Safe From All Harm (section one)

[maderr]

Safe From All Harm

Edison let out a startled cry as he was jarred roughly from behind, which caused him to hit the curb rather than step up over it, which sent him tumbling hard to the pavement. His glasses went flying, and even as he struggled to stand up in the midst of the crowded sidewalk, he heard the ominous crunch of someone stepping on them.

Damn it.

What was he going to do now? He couldn't see, not really, everything was a horrible blur and soon he'd get a headache and he was already tired and hungry—

He let out another cry as someone knocked him over, cringing against the curses hurled at him, the demands to know if he was stupid or what.

Fighting back tears, Edison struggled to stand again, this time managing to stumble his way through the crush of people to what he thought – hoped – was a wall of some sort.

In a long list of bad days, this one had not taken long to move straight to the top. The only thing keeping him from losing his mind completely was that he was almost there, almost done. Just a little longer and he would no longer have to do this alone.

He hoped. But reminding himself for the millionth time that it was stupid to pin his hopes on a debt that was not actually his to call in was pointless. He had no other options. It was this or let them kill him – which reminded him, as if he could forget, that he had an hour left until his protective charm wore off and the bastards managed to find him.

Christ, he needed his glasses. Turning to face the wall, trembling with fear and exhaustion, he pulled out a piece of chalk and quickly drew the required circle and marks, fervently hoping he got them correct. Muttering the necessary words, he splayed his hand flat against the chalk mark – and felt his glasses.

He didn't dare cast a spell to repair them, not as tired as he was, but just having them was hopefully enough. Slipping them on, he realized it was barely enough to have them. One lens was gone completely, the other badly cracked.

Still, he could sort of see, and that was better than being blind.

Pushing away from the wall, he headed towards the twenty story apartment building that was his destination. As he reached it, he fumbled for the scrap of paper in his pocket that told him the floor and room number.

The last of his expendable energy went toward a spell that would persuade people to ignore him for a full minute, which was all he needed to get into the elevator – which, thankfully, did not require a key to activate. He'd been trusting to fickle luck on that one.

When he reached the seventeenth floor, it took him a good ten minutes to figure out the hallways and which direction he needed.

At last, at last, he stopped in front of apartment L24.

He looked a wreck, which wouldn’t help him plead his case, but he didn't have the time or the energy to clean himself up. It was a damned miracle he'd made it this far. Taking a deep breath, combing a hand through his hair in a futile effort to neaten it, he knocked on the door.

"What in the hell are you doing here?" The words were snarled as the door was yanked open by a man Edison had seen before in an old picture. It hardly did him justice. He had the look of an athlete – short, short hair, muscles that nicely filled the plain white t-shirt and faded jeans, broad shoulders and chest. Classic blonde and blue eyed jock, except there was nothing about him that fit the thick and stupid stereotype that went with it.

"I'm not Thomas," he said quickly, anxiously, almost begging the man not to slam the door in his face.

"Try another," the man snapped.

Alex, Edison though his name was, but he wasn't sure. Thomas had only mentioned it once, and too quickly for Edison to really catch it.

"I'm not," Edison said desperately. "Thomas was my twin." He laughed, knowing he sounded more than a little hysterical. "Good twin, bad twin. He was the bad twin. Please, I swear it."

"Not sneaky," said a new voice, deep and almost…growly. A man appeared behind Alex, resting his chin on Alex's shoulder. His hair was dark brown, freckles smattered across his nose and cheeks. "Not sneaky," the stranger repeated. "Close, but not the same."

"What the fuck—"

"Please," Edison said, not caring how pathetic or desperate or needy he sounded. "I need your help, you're the only one. You are Alex, right?"

"Alec," the man corrected curtly. "Why in the fuck would I want to help anyone related to that mother fucker?"

Edison flinched. "Like or hate, you owed my brother a debt. He's dead – I'm calling it in."

Alec swore loudly, then reached out and yanked Edison inside, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Magic," said the strange man with the freckles, his nose wrinkling, and it was only now that Edison realized he must have been standing on his toes or maybe just clinging to Alec, because he was a good two inches shorter than Alec. "Magic, blood, death. Very smelly."

"Yeah," Edison agreed weakly, not able to muster the energy to be amused. "In about thirty minutes my charm of protection is going to die, and at that point some very angry people are going to come after me." He looked at Alec, wishing he could see better, that he didn't look so stupid and pathetic. "I want you to protect me."

"Go to hell," Alec snarled. "If he's dead, good-fucking riddance. I don't owe that bastard a goddamn thing. Even if I did, I don't recall saying that debt was transferable, so I don't owe you shit."

The freckled man growled – positively growled – and moved to pet and touch and nuzzle Alec, calming him down.

Edison fought tears, feeling about a hundred different kinds of stupid. This had been a bad idea, but what choice did he have? Damn it, what was he going to do now?

The ocean? No one could get him if he was out on the open sea, right?

Except the money he needed wouldn't be his for one more month.

God, he was tired.

"Why are you still here?" Alec finally said, still looking mad enough to spit nails.

"I had nowhere else to go," Edison said. He was tired. Exhausted. So fucking sick of it all. Maybe he should just say fuck it and let the bastards kill him. Then everyone would have what they wanted and the world would continue merrily along.

Damn it. Thirty days and it would all be over. Why did it feel more like thirty years?

"Sad," said the freckled man. "Not sneaky."

His manner of speech was the oddest Edison had ever heard – not exactly childlike, more…just simple. Strange when the amber eyes focused so intently on him shone with a great deal of intelligence.

Wait a minute…

Yellow eyes. The simple speech. The growling, and his protectiveness of Alec. Edison drew a sharp breath. "You're a dragon."

Alec snatched the freckled man back. "Get the fuck out of my house."

Edison nodded, but still could not give up. He didn't want to die, damn it. "You promised," he said. "A life for a life. That's all I'm asking. I'm not my brother, I swear to god. Shit, I've put up with more because of him than you can possibly imagine." He looked at Alec, not caring how desperate or pathetic he looked. "Just for a month, that's all I'm asking. Keep me alive for one month."

"No," Alec said. He shook his head. "Why the fuck did you think I'd even agree?"

"I didn't," Edison said miserably. "You were just my last damn chance."

Alec just looked at him. "I doubt it."

Edison bit back a sudden surge of anger. What right did he have to be angry? Of course Alec would assume the worst, and even if he hadn't – it was stupid to think he'd actually agree to play bodyguard. But all the logic in the world did not undo the simple fact that Alec and his brother's old debt were his last fucking chance.

"I know you hate me, because of my brother. Everyone fucking hates me because of him. I don't have anything now, but if you keep me alive for one month I can pay whatever you demand. Money, magic, land – anything. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't necessary."

"Oh, yeah," Alec said scathingly. "And just why in the fuck would you think someone who hates your brother and was glad to see the back of him would agree to help his goddamn twin?"

Edison gave up, no longer caring that fear and anger made him shake, that his head was throbbing from the ruined glasses, that he was probably going to pass out soon from the exhaustion – and by tomorrow he would be dead, because he was just too fucking tired to keep running. "Because the Knights in Shining Armor shop down the street was closed due to rusting!" he snarled. "Because I've tried every fucking thing else, and I figured it was better to try everything to avoid dying."

Yanking open the door, he stumbled into the hallway. Everything was a blur, even though he still wore what was left of his glasses. He realized he'd finally started crying. Damn it.

Then the world gave an uncertain lurch, and the blurry smear of color that was all he could see turned gray. Then it all went mercifully black.

*~*~*

"Shut up, dragon."

Ignoring Blade's snickering, Alec scowled at the young man currently dead to the world on his couch.

It was the knight crack that had done it, he conceded reluctantly. That and the tears, he fucking hated to see people cry. Gods, the number of times his sisters had cozened something out of him just by crying…

Shaking his head, he moved back to his chair and sat down with a sigh. "What in the hell am I going to do?"

"Protect?" Blade asked.

Alec grimaced. "Yeah, right." Thomas had a twin brother. Who the fuck knew? Certainly not Alec. Christ, that incident seemed years ago. At least twelve years now; god he'd been so fucking stupid when he was young.

Not that he'd gotten any brighter since. Oh, no, he was still dumb as rocks.

Blade growled softly, kneeling to rest his head on Alec's thigh. "Love Alec."

Alec sighed softly, unable to stay angry in the face of his dragon's unhappiness. "I love you too, Blade."

Absently petting Blade, soothed by the feel of warm skin and soft hair, the spicy smell that always clung to Blade, he looked back at the unconscious man on his couch. What the fuck was he supposed to do?

He knew the answer even as he asked the question, and damn it didn't that just fucking suck. But he was a man of honor, even if everyone else would say otherwise, and a man did not go back on his word. He had promised Thomas a life for a life. Thomas was dead, which meant that Alec had failed to keep his promise – if unintentionally.

If Thomas had a twin, and that twin was begging for help…

The man really was Thomas' twin, an exact duplicate…

Except not. Now that he wasn't fighting an urge to punch the man's face in, he could pick out differences. For one, his face wasn't as cold as Thomas' had always been. It was softer, lacking the hard edges and lines that came from living a dangerous life. The dark brown hair was longer, though the very tips were a shred lighter, holding a hint of wave. Thomas' hair had been military short.

And the tears. Thomas wouldn't have been capable of even faking tears – unless maybe he was paid a great deal of money to do it, and likely he would have purchased the tears somewhere else and faked it that way.

These tears had been real. Alec didn't know much in life, but he knew what real tears looked like. Damn it. What the fuck was wrong with him? Hadn't he learned the hard and painful way that honor and loyalty and all that shit were things of the past?

His hand tightened unconsciously in Blade's hair as images flickered in his mind, silk sheets and long blonde hair, moans and pleas but—

Blade's whimper broke the thoughts off.

"Sorry," Alec said, immediately bending down to give a kiss of apology.

Blade rumbled an acceptance. "Good Alec," Blade said firmly. "Brother bad. Katherine bad."

"Yeah," Alec said, and forcefully shoved the thoughts away. "I have you."

Blade nodded and kissed him again. "Protect?"

Alec grimaced and looked again at the man on the couch. Remembered the tears. That damned knight crack. When was he going to learn? Obviously not today. Sighing, he nodded. "Yeah, we'll protect him. Don't seem to have much of a choice."

Laughing, Blade moved away with a last, soft caress. "Good Alec." Not bothering to stand, he crawled on all fours to the couch, sniffing and delicately touching the prone figure stretched out on it. What had the man said his name was? Had he said? "Does not smell like Thomas, except in blood."

Alec nodded. "That's good."

"Exhausted," Blade added, touching the man again, a curious dragon exploring the strange new addition to his territory.

Ha. Territory. Shame and humiliation washed over Alec for the millionth time. His dragon should have land, a proper home – a proper territory. Instead, because of Alec, all they had was this fucking apartment and just enough money to eke out the pathetic living that was now their life. Someday he'd give Blade a proper territory again, though it would likely never be as grand as the one he'd lost.

Forcing the unhappy thoughts to the back of his mind with the rest, he replied to Blade's comment on the man's exhaustion. "He would be, if he managed a charm of protection. Those have killed the people attempting to cast them. It's no damned wonder he passed out."

Blade growled softly and moved to the side of the couch, where the man's jacket was draped over the arm. He picked up something which must have fallen from the pocket, holding it up for Alec to inspect.

"Chalk," Alec said with a grunt. "So definitely a magic user of some sort. Sorcerer, I'd say. Not many of those floating around, not human ones anyway. Thomas didn't have magic." That he was sure of – if Thomas had possessed even a drop of magic, he would have made full use of it. Was it possible for one to twin to have magic and the other none?

He realized he had no fucking clue. Dragons tended to share everything, on the extremely rare occasion twins popped up. Humans…he supposed twins weren't much different from ordinary siblings. Still, an ability like magic…

"I wonder what protecting him is going to entail."

Blade shrugged, and left off exploring the jacket to go back to gently poking and prodding at the unconscious man. "Won't be boring?"

Alec laughed. "Just looking for trouble, huh, Blade?"

"Good Blade."

"Yeah," Alec said, chuckling. He started to speak when his eyes fell on the clock on the far wall. "Damn, later than I thought."

Blade's expression turned speculative.

Alec knew that look, and attempted to head it off at the pass. "Dragon—"

"Pizza?" Blade cut in, looking hopeful and pleading and don't you see I'm starving to death, Master?

Alec scrubbed at his face. "You go eat real food, and I'll let you have a few slices of pizza. But you'd better eat properly!"

"Yes, Alec," Blade said, then crawled back across the floor and up into Alec's lap, straddling him and dipping his head to take a deep kiss, soft growls blending with Alec's own gasp.

It eased away every ache in him, the way his dragon loved him. They'd taken away everything else, but no one could take Blade. Holding tight, Alec just let Blade do as he pleased, let him have all he wanted.

Except, of course, there was an unconscious man in the room and Alec didn't have much in the way of manners and modesty, but he did have that much.

He ignored the memories that flashed, of a time when he'd been more than happy to make out with his dragon while others were in the room. Individuals he'd trusted as much as he trusted Blade.

Pushing gently, he forced a halt to the hot kisses, the not quite painful scrape of claws. "Go eat, dragon," he said, coughing when his voice came out ragged and husky. "We don't know what will be coming because of our new friend, so you need to be at full strength."

Growling, discontent at having to stop but understanding and always obedient, Blade wandered toward the little kitchen in the corner and opened the fridge.

Sighing, Alec stood and moved to the couch. Sitting on the edge of the coffee table, he contemplated the sleeping man. Definitely not Thomas, who even asleep probably looked like a scheming rat. This man looked…familiar, as much as Alec hated to say it. He knew that grimace of pain, the lines of exhaustion, the feeling of desperation and loneliness.

Damn it.

Bitterness was a thick bile in the back of his throat. He'd meant every single vow he'd ever made. They'd never been just platitudes to him. Every promise that he made, he meant.

Every promise had made him a fool.

The instinct wouldn't die though. This man had asked, and by accident or design had hit his weak spots. Alec turned his head just enough to glance at the far wall. Below the cheap wall clock hung his sword, mounted in place shortly after taking the apartment and not touched since.

In the end, they hadn't been able to take it, either. How could they? It was his, until his death, and its first real taste of blood at his hands had only proven that he was its true bearer this generation. It had chafed them, to let him walk out with it, but beyond their control to prevent it.

Standing, he walked slowly to the sword and took it down from the wall, drew it sharply from the sheath. The blade was pristine, as sharp as the day it was first made, immune to the ravages of time. Magic was not often found close to dragons, but what magic was present was some of the most powerful. Though a dragon's greatest weakness, magic had also been involved in their making.

He who bears this sword is destined to kill his closest friend.

Sheathing the blade with a rough sound, Alec returned it to the wall and strode back to the man on his couch. Resuming his place at the coffee table, absently noting as Blade sat down in the recliner, he reached out and gently attempted to shake the man awake.

Long lashes fluttered, then lay still against the pale cheeks. Then they fluttered again, turned into long, slow blinks, until he was staring into sleep-glazed eyes the color of honey.

"Glasses?" the man said, voice hoarse, thick with sleep. "You're blurry, whoever you are."

Alec frowned, looking around, hadn't he set—ah. Picking up the glasses, or what was left of them anyway, he pressed them carefully into the man's hands.

The man gasped when he slid the glasses on. "You—but—"

"Look," Alec said, "I need to know what protecting you is going to entail. What sort of danger I'm facing."

"O-of course," the man said, struggling to sit up.

Alec felt a brief pang of guilt for waking him, cause the guy looked ready to fall right back over and not move for a month – but he squashed it, calling himself stupid. What the hell was there to feel guilty about?

"Uh—" The man licked his lips, ducked his head. "Thank you," he said quietly. "I—"

"Just tell me what I need to know," Alec said, cutting him off, not interested in what he might say. He would repay his debt and that would be that.

"Yes," the man said. "I'm sure I need not tell you about my brother."

Alec grunted in agreement.

"He was always the bad seed of the family," the man said. "My parents were good people, and they never knew what to do with him. They were extremely wealthy, my parents. They died about a month ago."

"I studied abroad for years and years, improving my magic, staying the hell away from my brother. Growing up, I was his favorite victim. He hated me." The man sighed, closed his eyes, face a study in pain. "When my parents died, there were a lot of people who thought they'd finally be getting their hands on the money – Thomas and some of his 'friends' included."

It didn't take a genius to figure out what was coming next. "Your parents left everything to you."

"Yeah," the man said. "Everything. But it's held in trust by the law firm my parents used until I reach the age of twenty five."

"Which I'm guessing is in one month," Alec said. When the man nodded, he continued. "So what, after you get it you're out of danger?"

The man nodded. "If I die before my twenty fifth birthday, then everything gets divided up between the executive officers. Thomas was killed because he was useless without the money from our parents he promised he'd shortly have. After I reach my twenty fifth birthday control of everything reverts to me and nothing goes to any of them if I die at that point."

Alec frowned. "What sort of people are we up against?"

"Abnormals," the man said tiredly. "I wish it were just normals, those I could take care of myself. All I want is to make it to my twenty fifth birthday, then I can sell everything to the one person who has asked to purchase the company."

"Why not go to him for protection?"

"He's on the opposite side of the country, and I have very little money of my own. I never lived off my parents, and much of what I did have has been taken in the attempts to kill me." The man looked at his hands. "I truly am sorry to burden you with this; I simply had no where else to go and no one to trust."

"What makes you think you can trust me?"

The man laughed sadly. "Thomas mentioned you once, when he was mocking me. He said nothing was more useful than a man of honor, because he'd do anything to keep his word, even if that meant doing something he hated or getting himself killed. It amused and pleased him that he had your promise to save his life. I think he was going to call you himself, but he underestimated just how pissed off his compatriots were with him."

Alec tamped down on his temper. "Yeah, there's nothing dumber than a man of honor."

Flinching, the man looked at his hands again. "I don't expect you to do it for free. I told you – in one month I'll be an extremely wealthy man. I can pay you whatever you want."

"You mentioned land," Alec said, something in his chest twisting. It would be so easy to ask, and he'd finally have a territory for Blade…

"Yes," the man replied. "If it's land you want, that's easy."

Alec allowed himself to dream for a moment before finally shoving the wistful thought aside "No. A promise is a promise, even when foolishly made. A life for a life. Your brother once saved mine, and I failed to save his." His hands curled into fists as he fought an urge to take the stranger's. Ceremony and tradition had no place here, not anymore. Not for him. Still, old habits were hard to break. "To make up for that transgression, I vow to keep you safe from all harm for a period of one month."

The man blinked at him, and Alec actually looked at him, really looked, and was suddenly hard-pressed not to smile. He looked more than a little ridiculous, mussed and wrinkled and the glasses a mangled mess. Like a child who had stumbled home after an adventurous day of summer vacation.

Or, he thought, levity dying, a kid who'd gotten roughed up by bullies on his way home.

Alec could no more fight his protective instincts than he could stop breathing. He was what he was, even if being that meant everyone played him for a fool.

"You should get cleaned up," he said. "I'll find some new clothes, unless you've got some stashed on your person somewhere."

The man shook his head. "No. I threw up the charm of protection and ran. The less I carried, the less likely they would find me when the charm wore off."

Alec grunted. "I'm impressed you could cast such a charm."

"I cast two, actually, back to back. It's why I'm not dead yet."

Despite himself, Alec was impressed, and looked at the man with a bit of respect. "That certainly explains why you passed out."

The man's cheeks flushed scarlet, and if he stared any harder at his hands Alec didn't doubt he'd burn a hole right through them. "I'm sorry."

Alec sighed. "Go get cleaned up. The shower is straight down the hall. My bedroom is on the left. The clothes will be on the bed there when you're done showering. Do you like pizza?"

"Yes," the man said. "Though at this point I'd eat anything you put in front of me." He looked up with a brief, hesitant smile, but it died as quickly as it had come, the man looking away again. "Thank you. And I hardly think it a mark upon your honor to demand payment. If you change your mind on the matter later, just let me know." Standing, he moved across the living room and vanished down the hall.

Reaching for the phone, Alec dialed the pizza place number by rote, putting in his usual order and adding an extra pie. Tossing the phone aside as he finished, he stood and stalked to the kitchen in desperate need of a beer.

"Alec…" Blade said quietly, amber eyes bright and intent upon him, narrowed a bit in concern.

"I’m fine," Alec soothed. "Just hoping this shit doesn't blow up in our faces. Is this okay with you, Blade?" Because if he was going to protect…fuck, he'd never asked the guy's name. Scrubbing at his face, suddenly wanting a nap, Alec strode back to the living area and dropped down into the couch.

"Protect," Blade said, eyes blazing in a way no human's could. An animal shine – a dragon shine. He abandoned his chair to crawl into Alec's lap, rumbling and petting and kissing, a devoted dragon intent only upon soothing his Owner.

Alec held him close, content simply to have Blade close. Everyone else had betrayed him, but never his dragon.

He didn't know how long they remained that way, but it was finally broken by a faint "Oh."

Opening his eyes, he saw Thomas' twin – wet and flushed from the shower, with only a towel clinging to his hips.

Lust slapped him, sudden and sharp, leaving him breathless and dumbfounded. He'd never thought Thomas attractive, and since his wife's betrayal Alec had not been turned on by any but his dragon.

Thomas had been whipcord thin, all muscle and movement and deadly talent, so much like the butterfly knife he'd always carried. His twin was nothing like that, nothing at all. This body bore the scars of a magic user – burns and scrapes that normal life would never inflict. The dark hair was plastered to his head, making him look younger than his twenty five years, and the body was neither soft nor toned, but a pleasing in between.

He heard Blade growl low in surprise, knowing the dragon must be more than a little startled by what he was smelling. Alec absently pet him, soothing with soft, nonsensical words.

"Sorry," he finally said. "I forgot to lay out clothes."

"I can just put mine back on," the man said quietly, eyes skittering away, and Alec recalled how they'd been the exact color of honey.

Alec shook his head, and gently eased Blade off his lap before standing. "No, hang on. I'll get them."

Striding past the man, forcefully ignoring how he smelled, carefully not looking at him, he strode into his bedroom and quickly scrounged up some clothes. They'd be too big, but there wasn't much he could do about it right now.

"There," he said, turning to where the man stood in the doorway.

"Thank you."

Alec shrugged. "What's your name, anyway?"

"Oh," the man blinked, then smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. With one thing and another, I forgot that part. My name is Edison."

"Edison," Alec said, blinking slowly. "Thomas and Edison?"

Edison grimaced in a way that only someone who'd been stricken with an unfortunate name could. "My mom's idea. I'm just glad we were born male. Her girl names were much, much worse."

Alec turned sharply away, refusing to give in to an urge to smile. He'd learned his lesson, and he'd learned it well.

The door bell rang, mercifully drawing his attention, and he snatched up his wallet from a side table on his way to the door.

*~*~*

Edison tamped down on his curiosity. He was damned lucky to be where he was, and he wasn't going to express his 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 was 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 was 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 aside.

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 rested for a moment.

"You're too tired to be casting magic like that," Alec said, voice quiet but firm. "Don't make me protect you from yourself on top of demons, sorcerer."

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 abnormals 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.

Comments

[anthraciteowl.livejournal.com]

Ooh, shiny!
*scuttles off to read the next part*
I love the way you write dragons. Even when they're in human form, they're so clearly nonhuman.