Changing Fortunes

Part 19

"Try and behave yourself, at least a little?" Weasel pleaded to Angelo as the four of them walked towards Angelique's place the next night.

Angelo glared at him. "Maybe I should just wait outside while the three of you go play nicey-nice with that witchy bitch."

"You have a problem with her?" Cam asked him.

"Fucking grass-eater," Angelo muttered. "Milk-drinker."

Balint stared at him. "You're kidding. No wonder you can't stand her."

Cam cleared his throat. "Excuse me but not everyone can fucking understand what you're all talking about."

"Sorry Cam," Balint said with slight embarrassment. "Grass-eaters don't drink human blood. They only drink the blood of animals. Milk is what we call animal blood and to drink it is considered disgusting. Calling someone a grass-eater is a huge insult."

Cam blinked. "You mean there's actually a choice?"

Balint shrugged. "Technically, of course there is. Blood is blood. But animal blood only quenches the thirst. Nothing more. The lack of emotion makes it taste flat and it's not as sweet as human blood. "

Cam fought the urge to gag. Balint was being honest with him, he reminded himself. This was what Balint was. What Balint always was. The only difference now was that it wasn't behind Cam's back. But Cam was beginning to wonder just how much honesty he really wanted.

And of course, Angelo could tell even though Cam tried to keep his reaction as neutral as possible because he laughed and gave Cam that smirk that made Cam want to slap the fucker. "Does something offend you, sweet thing?"

"Not now, asshole," Cam growled.

"Guess it does," Angelo grinned evilly.

Weasel flashed Angelo a dirty look. "What did I say about behaving yourself?"

"I told you I'd be civil to the wench," Angelo snapped. "That's as far as it goes, dearheart."

Weasel sighed. "I need her help, Angel Boy. We need her help and being nasty is not gonna get us anywhere with Angelique. Do your bitching afterwards. Not there."

There was something sharp in Weasel's tone. That same tone he used when Cam had asked about Balint when he'd just found out what he himself was. A-don't-fuck-with-me tone. The tone of someone who would be obeyed. Not expected to be. But would be.

"Don't worry, Weasel, I'll be nice." Something strange flickered across Angelo's face. Then he smiled, his dark eyes reflecting cold amusement. As if he was enjoying his own private joke. "Real nice."

Weasel's eyes narrowed with the same suspicion they had when he'd asked Angelo why he was able to open the door to the tomb. He knew what Cam had already figured out. Angelo was hiding something from Weasel again.

All of the sudden, Cam had the agonizing sensation of being kicked in the stomach and having it trampled on with cleats, only it was Balint that was doubled over and curled into a fetal ball on the ground, biting his bottom lip so hard that crimson dribbled down to his chin.

Balint's hunger. It vibrated through every bone in Cam's body.

"Shield yourself," Cam heard Angelo whisper in his ear. Cam was getting used to how fast they moved, he wasn't surprised that Angelo was now right beside him. "I mean it, Cam. Suffering with Balint won't help him. All your empathy is doing is amplifying Balint's need. Shield. For both of your sakes."

Maybe it was the concern that Cam didn't need empathy to feel, but he heeded Angelo's advice and instantly shielded himself. Cam was beginning to wonder if he'd always have to be shielded around Balint. The thought made Cam uneasy.

Quicker than thought, Angelo was on the ground, next to Balint. "The first night is a bitch, paidi mou," he soothed, leaning over and licking the blood from Balint's mouth and chin. "Once you get something to eat, you'll feel better, I promise."

Balint nodded weakly.

Angelo got up and held his hand out to Balint. "You wanna come with me?"

"Where are you going?" Weasel asked warily.

"Yeah, I'd like to know myself," Cam muttered.

Balint grabbed Angelo's hand and Angelo pulled him to his feet. "Grabbing some dinner, if you must know." Angelo told them.

"You're actually going with him?" Cam asked.

Balint shrugged; his eyes defiant." Why not? We're hungry. We'll hunt. End of problem."

Angelo's lips curled into a smug grin of triumph. "I guess that answers your question, doesn't it, dear boy. Ya chara, Cam," he said sweetly and before Cam had the chance to reply, Cam's lover and his enemy were gone.

Cam glared at Weasel. "I don't believe you! You just stood there and let it happen!"

Weasel green eyes flashed with impatience. "And what would you have had me do, bright boy? Let Balint juice up in front of you and give you something else to be revolted about? Or maybe you'd rather Balint killed you, instead?"

"You don't know anything," Cam protested." I accept what Balint is. I told him that in front of you and that bitch of a boyfriend of yours."

"You accept it as long as you don't have to see it, Cam," Weasel said in a surprisingly gentle tone. "Balint doesn't want you to see it because he knows how you feel. He was already afraid that you'd bail when you found out the truth. Now you're sticking around, but you still feel disgust. How long do you think Balint will put up with that, mmmm? And how long do you think it'll be 'til he goes somewhere he knows he can be himself?"

"Like here?" Cam accused.

Weasel rolled his eyes. "For the fucking last time, we're not trying to take Balint away from you. You think you can get that through your thick skull? Now, listen real carefully." He abruptly seized Cam by the shoulders and shook him. "Did you ever think about what kind of a boy Balint would have to be in order to pal around with Radu when he was younger?"

"Let go of me you fucker!"

"Try again." Weasel's grip tightened. "Radu respected Balint. You think Balint earned that respect by being anything less than a deadly predator? Hell, why do you think Balint respected you when he found out you were an assassin, Cam?"

"Is there a point to all this?"

"Fuck yeah! The point is that either you can handle Balint's nature or you can't. Handling it means handling all of it. You're being let into a world that up until now, Balint kept from you. That world includes his history, his culture and yeah, his eating habits." Weasel's lips curled into that not-quite smile that never failed to piss Cam off. "Balint is a blood drinker. He likes it. He always has. Stop making him feel dirty because of it or go find some Norm boy who'll suit you better."

"So he can find some Sangsue boy who suits him better?" Cam retorted.

"You said it, I didn't."

"You're sure as hell implying it, Jacques," Cam taunted, using the name that he knew Weasel couldn't stand. "And you already told me Angelo wanted Balint. From what I've seen, not only hasn't it changed, it's fucking mutual."

To Cam's shock and anger, Weasel laughed. "Of course it is. Angelo and Balint have a lot in common and they have the hots for each other. But they're much too alike for anything beyond that."

Weasel's amusement faded. "Jacques Baptiste Drollet is my Truename. My Sangsue name. You wanna follow Old Country rules like your boyfriend and Radu? We'll do things the Old Country way. My will against yours. The loser bares his throat to the winner." Green eyes glitered. "Somehow, I think it'll end up being your neck. Not mine."

Think? Cam knew it would be but he wasn't gonna admit it and concede anything to the arrogant son of a bitch. Instead, he changed the subject. "Are we gonna stand here and argue or are we gonna go to your aunt's?"

He figured it'd piss Weasel off but instead, Weasel smirked. "Neither."

Cam hadn't been expecting that answer. Not in the slightest. "Oh?"

"Nope."

Fucking wonderful. Another mindfuck. Cam wasn't in the mood for this shit and he wasn't gonna take it anymore. "Do whatever the fuck you want, dumbass, I've had it with you, Angelo and the rest of you bloodsucking scumbags. You can all fuck Sarin up the ass for all I care, I'm out of here." Cam turned his back on Weasel and began to walk away.

He didn't get far before he heard Weasel calling after him. "That's it, vache, just cut and run when things get too hard to deal with. Don't worry your pretty little head about Balint, he's better off without you. I'm sure Radu will be happy to pick up from where he and Balint left off and the three of us can make him forget the three years he wasted with your pathetic human ass."

A tempest of insane fury swirled inside Cam; burning rage flowing through his veins and even though he knew Weasel was only baiting him, he wanted to blond to shut the fuck up. To make him stop pushing the buttons that held the key to Cam's fears of not being good enough for Balint.

Then Cam exploded and acted without thinking, pulling his gun as he came at Weasel. Only to find himself pinned flat on his back, Weasel's boot pressing down on his chest.

The gun had already been kicked away.

"Not too bright, Cameron," Weasel hissed through fully exposed fangs. "You're fucking lucky I'm not Angelo or by now there'd be nothing left of you to bury. Do you have any bloody idea how much effort it's taking me to hold you down there?"

Only Cam's anger stopped him from being terrified at the pure bloodlust he could see in those glowing red eyes. "No, but I'm sure you're gonna tell me," he drawled.

"Hardly any at all." The glow diminished but it was obvious that it was taking a great deal of restraint from Weasel to not give into that animal need. "I'm gonna give you the benefit of the doubt and figure that you just reacted on impulse. I'll release you, Cam. I'll even let you retrieve your gun. But pull it on me again and you'll see how much I don't need a gun to kill you painfully." Weasel lifted his foot off of Cam, kicking the gun towards him with a snarl.

Cam got up with as much dignity as someone who'd just been flattened could muster. "You said we weren't going to Angelique's. Where are we going then?" he asked, ignoring the fact that only moments ago, he told Weasel that he was packing up his marbles and going home.

And Weasel seemed to have decided to let Cam get out of that gracefully. Then again, he could afford to be generous, the smug little shit. "We are going there. Eventually," he added hesitantly.

Cam tried again. "Where before that?"

"Won't know 'til we get there. Besides," Weasel smiled a little, "it's less of a 'where we're going,' as much as it's a 'what I'll be doing' before we get to my darling aunt's."

"And what the fuck is that?"

"Let's just say that I have certain… needs to satisfy beforehand." Weasel gave him a look that left no doubt about what those needs were. "Sorry but if I wait much longer I won't be able to control myself."

"You just kill someone at random every night? You and Angelo?"

"Sometimes. It depends on the circumstances. Usually if Angelo and I are planning to Share the spoils, we play his game. If I'm on my own I just seize and kill. Angelo can drink from several a night and leave them alive. I can if I don't wait too long but the longer we wait, the hungrier we get until we go feral and lose control completely."

"How long is 'too long?'" Cam wondered, thinking about Balint.

"Long enough," Weasel answered vaguely.

"I'm not gonna get a straight answer out of you am I?"

Weasel smiled. "Nope."

Weasel's "pickup" ended up being a pretty redheaded boy with startling blue eyes. After feeling him up a little and kissing him for a while, Weasel's tongue ran along his jaw and his mouth slipped down to his neck. Then he sucked at the boy's neck as if he was giving him a hickey, only the boy suddenly stiffened and slackened in Weasel's grip as Weasel's sucking turned into something else.

It wasn't long before the boy fell from Weasel's hands "Eating and running is a pain in the ass," he growled, kicking the body. "Well at least I won't have to get rid of the empty. I left just enough juice in him to keep his heart beating for a little while before it finally gives out but by then, we'll be long gone."

Weasel's cheeks were flushed now, his eyes bloodshot and his lips stained cherry-red. He looked so wanton and slutty that Cam's cock hardened just looking at the debauched blond.

And apparently, it wasn't just on his end. "If we didn't have to worry about time, I'd jump your bones right now," Weasel said huskily, cupping Cam's face in his hands. His nice warm hands. "Call this a preview." He kissed Cam full on the mouth in a way that made Cam shiver with anticipation before Weasel released him.

Come to think of it, just Weasel's, Angelo's , Balint's and even that asshole Radu's touch set Cam on fire. He realized that from the very beginning, Balint had always been able to bring him to that point in no time flat.

Was it the extreme pleasure that Cam had never been able to experience with any other boy the reason he slept around? To prove to himself that Balint had no power over him? And was the dizzying lust that the Sangsue and Shifter's caresses and kisses swept Cam under merely the reflexive reaction of their blood to Cam's or was it also the empathy that augmented their mutual desire?

"Why is it that I feel like a fucking bitch in heat whenever I'm around all of you?" Cam asked.

Weasel laughed softly. "If it makes you feel any better, we feel that way around you too."

And Cam was even more hot and bothered around Angelo. Only the boy's bitchy obnoxiousness prevented Cam from acting upon that arousal. Thank goodness for small favors.

By the time Cam and Weasel reached Angelique's place, Angelo and Balint were sitting on her stoop, waiting for them. Cam found his eyes moving up and down Balint's body, looking for a sign, any sign, of what Angelo and Balint had been doing before they'd gotten there but he could find none but the already familiar rosiness of his cheeks and the glassiness of his eyes that Angelo had as well. If they'd been fucking, Balint didn't show any proof of it.

But that only meant Balint had been more discreet than he'd been when he'd fucked Weasel the night before.

As soon as Angelique opened the door, Cam could instantly see what Angelo had been hiding. And why he hated her so much. It was in the way that Angelique wouldn't quite look at Angelo but would sneak looks in his direction that Cam was sure Angelo could see. And it was in the look of contempt Angelo gave her that briefly flickered with longing.

Angelo and Angelique had been lovers at one time. And Weasel hadn't figured it out yet. Cam wondered how he couldn't have. It was fucking obvious.

Angelique had the same clear green eyes as Weasel did and those feline features that both her brother and Weasel had. If Cam had been into women he'd easily have bedded her. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. With that and of course, that Sangsue blood, it was no wonder that Angelo had been attracted to her.

For a few moments, Angelique scrutinized Cam and Balint silently. Then she smiled at Weasel. "Are you not going to introduce me to your friends?"

Weasel made a gesture towards Cam. "Cam." Then he made an upwards head nod in Balint's direction. "Balint." Then he mumbled, "You already know Angelo."

Angelo lifted Angelique's hand to his lips and kissed it. "Charmed."

"I'm sure you are," she replied, yanking her hand back and out of Angelo's grasp.

"Once a cunt, always a cunt," Angelo said sweetly.

Angelique's lips pressed into a tight, disapproving line. "And to what do I owe the honor of this visit?" she asked Weasel, completely looking through Angelo.

"I need to learn how to lift a ward from the gates of a mansion."

"Oh?" Angelique purred. "You're here because you need me to teach you."

"Well, yeah, that'd be helpful."

"I suppose it would be," she murmured. "And this ward is where?"

"What does it matter?" Balint challenged quietly, annoyed at the way Angelique was toying with Weasel.

Like a snake about to strike, she suddenly turned her attention onto Balint. "Balint, is it?"

He nodded silently, not backing down.

"Balint, until I know what my nephew's intentions are, I'm not about to teach him a thing."

"Oh for fucking crying out loud," Angelo muttered.

Weasel glared at him for a moment before trying again with his aunt. " It's Sarin's ward, Angelique. You know, the fleshpeddler that tried to take over the Nocturne?"

"Ah yes." Angelique's smile reminded Cam of a barracuda. "Why would I help you undo something that would help to destroy the very thing I despise?"

"I wouldn't have come here if I had a choice!" Weasel insisted. "I don't know how to lift an Évite Du Mort ward but you do."

"Évite Du Mort!" Angelique laughed. "Mercy, he knows our dirty little secret. That's even better."

Weasel looked defeated. "You're not gonna help us, are you."

"Against someone who will be able to do what I haven't been able to? You can't be serious, cher."

Cam blinked. "You hate Angelo so much that you'd risk Weasel's safety just to fuck him over?"

"You think this is just about that Greek slut?" Angelique asked Cam. "This is about the Nocturne. The Underground. My brother and his brood of the damned. The best thing I can do for Jacques is let Sarin destroy them all."

Weasel gave her a look of disgust. "I was an idiot for even thinking you'd drop your vendetta for even a moment." He cocked his head towards the door. "Come on, guys, we're done here."

"Not so fast," Angelo told him.

Angelique's eyes gleamed. "What could you possibly say that would make me change my mind?"

"Oh, the fact that Sarin is really not interested in the Nocturne itself, but in the power of the portals and the magical energies surrounding them," Angelo answered offhandedly. "And the fact that his ward is powered by blood, which means, it's black magic and that evil would be turned loose upon the humans you love so much."

She stared at Angelo. "What are you babbling about?" she asked in a bored tone but Cam could see her interest.

"If you keep us from the bastard, he'll be free to unleash terror since he'll need ongoing blood sacrifices to power that magic. And where do you think he'll get them from, Angelique? What do you think he'll be offering the demons he'll be summoning?"

Angelique shook her head. "You're just saying what you think will make me cooperate."

Angelo grinned evilly. "Are you willing to take that chance?"

And Angelique seethed because she knew he had her.

<< Chapter 18 Chapter 20 >>

Last updated 10/08/03

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