Seth by Nero Seal
Seth kicked the dooropen and stumbled into his bedroom. Feeling his way with a foot, he reveled in kisses. Desperate gasps washed him in a nostalgic smell of traditional bubble gum. The proximity and lack of oxygen left him giddy and lightheaded.
His palms supported the round butt, thick, old scars like ridges against his skin. Ignaz’s hands fisted the sides of his shirt after failing to unfasten the buttons. When Seth’s shin bumped against the bed, he lowered his knees before it, sitting Ignaz on the mattress. His hands crept up Ignaz’s flanks, counting prominent ribs, and skidded down the rounded back as the boy bent forward, seeking more kisses.
Holding Ignaz in his arms felt so right that he struggled to believe he wasn’t dreaming. Utter tenderness filled his chest, making him want to clasp his hands around the frail body and squeeze it tight in the embrace until the bones cracked. He didn’t. It wasn’t about him anymore. He stopped mattering as soon as Ignaz entered his life.
Escaping the airlock of Ignaz’s greedy lips, he explored the sharp jaw. His tongue teased an earlobe, extracting a soft moan out of Ignaz’s throat before attacking his neck with reverent bites.
Clumsy and needy, Ignaz’s fingers made another attempt to unfasten Seth’s shirt. Slim forearms flexed, and a button slipped through the loop. Ignaz chuckled and scrunched his nose. “I’m nervous.”
Seth scanned the reddened face for micro expressions. Thirst and shame, curiosity and insecurity, embarrassment and lust brought the most wonderful edge of desperation to Ignaz’s face. Infected with Ignaz’s emotions, he shucked off his shirt. The boy froze, eyes glazing with satisfaction. Seth sat back, providing himself for observation. And with the observation came fingers. Featherlike touches brushed over his shoulders, outlined his pecs and stomach until they curled into fists an inch from the waistband of his pants.
Making eye contact, Seth curled his fingers around the boy’s ankle and lifted the foot to his lips. Ignaz shuddered. Another bubble gum exhale washed over Seth as his lips pressed to the top of the captured foot and slid up.
Tiny, golden hair on Ignaz’s shin tickled his lips. Veins, covering the inner side of his thighs, pulsed under his tongue. Seth smiled when Ignaz’s stomach hardened, and his cock surged upright, veins thickening.
The desperation in the air washed Seth in joy. With a flat tongue, he explored the hipbones, trailed his way up Ignaz’s chest, and froze as his lips hovered over a pink nipple. He shot a glance at Ignaz’s flustered face, seeking signs of rejection but found only heat and appreciation.
“Touch me.” Ignaz’s need vibrated in Seth’s bones. His pearly teeth grabbed and released his lower lip when he thrust his chest forward.
The plea worked like a command. Seth pressed the tip of his tongue to the bud, circled it. A low moan breached Ignaz’s lips as he stuck both hands into Seth’s hair.
The nipple hardened under Seth’s tongue. Interest ignited; he sucked harder, teasing it with the tip of his tongue, rolling it between his lips and teeth. His elbows stabbed the mattress at either side of Ignaz’s stomach as his knee found the edge of the bed. He pushed the boy toward the headboard. Scrambling to comply, Ignaz kicked the bedspread. It creased around his toes, hindering his attempts. He moaned again, chest arching.
Just like during a scene, Seth didn’t look away once. His eyes feasted on the small contractions of Ignaz’s body as the pleasure trapped air in his lungs. His Adam’s apple bobbed with rapid swallowing. Seth relished the euphoria thickening the air in an almost visible, red haze. His desire to see more spiked when Ignaz’s cock poked his chest, leaving a wet spot over his skin.
“You are beautiful,” Seth rustled, tearing his mouth away from Ignaz’s chest.
“You are blind.” Ignaz smirked joylessly. He hurled forward, and the room span. Seth flopped on his back, and the sharp bones of Ignaz's ass pressed down on his hips. Fingers like needles sunk into his pecs as the boy squeezed his sharp knees, squishing Seth’s ribs. “My turn.”
The first pang of worry zapped through Seth’s mind as teeth nibbled at his jaw, and a shy tongue lapped down his neck. Kisses fluttered all over his chest, barely perceptible. With his keen fingers and glowing gaze, Ignaz traced patterns on his skin. His tongue, repeating the grooves of Seth’s abs, outlined his navel and drew a wet road down. A light scrape of nails preceded fingers hooking into the waistband of Seth’s linen pants.
Seth tensed; his muscles corded as his heart thrashed against his ribcage. He shifted; their positions flipped again. Chest to chest, he drove Ignaz into the mattress. A surprised gasp crashed against his tongue and melted into another kiss. Seth’s knee brushed against Ignaz’s inner thigh as he spread the bony legs apart and positioned himself in between.
His tongue thrust into Ignaz’s mouth, slacked once inside. With a slow, unhurried movement, he explored the gentle tissue of the inner cheek, gathering the remaining sweetness of the bubblegum.
Ignaz’s hips rocked. The wet cockhead blindly poked Seth’s stomach, demanding attention. Seth smiled at his boyish impatience. He loved the open display of need and desire and how brazenly the boy provided his body for observation. Sense melted behind the blue eyes that watched Seth from under hooded lids.
“More...” Ignaz ran his tongue over his swollen lips, empowering his lecherous expression.
Splendid...Knees shifting down the bed, he hovered above the flat stomach, washing it in a long breath. Cupping Ignaz’s thighs, he encouraged the boy to bend his knees. The pink cockhead tapped against his lips, smearing precum over them, and his mouth watered. With a hum of appreciation, Seth gave the glistening slit a light kiss before taking the length as deep as he could.
Ignaz’s body twisted and turned; desperate fingers clawed at the headboard. His hips lifted, and he drove himself deeper into Seth’s throat. Low cries filled the air, music to Seth’s ears.
Seth swallowed and pulled back, releasing the wet flesh. With a flat movement of his tongue, he rolled Ignaz’s balls. His fingers, following his mouth, milked the plumped flesh and gathered the shimmering mixture of precum and saliva.
With his nail, he teased the slit and trailed a thick, blue vein streaming down the shaft before pressing his wet fingertips to the tight anus. Ignaz’s fingers stabbed the mattress as his upper body tensed, every angle sharp. His gaze fixed on the ceiling; skin blanched.
Heart halting, Seth froze and withdrew his hand from the no-go territory. His fingers migrated to Ignaz’s hips as his mouth continued working on the slightly faded erection.
Kneading the muscles of Ignaz’s hips in what Seth hoped were relaxing, reassuring movements, he learned the bone structure beneath. His head bobbed, and he worked his throat down Ignaz’s erection.
Ignaz’s self-control melted. His toes flexed on the bedspread, stomach quivered, and head tossed from side to side. His fingers stabbed at the back of Seth’s head, tearing at his scalp. Incoherent muttering invaded in the air, weaved with gasps before he begged, “Please.”
Seth smiled around his pulsing cock. Ignaz’s fingers released his hair to stab the mattress as the boy twisted his upper body. Clawing at the bedspread, he chanted, “No-no, wait-wait-wait…”
He hissed. His cock spasmed and a thick mixture hit the back of Seth’s throat. Seth swallowed, and Ignaz shuddered again, spilling more moisture. He groaned, and a chain of shaky exhales thrashed his chest.
Satisfaction washed over Seth. He licked his lips and shifted up the bed, showering Ignaz’s flank and ribs with kisses. With his palm traveling over the quivering stomach, he pinned the boy to the mattress, then captured Ignaz’s mouth with his own. Throbbing and swollen, the lips returned his kiss.
Ignaz smiled and whispered, “Your turn.”
“It’s okay.” Seth brushed the damp hair away from Ignaz’s face and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I’m good. You rest.”
Lips skidding lower, he kissed a half-sleepy, half-confused eye. He pulled back and slipped off the bed.
His bare feet slapped against the floor, bringing him into the bathroom. He habitually swiped the display of his smartwatch, ran the temperature scan. The thermometer showed 37.4°C1. He dropped his pants along with his trunks and stepped into the shower cubicle. The water hit the top of his head, calming his mind, but it didn’t erase his satisfied smile.
His back straightened, hands flew up, and he raked his fingers down his wet hair.
“Whoa!” A yelp behind him made Seth spin. Wide-eyed, Ignaz flattened himself against the glass door evading the water needles. “Why is it so cold?”
Seth whirled to turn the water off. When he looked back at Ignaz, the boy wore a dark expression. Thin fingers reached to Seth’s groin and touched a faded scar from the burn that stretched down Seth’s hips and lashed over his legs and the base of his cock. Seth’s stomach tensed from the touch.
“What’s this?”
Everything inside Seth shrank and trembled. He averted his gaze, unwilling to see the disgust on Ignaz’s face—the same disgust nearly all his lovers had when they saw him naked. He thought he’d gotten used to seeing it, but every single experience proved him wrong. “It’s from the fire twelve years ago.”
The featherlike touch of his fingers made Seth’s stomach tense. He peered into Ignaz’s eyes, looking for signs of repulsion.
Ignaz’s brows squished together in a painful grimace. “Is that what happened to your voice too?”
Seth nodded.
“Is this why you didn’t want me to touch you?” Ignaz looked up, a shy smile playing on his lips. “It doesn’t bother me. You don’t need to torture yourself with a cold shower to cool down. I want to do it.”
Not waiting for Seth to reply, he lowered on his knees, fingers trailing the patterns of Seth’s scars. His face pressed to Seth’s stomach, and the keen tongue slithered down his treasure trail, then lapped over the sleeping curve of his cock.
Seth closed his eyes and rested his back against the tile. The back of his head knocked against the wall with a helpless thud. Ignaz misunderstood everything, and Seth didn’t know how to explain.
A sticky pool of shame and impotence flooded his chest. He felt Ignaz’s tongue working on his cock and how the wetness dripped from his flesh, but nothing similar to lust. He swallowed against the lump in his throat, and his palm found Ignaz’s chin. He lifted the boy’s face. His soft cock fell from Ignaz’s gaping mouth and slapped against his balls. “You don’t need to do this. It’s fine. Come before you get cold.”
* * *
For the rest of the day,Ignaz acted oddly. Seth sensed his indignation and read a question in his gaze, yet he didn’t know how to explain himself without telling the truth—the truth he didn’t want to spill for all the money in the world.
During dinner, the boy aimlessly poked the food with his fork, barely sending anything into his mouth. When darkness crept into the house, he nodded his goodnight and retired into his room.
Events were repeating themselves. Seth had been here with Justin and others before him. It never went smoothly, and he’d never learned how to handle this situation. Every relationship failure made him feel more and more insecure to the point where he didn’t want to reveal this part of himself anymore. He didn’t want to see pity in the eyes of his lovers or hear sympathetic words.
To distract himself from the acrid disappointment, Seth once again returned to Walter Fischer’s phone. He tirelessly scrolled through the social media profiles, discarding the names that didn’t seem to fit.
The moon reigned high when Seth turned off his laptop and staggered into the bedroom. He pulled the cotton gloves on and fastened the blindfold at the back of his head, hoping for the desert to sweep him off his feet sooner.
Something wet and gentlelapped at Seth’s cock. He groaned and stirred, emerging from the dryness of the night desert. In his dream, SkyBlade blazed brightly, reflecting the starlight. It beckoned, informing him that it was time to let Justin go. His hands slapped his face, and the cotton chaffed against his morning bristle.
He sat up, pulled the blindfold off, and zeroed in on Ignaz’s hollowed cheeks sucking his cock. Insides withering with dread, he slumped down onto the pillow. Hiding his eyes in his gloved hands, he tried to escape the shame and humiliation.
Minutes ticked. Seth waited, letting Ignaz taste the bitter medicine of truth.
The flicks of Ignaz’s tongue grew desperate, and Ignaz added his hand in an attempt to bestir his dead length. The sloppy sounds of the mouth opening and closing set Seth’s teeth on edge, so he confessed, “It won’t get hard no matter how hard you try.”
He squeezed his eyes. The suctions stopped, and the mouth released his cock. His wet length smacked against his hip, leaving an unpleasant, sticky print.
“What?”
“It won’t get hard,” Seth repeated, dropping his hands from his face and granting Ignaz with a heavy gaze. “I’m incapable of satisfying you this way.”
“I don’t understand…” Ignaz shook his head.
Seth sighed, sat up, and reached to Ignaz’s mouth to wipe the wetness off his lips but stopped halfway. When he peeled the gloves off, Ignaz had already wiped his mouth off on his forearm. “It’s nothing to do with you. I never had such desires.”
Ignaz’s pupils dilated as the realization drained his face of color. His fingers fisted the bedsheet as he sat back on his heels. Seth didn’t know if only a minute passed or an eternity before the boy spoke again. “How can it be? I thought you enjoyed it as much as I did. Was I wrong?”
“Not entirely. I love pleasing you. I get high by looking at your reactions, by getting you off. It’s just a different type of pleasure for me.”
A thought clouding the beautiful face, Ignaz asked, “Never?”
“Never.”
“What about wet dreams?”
“I have night releases, but they’re dreamless.”
“That’s why you didn’t want me to touch you...” Once again, Ignaz sank into silent contemplation. He fidgeted, bringing Seth’s attention to his nude body. “Seth, I don’t care. It doesn’t bother me. You aren’t the first asexual partner I’ve had, so let me ask, does me touching you repulse you?”
The genuine concern about Seth’s wellbeing he read on the boy’s face released the knot of tension in his throat. “No. I like it when you touch me, but not sexually.”
Ignaz smiled. “Then do you mind if I sleep here?”
Seth lifted his duvet, and the boy slunk in, entwining their limbs.
They lay in silence for minutes before Ignaz said, “It’s so bright here. Doesn’t the moon bother you?”
Seth shook his head, the vibration from his movement rolling over the mattress. He fumbled over the duvet and lifted the blindfold. “Here”
“What about you? Don’t you need it?” Ignaz lifted on an elbow. His other arm wrapped over Seth’s chest.
Seth smiled as he rolled his head to the side to see the moonlight kissing Ignaz’s hair. “I’m good.”
“Hmm...” With a hesitant hand, Ignaz took the blindfold and fastened it around his eyes. “Say, why do you need the gloves?”
“It’s...” Seth didn’t know how to reply to this question. His body tensed; nails sank into his hands as he confessed, “It’s so I don’t scratch my face in my sleep. It’s a sort of nervous disorder.”
“I see...” Ignaz’s quiet breath died on his cheek as the boy rested his head on Seth’s shoulder. He didn’t ask anything else. His breathing slowed, lulling Seth. He smiled, and the dream washed over.
* * *
When Seth carried Ignazto his bedroom, the bile of acrid emotion blocked Gustavo’s throat, making him want to spit. It was a bitter mix of indigestible indignation from Seth constantly forgetting about him, jealousy for the boy with whom Seth had nothing in common, anger for his own impotence and inability to let go, and defeat that came with the realization that Seth seemed to be in love. His every gesture, his every glance reeked of mute adoration. When Seth disappeared into the bathroom only to be followed by Ignaz, Gustavo slammed the laptop closed in a blind fury, cursing Diego for not installing cameras in there too. But now, his anger faded as his mind whirled.
“Asexual, huh?” Hans and his over-fastidiousness had always excited Gustavo. Forcing the blond to do things that revolted him always provided a thrill and entertainment. Seth was on another level. Gustavo wondered how it would feel to try to seduce him, taste the limits of his body, watch and explore his reactions. “Does it mean you are a virgin?”
Lust scalded as he imagined teasing the limp flesh, licking, sucking, and chewing the soft foreskin. He unfastened his pants, cupped his heavy cock, and closed his eyes, imagining Seth’s unwilling body slowly giving in under his relentless mouth and fingers.
* * *
With a neurotic hand,Seth tore the black strap off his neck. Pushing an angry huff through his gritted teeth, he tried to leash his irritation, but it had already started morphing into deep-seated, black anger.
“You look hot.” Ignaz pressed his shoulder against the door jamb, and just like that, Seth’s mood lightened a fraction.
“Come with me?” Seth pleaded, a whisper of a voice.
“You know I can’t.”
“Why not?” Seth motioned Ignaz closer. For the last two days, they barely saw each other as Ignaz returned to work, and Seth spent his days in the final preparations for the launch of SkyBlade. Now, the need to go to the launch party spoiled his mood. “Please?”
“First, I don’t have anything fancy,” Ignaz gave a new, marvelous look to Seth’s black tuxedo.
“That’s not a problem. We can stop by a shop.”
“You, rich people.” Ignaz shook his head in feigned disapproval, chuckling. “And how are you going to explain my presence?”
“I’ll tell them the truth, that you are my lover.”
“Am I your lover?” Ignaz whispered.
“You don’t want to be?” Seth’s fist clenched, crumpling the silk tie.
Ignaz’s chin lowered to his chest in an attempt to hide a smile. He stepped into Seth’s space and plucked the fabric out of his grip. Lifting on his toes, he wrapped the tie around Seth’s neck. “That’s not the point. You can’t tell people this.”
“Why not?”
“The media will drag your name through the mud just because you are with me. My past isn’t something I want to see in newspapers.” Quick fingers flipped the ends of the bowtie and tied them together. “There.”
Ignaz stepped away to give Seth a once-over. The hunger in his eyes made Seth tug at the tie, undoing it.
“Maybe I should stay home?” He mouthed. “They don’t need me there anyway.”
“You can’t.” Ignaz laughed. “Moreover, I already have plans. I’m meeting some old friends. They said they have a job for me.”
Seth lifted a brow. “A job? Why do you need a job?”
“To pay the rent?” Ignaz grabbed the tie again. Every nerve in Seth’s body strained when the boy once again leaned into him, fixing his tie. “The mall job is just a temporary, substitution job.”
“Move in with me and you won’t need to pay any rent.”
An incredulous expression stretched Ignaz’s face; he bumped Seth’s chest with the back of his fist. “You are joking, right? We barely know each other.” When Seth didn’t return his smile, Ignaz added, “You’ve swept me off my feet since the moment we met. I can’t remember when I was last at home. I can’t rely on you this much.”
“Why not?”
“Because life isn’t this simple.”
“People make it complicated, but it doesn’t have to be.” Seth bored into Ignaz’s face as he stepped into his personal space and cornered him until Ignaz’s back flattened against the wall. “I want you to be here, with me.”
Seth leaned in and kissed Ignaz’s lips. He instantly retreated, and threw a last glance in the mirror. In the evening sun breaking through the large panoramic windows, his white shirt looked almost pink, contrasting with his black tuxedo.
“Grab a cab and keep your phone on. I’ll pick you up after the party is over.”
He didn’t look at Ignaz as he left because he was sure that a single glance full of longing would prevent him from leaving.
* * *
“Seriously, what are wedoing here? Didn’t you say he is in love?” Diego dropped his head on the steering wheel, looking ever sharp in his black tux. Behind him, across the street, a strip of red carpet stretched over the newly paved square and disappeared into SkyBlade. “I thought you gave up.”
“No. I said he thinks he is in love. There’s a difference.” Gustavo checked his phone and switched it to silent mode.
“Oh, please enlighten me,” Diego crooned.
“It’s not love. He’s just infatuated.”
“How do you know? Isn’t love like this too?” Diego cocked his head. “Selfish, dirty, ugly, passionate?”
“I always forget that you are still young...” Gustavo muttered and waved him away. “Seth and Ignaz have nothing in common. They barely talk. What’s tying them? He doesn’t even have sexual attraction.”
“Isn’t he asexual?”
“That’s what he said…”
Diego snorted. “Don’t you think he knows better than you?”
“I’m not sure about that.” Gustavo leaned back into the seat, stretching his legs forward as his mind drifted into memories of Seth’s lithe body hovering over Ignaz while he pleased him. “But I’m going to find out.”
“It’s okay; denial is the first stage of grief—a perfectly natural part of the healing process. You can’t admit there’s someone who isn’t interested in you or your money, so you are making things up.”
Gustavo laughed. “You fucker, I’m not in denial. But I can’t throw something out of my head. You see, whenever I kiss him, he wears such a weird expression. He flushes, and his pulse speeds up. He tries to avoid me at all costs. Whenever we meet, he instantly shrugs off every thought of me, as if subconsciously trying to block me from his memory. When I’m around, he is vulnerable. He is never vulnerable with him. With him, he has all the control, like a cat with a mouse. He thinks he is content because he has a living toy, but that is because he isn’t hungry yet. They have nothing in common, but he and me, we are alike.”
“You are pulling it out of thin air. Listen to what you are saying. He hates you, plain and simple. Your kisses gross him out, so he tries to forget you as soon as possible. You need a therapist.”
“I already talked to one.”
“Seriously?”
“About asexuality.” Gustavo tapped the window with a finger as he watched people gathering around the red carpet. “I’ve never really hurt him, so why does he react to me this way?”
“Because you stole his dead lover and chopped off his arm?”
Gustavo ignored the comment. “Remember that picture he burned? You said it yourself; that boy looked like me. Asexuality can be a result of trauma. What if this all has something to do with Brian Schütz? What if everything Seth is, began with Flames?”
“Even if it’s a trauma, how is that your business? You aren’t going to pursue him, are you?” When Gustavo didn’t answer, Diego added, “Even if what he has for this boy is just infatuation, what you have for him is an obsession.”
“Tell me something new,” Gustavo retorted and pushed the door open. “Are you coming?”
“I should be stopping you, but I’m too curious to see how this unravels.” Diego got out of the car. “Also, I’m starving.”
* * *
Red light, coming fromthe setting sun, streamed from the west side of the building. Breaking into the foyer through the giant windows, it hit the prisms and filled them with life. The barbed wires blazed. The sinews throbbed as if pushing the blood through veins, and the heart came to life. Even a figurine of a deathstalker, sitting on top of the heart, gained the yellow, shimmering hue. The sculpture hung in the middle of the foyer. Opposite it, the gigantic elevator shaft with transparent walls stretched to the top floor where the three-star Michelin restaurant was located. The restaurant waited for guests to take the party upstairs.
Seth filled his lungs with air, enjoying the last minutes of silence and intimacy with Justin. He lifted his hand and touched the glass. It pulsed under his fingers with energy and light—the warm light of a new beginning.
At that moment, Seth knew that Justin’s death wasn’t absolute. The heart pushed back, washing his palm in familiar electricity. Justin wasn’t mad anymore. His soul had found peace and moved on, leaving the afterglow of his energy behind. Seth smiled, hoping that in the next life, Justin would finally find happiness.
“This is stunning.” A low, tranquil voice washed over Seth’s neck, straining his every nerve. Seth dropped his hand and slowly turned around, his face mere inches away from Gustavo’s. Behind the man’s back, Diego beetled over a distant table, ruining the perfect composition of a fruit dragon by plucking out the triangles of its watermelon scales. Noticing Seth, he waved. Gustavo shifted, blocking Seth’s view. “It turned out even better than I imagined. I’ve seen a lot of art, but never anything like this. It’s a compliment, by the way.”
Seth attempted to move past the man, but a strong hand seized his wrist. Blood rushed to Seth’s face. He tried to yank his limb free, but Gustavo only squeezed harder. Keen fingers dug into the inner part of his wrist as the black holes of his pupils sucked at Seth’s soul.
“Let go…” Seth mouthed. The anger and irritation sparked beneath his skin from the farewell being ruined. Once again, this man stood between him and Justin. “…and leave.”
The doors at the end of the foyer swished opened, and music boomed through the space. People, laughing, entered the building, scattering around. The first flashes of cameras hit his eyes.
“Why should I?” Gustavo’s voice dropped to a whisper, thumb caressing Seth’s wrist. “I came all the way just to see you. After everything I’ve done for you, I deserve a little of your time, don’t you think? I could have threatened you with dragging the attention of the media to your beautiful masterpiece. I wonder what hidden depth it has?” Gustavo inched closer, his breath dancing over Seth’s cheek. “But I’m playing nice, and I’d like you to acknowledge it.”
Seth wrenched his hand free, lips curling in a snarl. “I made a mistake by not killing you, and you do everything to make me regret it.”
“You didn’t kill me because you’re smart enough to understand that your problems won’t end with my death, but will begin with it. To save us both dignity and face, pretend you have a choice and keep me company for a bit.”
Eyes boring into Seth,Gustavo motioned for a waiter to approach. He grabbed two glasses of red wine from the tray and proffered one to Seth.
“Have a drink with me.” When the murderer didn’t move, Gustavo hissed the order through gritted teeth. “Don’t insult me. Take the damn glass.”
A haughty expression jerked Seth’s chin up. He swiped the glass out of Gustavo’s grip. Red liquid overflowed, soaking his aristocratic fingers and the cuff of his white shirt. His full lips brushed against the rim of the glass, and he took a tiny sip. Without a word, he turned on his heel to leave.
“Not so fast.” Gustavo’s fingers seized Seth’s elbow, shackling it. “I’d like to say a toast.”
Breaching Seth’s personal space, he inhaled the rich, intoxicating smell. “To mutual respect and understanding and the beginning of a tender friendship because trust me, a day will come when you will want to have someone like me by your side. Drink up.”
With a flourish, Seth poured the wine on the carpeted floor. The corners of his lips twitched, curling up. “My bad.”
Gustavo snorted; rudimentary irritation stirred in his guts. “You think your naïve little friend is all you need? But he will never be able to understand a monster, a murderer like you. What will happen when he learns the truth? Or is that the reason why the one before him died?” The smirk disappeared from Seth’s face.
Gustavo continued, “What are you looking for? Tell me, and I will give it to you. Acceptance, understanding, thrill, a similar mind?” Seth’s cheek flinched in distaste as he broke his elbow free. “We are more alike than you think. I can be a very useful friend to you, and I always get what I want. Lucky for you, it’s really hard to offend me, and I have iron patience.”
Gustavo’s jaw locked; he threw a glance over his shoulder and growled, “More wine here.”
Pinching the stem of the fat glass, Gustavo thrust it forward.
A wide palm landed on his shoulder as a gnarled hand, coming from behind, snatched the glass out of his fingers.
“Thank you, Gustavo. I really needed this.” Gustavo turned to meet Arnold Alby’s silver eyes. In one go, Arnold drained the glass. “And stop pestering Seth. He doesn’t drink alcohol. He’s intolerant to it.”
With a crook of a finger, Arnold sorted another drink. The fat glass with red content looked nearly identical to wine.
Intolerant?Gustavo scowled, shooting Seth an annoyed glance. “Why didn’t you say so?”
Seth ignored him, attention fixing on his employer. He slightly bowed his head, but in a proud movement, Gustavo read glimpses of respect. His fingers clenched around the stem of the glass as he bit back a growl.
“Excuse us, Gustavo, I have to kidnap your company.” Flashing a blinding smile, the white-haired man wrapped an arm around Seth’s shoulders, guiding him toward the glass heart. “This is magnificent, Seth. You’ve outdone yourself. If I didn’t know how hard you worked on your skills, I’d think you sold your soul to the devil in exchange for your talent. All this light, textures, and details. It looks so full of life.”
Fighting the urge to throw the glass at Arnold’s retreating head, Gustavo blew out a breath. “Oh, you have no idea…”
“Seriously, you need to improve your flirting skills,” Diego’s voice, drifting from behind, rang with amusement. Gustavo turned to meet the toothy grin, and a plate abounding with fruit.
“Stop eating.”
“Why? Are we staying for dinner?”
“Dinner?” Gustavo looked up the elevator shaft. “You didn’t want to share a toast so you’ll have to break bread with me. Diego, I don’t care who you bribe or threaten, but make sure we sit at Seth’s table. If possible, remove extra ears too.”
* * *
The glass heart stoppedpulsing long before the grand welcome was over. With the sunset, the electric beams substituted the natural light. Most of the media retreated, and VIP guests, group by group, started migrating to the restaurant upstairs.
Overwhelmed with social interaction, interviews, and the omnipresent stares of Gustavo, Seth hovered on the verge of murdering someone. He missed Ignaz, and every minute spent away from the boy added a drop into the pool of his darkness. A bitter taste of premonition filled his mouth and unsettled his nerves. He scanned his surroundings, trying to locate the cause of his alertness, but nothing unusual caught his eye. He glanced at his phone but found no new messages. Retreating to one of the personnel rooms, he tried calling Ignaz, but his phone was unavailable. Without saying goodbye, Seth left the building and drove home.
Darkness cloaked his villa in nearly visible fog. Dropping the car in front of the rear door, Seth rushed inside. The lights were off, and nothing in the surroundings betrayed life, but Seth instantly knew Ignaz was home. He flew upstairs, skipping steps, and entered Ignaz’s bedroom without knocking. It was dark and gloomy, but a single stripe of light leaked from under the bathroom door.
On impulse, Seth shouldered the door open.
The faucet ran full force. Red water flowed over the edge of the tub and flooded the tan floor. Thick steam thickened the air with a surreal feeling of doom.
This can’t be happening.Seth thought, watching the bloody hand hang from the bathtub lip, red droplets tearing from fingertips and crashing against puddles of water. Seth shook his head and pressed his hands to his face, checking his reality. No, this can’t be happening…
