by Sammi Cee
Right before the doors open, I pull my wallet out of my jeans and discreetly turn to the side, counting out twenty one hundred-dollar bills. Money isn’t to my kind like it is to mortals. We don’t need it where we’re from, and it’s easily attained by us. As the doors open, I shove the money into her hand in gratitude, whispering, “Five-eighteen.” Outside the doors, she turns to watch me as they close, and I nod my thanks, hoping that I made her life a little easier like she’s making mine.
Once the doors open on the sixth floor, I sprint to the staircase and run down. Cracking the door open so I can see into the hallway, I watch Gio follow my girl down the hall the opposite direction. He glances back at Denny’s door once before shrugging and trailing her like a dog in heat. Quickly making my way to his door, I rap my knuckles against the door. “Denny. Denny, open the door. It’s Azorath.” I knock two more times, before he swings the door open, wide-eyed.
Leaning out of the door he glances both ways before whispering, “Azorath, what are you doing here? You have to go. My uncle…” His eyes dart around the hall, again. “You can’t be here. I’m working.”
“Let me help you, Denny. Please, whatever it is, I can help, but you have to let me in.”
Indecision crosses his face before it hardens, grabbing my arm, he pulls me into the room and locks the door. The minute he turns back to face me I pull him into my arms where he buries his head into my chest, and he breaks. The tears start slowly, eventually soaking my shirt as deep guttural moans choke out of him. We both jump when Gio yells from the other side of the door, “Knock it off, kid. You’ve had this coming to you. You’re lucky you got to leave your room.” He smacks his hand once against the door before it’s silent again.
At the sound of Gio’s voice, Denny’s tears cut off as his eyes dart around the room. Probably anticipating Gio trying to come in, and wondering what to do with me if that happens. Once we’re sure Gio’s staying in the hall, I lace Denny’s fingers with mine and drag him to the other side of his bed. When I point down at the floor and release his hand, he immediately drops down while I find the remote to the TV in the room and flick it on. It doesn’t really matter what the show on we won’t be watching anyway, but I flick through until I find some sort of action film with plenty of bombing and noise. Leaving it on and turning it up until it’s loud, I kneel down by Denny’s side where he’s sitting cross-legged, visibly trembling.
The minute I’m beside him Denny tilts his head up to me with fear in his eyes. Cupping his head gently on either side of his face, I press my forehead to his and whisper, “It’s okay. I’m going to help you.”
He whispers back, “You don’t understand. My uncle—” I press my lips to his.
I tell myself I’m silencing him because I don’t know how to explain to him that I do understand. I tell myself that I’m only wanting to comfort him. I tell myself a lot of things until I can’t think anymore. Denny’s lips soften under mine as my tongue seeks entrance to his mouth, and his hands lift up to clench the front of my shirt. Kissing him is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. I’ve been alive for centuries—many centuries—and I’ve never felt the spark that the simple press of our lips ignites. As my tongue swipes against his, my senses are assaulted with the feeling of home. He tastes like my favorite flavors—although, I can’t identify which one—he smells like my favorite scent—but it’s not one I’ve ever smelled before—and he feels like Heaven—which is a human term I don’t use.
What begins simply escalates rapidly as he clambers to his knees in front of me, pressing himself firmly against me. His arms come around my back, bunching my shirt up in his fists. It’s when I feel the press of his hard cock against me that I come to my senses and tear my lips from his. I can’t allow this to go any further with Denny not knowing what I am or who he is to me. It would feel like a lie to allow this to continue. Once more, I rest my forehead to his and peer down at him.
“We have to talk, Denny.” I keep my voice quiet, hoping the sound of the TV will keep from alerting the guard in the hall to my presence.
Tears instantly spring back into his eyes as their color dulls. “There’s nothing I can say to you, Azorath. You shouldn’t be here, though. I don’t know what Gio will do to you or to me, for that matter, if he catches you in here. I work for my uncle… and that guy… well, he... I can’t explain. You have to leave and never come back, pretend you never met me. Knowing me is dangerous.”
10
Denny
Looking up into Azorath’s eyes, all I see is compassion, but he doesn’t understand the situation he’s put himself into. My mind races trying to figure out what I can say to get Gio to leave the door so that I can sneak Azorath out of my room safely. His big hands that have been cradling my face so gently move down to rest heavily on my shoulders. “What if I can help you?”
“But how? You don’t know how vile my uncle is. You don’t understand the situation I’m in.”
Azorath’s eyes shoot to the side before coming back to rest on me. After taking a deep breath, he says, “What would you say if I told you that I do understand how evil your uncle is, and that after meeting you, getting to know you, I know that you’re not like him. I can help you, Denny. If you’ll let me.”
I study his face. There is concern, sincerity, and compassion. There is also anger and contempt, not directed at me, I don’t think, but for my uncle. My brain goes from wanting to get Azorath out of my room to focusing on his words. Slowly scooting back from him along the side of the bed, his hands drop to his sides as he lets me go. Fear climbs up my spine. As positive as I am that Azorath has no intention of hurting me, is as positive as I am that he’s not who I think he is. Watching different expression flitter across his face, I see the truth. He knows who I am. “Who are you?”
“You know who I am. Azorath.”
“But who are you?” I ask again harshly, careful not to raise my voice over the TV.
Azorath lifts his hands at his sides and begins to move them toward me, so I shuffle farther back as fast as I can. The last thing I need in my life is one more person lying to me, only telling me half-truths. Shaking my head violently from side to side, I ask again, “Who are you? Are you with the police? The FBI? What? What do you want from me?”
A pained expression crosses his face as he answers, “I can’t tell you that. I wish I could, I really do. It doesn’t really matter, though. You have to trust me and let me and Ophaniel help you.”
Suddenly, little things begin to click in place. Them being at the beach last night to pull me out, the way both of them seemed to cut off and stop halfway through a sentence, and my phone. “Ophaniel went through my stuff, didn’t he? He wasn’t really going to my room to get my clothes. He wanted to search my room.” Azorath’s head begins to shake hesitantly from side to side, so before he can lie to me, I continue, “I know it’s true. My phone is always on the left side of my laptop. I’m left handed so that’s where I keep it, but earlier, when I came up for clothes it was moved. I didn’t think too much about it at the time, but…”
Azorath is as still as a statue, only his eyes moving in his head as he searches my face. “You don’t understand.”
“Then make me understand.” My voice comes out in a growl I’ve never heard from myself before, just barely low enough to not be heard over the sounds of the explosions going off on the TV behind me. Whatever show Azorath found seems fitting as a thousand bombs feel like they’re exploding in my head. A dull ache starts behind my eyes, and I wonder if this day can get any worse. Finally, for the first time since losing my parents I’d felt hope today. But it was a lie, like my uncle, Azorath had come into my life to use me. “You know what, save it. I don’t need to know. I just… I have to think.” Before he can stop me, I jump up and run and lock myself into the bathroom, sinking down onto the floor against the door. Pulling my knees up to rest my chin in between them, I wonder exactly what kind of shitstorm I’ve gotten myself into.
Azorath and
Ophaniel must be here for my uncle. That’s the only reasonable conclusion I can draw, but why approach me unless they thought I was a way in. But a way in for what? To get information? To get close to my uncle? Are they here to arrest him or are they here to join him? Is he somehow infringing on their territory and they’re here to make sure that he doesn’t transport people so that they can keep the business for themselves? The last thought makes my stomach heave and bile rises into my throat. No, Azorath can’t be into human trafficking, can he? My body begins to shake again as one thought after another passes through my mind. I clasp my arms tighter around my legs trying to keep myself from falling apart.
There’s no telling how much time has passed when I hear the main door to my room open. Knowing that Gio is likely going to beat the shit out of me and take me to my uncle when he finds Azorath in my room, I hold my breath as I wait for the yelling. As much as Azorath’s betrayal stings, I don’t want to see anything horrific happen to him. Before I can summon the courage to get up and go out to face them both, Gio says from the other side of the door, “I brought you a burger, kid. Get out of there and come eat. You’re going to need your energy to be able to do what your uncle needs when he’s ready, so don’t think I’m doing you any favors.”
Did he not see Azorath? Where could he be hiding? He’s not a small man, and the hotel bed is low to the ground. The closet is tiny, too. How did Azorath get out? Banging on the door of the bathroom, Gio yells, “Kid, did you hear me? Get the fuck out of the bathroom and eat. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes, and your food better be gone.” So Azorath is gone, unexpected disappointment overwhelms me with the knowledge that I’m once again on my own. Which startles me since I don’t even trust Azorath.
Are you sure you don’t trust Azorath? begins to echo inside my head like a chant.
Gio continues banging until I respond with, “Okay, I’ll be out in a minute.”
“You have no manners. What do you say for me being so nice to you?”
What an asshole. “Thank you, Gio.”
“That’s better,” is his cocky reply before there’s total silence followed by the outside door shutting, again.
Jumping to my feet, I fumble with the lock on the door so that I can go check for myself that Azorath is really gone. In my haste, I practically fall through the door to find a very relaxed Azorath on my bed. He’s sitting up against the headboard with his legs extended before him, crossed at the ankles, with his arms folded up behind his head. When I stop and stare, he quirks a brow and says, “Finally decided to come out, huh?”
“How did he not see you?” I respond as I move closer to the bed, keeping my voice as low as his so Gio won’t hear us.
“Oh, I made sure I was invisible to him, that’s all.”
“So instead of telling me where you hid, you’re back to being invasive and saying weird shit. Great.” My words are full of a contempt I don’t actually feel. The relief of finding Azorath still in my room is alarming to me. Have I sunk so low that I’ve decided that a man who obviously befriended me only to spy on me is my savior and better than dealing with my uncle alone? He opens his mouth to speak and I wave him off. “I honestly don’t care where you hid. I’ve decided to at least hear you out and see if you can help me. But if your plans to use me are as bad as my uncle’s, then I’m calling for Gio myself to remove you from my room.”
Azorath chuckles softly. “Oh, Denny. I would never use you, nor will I ever hurt you. And as long as I’m around, which will be forever, no harm will ever come to you.”
“Why? Why would you help me?” I ask suspiciously.
His smile broadens. “Because, Denny, I’ve come to terms with the fact that there is only one way to handle this and get you out of this situation. Would you agree that for you to fully trust me, I have to tell you the truth?” When I nod, he says, “Exactly. And that’s smart of you, so the truth is you’re my suflet mwenza, Denny. My soul-mate.”
Incredulously, I raise my eyebrows up as I stare at him. Of all the thing I’d considered in the bathroom, Azorath being crazy wasn’t one of them. “Um…”
“I can see you don’t believe me, and I don’t blame you, but it’s true. When you ran and hid in the bathroom, I realized that the best way to help you really is to listen to my creator and tell you the truth, the whole truth.”
“Okay,” I say, searching my mind for anything I’ve ever seen or read about someone suffering from delusion. Obviously, to save myself, I’ll get Gio if I have to. But now that I realize that there’s something very wrong with Azorath, I don’t want to see him injured, or worse. Maybe I can play along to get him out of my room safely, then I’ll focus back on how to save myself. Deciding that this is just the distraction I need right now, I nod at Azorath reassuringly. “Go on. Tell me then.”
Azorath throws his head back, and his body begins to shake. I can’t see his face, so I’m not sure if he’s okay until he’s still and lowers his head back down to eye me with amusement. “You think I’m crazy?”
“No, of course not.” I’m sure telling a crazy person that they’re crazy doesn’t help, playing along makes the most sense right now. “I’m very interested in what you have to say.”
Azorath shakes his head slightly, something I’ve seen him do often in the twenty-four hours I’ve known him. “Denny, you’re the most interesting mortal I’ve ever met. You’re such a mix of scared, yet, brave. You fear your uncle and think you have to do whatever he says, but today you stuck up to him.”
“How did—”
He keeps talking. “You were scared when you woke up in my room today. The room of a perfect stranger, yet, you teased me about coffee and gave your room key to Ophaniel to go get you clothes.”
“Which wasn’t too bright in retrospect,” I mutter to myself.
“Normally, I’d agree with you about that. You really should be more cautious. We could have been two guys trying to rob you. That really wasn’t the smartest thing to do.”
“How did you even hear me say that?” I ask while motioning back to the TV that was still blazingly loud in the background.
“And now, you’re in a room that’s being guarded so you can’t get out with a man you just spent the day with, but you’re now pretty sure I’m crazy, and instead of focusing on your own problems, you’re trying to figure out how to ease the crazy man out of your room without getting me hurt. Am I close?”
Narrowing my eyes at him, I ask again, “Who are you?” Without waiting for an answer I begin pacing the length of the room while shooting glances at him, partly mulling over what he’s said, but partly wanting to make sure he doesn’t move off the bed toward me. “So you say you can help me. You’re observant, I’ll give you that. You think we’re uh...”
“Soul-mates,” he supplies helpfully.
“Right, soul-mates.” When I hear my door opening, I pivot around to face Gio. Crap. Crap. Crap. Has it already been fifteen minutes? “Gio, I can explain.”
He glares at me while walking over to pick the room service tray up off the table. I hadn’t even noticed it sitting there with how focused I was on Azorath. “Explain what? I told you that you had fifteen minutes, and I was coming back for your tray. Not my problem you didn’t eat. Now you’ll starve until morning. I told the guy replacing me tonight not to even open the door. I’m not going to risk one of the other guys getting sucked in by your baby face. I’ll be back tomorrow to take you to your uncle so you can get to work. And turn down this damn TV. What’re you deaf?”
During his tirade, I whip my head around to find Azorath, but he’s gone. The whole time Gio speaks, I slowly spin around searching for any sign of Azorath.
“Denny, what the hell are you doing? Look at me when I’m speaking to you,” Gio snarls.
Bringing my focus back to him, I hunch my shoulders and lower my head submissively. Not because I actually give a crap that he wants me to, but because I need him to get the hell out so I can figure out how Azorath keeps evading him. Maybe I
can do the same thing when Gio comes looking for me tomorrow. Peeking up at him, I can see the satisfied gleam in Gio’s eye at my meek behavior. He thinks he’s in control. Whatever. He snorts before carrying the tray with the uneaten hamburger out of my room without another word. I keep my eyes fixed on his back until the door closes behind him, then spin to search for Azorath, who is once again sitting on the bed in the same position as before Gio came back in. What the fuck?
11
Azorath
“How did you… but where did you… I…” Denny sputters as he looks from me to the door and back to me again before circling all the way around the room, eyes darting quickly from the ceiling to the floor the whole time.
I chuckle to myself, again. Not that any of this is funny, but Denny’s futile search of the ceiling is amusing. Does he think I’m Spider Man? Humans really are so enamored with superheroes who aren’t real, even while they pass down scary tales of the supernaturals born to protect and guard them. “I told you, Denny. I’m making myself invisible to him.”
“But that’s not possible,” he stammers.
“It isn’t for you, but it is for me.” I arch my brow at him. “You can’t tell me you don’t believe me. You saw for yourself he didn’t see me, and it’s not like I had time to hide.”
Uneasiness settles over him as his arms come up to cross and rest over his middle and he begins to flip one foot up and down nervously. Chewing on his bottom lip, he again looks at the ceiling. “I’m not sure what to say.”
“Maybe instead of asking who I am, you change your question and ask what I am.”
Defiantly he raises his arms off his belly to cross them over his chest. “Okay, I’ll bite. What are you?”
