The Soul of a Bird Never Flies {boyxboy}

Chapter Seventeen

~Monday 13th August 2018~

"Must you always wear a suit?" Eryll rolled his eyes at Vivek's comment, continuing with buttoning the grey shirt he adorned, "you don't always have to look so regal, y'know, my coven, like everyone else, is terrified of you. There's no need for this persona that you put on anymore, you have everyone afraid of you."

"I'm a businessman, Viv, I wear suits," Eryll replied absently, "it has nothing to do with regality or fear," abandoning the tie he was going to wear, Eryll turned to face Vivek, not bothering with a jacket either. The meeting was inside anyway, and the man didn't often feel the cold all that much.

"Whatever you say," Vivek muttered sarcastically, rising to his feet, "can we go now?" Eryll collected his phone, glancing down to see a text from Dove.

"One minute," he murmured under his breath, that foolish smile managed to tug at the corners of his lips. He really had to stop that, it wasn't such a big occasion when Dove texted him, there was no need for his body to act so.

Dove: Do you want me to pick you up something to eat? Adi and I are in Starbucks. Once again, the stupid smile won, curving Eryll's lips as he typed his response.

Eryll: No, thank you, Viv and I will be eating out. Eryll intended to leave the conversation there, but Dove sent another text just as Eryll finished his own.

Dove: I think there's someone following me, Adi said it's best I tell you. I've been seeing him around for a few days, it's probably nothing though. A deep frown set into Eryll's face, an awful sense of impending discomfort washing over his body.

"What is it?" barely paying attention to Vivek's question, Eryll dialled Dove's number, counting the tones whilst he awaited the boy's voice.

"Eryll, honestly, it's nothing serious-" Dove began in that frustrated tone that had so obviously followed a sigh.

"What does he look like?" Eryll interjected, mouthing to Vivek to call upon Ravana and Nimue.

"Eryll, it's not-"

"Dove," Eryll said in a more stern tone, "please, it will put me at ease. What does he look like?" Eryll held up one hand upon the two demons appearing, silencing them before the questions were asked.

"I don't know, um, he was pretty generic looking. Short hair cut, like a shaved head. Brown hair, light eyes," Dove didn't sound very interested, and that bored tone was grating on Eryll's nerves ever so slightly, "he had tattoos, um, a bluish flower on one hand and, I don't know, something else on the other. Oh, and one on his face, twenty-one just below his left temple. He looked like a douche, he was probably just checking me out, it's not a big deal," Eryll couldn't speak for a moment, frozen to his spot as all the blood drained from his body, leaving him cold and numb, "Eryll? Eryll, are you there?"

"Y-Yeah," Eryll choked out, nodding to Ravana and Nimue, "yeah, I'm still here. How often has this been occurring?"

"Not often, really, I've just noticed him a few times over and-" Dove paused, setting anxiety loose in Eryll's stomach, "he never mentioned security," Eryll just about caught onto Dove's muffled sentence, grateful that it was only Nimue and Ravana who had interrupted their conversation, "Eryll, did you-"

"Yes, Nimue and Ravana are a security detail I've had watching you for weeks. You're an asset to me, I wouldn't want you getting hurt," Dove was quiet for a moment before Eryll heard a nervous laugh bubble from the boy.

"That's a bit creepy, Eryll, you could have just told me."

"I didn't want to concern you," Eryll forced a brief chuckle of his own, "would you mind putting Ravana on? I just need to speak with him quickly," Eryll heard the crackling movement of Dove passing over the phone, before Ravana's low voice.