Symbiota Sapiens - 25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The two figures crash through the glass and are gone. Damion turns back to the
woman writhing and shuddering on the floor.

"Elizabeth. Shhh, it's okay, it will pass." He soothes her. Takes her hand in
his and kisses her forehead.

He looks at her, using his enhanced sight. The nanites are tearing through her
body, breaking apart and rebuilding everything perfectly. The Caretakers have done
the same thing but not nearly so thoroughly. They cleanse, the Esseren reconstruct
from the cellular level.

"Damion, it hurts!" She whimpers, clutching his hand as if in childbirth.

"I know. They are rebuilding your body cell-by-cell." Damion tells her.

"Why?" she gasps.

"I don't know. You are very healthy already. Maybe it is normal. When I was
attached I was unconscious."

A scream rent the air as Elizabeth arched in pain.

The Esseren were dealing with her spinal cord now. Damion gingerly pulls her
upper body to hold in his lap.

"Shhhh, it will pass. This will pass and you will live forever."

Another pair of eyes spot a cruiser speeding towards the yacht. Damion jerks
his head up, extending his senses in all directions.

There.

The unmistakeable signatures of immortals...above...falling. Parachuters,
again.

"Doesn't make sense." He mutters.

Another boat, coming from the opposite direction. He can sense the immortals
onboard. Guardians.

He stands, cradling Elizabeth in his arms.

Movement. The other immortal on the boat. The Elder. Fast. He suddenly appears
in the open window where the two boys had jumped out.

::YOU!:: Damion huddles backwards, the woman in his arms. Holding her as if
not sure whether to protect her or use her as a shield.

:::Damion.::: Rom greeted him politely.

::Romulus. This is your trap, isn't it?::

:::Not only mine.:::

::The boy could not possibly be cognizant of this. He needs me to find a way
to release his brother.::

:::Is the slave not free if the overseer is destroyed?:::

::Not always.:: Damion hedged.

Rom moved forward, standing in the center of the room.

:::Your little games aren't going to save you tonight Damion. You have made
yourself a danger to everyone. Making slaves of mortals? Disgusting, but it's been
done before. But this...this literal enslavement of their bodies, no this holds a
danger even you should comprehend for the future! Even you, Damion!:::

Damion circled to his left, keeping his back to the wall as Rom stalked him.

::You won't kill me. You can't. You don't even understand what I've done. What
will happen. Killing me won't stop anything.::

:::Your days of manipulating the world from behind a silver curtain are at an
end, Damion. You've reached too far.:::

::What is too far!:: Damion challenged, stepping forward suddenly. ::Are you
so cold that you do not understand what it is to set your entire being as a shield
for someone else?::

:::I have been cold, yes.::: Rom admitted. His eyes fell on Elizabeth.

Damion paused a moment.

::You. He sent it to you, didn't he?::

:::Yes. I found the virus you intended for Jeremey.::: Rom was still looking
at Elizabeth, and took another step towards the two.

::Found it? It seems you were infected with it!:: Damion gasped, backing away.

:::By choice. Yes.:::

::Why?:: Damion gasped.

:::The program built by your virus...seemed likely to create the true thing.
I have never...I wanted it.:::

::You can't!:: Damion's voice shook, cradling her more tightly as he circled
farther left.

:::Can't I? You will soon be destroyed. You would leave her alone? I will take
care of her. You don't deserve her, and you know it.:::

::Yes I damn well know it!:: Damion snarled. ::It doesn't change anything! I
won't have you take her away from me after I have finally found a way to-::

:::Keep her forever? Come now. I saw your little program. Do you really think
you succeeded in subverting the safeguards on the attachment sequence? On our most
sacred ritual?::: Rom sneered, edging towards them again. Damion moved left and
back, circling towards the broken window.

::I did! He needed to turn her to free his brother!::

:::Oh? Where are the two of them?::: Rom questioned coldly.

::Gone. I let them leave after the sequence had been completed.::

:::The attachment subroutine is quite tenacious. It will make all judgments,
and invent all schemes necessary to prevent the subversion of the proper function
of the attachment ritual.:::

::The Intent! He formulated the intent to make her his attachment, motivated
by his love for his brother. It worked. Look, it worked!:: Damion displayed her as
she writhed momentarily.

:::Ah. But you've never seen an actual attachment before, have you.:::

Rom moved forward. Damion moved left. Closer.

::He wouldn't dare cross me. Not while I hold his brother's life in my hands,
at any time...::

:::Of course not. Unless he had a plan to break your hold of him. By giving
the gift where it belongs.::: Rom said.

Damion froze. Reached out. The boys, in the water. Jeremey giving breath to
the unconscious Julian as he propelled both towards the distant shore.

He looked again at Elizabeth. The Esseren busy remaking her body, better, no,
perfect. She would be perfect. And she would be immortal. They could not possibly
function in her body unless she were turned by attachment.

His body relaxes and he slips sideways to the left again. If Jeremey can keep
his brother alive underwater, Damion can do the same, no doubt.

::You depend too much on the cleverness of children.:: He sneers at the Elder.

The other immortals are near now. He hears the soft thumps as the parachuters
land on the deck. A cruiser nears. Another Elder there. And...a set of implants he
immediately recognizes.

"Elena." He whispers in a horrified voice.

"You didn't think she would come?" Rom asks, coldly. He raises a hand, ready
with energy to incapacitate Damion.

Damion slips sideways and back and...there...he is standing just in front of
the broken window.

"Wait! You can't take her underwater in that condition!" Rom flings out both
hands in supplication.

"Why the hell not?" Damion snarls.

"She'll die! She can't survive on borrowed breaths while her body is being
torn apart and rebuilt like that!"

"I thought you said it didn't work!"

"I can still see what they're doing inside her! Don't do this! You don't have
to do this, she'll be safe here! I'll keep her safe!" Rom begged.

::You expect me to leave her here with you?::

:::I came here to kill you.:::

::You can't kill me without also killing her.::

:::I can't do it.:::

::You shouldn't have taken the virus.::

Rom didn't reply.

::You've created a vulnerability. A weakness in yourself.::

:::We have the same weakness.::: Rom said. :::I can't use her against you. I
would only harm myself.:::

Damion looked at her. She was breathing rapidly. Panting in and out at an
impossible rate, bringing oxygen into her lungs, where the Esseren snatched the tiny
molecules and whisked them to the corners of her body to coax the newly-built cells
into life.

She'd never survive underwater.

Damion carefully lowered her body to the floor, crouching next to her as he
half-held her upper body for a moment. Observing her face. Watching Rom through
lidded eyes as Rom watched him.

"This isn't over. None of it."

And then he was over the edge, falling, flying, crashing into the dark water
below.

{{{ END ITALICS }}}

"Jer'my?" Julian was waking up. I snaked an arm around his waist and pulled his
body next to mine. Mmmm. Warm skin on skin.

"I'm here."

Julian shifts backwards, snuggling in while I spoon behind him.

"Where are we?"

"In a safe place. I found a little inn near the shoreline." I lay a soft kiss behind
his ear. His breath catches noticeably. I grin into his hair.

"We were...in the water..."

"Yeah. We jumped off the yacht and swam to shore."

"You breathed. Oh. The yacht." Julian tensed.

"Shhh, I got you out of there bro. We're safe now." I lay another kiss on the back
of his neck.

Julian squirmed, and turned in my arms to face me.

"You...you did it. What he wanted. You gave it to her." His voice was faintly
accusing.

I opened my eyes and found him glaring at me.

"Julian. I had to. Damion had you."

"But...you can only do it once." He whispered.

"Shh. It's not what you think. I...it doesn't work quite how he wanted it to work,
I think."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think it actually worked."

"I saw. He said the Esseren were-"

I put a finger on his lip.

"He saw what he needed to see. When I made the Intent, I was careful. I didn't
actually say I wanted Elizabeth to be my attachment."

"No. You said you had to attach her to save me."

"Yeah. But then the program was suspicious or something. Or just careful. It looked
into my true feelings."

Julian just looked back at me.

"And?" He finally asked.

"And it saw I'd chosen an attachment."

Julian's eyes dimmed with inner pain.

"I understand. I- thanks for doing that for me. I mean, I know you didn't really
want to give that to...her. I know you did it for me. And...and...I'm sorry you had to
give up so much to save me."

"Shhh. It wasn't a sacrifice, Julian."

"Yes it was!" His eyes blazed angry at me. "I know it was! And maybe...well...she
actually seemed really nice. Good, even. In time, after you get to know her, maybe you'll
want to...you could be together that way. I won't...won't get in the way. I know this is
just...just...you don't have to try so hard to make me feel better you know."

I watched a tear collect in the corner of his eye and drip onto the pillow. I
reached out a hand, my thumb dabbed gently at the corner of the eye and collected another
tear waiting there. I brought it to my lips, then put my hand back, on his cheek this
time.

His eyes raised to meet mine.

"Julian. You. I chose you. As my attachment."

He just looked at me with liquid eyes, not comprehending.

"The program made a special exception to the rules. Let the Esseren function outside
my body. Because that was the only way to prevent an outsider from...interfering with an
attachment after the Intent had been made."

"The Intent..." He echoed.

"To make you my attachment."

"But...but..." He shook his head minutely in confusion.

"I chose you, and the program saw in my mind, my plan to take you out the window. It
saw that Damion had to believe she was turned. As a distraction. To save the one I had
chosen."

"It can...do that?" He squeeked.

"It did. May I have a kiss?" I stroked his cheek with my thumb. His eyelashes
fluttered closed.

"You chose me." He whispered.

I answered him by edging closer and kissing his upper lip. Julian shuddered. Eyes
still closed.

I kissed him again, on the lower lip. Took it between my lips and savored how soft
it was.

A muffled sob broke through.

"You...chose me?"

I pulled back. Waited. Julian's eyes opened and we studied each other's faces.

"I did. I want you. Forever. Is that okay?"

There it was. A tiny smile cracking its way from the corner of his mouth, and then
spreading to bathe his face with light.

"Oh," was all he could say. His hand came up and his knuckles grazed my chin, as if
afraid to touch me. With my free hand I took his hand and placed it against my face, and
nuzzled his palm.

"Mine?" I whispered into his fingers.

There was a louder sob this time, and then I had an armful of tearful, excited
Julian, flinging himself at me and laying hundreds of kisses all over my face. He ran his
hands through my hair and bawled as if his heart had broken, except that now and then he'd
stop bawling to giggle happily as he stared at my face. I just smiled back at him and held
him, submitting to the hysterical kisses.

After a while he calmed down and snuggled close, letting me stroke my fingers down
his back and through his hair. I pulled back and observed his tear streaked, glowing face.

"Does that mean yes? You'll be mine?"

"Yours?"

Julian just looked up at me for a moment, then his face lit up with that trademark
infectious grin. Glowing.

"Of course it means yes! You idiot! Did you really think I didn't want to?"

I silenced him by kissing his saucy little red lips.

"Quiet you. You haven't been in my bed for a long, long time. Do you know what that
does to me?" I demanded.

Julian's face went grave, and he nodded seriously.

"I think I do."

He shifted himself towards me, and pressed his hip into my erection.

"Have you been...coping?"

He sounded resigned. I looked at him, puzzled. What did he mean by...oh. Hmm. Well,
might as well have fun with it. I grinned evilly at him.

"Well, it's not the same you know. You're...well...nothing really compares to what
you do to me. Not even...well...I can only close my eyes and pretend so much. Doesn't
compare to the real thing at all."

Julian looked somehow crestfallen. He bit his lip.

"Well. I guess I understand. I mean, I know with the Esseren you have to have sex
regularly, I don't...mind." Clearly he minded.

I pinched him.

"With my hand you moron! And...the Kid helped out, playing back some interesting
memories in vivid detail. Not...what! Did you think I just got Rom to suck me off, since
you were gone?" I grinned at him.

Julian blushed. That was exactly what he'd been thinking.

I kissed him on the lips.

"I don't know what's more insulting. You thinking I had sex with Rom, or that you'd
have let me get away with it. If you're mine, that means I'm yours too, you know." I told
him firmly.

"I'm, sorry. I just thought-"

"I know what you thought. And quit apologizing. I love you. I don't want anybody
else. Not Elizabeth. Especially not Rom. And...actually...I don't think we have to worry
about those two anymore."

"What?"

"Never mind. Later."

"So. You love me?" Julian asked, as if he couldn't believe it.

"Of course I love you. I always loved you, you know."

"No. I mean. Like that. You love me...that way?" He whispered.

"Yeah." I grinned at him. "I think I do. No. I know I do. Somehow, you went from
being my cute kid brother to being...everything. So don't you dare die on me. Or get
captured. Or get yourself in any kind of trouble. No more beating the shit out of a
billion autonoids at once, get me?"

"I get you." Julian said softly. Then he shifted closer, initiating the kiss this
time. We both closed our eyes and I felt his lips...so soft...brushing next to mine. I
pressed my lips more firmly against his and nibbled at him.

Julian sighed with contentment and wrapped his arms around my neck. I slid my hand
along his back and up to rest on his slender hip, reveling in the smooth velvety skin as
I pulled his body flush against mine.

I traced his lips with my tongue and they immediately opened. I felt a soft breath
exhale and quickly moved to seal my lips against his, to swallow any more soft breaths or
sighs or, hell, anything coming from those perfect lips, I wanted it!

He murmurred against me, the soft vibration coming out in a muffled sigh as I
captured the sound in my mouth. With a groan, I rolled on top of him, deepening the kiss.
Delving inside that sweet mouth with my tongue, tracing his teeth, the roof of his mouth,
God, his own tongue meeting mine. Warm, wet, alive and writhing and welcoming and flexing
against my tongue in an absurd but mind-boggling dance.

I growled down into his mouth and renewed my assault, determined to taste every
obscure corner of him. Grinding my desire into him, feeling his answering throb as our
lengths moved desperately against each other.

Angered by the interfering boxers, I slipped out of mine, then viciously tore his
from his body. The heat, the slap of his manhood against his stomach as it sprang up into
place. I pushed myself on top of him again and continued to maul him.

His beautiful, glowing face. Cheekbones. Eyes. Eyebrows. Forehead. Cheeks. Dimples.
Jaw. Chin. Lips. God, those lips. Perfect. And inside them, inside his mouth...I could
explore for hours. Wrestle with his quick pink slithering tongue.

But no, on to his neck, graceful. The tendons on the sides, the smooth slope to his
shoulders. The Adam's Apple. The sweet hollow at the base. Ridges of his collarbone.

And his chest. Beautiful. Hardened and sculpted from weight training for martial
arts. Yes, from actual battle as well now. Like steel fresh from a furnace, my Julian. He
was hard, toned, beautiful. Golden skin stretched across glorious ripples and mounds and
stretched sinews, muscles. Dark nipples and a firm cleft that continued between two
jagged rows of abdominals, standing out like stones beneath skin.

And the lines of his hips. Such sweet lines, tracing just below the spot I used to
tickle when he was a child, around to the front and down, down, in a vee towards his pubic
area. And there, crowned in soft curls, Julian's manhood standing proud, throbbing with
excitement as I have been suckling every inch of his body.

I sit back and watch him, splayed out on the bed on display. Open to me, vulnerable
and eager, his face flushed with arousal and his eyes...dark, so dark I cannot even see
them as he looks straight at me, lust written on his face.

"Jeremey. Please. Do...do something!" He begs me.

I lean down and consider his hard length. Hmmm, so much like mine. But...not. He's
not quite as long as me. Maybe slightly thicker. Hard. Standing up away from his stomach,
thumping up and down in time with his heartbeat.

I give it an experimental lick. Julian gasps hard, his hips jerking sideways at the
contact. I withdraw my tongue, placing the taste. Salty. And...something else.

I lean towards it again. Nibble along the side, just my lips along the shaft. Skin.
Sweat. I can feel the hardness and his heartbeat is a pulsing beat underneath the skin,
thudding in his chest, an echoe reverberating into my lips. I trace the vein on the
underside of him with my tongue, my lips sealed and softly suckling at the side of his
manhood.

Julian lets out a long moan. I hide a smile. What can I do to him that he hasn't
already tortured me with?

I lick a long stripe, from the very base up the underside, and over the bell-shaped
head of his cock. He jerks, writhes, lets out a tortured "ah" sound like he can't believe
that just happened.

"Good?" I ask.

"Please! Jeremey, stop teasing!" He begs. He raises his hips up towards my face in
supplication. I attach my lips to the crease where leg meets crotch and sucked at the
tender skin there, my tongue tracing up and down inside the suction.

He thrashes, left, right, but I hold firm, using the suction and my teeth to keep
latched onto that one spot. I put my hands on his hipbones and pin his butt to the bed.

"Jer'my!???" Julian spoke my name like it was a prayer.

I quickly took him into my mouth. As much as I could fit. It gagged the back of my
throat and I carefully withdrew to only mouth the first few inches. Paying attention to
the sensitive head, with my tongue. Julian was now wailing, incoherently.

I left off his penis and carefully took the left side of his scrotum in my mouth.
Sucking gently. My tongue swishing, left and right and around each nugget inside. He
squirmed and babbled and then I raised his legs up higher and swiped my tongue lower.

Julian froze, stock still. I could hear him still breathing heavily as I slid my
tongue downwards again. This wasn't so bad, was it? No...of course not. My own penis was
rock hard as I carefully, carefully let my tongue slide against the tiny pucker that I
knew led to a tunnel deep inside my brother.

There was not a sound from Julian now, he wasn't even breathing. I let my tongue
make a small circle around the tiny hole, around, and around and around. Julian's body
was trembling, I could feel him shake where my hands gripped his legs. I paused a moment,
and Julian's hands crept down, down, and he took my hands from his legs and placed one on
each cheek, then he held his own legs up for me. Waiting.

I took a deep breath, and leaned into the opening crevice, prying at it with my
hands. There it was...I could just...

I extended my tongue, pointing it downwards at the tiny hole and slowly pressed it
home. There...a tight ring of flesh and muscle opening around my tongue and it just barely
slipped past there. I flexed it, let it wriggle inside and heard a soft sob escape from
Julian. This...hole was so tight. So responsive. I could feel the muscular opening flinch
and quiver and flex against the intrusion of my tongue and suddenly I wanted nothing
more than to press myself inside that opening!

I withdrew and looked between my brother's legs at his face, eyes just opening at
the loss of my tongue in his most private place.

"Julian. I want you."

"Yes, Jeremey. I'm yours." He sighed contentedly. He rested his legs on my shoulders.

"No. I want to...want to..." How to say it?

"Make love to me Jeremey." He pleaded softly, a light in his eyes. I just nodded
dumbly and let his legs pull me forward.

"Yes. I want to make love to you." I finally said. My shoulders pushed his legs back
and he flexed them, slipping them wider apart so that they were held in the crooks of my
elbows.

"I want you to. I love you." He said quietly. "I want you inside me."

"Yes." I breathed raggedly. I nudged my hardness against that opening I had found
before.

"I need...you need to...some lubrication...oil, maybe." Julian said, only half
aware.

"Don't worry." My cock had already released a huge amount of lubrication, the
Esseren somehow knowing what was about to happen. I slid the head against his opening, up
and down, feeling the slipperiness transfer to him. Another spurt of precome slid out, so
much. More than what used to come out when I actually came, back before I was turned. I
positioned the head so that the emission would go inside the hole.

"Jeremey. Now?" He asked. His heels pushed against my lower back, urging me forward.

I pushed. Nothing. Where was the opening? Was I even in the right spot? Or was it so
small that...I had a brief image of splitting him open, ripping him. No, I had to be
careful.

"More Jeremey. Please." Julian begged. His heels pulling me inward.

I gave in, allowed him to pull me. Then...there...I felt the opening. Small. Too
small, but then I felt something give and FUCK the very head of my cock passed through a
ring of muscles.

Julian hissed at the intrusion.

"Julian! I'm sorry, I didn't want to hurt you. We don't have to-" I started to back
out and Julian's legs tightened against my back.

"No! Just...wait a minute. It takes a moment to get used to it. Please, I want this,
Jeremey!"

I studied his face. He was biting his lip but he didn't seem to be in much pain. But,
how would I know? He was so good at putting on a brave face against pain. He could be in
agony, with that biting of the lip.

"Julian," I said warningly

"It's okay. I'm okay now. Go in more. Slowly." He said. I looked into his eyes. He
seemed honest.

"Don't lie, if it hurts. I don't want this to hurt you." I said.

"Just...in me. Please?"

I couldn't refuse. I gave in to the pressure of those heels on my back and slowly,
oh so slowly I slid my length just a tiny bit farther inside him. It seemed to take a
lifetime before I was fully seated in him, the smooth skin of my groin pressing against
the curve of his buttocks.

Inside. God. So much tighter than any girl. And hot. And tight. Fuck. I couldn't
hold back a groan. What the hell had I been afraid of?

"Yes." Julian's eyes were closed. "Just wait a moment again."

I studied his face. Now inside him I so wanted to move. The walls of him were
holding me close, tight. Velvet heat against my prick. His face was strained but his legs
held me firm inside him. With his eyes closed he seemed to be busy calming some inner
panic, trusting me to wait, letting me sit inside him as he did battle with his own fear.

His eyes opened, softening as he saw me watching his face.

"You can move." He whispered.

I didn't have to be told twice. I slid back just a bit and rocked forward. God. That
was wonderful.

"Julian. This is...you are...my god you are so tight."

Julian smiled at me tightly.

I responded with another tiny little jab.

"You didn't think I would have let Damion be my first, did you?"

I stopped moving. Of course. Julian was a virgin.

"I don't know if I can...I want it to be good for you, Julian."

"It already is." He breathed. "It's you. I've dreamed of...Jeremey, just make love
to me okay?"

"Okay." I panted.

I pulled out...almost all the way out, until just the very head of my dick was
inside that impossibly tight ring of muscles.

"Tell me again?" Julian asked. I paused.

"Tell you what?"

"That you want me? That you chose me to be yours forever? I want to belong to you,
Jeremey. I want to be yours."

I looked down at him. His face so soft, so sweet. His legs nearly to his chest,
open underneath me. Vulnerable and timid. And mine.

I snarled in his face.

"You are mine. You will always be mine. If anyone lays a hand on you, ever, I will
tear them to pieces with my bare hands, you hear me?"

"Yes, Jeremey."

"Say it."

"Nobody else."

"You're mine!"

"Yes! Yours!"

"Mine!" I slammed into him, hard. Julian's breath came out of him in an explosive
whuff! I pulled out and slammed in again and this time he managed to yell out "Yours!"
back at me.

"And you always will be." I growled, my tense body slowly sliding my length in and
out of him, no longer thrusting but gently probing around inside of him.

"Yes. Always." Julian said. "I want to be with- OH! JEREMEY!" His eyes widened in
shock as the head of my cock brushed up against something inside him.

"With me." I informed him. "You will be. Do you like that?" I rolled my hips,
sliding inside him, pressing against that spot again. Julian's mouth opened in soundless
'O' and his eyes squeezed shut.

"Look at me, Julian." I told him sternly, jerking my hips in a circular movement
to get his attention.

His eyes flew open.

"Look at me." I said again. "I want to see your eyes."

I pushed inside again, angling to hit that spot and watched Julian's eyes pop out
in the effort to keep them open.

"Yes. Like that!" I could see everything. The momentary clouding in those eyes each
time I brushed up against that spot inside. The widening.

"Please! Faster Jeremey!"

I complied. Slamming into him again and again, some primal urge forcing my hips
to move forward violently. Yes, pounding him. Impaling him! Yes, this form of sex was far
more violent, more primal than with a woman.

Who ever came up with the absurd idea that gay men were weaklings? If anything...the
pale shadow of sex I had experienced before...yes, was some delicate ballet in comparison
to this act!

Our tempo rose to a frenzy as I continued to pound him into the bed with all my
might. His entire being shuddering with each thrust. His eyes glued to mine, trusting,
worshipping me for the things I was doing inside him. Giving himself over, letting me
orchestrate the methodical breaking of his mind.

When he came, his eyes went completely dim. Still focused on my face but...somehow,
not seeing anything. He didn't scream. It was deep. Gutteral. A roar. His entire body
squeezed down hard on me inside him, squeezing, flexing viciously as if to cut off my
manhood and keep it inside him.

And with a sharp buzzing pain in the back of my head, I came too. No longer could I
move to thrust. Staying there, fully seated hard inside him, spewing out to coat his inner
passage with my seed. With my Caretakers. Marking him. Mine.

I collapsed on top of him.

"Luv you Jer'my. That was more than I ever imagined it could be. It was...Jer?"

I couldn't answer him. Damn. Three days of no sex. I'd probably be out for a couple
hours. Julian came to the same conclusion.

"Oh. Guess you didn't let Rom suck you off after all."

He rolled us over and laid kisses on my sweat-soaked neck.

"Hmm, last time you were like this, we had a lot of fun."

Just wait until I recover, at least. I begged in my mind.

But then, suddenly, Julian grunted and jerked backwards, falling off the bed.

What the hell?

I listened carefully. Heard Julian dragging himself on the floor. A hand on the edge
of the bed. It creaked as he pulled himself to his feet, I felt his shadow over me. Heard
him stagger towards the glass doors to the balcony.

Why wasn't he saying anything?

A fumbling. He was trying to open the doors. Clumsy, for some reason. Why?

He pauses.

A crash. He had broken the glass sliding doors. What was he doing?

Shit. It came to me. He was clumsy because...right now...he wasn't Julian at all.

Footsteps crunching in the glass, going out on the balcony. But we were only one
floor above the ground, he wasn't likely to die from the fall, right?

More crunching. Apparently Damion agreed with me. What now?

Silence.

A slight tinkle of glass. A soft scraping noise.

A quiet whimper.

An odd sound. Like...dripping. Dripping? What could be dripping?

Julian groaned drunkenly. Forcing words out, like it was a struggle to speak.

"Help. Jer'my. Can't...stop it. Bleed-ing."