The Vanishing by Karla Nikole
Two
Morning. Nino enters the kitchen and Haruka is already there, sitting at the table with Junichi. The doors to the courtyard are propped open, allowing the cool, sweet air and sunlight of spring to saturate the space.
Moving toward the counter, Nino’s objective is clear. Coffee pot. He smiles in their direction. “Hey, Jun.”
Tall and handsome with warm, almond butter–brown skin, the first-generation vampire lifts his marble-black irises, grinning. As Okayama’s local tailor and clothing designer, Junichi Takayama is suave. In Nino’s mind, he’s like a male peacock, except his feathers are allblack. When the light hits him, the darkness of his plumage flashes like liquid iridescence.
“Good morning, Nino.” Junichi nods, his English smooth and unimpeded by his native tongue, like Haruka’s. “Your husband and I are at an impasse. Maybe you can help us?”
“What’s going on?” Nino pours his coffee. He once told Junichi that he can speak Japanese when visiting their home (not needing to adhere to their household habit of speaking in English), but the male had coolly refused, claiming it’s “more fun” this way.
“This is for the Hamamoto-Iseki wedding in six months,” Junichi explains “We’re having difficulty deciding whether Haruka should wear a suit or traditional attire. Do you have a preference in his clothing?”
Junichi raises his eyebrow, waiting while Haruka sits with his arms folded at the head of the table, his gaze focused on a letter in front of him.
Nino leans against the counter with his elbows, cradling the warm coffee cup in his palms. “Well, he looks regal in a kimono… but modern and sexy in a suit. I like both. Maybe I prefer the kimono? Oh—you know what’s even better? A yukata. He’s always naked under those things. Just one layer.”
Junichi laughs. Haruka shakes his head. Nino grins as he brings his coffee cup to his lips. Whenever Haruka wears traditional robes, Nino feels as if he’s bonded with one of those elegant lounging figures in an ukiyo-e wood-block painting—especially with his hair so long and dramatic like this.
“That was a lot of information.” Junichi smirks. “A yukata is too casual for a wedding, but your preference is noted. Maybe I’ll make a couple new robes for him this month before I fly to Europe?”
Feeling accomplished, Nino beams. “You’ll be traveling for three months, right?”
“Yes sir. My clients abroad demand personalized deliveries.”
“You’re amazing, Jun. Everything you make for Haruka always suits him perfectly. My favorite was that kimono you designed for his welcome celebration last year… Maybe I should try wearing one to the wedding?”
“You could do that.” Junichi blinks, considering. “I’ll have to think about a design that complements you.”
“Haru has so many, should I just try one of his?”
“Absolutely not. You two are the same height but your shoulders are broader and rounder. Your physique is more defined from your exercise routine. There’s no way I’d let you walk around in a tight, ill-fitting kimono.”
Haruka laughs. The deep, throaty sound of it surprises both Junichi and Nino as they shift their attention toward him. “My apologies.” He smiles. “The mental image of that scenario caught me off guard.”
“Welcome to the conversation, tesoro.” Nino stands straight and walks to the end of the counter. He leans there with his hip. “What are you reading?”
“A formal visitation request.” Haruka’s dark brows are drawn together as he takes a deep breath, his previous mirth evaporated.
“From someone you dislike?” Junichi asks.
“From someone I do not know and have never heard of.” Haruka lifts his bright burgundy gaze toward Nino. “May I please have a cup?”
Nino nods and turns toward the cabinet to grab a mug. “What’s the request for?”
“Introductions.” Haruka folds his arms. “The vampire is Lajos Almeida, which is undeniably synonymous with Ladislao Almeida of Rio de Janeiro. But I have never heard of this particular vampire within the clan’s family lineage.”
Tense, Nino walks around the counter with his mate’s coffee. In light of both Gael and Ladislao disappearing last year, having anyone associated with the Almeida Clan so close to their home feels like a bad omen.
“Why would someone from the Almeida Clan want to meet you?” Junichi asks. “I hate to say this, but things calmed down in Brazil after Ladislao vanished. It’s obvious that he was the root of the problem. Crazy male…”
“You’ve met him?” Nino asks.
“Yeah. Only once, but he leaves an impression.”
“We have a connection,” Haruka says, accepting Nino’s offering. “We crossed paths with one of the Almeida Clan’s associates last year. There was an altercation regarding my family’s research, but then he escaped and I have not seen or heard anything since.”
In a fog, Nino sits down at the table beside Haruka. The associate is Gael Silva, a large, domineering first-generation vampire they met in England more than a year ago. He’d attacked Haruka after learning about the Lore and Lust manuscript—an impressive compilation of accounts on forming vampiric bonds. The research is invaluable, giving shape to a topic shrouded in much mystery.
Gael’s brutal response had convinced both Nino and Haruka that they should avoid revealing the manuscript’s existence. At least among strangers.
With his fingertips, Nino slides the request within his line of sight, then reads the details. The appeal is for one month from now—the exact minimum amount of time considered proper when making formal requests of purebreds. Nino pushes the letter away so that it sits in the middle of the table, unsettled by the sense of foreboding emanating from it.
Junichi picks up the paper to read it, his black irises scanning. He pulls the letter to his nose and inhales. “Smells strong—like sage. This Lajos is probably purebred?”
Haruka blows out a breath. Concern is etched in his forehead. “So it would seem.”
“I don’t like this.” Nino shakes his head. “How did he even find us? When we legally registered our bond, I made sure that all of our records were kept private. Nothing comes up if you search us online.”
“Oh, the two of you registered your bond with the human government?” Junichi asks. “Most bonded couples don’t bother with that step.”
Haruka brings his coffee cup to his lips. “My mate is of a meticulous nature—much more so than myself.”
“It… just makes sense?” Nino grins, embarrassed. The decision is unconventional. But in Nino’s mind, if anything serious ever happened, it would be better for them to have legal responsibility for each other. No questions asked.
He looks down at his left hand against the table and flexes his fingers. Another unconventional desire. He sighs, his heart light from the beautiful ring wrapped around his finger. It’s black zirconium, but the inlay is textured with amber stone. It’s perfect and looks like something found and cultivated from a dense rainforest… maybe from behind a waterfall.
Remembering Haruka’s words and seductive actions last night gives Nino a rush of warm goosebumps. When Haruka lets loose, he reminds Nino of a panther—dark, seductive and devoted in his every movement. He’d given Nino what he’d asked for and much more.
“When I met you at the welcome celebration last year, it was obvious that you were a vampire with a plan.” Junichi raises his eyebrow at Nino, teasing.
Nino shakes his head. “No, I—I didn’t… not exactly—”
“The way Haruka took your hand without question and let you sweep him off into the woods spoke volumes.”
“We did not go into the woods.” Haruka frowns.
“Everyone went wild,” Junichi says. “Like, ‘Who is this stunning amber vampire that just walked in and stole our realm leader away?’”
“They bonded on the first try—”
“Asao.”
Haruka’s manservant walks into the room—salt-and-pepper and broad-shouldered with his head high. Despite Haruka’s furrowed brow, the older vampire grins as he takes hold of the coffee pot. “Jun, did he ever tell you he freaked out afterward? Tore up the house?”
“Asao, none of that information is necessary right now,” Haruka admonishes.
“It’s your anniversary.” Asao shrugs, unbothered. “It’s good to reflect. You’ve come a long way, hasn’t he, Nino?”
Nino scratches the back of his head. “Please… don’t include me in this conversation.” Haruka and Asao have a unique relationship. Asao is much older and third-generation, his purebred vampire origins twice removed. When Haruka was twelve, his parents died and Asao was named his guardian.
The two vampires feel more like goading father and mortified son than manservant and master. In joining their household, Nino has learned to keep his mouth shut during their disagreements.
“Happy anniversary.” Junichi smiles. “Wow. Bonded on the first try? That never happens. You two were meant to be. Like fate.”
“I think so…” Nino shifts his eyes, meeting Haruka’s vintage wine–colored gaze. “But I’m always told that I’m a ‘romantic.’”
Haruka reaches over and grasps Nino’s hand, bringing it up toward his mouth. “I am grateful that the stunning and romantic amber vampire is always so patient with his pragmatic mate.” He locks eyes with Nino as he presses his lips to his fingers. Nino’s stomach flips.
“We need to leave in the next five minutes to get to the Fujihara Clan’s estate on time,” Asao says, just before taking a long sip of his coffee. Haruka does the same, then stands from the table.
Nino looks up at him. “I’ll be back home around seven to start dinner.”
Nodding, Haruka pushes the chair in and meets Nino at his side. He bends down and places two swift kisses on his mouth. “Good luck in Osaka today.”
“Thank you.” Nino grins. “Good luck with the translation.”
Haruka stands and lifts his chin toward Junichi. “Kimemashita. Suitsu ja nakute, kimono wo kimasu. Jaa, mata atode.”
Junichi offers a firm nod, then winks at Nino. “Yappari kimono desu yo ne. Dewa boku ga tsukurasete itadakimasu. Are we still on for lunch this Saturday?”
“We are,” Haruka confirms. He walks toward the door and Nino turns to watch him, long and elegant in his dark slacks. He wears a crisp, subtly patterned white shirt layered underneath a handsome gray sweater. The heavy weight of his lustrous hair is pulled back, neat and tidy. The quintessential Historian off to do research.
“Have you met the Fujiharas?” Junichi asks when they’re alone in the kitchen. “They’re the family with twins.”
“Yeah…” Nino says. He knows who they are because they’d unknowingly shown him something important. Something he’s been privately grappling with since the day he first met them and witnessed the way in which his mate interacted with their twins. Nino is still taken aback with how calm and doting Haruka had been. He knows his mate to be affectionate. But seeing him with children exposed Nino to a new, hidden layer of Haruka’s character.
“I met them a couple months ago,” Nino says, keeping his revelation about his mate to himself. “They seem nice. They’re both first-gen, right?”
“Yes, they’re great—and the kids are obsessed with Haruka. Such an interesting family. Sora’s purebred father was a victim of the Great Vanishing. She said he was pushing her on a swing at the park one afternoon and then poof, she looked back and he was gone. Maybe she was five at the time? She walked home alone, and when she got there, her mom was doubled over in pain from the sudden separation of her mate. She ended up dying about a week later.”
Nino shudders at the mere mention of the Great Vanishing: the unexplained cultural event that happened nearly two centuries ago. Several purebreds across multiple communities and continents had slowly disappeared—like mist into thin air. No explanation. Not even now, so many years later. The entire purebred vampire population declined as a result.
“I didn’t know about Sora’s parents. That sounds horrible.” Nino sighs.
“Right?” Junichi agrees. “So Kosuke, Sora’s husband, can’t withstand direct sunlight very well. His first-gen father used to casually feed from humans in his youth—like for fun? Fucking nuts. His mother is purebred, but she wasn’t vanished. They’re living in Shimane, I think?”
“Haru told me feeding from humans too much will destroy a vampire’s bloodline for a whole generation—maybe even longer. My family’s bloodline wasn’t clean until the mid-1800s. But I think Haru’s has been clean since… something crazy like 200 CE.”
“Ancient blood.” Junichi shakes his head, the phrase weighted as it hangs between them. “Yayoi, Queen Himiko blood… I bet his ancestors were terrifying. They probably sucked other vampires dry when they fed. Anyway, Kosuke himself has never fed from humans, so the twins are fine. Sora works full-time as a nurse at my mother’s hospital in Himeji, since she can day walk. Kosuke stays home to take care of the kids. They might be better off finding a nocturnal society, but they’re pretty loyal to Haruka as a realm leader—and now you too, of course.”
“We have a lot of interesting families in our realm,” Nino says thoughtfully. “Some are humble and normal. Others are ridiculous. Have you met that new clan that just moved here from Tokyo?”
Junichi’s face falls flat. “Yeah.”
“We went to their house to welcome them and it was crazy—marble statues, huge paintings and a dramatic staircase. It was like something out of a cheesy drama. The son is some kind of underground rock star?”
“He’s a little shit,” Junichi says with a sneer. “He comes by my shop at least once a week to pester me—making me order Versace and Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, then asking me to custom fit everything for him before he picks it up. Was I that arrogant and frivolous when I was his age? I couldn’t have been that bad…”
Nino leans on the table with his elbows, smiling. “You know, Jun, you can swear like this and be yourself in front of Haru. I know he’s old blood and a little pretentious, but you don’t need to put on airs for him. He thinks of you as his friend.”
Junichi raises his eyebrow in a smirk. “Me? Swear and gossip in front of my gracious, poised and diplomatic purebred realm leader? My father would turn over in his grave and climb out just to smack me.”
Nino understands. He’s purebred himself, but he’d felt the same way when he was first getting to know Haruka. Over time though, his stoic façade cracked, revealing someone compassionate and patient.
“You should give him a chance—he’ll surprise you.” Realizing something, Nino narrows his eyes. “Why do you swear and gossip in front of me?”
“Because you swear and gossip in front of me. You broke the seal, my young friend.”
“That’s fair.”
“I know Haruka is a good male,” Junichi says. “He’s easy to work with and not as pompous as he could be, considering his ancient bloodline. Not a nightmare like my selfish, dramatic shrew of a source. Plus, Haruka is bonded with you. Even if I knew nothing else about him, that would give me all the validation I needed.”
