Semester in Blood

Semester in Blood 11

Chapter 11

“Who the fuck do you think you are?”

The voice comes from Nero. I don't expect it honestly but Nero looks like a dog with a bone. He stares Armando down with this vicious look. At times I see Nero as this charming prince but times like now I can see the animal inside. He was a prince but he was still a vampire and right now the darkness is all around him.

“I'm sure Captain Armando has an explanation for the words he said,” King Arie states.

There is a pause in the room. Everyone is staring at Armando. He was the more vocal out of the two of us in that video. He was calling the king mediocre and talking about how he wanted me to come live with him. This shit looks bad. It's taking everything out of me not to go ahead and just tell everyone exactly who Armando is to me.

Armando doesn't defend himself. He puts on that cold, 'too cool for school' face that he always has. It's almost like he's above defending himself. He is looking at everyone in the room like 'so the fuck what'. The elder vampires are judging. They are looking at Armando and whispering amongst themselves. No one is flaming...no one except Nero.

I struggle with the thought but decide against it instead just saying, “Me and Armando are just friends.”

“He disrespects our relationship He disrespects his king!” Nero snarls.

Nero spits at Armando's feet. I have to admit it's kind of sexy to see Nero so pissed off at Armando. Don't get me wrong. I don't want him to do anything crazy but you can't fake the outrage that Nero is showing. If ever we were pretending to have a fake relationship, it didn't matter. That ship had long sailed. Nero is pissed and I have a feeling there is a lot of built up frustration. No matter how much I don't want Nero to be crazy it kind of feels good to know that he cares.

King Arie surprisingly seems not as angry as I think he would be. He is actually trying to calm down Nero, “Nero we don't need your reaction right now.”

Drama. I can see the noble vampires. They were getting their daily dose of the drama and they were loving every moment of it. A part of me just wants to pull Armando out of the room, or pull Nero out of the room, but I don't know which to do.

“Aren't you going to do something?” Nero asks the king, “He disrespected you in front of the entire kingdom.

King Arie looks at Armando, “Captain do you have a response.”

“My conversation with my friend was in private,” Armando responds, “I apologize for anything I've done to upset...the king. I'll go on television first thing and apologize to any remarks that I said negatively about...King Arie. It was not intentional.”

Jesus Christ. The way that Armando is talking is damn near a slap to Nero's face. I want to damn near fight Armando now. He is doing it on purpose. He's stressing the word friend as though making it sound like bullshit. He's making sure to emphasize the fact that he is only trying to apologize to what he said about the king. All the while Armando is staring Nero down. I mean he is staring bullets into Nero's eyes.

You can cut the tension with a fucking knife.

My face blushes red. Armando gives little to no fucks about offending Nero and whatever he is doing is working. Nero is getting worked up. He's flexing. His muscles are popping out under the tight gold button up he has on. Nero looks like he wants to throw down with Armando right now. And as sexy as he is I'm no longer amused. I'm a little worried.

“We are just friends,” I try to fix things, “Raul's video was taken way out of context. We're just friends. Right Armando?”

Armando gets silent. Fuck. He's not helping this SHIT at all. I don't know who I'm trying to convince but no one seems to be buying what the fuck is coming out of my mouth. Armando being silent like he is just seems to be bringing about more tension between him and Nero. The king isn't helping. He's just a bystander at this point.

Finally after the longest most awkward pause Armando opens his mouth.

The words are like knives, “Yeah. We are friends... for now.”

A smile sneaks up in the corner of Armando's face. It's damn near menacing the way he says it. I want to cry. I swear to God I want to cry. He is pissing Nero off and ruining a good thing that I have with him. He's doing it on purpose. My fucking father is insinuating something really is happening between us. I can't fucking believe him right now.

“Nothing is going on,” I beg.

No one hears me. I might as well have not said anything at all.

Nero is pacing back and forth. “Aren't you going do something?” Nero asks King Arie. Back and forth. Back and forth, “This...man...is disrespecting us to our face...”

“He apologized to me,” King Arie states before shaking his head, “You'll be king one day Nero. You need to learn how to be a man and fight your own battles.”

King Arie might as well walked over to Nero and pulled down his pants in front of everyone. It would be the same level of embarrassment. I felt for Nero at this moment. I can't believe that my fucking father is being so nasty. I can't believe that my father is actually going out of his way to pull some shit like this. What the fuck is he really getting out of this?

What does he think is going to happen?

Nero's face gets so red that I forget he's a vampire. His silver eyes I swear almost go completely white. He looks over at King Arie speechless, then looks over at Armando and lastly just turns around and storms out of the fucking room.

I look at Armando. I can't believe him.

“Thanks. Thank you very much,” I tell him.

“I told you. I'm not mad,”

Nero telling me that is the worst thing that I can imagine. He's steaming. He doesn't go to homeroom for the rest of the week. He is avoiding Armando. What's worse is that Nero is spending all of his time in the gym. I don't know what that means but it scares the fuck out of me. I don't know what's going to happen but the tension is in the air and it's worse than before.

Before it was a game. Now Nero...Nero was pissed.

“Nothing is happening between him and me,” I tell him.

Nero and I are in the gym after our classes for the week. I go in there to practice some combat moves for the upcoming midterms. Nero doesn't need practice. He's just in there punching a bag. The aggression in his punches is something scary as fuck.

“Ok,” he tells me.

“You don't believe me,” I respond.

Nero eyes cut towards me, “Why wouldn't I believe you?”

“Because you're punching that bag like you want to kill it.”

“Naw...it's not the bag I want to kill,” Nero tells me.

The look in his eyes is fierce to say the least. He turns back to the back. For jabs. One hook. He delivers a heavy cross to the punching bag that causes the chain to rattle like a snake.

“You wish that bag was me?” I ask.

Nero shakes his head, “Don't be stupid. I would never want to hurt you.”

“Then Armando.”

Silence.

Bingo.

Other people are in the gym from other classes. It's usual that they stare but usual it's this starstruck kind of stare. Like 'oh shit I really go to school with the prince' but this stare is different. People are judging. People are looking at us like we aren't shit and just trying to listen in so they can get some gossip that they'd probably run back to the media about. That's what the fuck we'd been dealing with all week.

I went from the Golden boy of Eden to the boy who is cheating on Prince Nero. I had no way of defending myself. I had no way of rebutting Raul's attack.

After a few more punches Nero seems to be talking, “I'm tired of people sleeping on me. Thinking I'm some spoiled prince. I'm not that. It's not you. It's everyone else. It's my father. He thinks I'm weak. I can't go anywhere without a fucking bodyguard. The nobles aren't much better. I hear them laughing at me. Then I hear Milan. I hear Armando. I see them trying to get with the man that---”

He's breathing heavy. He doesn't finish his sentence. He is breathing so heavy that I don't think he could even if he wanted to.

“Don't you trust that nothing is going on between me and anyone else though?” I ask.

“But you said you were going to stay with him if you left school,” he responds.

I shake my head, “Nero. I can't go back home yo. You know I can't. Stop playing this game like I have so many choices. I have no where to go. So yeah, if someone offers a plan B for me, I'll take it.”

“Why can't I be your Plan B?” he asks.

“Because you're my plan A,” I respond.

I'm trying to flirt with him. For a minute I swear that he is calming down. That is until Raul and Milan walk into the gym. God knows why they are there but seeing Raul seems to get Nero all the way turnt up to 100.

He delivers a solid kick to bag and its busts wide open. The force damn near causes me to trip and fall backwards. Nero is shirtless. He is dripping with sweat. The entire gym sees how powerful he is when he hits that bag. He's not playing no games and his eyes fall across the room to Raul and then to Milan. Oh yeah. That's where the anger is really coming from. It's not about the fact that Raul revealed that tape. He's still bothered by Milan. He still thinks something is going on between the two of us.

Nero walks away at that moment. He storms off into the locker room followed closely by his bodyguard Sinclair.

A storm was brewing in Nero and there was no way I could control it...

“I hope your happy,” I tell Raul.

Raul looks over at me before shaking his head, “You gave me no choice.”

“You could have come and talked to me instead of acting like a little bitch and airing out my issues on television,” I respond to Raul, “Your issues are with me...not with Nero.”

Raul isn't backing down, “If you were so concerned with Nero you would stay the fuck away from Milan...hoe.”

“Hoe?”

I take a step forward. I want this so bad. I want to fight Raul. I don't care if he's one of the best fighters in the class. I don't care that he used to be my best friend. I don't care that we actually aren't even fighting over the same person. He could mess with me all he wanted to but the fact that he dragged Nero into this was crossing the line.

“Take a walk,” Milan standing between me and Raul.

“Me? Are you serious? I didn't say a word to him!” Raul responds.

“Raul...”

Milan gives him a stare. I wonder if they've talked about this before they came into the gym because they seem to be communicating something with that stare that I'm not aware of. It's almost like Milan saw this coming a mile away. Raul listens to him though and leaves the gym so that nothing escalates between the two of us.

I am staring at Milan at that moment and cross my arms.

“So which one are you?”

He looks around before he responds, “Milan...”

I'm actually surprised that Milan was actually the one able to put Raul into his place being that he was the one who was actually so in love with Raul. I am standing there with my arms crossed. I'm just mad at the world. I'm looking at the sand. Shit was going so well with me and Nero and then Raul had to come fuck everything up.

“We need to come out and tell people.”

Milan's eyebrow lifts up, “Tell people what exactly.”

“That you have a twin. That Raul is acting like a little bitch for no reason. How about tell people about who Armando is...”

I'm louder than Milan likes because he grabs me by my arm and takes me behind the bleachers in the gym. This shit would probably look even more suspicious if Nero came out of this locker rooms but hell I was already in the dog pound with him. I couldn't get any deeper. Nero was pissed and everyday it got worse and worse.

“We can't do that. And you know why...” Milan tells me.

“I've never seen Nero like this,” I warn Milan, “I think he's going to do something.”

“Something like what?”

“I don't know,” I explain shaking my head, “He's...different. Didn't you just see what he did to that punching bag?”

Milan has to see it. I know he does. He has to see it because he is hesitating more than he should.

Milan sighs loudly, “Armando won't have it...not with a threat in Class O. It would compromise from our entire mission. If we come out the threat may know we are investigating them.”

“What threat? Who the fuck is it?” I ask.

“We're not sure yet. We just narrowed it down to Class O. That's all we know so far.”

“So in the meantime I have to live in hell?” I ask.

Milan isn't skipping a beat in this argument, “You have to keep quiet about this. We have to think of the bigger picture. We have to think about what's best for Eden...not what's best for Santos.”

These secrets were ruining my fucking life. Milan didn't seem to care. All he cared about was keeping the peace with Raul, who was starting to be a spiteful male version of Coco every single day.

“I want to talk to Aiden,” is the only thing I can think of.

“Look ...I'm actually Nero's friend. I care for him unlike my brother and Armando,” Milan explains, “I'm on your side with this. My brother hates Nero and so does Armando.”

“You're just trying to save face for Raul.”

“Excuse me? How do you think Raul got that interview? He is new to Eden---just like you. He doesn't know any reporters.”

“Coco, of course.”

Milan rolls his eyes, “Coco has been crying in her room ever since Nero shut her ass down. Do you think it was just an accident that you ended up in the very same bathroom that Raul had a camera in?”

“What?”

Milan shakes his head and rolls his eyes, “Fuck I said too much.”

“Milan... I swear to god if you don't tell me what the fuck you were about to say I'm going to tell the entire school that you have a twin. I'll tell everyone who Armando is to me. I swear to God...”

Milan is sweating bullets. I can definitely see the difference between the twins. Aiden would have never been so dumb with the way he was talking. Milan wasn't the smarter twin and he'd let something slip out that he wasn't supposed to let slip out. I can see him really looking like he was losing it right now as he stood next to me.

“Ok. Ok. Your father planned it all. He reached out to Raul. He gave Raul the cellphone. He told Raul where to go and what to do. You're blaming Raul but you shouldn't. It wasn't all his idea. Armando even set up the interview.”

My heart raced.

Why...the...fuck would Armando do all that?

“You're lying...”

“Why would I lie. I thought it sucked but Aiden was all on board. He's just...trying to protect you. I guess. Armando just really, really, really doesn't want you involved with Nero. And I can't blame him. The prince has a big ass target on his back. You don't want to be mixed up in this kind of shit. Armando is a father after all. You should understand. You know? You should talk to your father. He can make it make sense for you.”

Talk to him.

Talk to him?

“Fuck Armando---tell him I said it.”

My voice is sharp as fuck. Armando went out of his way to make Nero embarrassed. He went out of his way to make sure that Nero thought something was actually going on between me and him. He gave Raul had enough ammunition. Raul agreed probably thinking he was taking shots at me but really Raul was taking shots at Nero for Armando.

Thanksgiving is coming up for the holidays. We aren't allowed to leave Eden. Most of my other classmates have somewhere to go or at least someone to spend it with. I spend the week leading up to the holidays hoping that Nero will invite me somewhere but the last time he invited me to the palace it was an absolute mess so I'm not surprised when the invitation doesn't arrive. Besides he seems...distant ever since the video came out. The media takes every opportunity to clown him. I'm counting my blessings at this point that he hasn't decided to just completely cut ties with me and break up. He's taking the scrutiny and criticism a little hard.

Highlights like, “Sex and the Afterlife” and “The Prince and the Player” are over the television so much that for the most part Nero spends most of his time either in bed or in the gym.

The smile that I knew completely disappears.

It's the week before Thanksgiving when he's away. Luckily for me he isn't around when Camilla and Lucca come around for their local gossip.

“You need to see this,” Lucca says.

He's on the bed with me and Camilla is right beside me. They know better than to bring this bullshit around when Nero and I are laying together. They are messy as hell.

“What the hell is this?”

He hands me a tabloid, “The Prince Can't Please his AB.”

I look at the cover of the magazine and I'm honestly blown away. There are pictures of me and Nero walking together. Nero has his head down a looks a little sad. It looks like he's kind of looking down at his junk.

“Yo this is bullshit. Nero had spilled some coffee on his pants. He was wiping it off...” I respond.

I remember the day that it was.

“It says it's coming from an inside source,” Camilla adds at that moment, “I bet you it's that bitch Coco.”

“It's not. She's out of it. She has generated other people to hate on me,” I respond rolling my arms.

Lucca raises an eyebrow, “Is there any truth to it?”

“Fuck no. Nero puts it down. Every single time.”

I'm saying only a half truth. Nero and I did have sex a couple of time and each time it was hot, but we hadn't been intimate since Raul's video. He just been stressed. It hadn't stopped him from cuddling up with me...holding me---but no sex.

“You sure?” Camilla asks, “Because the first sign that a man is over you is when he's under someone else.”

My heart is racing even by the thought of it.

“We are good. I'm sure.”

Lucca rolls his eyes, “Told you Camilla. You owe me 20.”

“Wait what?” I interrupt.

“Camilla swears that Nero has been cheating on you with that guy Sinclair.”

I think about Sinclair. Nero's pretty ass bodyguard. My heart is racing by the idea of it. I look over at Camilla and then at Lucca.

“We just been having some issues with all these lies in the media,” I respond but add with an uncertain curiosity, “Why would you think that though?”

Camilla shakes her head, “Oh it doesn't matter. If you guys are getting it in everyday then I'm sure he would have no reason to be unfaithful...”

“We do have sex. A lot of sex. All the time,” I lie but immediately add afterward, “Still, what makes you say that?”

Camilla shrugs, “Milan told Geneva who told me that your boyfriend's been sneaking out all the time. You know I don't do drama---and I'm not the kind to run and tell people's business. At all. But supposedly he's been sneaking off with Sinclair.”

My heart is racing.

Fuck. This isn't happening.

“Oh yeah. I know about that,” I lie.

I don't want to them to think something is going on between us. Camilla and Lucca were the biggest gossipers probably in the school. They knew and talked to damn near everyone. Regardless of if they wanted to suck up to me because I was being talked about often didn't matter. They didn't have any real loyalty to me and I didn't need to be a genius to figure that out.

“Why?” Lucca asks.

“Huh?” I return.

“Why do they sneak off in the middle of the night?”

Shit.

I shrug at that moment, “Oh you know there is weird stuff going on in the school. So the prince is, um, Well. He's looking into it.”

I don't know where I pull this shit from. I just don't want to embarrass me and Nero any more than we've already been embarrassed.

“Don't tell me you think there is a rogue in Class O too?” Camilla asks me.

“You heard about that?” I ask.

“It's bullshit,” Camilla responds, “When I was friends with Coco, she used to constantly say things like that. Supposedly her father is real concerned someone infiltrated the class to be closer to Prince Nero. She thought it was you.”

“Me?”

“Yeah. Said your relationship was fake and you were just using Nero to get close enough to him so that you can take him out. And then in the chaos have the rogues attack and kill everyone.”

I'm not surprised that Coco doesn't trust me but I am surprised she actually thinks I would go to this length. I roll my eyes. I can see Camilla and Lucca aren't taking this seriously however. Lucca is laughing about what Camilla says and she is rolling her eyes as though heavily annoyed.

“So many crazy rumors.”

“Right. A rogue in Class O, Nero cheating on you...” Camilla adds, “The lies that are made up about us are ridiculous. There was even this rumor that he was going to have this announcement tomorrow and publicly break up with you....”

I gulp so loud that I know they notice.

Lucca shoots Camilla an eye letting her know she's talking too much before softening her blow by saying, “But those are just lies. I guess it's the cost of being famous right?”

I smile...uneasily.

“Right...”

==================================================

I can't get it out of my head that entire night. Nero was mad at me. He was getting distant. He was acting like he wasn't really all that into me anymore. What if he could be cheating? Was that so strange to guess on.

Nero gets out of the shower and Sinclair is right there later on that night. Most of the others have already gone to bed. I'm sitting up. I watch as Sinclair is standing at the door. I watch how he looks at Nero from the door while Nero is getting dressed. There is no threat in the world that would cause someone to stare at someone else that hard.

Nero only has on basketball shorts when he comes in the twin size bed with me.

“Can you wear a shirt sometimes?” I ask.

Nero raises an eyebrow at me, “What?”

“I understand you spend all your time in the gym and your muscles are popping. I get it. We all get it. You can walk around with a shirt on once in a while. You know? They do work.”

Nero is taking a deep breath. He's sitting up in the dark room with me and he's looking at me like I have a million heads and he doesn't understand not a damn single one of them.

“It's hot....where is this coming from?”

I shrug, “It's like you try to sell sex all the time.”

Nero raises an eyebrow at that moment, “Yo---did you just lowkey call me a prostitute Santos?”

“No. Not what I meant,” I sigh realizing my lingo from Harlem is a little different from what he might be used to, “I'm just saying that you don't realize how sexy you are. You don't realize how handsome you are. Other people do.”

“You worried about Coco? I am gay. Not bisexual baby. I know most vampires are but not me. I'm gay. I'm not interested in her,” he responds, “I don't care how long that girl stares at me.”

“I'm not talking about her,” I respond.

I turn my head to Sinclair. He is in the distance. The man has a bed in the dorm room but he never uses it. He just leans up against the far door and stares at Nero until he goes to sleep. It's annoying as fuck because I'm with Nero most of the time that he goes to sleep. He's basically staring at both of us.

“Sinclair? Really?”

“He likes you.”

Nero sighs, “You been talking to Dumb and Dumber haven't you?”

“No,” I lie knowing damn well he's talking about Camilla and Lucca, “But don't change the subject. He likes you.”

“Why?”

“He stares at you all the time.”

Nero shakes his head, “He's a bodyguard. That's his job...”

“It's intimidating when I'm with someone who everyone wants to be with,” I explain to Nero crossing my arms on the bed.

Nero doesn't seem in the mood to even cater to my feelings. He turns around almost immediately and spits out angrily, “Now you see how I feel.”

The way he says it makes me feel bad as fuck. I have to remember he doesn't know about the twins and he doesn't know Armando is my father. Nero is sitting around thinking I'm constantly surrounded by men that want to be with me. It is a struggle not to tell him now but I have to remember 'it's the best for Eden' not to have anyone know about my father's real intentions here. I have to keep his secrets and it's so fucking hard.

I find myself outlining Nero's arms. His arms are huge. He's turned away from me towards the wall. The bed is so small that I am spooning over him.

“I'm sorry bae...” I whisper in his ears, “I didn't want to start an argument.”

It's the best I can do. I don't want to go to sleep mad and honestly Nero is sexy as fuck. You can't really stay mad at him too long. Right now I have something else on my mind besides anger.

“It's cool...” I hear him whisper back in a deep voice that turns me the fuck on.

I'm rubbing the side of his arms. For a moment I see him move and think he's going to just turn over. There is something so hot about if we were able to have sex right here right now. Sinclair has finally even gone to sleep. The other beds are close enough. Lucca is above us. On the cot next to ours is Camilla's bed with Coco on top. Two cots down Milan and Raul are sleeping. Then Geneva right above them . We can have sex right in this room and we might be able to get away with it.

I find myself reaching over past his small hips. I squeeze onto his hips and hear him exhale a little bit. Then I grab onto his dick. It's not hard but it's thick as fuck. As I hold onto his dick I can feel it slowly but surely getting hard in my hands.

It swells up...filling with blood. I can feel the veins. I can feel his dick throbbing in my palm.

“Stop,” he says all of a sudden.

It's so immediate that I'm taken back by it.

“What?”

“I'm just...not in the mood,” he explains to me, “Sex doesn't fix everything...and I'm putting an end to this tomorrow.”

“What does that mean?” I ask, “Nero... Nero what are you putting an end to? Are you breaking up with me? Nero...”

No answer.

I ask him again but hear a muffled grunt and it seems like Nero has fallen asleep or at least he's pretending to have fallen asleep to me. I can't believe it. What the fuck did I really do to deserve this?

I can't sleep throughout that night and sure enough in the middle of the night Nero wakes up. He makes his way over to Sinclair, wakes him up and the two leave.

And I'm so sure. Nero is cheating on me.

It's the day everyone is leaving for Thanksgiving break. I'm sitting in this room by my fucking self and I don't know what to think of anything. You don't know how much you care about someone until you realize that you're going to lose them. I feel like a little bitch when I'm sitting in the bathroom crying. I'm crying because I hate myself for allowing me to lose someone like Nero. I hate the fact that I have so much loyalty to Armando who is supposedly doing all this shady shit in an attempt to protect me.

I hate everything about my life right now.

“Santos?”

I recognize the voice as Geneva's. Great.

Another enemy.

“I'm a little busy...” I say turning on the water in the bathroom.

There is no way in hell I intent to let my enemies know they have been getting to me.

“Were you...crying?” Geneva asks.

“What girl no,” I respond making sure to wipe my face throughly before opening the door, “You can go ahead and use it if you want.”

Geneva stares at my face hard. She's not convinced. I can tell when she follows me into the common room. Most of the others have already gone. Raul is staying in the dorms but there is no way in hell I'm going to be talking to him. Lucca, Camilla and Coco have gone. Milan has disappeared and I can only imagine he's doing something for my father.

“What are your plans for Thanksgiving?”

Being miserable, waiting for Nero to break up with me.

“Just probably going to take a walk around Eden, get to know the city a little better. Maybe go have a dinner or something.”

“Dinner with who?”

“Just alone.”

Geneva sighs a little bit, “Listen...why don't you and me hang out? My parents are King's Guard and they left Eden on a mission so I'm alone too. I promised you that I'd help you study for midterms.”

I'm confused as fuck.

“That was if Armando asked you on a date though.”

“Uh...he did ask me.”

“What?”

“Yeah. He asked me out. Right after you said you would talk to him. He didn't set it up until next week though. He says he has some stuff he wants to deal with. I am beyond excited. God I don't know what to wear...and honestly I don't know how to thank you. That is my DREAM man.”

Geneva isn't just excited. She is beyond excited. I knew people thought Armando was attractive but she was acting like she'd just won the dream of a lifetime. I'm watching this girl as she literally spins throughout the sleeping areas. She twirls like she is fucking Dorothy. It's hilarious to see people act like that because of love.

And I'm just shocked that Armando actually did this. He seemed so against it when I brought it up but I guess he did come through for me after all.

“I'm sure whatever you wear, he'll be happy.”

Geneva smiles, “I'm sorry I've been acting a like a jealous bitch. I just saw what you and Nero had...and I was just like why the fuck would someone want more than that. Nero adores you...”

“I'm pretty sure it's over between us,” I respond.

“I wouldn't be so sure about that,” a voice says.

I turn at that moment to see Raul. I'm annoyed to see him. He seems amused by something.

“I'm not here for your shit right now Raul.”

“You don't have to be,” he snaps back shaking his head, “But what you will do is bring your unbothered ass over here and see what's on television. This is not a good look. Your man just shocked Eden...”

My heart drops.

Fuck.

Nero was breaking up with me in front of the entire city. Thousands of vampires would be watching this.

Geneva and I run into the common area where Raul already has the television blasting. I look at the television. Sure enough Nero is on the screen and he's about to make an announcement. Cameras are flashing. Nero doesn't even look nervous in the press room.

“For the past few weeks I have been spending time with my bodyguard Sinclair...”

Fuck. Here it comes. My heart was ready to whither away.

“...and I'd like to make an announcement,” Nero explains, “Many of you saw the interview a few weeks ago. And because of that I will no longer have my relationship disrespected. I am in love with Santos and so I challenge Captain Armando to a Combat Sanglant.”

The room gets silent.

I look around.

Raul is raising his eyebrow, “Did he just break up with you or...”

I don't even know the answer to that. What the fuck just happened?

Did Nero just say he was in love with me?

“What the fuck is a Combat Sanglant?” I ask.

The only person that would know is Geneva. I turn to find out why she is being so quiet. She is staring at the screen. Her mouth is wide open. She isn't the only one reacting like this. On the television there isn't the usual reaction to vampire drama. There isn't whispers and chattering.

“Geneva...” Raul says.

“Geneva...you there?” I ask, “Anyone there?”

Geneva swallows hard.

“It means Bloody Battle,” she finally responds, “It's one of the oldest vampire traditions. It hasn't been done in nearly 300 years. It's a dead art. Armando can't refuse. Nero can't take it back. Nero just challenged Armando to a battle to the death...”

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