Realm of the Rogues

Chapter LVI

We don't step more than two steps outside the threshold of the shop before Dom eagerly folds out the little note. He holds it so that I can read along with him. It doesn't say much, however, just a phone number and then a little drawing of a... bearded man?.. In the corner. Dom chuckles, however, and as he sees my confused expression, he just points to the drawing.

"That's him - Alasdair - he always did doodle every time he got the chance," he explains to me and then gets that far away look like he is reliving some old memories while smiling to himself.

"Well, he looks like a cuddle bear," I retort, which only makes Dom laugh more.

"Haha, yeah, if only you knew! He's a big and brawny man, even before he turned vampire, with a large red beard - last I saw him at least. He is like a big grizzly bear, who actually wants to be hugged and cuddled." His description makes me smile, vividly imagining the guy, even though I have never met him. 

"Well, let's call him!" I say, and Dom can only nod at that before beginning to walk off. We encounter a young man out walking not long after, and Dom stops him as we approach. The guy pulls out something from his ears, and I hear faint music coming from them. He lifts his eyebrows in question at Dom.

"Can we borrow your phone?" Dom asks, but the guy only makes a weird annoyed expression, as if that's improper to ask. He motions to put back the thing in his ears and walk off, but Dom stops him before he does.

"You will borrow us your phone," he then commands, and the guy hands over his phone without question. I roll my eyes but aren't really surprised, as Dom walks over to me, phone in hand. He quickly taps in the numbers from the note and presses call and then speaker. It rings for quite a while and then goes to voicemail. Dom looks annoyed at this but then calls again. Same thing. Only on the fourth call does someone pick up.

"What?" an annoyed and very deep voice barks out. Immediately Dom's face lights up, and I'm sure it must be Alasdair.

"Alasdair?" Dom asks in an excited voice. It's quiet for some time before the voice speaks again.

"John?" the voice asks in a more hopeful voice, and then Dom smiles even more. I'm a bit confused about that.

"It's Domhnall now, but yeah, it's me," he says, now more cocky like his usual self.

"Well I'll be damned," Alasdair replies through the speaker with laughter in his voice.

"Were ye at?" he then asks, and Dom answers with the name of the city.

"Alright, go to that old hotel a wee bit outside Wishaw - The Bonkle House - I'm braw friends wi' the innkeeper. I'll be there in an hour or two," then Alasdair hangs up. Dom quickly opens the map app and locates this Bonkle House, which is not that far away. He then hands back the phone to the guy with a nod. The guy shakes his head in confusion, and then hurries away, glancing back over his shoulder at us once.

Dom is smirking as he in an exaggerated motion holds out his hand for me to take, as if I'm some royal queen. I'm used to his shenanigans at this point, so I just take his hand with a roll of my eyes. What I'm not prepared for, however, is him swinging me onto his back in a quick motion and then speeding off.

A second later we are back at the car. This time Dom decides to drive, and that's alright with me since that quick sprint left me a bit motion-sick. Dom starts the car and drives out of the parking lot, seeming like he knows the exact route, even though he only looked at the map for a second.

We reach the Bonkle House after a small drive. It's a stunning old building made of stone, and it makes me wonder if it has been here since Dom was a child. I then suddenly remember how Alasdair had called him John, which still seems a bit funny to me. I would never have imagined that such a scruffy and sarcastic man as Dom could be called anything so ordinary as John. It makes me snort in amusement to my self, prompting Dom to look over at me with a raised eyebrow.