Never wake a Dragon (on hold)

2. part I - preparations

Please note that I have revised the first two chapters and that if you read this note, there will be some inconsistencies ahead. Nothing major, though, and I plan to amend asap.  

Adeem hated Christmas—partly because humans decided to decorate absolutely everything with needles and figurines. But perhaps Christmas wouldn't be so bad if not for the constant reminder of how important it was to treasure your family and loved ones. Clearly, these people had never met his family.

Tense from head to toe at the unwelcome thoughts of his parents, he watched the clouds turn pink as the sun slipped beneath the horizon. It wasn't late, but Stockholm never got much light during the dark winter months. It was an added plus for those who didn't like to venture out during the days.

He backed into the kitchen, pouring a cup of coffee to pass the time. He'd sent a message to Nev an hour ago when his patience had run out, but it had been useless to expect a response until the sun vanished from sight.

Staring at the screen, he began to pace across the cold hardwood floor. Hopefully, Nev would realize his duty as a friend and knock on the door within the next half hour. If not, he would make sure to drag the vampire to the Archive and let him stew alone at the Guardian's inauguration. It was a fucking travesty that they were both forced to attend tonight's festivities. The phone call from the secretary, with a personal invitation from the dragon, was one of the worst things that had happened during the year—and that said a lot, considering it was 2016. The year had been quite bad for more or less everyone, paranormals included.

Whenever there was unrest in the human world, things tended to happen on the paranormal side as well. The Nighters made a fair point when they claimed the Council of Guardians held too much power. Their not too secret wish to start a rebellion had merit, but any attempts were doomed to fail. At least they brought some attention to the idiots who sat on their tall thrones and called themselves the pillars of light in a darkening world. The Council's message might have been humorous, if not for the fact that many paranormals bought the propaganda. They were was a corrupt bunch, no doubts about it. It didn't help that his parents were a part of it.

The coffee tasted burnt on his tongue, but he gulped down the rest and refilled the cup. He would need all the focus he could get if he wanted to live through the entire ceremony. If the dragon got another whiff of his pitch-black mood and slipping control, he could say goodbye to a peaceful life in Stockholm. Most likely, he would be forced to relocate somewhere remote to avoid the wrath of the Council, and not only that, he might have to spend another decade or so beneath their radar until they decided he wasn't a danger anymore. He'd done it before, but with today's technology, it would be ten times harder to stay hidden.

Nev didn't even knock. The vampire simply walked inside the apartment and threw his jacket on the chair by the door. "Your mood reeks. I could sense it from the street."

"Fabulous," he replied and gulped down more coffee.

"Did you get a Christmas card?"

"You know I did. Every year, without fault."

At least Nev had the grace to hide the pity. The vampire walked slowly across the floor and slumped on the couch. "So, what did your lovely parents write this time?"

"Don't call them lovely."

Nev threw out his arms in frustration. "Jeez, it was a joke." The snippy mood was still disconcerting.

"We don't joke about them."

"Right. Did I ever tell you about my family? That the vampire who created me decided to kill them?" It was a tragic story, but dead parents couldn't interfere and make your life a living hell. Dead parents didn't use you for their own gain. At least Nev could remember them fondly.