Debts - 11. Chapter 11

- XI -

“What do you mean, black streams...?” Magda asked dumbfoundedly, clutching onto the cloth-covered mirror.

“I mean black streams,” Raven nodded.

It was 11:15, and they were sitting in the same coffee shop where they would usually meet. Raven told Magda about the old hag, the cat, and black streams, leaving out the part with the damn cat following him home and almost sending him to hell. He had no desire to explain to Magda how he was able to stop the cat; he didn’t feel like sharing with her the fact that he was in some very bizarre relationship with Julian – it was none of her business.

“Holy hell...” Magda muttered and shook her head. “Raven, I had no idea about that...!”

“Figured that much,” he nodded and drank his coffee. “Don’t worry about it,” he shrugged. “I am good, so it’s okay... So, tell me... Will they need anything else...?”

“Well...” she shot him a quick look. “They were asking if you reconsidered about the rock...”

“Nope,” he said immediately.

Even though it would be easy to get the rock now (the blond would simply give it to him), Raven had some weird, tingling feeling about that rock. These people were willing to pay an unbelievable amount of money for something that at first, sounded and looked downright ridiculous. Just like the mirror did. However, in the mirror’s case, he almost got killed by very unpleasant means. He had no idea what that mirror could do, but he had a suspicion it would be something major. Therefore, he had a feeling that the damn rock would be something as major, if not bigger. He slightly frowned, thinking that he’d better tell Julian that apparently, he was using some hell of a magical artifact for a paperweight.

“Magda, no,” he repeated firmly. “Don’t even bother bringing this up again, okay? Just remember...” He looked at her very seriously. “N...” he said slowly. “O... Just two letters; you can remember that, right? I could write it down for you if...”

“Oh, shut up!” she grimaced, and he laughed. Suddenly, she slightly narrowed her eyes. “What’s with you?” she asked, watching him like a hawk.

“What?” he downed the rest of his coffee, still grinning, and thought of getting a refill.

“Did you meet someone...?” she asked with suspicion, and he stopped laughing.

“Why?” he asked incredulously. “What the hell...?” was the only thought in his head right now.

“You look...” she frowned, as if looking for the right word, which was probably the case. “...complete,” she said finally, and Raven just stared at her.

“Complete?!”

“Well, of course, I look complete!” he managed to snort finally, ignoring desperate ‘Oh, hell, no!’ in his head. “I just got a hell of a payment...!”

“No...” she shook her head doubtfully, her eyes still narrowed in a suspicious squint. “No, it’s not that kind of complete... Not the money...”

“It’s the money,” he nodded firmly. “I love it that much, believe me!”

“Huh...” she said, clearly not buying it.

“I gotta go,” Raven said and got up. “Call me if...” he shrugged.

“Yeah,” she muttered and looked into her cup. “Coffee is...”

“Yeah, yeah,” he rolled his eyes and threw some money on the table. “Later, Magda!”

“Uh huh...” she said, still watching him like a suspicious hawk.

He walked towards Julian’s house (since his car was still parked next to his apartment building, and some weird proud pang made him decline Salamander’s offer to use his other car several hours ago; he had no idea why), and was swearing softly through his clenched teeth.

“Goddammit...” he muttered, talking to no one in particular. “Complete...? Like hell I do...! She just wanted me to get the damn rock, that’s what it was... What is it about that rock, anyway? Crap, I need to tell him tonight... Don’t forget, don’t forget...” he slightly tapped his forehead with his finger. “Remember, before he starts screwing your brains out, tell him about the goddamn rock...! Complete... Bullshit...! The rock, dipshit; just remember the rock... Office, desk, green rock...”

Thinking of the office and the desk immediately brought some other memories, and he hissed all the way, until he got to the house. He wasn’t surprised at Magda’s curiosity, however. They knew each other for the last five years, and they were rather tight. Friends-tight, that is. He met her in the same bank she was working (and hating) at now when he was trying to withdraw some money from one of his accounts. The clerk behind the window seemed to be brand-new, and he kept screwing up every single possible and impossible thing. Finally, when Raven’s eyelid started twitching rather violently, Magda came to clerk’s much needed aid thus saving the miserable idiot from something probably quite nasty. She fixed everything quickly, smoothly, and with great, gloomy ‘God-I-hate-this-place!’ gusto.

Raven’s mood improved somewhat thanks to that, and next time he showed up at the bank, he firmly said that Magda and Magda alone would be the one to help him. Soon after that, they decided to hang out, and unlike in most cases like this one, their hanging out together had never led to anything more than coffee and bagels (or occasional beer and pretzels). She never seemed to care about Raven in other way than just a friend, and it was just fine with Raven, who, to be honest, never cared much about females anyway. She did tell him, however (on numerous occasions), that she had to be the very first one to know if Raven ever got involved with someone for real.

“I call dibs,” she said with great determination. “I am your friend, therefore, I call dibs!”

That was true – she was his friend. In fact, she was his only friend. She knew who he was, she knew what he did for a living, and she never freaked out. On the contrary – she would get him jobs once in a while. It puzzled the hell out of him at first, but then he decided to accept it as a gift.

He finally got to the house, and realized that he didn’t have a key. He frowned and tried the doorknob. It wouldn’t budge. Raven sighed and was about to unlock it in his usual manner (he had done it before; now it would probably take him two minutes at the most, if that) when he decided to ring the doorbell first. To his surprise, the door opened fifteen or so seconds later, and Raven stared at the serious and somewhat snotty face of a man who seemed to be in his mid-forties.

“May I help you?” the man asked in a dignified voice after scanning Raven’s jeans and leather jacket with a slightly raised eyebrow.

“Umm,” Raven said, trying to figure out who the hell this guy was.

“Yes...?” the man raised the same eyebrow slightly higher – a thing Raven found quite amusing.

“Julian didn’t mention anything about me?” Raven asked carefully, figuring that this must be the butler, and the man’s second eyebrow immediately flew up.

“Excuse me...?” he said with expression that all but screamed, ‘Get the hell out of here before I call the militia, you dirty liar!’

“I see,” Raven nodded with a sigh, melancholically thinking that it was a rather long way from this place to his apartment if he decided to start walking. “Was he even home when you got here?”

“Please,” the man said with tight dignity and restraint. “Leave the premises.”

“Look...” Raven said somewhat patiently, but the man interrupted him with a slightly louder and firmer:

“Please!”

Raven sighed again, thankful for a fact that he grabbed his phone before he left the house, and walked away, perfectly aware of the man watching him warily, making sure that Raven wouldn’t try to sneak into the house and (God forbid!) steal something. Raven snorted to himself. “Where were you on that Wednesday night, back in August, buddy...?” he muttered under his breath, getting out of the man’s view. “Or on Friday, for that matter...”

He stopped several minutes later, sat down on the sidewalk, lit a cigarette, and whipped his phone out of his pocket.

“Hey,” he said a minute or so later. “Busy?”

“Not at the moment,” he heard a very familiar purring drawl. “How was the trade-in?”

“It went fine,” Raven nodded with a small smile. “Got paid, everything is good...”

“Excellent,” Julian purred on the other end of the line. “I could come back for lunch and...”

“Umm,” Raven said. “Yeah, about that...”

“What?” Now the blond sounded almost cautious, which Raven found puzzling. He sounded like someone who expected to hear some bad news.

“Well,” Raven sighed. “I got to your house, since I don’t have my apartment key or my car...” he dragged on his cigarette.

“I was expecting you to come back...” Now the blond sounded slightly confused.

“Did you tell your butler?” Raven asked and shivered in a suddenly sharp blow of the late December wind.

“Butler...?” Julian asked dumbfoundedly.

“The mid-forties-looking guy,” Raven said and lit another cigarette, enjoying an illusion of warmth the glowing tip gave him. “A bit taller than myself beloved, painfully rigid back, and some seriously impressive eyebrow skills...”

Julian remained stunned-silent for several seconds.

“Please, do not tell me he didn’t let you in...” he finally said very slowly, and now he wasn’t purring; Raven could’ve sworn he heard low growling.

“Sorry,” Raven sighed. “He didn’t let me in.”

Julian remained silent, and Raven sighed again, shivering in that damn wind.

“Look,” he said patiently. “Just call him, tell him to let me in, I’ll take my... Oh, wait...” he closed his eyes. “You never grabbed my keys, did you?” he asked in defeat.

“Where are you?” the blond asked in an eerily calm voice.

“Just behind the corner of your house,” Raven hungrily dragged on his cigarette, trying to convince his body it was getting the desired warmth. “I had to make sure I wasn’t in your butler’s view... He looked like was about to call the militia, and call me crazy, but I don’t have a slightest desire to spend the rest of the day in jail until you sort this whole thing out...”

“I will be right there,” the blond said in the same calm voice. “Please, don’t go anywhere.”

“I won’t,” Raven promised. “Not unless your butler sees me that is...”

“I will be right there,” Julian said again, darker this time, and hung up the phone.

Raven sighed yet again and shut his phone. He shoved it into his pocket, and was about to light another cigarette, when he heard:

“I thought I told you to leave the premises!”

Well, shit, Raven thought and looked up.

“I did,” he nodded. “I also called Julian.”

The man’s face all but screamed out loud, “Oh, please!”

“Look...” Raven was surprised with the amount of patience it appeared he had. “Just let me wait for him here, and...”

“You have some nerve...!” the man said, and Raven frowned at the amount of hatred in his intonation. “Nobody ever comes here for the master; and nobody ever calls him by his first name... I gave you the warning; therefore, I am going to call the mil...”

“Don’t bother,” Raven sighed tiredly and got up, wishing for the blond to hurry up already. “Leaving, okay? Save your minutes...” he muttered and walked away, perfectly aware of the man watching and maybe even following him. He thought of throwing on invisibility, but then decided, "Nah! I’ll let Julian to deal with him...!"

He knew that it was nothing but a misunderstanding, but the entire ordeal infuriated him, to be honest. He knew that he didn’t look like someone who would be friends with the blond (“Friends, right... That’s what they call it now...?”), but goddammit, he didn’t look like someone who would live under a bridge either!

“I am going to enjoy the show...” he thought darkly, knowing that Julian’s eerily calm voice on the phone was anything but good for the butler.

He walked in the bone-chilling wind for at least another block, when his phone started to ring. He immediately knew that it was the blond.

“Hey,” he sighed into the phone.

“Where are you?” the phone asked sharply. “If you say ‘militia,’ I swear to God...”

“No,” Raven sighed again. “Not militia... I am a couple of blocks away from your house... Your butler is a hell of a watchdog,” he added after turning around and facing the damn wind now. “You should give him a raise, really...”

Yeah, he expected that unintelligible string of obscenities, therefore, he smiled.

“Just start walking towards the damn house,” Julian said a minute later. “I am driving towards you... Hold on...” he said slowly. “I think I see you...” More silence. “Yeah, it’s you, all right... Be there in a few seconds,” and the line went dead.

Raven shoved his phone into his pocket, and was beyond relieved to see a very familiar car. He stopped, waiting for it to freeze right next to him, and then he pulled open the passenger’s door.

“You have no idea how bloody cold I am,” he said and turned on the heater, keeping his palms right underneath it.

Julian said something Raven failed to hear, but the brunet decided not to clarify that. He closed his eyes when the heater started pouring heat down his trembling from cold fingers.

“Just give your staff my picture...” he said a few seconds later. “Or just come to my place...” he shrugged, and the blond scowled at that.

“Sorry about that,” he said in a very even voice. “I left before anyone showed up; left the front door unlocked, figuring they would get the hint...” He locked his jaw tightly.

Raven didn’t say anything to that; he simply enjoyed that wonderful warmth that erupted from the car heater. Julian brought the car to a screeching halt, without even bothering to get into the driveway, and then he got out, slamming the door so hard that for a few seconds, Raven believed that the window would shatter. It never did, and he climbed outside as well, following the blond.

Julian all but kicked the front door open and walked inside.

“Master Sal...” the very familiar-looking guy started saying, and then he froze in his spot after seeing Raven.

“Get out,” Julian said quietly, and butler’s eyes immediately grew huge. Raven was surprised with himself when he didn’t experience a slightest desire to say something like, “Oh, it was just a misunderstanding...” Instead, he kicked off his boots and gave the butler a very nasty smile.

“Master Salamander...” the butler tried again, and Julian’s eyes got so narrow that Raven started wondering whether the butler was that ballsy or just suicidal.

“Get... Out...” the blond said again with great restraint in his voice. “Do not come back.”

“I have been serving you for years...” the butler stuttered, and Julian’s eyes immediately grew darker.

“That is the only reason I am not hurting you right now,” he said quietly. “Get out!”

The butler threw a desperate look at Raven, and the dark-haired man gave him a smile.

“Told you so,” he shrugged lightly, and butler’s expression became terrified.

“I am so sorry...” he started saying, but the blond cut him short with a very quiet:

“Get out...!”

The man opened his mouth as if to say something, but at the last second, he wisely decided against that. He walked outside after grabbing a set of keys off the small table, his hands trembling, and when he was out of the house, the blond slammed the door shut. Raven listened to his inner self more carefully, and when the only emotion he found was satisfaction, he just shrugged and followed Julian into the house.

“Out of curiosity,” he said when they got into one of the rooms, which had all sorts of daggers, swords, and knives displayed all over it. “How long has he been serving you?”

“Ten years,” the blond said, and Raven blinked at that.

“Ten years...?” he thought dumbfoundedly. “And he kicked him out just like that because of this whole thing...? Holy hell...” He looked at the blond very thoughtfully.

“Well,” he said carefully, watching Julian weighing one of the daggers in his hand. “You need to get back to work, and I guess I will...”

“I’ll get back to work tomorrow,” the blond said in his normal purring drawl, and suddenly, he was very close to Raven, that dagger glistening rather dangerously. Raven’s eyes widened just a little, and Julian brought the dagger closer to his face.

“I already told you that I am not going to hurt you,” he said in a low voice without blinking. “It will never change. This...” he ran his finger along the blade. “...is not for you...” He leaned closer just so he could place one of his tantalizing licks on Raven’s earlobe. “It’s for me,” he finished and slightly pulled away, handing Raven the dagger.

Raven just looked at the blade without taking it.

“You enjoy hurting me,” the blond purred. “I know it...” He leaned just a little closer. “You enjoy it as much as I do, Raven... We are not that much different...”

Raven looked at him without saying anything for several seconds, then he shifted his gaze towards the dagger, and let a small smile to snake its way across his mouth. He took the blade and slowly swung it between his fingers – he was quite good when it came to knives and such.

“I know,” he said in a low voice, and ran the blade on Julian’s collarbone, causing the blond to half-close his eyes. Raven licked the blood off the blade and gave the blond another small smile. “Strip!” he ordered, and the blond did just that.