***
Halfway through the flight Dusty woke up and stared intently at Thalos.
‘Thalos.’
He blinked. Dusty spoke to him telepathically.
‘Dusty?’
“Holy shit,” Dusty muttered aloud.
Agents Sarah and Randy looked at him from their leather swivel chairs.
‘I was just checking to see if we could really speak telepathically,’ Dusty thought.
‘Yes. That’s a part of our connection.’
Dusty nodded and turned to look out his window. Thalos felt stricken. The exchange seemed so intimate. He didn’t want it to end.
‘Dusty, some of your emails were…leaked to us. You said that I owed you. I felt this way also. I didn’t know why. Now I do.’
He didn’t look at him. ‘Don’t try to charm me, vampire. It won’t work.’
That stung. Thalos lowered his head. ‘You wanted me to be there for you, and now I am. Don’t push me away.’
‘I said stop.’
‘I care about you, Dusty.’
He glowered across the aisle at him. ‘Prove it. Prove that you’re not just some sleazy vampire who fucks everything up and runs away. And don’t hit on me! You think I’m going to be putty in your slick little hands? No fucking way. I’m stronger than that.’
Thalos eyed him, but only for a moment. He fixed on the floor and said, ‘The only thing I’m after right now is your friendship.’
‘We’re not friends. You’re my slave.’
Thalos sighed.
‘And don’t mope about it, either. You should be happy to be my slave. I’m giving you a chance to prove yourself.’
‘I’ll prove myself. I’ll make things up to you.’
‘Good. Now shut up.’ He sneered at him and stomped to the galley.
Sarah and Randy exchanged a perplexed glance.
Thalos curled into himself on his chair. He felt like crying. A sniffle came from the galley. He realized Dusty wept while leaning over the minifridge. He rose from his chair slowly so he didn’t spook the agents.
Thalos leaned on a counter next to Dusty. “Do you really hate me that much?”
“Psh. I wish I hated you.” He scrubbed his eye with the side of his hand. “You know I can’t because of that fucking curse you put on me.”
“I’m going to be your obedient slave, Dusty. Just like you want. You don’t have to fight against what you feel. It’s useless, anyway. It’s just going to cause you stress, and you have more than your fair share as it is.”
Dusty looked at him.
“Our bond isn’t something bad. It’s given you the best ally you could possibly have against Johann. Stop looking at it as a curse.”
He thought for a moment and then nodded.
Thalos noticed agent Sarah getting ready to stand up. He returned to his seat. Dusty followed moments later with a sandwich.
“Everything okay?” Randy asked.
“Mm-hm.”
The agents removed Thalos’ shackles so he could dress. He led them from the plane to the train once in Bangkok. Dusty and Sarah both reeled at the heat and pollution. Randy accepted these things with confidence that conveyed he’d been there before. An hour in a taxi followed the train ride, and then they reached the luxurious Silom district. Thalos pointed to the three-story Leụ̄xd hotel wedged between two massive resorts.
“That’s it.”
The doorman greeted him in English. “Mr. Thalos, you made it.” He punched a key code before the door would open.
“I have three guests. Mr. and Mrs. Smith and my date Dusty.”
Dusty had been preoccupied with smoothing the wrinkles in his tuxedo. He paused to flash Thalos an incredulous sneer.
The doorman spoke into a walkie-talkie attached to his lapel. “I have Mr. Thalos coming in with three guests.”
They entered a massive foyer with a domed glass ceiling and koi fountains.
“What did you call me?”
“They’ll be expecting me to have a date, Dusty. We’ll draw suspicion otherwise.”
Dusty took in their lavish surroundings. “Yeah, but a guy?”
“I’m homosexual.”
“I know! I thought you were in the closet.”
“Not for the last 200 years. This way.” He brought them past one of the broad staircases flanking the fountains.
“What’s upstairs?” Randy said.
“Ordinary hotel rooms, and…feeding rooms.”
“Shouldn’t we go up there, then?” Sarah said.
“There’s a banquet at the gala. Everyone must be hungry.”
The three exchanged looks.
“I need to at least make an appearance. Won’t you humor me?”
“Thirty minutes tops,” Randy said.
“I’m not dancing with you!”
Thalos gasped and placed a wounded hand to his chest. He pouted back at Dusty, whose beautiful face became stern. Apparently he didn’t get Thalos’ humor yet.
The ballroom held a gala that would have been passé in the US, but still pleased guests in Thailand. Beautifully costumed staff milled about with trays of hors d'oeuvres or champagne. An orchestra played waltzes next to a circular dance floor. Immaculately dressed guests stood around munching, sipping, and talking. They erupted in applause when Thalos came in.
“Let’s separate,” he said to the “Smiths”.
“Don’t go out of sight,” Randy said.
Thalos brought Dusty to a group of mother hens covered in sequins. He clasped hands and kissed cheeks with each of them. Then they focused on Dusty.
“Oh, who is this, Thalos? He’s adorable.”
“This is my boyfriend Dusty.” He rattled off introductions.
“I’m so happy you found someone,” Madam Pou said. “You were so lonely.”
Dusty eyed him.
“Do be good to him, Dusty. He’s a sentimental one, our Thalos. His heart can break so easily.”
“Uh huh.” His eyes darted away from them. “I thought we were going to eat.”
Thalos excused them from the group. They headed towards the banquet table.
“Were you single for a long time or something?” Dusty said.
“An eternity.” He gave Dusty a plate. “But now I’m with you.”
“You’re not with anyone, anyway, anyhow.”
“My dear, if I’m your slave I can’t be with anyone else, can I?”
He plucked morsels from the table with tongs. “You’re my slave as in my servant. You’re not my slave like some S&M bondage thing.”
Thalos poured himself some soup. “I’ll be any kind of slave you want.”
The “Smiths” had already discovered the banquet and joined them with full plates.
“This is kind of nice,” Sarah said.
“Yeah, it’s not every day you get to go to one of these,” Randy said.
Dusty became annoyed. “How many of these people are vampires?”
Thalos scanned the crowd. “One. Two. Three.” He kept searching. “Three. They’re not the ones I want to talk to.”
“Why are you throwing a party for humans?”
He flashed him a smile. “I like humans.”
Dusty ate and walked at the same time while Thalos dragged him through the ballroom to greet his friends. Just as they made it back to the banquet table Madam Pou took the microphone from the orchestra conductor. She lifted her champagne glass.
“Here’s to Thalos and his new boyfriend.”
The gathering cheered and clapped. Dusty looked like a hare caught in the beam of a flashlight.
“I’ve asked for a special song just for them.”
The orchestra started playing Vienna Blood. Thalos lowered his head and laughed softly.
“What, are we supposed to dance now, or something?” Dusty said.
Thalos eyed him. He knew Madam Pou intended for them to da
nce, but polite smiles would get them off the hook. Dusty’s assumption emboldened him. He nudged him with a hand on his shoulder.
“I suppose we must.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
And yet, he walked toward the dance floor with Thalos. He’d dancing on his mind all along.
“I should lead.”
“Don’t be silly.” Thalos took his hand.
Then it happened. Their flesh touched and every sound around them faded. Thalos felt an electric shiver. A tingle started in his palm and traversed up his arm. His mind couldn’t even grasp the sensation. He looked into Dusty’s eyes and knew he felt it also. Synergy—chemistry—lightning—whatever you called it. It struck them both. Flesh to flesh contact manifested Thalos’ love enchantment physically.
He saw Dusty’s throat bob with a gulp. The sounds of the people around them became audible again. Thalos rested his other hand on Dusty’s back and moved them in tempo with the music. The beautiful mortal avoided his eyes.
“What are you doing to me?” His whisper sounded like a plea.
“Dusty, I could love you…if you let me.”
“Permission denied.”
Dusty closed the space between them. Their dance turned to an embrace. Thalos felt a euphoric shudder. He’d made Dusty too weak to stand by his own strength. As he leaned against him he could feel Dusty’s heart throbbing. He felt his magnificent warmth. Thalos couldn’t concentrate on the dance while so overcome by bliss.
His mind raced. When had he last felt such rapture? What made Dusty so special to him?
So…delicious?
He couldn’t focus. Dusty’s lithe form fit against him so well. He imagined them in bed. Dusty would be virginal and hesitant—bashful about his body. Thalos thought of ravishing him. Teasing his sensitive skin, and toying with him until his entire body flushed red. He thought of tasting him—on the delicate inside of his thigh, the swell of his buttock. He’d make him tremble. The fondling, nipping, licking, wouldn’t stop until he whimpered. Thalos would torment him with a rough hand, making him cry out as he climaxed. Then, while he’s a quivering depleted mass, Thalos would take him.
The fantasy almost made him lose his footing. He pulled Dusty against him tighter. The music stopped and they no longer danced. Thalos merely luxuriated in their embrace.
The applause of the gathering broke their spell. Dusty shoved Thalos away from him. Sarah and Randy approached with dour faces.
“We need to get on with the mission.”
Thalos ran a hand through his hair. “Of…of course.”
They went to the front desk. Thalos had them call up to one of the feeding rooms.
“Mr. William will accept you,” the clerk told Thalos.
“I have guests with me.”
The clerk paused to listen to the voice on the other end of the receiver. “Your lover may come up. No one else.”
“No dice,” Randy said.
Thalos ushered them away from the clerk to talk. “These are extremely private rooms.”
“I don’t know what that means, but I’m not letting you take Dusty up there alone.”
“Wait a minute,” Dusty said.
“Our primary mission here is to keep you safe,” Sarah said.
“There’s no danger here.”
“Says the vampire,” Randy said.
“The fewer people present, the more likely William will talk,” Thalos said.
“I don’t need a fucking chaperone,” Dusty said. “I’ve had as much training as the two of you.”
“You can wait outside the door,” Thalos said. He started walking to the elevators to end the discussion.
Thalos tapped the elevator buttons in a pattern. The code brought them to an unlisted floor between the first and second. The doors swept open to a dimly lit red corridor.
Ecstatic moans came from the first red door they passed.
“This isn’t a blood hotel,” Randy said. “It’s a brothel.”
“Feeding is extremely intimate and sensual,” Thalos said. “It’s natural for it to lead into sex.”
“So these enterprises you have are all illegal,” Randy said.
“Spare me your ethnocentrism. Exclusive brothels are legal in Thailand.”
“Even if it makes the girls anemic?” Sarah said.
“I’d never allow a mortal to get sick while working for us.”
“So you say.” Randy sneered at the velvet wallpaper. “I’d like to have an investigation to see what really goes on here. Places like this need to be shut down.”
Thalos stopped in front of room IV. “Places like this give vampires a way to feed without hunting and killing.” He rapped the door with his knuckles. “Stay out of sight.”
Randy and Sarah took a few steps out of the way.
A Thai girl in a negligée opened the door. “Thalos, darling!” She hugged him around the neck.
“Come in! Come in!” a man said from inside.
Thalos and Dusty entered a dark suite filled with superfluous drapery and ornate furniture. The girl led them to back to the massive canopy bed. A pale vampire with oily black hair and a handlebar mustache reclined in a smoking jacket between two prostitutes. Platters of crudité, canapés, and pastries were spread out on the bed. A bottle of wine chilled in a stand next to them.
The vampire looked over Dusty as they approached.
“My, my, can it be that you’ve finally found a lover, Thalos?”
Thalos smiled. He drew a breath to speak.
“I’m Dusty Hollbrook.”
Thalos cringed. His friend laughed. (The prostitutes picked at the food).
“I know, dear boy. But Thalos can attest that I’m always happy to play along.”
“This is Fred,” Thalos said.
“Frederick William, the vampire banker.”
“Marvelous! You’ve done your homework.” He turned to the girls. “Take the food into the kitchen my dears. Go and feast for a while.”
Thalos and Dusty waited as the women obeyed.
“Close the door, my dears!” Frederick drew a long breath once they were alone. He closed his jacket tightly over his chest. “Have you gotten us a treaty, Thalos?”
Thalos sat on the bedside. “I’m working on it. You’re safe, Fred. Johann’s the one we’re after.”
Frederick’s face turned sour. “What a sad state of affairs—when a vampire must work with the hunters to go after one of our own.”
“He needs to be destroyed,” Thalos said. “He’s ruining everything we’ve worked for.”
“I’m well aware.”
“Are you doing business with him?” Dusty said.
Frederick darted him an angry look. “You’ve got a lot of nerve to ask that without a treaty in place.”
“Where is he?” Thalos said.
“Puh. The VP will just stake me. Johann will have me writhing in his sunroom for the rest of my existence.”
“Johann won’t be able to do anything once I destroy him.”
Frederick eyed Thalos while considering. “You never spoke to me.”
“Of course,” Thalos said.
Dusty nodded.
“Jakarta.”
Thalos swallowed. “Batavia?”
“Jakarta’s all I know.” He swung his legs over the bed to stand. “If you’ll excuse me—my food’s getting cold.”