A Flame in the Night by Morgan Dante

Author:Morgan Dante
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wilde Nightingale
Published: 2023-04-11T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Léon

When Léon takes all his effort, even if it makes his spine pop, to shove Matthias against the wines, the bottles jostle but don’t fall and shatter to the ground. He holds the knife to Matthias’ throat, a pale column that he realizes has no flutter of pulse.

Infuriatingly, even threatened, Matthias gives a close-mouthed smirk and looks down. All that said, he’s glad that this man of stone is now getting into the spirit. “This brings back memories. Did you know that the male lover I had was sent to kill me? Ah, my pretty little assassin.”

Léon isn’t sure if the dead lover is the pretty little assassin, or him. “Medium-sized, at least.” He stares at those fangs, and he knows that it’s a pipe dream—even if he’s feeling faint and perspiring from not using his pipe tonight in an attempt to be normal—to think he could overpower Matthias. He’s being humored, as if they’re playing.

And Léon can’t help but think that perhaps he did hit the pipe, and that he’s lost his mind. He’ll blink and realize he’s delirious, and yet, Matthias isn’t yelling, Let me go! You’ve lost your mind! In fact, it’s as if they’re both more awake than they’ve been in a long while.

Lightly, Matthias explains, “Your knife won’t do anything to me. This doesn’t need to be violent.”

“You’ve bitten me.”

“It was an accident. Let me go, and I’ll explain.”

“I don’t believe you. Let me guess, you have no reason to kill me.”

“Correct.”

“What if I gave you a reason?”

A sigh. “Are we going to keep chasing our tails, but you’re going to have a knife against my neck? I feel like this will get old.”

It’s then that Matthias’ pupils change, rippling, but Léon can’t say how or why, except that he feels sick.

Léon scrambles back. “God. What are you?”

Matthias strides forward and straightens his ruffled clothes. “Guess. You mentioned reading gothic novels. I’m not a ghost or a lycanthrope. There aren’t many other options, my dear.”

Léon’s heart lurches.

A vampire.

He clutches his crucifix.

Léon tries to keep his voice from trembling, but he still sounds meek. “Is this a product of the lead you’ve tried to transfigure, my good alchemist? Has it driven you mad?”

“Use your eyes, Léon. You are rather close to me.” His eyes fall distastefully to Léon’s chest, at the silver crucifix dangling there.

Warily, Léon asks, “Can you not touch someone with something like this on?”

“I could touch you, but it’d hurt rather obscenely. I could—”

“Kill me? Yes, your seduction continues to work wonders oh so very well, darling. I’m positively vibrating.” Léon cannot stop his voice from souring. “What happens if I take it off? What will you do?”

Matthias slips his hands into his pockets. “I don’t have to do anything. As I said, I have no intention to hurt you, but you don’t believe me. Given what I do know about what you’ve been through, I can’t blame you, but it doesn’t negate that I haven’t lied to you. Only obfuscated a few details.

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