4. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

S eryn sat in a diner sipping on a soda and watching people through the window. He'd ordered loaded fries ten minutes ago and expected the flirtatious server to drop them off soon, not that he cared about food. He wasn't hungry. But someone didn't come into a place like Dale's Diner: Home of the Famous Steak Sandwich without ordering something to eat. He wanted to blend in, not that he succeeded.

He was too pretty. Too perfect in his clothing. Too expressionless. Too off-center. Too crazy. Too much of a vampire. Too much of a warlock. People told him all the time how he was too much to blend in with everyone else.

Most days, it was easy to lean into his weirdness. But sometimes, he just wanted to be normal. Waffling between self-doubt and acceptance left him unsettled. Unless he was working. Only then did he know who he had to be. He performed no matter what the job required. More importantly, Seryn knew how to read people. So, he knew the flirtatious server with his dark mop of hair and his shy smile would be Seryn's ticket into the tunnels. But that was if the young man knew about them.

The tunnels remained from the automobile industry boom at the turn of the century. It seemed Americans had a difficult time as new drivers. Since the laws surrounding vehicles either didn't exist or they were too new, pedestrians became frequent victims of accidents, prompting the city to intervene. So, they built walkways under the city, leading to and from popular spots.

Of course, nothing stayed pure. The city shut them down, and criminals found them useful. From pickpocket thieves to bootleggers during prohibition and finally a crime boss with an underground fighting ring and a slew of slaves.

Seryn knew how many slaves Niall Davorion had, but not if Mitchell Burke was one of them. He found evidence connecting the Chained Devil's former leader to Davorion. Not only that, but there was a fighter who hadn't lost in months. Certain people who gambled in the underground talked about betting on him. Seryn strongly suspected they were talking about Mitchell, although he had nothing more than a gut feeling to back it up.

The diner was the key to finding out. The building had been in the Davorion 'family' for over a hundred years. But all 'family' meant was Davorion was some type of paranormal, probably a vampire since they populated the city. It meant Niall Davorion had bought the building to access the tunnels so he could move alcohol from one speakeasy to the next all around the city. As the times changed, so had Davorion's purpose for the tunnels, but he'd always had access.

The server carried one of the largest plates of fries Seryn had ever seen. Processed cheese sauce with chunks of bacon covered the fries.

For an establishment owned by one of the biggest criminals in the city just to keep his criminal activities under wraps, they took their job of creating unhealthy, delicious food seriously.

Seryn smiled and thanked the server when he set the plate in front of him.

"Can I get you anything else?" The server implied he'd give Seryn anything he wanted, including sexual favors if he chose. Seryn could tell by the way the server's gaze slid down Seryn's body as if he could see Seryn's lower half past the booth's table. He licked his lips and smiled shyly as if he hadn't just undressed Seryn with his eyes. The shyness would have been surprising if the server were unaware of his own behavior. But he knew exactly what he was doing.

"No, thank you." Seryn wasn't there to get off and even if he was, the server, while cute, wasn't his type.

"Enjoy your meal." The disappointment was obvious in every syllable. He was young and na?ve enough not to school his features and tone. It spoke of either a sheltered life or a personality in which he didn't let others change him.

The server turned back to the counter.

"Actually, you could help with something." Seryn pulled a paper napkin from the dispenser and put it next to his plate. He didn't make a habit of eating unhealthy food, but he was hungry, and he wasn't sure when he'd have the time to eat again.

The server turned, meeting his gaze with a hopefulness that would die a quick death soon.

"Would you inform me when Todd starts his shift?"

The server drew his eyebrows together. "Todd?"

"Todd Harmen. He works every afternoon, doesn't he?" Seryn hadn't gotten his information wrong. Thoroughness had saved his life more than once in the past.

"He's usually early."

Seryn would have responded, but a vision came to him. It was of a man with short blond hair and scabbed over puncture marks on his neck. He was on the shorter side and thin. But he wore designer clothing, even though he smelled like grease. He was in what appeared to be a glass room. Or at least that's the view the man looked out of while he sat on a plush red couch and… people watched? Seryn wasn't sure what his agenda was, but it was clear the only thing worth doing was watching the well-dressed people file into what appeared to be a large arena. Seryn would bet the view through the glass only went one way.

A door opened somewhere behind the man, making him turn.

The person who entered was definitely a vampire. He wore a gray suit that appeared tailored and expensive. His fangs had already descended as if he could smell his meal even from outside the small luxurious room.

"Get undressed, Todd. I want your body and your blood this time."

Todd shivered. Whether in anticipation or fear, Seryn couldn't tell. Maybe Todd knew the next few moments would be his last.

Seryn smiled at the server, trying to forget the vision. Todd Harmen would die at the hands of Niall Davorion if Seryn didn't step in. Todd was just trying to survive the best way they knew how, even if it meant selling himself to a devilish criminal. Either Todd had a limited mental capacity, or he was na?ve. Either way, money motivated him.

"He sold his blood to have a few extra bucks in his pocket."

The server blinked, his eyebrows drawing together. "What?"

Seryn forgot he was the only one who could see the vision. It happened to him a lot.

Seryn smiled and turned back to his fries as if he hadn't spoken. He certainly didn't want to repeat himself, even though the question implied the server wanted clarity.

The server shook his head. "Alright then. Enjoy your fries."

He scurried behind the counter and into the back room.

Seryn was about four bites in when the server nodded his head to the kitchen's swinging door.

Seryn nodded, dabbed his mouth with a napkin, and took one last drink of his soda before laying a twenty-dollar bill on the table. He made his way toward the bathroom. There was a back exit at the end of the hall.

The kitchen had access points. One inside and one right outside the back door to Seryn's right. The outside access was mostly used for ventilation. A restaurant kitchen could get hot, so leaving the outer door open allowed for fresh air if the wind blew just right.

The air was hot and thick inside the kitchen despite the screen door being the only one closed. Seryn scanned his surroundings upon entering. It gave him time to think of the best way to approach Todd.

It smelled like greasy meat.

An apron hung on a peg just inside the door.

Todd stood at a sink in the far corner of the room, washing his hands. A hair net covered his hair. He was rather attractive, although he appeared stressed, or maybe he was just tired.

Seryn made his way around the prep counter until he stood behind Todd. "I can help you."

Todd jumped and whirled around to face Seryn. His eyes were wide, and his mouth open as if he were five seconds away from screaming. "What the fuck? You can't be back here. Employees only."

Seryn smiled. "Hello, Todd."

Todd's eyebrows drew together, which seemed to be the standard expression whenever Seryn spoke. "How do you know my name?"

The answer mattered and Todd, being human, wouldn't believe Seryn anyway, so he didn't answer. Instead, he asked, "Is being a blood whore worth it?"

Seryn genuinely wanted to know. He often wondered if blood whores understood what they were giving up just for a little money or euphoria, whatever their motivation was.

Todd sucked in his breath and put his hand over his neck. "How did you know?"

Seryn raised his eyebrows and waited.

It took Todd a full two minutes to answer. He hung his head. "I just wanted extra cash to pay my rent."

"Davorion is a dangerous man, Todd."

Todd met his gaze. "Are you?"

Seryn smiled. "I can be."

"You're a vampire like Niall, aren't you?"

"Among other things." Seryn meant to say he was deadlier than Niall Davorion could ever think to be, but he didn't want to scare Todd any more than he already had. Seryn didn't need to hurt him to get what he wanted. That much was clear. "I need you to do something for me."

"What?"

"I'm looking for a man. His name is Mitchell Burke."

Todd sucked in a breath. "The fighter? I know of him. He's sort of famous in the underground. Everyone talks about him."

When the vision hit, it nearly took Seryn to his knees, and he knew why the second he saw Mitchell. Despite his bruised and battered face, Seryn recognized him. "Mate."

"Dude, are you okay?" Todd took a step toward Seryn, as if to touch him. It was then Seryn realized he slumped forward at the waist, clutching his chest as if his heart wanted to leave his body and find the broken man in his vision.

"Don't touch me."

"Right. Sorry."

Seryn tried to blink the vision away, but all he saw was his mate in the fighting ring, getting pummeled to the point of no return.

"When's the next fight?" Seryn usually kept a cool head, even when something stressed him to the max. He could focus while having a vision, but Mitchell Burke rattled him more than usual. His senses went crazy. He knew his eyes glowed blue and then red. Back and forth, just like his mind. Future. Present. And back again.

"Holy shit." Todd breathed deeply. "Shit. Shit."

The second time Todd tried to touch him Seryn missed the moment before it happened. He felt the hand on his shoulder as if it were a hot iron. It muddled his senses.

Most people would have retracted from the heat, but Seryn leaned into it just long enough to unsettle Todd. Seryn grabbed his hand, bending it back. When Seryn spoke, his voice was just a little ragged around the edges. "I told you not to touch me."

"Sorry. Ow. Oh, God. Sorry. Ow. Ow." Todd winced, shrinking away from Seryn when he finally let go. "Harley called an order up. He'll be back to check on me if I don't start cooking. You don't want him to see you…" Todd waved his hand around his own face. "All vamped out, or whatever you call it."

Seryn nodded, understanding Todd had had good intentions. "Next fight?"

"Tonight."

"Meet me here."

Todd nodded, but the fear in his gaze made Seryn doubt his honesty.

"I'll give you a hundred bucks and a way out of the mess you're in." Seryn could see Todd wanted to believe him. "If I wanted to hurt you, I would have by now."

"I know." Todd held his injured hand to his chest. Seryn didn't break it. He hadn't even bruised the tissue, but it probably would hurt for a few minutes. "I'll meet you."

Seryn nodded and left through the back door. But the vision of Mitchell wouldn't leave him. Seryn knew what Mitchell would see in his last moments and it wasn't a friendly face.

"I'm coming, mate." Seryn whispered the words, willing for the broken, battered stranger in his vision to hear him.

Shit. Mitchell Burke, the notorious thief, was his mate. A man destined for some serious jail time. And what's worse, knowing about Mitchell made Seryn's visions uncontrollable.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Daruss. "I found him."

"Do you need backup?"

"No." He couldn't risk exposing his abilities to his family. They didn't need to know about the visions.

The tunnels had more than one way in and out. The old maps he'd found at the city library showed the entrances. Seryn had memorized where they were, so he'd have multiple exit strategies. But a good portion of them were closed off. The one Seryn had gone to check out was close to the river. It was in a touristy part of town, so he couldn't do a thorough inspection, but he saw the concrete covering the opening. The city had sealed another in the same way. All the others hid in what had become privately owned properties, so the city couldn't do anything with those entrances and Seryn couldn't get in to see them. The diner sat above the only entrance that was a public space, so plan A was to use it to get in and out. He didn't have a solid Plan B yet.

"Be careful."

Despite the future and present spinning around in Seryn's head, making him feel just a little crazier than he normally was, he smiled. "Some won't make it out of the tunnels alive."

He would make sure they paid for hurting his mate. Every one of them, before it was said and done.

"Well, just make sure you do. Got it?"

Something about the command centered Seryn. It gave him something to latch on to, an order he could follow. It brought him back to the here and now. "Yes, sir. He needs medical attention."

"How do you know that, Seryn?" Daruss had always suspected Seryn was more than he let on. And Seryn had always kept his abilities to himself. But he wondered how much longer he could keep his secret with the way he lost control.

"Legendary in more ways than one." Seryn wasn't sure where that had come from, but an image slammed into his brain of Davorion saying that to Mitchell. "He's crying. Tell Jude Mitchell loves him. That he thinks about him all the time. Tell him to put down Mitchell's regrets and pick up all the good memories."

"Seryn." Daruss, saying his name, brought him back. "What the fuck, man?"

Seryn sucked in a breath. He'd never been in someone's mind before. He didn't want to explain how knowing Mitchell, even in his waking dreams, created a connection. Too much was happening at once. Harnessing it was beyond his scope. If he'd had a mentor, maybe he'd have more control. "I gotta go."

"Don't hang up on me, damn it."

Seryn took a deep breath in and let it out. The command helped center him, making it possible to concentrate. "I won't, boss."

"I can send Avit or Nash."

"I can get him out."

"Have you seen him?" Daruss sighed as if he didn't like Seryn's answer.

"Not in the flesh."

"Explain it to me then."

"I don't think so."

"Seryn."

"Not this time, Boss."

Daruss cursed. "Just let me know if you need anything."

Seryn ended the call. He needed to think about ways to gain control before he went into the tunnels because if he didn't, he might just cost his mate his life.