Page 20 of The Vanishing
Nino opens his eyes and is hit with an overwhelming sense of nausea. His body is like putty, but aches as he flips over against something soft. He groans, his mind in a daze, trying to register his surroundings.
It’s sunset. The window in his direct line of vision is filled with orange clouds against a darkening sky. There’s also a strange tree… He’s never seen anything like it.
“Meu anjo está acordado?”
An unfamiliar voice hovers above him in his hazy state—like a Portuguese-speaking deity.My angel is awake?The sound is close. Too close.
He looks over his shoulder, and a male vampire with very long toffee-brown hair is staring at him with pale, oceanic eyes… not quite blue but not green. His face is gaunt as he smiles. He would benefit from having a meal. Or five.
“Look at how gorgeous and golden you are, and this rich, molten aura…” The vampire raises his eyebrow. “Like dipping my cock in warm honey. Uma delícia…”
Nino throws himself off the bed. He hits the hardwood floor in a heap and his head spins. His perception swirls with vertigo. To make matters worse, there’s a distinct hollowness pulsing in his core. Nino arches his neck in a groan, feeling the severe emptiness within himself where there is usually a deep contentment. In combination with the nausea and disorientation, he might crumble altogether.
“Are you okay? I was mostly kidding… na maioria das vezes.” The long-haired vampire is leaning over the edge of the bed and looking down at him like a curious child looks at a wounded animal stuck in a well. Nino shifts further away, his body protesting in agony while his eyes water. He pulls himself upright to sit against the wall under the square window.
Where the hell am I?One minute he’s at home, and the next… His body had started to disappear. Now he’s in one piece. But his mind is spinning and the emptiness inside him excruciating—
“Hey, honeycomb. Are you alright? Listen, Esqueleto’s vanishing trick leaves you feeling like merda for a day or so… and you slept all day yesterday. Just breathe, okay?”
Nino watches the bony vampire staring back at him from the mattress.Why were we in bed together? What’s going on?
“My God…” The other vampire slinks off the bed and toward Nino. “You look like you’re about to puke. Try and relax—”
As the male reaches out, something inside Nino springs to life. Through the pain, hollowness and confusion, his aura rushes outward. The unknown vampire draws back in haste as Nino’s blood-orange essence expands from his body to form a perfect sphere around him. Nino’s eyes are wide as he looks at the stranger, his image now tinted sunset by the colored filter of Nino’s energy between them.
The thin vampire lifts a hand, hesitant. He presses his palm against the sphere. Nino’s chest heaves from anxiety, but the stranger’s hand rests flat at least two feet away from his face. The surface is solid.
“Uau! Que lindo! This is incredible, honeycomb… beautiful.”
A clicking sound across the small room makes Nino lift his gaze. An old door screeches open. Lajos sweeps inside and moves straight toward him, a tall and young purebred male at his side. Nino narrows his eyes and notices something strange about the younger vampire’s appearance. He is emaciated, just like Lajos and the long-haired stranger, but this new male… He’s also missing an ear.
The vampire with toffee-brown hair rushes to sit on the bed again, scattering like a large rat as Lajos comes and stands in front of Nino.
“Now then, what is this?” Lajos says, bending to examine the bright sphere. His heart pounding, Nino presses back tighter against the wall. He doesn’t know how he’s doing this, but he prays that it holds. Lajos rests his palm atop the solid shape. “Hm. There is more to you than meets the eye. Your powerful mate has taught you something.”
The long-haired male speaks in Portuguese from the bed. Nino doesn’t produce the language well, but his comprehension level is high. “Uncle. It is cruel to separate two bonded purebreds like this.”
Lajos runs his hand across the curve of the sphere, focusing, as if it’s a complex riddle. “These young, modernized purebreds know nothing of true devotion. I imagine their bond was forced for political means or shallow attraction… The number of attempts it took is probably disgusting.”
“A bond is a bond.” Long-hair shrugs.
“Incorrect. And as if you care about bonds. Your sexual deviancy is so atrocious I needed to put a stop to it. Disgrace… My brother taught you nothing about modesty and self-worth.”
“On the contrary, I feel my self-worth is so valuable that I should be shared with as many creatures—”
“Bequiet.” Lajos turns his head, beady eyes focusing on Nino, and switches back to English. “Young male, I realize that perhaps we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot. With your mate asking me to leave, things escalated rather quickly. My temper does get the better of me at times. I would be remiss in ignoring such a fundamental truth.” Lajos blinks, his expression softening as he watches Nino. When Nino remains quiet, he goes on.
“Perhaps we should go to the sitting room and talk? You could tell me a little about thisLore and Lustmanuscript that your mate possesses, and I can teach you more about my realm and the great things I’ve achieved here?”
In lieu of responding, Nino shuts his eyes, praying that his aura continues to hold. He doesn’t want to go in another room and talk to this strange old creature. He wants to go home.
Nino’s eyes fly open again when Lajos slams his hand against the thick surface in a loud bang. “Yet againyou remain silent! What the hell iswrongwith you? Where is your pride as a purebred vampire?”
“Please—pleasejust take me back,” Nino says, swallowing hard. “If you want to talk, we can do it in my home. You don’t need todothis. We don’t do things this way anymore.”
Lajos lifts his creased chin, an arrogant smirk on his thin lips. “Tell me more about the book and I will take you back.”
“Take me back first… then we can discuss—”
