James is sprawled on the couch, his dazed eyes staring at the ceiling without really seeing it. I open my mouth but ultimately close it, deciding against asking if he's alright, 'cause he's obviously not.
Does he, the great vampire heir, hate doctor appointments that much…?
Or did Lucy do something, let's say, unusual?
I've never been treated by an angel, so I wouldn't know. Well, seeing how James looks more dead than alive after his medical check, I think I'm better off not knowing.
"Good news," Lucy yawns, drawing my attention to her. "Your little friend's recovery is on the right path. The hole in his heart has almost fully healed, so there's nothing much left to worry about. I'd still recommend he take it easy for a few more days, though. His mushy organs weren't a pretty sight back then, all rotten and putrid. Bergh."
That's a relief to hear, although I'm not all that grateful for the mental image she's just planted in my brain. Just how badly had the blood of the dead damaged the vampire's body for his organs to have turned to mush?
Why am I even thinking about that? Lucy's probably exaggerating, anyway.
…Right?
"—Then, can Uncle James play with us now?!"
The vampire flinches at the excited shout, and I can't help the snorty laugh. Playing with the kids is darn tiring, I know.
"Not yet. You're going to kill your uncle if you do." Whoa, Lucy is merciless. "Give him a few more days, and he'll be able to play with you as much as you want. For the time being, just bother your dad or something."
…Did she just throw me under the bus?!
"Alright, I'm done here, and I gotta go, or I'm gonna be late. No, wait, scrap that, I'm already late. Oh, whatever, a bit of waiting never killed anyone… Ergh, nevermind. Eve, bring your ass over here! You're bringing me back to the clinic, aren't you?"
"Yes, my Lady! But mind if I take a shower first—"
"Yes, I mind! I've lost enough time as it is, so just take one at my house. Who the fuck cares about dirtying your car with a bit of blood, anyway?"
I'm pretty sure Eve does, but I'm not going to point it out. Meddling with their lovers' squabble wouldn't end well for me, so I take a step back, then another. They seem to have forgotten I exist, and I'm certainly not going to remind them about my presence.
In any case, I've got things to discuss with Jordan, and Lucy is Eve's problem, not mine.
"James, can you watch over the kids for a bit? I need to have a talk with my husband."
Yes, yes, glare at me, I don't care, you're still on babysitting duty starting from now on. Come on, watching over the kids is not as tiring as playing with them, right?!
OK, maybe not.
Better run away before he starts whining, so I turn on my heel and grab Jordan's arm to drag him upstairs. Off to the office we go.
***
Tic, toc.
The sound of the clock echoes in the silent room as neither I nor Jordan speaks. We're sitting in front of each other, a file open on the low table. It contains the information James gathered throughout the last few days. He might be stuck in the house and not out on the field, but his men have done a good job. Better than the government, at least.
Although that's not what I want to talk about right now. Well, I do want to talk about our next course of action, just not yet. I've got something more important to tackle first.
"…How are you feeling?"
"I'm feeling well, don't worry."
"You said something similar before falling into a coma. Just saying."
The accusatory tone of my voice makes the demon's body stiffen. He rubs his neck and offers me a small smile, but doesn't comment.
Mister here has no intention of talking about it, has he? But the thing is: I do, so we will.
"You know, going against restrictions is what fools do, and you don't look like a fool to me. Don't you ever do it again, you hear me?"
I don't want to go through that a second time, not knowing whether he'll wake up or not.
Going against the restrictions comes with great risks, and that little slumber of his could have lasted much, much longer. A few days is nothing, really. I've heard about other cases, and it could have taken months, if not years, for him to wake up—heck, it could have taken up to decades, or even centuries!
"I'm sorry," the guy says with that gentle smile of his, "but if I ever find myself in a similar situation, I'll do it all over again."
"You must be kidding me! Is my life more important to you than your goddamn kids?!" My mouth turns dry, and it feels like there's a lump in my throat. "Don't pretend to be deaf, you're not! What will happen to Ellena and Elois while you rot away in your sleep? Can you tell me?"
"Scott, I'm sure they would be fine without me for a while."
"No, they wouldn't be!" The last few days told me that much. "Whatever you say, they need their father!"
"And they also need their dad. I'm sure they'd understand, and Eve and you would be there for them, wouldn't you?"
"Jordan!" I clench my jaw, a feeling of ridicule spouting in the pit of my stomach. I can't believe I have to remind him of that. "I'm human, Jordan, human! My lifespan is awfully short compared to yours. I mean, the kids might look like they're five and seven, but they're actually older than me. In terms of years lived, they have lived three times as long as I have!"
That's the thing with long-lived species. They tend to age stupidly slowly, both physically and mentally.
"By the time I die of natural causes, they won't even be teenagers. You can't count on me to take care of them forever, and you know it."
It's a reality I have to face as a human. I'll never get to see these two all grown-up, and that's a fact.
"Don't do it again. Did I make myself clear?"
A silence falls in the room. Jordan lowers his eyes and says nothing. He'd rather keep quiet than lie, huh? I don't know if I'm annoyed or disappointed. How foolish. I swear, this guy… Don't pin your hope on a relationship you've seen in a possible future. It's not ours!
"Jordan…"
I want to say something more, but a knock on the door interrupts me. The next instant, I hear Todd's voice.
"Master, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we have a visitor downstairs with a missive. It's quite important, as it's from Sir Akerley."
"Alright, guide them upstairs."
I squint at Jordan, mouthing, 'We're not done talking about this.' And his answer? He averts his eyes and pretends he didn't see my mouth move. This little…