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chum like yourself.
And like that, I m supposed to roll over for you?
Breylorn didn t stop him from standing up. Let me go, he said.
Breylorn laughed. Hiroshi moved into the archway, lounging in a way that only made
him look like a cheap imitation of Janus, and Lyall again felt the words he wanted to say as
only echoes in his head.
Breylorn nodded, and Hiroshi entered the room and grabbed him.
64 Angela Fiddler
He pulled away and followed Breylorn, who led the way back to the elevator. The
elevator went down, and the lights of the lobby were too bright for Lyall. He resisted the
urge to shade his eyes.
The building was located next to a garden, supposedly for the city, but locked with
wrought iron and keys given only given to the residents. A lot of the taller buildings had
them; he learned to ignore them like most of the people who walked past the iron-barred
gates. Just another sign that someone else s life was better than his.
The green grass, when the city s grass was already brown and dusty, seemed out of
place. The door swung open at Breylorn s touch and then both he and Hiroshi stood back.
Go in, Hiroshi said.
The flowers had all closed for the night, their scent muted on the slight wind. There
was an old tree, well tended and without a single leaf on the ground. Beneath its branches sat
a memorial bench, the copper plating now green, and the names almost rubbed off. He
wondered who would be sitting on the bench. Despite its meticulous care, it didn t feel as
though a living human had stepped past the iron fence in months.
Hiroshi slammed the gate shut. Lyall turned at the first sound of the noise, but had no
way of getting to it before the lock clicked into place. He wouldn t embarrass himself. They
were going to lock him out for morning.
No, we aren t, Breylorn called. Wait.
Lyall waited, refusing to allow his panic to surface. The green grass wouldn t have
looked out of place on a golf course, and the pebbles used to border the flower gardens were
all the same shade of eggshell white and uniform in shape. It wasn t exactly the stuff of
nightmares, and yet his throat still tightened.
He thought he heard something behind him, where the tall bushes obscured whatever
was on the other side of the back fence. He didn t call out, not wanting to give Hiroshi the
pleasure of seeing him afraid.
The shadows didn t smell like anything, at first, then smelled of rotting leaves. Rotting
leaves and upturned earth, and although it wasn t visible, Lyall still saw them gather up from
the grass, collecting and pooling at his ankles.
Something was reaching for him from the shadows of the tree, and he had to stumble
back in order not to be touched.
He heard Hiroshi s laughter behind him; Lyall had heard that often enough. The tree
had no branches within his reach; he could probably scale the rough bark for a couple feet,
but they would follow him up.
The shadows clawed at his ankle. He danced away the moment he felt them touch his
skin, and the scent of his blood seemed to give them strength. The smell was stronger now,
masking the flowers and the trees, the river, and the city itself. All he could smell was an
open grave.
Castoffs 65
Here, Breylorn called, snapping his fingers, and Lyall bolted to the iron gates, which
swung open easily.
The dead have voices, too. Breylorn s own voice was cold. The door opened behind
him. Lyall almost fell as his support swung away, but he kept to his feet. In the yard, the
shadows retreated whence they d come. My pet or not, you will belong to me for the next
year or so. Then we ll discuss your role.
Lyall felt a bit weak as they walked back to into the building. Even with the two older
vampires behind him, he still felt them, gathering in the darkness. He pulled the door open,
not waiting for the doorman, and stood by the elevator.
Hiroshi and Breylorn were talking as they entered, but silenced as they approached.
The panic didn t settle until he was back in the apartment. Hiroshi put his hand on Lyall s
shoulder. You will belong to me, little magpie, he hissed. Shouldn t be a problem; you ve
adjusted before.
Lyall pushed him away. Don t ever touch me again, he said. The small, gray room
allowed him to enter, but he felt the wards close down immediately behind him.
It wasn t as though Lyall was a bad student in the months following his purchase.
Hiroshi s learning curve was just steeper than Lyall thought possible.
He d been started out small. The thieving hadn t been hard to start, and Hiroshi was
genuinely pleased when he brought back whatever he d been sent out to get. He started
calling him his little magpie. He d sweep in and steal whatever bright and shiny thing
Hiroshi wanted.
Lyall shuddered. He d enjoyed it, too. Perhaps that was the worst part of it. Hiroshi, at
first, had been so kind.
Lyall touched his leg, feeling the smooth bone under his fingers.
He remembered the first time Hiroshi came for him. Hiroshi had sat down on the hotel
bed, and the moving mattress had woken Lyall. He didn t remember what city they were in,
but it was old, with strangely shaped roofs making up the skyline. The windows were open,
and the smell of spice wafted through.
It was in Budapest, or perhaps some place in Morocco that Hiroshi had found him. It
seemed so surreal Lyall didn t think he could deny him.
Hiroshi held a small blue vial. It looked like an exotic perfume bottle. With his other
hand, he pulled down Lyall s thin blanket.
There was no questions asked, but Hiroshi did look at him. The moonlight gave his
features a grayed-out, film-noir tone. He didn t respond, but lay back down to the mattress.
Hiroshi trailed his nails back up Lyall s chest, to his shoulder, then cupped the back of
Lyall s neck. He tilted Lyall s head back. Drink this.
Lyall caught his wrist. What is it?
66 Angela Fiddler
It will help you flow, Hiroshi said.
The words didn t make any sense. Lyall tried to catch Hiroshi s wrist, but the warm
liquid poured down his throat before he could stop it.
Don t fight, Hiroshi whispered.
There was nothing to fight. Lyall was suddenly too warm, and the sheets, which had
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