Every time Percy closed his eyes, that black dragon mask surfaced in the dark behind his eyelids, followed by the glint of that silver blade, so slick and shimmering with his own fresh blood. Like it wanted to devour more of him.

He reached down and brushed his fingers along the bandages around his chest. The damage had been a lot worse than he’d imagined. When he gingerly pushed himself up on the bed with a soft groan, he considered if he had the strength left in him to stand on both feet. With an agonizing effort, he shifted one leg precariously off the edge of the mattress and prepared to pull himself upright until a sharp, localized pain jabbed him in the chest. 

Defeat brought him back down to the bed with a groan of frustration.  How could such a measly blade weaken him so terribly?  He knew of how perilous silver was to his kind, but how come he hadn’t healed already?  How come even attempting to stand up siphoned all his energy?

That witch doctor would be back soon. He’d promised to give him more blood after assessing the severity of his injury and perhaps that’s what he truly needed to regain his strength to find the bastard responsible for putting him there in the first place. All the talk earlier of how close that dagger had come to his heart made him literally nauseous. Like he’d devoured too much sickening sweet candy.

“Good news.” Leo waltzed through the door with more enthusiasm than Percy had in a single aching bone in his body. “No traces of silver were present in your blood.”

“Wonderful news,” Percy mumbled. 

Seeming to ignore his sarcasm, the doc said, “I’m going to give you a vampiric pain elixir. I’ll warn you. Most complain that it tastes quite foul, so I’ve brought some refreshmints and a cup of water you can gargle with afterward.”

“You don’t have anything flavorless?” Percy asked with a skeptical brow. “Or you know. Something less disgusting?”

“Not anything as strong as this.” Leo offered him a saccharine smile, one that he suspected deep down wanted him to suffer the foul taste of it. 

“Fine.” Percy huffed out a breath, extending his hand out.  “Give it here.”

“Talk about some rude manners.  How about a thank you, doc.  Or at least say please?” Leo dangled the metallic-lilac elixir in his face with a cheeky grin while balancing a small tray of refreshmints and a cup of water in his other hand.

Percy frowned.  “Are you serious right now?”

“Very.” Leo smiled at him ever so tauntingly until Percy conceded.  

“Can I please have that horrible-tasting elixir?” Percy grimaced through each word like it pained his pride to even beg the slightest bit. 

“Of course.” Leo handed it over, along with the cup of water.  “Let me know if the pain persists after taking it.” The amusement died on his lips, hardened by professionalism that almost looked like concern.

It was quite difficult to swallow such a foul-flavored sludge. The texture reminded him of a cream soup, yet the taste lingered on his tongue like someone had poured a spoonful of sugary tart mixed sulfur in his mouth. Once he got it down, he chased it with the water, but that only worsened it.  The taste reminded him of sickeningly sweet cotton candy blended with rotten berries, enough to make him gag on it.

“Here.” Leo handed him a few of the mints off his tray.  “They’ll help get rid of the taste in your mouth.”

Percy popped two mints in his mouth, relieved by the way they dissolved on his tongue and rid him of that foul flavor.  Warmth enveloped his chest in a weird, tingly manner that lessened the pain.  He readjusted slightly on the bed, finding it easier to pull himself up as the doctor watched him suspiciously, one hand reaching toward the pocket he’d noticed him slip his wand into before. Prepared to hex him at any given moment. 

“I’m not gonna hurt you or bite you,” Percy muttered, unable to hide the way his ears flexed inward.  

“I know you’re not.” Leo folded his arms across his chest.  “Because I wouldn’t dare let you.  That elixir should be helping ease the pain, so I’ll grab you some more blood.  Then you can be on your way come nightfall.”

“Ready to get rid of me already, doc?” Percy laughed, but Leo didn’t respond, merely walking right back out the door, leaving him alone with his all too consuming thoughts.

It had been such a long fanging morning.  Pray tell, what could nightfall possibly bring?

🦇

Delicate white rose petals, sprinkled in drops of blood, likely Percy’s own, lay in a small basket alongside his police detective bandage, a lighter, and a pack of coffin nails. Honestly, he couldn’t even resist the urge to light up a Crimson Light and blow a puff of red smoke into the air, savoring the way it warmed his lungs.  

It was difficult to ignore the doc’s glare as he rolled his lit coffin nail between his fingers, as if daring him to put it out.  Little did that poor witch know that it was the only thing pacifying his nerves.  His heart skipped a beat in his chest the moment he saw that white rose, left for him by the killer.  Expecting Percy to have been his latest victim. 

Percy wasn’t supposed to have survived. He’d soiled the killer’s plan. Yet their white rose killer didn’t strike him as someone who gave up easily. He’d strike again. But Percy would be ready for him next time. 

“You’re not really supposed to smoke in here,” Leo finally spoke up. 

Percy quirked a brow. “Just let me finish this. Please.” He added that extra please with a bat of his lashes. 

“Fine.” Leo huffed a breath. “I’ll allow it. Just this once. No more after that or I’ll confiscate your smokes.”

“Of course, doc.” Percy grinned, but when his gaze landed back on that rose, his lips twitched downward into a frown.  

It was a painful, bloody reminder that he’d almost died.  Vampires could live a very long life, but Percy was experiencing firsthand how quickly it could all be taken from him.  

“You okay?” Leo asked.  

Percy took another hit, blowing another puff of crimson smoke to the air, before asking, “Could you get me a plastic bag?”

“Sure.” Leo gave him a bewildered tilt of his head.  “Is there a reason you need one?”

“Need to bag this as evidence.” He held up the wilted rose, allowing a tinge of magic to pulse against his fingertips, trying to siphon any peculiar energy it might’ve had within its delicate petals. Unfortunately, finding nothing.

“Evidence?”

“Thoughtful of my killer to leave a rose on my dying body, right?” Percy sneered. 

“That’s rather morbid,” Leo remarked, then contemplatively rubbed his chin. “Must have some symbolic meaning behind it, right? You were targeted for a reason, I suspect.”  

“Digging too close to the truth,” Percy mumbled under his breath.

“Explains why someone tried tampering with my wards earlier while you were still unconscious.  Probably wanted to come in and finish the job.” Leo crossed his arms over his chest with a visible shiver.

Percy blanched upon hearing that, knowing how their killer had previously found a way past his victims’ warded homes.  “Let me know if that happens again, okay?  Even after I've been discharged… I couldn’t forgive myself if you were harmed simply for helping me.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Leo dismissed his worries, but the way his gaze shifted between him and the door behind them was clear enough to Percy that he was genuinely concerned.

“Please?  For my peace of mind?” Percy asked.

Leo exhaled a sigh. “Give me your personal crystal ball code then.  If anyone wicked lurks around the clinic or tries tampering with my wards after hours, I’ll give you a call.”

It was merely for professional reasons to give him his personal globe code. Not like any reason Percy should’ve felt a sudden skip in his heartbeat while jotting it down on a slip of paper for the witch doctor, who’d seemed to despise vampire-kind. Yet if that were truly the case, he wouldn't have gone through the trouble of saving Percy’s sorry fangs, would he have?