Bloodsworn (MxM)

Chapter 17

The lack of protestors outside the Capillary should have been the dead giveaway. The stale air added to Rowan's apprehension about going through Julien's plan to investigate Anton. It wasn't that Rowan disagreed with Julien's suspicions, but he could tell when they were walking into a trap. The quiet and sour smell had all his senses on edge. He was glad they had enough time to grab Rowan's complete set of knives before heading out into the city.

Thankfully, Julien could also sense the danger and snuck around buildings surrounding the Capillary instead of charging in immediately. He thought of approaching the front door, but with the lack of humans and other civilians nearby, Julien didn't know what to make of it. He led Rowan toward the back entrance, remaining in an alleyway to watch for movement.

They waited for what felt like an hour, occasionally checking the other surrounding buildings for signs of life.

It was a ghost town. Even with their advanced hearing, neither of them could sense anyone nearby. Julien was getting antsier by the minute, often running his fingers through his hair or picking at his fingernails in agitation. He was quiet, and that unnerved Rowan more than the silent town.

Julien, however, was elsewhere. His mind wandered in the unusual silence, uncertainty and curiosity plaguing his thoughts. Had Anton murdered humans in there? Had he drained and disposed of the protestors? Was Julien wrong and the reports indeed were clean and accurate? Maybe he should've stayed put in the castle and done nothing-who was he to question someone who fed him and his family for centuries?

But as time passed, his thoughts strayed from Anton, and he focused on the man beside him. He knew Rowan was reserved and prided himself in his job as a guard, but there was more to him-he had shown that side of him briefly in private after the candle fiasco. His vulnerability, his desire to pretend and mask himself. To protect this hardened image of himself to forget his past.

Julien may be younger but he'd seen what doing that does to people. He was never close to his eldest siblings, but he knows the repercussions grief and a troubled past can have. He'd seen it with Mikhail and Laurent. The stories of Owain's death still haunted them.

Julien may never uncover all of Rowan's past, but he knew enough that his experiences had shaped him. From his family's death to the way Rowan hated his birth name, Julien hoped there was at least some good in those memories. He hoped that whatever caused Rowan's weird hangup over relationships wasn't traumatic. Julien hoped maybe there was a chance that-

"You're quiet," Rowan finally broke the silence. His arms were crossed as he leaned against a building wall. "It is unlike you."

Julien blinked. "Just thinking."

Julien almost expected a smart-ass comment. Instead, Rowan tilted his head. "About?"

He could've lied and told him it was about Anton. It was the logical thing to say-most likely, the right thing. But Julien had a knack for not being rational at all. When else would he have the opportunity? "Have you ever considered being bloodsworn to someone?"

"No."

Julien expected that from his guard, but it didn't stop the slight disappointment in his chest. He forced a smile, looking out back to the street.

"Is it because it's an intimacy thing?" Julien hedged eventually. When Rowan didn't respond, he sighed. "Look, in most instances, I'm sure that's what most people engage in while becoming bloodsworn; I don't think it's a requirement. If I'm not mistaken, merely exchanging blood solidifies it."

"So I've heard as well."

"So," Julien drawled. "Is it the idea of being stuck with a person? Or is it the drinking from a vein thing an issue? I'm sure there's a way you could drain their blood and drink it from a glass or a bag like you're horrid B+ blood. It's not like you'd have to have sex with them, you know?"