BANE

CHAPTER TWELVE - BURN (Part 1)

"Are those photo albums?" Victor lounged on the living room couch while he sipped at his coffee and the two thick brown books caught his eye almost immediately.

"Yeah. What about them?"

"Where'd they come from?"

"A box in the closet. What kind of question is that?" Corbin settled into his usual chair.

"I meant, why do you have them out all of a sudden? I thought you didn't like looking at this stuff."

"I don't... but Holden wanted to see them. All of his family photos were destroyed in the fire, so he asked to see these. I figured we could look through them when he wakes up, if he still feels up to it."

"You say he got sick out of nowhere?"

"Yeah, he was shaking, sweating, and even threw up... but seemed to recover quickly. Hopefully some sleep helps, thankfully we don't work tonight. I hope you don't mind skipping today's workout."

"Nah, it's good. I work out at the base most days, I just started this to get him back in shape after losing all that weight before he came here. He's in great shape now... Though I guess I don't have to tell you that."

"I've noticed." Corbin grinned.

"Settle down, boy."

Both men laughed. "Hey," Corbin began. "Has he been asking you any strange questions lately?"

"Holden? Not that I can think of. What's up?"

"I think this business with Lorelei getting Gordan to attack him is really messing with his head. He's been so fixated on finding out what he is and what they want with him... He keeps meeting with Lorelei and Stella, and apparently he asked Birgitta and Lucas a bunch of questions recently too."

"Lucas? The creepy butcher? Since when are they close?"

"They're not... Apparently." Corbin grimaced.

"What does that mean?"

"It's probably nothing, but... Last time I went in there, he asked me something about Holden's family. It struck me as odd, but I assumed that they'd befriended each other to some extent since Holden has to go in there so often... But then today he said he'd never told Lucas anything about his family..."

"I don't really know the guy myself, since I have no real need to go into that place of his, but Callie and Birdie tell me things sometimes. Seems Birdie knows him the best since they've both been here for so long and she's got a much more intense need for blood than your kind does."

"Does anyone know what Lucas really is? He's not the same as Birgitta, is he?"

"Nah. Her species has a pretty uniform look -- white hair, pale skin, black eyes -- I know he's pale and maybe he has black eyes, and Birdie used to mask her appearance with a wig and coloured contacts so it's not completely unreasonable... But he seems like something different. She definitely would have mentioned it if he was the same as her. What I do know is he's probably, if not the last neutral party in this city. If Stella knows about Holden's past, there's a chance she has blabbed to him, or at least it has gotten through the grapevine to him."

"Apparently Birgitta warned Holden to stay away from him. Do you know why?"

"Birdie, Stella, and Lucas have all been around here for a long time... I couldn't even begin to guess at everything that has happened between them over the years. Gordie might know, since she talks to him about everything and he's been around longer than Callie and I."

"I don't really want to see that guy right now."

"He didn't have a choice about hurting Holden, you know? If anything, you should be grateful that he purposely chose a time and place where he knew Holden could get immediate help. Gordan didn't want to hurt him. Despite the bad first impression, he really likes Holden now. Might be the first friend his actual age that Gordie has ever had."