Scarlet Gold ~ Tulio x Miguel Vampire au

Chapter ten

"What, did you expect him to not be hungry after hibernating?"

Chel dabbed at the bite marks on Miguel's neck with her handkerchief, who in turn was gazing dreamily at the chandelier above them. He hadn't touched his breakfast yet. How could he when he had been so generously filled by Tulio the hour prior?

"You're probably the most hopeless mortal I've ever encountered," Chel sighed and shook her head as she continued, "Just right above the others."

Miguel felt himself snap out of his stupor in an instant, startling Chel as she smudged his blood up the curve of his neck in surprise. She immediately began to laugh at his surprised face.

"Others?" He questioned, "What do you mean by this?"

"Oh really, do you think you were the first one he's rutted around with?" She snickered and resumed cleaning up the bite marks, "While you have lasted much longer than the others, that much is true, you're far from his first partner."

He didn't know how to reply. His breakfast seemed beyond inedible now despite his elated high pathetically sputtering out. Before, he wouldn't have been surprised that he wasn't the first. In fact, he would've been happy to know that the vampire hadn't tracked him down to exclusively indulge in his essence. But now that he knew nearly every part of his body...

He gave a quick shiver, suddenly more lucid than he had been in the past week. The cold bandage Chel had slapped on his neck certainly didn't help his chill, but it was the final tip that sent him nearly teetering on the thoughts of escape. Just nearly. Tulio's entrance put a swift end to that.

"Oh, has breakfast gone cold?" Tulio's drawl sent Miguel straight back into his old mindset, "It's a pity. I know Chel worked long and hard for it to please you."

"You're certainly one to talk," Chel clicked her tongue as she gathered the aid kit back into a silken bag, "The poor boy is so weak he can't even bring himself to feast."

"Aw, is this truly the case?" Miguel met Tulio's eyes from across the table where he was now draped upon his chair, "If my poor guest is so exhausted I may have to escort him to bed again."

"Of course you'd be so eager," Miguel crossed his legs under the table and eyed the vampire with intrigue, "Though, I didn't think you so prudish as to wait until we're in my quarters."

"As ravishing as that would be, I'm afraid to say I will be occupied for quite some time," with the nimble jerk of his sleeve, a highly embellished envelope appeared in the grip of his fingers, "This is a summons."

Chel froze at the sight of the envelope, and Miguel couldn't lie, the golden patterns lovingly painted all over its outside certainly caught his attention.

"So then, has my old man finally given up his pride?" Chel started, her jaw stiff and her face grim.

"Would you like me to read it for you or give you the brief version," Tulio asked, "I fear if you read it yourself you'd tear it apart into tiny little pieces."

"Just make it quick," She growled, shoving an array of clean dishes into a soapy tray. Stress cleaning, Miguel realized.

"Essentially," The vampire began, "After our little fight, your father has decided to finally smooth things out professionally after years of limbo. A proposal both you and I know is utter bullshit."

"What else could it be!" She threw her hands up in anger, a knife launching upwards and landing dangerously near Miguel's resting arm, "That bastard always has some conniving plan to get us hitched."

"Sit down Chel, before you break a fork or something," Tulio risked saying. Funnily enough, a fork was already clenched in her hand. She slammed it down with a huff and seated herself of a stiff velvety chair, the fork erect as it lodged in the table.

"You know what I think it is? I think our families already have new heirs they can marry off to each other," She ranted, tapping her arm with a sharp fingernail, "They are trying to get you away from a place you know best. Trying to get you to fight on unfamiliar ground."

"Oh please, Chel," Tulio waved her off, "I can fight off Khan in El Dorado as easily as I can here."

Miguel nearly felt his nonexistent breakfast lurch in his stomach. He whipped his head to Tulio, who was now smirking at his reaction.

"El Dorado, you say?" His green eyes widened at the very own syllables coming out of his mouth, "You can't possibly mean the city of gold, right?"

"Ah, you haven't told him?" Chel tried and failed to suppress a laugh, "It's the home of purebloods, Mil. Pure blood vampires. We were born and raised there."

Miguel fell limply onto the back of his seat in disbelief, letting out a laugh. He supposed it explained the incredible riches of the vampire that kept him captive, but he mostly felt stupid for not piecing it together on his own. Even Chel held gaudy but dazzling earrings under her curtain of sable hair. He selfishly began to wonder if Tulio would gift him any gold in the near future.

"Are you to go there, then?" Miguel found his voice again, leaning back to the table.

"If I don't, I foresee nothing but continual ambushes on my estate until I do," Tulio narrowed his eyes on the reflective surface of the envelope between his gloved fingers, "Assassination attempts undoubtedly lay in El Dorado as well... but I'm thinking..."

"You're going to kill him," Chel and Miguel said at the same time, though in very different tones of voice. Excited and breathless respectively.

"Not just kill," Tulio flashed his fangs in the reflection of the envelope, before lowering the tip to a nearby candle. The paper caught fire near immediately, and the letter was gone in mere seconds as it was eaten up by the jumping flame, "I'll burn his whole bloody reign down."