Behind his dimpled smile and sugary eyes lies a past of hardships. Zee lives aimlessly, hopping from job to job, unable to keep stable employment. But when he is invited to take a position at the prestigious Haven Hotel, Zee's life changes from a le...
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The amber sun cast heavy shadows on Nunew's face, his wrinkles looking deeper as his skin glowed golden. Zee sighed, running his hand into his hair. He stared at the two vampires in front of him and clicked his tongue.
"This is truly a mess."
James nodded, "We... Vampires—we try to do our best to hide in the shadows. We have been persecuted in history. But we now also hold extreme power in the shadows as well. Any wrong move can cost us the standing we have, our safety, and even our lives. We aren't supposed to involve too many humans in our business. But..."
Zee crossed his legs, "It seems like Adisorn doesn't think that way. He seems to use any and every person he can for his goals. Whether he breaks rules or unspoken tradition, it seems like no one can truly stop him."
NuNew nodded, "He... Adisorn is... He is a fearless man. A fearsome man." He swallowed hard, "Nat... after Adisorn killed his parents, he planted Nat's father. Nat's father was caught trying to have his mother turn him into a vampire and had nearly lost his value. So he was killed and planted."
The room went quiet. The golden gleaming beams made Nunew's shadows look cold and chilly, even if the heat of the rays were warm.
"Nat was raised alongside me. He was older than I by a few decades, so he practically was my older brother. But..." he clamped down on his bottom lip, "He was never treated like my brother. Adisorn treated him no better than a servant. His only purpose for being in our home was to be monitored."
NuNew's lips quivered like he was restraining his anger. James shook his head and stared up at Zee, "I met New and Nat a few dozen years ago. I was just beginning my work at Haven and Nat had recently moved out. Adisorn allowed him to work as a custodian at Haven, given he never ran away. New had been..."
"I'd been refusing to work at Haven for years. I didn't want any part of it. I didn't want to inherit this safehouse."
Zee wrinkled his brows, "Safehouse?"
James nibbled his own lip, running his fingertips on his nails, "Haven... I'm sure you're noticed most of the clientele are vampires?"
"Obviously."
"It's... it's more than a hotel that just caters to vampires," James stole a glance toward Nunew. Then he sighed, "It serves as a place for Food Partners to engage in feedings. But more than that, Haven is where Seeds are distributed and where... experiments take place."
"Ex– experiments?" Zee's eyes widened, "I– I thought experiments took place at the hospital—"
"They are," James confirmed, "But... the hospital handles experiments regarding Seeds. Haven... experiments on Blood Seeds and hybrids."
Zee glanced over to Nunew, but he looked away, "What do you mean?"
James rubbed his face roughly with his palms. He sighed, "The Elders are aware of his experiments on Blood Seeds. In fact they turn their faces from it, because they need Blood Seeds. The Hybrids... the Elders aren't aware of it yet."
