Rules Are Meant to Be Broken

by N. J. Nielsen

  ears, and Michael thought he had sad eyes; they were

  brown and fil ed with such sorrow it almost made Michael

  want to comfort him. The dark-haired guy chewed on his

  lower lip as he stared back and Michael felt one of the

  corners of his mouth tug up. The stranger smiled back and

  Michael wondered whether he was Christian or Doyle.

  They al stared at each other for a long time before the

  blond guy final y spoke. “I’m Chris.” Christian seemed

  nervous as he walked over and took his hand. The first

  thing Michael noticed were the deep dimples in each

  cheek.

  “Michael,” he said. If this was Christian then the other guy

  was Doyle. Michael realized Christian hadn’t actual y

  shaken his hand but was gently holding it in his own.

  Charm took hold of Kerr’s arm and tugged him in the

  direction of the stairs. “Come on, we can talk later. Now is

  the time for sleeping, let the guys get to know each other.”

  She winked at the three of them.

  Frowning at them al , Kerr spoke. “You wil need to know

  the rules. We wil talk later.” With that, Kerr al owed himself

  to be led away.

  Michael watched their departure, painful y aware

  Christian had not yet let go of his hand and Doyle was stil

  staring at him intently and had yet to speak.

  “Rules?” Michael asked them as he slowly extracted his

  hand from Christian’s grasp.

  Christian frowned at the parting of their hands. “Kerr has

  lots of rules,” he said. “Come on. I wil show you where you

  can sleep.” Grabbing Michael’s arm, he began walking.

  Heading up the stairs, he pul ed Michael along behind

  him. “We,” he gestured between them, “wil have to share a

  room; our house isn’t real y that big. I hope it won’t be a

  problem?”

  Michael stopped momentarily and watched Doyle flee.

  Then he turned his attention back to Christian.

  “I don’t care where I sleep as long as it is dark,” Michael

  fibbed as he fol owed Christian through the house. Okay, so

  maybe he wasn’t sure on having to share a bedroom with

  another guy. The house seemed so quiet. If he were at

  home right now he would have just been getting started for

  the day, and would probably be fighting with Gypsy

  because she had used al the milk again. Tears stung at his

  eyes but he blinked them away. He didn’t want to think

  about everything he had lost. It stil hurt too much, and

  because of Christian and Doyle, he would have to work

  through a whole lot of new hurting. He was tempted to just

  reach out and punch Christian, but couldn’t bring himself to

  do it. It was tiring enough just walking.

  Stopping Christian opened the door. “Here it is,” he

  said, and led Michael into the blacked out room.

  Michael raised an eyebrow at the room’s only bed. What

  did Christian actual y mean by sharing?

  “Big bed.”

  “You can take the bed,” Christian muttered, he must have

  seen the shock on Michael’s face. “We wil get different

  beds eventual y — if you want.”

  “We can share,” Michael said, shaking his head. “I’m so

  tired I real y don’t care. We can sort out everything else out

  tomorrow.”

  Michael rubbed a hand across his eyes as Christian

  nodded and watched Michael take off his shirt. He bit his

  lower lip to stop the groan from escaping at the sight of

  Michael’s bare and hairless chest.

  “Though I should warn you I have a tendency to talk in my

  sleep,” Michael added as he lowered himself onto the bed.

  Christian was disappointed he was stil wearing his jeans;

  he would have liked to see if Michael was a boxers or

  briefs man. He saw Michael was asleep as soon as his

  head hit the pil ow. Stripping down to his own boxer briefs,

  he climbed onto the bed beside Michael.

  Lying awake for a long time, Christian watched Michael

  sleep. His face was flawless except for one faint scar

  running the length of his jaw line on the left hand side and

  another tiny one beneath his nose. Before he could stop

  himself, he lightly ran his fingertip along Michael’s jaw. He

  wondered what the scar was from. What could have

  happened to mar such beauty? Stil , Christian thought

  Michael was perfect. His lips parted invitingly as he

  breathed. Christian froze as Michael moved within his

  sleep and frowned. Christian wondered what he was

  dreaming of.

  § § § §

  Michael floated in a pit of utter darkness. He could hear

  the others calling him, but something or someone was

  stopping him from returning to them. Michael knew if he

  was going to survive; he would need to fight not only for

  himself but for his new family as well. Something evil was

  out there keeping watch on them, something wanted to

  cause all of them great harm. Michael knew he couldn’t

  allow that to happen, because this family now belonged to

  him.

  § § § §

  Sebastian sneered. He never thought it would be

  possible to connect to the descendant of the first Michael

  Marsden this easily. He was proud of the fact he had so

  quickly accomplished what the Eldren wanted him to do.

  Sebastian wondered why this Michael Marsden was so

  important, but knew better than to ask. He had seen what

  had happened to others who had shown disrespect to the

  three remaining Eldren. Sebastian wondered if this Michael

  even knew that he was the descendent of a very powerful

  and important man.

  The Eldren were in the middle of trying to pick their new

  fourth. Sebastian had overheard Lucio and the others

  talking, discussing just how vulnerable they were while they

  were incomplete. That was one piece of information he was

  keeping to himself until he needed it.

  Sebastian chuckled. Oh, how he was going to love being

  the one who destroyed Christian. In his eyes Christian did

  not deserve to live. The Eldren had promised Christian

  would be his payment; a reward for doing what they

  wanted. Now that he had set the plan in motion he just had

  to start pul ing Christian and Michael in, and they would

  never know what was happening.

  The Eldren had hinted he was a candidate for becoming

  one of them. Sebastian had smiled and nodded in al the

  right places. Not that he wanted to be their fourth, because

  he was better than them al . One day they would al bow

  down to him.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Things of myth and legend, or a very bad horror flick.

  You choose.

  As darkness fel and the air cooled, the house on

  Ambrose Street slowly awakened.

  Michael’s eyes snapped open in the panic of not

  knowing where he was. For the past month he had

  “roughed it” by sleeping in the park and sleeping in a bed

  again felt strange. Relaxing as his memory came back, he

  realised he was wrapped up in Christian’s arms. Weirdly

  h
e was okay with that. Christian had his face pressed into

  Michael’s shoulder and Michael’s arm ran the length of

  Christian’s back, holding him close. Trying not to wake

  Christian, he gently extracted himself. His skin tingled as

  the cool air replaced the warmth of Christian’s embrace. At

  the doorway his gaze lingered on Christian’s sleeping form.

  He looked peaceful. It occurred to him he hadn’t been

  grossed out by the way he had woken up, and he wondered

  why. Maybe he just felt a little shocked. He left, closing the

  door quietly behind him, stil wondering why he wasn’t

  upset.

  Michael made his way through the house toward the

  sound of voices. Walking into the kitchen, he found the

  others sitting around the table. The smel of frying bacon

  was coming from the stove and it made his mouth water.

  Someone chuckled as his stomach growled loudly, but he

  didn’t care as it had been so long since he had been able

  to satisfy his hunger. Doyle showed him where the kettle

  was and got him a cup. He patted Michael’s arm awkwardly

  before he went back to the table, tel ing him to make

  himself at home. They appeared as normal as any family

  getting ready to head out for the night. Charm offered him a

  cigarette as he stood at the counter and listened to their

  chatter.

  “Good evening, Michael.” Charm indicated he should

  come join them with a flick of her fingers at the vacant seat

  beside Doyle. Michael knew they were al watching him with

  distrust. Wel , perhaps more an intense curiosity than

  distrust. He didn’t like having to be here, and the only thing

  that kept him here was a lack of anywhere else to go. His

  gaze lingered on Charm and she smiled at him. She was

  real y very pretty and Michael could feel the beginnings of

  something. Not exactly a crush, but he thought they might

  end up as good friends.

  “Am I to hear the rules now?” Michael didn’t mean for the

  words to come out as petulant as they did, but it pissed him

  off because he was kind of thankful the choice was taken

  out of his hands. This wasn’t the life he would have chosen

  for himself, but there was a smal part of him which was

  grateful he wasn’t completely dead. At least this way he

  could stil keep an eye on his family, albeit from a distance.

  “We al abide by the rules, man,” Doyle said as he ran a

  hand through his dark brown hair, which somehow just

  made it stand up even more. “The rules are what keep us

  from becoming monsters.”

  Michael wondered why Kerr sat off to the side and

  watched as Charm and Doyle explained the rules. Each

  time either of them spoke, they turned to Kerr for

  verification and he wondered if Kerr was their leader.

  “When we feed, the kil is to be quick, neat, and with the

  least amount of pain given to our -” Charm hesitated

  thinking of how to explain, “‘prey’ , for want of a better word.”

  Michael shuddered involuntarily. He stil didn’t know how

  he was going to be able to kil . He had always thought of

  himself as a pacifist. He wasn’t good at fighting. He had

  always had Gypsy for that; she had done al of his fighting.

  “We always travel in pairs,” Doyle added as he leant on

  the table in front of him. Michael’s gaze travel ed over his

  new family. It seemed they had already paired off. So who

  the hel was supposed to be his partner?

  Doyle glanced at Michael and then turned quickly away

  and blushed. Michael wondered why.

  “We take care of each other,” Doyle continued.

  “The family is al we have,” Kerr said with finality.

  Charm spoke quietly, “To some of us, it’s the only thing

  that matters.”

  “What about this creator?” Michael asked.

  Silence was his only answer as they al shook their

  heads. He didn’t think anyone was ever going to say

  anything, but then Charm spoke and it freaked him out a

  little.

  Her pale eyes seemed to lose their focus as if she was

  deep in thought. “Sometimes I think I know him.” An odd

  calmness rested on her pale face. “Sometimes I think I see

  him in my dreams, but when I wake up I can never quite

  recal if he was real y there. I kind of get the feeling we were

  chosen for a reason.”

  When she came back to the here and now she added in

  frustration, “This guy just pisses me off, you know?” She

  raised her worried eyes toward Michael. “He frightens me

  sometimes, and at other times I have a deep and binding

  love for him.” Her voice trembled, and then her face final y

  cleared of the troubled look she wore.

  A shiver ran through his body as Michael watched on.

  Kerr watched Charm and his eyes seemed fil ed with a

  great sadness at her revelation. Michael thought Kerr cared

  for her deeply, yet he didn’t think it was sexual in nature; it

  just didn’t give off that kind of vibe. It almost seemed it was

  the same way he felt for Gypsy.

  “I think you were special y chosen,” she said in Michael’s

  direction. “You are the one we needed.” Her eyes blinked

  slowly. “Okay, so it might have been a dream I once had,

  but you know what I mean. Sometimes I dream weird shit.”

  The trembling in her hands told Michael she truly believed

  what she saw.

  “Sometimes we al do,” Doyle reached across the table

  and squeezed her hand.

  “Okay. Who is going with Chris tonight?” Doyle asked,

  moving the conversation away from the strangeness Charm

  had just created. “Come on guys. I went with him last night.”

  He grinned, “I love him like a brother but if I have to take him

  out again then I might just kil the little shit.”

  Michael wondered why they didn’t seem too keen on

  having Christian with them. What could be so wrong with

  him? “Wel if we have to travel in pairs then he can come

  with me. I mean, someone wil have to show me how to get

  back here,” Michael said, not real y sure if he meant what

  he was saying.

  “Are you sure?” Charm asked. “Chris can tend to be a

  bit of a handful.”

  Michael queried, “A handful?”

  “You wil find out,” Kerr said with a grin. “We’l take the

  north side,” he said as he pul ed Charm to her feet. “Come

  on toots, the night is ours.” He glanced at Doyle and

  waggled his eyebrows. “It would seem you get to

  chaperone Chris and the newbie again. Have fun.”

  “Gee thanks,” Doyle said sarcastical y as Charm and

  Kerr headed out the door.

  Doyle watched him, and Michael could feel the

  uncertainty coming off him in waves. “I think I should warn

  you what they mean by Chris can be a handful,” Doyle said

  quietly.

  Michael wondered if Doyle trusted him, and he probably

  had a right not to. Michael stil kind of wanted Christian to

  be a handful just so he could thump the bastard for feeding

  him and turning
him into a monster, then thump Doyle for

  helping him. He was torn between wanting to have friends

  here and wanting to beat the living shit out of them both,

  and at the moment it was a pretty even race.

  One eyebrow rose as he studied Doyle. “I don’t bite. He

  wil come home safe and sound. Besides, won’t I have you

  watching over my shoulder?” Michael said, not sure if it was

  the truth or not, and he felt a little irritated. If Doyle didn’t

  trust him then why the hel did he help him feed? Why bring

  him here to be a part of this family? Why not just let him die

  as he wanted to?

  “We al bite,” Doyle said with a frown. “I just wanted to

  say Chris tends to be one of those people who find

  themselves in trouble without even trying. Take last month

  for instance. He managed to trap us both out in the sunlight

  and we had to take refuge in an abandoned house until we

  could come home. Not once, but twice. He just doesn’t think

  before he acts.”

  Michael watched as Doyle sighed as he got up and

  paced the kitchen. “Chris needs a steady hand. We al take

  turns at looking out for him. The thing is… Wel , I suppose

  you wil have to find out for yourself.”

  He hesitated, and Michael thought he wasn’t sure if he

  wanted to say more. A door slammed and he turned as he

  heard Chris stir within the house. “He’s not bad, he just

  doesn’t think. We just need to be careful, that’s al I’m

  saying.”

  Pouring himself a tea Michael waited for Christian to find

  them. Doyle had gone back to his room to get something.

  This only gave Michael the impression Doyle didn’t want to

  be anywhere near him.

  His thoughts drifted to his family, his real family, the one

  he’d had to leave behind, and to his sister in particular.

  They were twins and got on wel together. Okay, they got on

  like a house on fire. Losing her was the hardest part in al of

  this, because he had left half of himself behind. It hurt being

  away from her as long as he already had, especial y

  knowing she stil lived so close that he could reach out and

  touch her. But it was something he could never al ow

  himself to do. Not only did he lose his heartbeat, but now he

  had this new emptiness fil ing him, and it hurt beyond belief.

  He needed to find something to fil the place within him. He

  needed something to take away the pain.