The Real You

by N. J. Nielsen

  Daven spoke up, “How about you appoint Mitch officially as their day warden. Then he’ll have a reason to be with them twenty-four-seven. At the moment, Mitch works at the gas plant and is liable to find someone new there.”

  Simon frowned at the information. “Yes, finding someone new could be a problem. We’ll need to set up a meeting to work out the logistics. As for why you and day warden Eric Meyers will be moving in with them, it will be so Eric can train this human in our ways.”

  “That sounds like an excellent reason. I have to go, Guild Master. If you like, I’ll call you tomorrow evening with an update.”

  “Don’t let them know you’ve informed the guild about the situation,” he said prior to them disconnecting.

  Sleep was long gone. Simon made calls to the rest of the guild, putting in motion what had still to be done for Claudius and Isiah. It was going to make life easier for them to eventually find their True One and set the rest of them free of the curse they lived under. So many generations had passed. Interbreeding was weakening the bloodlines. If the prophecy didn’t come to pass, they would soon be extinct.

  Chapter Five

  On their way through the crowd to where Daven was standing, Mitch saw him end his phone call. For some reason, the man looked a little worried, and maybe a tad frustrated as well. Mitch hoped the call hadn’t been bad news, but the way their night was panning out, it was more than likely some kind of disaster was heading their way.

  Claudius started talking as soon as they reached him. “Mitch’s hungry, so we’re going to get something to eat. Do you want us to bring you back anything?”

  “Thanks, Isiah, but…” Daven began.

  Mitch started laughing. He couldn’t help himself.

  “What?” Daven asked sarcastically.

  “That’s Claude. This one’s Isiah.” Mitch leaned back into Isiah’s arms and smirked.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.” He grinned wickedly and indicated the man at his side. “Anyone with eyes knows this is Claude.”

  “Smart ass,” Daven said dryly.

  “Well, do you want anything?” Claude repeated.

  “No thank you, Claude, ” Daven said.

  “Are you sure now?” Mitch teased.

  “Are you?” Daven countered.

  “I’m always sure where these two are concerned.” Mitch chuckled. “One day maybe you’ll be able to tell them apart as easily as I can.” They held hands as he, Claude and Isiah turned and moved away back through the crowd, heading toward the stairs that led to the street level.

  Mitch waved to a few people in passing as they walked along the street where the late-night vendors had set up to sell food. He was laughing at something Claude had pointed out to him when they rounded the corner. At first, he didn’t see the young man standing beside the pole until he stepped out into the open and blew a handful of pungent red dust into Mitch’s face. Surprised, Mitch inhaled at the strange attack. The burning sensation, like a red-hot fire, filled his veins and lungs.

  “Oh, fuck!” Mitch screamed in agony. He began sliding toward the pavement. His life flashed in front of his eyes and all the while it was getting harder and harder to breathe…harder and harder to stay coherent.

  “Mitch, baby.” Isiah cradled him in his arms as Claudius fought with the man.

  Mitch wanted to answer, but at the moment, words were lost to him. He fixed his gaze on Claudius, and Mitch realized the person Claudius fought resembled his men. Why? Then it clicked that the guy had to be Gabriel. He would have been good-looking, except for the hatred enveloping him like a well-worn cloak. Why was beauty often only skin deep?

  “Why, Gabriel? Mitch hasn’t ever done anything to you,” Claude screamed.

  Mitch was correct. The man really was their former day warden. Disgust roared through him. He wanted to lash out. He wanted to hurt the person who had done this to him. But most of all, he wanted the voice in his head to shut the hell up. How could he tell the voice what was going on when he didn’t have a fucking clue what was happening?

  “I watched you all tonight. You both seem to care for the human, and neither of you deserve happiness. Not when you both destroyed mine. You destroyed everything my life stood for.”

  “Mitch, baby, don’t die. Please don’t die,” Isiah sobbed. Claudius broke off the fight and dropped to the pavement beside them. Mitch wanted to tell them it was going to be all right, but right now he wasn’t sure it was the truth.

  “Please, Mitch. We love you. Please, don’t leave us,” Claude whispered all the while stroking Mitch’s hair.

  It was comforting. Mitch and the voice inside his head both calmed at the touch. What the fuck is going on?

  “You tell me and we’ll both know,” the voice inside his head snarled.

  Mitch wanted to tell Claudius and Isiah he was fine, but the words still wouldn’t form. Mostly he wanted to tell them how much he loved them. How much they had both changed his life for the better. The problem was that numbness was slowly creeping through his body. All he could do was lie there and listen to everything going on around him.

  “After all this time, you’d think you two would get clued in,” Gabriel taunted. “Your human isn’t dying. The dust was Larkos’ blood. He’s transitioning into a demon.” Gabriel burst out laughing. “A demon who will wake up and eat you both for doing nothing but breathing. Finally, it will rid me of you so I can die.”

  Through the searing pain, Mitch hated the fact that a small wave of empathy went through him at Gabriel’s confession. Pity he was the one hurting all because this asshole wanted eternal rest. The voice in his head laughed at what was being said.

  “What an idiot. You aren’t turning into just any Larkos demon. If this is true, then you are turning into the leader of the whole Larkos Clan.”

  “Mitch would never hurt us,” Claudius whispered sadly. “He loves us.”

  “No one loves you, moron. You and my idiotic cousin are unlovable,” Gabriel growled callously.

  Mitch’s ire had gone from minimal to pissed-off in a blink of an eye. Now isn’t this just peachy-keen, jelly bean?

  “More like a lollipop triple-dipped in psycho. Babe, I need you to call for help. It’s going to hurt like hell, but I know you can do it.”

  Mitch didn’t know how he managed to pull his phone from the front pocket of his pants and hit speed dial one. It was like someone else had control of his body. Come on, Eric, pick up. I need you, buddy.

  The world receded around him. Mitch found himself completely locked within his head. He knew he was about to die. His life wasn’t supposed to end this way. He wanted to laugh at how his day upon waking had gone from relaxed and fun-filled to fucked-up and death. Where was the justice? Closing his eyes, he prayed to whoever was out there listening that Claudius and Isiah would manage to beat the crap out of Gabriel. No wonder they never wanted to talk about the guy.

  The voice in his head chuckled. “Stuff it, human. We ain’t dead yet, babe. Give yourself over to me, and we can end the annoyances in our life.”

  Mitch started at the voice ringing through his head. “What the fuck! Who the hell are you anyway?”

  “My name is Laramie, but most people call me Remi. I once ruled the Larkos demon realm. The bastard who poisoned you got it wrong. It wasn’t my blood he gave you. It was my heart and soul. You are now me as I am now you. Get used to sharing.”

  “For how long?” Mitch was afraid he already knew the answer.

  “Forever!”

  “Fuck!”

  Remi’s chuckle resonated through Mitch’s mind. “My sentiments exactly, but what’s done is done. We have to get used to our new living arrangement, because I can tell you, I don’t plan on dying again anytime soon.”

  “As long as you don’t interfere with me and mine, we’ll get along fine.” Mitch grimaced when he realized he’d rhymed his words.

  Again Remi chuckled. “Just as long as you realize those two are now ours. Heart, mind
and soul. They might be two made to look like one. But we are one who have the lives of two.”

  The moment the words had been spoken, Mitch saw exactly what Remi was talking about. It was as if a door had opened, connecting them so completely their lives would never again be separated. He wasn’t exactly sure how he felt about that.

  Remi sighed. “Let’s hope they figure out soon how to stop our souls from burning each other out. I would hate to have this glimpse of a future, only to have it torn away from me again.”

  “You and me both. Life’s finally looking up to have it end so soon,” Mitch agreed wholeheartedly with his newfound friend. “Think of something, people. We’re dying here.”

  * * * *

  Daven stopped the moment Eric’s phone started ringing. Unease filled him the longer they stood there.

  Eric pulled out his phone. “Hello?” He stared at it in confusion, then he hit the loudspeaker.

  Daven could hear Isiah crying and talking to Mitch. Someone else was screaming at them in the background, and it was a voice he knew well.

  “Fuck! We’ve got to go. Gabriel’s attacked Claudius, Isiah and Mitch,” Eric said then sprinted toward the stairs.

  Daven didn’t hesitate. Instead, he followed Eric in the direction the three had gone. He pulled out his phone, then hit redial. “We have a problem. Gabriel attacked Mitch, Isiah and Claudius. They need help. I’ll leave my phone open so you can get Ward to track it.”

  Daven and Eric ran full-out until they rounded the corner then skidded to a stop. Gabriel was gone. Mitch was cradled in one man’s arms while the other wrapped himself around both of them.

  “What happened?” Daven collapsed to the pavement beside them to check on Mitch.

  “Gabriel has killed our Mitch,” the one hugging his lover sobbed.

  Daven placed his hand on Mitch’s chest and felt for a heartbeat. It was there, but erratic. “He’s not dead yet.”

  “No, he’s becoming a Larkos demon. Gabriel poisoned him,” one said, his voice filled with shock and disbelief. “We only now found him. We can’t lose him.”

  “For the love of God, which twin are you so I know who I’m talking to?” Daven snapped a little more harshly than he’d meant to.

  “I’m Isiah.”

  Feeling like an insensitive prick, he added more gently, “Thank you.”

  They all flinched when a bright light suddenly surrounded them. When it faded, Guild Master Tomas and two of the council members were standing in their midst. “Let Murtagh in to see to the young man.”

  Daven had to pry Claudius and Isiah off Mitch so the council member could get close.

  “Larkos demon,” Murtagh snarled in disgust. “I can’t cure him.” Both Isiah and Claudius let out identical heart-wrenching wails but stopped when Murtagh continued to speak. “I can’t cure him, but you two can save him. One of you needs to give him your blood.”

  “Only one?” Eric asked. “They won’t be able to do it. They’ve never been separated in anything since the day they first met.”

  Daven watched Murtagh closely. The man gazed up at Eric and froze. “In that case, they both can bind him, which will give him an extra-strong dose.”

  “What will blooding him do?” Daven asked, concerned. He didn’t want to do anything if it caused any of them more pain.

  Murtagh stared at Daven for a moment before focusing back on the trio again. “It will cause the Larkos demon to remain dormant, except if this young man calls it forth in times of need. The vampire blood is from the stronger demon, and will always be in charge of his body.”

  “But he’s human,” Isiah stated. “What if it kills him?”

  “Either you blood him now, or he dies from the transition. The choice is yours. All I can say is that you better make up your minds quickly, because soon it will be too late.”

  “If you two don’t blood him right now. I’ll beat the ever-living shit out of you myself,” Eric snapped. “Now! Don’t let Mitch die.”

  Isiah held out his wrist for Claudius to bite. Isiah then brought it to Mitch’s lips. Claudius then kissed Mitch’s forehead. “Drink, baby. Please don’t leave us.” When Murtagh indicated that Claudius and Isiah needed to swap positions, they did, and repeated the whole process. When it was all done, Claudius and Isiah held Mitch between them. They all waited and listened for Mitch’s breathing to ease. It took only a few minutes, though to Daven, it seemed to be the longest time of their lives.

  “What’s going to happen now?” Daven asked curiously. Eric had dropped to his hands and knees and wrapped his arms around all three. Daven even teared up himself when he saw his day warden embrace his friends while they all cried.

  Daven gazed around at his fellow guild members and realized Murtagh appeared enthralled while he watched the group on the ground. It took a moment for Murtagh to answer. “Now we wait.”

  “Is it safe to move Mitch? I mean, we don’t need everyone walking by, gawking at the three of them in their time of sorrow,” Daven stated.

  When Murtagh nodded, Daven pulled Eric to his feet and held him for comfort.

  “Mitch will be okay,” Daven whispered into Eric’s ear. His friend nodded against his shoulder.

  Chapter Six

  Mitch woke to find Eric sitting on a bed that wasn’t his. What the hell is going on? “Where am I?” He tried to push himself up into a sitting position, but nearly passed out from the effort.

  “This is your new room,” Eric said quietly.

  “How long have I been here? Where are Claude and Isiah?” Mitch asked weakly. “Are they tired of me already?”

  Eric shook his head. “No. They’re still asleep for the day. They’ve been worried sick about you, babe.”

  “How long have I been out of it?” Mitch looked around the room. “Wait, did you say this is my new room? What happened to my old one?”

  “Nothing. The guild has decided to upgrade your living arrangements.”

  Somehow it sounded suspicious. Mitch sensed Remi’s agreement with his assessment. “Why?”

  “Because they’ve decided to make you their official day warden. Thus, we’ve all moved into a huge frickin’ house overlooking the city. According to Dav, it’s so I can teach you more about our ways.”

  “What ways?” Mitch asked warily. “I thought you said you had to be bound to your vampire to be their day warden. Somehow I don’t think being their boyfriend qualifies. Especially now that I’m part demon.”

  Eric shrugged. “I’m basically going to teach you the ways of the day wardens, and let’s just say, you have been bound.”

  “How?” Mitch demanded and winced when his head all but exploded with Remi’s rage.

  Eric gazed at him. “Do you remember anything that happened?”

  “Gabriel threw what he thought was dried blood into my face, except it wasn’t. The next thing I know, I wake up here.” Mitch had to figure out how to explain to everyone that Remi was now a part of his psyche. Not that he was even sure what the hell was happening to him. More than likely he was having some kind of psychosis. Maybe Remi wasn’t even real. The deep chuckle in the back of his mind seemed to state otherwise.

  “How do you know it wasn’t blood?” Eric asked. The frown marring his face told Mitch his time was up—he had to spill.

  Mitch spoke a little evasively. “I know…because Remi told me.”

  “Who’s Remi?” Eric demanded.

  “The Larkos demon who now shares my head space. He explained everything to me. The dust was really Remi’s heart and soul. According to him, we are now forever joined. Unless, of course, the spell can be reversed, or modified. Or perhaps I’m losing my mind, though I don’t feel crazy. Do I look insane to you? Remi says I’m not.”

  Eric’s eyes widened in surprise. “What the fuck are you talking about? Murtagh showed Claude and Isiah how to lock down the demon essence inside you. You shouldn’t even know he exists.”

  “Tell Remi that. He’s as real to me as you are. In case
you’re wondering, he’s actually a really nice guy…demon…whatever. And what do you mean, they locked him down?”

  “Murtagh told Claudius and Isiah they needed to share their blood with you. Literally, they bound your life force to theirs,” Eric said quietly.

  Oddly enough, the truth didn’t scare him as much as it probably should have. “So what am I now? I mean, I know I’m no longer human.”

  “I guess you’d be classed as a tri-being. Part demon, part vampire and part human.”

  “I can tell you there’s no one inside my head apart from Remi and myself. He and I would know if there was a vampire lurking around. What does it mean for me?”

  Eric nodded as he answered, “It basically means you’re the same person. Except now you’re wickedly strong, will live for as long as Claude and Isiah do, and you probably don’t have to sleep much anymore.”

  “What about the blood? Please tell me I don’t have to drink blood. I think that might make me hurl.”

  Eric stared at him for a moment, as if thinking about what he wanted to say. “Truthfully, I don’t know. I suppose you can always ask Murtagh when he gets here this afternoon. Seeing as how you’re now awake, I can be elsewhere when he gets here.”

  “Don’t you like him?”

  Mitch smirked when Remi voiced his question out loud. The difference between their voices was noticeable, and Eric looked shocked.

  “No. Remi?” Eric queried.

  Mitch nodded.

  Eric continued. “For some reason, he creeps me out. He’s always staring at me and asking stupid questions, which have nothing to do with any of you.” Eric shuddered dramatically. “I wish he’d leave me the hell alone.”

  Remi tsked. “Methinks there’s more to the story than the day warden is willing to reveal.”

  “I need to see Isiah and Claude,” Mitch stated. He slowly put his legs over the edge of the bed in readiness for standing. Right now, he needed to lay eyes on them and make sure they were both okay.