more Edison
Apr. 13th, 2008 07:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
maderr'Cause ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
gossymer was kind enough to redo my LJ for me. Fai! \o/
Mind you this is still unbeta'ed. Mostly b/c I have to keep going back and forth changing little things, and at this point I have no idea how long the bastard is going to be. It was supposed to be my usual somewhere b/t 20-30 pages. Right now, I'm about to hit 30 and it seems I've got a long way to go >_o So bear with me.
Edison tamped down on his curiosity. He was damned lucky to be where he was, and he wasn't going to express him gratitude by asking the million questions suddenly on his mind.
A dragon. Thomas had never mentioned Alec had a dragon. Even to most abnormals dragons were a mystery. Only pit fighters and their ilk knew anything about dragons, and it wasn't the sort of information they were inclined to share.
One of the enslaved races, Edison knew that much. There were different kinds, all elemental in nature. They were high on the list of 'creatures not to piss off under any circumstances'.
All he could think about, however, was the way Alec had been holding his dragon – Blade. The way Blade had held Alec just as fiercely. Like they each considered the other the most important thing in the world. He wondered what it felt like, to matter that much to someone, to care that much. Between people who only wanted his parents, his magic, or to get even with his brother, Edison had never had much chance for a real relationship.
He finished his slice of pizza and licked the grease from his fingers, wishing he knew what to say or do. Alec had already made it pretty clear he had no interest in doing anything but following the strict letter of the law. I vow to keep you safe from all harm.
It had sounded like a promise – like Alec actually meant it. Edison rather thought he did, and it left him reeling. People never meant what they said; they just made the appropriate noises to get what they wanted.
"More?" a quiet voice asked, and then a second slice of pizza was all but shoved into Edison's face.
He took it, looking up in surprise. Blade stared at him intently, his amber eyes like nothing Edison had ever seen. "Uh. Thank you."
Blade smiled and then went back to devouring his own slice of pizza, making odd little rumbling noises. It made Edison think of a cat purring away while it was pet.
He bit his tongue against asking if dragons could eat pizza, because that probably a horribly stupid thing to ask. Instead, he focused on his new slice of pizza and the beige carpet, trying valiantly to ignore the loud silence.
Finally he dragged his eyes up, desperate for any distraction. They landed on the far wall, the sword mounted on it. A sword? It didn't look like it was fake either, some harmless bit of decoration – especially when the room was otherwise devoid of knick knacks and miscellany. No, it was an honest to god broad sword, like something out of a movie about clan one killing clan two all because of some dumb bimbo.
It was rather plain, for all that, the hilt just silver and black, the sheath unadorned black leather.
"It's not going to hurt you," Alec said, making Edison start.
He jerked his head around. "What?"
"The sword," Alec said with careful patience. "It's not going to leap off the wall and attack you."
"Well, obviously," Edison said with a frown. What the hell did he mean by saying something like that? "I was just fascinated you had a sword. I didn't think anyone used them anymore."
Alec shrugged. "Swordsmanship is a tradition in my family," he said. "For that and other reasons, I never had much of a choice."
"I see," Edison said. "It's impressive, all the same. In high school, my gym teacher taught us fencing for six weeks. The only thing I was worse at was archery." He pointed to his eyes. "Anything requiring aim tends not to go well for me."
"Speaking of which, those glasses can't be fun. Do you have a spare set?"
"No," Edison replied. "I can fix them once my strength is back up. I met another sorcerer once who taught me a handy repair spell for our glasses." He allowed himself to think wistfully on that man, one of the few truly friendly faces he'd encountered in his life. That had been years ago. He wondered if the man still had his angel.
He shrugged the idle thoughts away.
"Are you going to be up to travelling?" Alec asked. "If there are people after you, and they can find you now, I doubt we should be holding still much longer. Do you know how close they were?"
"I managed to hop a plane," Edison said, "and came this far. I'm hoping it's far enough to buy me a few days, but I can't say for certain. If they've hired a magic user, it won't take them long to find me. I can travel, though. I managed before, I'll manage again."
Alec grunted and finished his own slice of pizza, washing it down with the last of his beer.
Edison watched the throat work for a moment, unable to help himself, then finally forced his gaze away.
"Magic smell strange," Blade said into the silence, eyes bright and intent. He braced his weight on his hands and leaned forward, and Edison again reminded of a cat. "Strange. Not bad. Magic is usually bad…but not always." His nostrils flared, eyes brighter than ever. "Smell like Alec."
"Blade," Alec said sharply.
Immediately Blade withdrew, crawling up onto the couch to drape himself across Alec's lap.
Edison no longer felt like eating. He turned away from the sight of Owner and dragon, wondering if they even remembered he was in the room. Doubtful, and he could hardly blame them. Maybe he could just find a place to curl up and fall asleep…
Suddenly Blade growled, surging off the couch to the door – and screamed as it suddenly blew in. Edison heard a pained grunt, then everything turned into chaos.
Damn it.
His chalk. Where was his jacket? He saw it on the couch and made for it – only to be snatched hard around the waist and thrown to the hallway. "What—"
"First rule of being protected," Alec snarled, yanking his sword from the wall and turning. "Do what I say. Stay back."
"But my chalk—"
"Shut up and stay back," Alec repeated. He faced the group of three men who'd stormed into his apartment. "There are less flashy ways to go about killing people."
"No one told me to do it quietly," the man in the lead snarled. "He's led me an aggravating chase, but we've finally caught up with him."
"How can you be here already?" Edison demanded.
The leader smirked, and motioned to the man just behind him and to the left. "Demon."
Edison swore. Who the fuck was trying to kill him that could summon a demon and bind it to a human body? He looked anxiously at Alec – and froze in shock.
Alec was laughing. "Demon?" He drew his sword and tossed the sheath aside. "You're fucking with the wrong man if you want to bring demons to the party."
The demon returned the laugh with one of his own, and moved forward, eyes glowing with an inhuman light – but never made it, as something massive and silver and snarling knocked him to the ground.
"What…" Edison could not tear his eyes away from the creature which looked up from the bleeding body to which the demon was bound. It was massive – not quite as big as a pony, but not too far from it. Long and sinuous, and it had to be almost as long as two men stacked head to foot. The teeth were nasty looking, especially where the ends dripped blood. Amber eyes glowed. The scales…he'd heard of dragons that were red, green, blue, black…never had heard of silver. Like steel flashing in sunlight.
The two remaining men shouted, brandishing pistols. "What the fuck kind of dragon is that?" gasped the leader. "He just—no one takes down a demon that easily."
"You're fucking with the wrong guy," Alec repeated. "Get out, and don’t fuck with us again."
Light abruptly flashed, and Edison heard Blade scream, and then the demon was standing. No longer bleeding, but still grimacing in pain, the demon-possessed man glared furiously at Blade.
Blade growled, slinking around Alec like a cat nuzzling his master, then stopped in front of him.
Edison climbed shakily to his feet, wondering what the fuck was going on. He'd had no idea this would happen when he'd asked for protection.
"Come on, demon, see what it's like to fight a knight of two swords," Alec taunted.
"I only see one," the demon sneered.
"Then you're blind," Alec replied. "Blade, kill."
Blade needed no further prompting, but lunged with more grace than Edison had ever witnessed in another creature. The demon fought back, and more than once Edison cringed away as Blade roared in pain.
Then Blade was cast aside, roaring once more – but Alec, still until then, abruptly lunged forward, plunging his sword through the demon's chest. "Be gone, demon, and trouble no longer this world."
Something between a snarl and sob escaped the demon, and then Alec shoved the limp body off his sword.
The remaining men lifted their guns, but even as they fired Blade lunged, his tale a flash of silver as he knocked their arms.
To judge from the state of their arms, the screams of pain, he suspected the arms were broken.
"Knock them out," Alec said, voice cold as ice.
Blade obeyed, growling low as he moved to rub and nuzzle against Alec.
Alec knelt, wrapping his arms around Blade, stroking the steel-like scales, murmuring words Edison couldn't catch.
"What the hell?" he asked, looking from the body to the blood – oh god there was a body and blood – to the destruction that was all that remained of Alec's apartment. "Oh, god." He covered his face with one hand, then tore it away when he realized how bad his hands were shaking. "I didn't know they'd resort to this. Fuck, my parents weren't that important. It's just fucking money. Oh, god, oh god."
"We need to get the fuck out of here," Alec said, standing with one last caress. "It's a goddamn wonder we didn't hurt anyone else."
Even as he spoke, Edison could hear people coming. His chalk.
Moving past Blade and Alec, he snatched up his jacket and pulled out a piece of chalk. Turning, he drew quickly on the coffee table, muttering the necessary words – then slammed his hand down as he spoke the last one.
The world grayed out as the spell worked, and he barely kept from planting his face on the coffee table.
Someone grabbed him, it must be Alec, but Edison could only feel the arm that slid around his waist, the hard chest against which he rest for a moment.
"You're too tired to be casting magic like that," Alec rumbled. "Don't make me protect you from yourself on top of demons, mage."
Edison shook his head and forced himself to pull back, away. He immediately missed the warmth of Alec's body, only then realizing he was cold. "No. I knew abnormal were hunting me. I didn't know they were desperate enough to risk summoning demons. I won't endanger someone that much. My life isn't worth fighting demons."
He turned away – then yelped as he was yanked back against that hard chest.
"Do I look like I failed to take care of a damned demon?" Alec demanded, snarling the words. "Do I?"
"N-n-no—" Edison stuttered.
Alec grasped his shoulders and shook him "Then shut the fuck up. I vowed I'd keep you safe and I will. Don't fucking insult me by rejecting my word now."
"But that’s not—"
"Shut up," Alec snapped, and shook him one last time for good measure before his hands slowly slid away.
Edison shut up.
A series of sharp chitters made him realize he was staring at Alec, who glared furiously back. Breaking their locked gazes, feeling seared by blue eyes, he blinked several times at Blade.
Still making those weird sounds, Blade looked back and forth between them. He barked at Alec, tail swinging back and forth in lazy arcs.
"You shut up too, dragon."
Edison stared at them. "You can understand him like that?"
Alec grunted. "I'm his Owner, of course I understand him. He thinks we're amusing."
"Is he okay?" Edison asked, looking at the blood smearing his scales, the two cuts he could see, wondering what he couldn't see.
"He's fine," Alec said. "This is the first challenge he's had in a very long time."
Edison nodded. "What kind of dragon is he?"
Alec grinned. It was – Edison couldn't stop staring. "He's a knight dragon, also called a steel dragon."
"I thought all dragons were elemental?"
"Only the lesser dragons are separated into individual elements," Alec said, voice taking on a condescending note. "Blade is perfect, and beautiful." He knelt, reaching out an arm, stroking Blade's long neck, laughing softly as Blade's tongue lapped his cheek and throat. "My first and greatest sword, forever and always."
Edison nodded, not really understanding a bit of it, except that he once more felt like a third wheel – and one who had caused all the trouble.
"We need to go," Alec said, standing. "Blade, change and get our things." He whirled around. "You – fix those glasses, if you can. If not, we need to find you a pair that will suffice until you can."
"I'll fix them," Edison said. He refused to be weak when they these two were…like nothing he'd ever seen. Returning to the coffee table, he used his shirt to wipe away the spell circle. Picking up his chalk, he drew a new one. This one was much simpler then the previous. Repairing a large portion of an apartment and weaving the destruction with a spell of forgetfulness so no one would question anything was something he was glad he didn't have to do often.
Though after everything he'd been through, his few hours of rest were simply not enough. Repairing his glasses made the room tilt alarmingly – but at least now he could see clearly out of both eyes. Already his headache was starting to ease.
"Come on," Alec said, and Edison swore his voice almost sounded gentle.
He definitely needed a nap, and for that nap to last at least a month. "Sorry."
"Oh, shut up," Alec said.
Edison allowed himself to be dragged along as they made their way down the hall, into the elevator, slumping against a hard surface that he suspected was actually Alec, stifling a moan as he was then dragged through a parking garage.
"Blade, into the back," Alec said. "You can stretch out more comfortably there. Get him settled while I situate our stuff."
Several minutes later they were on their way, and Edison wondered sleepily what sort of car Alec owned. It was sleek and sporty, that much he could tell.
He lifted his head enough to turn and look at Alec, who was strange and fierce and handsome in the city lights. "Thank you," he managed, before staying awake simply became too much.
Alec wondered how many times in the next month he'd wind up carrying Edison around.
Not that it was difficult, the man could stand to put on some weight, but when the month was up he was going to give Edison unmitigated hell about having to be hauled around like a swooning damsel. The thought made him smile briefly, though it was swiftly overtaken by a yawn.
"This feels familiar, huh?" he asked as Blade rumbled sleepily as he dropped down onto the other bed.
Blade muttered a reply, indecipherable.
Laughing softly, Alec settled Edison on the bed furthest from the window. He went to remove Edison's shoes, and only then realized none of them had remembered to give Edison shoes to start with. Shaking his head, he pulled up the blankets. He started to pull away, then realized Edison still had his glasses on. Reaching out, he carefully pulled them off.
He'd never seen anyone who looked so goddamn tired. Even after he'd been exiled, he hadn't looked like that. Edison looked as though he could outdo Rip Van Winkle. Alec reached out to brush back a stray lock of hair – then realized what he was doing and snatched his hand back with a curse.
Striding to the other bed, he removed his shoes and shirt and stretched out on top of the bed. Would that he could undress completely, but if they had to leave immediately…
Blade latched onto him, claws lightly raking his chest in a rough caress, teeth nipping. "Alec…"
Alec kissed him deeply, the last of the tension of the evening bleeding away at the heat and flavor of his dragon. "Are you sure you're all right?"
"Blade good," Blade said with a low growl. "Alec good. Magic not good. Will be better?"
"Yeah," Alec said. "He should be fine in the morning." He yawned again, but in all the chaos, all the upheaval, one thing still burned in his mind. "What did you mean, earlier, when you said he smelled like me?"
Blade was slow to answer, all but dead asleep against him. "Like loneliness and want. Magic smells strange…but good."
Alec stroked Blade's back lightly, enjoying the weight of his dragon against him, partly on top of him, the soft rumbles that were a dragon snore.
Loneliness and want, huh?
He was too tired to think, especially about something like that – especially when he'd already learned his lesson. Sighing softly, kissing the sleeping Blade one last time, Alec closed his eyes and let sleep take him.
A noise woke him some time later, and he sat up with a start.
He stared uncomprehending as he saw Blade and Edison sitting on the other bed, talking quietly but enthusiastically.
"What's going on?" he asked, voice rough with sleep.
"Alec," Blade said, beaming, immediately coming over to him, giving him a lapful of happy dragon. "Better?'
Alec grunted an affirmative, then yawned. "What time is it?"
"About six am," Edison said quietly. "Sorry, we didn't mean to wake you."
"S'okay," Alec said with another yawn. He pushed Blade away, then swung his legs over the bed and fumbled for his shoes. He grabbed his shirt and stood, finally looking at the other two. He was nine tenths asleep, but one tenth was all he needed to make note of the way Edison was looking at him – and how quickly that gaze skittered away to avoid being caught. "I'm going for coffee and food. Would you like anything, Edison?"
"Whatever you get, I'm good with," Edison said. "Thank you."
Grunting something that he thought sounded close enough to 'no problem', Alec tugged his shirt on, grabbed his wallet and keys, and departed.
By the time he got back, half a large coffee consumed, he was feeling much more human. Edison and Blade were again talking – chatting like old friends, almost, and Alec could only stare a moment.
Another man might feel jealous, he supposed, to see someone like Blade talking and laughing with Edison so easily. But no small part of being an Owner was a level of confidence that could be mistaken for arrogance. He knew Blade was his, and often he thought he and Blade were even close than most Owners and dragons because they were all the other had after being exiled.
Being a dragon, Blade seldom could be bothered to speak more than a few simple words at a time. With Edison, however, that laziness seemed to have faded a bit. He hadn't seen his dragon that happy in a long time.
He dropped down at the foot of the bed and handed over a bag filled with muffins and bagels and whatever else he had grabbed while still mostly asleep. He didn't really remember. Next to it he deposited the grocery bag which had Blade's food.
"Thank you, Alec," Blade said, kissing him enthusiastically before snatching up his breakfast and moving to eat it on the other bed, devouring the hunks of raw meat with a cheerful vengeance.
Edison gave him a hesitant smile. "Thank you."
Alec shrugged.
"Blade was telling me a bit more about dragons – the other ones, I mean. He says you're not allowed to talk about what he is – and what you are."
Shrugging again, Alec drank his coffee for a minute or two. "He's a knight dragon. They were the first dragons, the real dragons. All other dragons were bred down from the original knight dragons."
Edison nodded. "I've never heard of knight dragons. I'm guessing they're a deep secret?"
"Yes," Alec said, drinking more of his coffee, taking deep, impatient swallows now that it had cooled. "We're not supposed to discuss it…but Blade and I are something of an exception, and I'd hardly expect you to remain ignorant of those you've hired to protect you."
Another nod, as Edison toyed restlessly with a poppy seed muffin, tearing it more than eating it. "So what are you?"
"A knight," Alec said, not realizing he was going to say it until the words were out of his mouth. He threw his empty coffee cup into a nearby trashcan. "A knight with seriously tarnished armor, exiled from my clan."
"Exiled?" Edison repeated. He started to say something else, then bit his lip.
Alec wouldn't mind biting it himself.
Swearing softly, he stood up and moved to the bathroom. "I'm getting a shower. You two stay out of trouble, all right? And tell any attackers to wait, because I really don't feel like getting in a sword fight while I'm naked."
Blade laughed, and grinned at him. "Yes, Alec."
Nodding, Alec grabbed a change of clothes and stepped into the bathroom, closing the door with a sigh. He stripped out of his clothes mechanically, turning on the water and grabbing his things from the countertop. Steam filled the small bathroom, and he slid beneath the hot water with a long sigh.
The last time he'd been in a motel shower, he'd just been exiled. He and Blade hadn't known what to do with themselves. The clan had been their entire life – training, teaching, communicating with the other clans. Those trips, however, had never required cheap hotels.
No, back then he'd had all he could ask for and more besides. Wealth, a place, a beautiful and loving wife, and his brother, his best friend for as long as Alec could remember.
Until he'd come home to find his brother in bed with his wife. The only thing worse was finding out they'd been doing it for years.
He only vaguely remembered that night. He remembered screams, and shouting, the smell of blood, his wife sobbing. When he'd finally come out of his red haze, his brother had been dead and the clan was voting to exile him.
A good knight his entire life. When he'd taken the vows, he'd meant them. He and Katherine were just one more arranged marriage, but it had been a good one, and he'd meant those vows too. Naïve fool that he was, he'd thought she meant them too.
To this day, he wondered how much of the clan knew and never said, how many of them laughed at stupid, oblivious Alec, too busy playing good little knight of the clan to see what was right beneath his nose.
Shaking his head, Alec banished the thoughts. Picking up his razor, he started shaving.
He had more important things to think about than his stupid past. Like why a bunch of thugs would summon a fucking demon to deal with one little sorcerer. That was like sending a werewolf to kill a kitten.
Edison hadn't expected it, that much was clear. Alec couldn't pick out liars for shit, obviously, but he didn't think Edison had been faking his shock.
So what did the kitten have that he didn't know he had?
Alec scrubbed down quickly, then shut the water off and grabbed a towel. Drying off, he quickly pulled on the fresh change of clothes. He glance at the mirror, but it was still steamed up. Hanging up the towel and grabbing his dirty clothes, he finally opened the door and rejoined Blade and Edison.
The TV was on, some documentary thing that Edison was watching raptly. Blade, the lazy thing, was dozing on their bed. Alec's lips twitched, and he reached out to lightly smack Blade's ass s he passed the bed. That got him a faint growl, but true to form Blade could not be bothered to move from his comfy position.
"Lazy dragon," Alec said fondly.
Blade merely growled again.
Alec picked up his sword and drew it. He'd cleaned it quickly last night, but had been in too much of a hurry to do a more thorough job.
"That sword contains magic," Edison said suddenly. "I don't notice it when it's sheathed, but the moment you draw it, the magic just pours off it." He hesitated. "It carries a curse, doesn't it?"
"You can sense that?" Alec said.
Edison shrugged. "My specialty is charms, and the dark side of charms is curses. They're two sides of the same coin, I guess you could say. It's the art of forcing a strict set of circumstances upon an object or person. Your sword is a talisman – an object set with a curse or charm. A curse, in this case." He stood up and crossed the room, expression one of intense focus, and Alec could see he was moving without real thought.
On the bed, Blade sat up, folding his legs and resting his hands in his lap, as focused on Edison as Edison was upon the sword.
Reaching Alec, Edison reached out to lightly touch the sword. "This is complicated magic. I think I've only met one sorcerer of the caliber necessary to cast a curse like this. Once upon a time, there would have been more of them around."
"Yes," Alec said. "This sword was made in the days of King Arthur."
"Really?" Edison said, looking up, eyes wide with surprise. "That certainly explains it. Magic was much more prevalent amongst humans in those days, and the interactions with abnormals much more commonplace. What is the exact nature of the curse? You're brave to carry a cursed blade; arcane lore states that instruments of blood hold curses best, and they carry the worst curses of all."
Alec's mouth tightened. "I never had a choice. The blade chooses its owner. It chose me the day I was old enough to hold a real sword."
Edison frowned. "I see," he said quietly. "Why would anyone create such an awful curse?" He shook his head. "I never understood the purpose of a curse that lasts generation after generation, causing pain long after the caster and everyone he might have hated was dead."
"Love," Alec said harshly, wiping the blade clean, gazing at the glinting steel. "A woman angered that her lover was unjustly slain. She vowed revenge upon the man who killed her lover, she sought to ruin his entire world, by cursing him to kill the one he most loved. He who bears this sword is destined to kill his closest friend."
"That's awful," Edison said. "She needn't have set it for eternity; there was no reason for that level of cruelty."
"They were cruel times," Alec said. "Cruel and hard enough that to help a young king conquer the cruelty and rule his new kingdom, a priestess created for him a living weapon, once that responded only to the will of the true king. From that one came others, beautiful living blades which answered to none but the knights for whom they were created."
Edison drew a sharp breath, and turned his head to look at Blade. "No wonder they keep you secret. A knight dragon. Incredible."
Blade rumbled with pride. "Born of the Lake to defend Owner and Clan and Kingdom at all costs, in the name of the Great King and Holy Dragon, and the Sacred Lady who made us, until the end of time, amen."
"You're not supposed to tell me this, are you?"
"Magic smell good," Blade said. He looked at Alec. "Owner smell better. Some secrets, better to tell."
"Dragon," Alec said sharply.
Blade merely growled and repeated, "Alec smell better."
Alec grimaced and said nothing further.
"So…" Edison hesitated, biting his lip again. "What's all this about clans?"
"The knight dragons and those who control them are divided up into various clans, scattered across the world," Alec said with a sigh. "My full name is Alec le Savage, from the Clan le Savage, and I am directly descended from Balin le Savage, he who first bore the cursed sword and slew his own brother because of it."
He didn't know why he was talking, explaining everything, except that now he'd started it was hard to stop. Blade's simple words rang in his ears, echoed in his head – Alec smell better. Blade was telling him that talking about it was making Alec better.
Only a stupid man ignored what his dragon said. While Alec had long ago decided he was incredibly stupid, he wasn't so dense he blew off what Blade said.
"Why would a clan hold on to a sword that only causes such pain to its weilder?"
"You say it like there's some choice," Alec said, shaking his head. "Shouldn't you know better? There is no choice. Besides, the Sword of Balin is as much a blessing as a curse for our clan. Few true talismans from the days of the dragons exist, and the fact Clan le Savage holds one of them gives us a special place. If one man every few generations must suffer for the clan to retain that authority and power, so be it."
Edison frowned. "That's stupid."
Alec shrugged. "The sword holds a curse, but also great power. Rare is the weapon which can banish a demon on its own."
"I almost forgot about that," Edison said. "I'm surprised demons haven't tried to destroy the sword before."
"The majority of demons are summoned and bound, and follow the commands of those who summoned them. Of those most are bound to objects. The few bound to bodies, like the one I killed last night, are not strong enough. They'd have to get past both Blade and I, and that won't happen. Free demons…have more important things to worry about that a sword."
"True enough," Edison conceded. "I still don't like it, but it's none of my business."
Alec shrugged again, sheathing the sword and setting it down upon the table. "I don't like it either," he said quietly, staring at the sword, hands balling into fists.
"You…the curse already came to pass, didn't it?" Edison asked quietly.
"Yes," Alec said tersely. He abruptly stood up, forcing Edison to take a startled step back. "I'm not the point here. You are. We need to figure out why the fuck people would send demons after you. What the hell kind of business did your parents run?"
"Antiques," Edison replied. "Most of their business came from abnormals."
Alec swore softly. That meant his parents had dealt in magical objects, talismans and books and all sorts of shit. "And it didn't fucking occur to you that they might possess something that would warrant a demon coming after you?"
"Like what?" Edison said, baffled. "If they wanted something my parents bought, it would make much more sense to steal the object in question. Anyway, my parents didn't often buy the objects themselves. They acted more like middlemen, ensuring a secure transaction, things like that. I helped them for a few years before I left to pursue my own studies. The only thing anyone might gain from taking over the business are the contacts, the…" He stopped. "The reputation. My parents were trusted implicitly. Abnormals who refused to deal with anyone else would deal with my parents' company. It's why they made so much money – they could be trusted where no one else could. I never really thought about it. I just always assumed it was the money…"
"I should knock you upside the head," Alec said.
Edison sat down on the bed. "You should. I feel like a fucking idiot. Shit." He buried his face in his hands.
"That makes me equally suspicious of your buyer, now, too," Alec said. "Who wants to buy your business?"
"Uh—" Edison looked up, and Alec could see him make an effort to focus his thoughts. "My parents actually received the offer first. They turned it down. I read over the offer sorting through the office one day, and thought it sounded like a good idea. So I contacted the man myself…his name is Sable Brennus."
Alec stared. "Sable Brennus? Is that a joke?"
Edison frowned. "No. Why would it be?"
He moved without thinking, reaching out to grab Edison's shoulders, shaking him hard. "You—" He shook harder. "Sable Brennus is a demon lord. How the hell did you not know that?"
"Stop shaking me!"
Alec shook him one last time for good measure, then finally let go. "How the fuck did you not know you're selling to a demon lord?"
"Why should I know? I don't interact with demon lords, why the hell should I know their names?"
"You were going to sell your company and you didn't even know anything about the person to whom you were selling it?"
Edison glared at him, eyes bright and furious behind his spectacles. "I had other things on my mind! I figured I had to live long enough to sell it before I worried about the details. Go to hell."
Alec managed not to start shaking him again. Barely. "You don't need protection from others, you need protection from yourself."
"Fuck you," Edison said, turning sharply away and stalking back to his bed on the opposite side of the room.
Blade growled low, and Alec turned to see he was being given a reproving glare. "Shut up, dragon," he muttered, sitting back down in his seat and glaring at the wall.
It was fucking true. The idiot came begging protection and didn't even fucking know from what he actually needed protected. A reputation that pristine in the business of magical items? Shit, Alec knew only the basics of magic and he knew people would commit mass murder for access to a reputation like that.
Not to mention a demon lord was after it, and it wasn't some new demon lord still getting a handle on his territory. No, Sable Brennus was a force to be reckoned with, the sort of demon lord even other demon lords tread carefully around.
If he were one of the greedy bastards after Edison's business, the very last damn thing he'd want was for it to fall into the hands of Sable Brennus. That would certainly explain the demon.
Unfortunately, it also told him what he needed to do. What would be best for the man he'd vowed to protect. He stood up. "We're leaving. Blade, pack up."
They worked in a silence broken only by Blade's low growls, and Alec pointedly ignored the looks Blade continued to give him. Shooting Blade a glare of his own, Alec moved past him and toward the bathroom.
He was given an abrupt shove, losing his balance, crashing straight into Edison, sending them both to the floor.
"Dragon!" he snapped, managing to drag himself to hands and knees – and accidentally locking eyes with Edison, who'd lost his glasses in the fall. Though he didn't look as tired as he had before, there was still a great deal of strain there. Unhappiness. Like the weight on his shoulders was too much to bear.
Katherine had been that way, the day they'd met. The clans weren't humungous, but they were big enough that not everyone knew everyone else. She'd been tough, Katherine, but also vulnerable. Burdened by an unhappy, argumentative family and all the obligations the clan placed upon its members. A regular damsel in distress, and Alec hadn't been able to resist. He hadn't been looking forward to his arranged marriage, but after meeting her he'd hated it a lot less.
He wondered if any part of her he'd known had been real, if any of his happier memories of her had an ounce of truth to them.
"Would you get off me?" Edison asked, voice tight.
Alec grunted and carefully climbed to his feet, then helped Edison up. Kneeling down again, he located the glasses which had somehow wound up under the cheap dresser. Standing, he made certain they were clean, then slid them carefully only Edison's face.
"Thank you," Edison said, and started to turn away.
Behind him Alec could hear a barely audible warning growl. Conceding defeat, he snagged Edison's wrist and forced him to turn around. "I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have been so harsh."
Edison looked at him in surprise. Then he shrugged, pushing up his glasses, a frown on his pretty mouth. "I deserved it," he said with another shrug. "I thought I knew what this was about; obviously I'm just a fucking idiot. My brother always made fun of me for missing the obvious with a lot of shit."
"Yeah, well, your brother was an asshole. He saved my life, but only because doing so gained him something. "
"He never did say how exactly he saved your life," Edison said.
Alec shrugged. "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, tired and lost and drunk when I shouldn't have been drinking at all. I also didn't have Blade at the time; I'd left him back at the hotel. Your brother saved me from a shot to the head, and I was deeply grateful. It wasn't until a little later I figured out what an asshole he was – and that it was probably his fault I almost got shot." He shrugged again. "A promise is a promise, though, and I don’t go back on my word."
He turned away before Edison could speak. "Hurry it up, we've got a lot of driving ahead of us."
There was a moment of silence, and he thought Edison was going to push the subject of Thomas, but instead he only asked, "So where are we going?"
"To see Sable Brennus," Alec said. "If he wants your business, then he can help ensure you stay alive long enough to sell it. I’m sure he'll be amenable; demons are usually cooperative when it comes to amassing power."
Edison nodded, and Blade motioned that all was ready. Stifling a sigh, Alec led the way to the car.
gossymer was kind enough to redo my LJ for me. Fai! \o/Mind you this is still unbeta'ed. Mostly b/c I have to keep going back and forth changing little things, and at this point I have no idea how long the bastard is going to be. It was supposed to be my usual somewhere b/t 20-30 pages. Right now, I'm about to hit 30 and it seems I've got a long way to go >_o So bear with me.
Edison tamped down on his curiosity. He was damned lucky to be where he was, and he wasn't going to express him gratitude by asking the million questions suddenly on his mind.
A dragon. Thomas had never mentioned Alec had a dragon. Even to most abnormals dragons were a mystery. Only pit fighters and their ilk knew anything about dragons, and it wasn't the sort of information they were inclined to share.
One of the enslaved races, Edison knew that much. There were different kinds, all elemental in nature. They were high on the list of 'creatures not to piss off under any circumstances'.
All he could think about, however, was the way Alec had been holding his dragon – Blade. The way Blade had held Alec just as fiercely. Like they each considered the other the most important thing in the world. He wondered what it felt like, to matter that much to someone, to care that much. Between people who only wanted his parents, his magic, or to get even with his brother, Edison had never had much chance for a real relationship.
He finished his slice of pizza and licked the grease from his fingers, wishing he knew what to say or do. Alec had already made it pretty clear he had no interest in doing anything but following the strict letter of the law. I vow to keep you safe from all harm.
It had sounded like a promise – like Alec actually meant it. Edison rather thought he did, and it left him reeling. People never meant what they said; they just made the appropriate noises to get what they wanted.
"More?" a quiet voice asked, and then a second slice of pizza was all but shoved into Edison's face.
He took it, looking up in surprise. Blade stared at him intently, his amber eyes like nothing Edison had ever seen. "Uh. Thank you."
Blade smiled and then went back to devouring his own slice of pizza, making odd little rumbling noises. It made Edison think of a cat purring away while it was pet.
He bit his tongue against asking if dragons could eat pizza, because that probably a horribly stupid thing to ask. Instead, he focused on his new slice of pizza and the beige carpet, trying valiantly to ignore the loud silence.
Finally he dragged his eyes up, desperate for any distraction. They landed on the far wall, the sword mounted on it. A sword? It didn't look like it was fake either, some harmless bit of decoration – especially when the room was otherwise devoid of knick knacks and miscellany. No, it was an honest to god broad sword, like something out of a movie about clan one killing clan two all because of some dumb bimbo.
It was rather plain, for all that, the hilt just silver and black, the sheath unadorned black leather.
"It's not going to hurt you," Alec said, making Edison start.
He jerked his head around. "What?"
"The sword," Alec said with careful patience. "It's not going to leap off the wall and attack you."
"Well, obviously," Edison said with a frown. What the hell did he mean by saying something like that? "I was just fascinated you had a sword. I didn't think anyone used them anymore."
Alec shrugged. "Swordsmanship is a tradition in my family," he said. "For that and other reasons, I never had much of a choice."
"I see," Edison said. "It's impressive, all the same. In high school, my gym teacher taught us fencing for six weeks. The only thing I was worse at was archery." He pointed to his eyes. "Anything requiring aim tends not to go well for me."
"Speaking of which, those glasses can't be fun. Do you have a spare set?"
"No," Edison replied. "I can fix them once my strength is back up. I met another sorcerer once who taught me a handy repair spell for our glasses." He allowed himself to think wistfully on that man, one of the few truly friendly faces he'd encountered in his life. That had been years ago. He wondered if the man still had his angel.
He shrugged the idle thoughts away.
"Are you going to be up to travelling?" Alec asked. "If there are people after you, and they can find you now, I doubt we should be holding still much longer. Do you know how close they were?"
"I managed to hop a plane," Edison said, "and came this far. I'm hoping it's far enough to buy me a few days, but I can't say for certain. If they've hired a magic user, it won't take them long to find me. I can travel, though. I managed before, I'll manage again."
Alec grunted and finished his own slice of pizza, washing it down with the last of his beer.
Edison watched the throat work for a moment, unable to help himself, then finally forced his gaze away.
"Magic smell strange," Blade said into the silence, eyes bright and intent. He braced his weight on his hands and leaned forward, and Edison again reminded of a cat. "Strange. Not bad. Magic is usually bad…but not always." His nostrils flared, eyes brighter than ever. "Smell like Alec."
"Blade," Alec said sharply.
Immediately Blade withdrew, crawling up onto the couch to drape himself across Alec's lap.
Edison no longer felt like eating. He turned away from the sight of Owner and dragon, wondering if they even remembered he was in the room. Doubtful, and he could hardly blame them. Maybe he could just find a place to curl up and fall asleep…
Suddenly Blade growled, surging off the couch to the door – and screamed as it suddenly blew in. Edison heard a pained grunt, then everything turned into chaos.
Damn it.
His chalk. Where was his jacket? He saw it on the couch and made for it – only to be snatched hard around the waist and thrown to the hallway. "What—"
"First rule of being protected," Alec snarled, yanking his sword from the wall and turning. "Do what I say. Stay back."
"But my chalk—"
"Shut up and stay back," Alec repeated. He faced the group of three men who'd stormed into his apartment. "There are less flashy ways to go about killing people."
"No one told me to do it quietly," the man in the lead snarled. "He's led me an aggravating chase, but we've finally caught up with him."
"How can you be here already?" Edison demanded.
The leader smirked, and motioned to the man just behind him and to the left. "Demon."
Edison swore. Who the fuck was trying to kill him that could summon a demon and bind it to a human body? He looked anxiously at Alec – and froze in shock.
Alec was laughing. "Demon?" He drew his sword and tossed the sheath aside. "You're fucking with the wrong man if you want to bring demons to the party."
The demon returned the laugh with one of his own, and moved forward, eyes glowing with an inhuman light – but never made it, as something massive and silver and snarling knocked him to the ground.
"What…" Edison could not tear his eyes away from the creature which looked up from the bleeding body to which the demon was bound. It was massive – not quite as big as a pony, but not too far from it. Long and sinuous, and it had to be almost as long as two men stacked head to foot. The teeth were nasty looking, especially where the ends dripped blood. Amber eyes glowed. The scales…he'd heard of dragons that were red, green, blue, black…never had heard of silver. Like steel flashing in sunlight.
The two remaining men shouted, brandishing pistols. "What the fuck kind of dragon is that?" gasped the leader. "He just—no one takes down a demon that easily."
"You're fucking with the wrong guy," Alec repeated. "Get out, and don’t fuck with us again."
Light abruptly flashed, and Edison heard Blade scream, and then the demon was standing. No longer bleeding, but still grimacing in pain, the demon-possessed man glared furiously at Blade.
Blade growled, slinking around Alec like a cat nuzzling his master, then stopped in front of him.
Edison climbed shakily to his feet, wondering what the fuck was going on. He'd had no idea this would happen when he'd asked for protection.
"Come on, demon, see what it's like to fight a knight of two swords," Alec taunted.
"I only see one," the demon sneered.
"Then you're blind," Alec replied. "Blade, kill."
Blade needed no further prompting, but lunged with more grace than Edison had ever witnessed in another creature. The demon fought back, and more than once Edison cringed away as Blade roared in pain.
Then Blade was cast aside, roaring once more – but Alec, still until then, abruptly lunged forward, plunging his sword through the demon's chest. "Be gone, demon, and trouble no longer this world."
Something between a snarl and sob escaped the demon, and then Alec shoved the limp body off his sword.
The remaining men lifted their guns, but even as they fired Blade lunged, his tale a flash of silver as he knocked their arms.
To judge from the state of their arms, the screams of pain, he suspected the arms were broken.
"Knock them out," Alec said, voice cold as ice.
Blade obeyed, growling low as he moved to rub and nuzzle against Alec.
Alec knelt, wrapping his arms around Blade, stroking the steel-like scales, murmuring words Edison couldn't catch.
"What the hell?" he asked, looking from the body to the blood – oh god there was a body and blood – to the destruction that was all that remained of Alec's apartment. "Oh, god." He covered his face with one hand, then tore it away when he realized how bad his hands were shaking. "I didn't know they'd resort to this. Fuck, my parents weren't that important. It's just fucking money. Oh, god, oh god."
"We need to get the fuck out of here," Alec said, standing with one last caress. "It's a goddamn wonder we didn't hurt anyone else."
Even as he spoke, Edison could hear people coming. His chalk.
Moving past Blade and Alec, he snatched up his jacket and pulled out a piece of chalk. Turning, he drew quickly on the coffee table, muttering the necessary words – then slammed his hand down as he spoke the last one.
The world grayed out as the spell worked, and he barely kept from planting his face on the coffee table.
Someone grabbed him, it must be Alec, but Edison could only feel the arm that slid around his waist, the hard chest against which he rest for a moment.
"You're too tired to be casting magic like that," Alec rumbled. "Don't make me protect you from yourself on top of demons, mage."
Edison shook his head and forced himself to pull back, away. He immediately missed the warmth of Alec's body, only then realizing he was cold. "No. I knew abnormal were hunting me. I didn't know they were desperate enough to risk summoning demons. I won't endanger someone that much. My life isn't worth fighting demons."
He turned away – then yelped as he was yanked back against that hard chest.
"Do I look like I failed to take care of a damned demon?" Alec demanded, snarling the words. "Do I?"
"N-n-no—" Edison stuttered.
Alec grasped his shoulders and shook him "Then shut the fuck up. I vowed I'd keep you safe and I will. Don't fucking insult me by rejecting my word now."
"But that’s not—"
"Shut up," Alec snapped, and shook him one last time for good measure before his hands slowly slid away.
Edison shut up.
A series of sharp chitters made him realize he was staring at Alec, who glared furiously back. Breaking their locked gazes, feeling seared by blue eyes, he blinked several times at Blade.
Still making those weird sounds, Blade looked back and forth between them. He barked at Alec, tail swinging back and forth in lazy arcs.
"You shut up too, dragon."
Edison stared at them. "You can understand him like that?"
Alec grunted. "I'm his Owner, of course I understand him. He thinks we're amusing."
"Is he okay?" Edison asked, looking at the blood smearing his scales, the two cuts he could see, wondering what he couldn't see.
"He's fine," Alec said. "This is the first challenge he's had in a very long time."
Edison nodded. "What kind of dragon is he?"
Alec grinned. It was – Edison couldn't stop staring. "He's a knight dragon, also called a steel dragon."
"I thought all dragons were elemental?"
"Only the lesser dragons are separated into individual elements," Alec said, voice taking on a condescending note. "Blade is perfect, and beautiful." He knelt, reaching out an arm, stroking Blade's long neck, laughing softly as Blade's tongue lapped his cheek and throat. "My first and greatest sword, forever and always."
Edison nodded, not really understanding a bit of it, except that he once more felt like a third wheel – and one who had caused all the trouble.
"We need to go," Alec said, standing. "Blade, change and get our things." He whirled around. "You – fix those glasses, if you can. If not, we need to find you a pair that will suffice until you can."
"I'll fix them," Edison said. He refused to be weak when they these two were…like nothing he'd ever seen. Returning to the coffee table, he used his shirt to wipe away the spell circle. Picking up his chalk, he drew a new one. This one was much simpler then the previous. Repairing a large portion of an apartment and weaving the destruction with a spell of forgetfulness so no one would question anything was something he was glad he didn't have to do often.
Though after everything he'd been through, his few hours of rest were simply not enough. Repairing his glasses made the room tilt alarmingly – but at least now he could see clearly out of both eyes. Already his headache was starting to ease.
"Come on," Alec said, and Edison swore his voice almost sounded gentle.
He definitely needed a nap, and for that nap to last at least a month. "Sorry."
"Oh, shut up," Alec said.
Edison allowed himself to be dragged along as they made their way down the hall, into the elevator, slumping against a hard surface that he suspected was actually Alec, stifling a moan as he was then dragged through a parking garage.
"Blade, into the back," Alec said. "You can stretch out more comfortably there. Get him settled while I situate our stuff."
Several minutes later they were on their way, and Edison wondered sleepily what sort of car Alec owned. It was sleek and sporty, that much he could tell.
He lifted his head enough to turn and look at Alec, who was strange and fierce and handsome in the city lights. "Thank you," he managed, before staying awake simply became too much.
*~*~*
Alec wondered how many times in the next month he'd wind up carrying Edison around.
Not that it was difficult, the man could stand to put on some weight, but when the month was up he was going to give Edison unmitigated hell about having to be hauled around like a swooning damsel. The thought made him smile briefly, though it was swiftly overtaken by a yawn.
"This feels familiar, huh?" he asked as Blade rumbled sleepily as he dropped down onto the other bed.
Blade muttered a reply, indecipherable.
Laughing softly, Alec settled Edison on the bed furthest from the window. He went to remove Edison's shoes, and only then realized none of them had remembered to give Edison shoes to start with. Shaking his head, he pulled up the blankets. He started to pull away, then realized Edison still had his glasses on. Reaching out, he carefully pulled them off.
He'd never seen anyone who looked so goddamn tired. Even after he'd been exiled, he hadn't looked like that. Edison looked as though he could outdo Rip Van Winkle. Alec reached out to brush back a stray lock of hair – then realized what he was doing and snatched his hand back with a curse.
Striding to the other bed, he removed his shoes and shirt and stretched out on top of the bed. Would that he could undress completely, but if they had to leave immediately…
Blade latched onto him, claws lightly raking his chest in a rough caress, teeth nipping. "Alec…"
Alec kissed him deeply, the last of the tension of the evening bleeding away at the heat and flavor of his dragon. "Are you sure you're all right?"
"Blade good," Blade said with a low growl. "Alec good. Magic not good. Will be better?"
"Yeah," Alec said. "He should be fine in the morning." He yawned again, but in all the chaos, all the upheaval, one thing still burned in his mind. "What did you mean, earlier, when you said he smelled like me?"
Blade was slow to answer, all but dead asleep against him. "Like loneliness and want. Magic smells strange…but good."
Alec stroked Blade's back lightly, enjoying the weight of his dragon against him, partly on top of him, the soft rumbles that were a dragon snore.
Loneliness and want, huh?
He was too tired to think, especially about something like that – especially when he'd already learned his lesson. Sighing softly, kissing the sleeping Blade one last time, Alec closed his eyes and let sleep take him.
A noise woke him some time later, and he sat up with a start.
He stared uncomprehending as he saw Blade and Edison sitting on the other bed, talking quietly but enthusiastically.
"What's going on?" he asked, voice rough with sleep.
"Alec," Blade said, beaming, immediately coming over to him, giving him a lapful of happy dragon. "Better?'
Alec grunted an affirmative, then yawned. "What time is it?"
"About six am," Edison said quietly. "Sorry, we didn't mean to wake you."
"S'okay," Alec said with another yawn. He pushed Blade away, then swung his legs over the bed and fumbled for his shoes. He grabbed his shirt and stood, finally looking at the other two. He was nine tenths asleep, but one tenth was all he needed to make note of the way Edison was looking at him – and how quickly that gaze skittered away to avoid being caught. "I'm going for coffee and food. Would you like anything, Edison?"
"Whatever you get, I'm good with," Edison said. "Thank you."
Grunting something that he thought sounded close enough to 'no problem', Alec tugged his shirt on, grabbed his wallet and keys, and departed.
By the time he got back, half a large coffee consumed, he was feeling much more human. Edison and Blade were again talking – chatting like old friends, almost, and Alec could only stare a moment.
Another man might feel jealous, he supposed, to see someone like Blade talking and laughing with Edison so easily. But no small part of being an Owner was a level of confidence that could be mistaken for arrogance. He knew Blade was his, and often he thought he and Blade were even close than most Owners and dragons because they were all the other had after being exiled.
Being a dragon, Blade seldom could be bothered to speak more than a few simple words at a time. With Edison, however, that laziness seemed to have faded a bit. He hadn't seen his dragon that happy in a long time.
He dropped down at the foot of the bed and handed over a bag filled with muffins and bagels and whatever else he had grabbed while still mostly asleep. He didn't really remember. Next to it he deposited the grocery bag which had Blade's food.
"Thank you, Alec," Blade said, kissing him enthusiastically before snatching up his breakfast and moving to eat it on the other bed, devouring the hunks of raw meat with a cheerful vengeance.
Edison gave him a hesitant smile. "Thank you."
Alec shrugged.
"Blade was telling me a bit more about dragons – the other ones, I mean. He says you're not allowed to talk about what he is – and what you are."
Shrugging again, Alec drank his coffee for a minute or two. "He's a knight dragon. They were the first dragons, the real dragons. All other dragons were bred down from the original knight dragons."
Edison nodded. "I've never heard of knight dragons. I'm guessing they're a deep secret?"
"Yes," Alec said, drinking more of his coffee, taking deep, impatient swallows now that it had cooled. "We're not supposed to discuss it…but Blade and I are something of an exception, and I'd hardly expect you to remain ignorant of those you've hired to protect you."
Another nod, as Edison toyed restlessly with a poppy seed muffin, tearing it more than eating it. "So what are you?"
"A knight," Alec said, not realizing he was going to say it until the words were out of his mouth. He threw his empty coffee cup into a nearby trashcan. "A knight with seriously tarnished armor, exiled from my clan."
"Exiled?" Edison repeated. He started to say something else, then bit his lip.
Alec wouldn't mind biting it himself.
Swearing softly, he stood up and moved to the bathroom. "I'm getting a shower. You two stay out of trouble, all right? And tell any attackers to wait, because I really don't feel like getting in a sword fight while I'm naked."
Blade laughed, and grinned at him. "Yes, Alec."
Nodding, Alec grabbed a change of clothes and stepped into the bathroom, closing the door with a sigh. He stripped out of his clothes mechanically, turning on the water and grabbing his things from the countertop. Steam filled the small bathroom, and he slid beneath the hot water with a long sigh.
The last time he'd been in a motel shower, he'd just been exiled. He and Blade hadn't known what to do with themselves. The clan had been their entire life – training, teaching, communicating with the other clans. Those trips, however, had never required cheap hotels.
No, back then he'd had all he could ask for and more besides. Wealth, a place, a beautiful and loving wife, and his brother, his best friend for as long as Alec could remember.
Until he'd come home to find his brother in bed with his wife. The only thing worse was finding out they'd been doing it for years.
He only vaguely remembered that night. He remembered screams, and shouting, the smell of blood, his wife sobbing. When he'd finally come out of his red haze, his brother had been dead and the clan was voting to exile him.
A good knight his entire life. When he'd taken the vows, he'd meant them. He and Katherine were just one more arranged marriage, but it had been a good one, and he'd meant those vows too. Naïve fool that he was, he'd thought she meant them too.
To this day, he wondered how much of the clan knew and never said, how many of them laughed at stupid, oblivious Alec, too busy playing good little knight of the clan to see what was right beneath his nose.
Shaking his head, Alec banished the thoughts. Picking up his razor, he started shaving.
He had more important things to think about than his stupid past. Like why a bunch of thugs would summon a fucking demon to deal with one little sorcerer. That was like sending a werewolf to kill a kitten.
Edison hadn't expected it, that much was clear. Alec couldn't pick out liars for shit, obviously, but he didn't think Edison had been faking his shock.
So what did the kitten have that he didn't know he had?
Alec scrubbed down quickly, then shut the water off and grabbed a towel. Drying off, he quickly pulled on the fresh change of clothes. He glance at the mirror, but it was still steamed up. Hanging up the towel and grabbing his dirty clothes, he finally opened the door and rejoined Blade and Edison.
The TV was on, some documentary thing that Edison was watching raptly. Blade, the lazy thing, was dozing on their bed. Alec's lips twitched, and he reached out to lightly smack Blade's ass s he passed the bed. That got him a faint growl, but true to form Blade could not be bothered to move from his comfy position.
"Lazy dragon," Alec said fondly.
Blade merely growled again.
Alec picked up his sword and drew it. He'd cleaned it quickly last night, but had been in too much of a hurry to do a more thorough job.
"That sword contains magic," Edison said suddenly. "I don't notice it when it's sheathed, but the moment you draw it, the magic just pours off it." He hesitated. "It carries a curse, doesn't it?"
"You can sense that?" Alec said.
Edison shrugged. "My specialty is charms, and the dark side of charms is curses. They're two sides of the same coin, I guess you could say. It's the art of forcing a strict set of circumstances upon an object or person. Your sword is a talisman – an object set with a curse or charm. A curse, in this case." He stood up and crossed the room, expression one of intense focus, and Alec could see he was moving without real thought.
On the bed, Blade sat up, folding his legs and resting his hands in his lap, as focused on Edison as Edison was upon the sword.
Reaching Alec, Edison reached out to lightly touch the sword. "This is complicated magic. I think I've only met one sorcerer of the caliber necessary to cast a curse like this. Once upon a time, there would have been more of them around."
"Yes," Alec said. "This sword was made in the days of King Arthur."
"Really?" Edison said, looking up, eyes wide with surprise. "That certainly explains it. Magic was much more prevalent amongst humans in those days, and the interactions with abnormals much more commonplace. What is the exact nature of the curse? You're brave to carry a cursed blade; arcane lore states that instruments of blood hold curses best, and they carry the worst curses of all."
Alec's mouth tightened. "I never had a choice. The blade chooses its owner. It chose me the day I was old enough to hold a real sword."
Edison frowned. "I see," he said quietly. "Why would anyone create such an awful curse?" He shook his head. "I never understood the purpose of a curse that lasts generation after generation, causing pain long after the caster and everyone he might have hated was dead."
"Love," Alec said harshly, wiping the blade clean, gazing at the glinting steel. "A woman angered that her lover was unjustly slain. She vowed revenge upon the man who killed her lover, she sought to ruin his entire world, by cursing him to kill the one he most loved. He who bears this sword is destined to kill his closest friend."
"That's awful," Edison said. "She needn't have set it for eternity; there was no reason for that level of cruelty."
"They were cruel times," Alec said. "Cruel and hard enough that to help a young king conquer the cruelty and rule his new kingdom, a priestess created for him a living weapon, once that responded only to the will of the true king. From that one came others, beautiful living blades which answered to none but the knights for whom they were created."
Edison drew a sharp breath, and turned his head to look at Blade. "No wonder they keep you secret. A knight dragon. Incredible."
Blade rumbled with pride. "Born of the Lake to defend Owner and Clan and Kingdom at all costs, in the name of the Great King and Holy Dragon, and the Sacred Lady who made us, until the end of time, amen."
"You're not supposed to tell me this, are you?"
"Magic smell good," Blade said. He looked at Alec. "Owner smell better. Some secrets, better to tell."
"Dragon," Alec said sharply.
Blade merely growled and repeated, "Alec smell better."
Alec grimaced and said nothing further.
"So…" Edison hesitated, biting his lip again. "What's all this about clans?"
"The knight dragons and those who control them are divided up into various clans, scattered across the world," Alec said with a sigh. "My full name is Alec le Savage, from the Clan le Savage, and I am directly descended from Balin le Savage, he who first bore the cursed sword and slew his own brother because of it."
He didn't know why he was talking, explaining everything, except that now he'd started it was hard to stop. Blade's simple words rang in his ears, echoed in his head – Alec smell better. Blade was telling him that talking about it was making Alec better.
Only a stupid man ignored what his dragon said. While Alec had long ago decided he was incredibly stupid, he wasn't so dense he blew off what Blade said.
"Why would a clan hold on to a sword that only causes such pain to its weilder?"
"You say it like there's some choice," Alec said, shaking his head. "Shouldn't you know better? There is no choice. Besides, the Sword of Balin is as much a blessing as a curse for our clan. Few true talismans from the days of the dragons exist, and the fact Clan le Savage holds one of them gives us a special place. If one man every few generations must suffer for the clan to retain that authority and power, so be it."
Edison frowned. "That's stupid."
Alec shrugged. "The sword holds a curse, but also great power. Rare is the weapon which can banish a demon on its own."
"I almost forgot about that," Edison said. "I'm surprised demons haven't tried to destroy the sword before."
"The majority of demons are summoned and bound, and follow the commands of those who summoned them. Of those most are bound to objects. The few bound to bodies, like the one I killed last night, are not strong enough. They'd have to get past both Blade and I, and that won't happen. Free demons…have more important things to worry about that a sword."
"True enough," Edison conceded. "I still don't like it, but it's none of my business."
Alec shrugged again, sheathing the sword and setting it down upon the table. "I don't like it either," he said quietly, staring at the sword, hands balling into fists.
"You…the curse already came to pass, didn't it?" Edison asked quietly.
"Yes," Alec said tersely. He abruptly stood up, forcing Edison to take a startled step back. "I'm not the point here. You are. We need to figure out why the fuck people would send demons after you. What the hell kind of business did your parents run?"
"Antiques," Edison replied. "Most of their business came from abnormals."
Alec swore softly. That meant his parents had dealt in magical objects, talismans and books and all sorts of shit. "And it didn't fucking occur to you that they might possess something that would warrant a demon coming after you?"
"Like what?" Edison said, baffled. "If they wanted something my parents bought, it would make much more sense to steal the object in question. Anyway, my parents didn't often buy the objects themselves. They acted more like middlemen, ensuring a secure transaction, things like that. I helped them for a few years before I left to pursue my own studies. The only thing anyone might gain from taking over the business are the contacts, the…" He stopped. "The reputation. My parents were trusted implicitly. Abnormals who refused to deal with anyone else would deal with my parents' company. It's why they made so much money – they could be trusted where no one else could. I never really thought about it. I just always assumed it was the money…"
"I should knock you upside the head," Alec said.
Edison sat down on the bed. "You should. I feel like a fucking idiot. Shit." He buried his face in his hands.
"That makes me equally suspicious of your buyer, now, too," Alec said. "Who wants to buy your business?"
"Uh—" Edison looked up, and Alec could see him make an effort to focus his thoughts. "My parents actually received the offer first. They turned it down. I read over the offer sorting through the office one day, and thought it sounded like a good idea. So I contacted the man myself…his name is Sable Brennus."
Alec stared. "Sable Brennus? Is that a joke?"
Edison frowned. "No. Why would it be?"
He moved without thinking, reaching out to grab Edison's shoulders, shaking him hard. "You—" He shook harder. "Sable Brennus is a demon lord. How the hell did you not know that?"
"Stop shaking me!"
Alec shook him one last time for good measure, then finally let go. "How the fuck did you not know you're selling to a demon lord?"
"Why should I know? I don't interact with demon lords, why the hell should I know their names?"
"You were going to sell your company and you didn't even know anything about the person to whom you were selling it?"
Edison glared at him, eyes bright and furious behind his spectacles. "I had other things on my mind! I figured I had to live long enough to sell it before I worried about the details. Go to hell."
Alec managed not to start shaking him again. Barely. "You don't need protection from others, you need protection from yourself."
"Fuck you," Edison said, turning sharply away and stalking back to his bed on the opposite side of the room.
Blade growled low, and Alec turned to see he was being given a reproving glare. "Shut up, dragon," he muttered, sitting back down in his seat and glaring at the wall.
It was fucking true. The idiot came begging protection and didn't even fucking know from what he actually needed protected. A reputation that pristine in the business of magical items? Shit, Alec knew only the basics of magic and he knew people would commit mass murder for access to a reputation like that.
Not to mention a demon lord was after it, and it wasn't some new demon lord still getting a handle on his territory. No, Sable Brennus was a force to be reckoned with, the sort of demon lord even other demon lords tread carefully around.
If he were one of the greedy bastards after Edison's business, the very last damn thing he'd want was for it to fall into the hands of Sable Brennus. That would certainly explain the demon.
Unfortunately, it also told him what he needed to do. What would be best for the man he'd vowed to protect. He stood up. "We're leaving. Blade, pack up."
They worked in a silence broken only by Blade's low growls, and Alec pointedly ignored the looks Blade continued to give him. Shooting Blade a glare of his own, Alec moved past him and toward the bathroom.
He was given an abrupt shove, losing his balance, crashing straight into Edison, sending them both to the floor.
"Dragon!" he snapped, managing to drag himself to hands and knees – and accidentally locking eyes with Edison, who'd lost his glasses in the fall. Though he didn't look as tired as he had before, there was still a great deal of strain there. Unhappiness. Like the weight on his shoulders was too much to bear.
Katherine had been that way, the day they'd met. The clans weren't humungous, but they were big enough that not everyone knew everyone else. She'd been tough, Katherine, but also vulnerable. Burdened by an unhappy, argumentative family and all the obligations the clan placed upon its members. A regular damsel in distress, and Alec hadn't been able to resist. He hadn't been looking forward to his arranged marriage, but after meeting her he'd hated it a lot less.
He wondered if any part of her he'd known had been real, if any of his happier memories of her had an ounce of truth to them.
"Would you get off me?" Edison asked, voice tight.
Alec grunted and carefully climbed to his feet, then helped Edison up. Kneeling down again, he located the glasses which had somehow wound up under the cheap dresser. Standing, he made certain they were clean, then slid them carefully only Edison's face.
"Thank you," Edison said, and started to turn away.
Behind him Alec could hear a barely audible warning growl. Conceding defeat, he snagged Edison's wrist and forced him to turn around. "I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have been so harsh."
Edison looked at him in surprise. Then he shrugged, pushing up his glasses, a frown on his pretty mouth. "I deserved it," he said with another shrug. "I thought I knew what this was about; obviously I'm just a fucking idiot. My brother always made fun of me for missing the obvious with a lot of shit."
"Yeah, well, your brother was an asshole. He saved my life, but only because doing so gained him something. "
"He never did say how exactly he saved your life," Edison said.
Alec shrugged. "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, tired and lost and drunk when I shouldn't have been drinking at all. I also didn't have Blade at the time; I'd left him back at the hotel. Your brother saved me from a shot to the head, and I was deeply grateful. It wasn't until a little later I figured out what an asshole he was – and that it was probably his fault I almost got shot." He shrugged again. "A promise is a promise, though, and I don’t go back on my word."
He turned away before Edison could speak. "Hurry it up, we've got a lot of driving ahead of us."
There was a moment of silence, and he thought Edison was going to push the subject of Thomas, but instead he only asked, "So where are we going?"
"To see Sable Brennus," Alec said. "If he wants your business, then he can help ensure you stay alive long enough to sell it. I’m sure he'll be amenable; demons are usually cooperative when it comes to amassing power."
Edison nodded, and Blade motioned that all was ready. Stifling a sigh, Alec led the way to the car.
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Date: 2008-04-13 11:35 pm (UTC)Will now go read XD
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Date: 2008-04-13 11:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-13 11:47 pm (UTC)*resumes humming "They're off to see the Wizard..."*
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Date: 2008-04-14 12:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-14 12:51 am (UTC)Poor Alec and Blade and their stupid clan. If you knew that the sword was cursed and you suspected that the brother and wife were cheating then you'd think they'd cut Alec some slack after when the curse finally occured. But that's the type of thing that makes stories happen.
Feel sorry for the bound, now dead, demon. Is the demon dead or just exiled back to where he came from? Not sure if it was the human or the demon that did the sobbing. The snarl of course is known but demons are such complex beings that maybe they can do both emotional sounds at once.
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Date: 2008-04-14 12:54 am (UTC)Oh, *laughing* I like that. Point out the obvious to the clueless but that was point on and I missed it til you mentioned it.
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Date: 2008-04-14 12:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-14 12:58 am (UTC)They did cut him slack, actually ^^; Normally, they would have killed Alec.
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Date: 2008-04-14 12:58 am (UTC)Aha, I don't much care for King Arthur either, but the idea to tie them to the dragons was too tempting. I'm butchering it like woah to suit my purposes ^_~
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Date: 2008-04-14 01:00 am (UTC)This is still shiny. If possible, I think it's even S H I N I E R.
X.X
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Date: 2008-04-14 01:22 am (UTC)So shiny!
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Date: 2008-04-14 01:26 am (UTC)Still want to shake them, badly. Ha, their loss and every Demon Lord
should have a knight to help protect his kingdom..um territory.
Note to self: One should not take umbrage at a story as if it were reality. It is a story.
Excuse.. very well developed suspension of disbelief ability.
Especially when story is well written and on a topic much liked.
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Date: 2008-04-14 01:35 am (UTC)are we going to get these guys hooked up with dri and ricky and tori? (and co.?) they can start a rival network to the clans!
even if only sable pops in for a minute, i love these three interacting together. blade and edison chatting on the bed, blaze making alec apologize to edison by shoving them together-- the interactions are just yummy.
thankee!
and nice layout. i like it muchly.
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Date: 2008-04-14 01:37 am (UTC)Heh. To be honest, I figured I'd forgotten to say. I'm sorry it's testing your suspension of disbelief? I guess I'm way over the top this go round.
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Date: 2008-04-14 01:46 am (UTC)And yay, Sable's gonna be involved.
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Date: 2008-04-14 01:48 am (UTC)Oh, an Arthur expert. I knew there was a few of you around. I drew very loosely from Balin's story, yeah. If I stuck more strictly to it, poor Alec would get no love whatsoever ^^;;; He'd freakin' kill'em all.
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Date: 2008-04-14 02:07 am (UTC)I didn't express it right. Let me try again..I meant..
I get so into a story that the differentiation line
between reality and fiction is easily crossed. I
love this story. It's just I want to write a letter
to the editor of the local newspaper ranting about
the unfairness (in reality he would be in prison *sigh*
okay shutting up now,am being an idiot).
Write the story, it's/you're doing fine, an author is
suppose to elicit a response from the reading audience.
You're doing that.
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Date: 2008-04-14 02:07 am (UTC)The new layout is beautiful, great pic of Fai.
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Date: 2008-04-14 02:09 am (UTC)Yay! Edison! And squee for a link back to Sable!
What a treat for my lunch break!
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Date: 2008-04-14 02:11 am (UTC)Ah, gotcha ^_^ Now that would be fun -- if you could write letters to the editor about something in a story, what would you write?
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Date: 2008-04-14 02:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-14 02:15 am (UTC)Oh, and a random note: dunno if this matters to you, but it's odd to me that Alec touches Edison's glasses so much, especially when he's awake. Glasses are very much a part of the person wearing them, so by touching them, Alec is touching Edison, and I'm not sure you want to set up that vibe this early. (Also, imagine how freaky it is having someone go for your eyes, especially if you can't see what's going on.)
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Date: 2008-04-14 02:20 am (UTC)Oddly enough, the point was that neither of them really gets how much Alec is doing it. Blade notices, but Alec and Edison aren't paying very close attention.
(and I couldn't say, I'm kinda used to losing my glasses and having other people find them. I've also had my glasses taken off and put on by more persons than I can count).
But, if you think it works that poorly, I can make adjustments. Juts because it makes sense in my head, does not mean it works outside my head.
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Date: 2008-04-14 02:25 am (UTC)Anyway, back to squeeing. ^____^ Eieeeeeeeeeee!!!!
Oh, Blade, I am so loving your quiet presence. Just like Edison said, simple, but very intelligent. *nods*
Off to see Sable, yay!!! Can't wait to see what happens next!
Also, I'm loving that it wants to be a long story. *_______*
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Date: 2008-04-14 02:27 am (UTC)I've been wearing glasses full-time for almost 15 years (since early elementary school), and I know the one time my girlfriend, who I trust implicitly, tried to take them off I flipped. And I get twitchy when eye doctors go after them, too. *shrugs*
I can definitely see Alec not noticing, and Blade would definitely notice, but Edison sits weirdly with me. I guess the best way to gloss over it would be to have him be too tired/distracted to notice at this point, or something.
Or you can just ignore me. :D