Maxim’s eyes narrowed, making Raven clutch the sheet tighter.“You don’t believe me.And don’t trust me.That’s more than fair.Is there anything I can do that would make you feel better right now?”
Trick question?Real question?I don’t know.Maybe I died after all.Or I’m still dying, and this is a dream my dying mind is producing to keep me busy and distracted.
Raven shook his head, although he wondered where the police were in all this, why there was no one here that he knew.The Forum always said they worked with law enforcement.He said no ra—He said I didn’t have to go to the hospital to get a kit done.Is that good?I don’t hurt anymore, so maybe that’s good.Maybe I slept through a lot of what happened.
The hunter waited for another moment before nodding.“Very well.I will wait for you.If you’d like, I can give you a tour after.”
“C-can I go home?”
The hope bloomed like a bruise, and as soon as the words were out of Raven’s mouth, he knew that was what he wanted, knew the answer would tell him what he needed to know.
“You can.”
“Now?”He looked up at Maxim, whose face was blank, almost like the face of a doctor bringing bad news.
“You mean right now?Of course.If you’d prefer that, I will take you.”
“No, I can go.By myself.”
The hunter went into the bathroom and came back out with a set of clothes in his arms—sweatpants, a hoodie, soft-looking things.They were folded neatly and looked like they’d come straight from a tidy shelf in a tidy wardrobe.He’d put them in the bathroom as if he’d thought Raven would need them there.It made Raven’s eyes sting, imagining that someone had gotten these and left them for him.I don’t know if I’ll be able to fold them like this again when I return them.His eyes were burning now, but he managed to control himself.
“You are a young vampire.Not even a day old.You have a right to be guided, a right to be attended.”Maxim held the clothes out to Raven.“Think of me as your fairy godmother.My son used to love stories involving fairy godparents.They would calm him down almost without fail.Once, when he was very young, I had to leave him for two days.I bought him a doll I told him was his fairy godmother.He still cried terribly, but he clutched the doll all through his tantrum.He was a perfect little darling, my Heath.”
Raven hesitated but took the clothes.They had a fresh laundry smell to them.“I know vampires don’t have children.What do you want with me?”
The hunter showed no sign of anger, made no move to punish Raven.“Vampires don’t normally have children, true.Dhampirs are rare, but they do exist.Many things exist that humans don’t yet know of, even after the Day of Revelation.I’ll tell you all about it.”He smiled.It was either forced or he was trying very hard, Raven couldn’t decide which.“I’ll be your fairy godmother, Raven.It’ll suit me just fine.”
Raven couldn’t help himself.He said, “You’re lacking in pastel, Maxim Vallois.”
The hunter’s eyebrows rose, and he looked at the sleeve of his black outfit.“Well, you’re right about that.Heath never complained about it.Hmm.”
Maxim allowed Raven privacy while he changed, but even so, Raven left the bedroom door open, wanting to hear as much as he could as he hurriedly put on the clothes.
There was clean underwear.There were socks too, but no shoes.The hoodie, navy and generic looking, was big and bulky enough to calm Raven and make it so he didn’t feel naked anymore.He had another sip from the thermos, wondering whether it really was blood.
I could unscrew it and look.It would be easy.His hands were on the metal top of the thermos, but in the end, he didn’t screw it open.He popped it shut again, and left it on the small table next to the bed.A memory to be forgotten; hotel soap you didn’t want to take home with you.
He looked around the room, at the chair next to the bed, the rumpled sheets and pillow he’d lain on.Not like I need to take anything.Can I just walk out of here and forget everything?People do that all the time, right?They have something bad happen, they don’t show for school for a while, and then they’re back.Back in class.Back at the dorm.It’ll be fine, right?
He looked at his hands, mostly hidden by the hoodie.He rolled back the right sleeve.It was warm enough for that.He looked at his exposed right wrist.Cruelly, his mind wandered, the noises coming back to him, the noises of Laurenzio and Daniel…having fun.Laurenzio had taken that wrist and drunk from it.Raven pulled the sleeve back down, yanking so hard that he felt the seam strain at his shoulder.
“Raven?”
Raven jumped and spun, the noise of surprise he made tiny.Maxim stood in the doorway, still dressed in un-fairy-godmotherly black.
“Y-yes?”
“Is everything quite all right?”The hunter looked at the thermos.“We can find you more blood if you’re thirsty.”
Raven shook his head so hard the tips of his hair flicked into his vision.“Nope.Can we go?I want to go home.”
“Of course.You mean home to the apartment you share with Jason?”
“Dorm.We’re in a dorm room.One of the bigger ones.”
“Ah, yes.Higher education, cramped living quarters.Such fun.”
The hunter turned and walked ahead, motioning for Raven to follow.Raven looked around at the rest of the place as he did.White and cream, a blank canvas of a color scheme, but with lots of pillows all around, lots of fluffy carpets that were layered to the point where it didn’t matter that Raven had no shoes.
