside that Seb could never get him out.

His thumbs gently traced the planes of Sebastian's face, learning the contours; at odds with the demand of his kiss. And Seb was kissing him back in a dark, hot way that nearly sent him to his knees. 

It was so much more than mouth and hands. Aurel was taller, bending down for the kiss, finally picking Seb up and pressing him to the door, putting them chest to chest; cock to aching cock. They shifted against each other, hard and ready; their small movements almost too much to bear. 

Seb whimpered at the new contact, almost painful in it's intensity. Aurel answered with a groan of his own, finally breaking the kiss, eyes clenched in ecstasy.

"Oh God..."

He was so lost in the feeling bombarding him that he failed to notice the impact his words had on Sebastian until he went rigid in his hold. It was like he had flipped a switch. Aurel looked down in stunned incomprehension as Sebastian started to squirm, trying to release himself from Aurel's iron grip. Surprised, Aurel quickly let go, Seb collapsing in a heap on the floor.

Aurel had to look away from the picture Seb presented. Resting on his elbows, legs spread, jacket askew. His mouth was red and wet from the kiss, his eyes wide in disbelief, hair loose in total disarray. Aurel clenched his fist so that he wouldn't succumb to the urge to reach out and touch him.

"What the..." Seb still hadn't caught his breath. "What the fuck was that?"

"I..."

"I mean, holy shit! That was-"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean- I don't know what I was...I'm sorry."

"It's just that; wow. That wasn't me, dude. I mean, I just don't do this sort of thing." Sebastian had the grace to blush. "At least, not since my freshman year of college." He looked around, trying to figure out the best way to get up without looking like an ass.

Aurel gave him a hand, flinching at the contact, fighting the instinct that told him to pull Seb into another embrace.

"I'm sorry."

"I know. I got that general idea."

"I don't do this sort of thing either. I just..."

"Got carried away," Seb finished for him.

"Yes." Aurel turned around and walked away, convinced that he had blown his chance.

"So did I."

It was now Aurel's turn to be surprised by Seb's proximity. He almost jumped when he felt Sebastian's hand against his side.

"Seriously, what was that?"

"I don't know. I've just been wanting to. I've never done this before. I'm strictly an amateur."

"If you go pro you'll kill somebody."

"I'm not interested in just somebody."

"Well, you'd definitely kill me."

Aurel paled at that. Any reminder of Sebastian's mortality was anathema, yet with every word exchanged he was pulling Seb deeper into danger.

"I saw you, that day," Sebastian said.

"I know."

"Why were you there?"

Aurel ran his fingers through his hands as he worried about what to admit. He settled on the truth. An edited version, but a fairly close approximation of the truth. 

Mych would kill him.

"You were in the wrong place at the wrong time. We've been having some security problems. I can't discuss it, but there have been certain threats. No one knew who you were."

"I'm a pretty open book. It couldn't be that hard to figure out that I'm no threat."

"I wouldn't say that you aren't a threat."

"What!" Sebastian's brows were beginning to gather in anger. "Look, Mr. Draco-"

"What I'm trying to say is that I saw you. I've been a mess since then. Ask Mych. You've been driving me insane." He waited a moment while Seb digested his words. "I want you. Badly. I call that threatening."

Seb had a hard time swallowing past the lump in his throat. His dream man had just told him that he was obsessing in the same way that Seb was; right after Seb pushed him away when things got too intense. Sebastian wished that he could just jump back into the guy's lap and wiggle to his heart's content, but...Seb was still Seb.

"I don't know what you want from me, but I don't trust you." He went on despite the small sound of distress that Aurel made. "And I'm not interested in just a quick fuck either." It was almost a dare.

"You are a perceptive man. You shouldn't trust me. I have more secrets than one person should have to bear." Sebastian wasn't prepared for the vehemence of Aurel's voice, or the way his shoulders were suddenly gripped. Aurel's face was close to his. Sebastian turned his head away, but instead of following and continuing their lip lock, Aurel's voice sounded in his ear, soft and seductive. Deadly. 

"But I'm not interested in anything quick with you either." Sebastian was about to protest, but the feel of a tongue caressing the shell of his ear quieted him. "Certainly not a quick fuck."

Sebastian almost came when Aurel said fuck. Guttural, promising, slurred like they really had just exploded together; imbued with a wealth of imagery involving the two of them and all they could do.

"I like slow," Aurel said. "I would like slow with you."

Sebastian could do slow. He could do slow now. Like right now.

"So we will go slow."

Seb was disoriented when Aurel released his shoulders, taking his hand instead.

"But make no mistake, I'm not going anywhere. You don't trust me, I understand that, but I need the chance to change your mind. I want to get to know you. If I have to go slow, I'll go slowly. If you need time, I'll wait."

Aurel tugged on Seb's hand, pulling him towards the door.

"Where are we going?"

"The tour." He laughed at Seb's blank look. "You know, the snakes? Consider it our first date."

Aurel looked back over his shoulder at a speechless Seb, a small smile playing across his lips.

"And just so you know, when you finally want fast and hard, I'm available."





Serpent's Salvation Ch. 07



This work is copyrighted and is property of the author. If gay stories offend you or if they are illegal in your area, leave. Any resemblance to any people alive or dead, or any event is purely coincidental.

Aurel was sleeping peacefully, curled around a pillow that he pretended was Sebastian, when Mych burst into the room. 

"Wake up! We need to get moving." 

Aurel was instantly on the alert. He sat up quickly, running his fingers through his hair. "What is it?" 

"Don't panic. He's fine." 

"What happened? What's wrong with Seb?" He tossed the bedcovers into a corner as Mych threw him some clothes. He put on the jeans and sweater in record time as Mych gave him the bare facts.

"But he's all right?"

"Just some cuts and bruises. He wasn't going very fast and he had his seatbelt on. I'm having things stalled at the clinic."

Aurel cursed, glaring at Mych. "How did this happen? You were supposed to be watching him."

"I don't know. I had some of my best men on him. They were prepared for different scenarios..."

"But?"

"We fucked up. No one figured on a sniper. It just seems so...human. It's not your way. It's not ours either." Mych hung his head. "I was caught off guard."

There wasn't much for him to say after that. Aurel finished tying his shoes then they were both out the door, streaking down the hall.

By the time they exited the house and got into the waiting car, Aurel was almost rigid with anger. He stared out the window as they swept down the drive. Mych still couldn't meet his eyes.

"I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am. I've shamed myself and my-" Mych stopped and shook his head, staring out the window and seeing nothing. "No. I shamed them long ago." He shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "It was actually quite brilliant of them. Firearms are so anonymous. With everything at our disposal, who would think to use something so-"

"Human?" His sarcastic tone was like dry ice. "It sounds like dumb luck was the only thing that saved him. No one else was prepared to." Aurel knew he was being unfair, but he couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice. His Sebastian could have been killed

"I take full responsibility. I should have had everything covered."

"I don't know if I can forgive this Mych."

"I know."

"Do you? Do you really? Most mates can't live without the other. If anything happens to him, if anything-" Aurel choked up for a moment, mind blanking; unable to even process the thought. "I'm dead."

"No. I won't let that happen."

Aurel finally looked at him then, a cold, hard look. "What is your job description?" His voice matched his eyes.

The change of subject caught Mych off guard, but he answered quickly. "I protect you at all costs."

"Almost all costs. The well being of the Clan comes before me. Just because they are usually one and the same does not mean that they're mutually exclusive." The explanation was rattled off with the ease of constant use. Aurel was constantly reminding, Mych conveniently forgetting.

Aurel turned back to the view outside. "Sebastian is now your first priority. Protecting him is protecting me."

"But-"

"That's an order. Assign someone else to me. You will personally see to his safety."

"I can't do that."

"You will do it."

"We need to discuss this. I can put Ruvn on him; next to me he's the best. I couldn't trust him more if we were full-blood brothers.

"I don't-"

"Please- don't ask this of me, I beg you. I can't do it."

"Why not?"

Mych shook his head, unable to answer that. "Please."

They rode in silence for a while, watching the marshland give way to trees and the beginnings of an urban sprawl. Neither wanted to break the vacuum of silence left in the wake of Mych's entreaty. He had never humbled himself like that; ever. Yet Aurel knew that he would do it again and again. The quiet stretched between them, whipcord tight. 

It wasn't until they were pulling into the clinic that Aurel relented with a sigh. "Is Ruvn up to the task?"

"Yes."

"Don't answer in haste. Is Ruvn willing to give his life to protect Sebastian?" Aurel's every word was clipped and precise.

"Yes. Talk to him if you like. He knows what he is about. Just- don't do this thing."

"I'll talk to him." For once, to Mych's surprise and dismay, Aurel exited the car first. Mych expected him to dash for the clinic and made to follow, but was surprised when Aurel turned and grabbed the door, stooping down to be eye level with him.

"I love you like a brother, and I forgive you...this time. But understand this: If anything happens to Seb; before I die, everyone who contributed to his pain will suffer. Everyone. Are we clear?"

"Crystal."

"Are we all right?"

We'll always be all right. "Yes."

"Then let's go."

"Aurel," Mych stopped him with a small touch to the arm. "He'll be safe." Mych stared at him, willing him to understand the total sincerity behind his vow. 

I promise.





Serpent's Salvation Ch. 07



Seb massaged his temples with his index fingers. "I'm not going anywhere with you!"

Rob gave him a slap on the back, aggravating his injuries. "You're just saying that because you're pissed. The logic of it will kick in sooner or later."

Aurel just grew very still; very serious. "I cannot allow anything to happen to you. You are coming with me, no matter what. You can walk out to the car of your own volition, or I can throw you over my shoulder kicking and screaming, which would not be good for your elbow. The choice is yours."





Serpent's Salvation Ch. 08



This story is all about gay love. If that offends your delicate sensibilities, or if it is illegal for you to view, take a hike. Characters and places are pure imagination (with a hefty dose of psychosis). Any resemblance to anyone or anything is just a coincidence. A hot coincidence. So very hot...

*

His life was chaos and madness. How did things get so out of control? Less than two weeks. Two stinking weeks and his life went from well-ordered and structured to-

"I'm having you put in the room next to mine. It's the most secure wing in the house."

Of course, there were compensations. 

Seb said nothing. The compensation was the main problem. Seb couldn't think around Aurel. All he had to do was look at him, smell him, even hear him breathe and his brain turned into something resembling warm tapioca. When people were trying to make you dead this was a Very Bad Thing.

The death threat was just the tip of the iceberg too; a symptom of something more pervasive. Seb knew that Aurel was different. And Mych and his ilk were different-different. He knew this. Of course he did. A part of him dictated that he should be hauling ass, but an insidious portion of his psyche, a large one, lusted after Aurel, wanting to trust him. 

But Seb couldn't trust himself to make that decision. His body was stupid and biased. It was why he held off when Aurel kissed him. As much as he wanted to kiss back, as much as he wanted to jump the man's bones and be jumped in return, he couldn't. Not until he figured out what was going on. That was going to make for a very difficult stay. Cold showers. Self-restraint. More marathon masturbation sessions. It was an unappetizing prospect.

Seb wasn't big on sadomasochism, except for the occasional spanking; maybe. That was the real reason that he didn't want to stay. It would be self-imposed torture.

"There's a connecting door between them, so if you need anything, I'm right there."

Did he say torture? He meant agony. 

God did he wish things were different. A nice, normal Seb, a nice, normal Aurel. A nice normal meeting, maybe a coffee shop, maybe a library. They would see each other a few times; just enough so that they wouldn't feel like total sluts before having nice, normal, explosive sex and living happily ever after. No death threats. No politics. No psychic stuff. No weird fucking non-human things. Bliss.

And it would be, Seb realized with a start. It would be a blissful happily ever after. Aurel was...

"And either Ruvn or Mych will be near you at all times in case you have a problem."

...a jerk. A big, gorgeous jerk.

Seb wasn't into masochism, but he wasn't into dominance either. Aurel was choc full o' that. He took alpha male to the nth degree. Sebastian was magnanimous; he could understand where Aurel was coming from. As a little prince, a big fish, whatever you want to call it, Aurel was used to getting his own way in everything. That didn't mean that Seb had to put up with it though.

"You're ignoring me, aren't you?"

It wasn't as if he didn't have cause to be angry. He was his own man with a double-dose of Texas ornery. If Aurel had explained things and displayed the common courtesy of asking instead of telling, his outlook might be a bit peachier. Seb wanted Aurel, but not on those terms.

"He's ignoring you."

Damn straight Mikey. You get a fucking cookie. Seb didn't want to be rude, and he definitely didn't want to come off as a 

recalcitrant child, but if he opened his mouth right now he knew he couldn't stem the tide of venom and vituperation that would spew forth. He could tear a person to shreds with disastrous results. He had even made a tenacious prospective date cry. He couldn't see Aurel crying; in fact, the thought was laughable, but the memory of that day always made him wary of repeating his mistake. You could never un-say something. Better to keep your mouth shut.

"It's the green room. I think you'll like it. It was my mother's room; her favorite color."

It was really hard to stay mad at him when he said things like that. It really was. And his grandma was probably rolling in her grave at his lack of manners. Seb sighed and decided to be gracious. It wouldn't kill him. He could concede the battle without losing the war. "I'm sure I'll like it."

"I noticed that you like green." Aurel looked at Sebastian's equipment case and his moss colored hiking boots. "And it matches your eyes."

Mych gave a pained groan that Aurel didn't react to. 

Seb could be gracious all right, but he drew the line at flirting. Flirting would be bad ju-ju, flirting could make him careless. It was a hard stand to take. Aurel's voice was like lager, like bittersweet chocolate. Everything sounded vulgar in that accent. Vulgar and awesome. Flirting with that voice would be a quick start down a slippery slope.

Slippery. 

Gak.

"Are you all right?" Aurel looked concerned and Mych sneered slightly as Seb choked a bit, which just made it worse. Seb's coughing fit was beginning to ease as-

He's just being a baby.

Sebastian's head whipped up, bugged eyes meeting Mych's gaze in shock. They studied each other for a moment before Mych wiped his face slate-clean. Seb had heard what Mych was thinking, and Mych knew it. Seb also knew that Mych didn't like it. Not at all. The knowledge made him slightly nauseous.

Aurel, luckily, had missed the brief exchange, but Seb knew it was only a matter of time before Mych gave him the low down. 

Shit.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

He didn't like where this was going. He didn't like the idea of listening in on people's mental static and he definitely didn't like the crafty look that Mych had.

"I'm...fine," Sebastian said. Mych just raised a supercilious eyebrow at him.

"Are you sure? You sound odd." Oh, Mych was definitely like a cat with cream now.

"Just something in my throat."

Aurel was quick to help, offering Seb a drink.

"No, I'm fine. I can't drink it anyway. I have a bad caffeine allergy."

"No coffee? No tea?" Aurel looked both intrigued and slightly horrified.

"None."

Mych leaned over and offered him some water. He still had the same sick-making smile, and Seb was wary. Seb knew that look. That was an I'm-gonna-nail-your-ass-to-a-wall look, and not in a sexy, squishy way, either.

"Thanks."

"My pleasure."

Even Aurel, who had eyes and ears for very little other than Sebastian at the moment, caught the tense undercurrents teasing the car's occupants. He didn't comment on it, but made a note to discuss it later. He had more pressing issues.

Aurel was at a loose end. Now that he had Seb, he didn't know what to do with him. He knew what he wanted to do with him, in theory anyway, but the way Seb was acting made that highly unlikely. Aurel hadn't considered the ramifications of his recent actions, a more common a state of affairs than he would like at the moment. All he knew was that Sebastian was threatened and he had to keep Seb safe.

It was just too bad that Seb didn't feel the same way.

Aurel knew that he had been heavy handed with his demands. He had practically kidnapped Seb; but he wasn't penitent. He didn't regret it at all. He would protect Sebastian's life with his own, even if Seb ended up resenting him because of it.

He was such a beautiful man. He was staring out the window now, a slight sour look to his face. Aurel almost reached out to smooth the frown lines away, to reassure himself that Seb was real, to soothe, but caught himself just in time. Time was what Seb had asked for, and he hadn't wanted to push.

Not only had Aurel pushed; he had really put his foot in it. The least he could do was give Seb his space. He could tone down his physical demands, even though his body was practically screaming with Sebastian's nearness. This stay would be a gauntlet of unfulfilled desire.

"Sebastian."

Sebastian looked at him questioningly, but Aurel didn't know what he was going to say. He wanted Seb to smile at him again, needed it like an opiate addict craved the poppy. He didn't want the slightly hysterical smile from earlier, but one of the genuine smiles from last night. He didn't think it would happen any time soon. 

The blank look on Seb's face was painful to look at; more so because he was the one responsible for it. It was a brutal catch twenty-two. The only thing that mattered more than Sebastian's happiness was his safety, but one had to be sacrificed for the other.

"I want you to enjoy staying with me. I know that this isn't what either of us wanted, not this way; but I would love having you as my guest. No pressure." Aurel tentatively took Seb's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He was buoyant when Seb gave him a small squeeze back. "I know I've done nothing but apologize since we've met, but again, I'm sorry. Not for having you guarded, and not for taking you with me now. I'm sorry that I acted like a cave man, and I'm sorry that I'm not..."

"Not what?"

"Normal. You deserve that." 

Aurel didn't understand the soft, almost sarcastic laugh that Seb gave, or the bitter look he sent Mych. "What's normal?"

"This." Aurel tightened his grip on Seb's hand. "Us. Right now."

Seb gave a soft snort. "I don't know how many relationships you've been in, but this is definitely outside of my scope of normal."

"Is that a bad thing, or a good thing?"

"It's a scary thing."

"You're scared of me?" The thought disturbed Aurel, and he started to withdraw before Seb yanked his hand back.

"No. Not of you, not really. It's more abstract than that."

So you're capable of abstract thought?

Seb narrowed his eyes at Mych, but let it slide. For now.

"We've only known each other for a few days, Aurel."

"I don't care."

"I do. I don't just..." Seb lowered his voice to a whisper. Sure, Mych could still hear, but he made the attempt at privacy all the same. "I don't hop into bed with just anyone. I know almost nothing about you."

"I already said that I would-"

"No. That's not what I'm saying." Seb took a deep, steady breath. "For some reason, I want to. Jump into bed I mean." Seb leaned his head back and screwed his eyes shut. "I can't believe I just told you that. Talk about making yourself vulnerable. That's what's scaring me. I've never felt this way before, not about anybody, let alone a complete stranger. It's driving me insane."

Could a heart burst from a desire almost attained? Aurel thought it might.

"I'm not myself. I don't have any control. The old me would have never laid himself on the line like this." His laugh was devoid of humor. "I hope you aren't just looking to get laid. I'd feel real stupid."

"No. Oh, no. Please. It's not like that."

Sebastian opened his eyes and lolled his head to the side, looking at Aurel. "Then what is it?"

Aurel would love to tell him. He hadn't thought about how the mating instinct would affect Sebastian, and felt like an inconsiderate fool. Aurel had grown up hearing stories about it, had even witnessed it firsthand, coveted it for himself, but Seb had nothing to compare it to. And nothing that Aurel knew of human sexuality equaled the intensity of a mating. Seb's traitorous body must be a major cause of alarm and Aurel wasn't sure how to put him at ease. All he could do was try.

"I don't know, but it is the same for me."

"God, I hope so. I'd hate to be the only one."

"You are in no danger of that." He wanted to add 'not ever again', but sensed that would be too much too soon.

"I'll hold you to that."

"Good."

"I mean it. I'm an American. If you fuck me over I'll do what we do best."

"Shoot me?" 

"Nah. Call my lawyer." 

And there it was. It was a small smile, just a slight curling of the corners of Seb's lips, but it was there. Aurel gave an all over body sigh of gratitude. Maybe things would work out for the best.

"I don't want you to get the wrong idea," Seb admonished.

"I won't."

"I'm not a pushover. Things are far from being resolved, you know that, don't you? I'm just too tired to deal with it all right now. "

"Of course."

"I'm still really pissed at you."

"Understandable."

"Understandable? Is that all you have to say about it?"

"Yes Dear." 

Seb couldn't help himself; he laughed. Aurel's martyred sigh had been a melodramatic, prolonged affair. The laugh hurt, but that didn't surprise him; even his hair hurt.

Seb's laugh enveloped Aurel in a warm, comfy sun. They were almost home. Funny, that. It had never seemed like home before.

***

The car had barely come to a standstill before Mych hopped out, taking note of his men and his surroundings. After a moment, Sebastian emerged, followed by Aurel, a protective palm pressed to the small of Seb's back. Both of them could feel the way it tingled.

Sebastian was quickly introduced and given priority. A few of the men looked uncomfortable, yet said nothing. They hustled inside; the property was protected, but it didn't afford the safety of the house. 

Sebastian found himself caught up in a current, directed by a cadre of uniformed men. Hot men. He'd seen porn that started like this, and was worried for a moment until he looked over his shoulder to see Aurel's reassuring smile. Worried! Over the fact that he might get his dick spontaneously sucked by someone other than-

Sigh. 

Sebastian noticed a distinct lessening of psychic traffic and knew that Mych had told them to can it. He would throw a fit if he knew that he was inadvertently doing Seb a favor. The men did speak, but it only involved general safety issues and the details of his stay. Sebastian just hoped that he wasn't being shown the oubliette.

"Aurel."

They turned around to look at Mych, who had paused.

"I need to speak with you." Mych looked pointedly at Seb. "Alone."

Aurel hesitated. He looked to Sebastian to gauge his reaction and was surprised by what he saw. Resignation. Regret. Sadness. Aurel didn't want to leave him, even for a moment. "I can talk to him later if you want me to show you to your room."

"No. You should talk to him. No sense in putting off the inevitable."

"I won't be long. They'll take good care of you in the meantime." Aurel turned toward the guards. "Show him to his room and make sure he has everything he needs."

Seb nodded and gave Aurel the same sad look as before, but this time, it almost seemed like a goodbye. It bothered Aurel, but before he could make to follow, he felt Mych's hand on his arm, urging him into a small salon.

When they were alone, Aurel gave into the exasperation he felt. "I hope this is important."

"It is. Just promise to hear me out."

Aurel didn't say anything, just nodded at Mych to continue.

"This could be a set up."

If Mych was expecting a reaction, he was disappointed.

"A Trojan horse. What better way to gain entrée to your house than faking an attempt on his life?" Mych went on, warming to his theme. "I don't believe in coincidence. Other, more powerful of our number have fallen, yet he conveniently survives at just the right moment for inserting himself into your household?" Mych snorted in disbelief. "Pull the other one."

Aurel only raised an eyebrow. "I trust that's everything?"

"No," Mych said, then felt triumphant when he caught the small, prescient flicker of unease in Aurel's eyes. "He's psychic."

"We already knew that."

"Not like this, we didn't. He knew what I was projecting to you in the car. Word for word, he knew it. Even most of us can't access something on that kind of private path. He's not just inside our sanctuary; he's inside our heads."

Aurel tensed briefly, then turned. Mych felt bad about it, but Aurel meant more to him than anything else on the planet. Emotional hurt would fade; physical hurt could be all too permanent. They couldn't afford to trust an outsider. Aurel knew that. 

Aurel walked to the door, opening it and talking to the man there briefly before turning back to Mych and surprising him with his calm, cool demeanor, not the anger or suspicion he had imagined.

"Mychael."

His full name. This couldn't be good. Mych had a curious inkling that things were not going the way he had intended. The look being leveled at him was totally serious; in dead earnest. Frosty.

"I don't give a fuck."

Aurel left him there, completely gob-smacked and at a loss for words.

***

Aurel knocked on Seb's door lightly and received no answer.

"Are you sure he's in there?"

"Yes sir. We showed him around, gave him some clothes and toiletries, then he waved us out. Said he had a headache."

"You don't have to call me sir. I'm not that formal. Do you think he's asleep yet?"

"No si- I mean...Mr.-"

"Aurel."

"Aurel. He's probably awake. It's only been a few minutes."

"Good." Aurel was about to go in, then paused, looking at the man before him. "What's your name?"

"Josef."

Josef was cute, stocky and solid, with very Magyar features. He was also young. Too young."Josef, how old are you? And who assigned you here?" Aurel was beginning to get angry. "You haven't been here long, have you?" Just how many refugees was he housing now? He would have to ask Mych.

"Sir, I mean Aurel. I'm twenty-two. I've only been here a few weeks. Ruvn thought I would-"

"Where is Ruvn?"

"He's putting together a few things for Mr. Fell's security."

"Why isn't he here? He could have delegated the detail work to someone else. I can't trust this to an inexperienced...kid."

Josef furrowed his brows with worry. "I'm young, but I'm not inexperienced. I was given specialized training within my tribe. Mychael, he knows me from before, he'll tell you."

"A Protector?" It was a loose translation.

Josef looked surprised, then pleased. "Yes. Fourth generation. It runs in the family." With the mention of family, his smile faltered and died. "I've been here three weeks. Thank you. I would have been dead two weeks ago if you hadn't given me sanctuary."

Aurel knew better than to show the pity he felt. "Their loss is my gain. Having a Protector here will ease my mind greatly." And it would. Protectors were...fanatics.

"I won't disappoint you."

"I know. Tell Ruvn that I want to see him when he is through. We need to discuss this. Am I still keyed for access?"

"Yes, and only a few others have clearance. Everyone else will have to be accompanied, even the cleaning staff."

"Good." Aurel knocked once more then let himself in. "Josef. See that we aren't disturbed."

"Ok."

Aurel saw Josef blush, and that made him blush, even though he knew they were just going to talk. Damnation. This homo- no, gay, thing was awkward.

The room was just as he remembered it. Aurel rarely entered it, but had ordered it to be presentable at all times. The memories here were bittersweet and sometimes too poignant, but it seemed the perfect choice for Seb. It was appropriate that this room sheltered two people that he loved.

It was several shades of cool green layered one on top of the other. There wasn't an overabundance of ornamentation or extravagance, but the fabrics were rich and soft and inviting. The bed was a simple teak canopy affair; chinoiserie, like the rest of the room, but everything was understated, unlike the usual flights of fancy from the period.

The chairs were all too delicate for Aurel to chance, so he approached the bed cautiously before sitting on the edge. Sebastian barely looked up when Aurel's weight dipped the mattress. Aurel had thought Seb was hunched over, brooding, but no. He was playing a game on his phone. Aurel couldn't tell if he was pouting or just concentrating on destroying pixels with other pixels.

"How did your conversation with Mych go?" Aurel hated the defeat laced with anger in Seb's voice; didn't he understand that it could not matter less?

"Fine."

Sebastian looked at him then, and would have managed to disguise sharply assessing as casual conversation if Aurel hadn't known better. "So, what did you talk about?" The game self-destructed and reset, forgotten between them.




Serpent's Salvation Ch. 08



"Nothing of any importance. It was a very minor household issue, I assure you." 

Seb sucked in a much-needed breath. He didn't quite understand. Had that fink Mych decided not to blab? Or was Aurel trying to say that he knew and didn't hold it against him? Geez. That was one closet he definitely didn't want to exit. 

The way Aurel was looking at him was...enamored. Mych-the-jerk must be messing with his head. Aurel couldn't know. If he did he wouldn't look so willing to get naked. He looked very willing to get naked. Seb gulped.

No! He had to stay focused. What difference would it make? Today, a week; it would all crash the minute Mych squealed. Well Seb didn't plan on setting himself up for heartbreak. His heart would be bruised enough, no need to magnify the hurt by getting closer. Look, not touch. Admire and...walk away.

When he came to that decision he felt like he was dying a little inside. It's for the best, I know it. If I keep telling myself that, I may believe it.

God, did he feel like an asshole.

"I..."

Aurel raised an eyebrow in question. Sebastian flushed and looked away, anything to avoid that look of caring and concern.

"I..."

"Yes?"

"I need to be alone for a little while." Sebastian still couldn't look at him, but he might as well have. He might not have a psychic tie to Aurel, but that had no dampening effect on his emotional sensitivity to someone so close to his-

Cock. That was it. It had to be. Because that's all it would ever be.

But the feeling rolling off of Aurel was almost too much to take. There was disappointment, yes, but there was also fear that he'd been too forward, and worry over Seb's physical health. It made Sebastian hope, and false hope was the last thing he wanted to feel. Under the circumstances, he did the only thing he could think of: He lashed out.

"I don't need a goddamn keeper! I've been taking care of myself for more years than I care to count; I don't need you to do it for me."

"You have the wrong-"

"Wrong idea? No. I think I'm pretty spot-on. You know those snakes down there? I'm in as much of a cage as they are. Mine is just a bit more posh, with better eye candy," Sebastian finished with a leer.

Aurel was beginning to feel a little queasy. "I thought we had..."

"Yeah, well, you thought wrong. I've been followed, shot at and kidnapped because of you. Tell me, what exactly should I be feeling right now? Should I do a little happy dance? Should I be composing odes to the perfect symmetry of your features? Please, enlighten me." Seb didn't know where he got the venom, or the balls, to say what he was saying, but he loathed it. He despised himself more. Only a coward would do what he was doing now, hurting someone to save them self from hurt.

"I only want your safety."

"You want a convenient piece of ass."

"You are not a convenience!"

Sebastian's look was gloating. "No, I'm not, am I?"

Aurel stopped for a moment, taking a steadying breath. He seemed to collect himself before continuing. "I'm going to leave you to rest for now. I'll send someone to you when dinner is ready. We usually eat at seven."

Much to Seb's consternation, Aurel turned on the ball of his foot and walked to the door. He paused briefly at the threshold, leaning his cheek against the doorjamb. "Seb? You are not a convenience." And then he was gone.

The room was silent for a moment, but only a moment.

"FUCK!" Seb's boot sailed through the air and struck the floor. He would have thrown some more stuff, but projectiles weren't exactly thick on the ground, He definitely wouldn't think of destroying Aurel's heirlooms.

He collapsed back on the bed and covered his face with his hands. Why did Aurel have to make this so freaking hard? Couldn't he stop being wonderful and sexy for five minutes? Seb couldn't keep up the jackass act indefinitely; it'd throw his back out.

Seb heard a pathetic little beep, looked at the pillow next to him and sighed. There went his high score.

***

My readers are awesome. And demanding. Sorry this took so long, but I have a life outside of writing and the demands of artwork and hot sex were just too much for poor little ole me. Writing had to take a back seat to those twin demons. The next chapter will appear much sooner.

Oooooo.... twin demons.

As always, Feedback is appreciated. 



Serpent's Salvation



He took special note of a select few. He caught the eye of an intensely rigid man with a prematurely white buzz cut who stared daggers at Mych. He returned Aurel's barely perceptible nod without stopping a terse monologue. Mercer Bennet.

Militaristic bastard. He must have an assault rifle up his ass. He probably masturbates with napalm while watching The Killing Fields.

Aurel suppressed a smile at Mychael's rather rude indictment of the man. He had to agree.

A lone figure on a dais at the end of the room caught his attention and held it without effort. Aurel responded to the man's beckoning hand with alacrity.

You know how I feel about this Aurel.

"Noted. Now hush."

But he's a goddamn robot! He gives me the willies.

"Mych." He couldn't mistake the warning growl in Aurel's voice. "He is not a robot. And there are many here who would say the same thing about you."

The youthful man that had summoned him was garbed simply in a suit of fine white linen that deepened the olive of his skin. His dark hair was swept back in a clasp revealing unlined, ascetic features that gave away nothing. He sat casually in the chair, legs crossed, slim form fluid, but anyone present could tell you that looks were definitely deceiving. Aurel presented himself and made a small gesture of obeisance. Mychael hung back at the edge of the crowd, looking mutinous but equally unwilling to incur the wrath of Aurel or Aurel's elder. The seated man looked at Mych for a long time with an unfathomable expression before turning towards Aurel.

"They all avoid me, Aurel." The man indicated the crowd with a wave of a slender bronze hand.

"You don't seem too concerned," Aurel said.

"That is because I know why they avoid me." He looked pleased. "And yet you are here. They think you either brave or foolish."

"Perhaps a bit of both Seth."

"No. You have the heart of a lion. She," he indicated a matronly woman who immediately cowered, "has the heart of an incontinent guinea pig."

"You overrate me. I'm just less prudent than most."

"If you were twice as prudent and half as wise you would still seek me out."

Aurel laughed, just as Seth intended. "Maybe I would at that."

"Would you give me your hand?" Seth asked. 

Aurel hesitated for a moment, reluctant, but gingerly placed his hand in the other's, jumping at the frisson of sensation that raced along his arm. It was like a shock of electricity, and no matter how often he felt it he could never get used to it.

Seth inhaled sharply as his hand clenched and his black eyes unfocused, the pupils dilating and swirling with raw power. Aurel hated this, at this moment especially. He had always felt that Seth could see into his soul, like his entire emotional state was flayed open and laid bare, a sacrifice whose entrails were to be read. Aurel's every nerve was twitching, not exactly painful, but not comfortable either. The time that passed was brief, but to Aurel, it seemed like an age of pins and needles. Seth's eyes slowly refocused, coming back from wherever he had gone, his hold on Aurel, both body and mind, relaxing. His look was knowing and something else. Compassion?

Aurel did not prompt the other man. He waited, hardly daring to breathe, knowing that Seth was choosing his thoughts carefully, and that he would tell him no more than he thought necessary. Seth was sometimes cryptic, often incomprehensible, his hints not resolving themselves until the events were already unfolding. At other times he could be remarkably blunt, even cruel, but never to those in his favor. 

"Aurel, the fates have not been kind to you of late. There is one that would destroy you, and one that will be your salvation, but even that shall come at a price. I wish I could say more, but not everything has been revealed to me and I cannot anticipate the actions of everyone involved. If I foolishly interrupt the balance of things all of your work could be for naught. I will help where I can, but the burden is upon you." Seth squeezed his hand in reassurance as he spoke, a small gesture that spoke volumes. "Now go. Protocol will not allow me to show my preferences by speaking to you for long. At least not in this arena."

He turned to leave, but was halted by a barely perceptible whisper from Seth.

"Aurel. This is just the darkness before the dawn; you will see. Let Amon guide you." Aurel processed this for a moment, listening more to what wasn't said, rather than what was. 

He hesitated only briefly. "Seth, you are more a father to me than my own ever was." It was a demonstration of trust; Seth knew it and valued it.

"As you are my son."

Aurel's first step faltered a bit, but Mychael's incipient frown helped him recover as he strode away. No one would have seen his moment of awkwardness. Few were prepared to incur the displeasure of Seth as he held court. Eyes were kept averted out of respect and a healthy dose of fear. Mychael trailed behind for a moment, his gaze fixed on the man they had just left.

Seth's words gave Aurel much to think about. One who would destroy him. Baruch? No. He discarded that thought almost as soon as it appeared. Seth talked of what would be, not the past. Another traitor, or merely a nemesis on the council plotting to kill him? He would meditate upon this later, when he had less to accomplish and more time for speculation. 

He would have liked to discuss it with Mychael, but he knew that Mych didn't trust Seth the way that he did. Didn't trust Seth at all for that matter. Mych was much too pragmatic for oracles. Aurel had to remind himself that he had once been just as skeptical, that only time and truth had swayed him. 

He actually smelled Niran before he saw him. The cloying, oily scent could be no other. The man must have bathed in aromatic oils. 

If he bathed.

Aurel looked at Mychael, who shot him a sly glance.

You know I can't read your mind. I just know you well.

"Too well", Aurel managed before Niran was upon them.

Niran was Beardsley's corpulent Ali Baba come to life. Instead of economical lines of black and white, he was a jaundiced expanse of oily flesh and hair. His Cheshire cat grin was replaced by a sneer as he looked at Mychael.

"Aurel, I would have thought that you would be more courteous than to flaunt this sort of filth in front of us." He was loud, loud enough to draw the attention of everyone nearby, the malicious twinkle in his eyes deepening as he gained an audience.

"Mychael is my right hand Niran, I would trust him with my life. You have your allies." Aurel indicated Niran's son, Krait, who stood several steps behind his father. "Why should I hinder myself and insult a friend to appease a bigoted few?"

"He's an abomination! A Ronan. You insult everyone here with his attendance." Niran spoke with his hands; his chubby, bangled wrists floundering like dying fish. "In your arrogance you have forgotten your own people. I've heard rumors Aurel. I've heard that you have befouled your own nest. I can only assume that it is their doing." He pointed at an indifferent Mych with a melodramatic flourish, jewels winking on the sausage-like fingers.

He missed his calling as a carnival barker. I could be the sideshow geek for all the elaborate squawking he does.

Mych was a study in nonchalance, appearing bored but respectful. "And now you want us to grant them permanent asylum," Niran said. "They are manipulating you to gain their own ends. Well I won't have it. You might not care about the preservation of our ways, but I do." 

Niran either didn't notice or didn't care that Aurel's eyes were starting to change in intense anger, the light brown of his iris' turning a fiery gold. With a last harrumph he sailed away like a triumphant barge, a flick of a wrist summoning his son after him. Krait followed behind, but not before looking between Aurel and Mych, his expression intense and unreadable.

Aurel sighed, relaxing tensed muscles as Niran walked away and the people nearby went back to their own conversations. He usually kept silent when the man chided him publicly, exuding chilly courtesy, knowing that the man's venom did more to show him for what he truly was than any practiced insult could.

I feel sorry for that kid.

"Kid? Krait is over a hundred years old."

Nevertheless. He's a kid. With a father like that he has to be emotionally stunted. He's hungry for something, and isolated. Did you see the look he gave us? It was pathetic.

"You sound like you've been reading Misha's magazines again," Aurel said, but he looked at Krait with new eyes.

Hard to believe that Niran sired someone like that, isn't it?

It was. Where Niran was fat, Krait had a hard, lean body, tempered by exercise and hard work, with a face of exotic beauty. Niran was pompous and overbearing, Krait quiet and self-effacing. "My own father was distant and cold, but never abusive. I can't imagine being subject to a martinet's whims."

I can.

Aurel looked at Mych curiously, but he had closed his expression, just like he did any other time he felt he had said too much. Aurel knew that Mychael had suffered, but Mych had never shared his experiences with him. Every small slip gave Aurel a glimpse of what created the man at his side, and every glimpse was as intriguing as it was painful. Aurel pretended to ignore his small lapse. Mych knew this and was grateful for his friend's discretion.

They walked towards Alex and Cai, who were sitting at the periphery of a group discussion, biding their time before the meeting began. They had agreed to share their impressions afterwards, so they relaxed into the conversation, exchanging easy banter and observations, ignoring the few icy stares and pointed looks they received. A casual acquaintance cornered Aurel and looked towards Niran, whose eyes were following them with sheer malevolence.

"What was all that about?" She ran her finger down Aurel's bicep, as he followed her gaze.

"I'm not quite sure, but I've grown accustomed to it," he said. "If I said the sky was blue, Niran would claim it was green just to spite me." He frowned at the thought. "I have no idea why he is so venomous, but I stopped questioning it a long time ago." 

He politely removed himself from her roving hand and turned his attention to the people around him, not so much the words that were spoken as the ebb and flow of conversation, seeking a discordant note. Nothing was terribly obvious so Aurel carefully opened his senses to those around him, just as Cai and Alex were surreptitiously doing. He let his hypersensitivity come to full flower, licking the edge of his lips to scent any changes in emotion, any subtlety that would tell him...

There.

Something was definitely odd. He was surprised that no one else seemed to catch it, but the scent was extremely subtle, barely there. Something familiar. Something-

Aurel's eyes widened and he sucked in a quick breath that held. And held. It couldn't be. And yet…His skin rippled, his eyes becoming a helix of fire, windows into the blazing inferno that blossomed and threatened to overwhelm him with its intensity. She was close, so very close. He inhaled as much of her scent as he was able, taking her into his body, memorizing every nuance, the subtle shift and play of aroma that marked her. My God. Marked her as his. He couldn't get enough of that tenuous smell. His body tightened, tendons like bowstrings, thrumming with possibility, hands shaking with a need that had been foreign to him just scant moments ago. His face was a rictus of painful desire, eyes clenched in a futile attempt at reclaiming his social mask. He tried to maintain his control, his normal façade. He could hear the whispered concern, a drawn breath, knew he was failing and couldn't bring himself to care. 

She wasn't here, she was...

He ran. Aurel raced off towards the entrance to the house, ignoring the surprised shout behind him, the ripple of interest that arrested the gathering, the tendril of question in his head. His long, powerful legs blurred in haste. Mych and Ruvn followed in hot pursuit, their confusion obvious and total.

Aurel.

Aurel!

What's wrong?

Aurel couldn't answer, couldn't function until he knew. Until he was certain. Until he saw her with his own eyes, put his face in her hair to inhale deeply of her; prove to himself that she wasn't a figment of his imagination, that she wouldn't disappear like a Djinn. Until he had her covered, hot and ready, begging for...

Aurel shook off those thoughts and pressed hard, entering the house, surprising the man stationed at the door even though he had been mentally warned. Aurel had always been so cool and composed; his actions now were a shock. Mych and Ruvn followed close, uncertain and fearful, but committed to helping their friend. Aurel's Italian dress shoes weren't made for running and he slid on the slick grey marble as he rounded the paneled hall into the vast foyer, continuing his sprint to the front entrance. He stopped for a moment as he reached the door, lungs working double time, pulse heavy and fast. She was gone, but not for very long. He spun in place, inhaling. Her scent was stronger here. It filled the hall. It filled the world. He grabbed the door guard by his jacket and shook him.

"Where is she? Where has she gone?" Aurel was more beast than man as he snarled his demand. The guard, not without his own defenses, became fearful as Aurel's fangs elongated, as his flesh moved in a sickening wave that looked like a creature moving underneath his skin.

"Sh-she?"

Aurel picked the man up and thrust him against the wall, holding him there as his feet dangled.

"Now." The word was a guttural mess, but the guard understood.

"Th-there is no she. No woman has been here." Aurel thumped him hard against the wall, the plaster cracking. "I swear!" The guard was sweating, eyes wide, brow pinched in combined fear and shock. Aurel shook off Mych's tentative hand as he prepared to attack the man, savage him, but the guard reached a shaky hand into his pocket and drew out a slightly crumpled card; a card that carried her fragrance, waving it like a magic talisman. Aurel grabbed at the card hungrily, dropping the guard in a heap on the floor where he scrambled away to safety. Aurel brought the card to his nose, closing his eyes as he inhaled. He smelled soap, a hint of musk, a fresh clean scent that reminded him of rainy woodland, and...

Alarm bells started to go off in his head even before he opened his eyes. If he had been honest with himself, he would have admitted that he heard them as soon as he scented her, but had ignored them as his other senses overwhelmed his instinct. Madness and desperation gave way to confusion as he tried to deny what his senses were screaming at him. He smoothed the fine paper and read the neat script with mounting apprehension. 

Mych watched in horror as Aurel's legs shook, then buckled under his weight. He crashed to the floor with a sob, shoulders shaking, hands paper white. 

"Shit!" Mych ran forward to help.

Ruvn took a tentative step forward. "Is he going to be alright?"

"I don't know. Don't just stand there, help me," Mych said. "The rest of you, back to your stations."

The rest of the guards that followed had scattered to the edge of the room, uncertain and deeply disturbed at this uncharacteristic breakdown. They all held Aurel in awe, and the fact that he was showing such complete vulnerability scared them.

"That means now." The men jumped at the barked order and fled the room, returning to their posts. 

Aurel was unresponsive as he was awkwardly picked up and carried between Mych and Ruvn, convulsing with tears as he was taken to his room. 

"What do you think happened Mychael?"

"I'm not sure, but I'm going to find out."

Mych stayed with Aurel for a while, trying to offer silent support, but it was obvious that Aurel didn't even know he was there, such was his grief. He was curled in upon himself, rocking back and forth on the bed like a small child. Mych covered the hunched figure with a blanket before quietly making his way outside. It wasn't until he softly latched the door behind him and entered the brighter hallway that Mych took the small piece of paper that he had rescued out of his pocket. He read the few words, the number penciled beneath it, and blanched, a look of pain haunting him as he looked back at the door he had just exited. He ran his thumb over the raised print and read the card again, cursing its existence. Just four simple words. Who knew that four little words could completely destroy a man?

Sebastian Fell
Nature Photography

*****

You are ordered to send me an email. I require feedback. You know how zombies need human brain matter to function? I need comments and critique like they need noggins. Don't bother to be rude, you won't get a rise out of me and you just end up looking silly. I mean, dude, this is the Internet. Get a hobby, cultivate bonsai trees, run marathons, eviscerate kittens in your basement, anything but attack a total stranger on the web.

I put a big clue to what most of the characters are in the first chapter. I would like to know if anyone has guessed. You don't get a prize, just the warm fuzzy feeling that tells you that you are superior to all the other non-mythology geeks. (I have cobbled it together from different world mythologies, picking and choosing, so don't nit-pick over small stuff)