The Vampire Adamantine MxM (Staten Crown)

7

I remembered how Carter used to act before storms. He would always pace. It was almost like he felt as though the storm would bring about something more then it would. It thought lightning was gunshots. He felt like the gunshots in Harlem would destroy all both of us one day. It scared him.

I had to tell him...man...it's just lightning.

I followed Arie. He was unsettled. He was pacing around the hallways. His eyes were unfocused. It was the very meaning of being unsettled and I knew it. David and I were watching him. Decadence had retreated to her chambers to "prepare" and Roxanne was charged to making a last attempt to track Giovanni down before Caesarion returned.

"They are going to come hard I assume. You think they are older than us David?"

"I'm certain," David replied.

He laughed a little bit in the midst of all of that awkwardly then turned to me. I could tell he was uncomfortable with me being there. He wasn't pacing like Arie but I could tell he was nervous as well. He had this whole aura of "I told you so" written all over his face. And they knew it. They could read it just as well as I could. Even though he didn't say it, he was almost screaming that everyone was wrong and he was right.

"Well. We are used to killing together. We are a pack. Plus we know this warehouse. You see, David, this is our domain. We make the rules here. We can't just let them come in and take Adam away."

"Oh...we can't?"

"No. I see you looking at me like that David. Don't do that. What were we supposed to do? Adam is a part of us now, you know."

"Oh...he is?"

"Damn it David. What makes you so sure they won't settle there? They want Giovanni as well. That is the main purpose behind this. They want Giovanni. Will you just let them take Giovanni? No...I am sure you wouldn't. Adam is the same...isn't he?"

David got up and stretched.

I could hear the bones cracking in his back as he did it. They were hard sounding almost like pieces of metal hitting one another. It was an eerie feeling.

"Arie, who are you trying to convince? Yourself...or me?"

Adam looked at me as David said that. I could see the doubt even in his eyes. It was scary. I could feel him slipping away from me a little bit. But suddenly he broke his gaze as though feeling some type of motivation.

"Regardless it's too late," he stated, "We have to prepare. We killed a member of the Furious Five. Vampires have died for worse. We are on the same level as the Sacrilege and all the other vampires that went up against the dark church."

"And what happened to the Sacrilege?" David asked shaking his head, "Or maybe we should track my lover down and ask him. He'd know better. At least they had somewhat of a cause. What is our cause? Stupidity? Manic insanity?"

"Shut up, David. We do have a cause. Adam is special."

"To who? I don't see anything special. I see a punk new vampire who just listens. Don't you have an opinion boy? Don't you have a say in any of this?"

They both looked at me.

I just stared back at them. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know anything about what they were talking about. Who was the Sacrilege? Who was the dark church? Who was the furious five? All the terms just floated right past me. I was out of place here. I knew Harlem. I knew music. I knew Carter. These strange people and their way were so new to me that all I could do was sit and observe.