Of Dragons & Vampires

Chapter Ten

EVANDER:

Evander had never felt so alive. The cold night air whipped his face, and God knows he knew his hair would be a state after this, but feeling Abel's arms wrapped around his waist and keeping him close to him as he dove, wound and whipped throughout the forest was making his blood sore through his veins so fast he was sure he was on a high.

"Enjoying yourself?" Abel shouted, his voice straining over the howling of the wind as he beat his wings fast and hard, bringing them upright, hovering over the trees that seemed a mile down.

"Yes!" Evander breathed, his cheeks aching from smiling so much. He couldn't remember the last he had felt so free and happy. The night air and the forest made a change to his family's manor and every stately dinner he had been dragged to.

"Even when I do this?" Abel grinned, rolling and dive bombing towards the ground. He chuckled as Evander screeched like a banshee, his hands gripping Abel's own as they approached the tips of the trees. Abel pulled back up, a little too late, wincing as the current of the wind snagged at his wings. That's what you get for showing off.

"We should go back!" Abel shouted, ignoring the punch in his gut as he felt Evander sigh. He slowed down, flapping his wings until they landed on the rock Evander had leapt from minutes ago. Evander slinked from his arms, lying on his back and watching with curious eyes as Abel pulled his wings back to his skin, the scales morphing back into ink.

"That's beautiful."

Abel looked up, his eyes meeting Evander's. Without a word, he lay down next to him, following Evander's gaze to the stars and crescent moon.

"This is the longest I've been out of my house." Evander sighed.

"Really?"

"Mm hm. I started University to get away, I studied English literature...I was going to do something with it, become a publisher or something like that. Then I got engaged to Mordecai and he forced me to drop out."

Frowning, Abel turned his head, watching as Evander's face that had been so care free a moment ago crumpled into misery and anger.

"Why? If he's your fiancée shouldn't he want you to be happy?"

Evander scoffed, "Mordecai only cares what makes him happy, his whole family are like that. You know the Heridicles, right? They're tyrants. They always get what they want and unfortunately Mordecai wanted me, he didn't care about what I wanted or who I was, he just wanted something to decorate his home."

Abel stared, reaching out, he brushed a thick lock of hair from Evander's eyes. The vampire boy was smarter than he let on, and Abel knew for a fact that he wasn't just a pretty face. Evander wasn't small or weak, he was just a head shorter than Abel who stood at six foot one, and Abel had only seen a glimpse into the boy's reflexes and strength. Mordecai would have had a lot to handle if Evander had any fight left in him.

"I would have killed him if I'd married him. I nearly cracked his skull on the night you found me." Evander smirked as Abel laughed.

"Hahaha, now I would have loved to see that."

It was Evander's turn to laugh. He rolled over, his face hovering inches from Abel's. "I'm glad you abducted me."

"Don't say it like that."

"Well...it is what happened, but it doesn't matter. I'm happy you did. Now I never have to see his face again. Of course," Evander stood up. "You'll have to help me find a job after all this is over, but you should now I'm not really qualified for anything."

Abel cloaked his disappointment as Evander offered him his hand. He reached out, entwining his fingers into Evander's own. "Don't worry, I promise you won't go back there. Ever."