Chapter Twenty-Six | Salting The Wound

"Why? Why didn't you stop her?" Karou raced over the hardwood and, standing in Ellis' place, her hands fidgeted at her side. She was unsure whether to reach for him. She desperately wanted to help. Fighting back the tears in her blurry eyes, she sought his attention, "Warren?" she asked, mildly panicked, but he didn't reply. "Warren?" she repeated more softly. And finally, sadness echoed through the syllables of his name. "Warren?Please? Answer me," her compassion and sympathy for his situation were painted all over her face.

"Ca—" Warren opened his lips to speak but paused to wet them and found his whole mouth dry. "Can you fetch me something from my office, please?"

Karou nodded; she knew exactly what the 'something' he wanted was without asking and returned with three blood bags clasped in her shaking hands. Warren wasn't where she'd left him, she called out and followed his croakyvoice to the bathroom. He was sitting atop the toilet with a towel wrapped about his waist, his blood-stained pyjamas lay discarded on the tiled floor.

"I— don't know what to do. D'you want these warm, or?"

Warren shook his head and beckoned for her to give him one.

"I don't know how to warm these up properly," Karou admitted. She placed two of the three onto the bathroom vanity and fiddled with the valve at the end of the tubing. After a moment, Warren put her out of her misery, took the bag, and snapped off one of the top peel-off outlets. While he drank it down, Karou rested against the sink opposite. It looked so joyless when he tipped back his head to drain the contents. What struck her the most was how many times Ellis had bitten him; his vengeful Sire had left carnage smeared about his neck in the form of lip prints, bloody remains and bite wounds. Karou counted eight holes on the right side of his neck, which meant four bites and another five sets of fang pits on the left. It made Karou's lip quiver in anger and sorrow.

Warren caught her staring at the state of him and cleared his throat to rouse her. Snapping out of it, Karou passed him the second part of his meal, and he proceeded to drink it without ceremony. "Karou, stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like I'm a beaten dog," sucking remnants from his lips, he tried to smile, however weakly, but Karou's mood wasn't going to lift that easily.

Miserable and defeated, she gazed at the floor when she passed him the third and final plastic package.

"I guess I am, though, huh? She sure put me in my place."

"I don't understand why... What did you do that was so wrong?"

"I baited her; I sort of deserve—"

"No," Karou protested, lifted her head, and glared at him defiantly. "No, you don't."

"I rejected her and insinuated it was because I would've rather spent my evening with you doing things we've never done. I woke up feeling so alive this morning," Warren emphasised the word. Truly, he'd never experienced such a sensation before. It confused him, but he didn't care; the euphoria felt too good to pretend it wasn't real. "My thoughts must have given me away. I guess it made her angry, so she came to put me back in check."

"You never told me exactly what you made her believe..."

"You read books, Karou; use your imagination. I did," Warren stood and closed the gap between them. "Make no mistake that I did want to spend my evening with you instead of her."

Karou blushed wildly, having caught the drift of his lewd thoughts. "Yeah, but not like that..." she muttered, finally tearing her eyes away from his.

He didn't bother disputing her assumption and announced: "Karou, I'm getting in the shower now."

Karou gave Warren some privacy and wandered into the kitchen, where she decided to attempt to prepare a simple breakfast. What seemed like a good idea rapidly went south... and soon, the bleeping of the unit's fire alarm rang through the air. Karou's eyes shot wide open as she gasped in panic. With a lung full of smoke, she started coughing and wafting her hand before her face. When a wet and flustered-looking Warren came to be stood next to her at the stove, she winced; she knew she'd screwed up.

"What happened?" he asked, to chide her as he assessed the situation. He'd quickly wrapped his waist in a towel and jumped out of the shower, thinking there was a full-blown fire in the unit, but what he found calmed him down from his initial fright. Now, he just stared at Karou at a loss.

"Well, I took my eyes off the toaster for a second, and the toast burned! And while I was dealing with that, my eggs burned too..." Karou explained as calmly as she could but didn't dare look at him. Trying to take the matter seriously was hard because she'd already caught a glimpse of him. "Uh–Warren, you're covered—" she fought her grin but giggled despite her efforts, "—in soap."

"I was in the shower, if you hadn't forgotten? I thought you'd set the fucking kitchen on fire," Warren replied, a little perturbed.

Karou finally plucked up the courage to look at him; her eyes panned his body until she met his eyes from under her thick lashes. He looked pissed, so she pouted like a scolded puppy, trying to appeal to his kinder nature. "Please don't be angry. It was just just toast."

"You're such a klutz," He chuckled, seeing the funnier side of things.

Just then, "Buenos dias, y feliz cumpleaños!" called a familiar voice into the unit. Magnus' followed his nose and the scent of burnt toast to where the home's occupants were. He arrived in the kitchen with an envelope in his hand.

The scene he found was gossip-inspiring: a blushing and giddy Karou stood in the smoky kitchen before Warren, wet with soap suds smattering his skin and clothed in only a towel. "Ho-ho, what have I interrupted?"

"Just Karou trying to set fire to the place," Warren disarmed the situation and turned to Magnus. "Good morning, mi amigo," he patted his mentor's shoulder as he passed. "I'm going to get dressed. Karou, do not turn that stove back on, understand?"

"Fi—ine," She mumbled, slumping onto a stool by the kitchen island.

"Does he always wander about so scantily clad?" Magnus asked as he joined Karou and sat.

"Uh, well, no," she answered cautiously. "Why?"

"He's usually very… prudish about nudity. Something about 'it being avoidable and unnecessarily vain to show off one's body'. I thought he would be more reserved, especially in front of a young lady," Magnus seemed to be prying at something. He'd woken up sensing that something had happened the night before because Ellis was in an angry mood and disappeared in a huff before he left their bed.

"I… I haven't seen him in anything less than pants, if that's what you mean, but that's a normal 'guy thing', right?" Karou found the subject awkward, all things considered.

Without thinking, she pulled her hair over her shoulder to braid and revealed a great deal more than she'd intended in her nervous fidgeting. Warren appeared back in the kitchen just as Karou moved her hair, and both Vampire's eyes flocked to her neck.

"Oh, Dios Mio!" Magnus, wide-eyed, looked at Warren, faintly grinning.

"I… I can explain!" Warren exclaimed, coming up to the counter to lean between Magnus and Karou.

"There is nothing to explain. Happy birthday, mi hijo," calmly the Spaniard slid the envelope he'd brought over the counter toward Warren.

"Explain what?" Karou asked, oblivious to the situation.

"The freshly healed bite marks on your neck, mi querida," Magnus clarified and gave Warren a look.

"Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?" Magnus feigned ignorance, grinning and said, "Open the envelope."

"You're looking at me implying I've 'scored'," Warren whispered through his gritted teeth as he snatched up the envelope and opened it with spiteful ferocity; he did not enjoy Magnus' provocative tone.

"Oh, God!" Karou hid her blushing face in her palms when she heard what Warren said.

"I'm proud of you. You've gotten over a hurdle on your own for once. You have been thinking abo—"

"Why have you brought me a plane ticket to Russia?" Warren asked, holding up what he'd found in the envelope.

"Getting you to visit us is difficult if not for work."

"I put off having to see Roman if I can help it, with good reason... But thank you."

"If you're going to Russia, does that mean I get the big bed to myself?" Karou chirped and mainly said it because she knew it bugged Warren that she commandeered his room while he was away, but his expensive plush mattress was 'oh so comfy'.

"To yourself?" Magnus' interest piqued again; Karou had given him another snippet of information to latch onto.

"Yeah? Like when he's not in it..." Karou stated, confused that she'd had to repeat such a clear statement.

"Oh, for the love of God, Karou, shut up. You're making this so much worse." Warren ran his hands back through his damp hair; he knew she was playing right into his mentor's hands.

"What'd I say now?" she whined.

"I did it because she wanted to know what it felt like before she's sired."

"I'm so happy for you both!" Magnus' face lit up with a beaming grin, "I'm sure Karou will make a wonderful Fledgeling. You've decided, finally, to bond with someone."

"Wait, what?" Warren very much wanted to backtrack; the misunderstandings were mounting up quickly.

"When all is said and done, it's a good thing you have decided to become a Sire. It's taken you long enough to realise that something has been missing in your life. You never committed to anyone, never took a partner. This is a good alternative, no?"

"No, that isn't what I meant at all! Karou has decided she is going to find someone to sire her. Someone else. Not me. I've told her it's a terrible idea."

"Why would you tell her something so ridiculous, mi hijo? Of course, it isn't a terrible idea! And why would she trust someone else to become such a significant person in her life? You've never lived with another person for so long, not in… sixty years."

"It's only been forty-nine years, actually, but that's beside the—" Warren grumbled.

"Forty-nine years too long—" Magnus spat under his breath.

"He… He doesn't like me that much!" Karou spluttered, interrupting both Warren and Magnus mid-sentence. She could see the situation getting out of hand as she watched the men's back and forth. It bothered her that it upset Warren, and she sensed that Magnus would keep pushing. Although it was sweet that Magnus was fighting her corner, all he was doing was giving Warren a reason to shut her out again. Above all, she didn't want to go back to square one when Warren was gradually becoming friendlier.

"What do you mean he doesn't like you?" Magnus' head swivelled this way and then that, looking between them. Stunned into silence, Warren just stared at Karou and swallowed hard, dreading what she was going to say next.

"I'm annoying, immature, and inconveniently here. Untidy and clumsy. I ask too many questions. My allergies are a pain in the ass. I like boring movies... Most nights, he... stares into space so he doesn't have to watch them. I steal his bed sometimes, and–and one time, I forgot to wash his sheets, so he had to sleep on the couch. I put him in awkward situations, like when I got sunburned and had no one else to put the lotion on my back. Even when I try an' be quiet, I wake him up in the middle of the night 'cause my stupid back hurts, and I feel bad 'cause he works long hours. I… I leave toothpaste in the sink an' hair in the shower. I spilt coffee on his newspaper. I can't cook! Just now, I almost burned down the kitchen making eggs... Oh, and don't get him started on how mad he gets about my shoes!" Karou was reeling, and once she'd started, she couldn't stop. "Maybe you should've left me in that cell..." She chuckled despite the dark turn her point had taken. "If he had any other choice, I wouldn't have been living here for nearly nine months."

"Warren..." Magnus' brow furrowed; he looked sad for Karou. "Is all this true?"

Warren had winced internally at every detail of Karou's rant, but all he could muster in reply was, "Yes, but—" before Magnus cut him off.

"This is why you shouldn't spend so much time alone. You grow so cold," Magnus chided sternly.

Given no chance to explain himself, Warren sighed. It wasn't the first time he'd heard his icy disposition made him hard to read, so it was no surprise that Karou misunderstood him. Though he wasn't very good at making his feelings clear, he knew the emotion he felt now; Karou's slant on things caused him to feel shame. The moments he'd let down his wall hadn't been enough to apologise for the times when he was closed off.

"Thank you for the plane ticket, Magnus." With that, Warren left the kitchen and disappeared into his office.

Magnus and Karou shared a look. "I know I said those things, but please don't be angry with him. He's been so kind to me in other ways. There are moments where I get to see his other side," Karou said feebly. It all seemed a waste now, but the look on Warren's face as he'd left hurt. She felt guilty.

"You are too kind. You shouldn't be defending him. I understand that he must make living here difficult, but don't allow his bitterness to taint you or sway you from choosing your own path," Magnus reached out to pat the back of her hand, then stood and left Karou alone to follow Warren into his office.

Once the office door was closed behind him, gone was the placid, fatherly man. "You cruel bastard!" Magnus scolded, "You are setting up that sweet girl for a fall."

"What she said... She blew things out of proportion!" Warren sat behind his desk, his forehead resting against his hands, clenched together as one fist, as if praying for forgiveness. "Look, I've tried to keep my distance, but she's so tenacious."

"Don't think that by blaming Karou, I'll pity you. Remember, I know you. She's under the illusion that you will open up to her one day. For a moment, so was I. I believe the girl. I see you haven't changed. Will you ever learn? Not everyone is out to hurt you."

"I've tried to dissolve her delusion that she could be close to me. I don't understand why she wants to be. But I so easily backtrack in moments of weakness."

Magnus perched himself onto the edge of Warren's desk and folded his arms. He took a moment to think. "I do think siring her would do you some good; then you would have to let her in."

"I could never do that to her."

"I will never understand your reasons. It's insulting. Does the creature I was born as abhor you so much?" contemplating, Magnus rubbed over his chin. His voice softened when he asked, "Is your life so awful, mi hijo?" Warren didn't reply, but the dead look in his eyes answered the question well enough. Magnus sensed a dead end, and he moved the conversation on. "You haven't left yourself many options. You could let her go. The Mortal's patrols aren't as sharp once the bad weather comes. Wait until winter and let her out?"

"The cold would take her…"

"Sending her to her death is no crueller than the emotional torture you're putting her through."

"That's a little too honest, even for you, Mag'," Warren grumbled. "I thought about putting her in the basement. I'm not surprised she said what she did when she knows I've considered that an option."

"Hmm, yes... I remember your rash decision to let her see the farm..." Magnus rolled his eyes. "But why is that an option?"

"She could stay here. She wouldn't be out there or dead. She wouldn't feel any pain, she'd be… safe… and I… I could still see her," Warren's whispered reasons grew quieter and quieter the more revealing they became. After seventy years under Magnus' persuasive influence, Warren had never faltered in his belief that he was better off alone until now. Truthfully, Karou had become a pleasant distraction from his mundane routine. Though he kept in mind that he wasn't looking for romance, he wasn't ready to admit that what he felt for Karou was quickly turning into an infatuation. The problem was that perhaps he was already leading her on, which hadn't been his aim. He wasn't looking for devotion, but maybe it was too late to hope that Karou wasn't already when she'd so readily defended him.

"You like her… more than you want to confess. You should invite her to join us for dinner tonight," Magnus could see that Warren was about to object, but he lifted his hand to stop Warren in his tracks. "Because it's your birthday, and you would enjoy having her there."

"But Elli—"

"Ellis does not own you. She does not dictate who you keep company with," standing from the desk, Magnus stroked his fingers over his manicured beard. "And Warren, enjoy her while she's Mortal, but don't take advantage 'cause if someone does sire her and she stays here, then you're going to have to rethink your reasons for keeping your distance."

"There's just one problem with that... I've ensured the Vampires in the Compound believe I've already claimed her. They wouldn't dare lay a fang on her for fear of being disposed of," Warren admitted, and again, his chest felt tight with shame. He'd pulled so many strings to get Karou within his reach but was failing when it came to letting himself take her.

All but one… A voice whispered.

We'll deal with him later… Another promised.

Magnus sighed, "my, my, what a sticky web you're weaving yourself."