Chapter XVIII

Things Never Really Change

T he drive into the city had been quiet nearly the entire way. All Jeremiah had been able to say was Hamilton and Demiesius were having a disagreement, but he knew his brothers were smart enough to know something bigger was going on. Their parents weren't the type of couple to argue about anything, and hearing Hamilton blatantly yell at Demiesius had come as a shock.

From the words exchanged, and Hamilton's frantic assurance, Jeremiah could assume the worst was currently on his father's mind. He could admit something was changing in him, changing the way his feelings came forth, his urges, anger, and he knew Demiesius was focused on the trouble his anger could cause if unchecked.

Jeremiah hadn't meant to get so angry with Luca at Nocturnal Heights. The vampire's words had maimed his self-esteem, but Jeremiah had also never been too attached to the way people viewed him; people whose opinion he didn't value. But, still, things had gotten out of hand and the next thing he knew, furniture was flying and glass was shattered.

The thought of working up an apology for Luca sat with Jeremiah, but it was probably best to leave things as they were.

There were no plans to sink back into the ways of carnal distraction offered by willful participants. If things went well on this beaten path it seemed he was heading down, there would be no need to search for warmth where it never seemed to be.

"Jeremiah?" Min-jae nudged the thought-ridden, distant dhampir, and when Jeremiah jolted back into focus, Min-jae gestured to Sebastian standing before him with his arms crossed.

"Sorry," Jeremiah cleared his mind with a puff of air. "What?"

"We can't go anywhere if you keep standing around," Sebastian stated.

They'd been waiting for a crosswalk to signal and missed it due to Jeremiah being taken up by other things. Were these things more important than going to the bookshop they'd been frequenting for some years now? No, nothing was more important than people that matter most, even if their requests could be labeled as rather trivial and mundane.

Jeremiah rubbed an awkward hand at the back of his neck, smiling as if he was embarrassed for being caught daydreaming.

He let his eyes pan over his younger brothers. The last thing he wanted was for them to worry about anything, things pertaining to threats of death, harm, and loss; the three things he was sure Demiesius and Hamilton were harping on about back home .

Those worries were paramount by all means. The return of Public affairs and their means to be a nuisance could lead to ruin. That accursed flower and its diversion from cultural customs. Then there was the trouble that now remained with Jeremiah every waking moment: this newly active nervous system.

As much as those things weren't trivial in the slightest, Jeremiah batted them from his head and draped an arm over Sebastian's shoulder. "I'm surprised you didn't punch me," he said, trying to jest the moment away, and they waited for the next signal light to show. "I was thinking about dinner. Dad seldomly cooks now that your appetites have shifted, and I think I'm in the mood for a five course meal."

Unbothered by the arm slung over his shoulder, Sebastian huffed, and they began to cross the boulevard. "I'm surprised you didn't say you were daydreaming about your new boyfriend here. You and this guy have been glued at the hip since he got here, and you haven't even bothered to properly introduce him to us."

"His name is Min-jae," Gabriel chimed in ahead of them, holding Lysander's hand as they all stepped into the back pathway lined with their favorite shops and cafes.

Avery seemed to be the only one not necessarily interested in the topic. He was quick to determine which place he wanted to enter first and wasted little time disappearing into a nearby boutique. Jeremiah made sure to notice where he went off to before waiting outside with everyone else.

"I overheard when he introduced himself to Father and Dad," Gabriel added. "But I didn't know they were dating. How long have you been hiding a boyfriend from us, Jeremiah? Are you embarrassed of us? "

Jeremiah blinked incredulously. "I wasn't hiding anything," he said. "And we're not…"

Official?

"You're not actually dating?" Sebastian asked in puzzlement. "So, are you friends with benefits?"

Jeremiah and Min-jae flinched at the query, and before they could answer for themselves, Lysander said, "What's a friend with benefits?"

"It's—."

Jeremiah reached a hand forward and covered Sebastian's mouth, suddenly seeing much of Dominick coming through in the manner he spoke so bluntly no matter who it was towards. With the blood child being their year-round tutor to make sure they were properly educated, it seemed that wouldn't stop some of Dominick's other colors from coming through, and they certainly seemed to be seeping into Sebastian.

"What in Lilith's name is wrong with you?" Jeremiah said, "I don't think that's something anyone would be interested in hearing about."

With his back pushed up against the wall beside the boutique's entry, Sebastian pried Jeremiah's hand away and laughed. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Well," Gabriel looked Min-jae from head to toe. "What are you to my brother?"

Looking from the curious case of young boys to Jeremiah whose eyes were averted, Min-jae caught the unmistakable flurry winding through Jeremiah. Min-jae wasn't all too sure what they were even with the moments they'd spent together and the things that have slipped their tongues, but if there was anything Min-jae was sure of, it was how novel his world had become the second Jeremiah became known to him.

Aside from the bad brought on by others, Jeremiah was all the good and it seemed that good would continue so long as Jeremiah was beside him.

"I'm not going to deny that I have some real feelings for your brother," Min-jae answered, each word floating from his tongue in nothing but rivers of loving free-verse. "But not even I am too sure what direction we're heading, or if we're heading anywhere at all. All I know is, I don't want things to stop until we end up somewhere together."

Air escaped Jeremiah's nose as he looked at Min-jae, truly able to feel each strong hammer of his heart as it tried to settle with no rest in sight. How could he say something so meaningful without missing a beat? It was like he had everything all figured out, while here Jeremiah was taking his time and holding up this iffy barrier. He'd enjoyed their touches, the saccharine reward promised to their lips, but Jeremiah found himself unable to escape doubt when the whispers of it turned to shouting.

Min-jae, on the other hand, muted it all, and Jeremiah wanted to welcome the fond hymns to his side.

"He's at a loss for words," Sebastian laughed then, bringing Jeremiah out of his head. "I guess you two are almost in a relationship, but be careful, he's been single for seventy years; he might not know how to be a boyfriend."

Before Jeremiah could snap back at the snarky seventeen-year-old, Sebastian, Gabriel, and Lysander entered the boutique with Avery.

"I'm sorry if that was a bit much," Min-jae apologized. They remained outside the doors of the boutique beneath a small, shaded trellis covered in twining vines and shop fliers. "I was only being truthful."

"I'm not embarrassed," Jeremiah assured, tucking his hands in his front pockets, and he watched the lively passersby go about their day ahead of him. "I've never been all too open with myself in front of my brothers, so they have this odd image of me having no social life. My…social history…isn't suitable for the ears of children, nor do I like to reminisce on it. There was good once upon a time, but not so much after a certain point."

"Whatever it was like before," Min-jae said, leaning against the wall beside Jeremiah. "If the memories drag you away, they're not something I want you to focus on. Just as I want to see you, I want you to see me, and the obstruction your past brings could dull your vision of me. And I don't want that."

"That sounds a bit possessive," Jeremiah said, a flicker of what possessiveness had once led to dashing through his memories. When he looked at Min-jae, there were no similarities popping out at him, but the notion of jealousy attempted to chip away at the surface of Min-jae's noble-varnished armor.

Jeremiah hated the idea of jealousy.

"I don't mean to say I'm insecure," Min-jae said. "What I'm trying to say is, your past doesn't seem to be something even you want to reflect on, and I don't want what ideas have stayed with you since to tarnish how you see me. I want to be your ‘right here and now', not a reminder of what was. Even if I don't know your past, I can assure you I am nothing like what was."

Taken by the admission, Jeremiah couldn't stop the grin from dragging across his lips. His smile was star-lit and brilliant, and the manner in which his cheeks rose with a blush of rose on their surface, Min-jae's own smile faded as this charming mirth bore something into him he wasn't quite prepared for. However, just for the fact that he wasn't ready didn't mean he was going to turn from it — from Jeremiah.

"What's so funny?" Min-jae asked. "Are you laughing at me for telling you how I feel?"

"Of course, I'm not laughing at you," Jeremiah said, holding himself off from kissing the pair of lips before him. He wasn't afraid of public displays of affection, but there were a rather large number of eyes around them, and he didn't want to be seen by his brother's so overtaken by his feelings for this person if they happened to witness anything. "I might need some time to get used to you saying such embarrassing things. Your honesty is hard to take, but I — I like it."

Min-jae stepped closer, trapping Jeremiah between the wall of the boutique and his body. "You do?" he asked, not caring for any of the possible eyes on them. "There's a lot more I can say. Want me to continue?"

Pushing away from the wall, Jeremiah lightly shouldered by the other dhampir and stepped around him. "Maybe later. Compose yourself, please."

Deciding to join his brothers, Jeremiah entered the boutique with Min-jae close behind. While Gabriel and Sebastian appeared to be deciding if they wanted anything from a clothing rack, Jeremiah walked up on Avery whispering with Lysander by his side. They were in front of a jewelry display with bracelets and necklaces laid within, each of them crafted with gold, silver, stainless steel, and gemstones of all kinds.

"What's his favorite color?" Lysander asked then, keeping his voice down as though he and Avery wanted to be sure no one overheard them.

They would typically be able to feel Jeremiah and a noticeable aura like Min-jae's directly behind them, but the boys had grown used to lessening their attentiveness to the world surrounding them when out in public. There were too many conflicting impulses emitting from crowds of people and quieting the chatter of it all made days out and about more tolerable.

"I don't know," Avery said. "Him and Lucius have never expressed their favorite anything before, not even colors, but they do wear a lot of black."

"Then what about the obsidian bracelet?" Lysander suggested. "It looks nice and would match Cedric's clothes no matter what he wears."

Avery hummed in thought before finally plucking the bracelet from the display case. "I hope he likes it," he said. "I want to give it to him the next time he comes over with Dom."

"It looks nice enough," Jeremiah interjected then, startling his brothers, Avery the most, and the pretty dhampir let his eyes drift to the floor when he realized his little crush was discovered by anyone other than Lysander. In hopes of saving him from the dread of his love for Cedric coming to light, Jeremiah plucked another matching bracelet from the case, and he set it in the palm of Avery's hand. "Why not get two so you can match? You never know, Cedric might be more inclined to wear it if he knows you have one, too."

Closing his fist lightly around the bracelets, Avery met Jeremiah's gaze that matched his just as perfectly. In seeing the lack of judgment and uplifting light of encouragement, Avery's cheery smile plastered across his face. "You think so?"

Placing a hand atop Avery's hair, Jeremiah felt his heart swoon from this totally captured light taking up his brother's eyes. One half of him was afraid of Avery being so young and in love to the point of eruption, but the other half was glad to see he was able to feel all these things without shame.

"Lucius and Cedric are a strange pair," Jeremiah said, "but they're oddly good natured boys. That's something I think they one hundred percent got from their parents: their goodness. Cedric might not be able to show happiness as candidly as you, but it could start with his acceptance of this gift. You never know."

So entirely touched by his brother's encouragement to pursue whatever this first wave of passion could be, Avery was eager to purchase the bracelets and dragged Lysander along with him to the pay counter, leaving Jeremiah and Min-jae where they'd been.

"You're a good brother," Min-jae said.

"I try," Jeremiah took the compliment. "Certain things were missing from my life throughout my childhood, but I always had the shoulder of my older brother to rely on if I needed him. It felt like Dominick was all I had when things turned rough through the years. For them to know they can come to me with anything or be open with themselves is important to me."

"Have you ever considered having children?" Min-jae asked then, reaching forward, and his fingers stroked the curve of Jeremiah's waist. "I mean, with that mindset, I think you'd make a good parent."

Undeniably flustered from the question, Jeremiah's throat dried and his heart pounded in hard, rhythmic beats, blood seeming to run faster through his veins, and the soft dilation of his pupils was apparent even as he looked away.

"Have I ever considered having children of my own?" Jeremiah said again for himself, unconsciously bringing a hand to his lower stomach. The thought had never crossed his mind over the years, not for the idea that he might not be fit to bring a life into the world, but the notion of a child of his own never quite sat with him.

The years with his previous partners had been happy — on the surface — and never had a moment arose where the idea of a child came forth. However, Min-jae's query sat tangled in the focus of Jeremiah's mind now, and the moment spent between him and Min-jae played over in his head in fine detail; how much he'd enjoyed himself, the strokes, how his body had opened up, and how Min-jae had opened him up like only an expert could.

There was also the sensation of feeling as the other dhampir had filled him to the brim with a flood of his essence, and Jeremiah mulled over the potential of his genetic makeup.

In the years before, never had there been a scare or thought that Jeremiah might start the process of conceiving a child with anyone, but that was merely for the fact that he'd never once been on the receiving end of an intimate moment.

Min-jae, as he'd come to see, was the only person to ever touch him and furnish his body in a manner that could lead to the conception of something more. Why the thought hadn't come to him sooner, Jeremiah was unsure, but suddenly there was an anxiousness building, and he wasn't sure how to process this prospect.

"How would I know?" Jeremiah asked, but while the question was spoken aloud, it was for himself, and he couldn't provide an immediate answer if he wanted to.

"Know what?" Min-jae returned his focus.

Gliding his hand away from his lower abdomen, Jeremiah shook his head with a smile. "It's nothing," he said, wanting to but still unable to put it out of his head.

After some minutes roaming the boutique and allowing his brother's to make their purchases, Jeremiah followed their usual routine whenever visiting this strip of shops. The boys liked to explore lots of the family-owned stores for anything new, and as the minutes turned into an hour, an hour into two, Jeremiah and Min-jae followed the boys to their last and favorite destination: Mercury's Bookshop.

With it being a little past 5:00pm now and the pathway could get quite dark during sunset despite its lanterns, certain establishments began to close once the sun was on its way down, but Mercury's Bookshop and a few other cafes kept their doors open regardless.

There weren't as many people now, which lessened the human vibrations in the atmosphere, and it made for a bit more of a comfortable outing now that the impulses were also dying down.

Stopping at the entry of the bookshop, Avery turned to Jeremiah; Sebastian, Gabriel, and Lysander had already made their way in. The pretty dhampir looked a bit undecided on whether to enter, chewing his bottom lip with a question sitting at the tip of his tongue.

"What's wrong?" Jeremiah asked. "You know you can talk to me."

Avery's eyes moved between the two before him, and he tugged Jeremiah's arm so they wouldn't block the doorway. "I was thinking…of what you said about Cedric. How would I even go about getting Cedric to like me in the first place? I just — I like Cedric so much, but since he's so emotionally abnormal, I can't imagine him ever wanting to be in a relationship with an yone…let alone me. Do you think there's anything I can say or do to know if he could like me? I want what you guys have…with him."

Jeremiah and Min-jae stood speechless as Avery's plea settled in, and when they shared a look, Jeremiah brought his eyes to his brother, but when he opened his mouth, Min-jae said, "I can only assume ‘emotionally abnormal' means he doesn't show much emotion, but I'm sure if there is anything at all he might feel for you in the future, simply asking him might help you understand what's going on in his head. The way you talk about him, you must spend a lot of time together, so even if he doesn't express himself much or ever, there's got to be something in his head regarding you. Do you have any reason to think he doesn't at least acknowledge you?"

Avery thought for a second, "No, I don't think so. What I really like about Cedric is that he's a good listener. I don't know if he likes to, but he always listens to me when I talk about whatever and rambling about stupid things, and he's always willing to stay with me until he goes back home." Avery looked toward the floor, embarrassment catching up with him. "I'm still young, but I know I love him, y'know?"

Gesturing for Avery to come closer, Jeremiah took his brother's face in his hands and smiled. "You look so in love right now; I wouldn't be surprised if Cedric already knows. But I think what Min-jae said will be something good to remember. Cedric and Lucius are...different, for sure, but even with their detachment from what seems like the entire world, everyone has thoughts and opinions, so even if they don't speak about what they're feeling outright, I'm sure Cedric knows exactly how he feels about the people around him. But," Jeremiah narrowed his eyes at his brother, "you are too young, so don't you dare try to put the moves on him for another couple of years. Father could ban you from ever seeing him again."

A sneaky, proud smile came to Avery then. "I won't," he said when Jeremiah unhanded him. "Promise! Oh, and you don't have to follow us if you want to wait somewhere. I know Father basically told you to watch over us so nothing would happen like last time, but I promise I'll be more aware of my surroundings and stick close to everyone. You know Gabriel and Lysander will be here a while anyway."

"Are you sure?" Jeremiah asked, and when Avery nodded assuredly, he glanced at the cafe across the path. "We'll be there when you're finished."

After watching Avery enter the bookshop, Jeremiah and Min-jae stepped into the cafe directly across the way. There were still patrons inside, most being young adults, and the atmosphere was mellow with vibes of comfort as low, soulful folk music played from overhead.

As this place was somewhere he and his brothers frequented, the baristas immediately recognized Jeremiah and welcomed him. "Want anything?" he asked Min-jae. "I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but they have other options, too."

"Do they have blood here?"

Jeremiah nearly shushed Min-jae when the question left his mouth, but when he looked around and not a single pair of eyes were on them, he quickly took Min-jae's hand and they stepped back out into the shopping strip.

"You can't speak about it so openly," Jeremiah said, keeping his voice down, and he pulled Min-jae off to the side. "Places like the one I took you for your first taste exist all over the world, but they're places we can't let the general population uncover."

"Sorry," Min-jae apologized. "After you left me at Ms. Choi's coven, I was so preoccupied with thoughts of you that I neglected to feed myself anything, blood or otherwise."

While very much endearing that he could occupy Min-jae's thoughts to the point of losing focus on other more important matters such as hunger, Jeremiah tried to hold back a proud smile, but before he could bring forth a suggestion, he was interrupted when the bell of the cafe rang.

The usual barista that worked at this time emerged, a bashfulness warming her face as she stepped out between them. She was the same girl Sebastian had braved talking to not long ago. "Sorry," she said to Jeremiah, letting the door close behind her, and the softness of her meek voice told of how nervous she was to open her mouth. "I don't mean to bother, but I thought I might let you know something we've been dealing with here."

Jeremiah looked from the girl to Min-jae who stepped around her to stand beside him. It wasn't like he'd never spoken to the girl before, but never about anything other than what drinks he and Sebastian would order. He doubted she even knew his name since he'd never given it out.

"I'm so sorry," she said with a nervous laugh. "This is weird. But ever since your last visit here with your brother, we've been getting a customer that keeps asking about you. They seemed to know you and since you would come in often, we said you'd likely be by at some point. You haven't been back in a little while, but they've been coming almost every evening."

"What do they look like?" Jeremiah asked.

There was no one in the world he could think of that would ever come looking for him here, making his immediate thought turn to the single encounter he'd had with a member of the Public. He'd sent her away with a warning; not entirely for his desire for her to leave him alone, but he'd wanted to save from the possibility of her or any Public member ever discovering his brothers. Their safety and the safety of everyone considered to be a part of his family would always mean more to him than his own.

If the Public wanted to put an open target on his back, Jeremiah wouldn't shy away from laughing in their faces if they thought they could frighten him.

"She's quite pretty and has dark hair," the barista answered. "Blue eyes and she has tons of freckles. I thought she might be some kind of stalker with how persistent she's been, so I figured I'd warn just in case she's someone you wouldn't want to be around. Coming by to look for you every night seemed like crazy stalker potential. Mad girlfriend, maybe?" She chuckled then and the mere mention of a potential girlfriend brought a foul taste to Min-jae's mouth.

"She's no girlfriend of mine," Jeremiah answered, the words bringing assurance to the Korean dhampir. "When does she usually show up?"

"After sundown," the girl said. "She waits at our counter like she's expecting you even after all these nights of nothing. Now that the sun has set, I wouldn't be surprised if she walked in at any moment."

"I see," Jeremiah hummed in thought. "How's about you do me a proper favor in keeping my being here to yourself? Can you do that for me?"

A flush touched the girl's cheeks, and she nodded.

When she returned to her post at the cafe's counter, Jeremiah looked around the pathway and toward the entry door of the bookshop. He could see the boys inside enjoying the store and themselves, and Jeremiah didn't want whatever it seemed this night was turning into to ruin their outing. Simply leaving to avoid an encounter was also something Jeremiah didn't necessarily want. He had to find out what she wanted since she seemed stupid enough to return for him after what threat he'd given last time.

"Min-jae," Jeremiah called, and he tugged the Korean dhampir's sleeve. "Let me borrow your hoodie."

"You're going to meet with her?" Min-jae questioned, tone already telling of his desire for Jeremiah to do the exact opposite of whatever he was plotting. "I don't think that's a good idea. Your father already seems worried about you, and he may not like the idea of you getting into potential trouble here."

"I won't argue with you on that," Jeremiah said. "He'll likely be more than angry, but I need to know."

There was a stubborn glint in Jeremiah's eyes, one sitting so bright that his sights could not be pried from this determination. Pulling the black hoodie up and over his head, Min-jae handed it over and watched Jeremiah adorn it.

The strength of Min-jae's pleasant scent was imprinted into the material, and the manner in which it bathed Jeremiah's nose in its richness almost took him by surprise. Min-jae's distinctiveness was so personal as Jeremiah breathed it in, but he tried to not allow it to consume him. There was, however, something in Min-jae's fragrance that compelled Jeremiah.

Suddenly it was familiar.

"You smell like home," Jeremiah said out of the blue, and then he quickly corrected himself. "I mean, your home. Saengsacho. You smell like it."

"Do I?" Min-jae asked. "Maybe because I've lived there my whole life?"

"You're sure you've never consumed anything from the Pyrenean?" Jeremiah asked, but he determined his own answer since Min-jae already stated he wasn't familiar with pain. For something so calamitous to smell so wondrous was unfortunate, given the smell of Min-jae alone, or the Pyrenean itself, carried a tranquil spoor Jeremiah quite liked.

"Never mind it," Jeremiah said, "Go to my brothers for now. Tell them I'm fine if they start to question, and if this woman doesn't show up in the next twenty or so minutes, I'll join you."

"Fine, but I don't like this…" Min-jae interjected. "If your brothers question me too much, I'll have to come out with it. I'm not a good liar."

Jeremiah nodded and pulled the hood up over his head. He took a seat at the cafe counter where the baristas seemed to equally anticipate what would happen if this woman showed her face again, and not ten minutes later did the door come open. A portion of the wall behind the counter was a mirror, and Jeremiah caught the reflection of the familiar woman as she took a seat two stools over.

Just as she had during their first brush, she looked so regular, certainly not like someone with ties to a world built up by the Slayer Public. Wearing a long, tan coat and dark pants, her boots were likely steel-toed, and her dark hair was raked out of her face.

When approached by one of the baristas, the woman said, "Any sign of him?"

The feather of her voice sounded hopeful, like a woman anxiously awaiting a potential date. Before the barista could come up with any falsehoods, Jeremiah looked her way, and he said, "I thought I made it clear you weren't my type."

She shot up from her seat as if she'd been hoping he'd never show. Without any words of protest, Jeremiah took the woman by her arm and flashed a grateful smile at the baristas before stepping out with her. Her footsteps were willing as she followed, and he led them into the same alley they'd come across each other before.

When Jeremiah unhanded her, he pushed the cover of Min-jae's hood away from his face and looked her over. Her confidence had to be in the mud, what with this striking trepidation taking hold of her, so much that Jeremiah found himself a bit disappointed in her trembling.

"What were you hoping to get out of this?" Jeremiah posed the question sitting with himself as well. Avoidance was likely better, but he wanted to know her purpose; what she was looking for. "Go on, I'll listen."

Seeing as her eyes switched to the surveillance camera posted in the side street, Jeremiah looked toward the camera. "The world," she said, meeting his eyes again. "It's always watching."

"That, it is," Jeremiah nodded. "Since you know my face so well, and my father's, you know what potential wrath would come your way if you lay a hand on me. Not that I need protection. Oddly enough, you and your world are the ones reliant on my father's disposition. You have your Councilmen, your governments, and your pride; all those things wear thin when you continue to prod the wrong people, and I can assure you, you're on the edge of a very steep cliff."

The woman's eyes darted to the camera again .

"What's your task?" Jeremiah demanded.

"Confirmation," she answered.

Confirmation for what?

Jeremiah would have asked, but he was focused on the movement of the woman's hands. She pulled down the collar of her shirt and pinned to the neckline of her undershirt appeared to be a mini microphone.

The moment Jeremiah realized, two additional pairs of footsteps entered the dark alley: two pale-skinned men wearing black knitted hats and dark attire. One entered from the front as another appeared behind Jeremiah. Despite the city's watchful eye, the man out of view clutched a blade for himself as the light in his eyes dripped with resolve.

"You're making a mistake," Jeremiah said. "You either make the first move and die or drop your weapons and return to whoever gave you such a stupid task."

When the woman began to back away and bolted from the alley, the two men approached anyhow, and Jeremiah flexed his fingers as his own dagger-like talons came forth.

The idea of taking these two up on their challenge didn't sit too well with Jeremiah, but that was more for the fact that — while the sun was down, and shadows casted themselves every which way — the city was still considered a bit too alive to think they wouldn't be spotted.

Then again, they asked for this. Even if Jeremiah decided not to kill them and merely rough them up, he would make sure they regretted trying to corner him like wounded prey beneath a predator's scowl.

With agility on his side, Jeremiah was able to smile as he avoided the effort these men put forth to so much as touch him. He kept his grapples and punches light, knocking them to their bottoms time and time again. They both wielded lengthy blades they eagerly tried to drive into him, and as nothing thrown at him landed as accurately as they wanted, Jeremiah figured he'd wasted enough time fooling around. He needed to get back to his brothers and Min-jae soon.

As Jeremiah was stalked by the Public slayers, he caught one by the throat when they lunged once more and quickly pressed his fingers against a nerve that stole the man's consciousness.

Just as the man's body crumbled to the ground, Jeremiah was about to do the same to the other when his name reeled in his attention. Sebastian stood at the head of the alley on his own, having escaped Min-jae's line of sight after not getting a straightforward answer as to where Jeremiah was.

"There's more of you?" the other slayer said, enthusiasm and conceit in his gruff voice. "All the more to do away with."

Jeremiah had been the only one they'd come looking for, but unearthing another lethal being would be great information to take with him once this brawl was over; the brilliant twinkle in the slayer's eyes showed his excitement for this discovery.

From the diversion brought on by Sebastian's arrival, the slayer rushed for Jeremiah, and he ruthlessly shoved the destructive blade up into Jeremiah's gut.

Stunned by the sharp pang suddenly rippling through his lower stomach, Jeremiah resisted the urge to scream and clenched his teeth, eyes stinging when the blade was twisted in deeper.

The moment Sebastian shouted for him, Jeremiah's white, soulless eyes bore into the slayer, features shifting as his true nature came forth in his visage. He grabbed the man by his face and hissed ferociously, shoving back with all of his might until the man's skull burst against the brick wall behind him.

"Jeremiah!" Sebastian darted into the alley, catching his brother's weight before he could stumble.

There was a venomous heat rising from Jeremiah, a temperature so smoldering and dangerous that Sebastian nearly feared his brother might remain buried in his aches and rage.

Jeremiah looked upon his brother, the shift in his appearance remaining a moment longer as the fluctuations of his inner turmoil reeled itself in.

"I'm fine," Jeremiah steadied his breathing and he held a hand to the wound. The black of the hoodie hid the stain of blood, but the smell of it greatly overwhelmed Sebastian. "Don't look," Jeremiah said when the young dhampir almost turned to take in the corpse left to fall.

"Father's going to be angry, isn't he?" Sebastian said.

"Oh, undoubtedly," Jeremiah's breath shook, and his legs nearly gave out. He took a minute to steady himself as the impossibly gradual process of healing began. "But I couldn't let him see you," he went on. "I would protect you with everything in me, Sebastian. You and everyone I love matter more to me than my own life ever will. You all are my purpose."

Sebastian watched his brother's profile, how Jeremiah swallowed each wince from this slow-fading and wretched affliction. "Don't say it like that," the young dhampir said, and they were met outside of the bookshop by Min-jae and the rest of the boys.

"I'm fine," Jeremiah tried to comfort before shock could take over, but even as this wound was nowhere near as dreadful as the last, the level of fret building from the ground up swamped Jeremiah's consciousness, and he collapsed into Min-jae's hold.