Vincent?” I asked. You were my concern, first and foremost.
“He’s at home. He’s quite distraught about it, Henri. And Santiago… I don’t know that he’ll be able to get Vincent out of this one. The boy lost a lot of blood.”
“I’ll be on the next flight home.”
I then had several hours to fret over your situation and the circumstances which led to this occurrence. Had you not been getting enough blood? Had this boy provoked you and you’d retaliated in self-defense? What if you were arrested before I arrived? How would we keep you out of the system?
Xavier met me at the Miami airport and updated me. The young man was a classmate of yours. He’d undergone several transfusions but was now in stable condition. Carter was his name, one that I recognized.
“We can’t have this getting out,” I said. With the way news spread on social media, those who paid attention would know within the week that you were bloodborn.
“We’ll have a nondisclosure agreement as part of the settlement,” Xavier said.
“I’ll pay for it,” I assured him. “Whatever amount they agree to, I’ll take care of it.”
“It’s not about the money, Henri,” Xavier snapped. He was angry with me. He should be. This was my fault.
“Can’t you drive any faster?” I asked.
I just needed to see you. The panic I’d felt over the phone hadn’t lessened during the flight. If anything, it had intensified. When we arrived at your house, I left my bags in the car and went straight to your room. You were curled up in a fetal position on your bed with your back to me.
“Vincent,” I said softly. You rolled over and immediately burst into tears, tucking your face into your elbows. I sat down and pulled you into my lap. You gripped me as you used to when you were little, shuddering and quaking in my embrace.
“Shhh, shhh, shhh.” I tried to soothe you as I pet your head. “It’s okay, my darling.”
“I didn’t mean to do it.”
“Of course, you didn’t. It was an accident.”
“Is Carter…” Your lower lip trembled as your dark eyes peered up at me. “Is he okay?”
“Yes, he’s going to be fine. Your dad has spoken to his parents personally to offer our apologies.”
“I almost killed him, Henri,” you said ardently, as if I didn’t intimately understand the situation. And the temptation.
“I know, Vincent, but thankfully you didn’t. You made a mistake, and we’re doing everything we can to fix it.”
“I should be locked up. Like an animal at the zoo.”
You sat back and scratched at your arms, hard enough to leave red, angry welts. I clasped my hands over yours to still them.
“You’re not an animal, Vincent. You’re a god who got a little too hungry. You’ll learn to control it over time. It just takes some practice.”
You shook your head, so hopeless.
“I wanted more,” you whispered as though pleading with me to understand. “Carter was lying there on the floor, dying, and I wanted more.”
I kicked off my boots and squeezed alongside you on your narrow bed. I murmured calming seductions and held you until you relaxed against me.
Xavier was right. Despite our best efforts, you’d never be able to live as a mortal. I’d fooled myself into believing you could. That kind of denial was dangerous. I’d put you in this impossible predicament, and because of it, I assumed your crimes as my own.
“This cannot happen again,” Santiago said to me later that night. You’d gone out to the yard to feed your cats while I discussed the situation with your parents.
“I know,” I said to him and Xavier both. “I accept full responsibility for his mistake. I should have been here to prevent it.”
“I can’t afford to clean up his messes, Henri, financially or politically. And you’re the one who’s going to tell Azrael.”
I lowered my head and tried my best to show humility. “Please understand, Santiago, the demands our hunger places on us, especially at his age. He didn’t do it out of malice or spite. It was truly an accident.”
“An accident that nearly resulted in the death of a young man. I’m a respected member of this community. You may be able to pick up and disappear at any moment, but I cannot. And neither can Xavier. He warned you Vincent was getting out of hand, and you ignored him. You should have considered his welfare when you placed this burden on our shoulders.”
“He’s not a burden,” Xavier argued, shooting an admonishing look at