Haruka lazily opens his eyes to look at him. “Sure.”
Nino takes a deep breath, his hands trembling. He holds the bench a little tighter. As a general rule, he never talks about this. He doesn’t usually need to, because everyone he’s grown up with already knows. “When I ignored the invitations to the confirmation, it was because I was scared.”
Sitting perfectly still, Haruka is calm as he watches with heavy lids. “Scared of…?”
“Being around so many ranked vampires in an isolated place. One of the benefits in my moving to England was that there weren’t as many high-level vampires here. I… I know that sounds weird because I’m a high-level vampire, but—”
Nino takes another breath. He’s dawdling. He needs to get to the point. “When I was little, my uncle used to force feed from me.”
Haruka doesn’t move at all, but something in his expression shifts. It’s subtle and Nino can’t quite read it, but it’s there. “He—he did it pretty often,” Nino goes on, keeping his breathing even. “I think I was five? Maybe six. The way he did it, he was manipulating me and telling me it was okay for him to do it. I didn’t know any better. But it hurt like hell, him biting me like that.”
Nino rakes his hand through his hair. Haruka slowly sits up straight to lean back against the bench, as if Nino’s movement has given him permission to move as well.
“I know it was more than a hundred years ago…” Nino shakes his head, feeling shamed that he’s still so deeply impacted by the event. “But… I just want you to know before we go to Sussex that I don’t mean to be selfish, or a coward—”
“I would not perceive you in that way,” Haruka says, his eyes more alert. Focused. “Nor have I ever. On the contrary, I feel that you are exceptionally brave… and selfless, given your history. To willingly attend this event and accept my invitation knowing nothing substantial about me. I am impressed by your courage.”
Nino’s chest warms, making him smile. He wishes his brother would see things that way. “When we met, I don’t know… I felt like I could trust you.”
Haruka lifts his hand to rub the back of his neck, shifting his deep brown irises away. If Nino didn’t know any better, he would swear that Haruka was… embarrassed?
“I would never harm or create distress for you,” Haruka says, still avoiding Nino’s eyes. “And thank you… for—for the honor of confiding in me.”
He finally flickers his gaze back at Nino. The hesitation there is so endearing that it only makes Nino’s heart warmer. This sudden, candid shift in Haruka’s otherwise unruffled, diplomatic mask. Nino playfully bumps his knee against Haruka’s underneath the table, making him jump about a mile high.
“Thank you for listening.” Nino smiles, relaxed. “You don’t need to be so formal. It’s awkward.”
Haruka hunches and rubs both palms against his face. Nino laughs. Until now, Haruka has always been so perfectly poised, courteous and composed.
It’s nice… seeing him a little unraveled for once.
Nine
The lake surrounding Hertsmonceux is frozen over, covered with a thin white layer of dusty snow. The slanted rooftops and cylindrical towers reaching up toward the overcast sky also wear a blanket of white. In summer, Haruka imagines the landscape to be beautiful—sweeping green forests, flowers and lively birdsong set against the idyllic brick castle. All of it perfectly reflected within the lake.
But now, the castle feels inhospitable and cold. Watching the imposing structure slowly appear before him makes Haruka wish for nothing more than to turn around and head back to the familiar warmth and comfort of his own home. He sighs. “Grande responsabilité est la suite inséparable d’un grand pouvoir.”
“What does that mean?” Asao says from the driver’s seat, slowly bringing the car to a stop.
“Where there is great power, there is great responsibility.”
Haruka glances out the window at the group of vampires huddled around the grand entrance to the castle.
Asao looks back at him, his brow furrowed. “Why are you quoting Spider-Man in French?”
“Who is ‘Spider-Man’?” Haruka asks, returning his scowl.
Asao slowly shakes his head as he steps out of the car. “You need to get out more—it’s like you do this on purpose. I’m going to find Emory’s manservant to ask if they have blood bags for you. Nino is parked behind us.”
Asao shuts the door. In the muffled silence of the car, Haruka sinks a little lower into his seat. “Nino…”
The pit of Haruka’s stomach had dropped when Nino confided in him about his abuse. The emotional transparency of it caught Haruka off guard.
Verbal consent is vital in order to feed from another adult vampire. One cannot use their incisors to pierce another vampire’s skin without first receiving permission.
Vampire children are still emergent in their unique natures until they reach the age of sixteen, which is when their skin fully hardens. Prior to that, their skin is soft and they are not capable of giving formal consent. Any adult committing this forbidden, gruesome act does so forcefully and purely for selfish, perverse gain.
Nino comes across as charming, kind and optimistic. Haruka would never have guessed that something so cruel and dark lies hidden within the complex fabric of his being. The thought of a young, bright Nino experiencing such abuse makes Haruka’s chest ache.
There is a tap on the glass beside Haruka’s head and he jumps, startled. When he looks, Nino is staring back at him with his bright eyes the color of amber stone. He’s wearing a stylish olive-green parka well suited for his tall frame—the color perfectly offsetting his creamy, honeyed skin tone. He smiles openly with his natural ease and affection as he pulls the door from the outside, gesturing for Haruka to step out of the car.
“You’re not having second thoughts about this, are you?” Nino asks. “Because if you are, I’ll drive the getaway car.”
“They literally have the sex scheduled and written on a piece of paper.” Nino points, leaning into Haruka’s side as they stand together in the midst of old wealth and opulence.
Haruka’s body tenses from his woodsy, cinnamon scent and nearness. “Yes, I see that,” he says, distracted.
“I can’t imagine how much it cost to rent this entire castle out for the weekend. I looked this place up online and it’s not even supposed to be open to the public this time of year.”
“Vampire owned,” Haruka says simply. Within the modern framework of their ancient culture, exceptions are often made for vampires, by vampires. Several years ago, when he’d been living in Paris, Haruka had attended a centennial celebration at the Louvre for a purebred turning four hundred. The event was private and had begun at midnight.
“Hm, that makes sense,” Nino says. “Do you think it’ll take you an hour and a half to read through the contract?”
