Wings in the Dark

Chapter 28: One Step Forward, One Step Back

*Reader's POV*

Feeling guilty that Levi was getting no explanation about what was going on yet, you gestured for Emery to follow you and started making your way back through the winding streets of the city. You didn't have destinations in mind, yet, just goals of what you needed to get done. Levi was following from a distance up above–you could hear the ODM gear working a fair distance away as he tried to stay upwind and keep you in view. You'd explain things to him before doing anything, but right now you were wary about leaving Emery alone, so Levi was going to have to trust you and wait.

"What's that noise?" Emery asked, sounding skittish and ready to bolt.

Shit, it seems Levi was close enough to be heard by Emery, too, despite how new and inexperienced he was. As long as he stayed far enough away Emery didn't smell his blood, they were still okay.

"Don't worry about it."

"It might be the Garrison soldiers though," Emery started to panic.

"It's not, they're with me. Just in case there was trouble," you informed him, keeping an eye on the road ahead of you. "He's probably trying to figure out what the change of plans are."

"Why don't you just tell him?" Emery asked, head on a swivel trying to spot the source of the ODM noise. Levi sure as hell knew how to stealth. If you weren't vampires you wouldn't even be able to hear the ODM, and the younger of the two of you couldn't spot him even when he knew he was there.

"Because I'm not comfortable with you getting too close to him. Physically. Not yet, anyway. It could end badly, and he's already got trepidations about this, I doubt almost getting attacked would help."

"Attacked...he's human?" Emery asked in shock. You weren't sure if it was shock that your chosen backup was human, that a human was keeping track of and largely stealthing around two vampires, or that you kept company with someone human and they were likely aware of what you were.

"Yes, he is. Then it's understandable why I'd rather he kept his distance, no?"

Actually, no, Emery still seemed a little confused...which could be explained by the fact he hadn't caught wind of Levi's blood. Not yet, anyway. "It's hard for me to keep from biting him sometimes, and I'm used to being around him and have several years on you for experience controlling my bloodlust. I'm not comfortable with him being around you. Not yet, anyway," you clarified, hopefully before he could take offense.

"You don't want me to attack him," Emery said in a quiet voice. You were suddenly painfully aware of the blood on his shirt–you both were. He wasn't wrong, it was what you were trying to avoid.

"You're right. I can't take that risk right now. You don't have the control to be around him. But we'll work on that. Among other things. First, we need to get you cleaned up, and find you somewhere safe to stay. Then we'll talk about lessons and helping you...adjust."

"You're planning on taking me in as some kind of student?"

"I don't know what to call it, but I am going to help you. Take you under my wing, so to speak," you finished in a murmur, ducking into an alley that had laundry hanging low between the two houses. You fisted one of the shirts to see if it was dry, pleased to find that this line, at least, was. "First...something clean to wear."

"These are someone else's clothes," Emery said in befuddlement as you skipped past the dress, nightgown, and blanket to a button up that looked large enough to fit him, pulling it off the line and looking for a pair of pants that seemed the right size, or at least something he could tie a rope around to make fit until you could get something else.