“He did,” stated Fernando. He crossed his ankles, stretching out in the chair. “He just lied, and badly as usual. I don’
t know why you even bother.
”
He attempted to scowl at the Noble, but as he did Bridget freed one arm from the coat with a jerk that caused him to catch his limited breath. He knew what was giving her difficulty
–
the braces on his wrists. She was right and he tried to assist only to feel another breath stealing stab.
“
Are you just going to sit there,
”
Bridget turned to her Chosen,
“
or are you going to help?
”
Fernando crossed his arms over his muscular chest, the navy blue silk shirt whispering at the movement.
“
Do I look like a nurse-maid?
”
Uttering a sound of disgust from the back of her throat, Bridget returned her attention to gingerly remove the jacket. Once relieved of the heavy weight, he found he still could not take a deep breath without pain. Concerned, he assisted Bridget with the removal of the braces. It was the first opportunity to study the bruises developing across his knuckles. Twinges radiated up and down his hands as he flexed them.
“Sit down,” ordered Bridget as she placed the black braces next to the jacket now perched on the sofa’
s arm.
Carefully he lowered himself down onto the couch. The height difference allowed Bridget to unbutton his black cotton shirt.
The Master of London leaned forward, elbows coming to rest on his knees.
“
Why did Notus refuse you? And don
’
t lie to me. We all know you can
’
t lie yourself out of a wet paper bag. And don
’
t make excuses for that monk in an effort to protect him. His denial already threatened your life.
”
The Noble stared at him, brown eyes smouldering. The points brought one more to mind.
“
Being Master of the Chosen you no longer have dominance over me since I am no longer Chosen. I do not have to answer you.
”
He realized his mistake too late. Fernando stiffened his body tight in controlled rage. Bridget turned to face him, hurt and anger written across her delicate features.
“No, you’
re right,
”
she said cutting off Fernando
’
s response.
Her voice was succinct as emotion threatened to overtake her.
“
We
’
re no longer your Master and Mistress. You are not beholden
to us. I guess we were wrong all these years, protecting you from the other Masters and Mistresses from wanting to Destroy you because of your differences. That
’
s all they ever saw. They don
’
t know you. They only know the Angel, not the man behind him. Do you think we came all this way into Vampire infested territory because we were your Master and Mistress? We came here, searching for you, after finding out that you were no longer Chosen, not because of that, but because we thought we were friends.
”
He stared up in surprise into watery blue eyes, mortification twisting his guts.
“
I
–
I did not realize,
”
he said lamely. He dropped his gaze.
“No, you didn’
t,
”
said Fernando through clenched jaws.
“And that’
s the shame of it.
”
Bridget sat down beside him on the couch, taking his scarred and bruised hands into hers flawless ones.
“Why the fuck do you think we came here?” accused the Noble.
Guilt and confusion flowed through him and he pulled his hand back, not wanting to see the effects of his thoughtlessness on her face. Now he was mortal, and stripped of that identity he did not know who he was.
Closing his eyes he could not believe how low he felt. Patterns
of behaviour over centuries had taught him that there was only one reason for his worth
–
the Angel. He believed Notus had cared about him for himself. He was wrong. Notus had said so, denying him to be Chosen again by the man who had been more of a father to him than anyone in his life. Now he was mortal again and the truth had shown him the real reason. He had been an obligation due to a broken Oath. The truth of it slammed home and he had trouble forcing the tears back down.
He had used the word friend to describe Bridget and Fernand
o, but only now did the true extent of its meaning strike him. Where Notus had abandoned him, they had left their safe home to travel to a dangerous place to help him in the name of that friendship.
“
I
’
m so sorry,
”
he said, opening his eyes to look at his friends.
“You bet your sorry ass you are.” Fernando shook his head, a slight smirk marking his lips. “Now, if you’
re done with your standard melancholy, I
’
d like to get past the mushy parts. It
’
s bad for my digestion.
”
Bridget smiled in agreement and brushed stray white hairs from his face with her cold hand.
“
Let
’
s see what the damage is.
”
“
I hope it hurts,
”
muttered Fernando.
“
Too bad you left your paddles at home.
”
The last was directed at Bridget.
“I didn’
t have room for them in the suitcase,
”
countered Bridget, a golden eyebrow lifting.
“No, of course not. Shoes are more important than toys.”
“We don’
t need toys,
”
purred Bridget.
Fernando grinned back, his pointed Chosen teeth in full view.
He was not so sure whether or not it was a good thing when Bridget returned her attention to him.
“
Let
’
s get you out of that,
”
she said, helping him as he shrugged out of his shirt.
He did not know what to think when Fernando
’
s brows lifted and Bridget
’
s eyes went wide at the sight of his bare skin.
“Finally, you’
ll have some real colour,
”
jovially remarked the Noble.
“Fernando!” admonished Bridget. Returning her attention to her patient she continued as she took in the scope of his wounds, “You’
re arms are going to be black and blue. What did they hit you with? A crow bar?”
“And red, don’t forget red,” commented Fernando.
“And is that the burn from the lightning strike?
” she said, a look of awe across her face. “That’s healing fast.”
He knew they were just trying to lighten the mood but at the sight of the large welts running the lengths of his arms he was secretly impressed at how well he had defended himself against two creatures who were now stronger and faster than his mortal body. It was a miracle he had not broken an arm, or a leg. It was when he prodded the blossoming swelling down the left side of his ribcage that he realized he may have not gotten off that easily.
“
I think I have a broken rib.
”
“Let me see,” ordered Bridget as she began her own palpations.
Each touch made him flinch eliciting more stabbing sensations.
He tried to endure the examination with gritted teeth and was only able to relax his jaw when she finally removed her hands.
“At least two are broken that I can feel,” she announced. “We can either go to a hospital
to see what
’
s really going on with an x-ray, or I can bind them and hope for the best.
”
“You do it,” he replied. He gazed into blue eyes. “I trust you.”
She rewarded him with a smile as she stood. Walking over to the stand next to the couch, Bridget picked up the mobile phone, punching numbers as she walked towards the window.
Left effectively alone with the Noble, he turned to see a thoughtful expression cross Fernando
’
s face and was surprised
when the Noble came to sit beside him on the couch. Uncomfortable
with Fernando
’
s proximity, he tried to back away only to have his left hand caught in a cold grip. A dagger with a white dot in the centre of a black teardrop decorated the pommel of Yin, one of a matching pair of blades Fernando was never without, pressed against the back of his pale hand. Anger blossomed at the attack and tried to pull away only to find himself in an iron grip.
“What are you doing?” he asked when he realized Bridget was out of sight.
“You’
re an ass, you know,
”
stated the Noble.
“I thought that was reserved for you,” came the automatic reply
.
The pressure in the vice grip tightened and he felt his bones grate against each other causing him to wince.
“Were you like
this before you were Chosen?
”
sneered Fernando.
“
Or because of being Chosen? Shall we find out?
”
“What are you talking about?”
His heart sped up.
Fernando leaned closer, his voice turning sultry like a snake oil salesman.
“
Didn
’
t it occur to you that you could find out if the differences that marked you for Destruction as Chosen were because of an aberration in the blood you exchanged with Notus or because of something about
you
.
”
The query stunned him. It was not something that had come to mind since his return to mortality. He had had too much else to contemplate. Now with the question before him he frowned, staring at the bruising scars along the arm Fernando held fast. He did not recall having such reactions when last mortal, but could it be possible and if so what would that mean? Meeting Fernando
’
s gaze with determination he nodded once.
“
Do it.
”