Page 24 of Resurrection
“Before that,” Gabe said. “It was a pull.” He was silent another minute or so before adding. “I think I felt it before, too. When I woke from the grave. Something really strong and powerful…”
Did that mean Gabe had been pulled back early? Maybe that was why his control and memories were so messed up? Seiran didn’t think that was good news for either of them. If he had to put Gabe back in the ground, he would, but knowing that he might spend another decade or even a century alone, that might be too much for him. “Do you think it brought you back too soon?”
Gabe seemed to be focused on breathing, or meditating. “Maybe? I mean, I felt the pull, but could have probably ignored it if I wasn’t ready. It’s not tied to me. More a brush of strong magic,” he hesitated and added, “like when the hairs on the back of your neck rise, and you’re not sure why. Something… might be nothing.”
Only it hadn’t been nothing. Whatever this was had created a golem, and was doing what? Trying to call it back now? “Something called it?” Could Gabe sense the death magic controlling it, could he follow that magic? If so, that might be easier than Seiran trying to drag the answers out of jocks or even the puppet itself. Gabe finally opened his eyes and they were green. Seiran let out a long breath of relief.
“I don’t know. Both, maybe? The dreams when the sun is high are often faint.” He was quiet a minute, gaze roaming over Seiran, but not in a way that felt overtly sexual. More assessing. “I think I recall, that we sleep better with the grave near?”
“The magic of vampires, if that’s what you want to call it, seep into the ground a vampire uses as a grave.” Seiran picked up his phone and sent Sam a text about needing grave dirt for Gabe. “You’ll sleep better when we get more earth in the box.” He tugged on a pair of shoes and debated how the day was going to go. The golem’s movements tugged at his magic, like they were small attempts to subvert the bond. That couldn’t be possible, right? Not after giving it blood and wrapping it in earth magic. “I have to go to the office.”
“You need to keep the golem close. Something is pulling on it. Calling it maybe…” Gabe said quietly. He looked at the golem.
“I’ll take the golem with me.” Seiran had to question the jocks anyway, maybe putting the golem in the room with them would yield useful information.
“I…” Gabe began but seemed unable to form the thought he needed.
“You had some blood from the freezer?” Seiran asked. It was still hard to look at him. The similarities between the current Gabe and the man Seiran remembered, seemed few. The width of his shoulders, but that was about all. The unruly mess of his blond curls, unlike anything the Gabe of old would ever have worn, was oddly appealing. And Seiran had the urge to run his fingers through those curls, discover if the hair was as soft as it looked, and if he could wrap his hands in the length to tug him close for a kiss. Would his lips be warm and welcoming? His gaze indicated there was something awake there, maybe not human, perhaps not even a full memory of what they’d been, but a glimpse?
The edge of vulnerability intrigued him. In their handful of years of dating, Seiran couldn’t recall a time he’d known Gabe to be uncertain. He’d been the strong silent type, which had been part of their downfall. Survival mechanism, or had he simply been that far gone?
Seiran bit back a distressed sound and forced himself to take a few steps away. Maybe going to the office for a few hours would help. Distance couldn’t be bad right? Even though Seiran wanted to wrap his arms around Gabe and cry to let out the years of loneliness.
“I did, but…” Gabe paused and sighed deeply. “It’s not… I don’t know… my control is better when I’m close to you.” Gabe paused, letting the thought linger a moment half spoken.
The last thing Seiran wanted was a vampire raging out of control in his house when his kids got home from school. “You’re saying you want to stay close in case I need to put you back in the ground?”
Gabe swallowed hard, and nodded.
“It’s daylight out.”
“I think if I can keep covered in the car, it will be okay. The hallway didn’t burn.”
“At all?”
“No. And I stood outside your door debating for a while whether or not to wake you.” In the full light of the hallway, the many windows would have been pretty bright.
This day was just full of unusual revelations. “My car is at the parking garage at work, so I’ll have to call a lift for us. Are you a danger to the driver or anyone else you encounter? I may rule the archives of the Dominion libraries and a couple dozen investigators across the world, but there will still be people around. Witches.”
“We aren’t supposed to touch witches,” Gabe said.
“Except me…”
“You are my Focus.”
Which didn’t exactly answer the question. Seiran packed his bag. “But you still don’t recognize me?”
“No. I’m sorry.”
Seiran thought about that for a while as he moved around the room, and put his bag over his shoulder. It still stung a little.
“I…” Gabe began again. He once again hugged himself. “Am drawn to touch you. But I won’t,” he said hurriedly. “Unless you want me to. I just wanted to let you know, that even if my memory has not returned, I’m still drawn to you.”
Seiran let out a long breath as he debated those words. “Do you want to hurt me?”
“No,” Gabe promised.
“Okay,” Seiran agreed, keeping his distance.