Ishram looked like he was going to speak when a man stumbled right next to him and grabbed his shoulder. “I said, Rajja is bus-”

“Aran.” Ross cut him off. “What are you doing?”

Aran, who was still trying to get Ishram to move out of the way, turned and looked at them. “Uh.” He turned back, only to find Ishram with an eyebrow raised. “Oh.”

Ross face-palmed.

“Can I get my shoulder back, now?” Ishram asked.

Aran jolted backwards, apologising and disappearing... somewhere. Andrea figured it was back to his post. Ishram closed the door as he leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “Please don’t threaten him,” he said calmly. “My back appreciates it.” Andrea sank between his shoulders when Ishram looked at him. “What’s going on?”

Andrea crossed his arms. “Why were you upset this morning?”

Ishram shot a questioning look at Ross, who shook her head and massaged her face. Andrea was ready to meet yet more ‘none of your business’ talk, when Ishram spoke. “My previous protegeé died. I wanted to know how it happened.”

Andrea frowned.

“I loved her.” Ishram added, still looking ad Ross. “And I’d like to know where she’s been buried.”

Silence fell in the room. Only Ross dared to get up and open one of the drawer’s cases. She drew out a small paper folder with many labels on it, and then offered it to Ishram.

Ishram took it with a sharp inhale. His eyes rushed at the end of the file. Andrea could only see some yellow-stained papers in it. Ishram’s face tensed, Andrea studied as his posture changed when he found what he was looking for; a picture. Ishram held it between his thumb and index finger, his features relaxed into something intimate. Something Andrea wasn’t sure they should be seeing.

Ishram turned the picture.

It’d captured the profile of a young lady in shades of dark greys. She was looking at the camera with a smile, holding another man’s hand. They were both dressed up with Indian clothes. If he didn’t know it beforehand, he would’ve been far more shocked when he stared at Ishram’s wide grin. The woman had long dark braided hair, wrapped in soft clothes.

“She’s... really pretty,” Andrea exhaled.

“Strong, too.” Ishram exhaled. He wasn’t looking at Andrea, but at Ross isntead. “Thank you.”

Ross waved him off. “We’re still too far away from India. You can’t really go there. Not right now, anyway.”

“It’s still something,” Ishram consoled. His voice was low, brittle. It was unnatural, the way he just straightened and blinked through it like it was nothing. “Now, can I go back reading all that stuff without you jumping at each other’s throats?”

Ross shrugged.

Andrea hesitated. Should he say something? Was it inappropriate? “I’m sorry she died,” he mumbled.

The way Ishram smiled at him, bitter and grateful, made Andrea avert his eyes. Ishram looked sorry, he looked different than the heartless asshole Andrea really wanted him to be.

The thought occurred naturally; Ishram was here because others had died before.

So what made Andrea any different?

A curse, he repeated in his mind. Did that mean his life was just deferral? He accepted protection in order to not die. Ishram would deliver, until something bigger than him happened.

The idea settled with a cold, quiet resolution in his heart. He looked at his parents, and bit back the tears.

[:::]

Andrea was sitting on the spare chair while Ross explained to his parents what they had to do. First, they’d find a place for them to stay at while Ishram learne. She’d pay everything out of Ishram’s pockets, even whatever money they had in their bank account. They convinced them to destroy their phones, their SIMs especially, and cards, their car too. Ross would help th em find somewhere they could stay and have a new life. Away from all of this.

It was a lot to take in, processing the idea alone was... a lot. His life, his friends, his studies. They would’ve had to wait. He wouldn’t be able to tell anything to anyone. His phone was gone, lost in the woods somewhere near Seth’s body. Andrea could only fathom what his friends would think.

“You make a list, you get them by the end of the week.” Ross scrolled through a website of phones, cars even. Andrea felt disconnected by the ease Ross listed prices with way too many zeros.

Amanda was still resentful, Kibwe was calm and quiet, but they cooperated. His mother asked a lot of questions, and Ross answered all of them with professional calm.

“Your turn.” Ross leaning towards him snapped Andrea out of his thoughts. He blinked, confused. “What do you want to know?”

Andrea went with the first thing that came to his mind. “What’s a Kishaard?”

Ross smiled. “We’ve been a lot, from what we know. No such things as records, or anything, but there are still some alive from three thousand years ago.” Andrea straightened his pose on the chair. “Yeah, I know. I’m not even five-hundred years old, and there’s someone older than me.”

“Five-hundred,” Andrea gasped. What? “How old is Ishram?”

“Almost two thousand, give or take.”

Quiet.

“I shit you not,” Ross replied an unasked question. “Kids are rare in our world. People either don’t want them or don’t have time for them. The few we have, we abandon or let someone else take their care.”

Kibwe jerked in his seat. “That’s horrible. Why would you abandon your own child?”

Ross shrugged. “Don’t know. Don’t care. I won’t have one, so it’s not my problem.” She leaned against her chair, shifting until she found a comfortable position. She crossed her boots on the desk. “I mean, sex? Hell yes. Kids? Let’s just remove the ‘yes’.”

“Kids aren’t hell. They’re a blessing, if you want a family,” Amanda noted.

“If.” Ross agreed. “Next question.”

Andrea averted his eyes, he didn’t want his parents to see it, but it wasn’t like he had much choice. Knowing was better than hiding. So he rolled his sleeve until the black circle with intricate curls was visible. “What’s this?”

He could feel his parents’ eyes on him.

“From my point of view? Something that shouldn’t exist.” Ross cut short. “Less subjective? It’s basically Ishram’s leash. You either hurt him a little, or hurt him a lot. There’s no inbetween. But if you’re asking how it does what it does, I have no clue. We’ve been trying to understand it since day one, but so far, we got nothing.”

Andrea raised his hand to stop Ross. “What’s that supposed to mean? ‘You hurt him a little, or you hurt him a lot’? He’s in pain?”

Ishram looked a lot of things, but not physically in pain. Except for the part in which Andrea ran him over, or his leg was broken.

“He’s used to it. This is as much as I can tell you, if you want more answers, you’ll have to ask him.” Ross said. “How to use that thing, though, I can answer plenty. He already told you not to turn it whole, right?” Andrea nodded. “Good.”

“I still don’t know why, though,” Andrea couldn’t help but to inquire. Curiosity picked at him, pushing to know a bit more, to see a bit more of this world so hidden to the human eye.

Ross tapped her fingers on the chair’s handles. She looked immerse in thoughts, her eyes fixed towards Andrea, but not on Andrea. “You know what a seal does, right?” Ross asked.

“It seals... stuff?”

Ross snorted, but it brought none of her usual ease and lightheartedness. “Ishram is... dangerous. Not just for everyone around him, but for himself first and foremost.” Ross grimaced. “He’s got something, I have no idea what the fuck it is, but he can’t control it. That’s why he needs someone else to do it for him. That’s the whole point of the agreement; you help him control it, he protects you. You both live. You, especially, should live throughout your natural life.”

This didn’t answer question, this created even more of them. His breath caught, his mother sucked a sharp breath in. The air was glass ready to be broken.

Andrea gulped down the knot in his throat, and repeated. “Should.”

Ross’ expression darkened and averted her eyes, it was something that spoke of concealed fear. Andrea wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer anymore. “There’s the chance-” She closed her eyes and shook her head, “no, it’s almost certain, that someone else might get interested in you,” she exhaled. Her eyes darted to Andrea’s parents, and then back to Andrea. “Someone who’s been trying to kill Ishram for a long time. Because of what he represents. Because of what he wants.

“He’s- this guy’s powerful. He’s got contacts all over the world like we do. He’s already labeled Ishram as a criminal. There’s a bounty on his head.” Ross massaged her head with one hand. “It’s gonna be only a matter of time, before he finds out Ishram is back and tries to hunt him down, as he did sixty years ago. It’s going to be bad. This is why we need to get you out of here as soon as possible.”

Andrea’s throat tightened. “Great. This is great.” Andrea breathed, clutching at his stomach. The binder wasn’t helping at all. He was light-headed, and yet heavy limbed altogether. He tightened the grip when his hands didn’t stop shaking. Andrea curled on himself. He needed to hide, his knees would’ve done for the moment. “Might’ve as well declined the offer,” he whispered.

“Don’t you even,” his father interrupted Andrea’s train of thoughts.

A chair moved, footsteps approaching, until a hand was on his shoulder. Andrea jolted. He looked up and there was Ross, understanding but also grounding. “Listen to me,” she started, “you’re with us now, alright? We won’t let you die.”

“Yeah, because I’m the only thing keeping him here.”

Ross didn’t deny it. Whoever created these creatures must’ve forgotten the whole bag of empathy, Andrea distantly thought. “I know, but you don’t really have much of a choice right now. And we’re your best shot at staying alive.” Her grip tightened. “Now, take a deep breath and hear me out.”

Andrea did as he was told, and did it again until the shaking calmed down, but the binder was painfully obvious around him.

“There.” Ross smiled. “You may be trying to come off as a douche, but I know no protegeé has ever been a complete asshole. As Ishram isn’t. He cares. Even if he doesn’t want you to know.” Ross’ fingers soothed him through the fabric, mindlessly rubbing circles. “You don’t have to believe me, but know he’ll make it up to you.”

Andrea nodded, but it wasn’t with purpose.

“Bet he’s taking all the blame.” Andrea nodded once again, and Ross sighed. “You’ll get to know him. He’s... he’s a charmer. Runs in their blood, I believe. Dragged me to the ass-end of this feud, might as well tell you that you’ll want to take part of it, eventually.”

Andrea frowned. “No, pretty sure I won’t.”

Ross chuckled. “Tell me next time.” She winked and raised, sitting on her desk. “To answer your question, when you turn the seal whole, whatever part of Ishram has been isolated, is freed and gets very disruptive.”

Andrea struggled to keep the next question. “Okay, don’t turn the seal of salvation whole. Got it.”

“It still doesn’t explain why he’s in pain,” Kibwe observed.

Ross only shrugged. “Ask him. He’ll answer if he wants to fuss about it,” Ross chuckles at the thought. “Which he won’t, so you might wanna check in on him every now and then, especially if you use it. He does that.”

Andrea grunted. “Does what?”

“Keeping things from you. Not the important bits, but the important ones about him.” Ross explained. “It’s like talking to a very angry baby, sometimes. You need a whole lot of patience.”

Andrea couldn’t hold back how his lips curled at it. He couldn’t imagine Ishram being this irrational, or a baby to begin with. Kibwe walked to him and rested one hand on Andrea’s head. Andrea leaned into the touch and sighed.

“Don’t think about it. We’ll keep you safe. And your parents as well,” Ross encouraged. “Next question.”

Andrea took a moment to understand what he wanted to ask. A thought crossed his mind, but he casted it away. Then another one. Why did they eat human meat?  No, that wouldn’t do.

The idea came to his mind with a blush. He coughed. “What’s, uh, what was the other protegeé’s name?”

Ross almost choked. “That- okay, uh. Her name was Shanti. Why do you-”

A scream broke the silence, drawing everyone’s eyes to the door. Ross moved, cursing, and opened the door. Andrea raised from his seat and followed her, walking across the room to where they left Ishram. Even the other four workers had interrupted their jobs to turn their heads, but they didn’t dare move from their posts.

When Andrea walked inside the room, he found a young man together with Ishram. Bright red curly hair and tanned skin, he was looking ad Ishram with wonder in his eyes and flailing in front of him.

“Are you him? The one who defied the Emperor?” he chirped.

Ishram was staring at the young man with increasing confusion. “What’s this about?” he asked when Ross entered the room.

“Don’t look at me like that, you did this to yourself.” Ross sighed. “Keep it down, you daft tit. I don’t need the whole neighbourhood down here.”

“For all the Flashev, it’s you! Do you remember me? I was there!” The young man was moving around, his phone out. “You were running from the Emperor’s guard, it was during one of the parades. And you stopped a few steps away from me, and beat the shit out of those fuckers!”

Ishram tightened his grip. Andrea was scared he’d beat the shit out of this guy if it kept up. The young man, then, noticed Andrea as well. He turned and smiled, enthusiastic. “Is this one your human pet? You always have so many.” Andrea stumbled backwards when the young man walked to him.

Ishram’s arm stopped him.

A low growl broke the silence. “Shut. Your. Mouth.” he hissed with intent. “Do you understand?”

The young man turned pale and nodded quickly, stepping away. “Yes, Ve’Adan. Of course.” He bowed his head, he looked like he was about to go on his knees, when Ishram grabbed his collar.

“Don’t.” Ishram threatened, forcing the young man up on his feet and shoving him away. “I’m not your Lord, or anyone’s.” He looked around this time, addressing the whole room. “Now go back to whatever you’re supposed to be doing. And keep quiet, for Slhavas’ sake.”

The young man stuttered something and rushed out of the room. Everyone turned quickly and went back to their works.

Andrea blinked, before turning towards Ross and Ishram. “What the hell was that?”

Ishram sighed and relaxed his posture. “Exactly what we needed. Fanatics. Great.” He kicked a chair. “God fucking damn it.”

“Oh, don’t be such a killjoy. Not after giving him jack-off material for a lifetime.”

Ishram’s eyes snapped to her with disgust. “Are you trying to tell me something, Ross? I can go, if you want.”

Ross laughed. “At least you didn’t choke him.”

Ishram groaned. “Fuck me,” he whined, before raising a finger at Ross laughing harder. “Not literally, Ross!”

Andrea almost joined in when Ross almost tripped on herself and had to hold her belly.