Never wake a Dragon (on hold)

4. part II - Denker

The island was just as dark as everything else. Not a single light in sight apart from the fading lanterns drifting into the distance as the ferry retreated. Nev didn't seem to mind, having a better night vision than most. The vampire trotted away with determination only to look over his shoulder. "Are you coming?"

"Yes. Where are we going?" He didn't see a single house around, apart from the small hut where you could sit and wait for the boat. It looked like a miniature house in the traditional Swedish style. Red with white trim. It looked rather out of place, but only because he knew about the head quarters.

The fog was wispier out here, farther from the mainland, and he could almost imagine how the island looked during summer. At this time of the year, with dead grass and depressed pines, the place breathed a sense of dread. Or perhaps that was purely his imagination.

"Come on. It's on the other side of the island." Nev stomped around, lifting his feet after every distinct splash. "I hope you brought good shoes."

He hadn't. He'd been a city dweller for the last century and had no inclination to explore nature beyond the occasional park. "Let's just get this over with," he said and followed Nev's tracks, soaking his shoes in the cold sludge in mere seconds.

They walked along a winding trail between gnarled trees and decaying carpets of blueberry bushes, and if it hadn't been for the path itself, he would have thought they were out in the middle of nowhere. They finally slowed when the first lights twinkled behind the tree trunks.

"That's the house," Nev said, instantly growing rigid. It was not a comforting sight to see Nev hesitate. The vampire would be welcome, so if anything, Nev was nervous for him.

The house itself looked inconspicuously Swedish. Nothing about it flagged that a rebellious paranormal group had made it their own. There were plenty of windows although a few of them had been sealed from the outside. Likely, it was a dark day room where vampires could sleep comfortably when the sun was out and about. The garden signaled that they had at least one fae in the group. A couple of potted plants held flowers that shouldn't bloom at this time of the year.

Nev paused by the door, his hand on the knob. "Are you really sure you want to do this?" he asked.

"Yes, why not? Are you ashamed of me?" It was a poor attempt to lighten the mood, but he had to do something. If nothing else, he couldn't wait to get out of his wet shoes

The vampire scowled. "No, I'm not ashamed of you. I'm afraid you'll end up either hurt or angry enough to melt a few brains. I'd appreciate if you stayed away from mine."

"I'm in control. Don't worry."

With a sigh, Nev opened the door to a lit hallway. The floor was a mess of muddy shoes and the coat hangers were all occupied. He swallowed down the sudden unease.

"How many are you, really?" He hadn't thought they were quite so many. There had to be at least twenty pairs of shoes, maybe more, and the sound of several voices reached them through the thin walls.

"A couple. But I think they're all here tonight."

"Just how many are 'a couple'?" He doubted the vampires ability to count. Nev had always said 'a couple', now he realized that was an understatement.

"I think we're around twenty five. I don't keep count." Nev threw his jacket on a stool and slipped out of his shoes just as a woman became visible in one of the doorways.

"Nev, you're late," she said, only to narrow her eyes when she caught sight of Adeem. "And you brought your friend." She didn't sound very happy, and judging from Nev's reaction, her aura must have been blistering beneath the surface.