he’d had when he’d seen the man. His heart
felt like ice. There were more of them . He slumped back against the seat. Boaz handed him a water bottle. He nodded his
thanks.
Somehow, in the brief period of time he’d known Donte,
known of Donte, it never occurred to him that there might be more. Adin accepted, albeit unwillingly, a world in which
vampires could exist; indeed, he accepted that Donte did exist.
Adin had offered himself to Donte, knowing full well that if he
did it, he would be slamming the door on the world he’d known
78 Z.A. Maxfield
for his entire life. But he’d never thought this far ahead. There
were others, not just Donte. There were whole legions, maybe,
of things out there that he’d never believed in that he had to
make room for now, in his imagination, surely, and maybe in his
life.
“Boss?” asked a worried Boaz. “You’re sweating. Do you
think we should go to the hospital?”
“No!” Adin said, louder than he meant to. “No. Just…take
me home, okay? Back to the hotel. Then take Edward wherever
he needs to go.”
“I’m not just going to leave you…”
“Boaz, maybe I have a touch of the flu, nothing more
serious. I promise. Please, just do as I ask. I have a lot to think about. Bring me takeout when you return to the hotel, okay?”
“All right,” said Boaz, looking at him speculatively, when
Edward climbed back into the car. Boaz still didn’t take his eyes
off Adin, looking as if he were going to say something but
remaining silent.
“Feeling better?” Edward asked, looking closely at Adin’s
face. “You need to rest, Adin.”
“I know.” Adin patted the seat next to him. “I only just
came back from Frankfurt a few days ago. I really haven’t been
taking care of myself. I’m sure I’m just run-down.” He sighed.
“Boaz is going to drop me off and then take you wherever
you’d like to go. If you’re feeling motherly, maybe you can help
him choose something to bring me for dinner, okay?”
“I can do that.” Edward nodded at Boaz, who was backing
out of the limo door. When Boaz closed the door behind him,
Edward said plaintively, “I want a Boaz. He’s so cool! Do you
think he would drive me if I needed him every once in a while?”
Adin smiled. “I’ll bet he’d be delighted. He’s very efficient.”
“And he didn’t even get mad when I…” Edward bit his lip
on a snigger.
“I’ll bet you’re not exactly the first,” Adin remarked as the
car pulled away from the curb.
NOTTURNO 79
Edward tried to suppress a smile. He got serious a minute
later, gazing at Adin with naked anxiety. “Something’s different
about you. You’d tell me if…” He didn’t finish. He didn’t have
to.
“I’m healthy,” stated Adin. “I promise. I’m fine. I’ve had a
shock with this manuscript, and then with the theft… My heart
feels broken.”
“Oh, Adin,” Edward murmured sympathetically. “I know. I
know. But don’t bother telling that to Tuan. It’s like trying to teach a rock to sing.”
“I believe that.” Adin took Edward’s outstretched hand in
his. “I’m glad I’m here with you.”
Edward smiled his wide, white smile and chattered all the
way back to the hotel. Adin tuned him out. There was so much
he had to find out. More of them. There were more . And while Adin could cope with a world that had Donte in it, he was
wholly unprepared to deal with vampires as a large and lethal
group of undead people who actually existed. Suddenly he
wanted Donte with such longing it took his breath away. Was it
a trick? Donte had used fear with him before, had made it seem
as though he were the only safe haven in a world gone crazy. It
was part of the glamour. But Donte was not there, and in his
heart, Adin knew it. This was something entirely new. Someone
entirely different.
This was the devil Adin didn’t know.
Boaz dropped Adin off at the Kabuki, where he retreated
immediately into his
felt like ice. There were more of them . He slumped back against the seat. Boaz handed him a water bottle. He nodded his
thanks.
Somehow, in the brief period of time he’d known Donte,
known of Donte, it never occurred to him that there might be more. Adin accepted, albeit unwillingly, a world in which
vampires could exist; indeed, he accepted that Donte did exist.
Adin had offered himself to Donte, knowing full well that if he
did it, he would be slamming the door on the world he’d known
78 Z.A. Maxfield
for his entire life. But he’d never thought this far ahead. There
were others, not just Donte. There were whole legions, maybe,
of things out there that he’d never believed in that he had to
make room for now, in his imagination, surely, and maybe in his
life.
“Boss?” asked a worried Boaz. “You’re sweating. Do you
think we should go to the hospital?”
“No!” Adin said, louder than he meant to. “No. Just…take
me home, okay? Back to the hotel. Then take Edward wherever
he needs to go.”
“I’m not just going to leave you…”
“Boaz, maybe I have a touch of the flu, nothing more
serious. I promise. Please, just do as I ask. I have a lot to think about. Bring me takeout when you return to the hotel, okay?”
“All right,” said Boaz, looking at him speculatively, when
Edward climbed back into the car. Boaz still didn’t take his eyes
off Adin, looking as if he were going to say something but
remaining silent.
“Feeling better?” Edward asked, looking closely at Adin’s
face. “You need to rest, Adin.”
“I know.” Adin patted the seat next to him. “I only just
came back from Frankfurt a few days ago. I really haven’t been
taking care of myself. I’m sure I’m just run-down.” He sighed.
“Boaz is going to drop me off and then take you wherever
you’d like to go. If you’re feeling motherly, maybe you can help
him choose something to bring me for dinner, okay?”
“I can do that.” Edward nodded at Boaz, who was backing
out of the limo door. When Boaz closed the door behind him,
Edward said plaintively, “I want a Boaz. He’s so cool! Do you
think he would drive me if I needed him every once in a while?”
Adin smiled. “I’ll bet he’d be delighted. He’s very efficient.”
“And he didn’t even get mad when I…” Edward bit his lip
on a snigger.
“I’ll bet you’re not exactly the first,” Adin remarked as the
car pulled away from the curb.
NOTTURNO 79
Edward tried to suppress a smile. He got serious a minute
later, gazing at Adin with naked anxiety. “Something’s different
about you. You’d tell me if…” He didn’t finish. He didn’t have
to.
“I’m healthy,” stated Adin. “I promise. I’m fine. I’ve had a
shock with this manuscript, and then with the theft… My heart
feels broken.”
“Oh, Adin,” Edward murmured sympathetically. “I know. I
know. But don’t bother telling that to Tuan. It’s like trying to teach a rock to sing.”
“I believe that.” Adin took Edward’s outstretched hand in
his. “I’m glad I’m here with you.”
Edward smiled his wide, white smile and chattered all the
way back to the hotel. Adin tuned him out. There was so much
he had to find out. More of them. There were more . And while Adin could cope with a world that had Donte in it, he was
wholly unprepared to deal with vampires as a large and lethal
group of undead people who actually existed. Suddenly he
wanted Donte with such longing it took his breath away. Was it
a trick? Donte had used fear with him before, had made it seem
as though he were the only safe haven in a world gone crazy. It
was part of the glamour. But Donte was not there, and in his
heart, Adin knew it. This was something entirely new. Someone
entirely different.
This was the devil Adin didn’t know.
Boaz dropped Adin off at the Kabuki, where he retreated
immediately into his
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