Blood Thirsty

Ch. 13: This is childish

Pinching his nose, Anthony tried not to gag as he swallowed Knox's blood. From the source, Knox tasted like sunshine and happiness. Out of an IV bag, Knox's blood after days of sitting in a refrigerator tasted more stable than dust, tasted like the dirt at the bottom of Flynn's heel.

He stood hunched over the bathroom sink just in case he couldn't keep the old blood down. He glanced at the mirror, at the stain on his lips. His eyes were still dark, no red, but his complexion looked gray and sick. He should send Bertie to town for some make-up. No one could know the future king was weak.

There was a knock on the door. "Hello? Who is it?" Anthony asked, slightly confused. This was his personal bathroom.

"It's Knox," he said, and Anthony withheld a sigh. He'd spent the last week building up his defenses against this man. This was the true test of making sure his heart didn't waver.

"Come in." Anthony gripped the edge of the sink, watching Knox spill inside. Anthony kept his face as neutral as possible. He couldn't let Knox charm him any more than he already had. Anthony was setting himself up for failure with a man who probably didn't even keep him in his top five people of importance. Anthony couldn't keep doing this to himself. He had to save his heart for someone that was going to think he mattered.

Knox opened the door but kept his safe distance at the door of the bathroom.

"Have I done something to offend you?" Knox asked.

"No," Anthony said, which was true. Knox has done nothing out of the ordinary. He was as normal as possible. Anthony was the one with the problem. He was crazy. He threw it back at his fiancé, glancing at him through the mirror. "Why? Have you done something wrong?"

"I don't believe so, but..." Knox had donned a simple tweed blazer with brown wool pants. Anthony noticed the new watch on his wrist, its brown leather matching the rest of the ensemble. He looked as suave as a British spy and it drove Anthony crazy the way he thought it'd be fun to take it all off, piece by piece. It'd look so good on the bedroom floor too.

Obviously, Anthony's mental strength training failed.

Knox crossed his arms. "But I'm sensitive to changes. Unexpected changes make me uneasy."

Anthony didn't speak to avoid exposing himself. He stepped from the mirror, double and triple checking for any trace of blood. His lips had a tinge of extra redness, but maybe people that barely saw him wouldn't even notice. Anthony wasn't sure if it was on purpose, but Anthony and Knox matched. Anthony's suit was in a similar light brown hue. Someone might think they coordinated, which was a little much and enough grounds for someone like his sister Bianca to make fun of him.

"For one," Knox began to explain with the patience of a preschool teacher. "You've stolen my assistant. I don't know how you convinced Milan to do your dirty work."

"Dirty work implies I've done something wrong," Anthony pointed out and the smile Knox made Anthony's stomach hit the floor. He was already blushing.

"My implication stands. You're avoiding me in the halls. You tell me only at the last minute about a party at a hotel in town I've never heard of to find out it's actually somewhere else. Sounds like a wild goose chase to me. Milan, again my assistant, just told me to get ready. No other information provided. I don't like not having a concrete plan."

"You sound crazy."

"You also requested my blood in IV bags. Put on ice." Knox grimaced like his stomach was queasy. "So..." Knox lifted from the doorway, threatening Anthony by closing their distance. The air in this bathroom shifted and Anthony gripped the counter tighter. "I'll ask again. Have I done something to offend you?"