Eros

The Sanguine Vow - 74

"Well done today." Sebastian commended as Zein took a seat on the edge of his desk.

"I would've had trouble in Blackbeard's house if it weren't for you." He admitted, not with shame, but with a pearly white smile to split his smooth dark lips.

"Tough folks these were." Bas said dryly. Three of his soldiers were killed taking over Blackbeard's operation house, and his humor died with them.

"A toast?" Zein swung up a bottle of bourbon from his belt and landed it firm atop of the desk. It was a fine brand out of Anerock.

"One slip was enough, don't lure me into relapse." Sebastian grunted. Zein shrugged, cracked the bottle open, and snatched it for a swig.

"Gods know how you sleep without alcohol nowadays." He said with a sigh. Sebastain noticed the tiredness around the pirate's eyes as he scratched at the new cut across his cheek.

"We were thorough in leaving no witnesses, made rivaling Syndicate gangs suspect one another for our doings. But if the slaughter of one operation house is enough to catch the Prince's eye, the slaughter of eight sure got us his full attention."

"Good. I am anxious to meet him." Bas answered, his blue gaze grim.

"Don't count on it. I know the Prince's work. It will be over before you open your eyes." Zein took another sip. It was different to hear such praise of the Black Prince from a man who was a lieutenant to him than to hear it from thugs who feared him more than they feared their gods. Not that Nikos and Zein were any less afraid.

"We'll see." He said, and Zein frowned.

"Look after yourself, Bas. Denying the danger doesn't make it any less imminent."

Sebastian scowled at him. "The door's guarded, and the soldiers sleep in their armor. What else would you have me do?"

"Fuck if I know," Zein burst, his words bitter, as if he chewed them for too long before he spat them. "I ain't the one thinking he can kill the Black Prince."

Sebastian fell quiet. Zein poured another drink, straight down his throat

"Do you really think we can't do it?" His voice came out low, barely disturbing the silence.

"I think nobody can do it." Zein stated, stared him down. "But if anyone can, it's you."

Why those words made him so happy, Sebastian didn't know. Maybe because it was Zein who had said them.

"Fuck it." Bas said then, grabbing for the bourbon. "I will toast to that."

-

"Kaido, Kaido!"

Kaido awoke to Alora calling, and nudging. Rain pelted his bare skin, it's droplets hard and cold like icicles. The frost and the cuts had him both numb and hurting. There was nothing that he wanted more than to go back to sleep.

"Kaido!"

His eyes snapped back open to the sharpness of her voice, her palm open before him, and the scent of her blood in his nose. He brushed his lips over her skin, tasted the blood that bubbled out. A rush of energy swelled from his chest, chasing the cold out of his body, clearing the wisps of sleep from his mind.

"Get up, we need to find shelter." Alora helped him as much as she could without touching any of his wounds. His whole body resisted to rise, but rose anyway, the blood lending his muscles strength they didn't have. His cuts continued to hurt. Kaido wasn't sure how long he slept, but they seemed no better than before. Some of them still bled through the stitches.