Alex sprinted out to the dining room finding Everett sitting at the table with Dominique sipping blood tea together. Holding his chest he feels fuzzy, he staggers to sit down.
"Morning, you trained a lot last night." Dominique snickered.
"I did?" Alex asked.
"Of course, take it easy," Everett answered.
His arms sprawled out on the table lazily, his eyes closed. Visions of Reflection swam in his mind. Her beautiful irises plastered close to his nuzzling his forehead in the closeness of her warmth.
Her sweet embrace made him scrape his nails against the tabletop, Alex became concerned with the look of content smeared on his face.
"Wake up!" She shouted.
Everett is jolted from his fantasies, Dominique gives his master an odd look finishing his tea.
"Master Everett, we have a new clan to meet," Dominique stated.
"Wait what?" Everett said, "We do?"
Confused, he departed from the dining room to check his calendar in his tiny office, throwing items off his desk. He goes through the mess till he finds his register near his in and out box to find it was marked in red pen scribbled furiously several times.
Scratching his head, he is baffled where it came from. A thought in the back of his mind has him unsure if he really wrote this note. Words stuck like a lump in his throat.
"I am missing someone…" Everett commented, "G-Gavyn…"
"You miss him already don't you?" Dominique stated.
"What do you mean?" Everett asked.
"He has been dead a couple of years now Everett, are you getting old already?" Dominique affirmed.
Holding his head he stood there staring at the space under the desk, trying to think which spurred his head to ache every time he felt like something was rising to the top of his head.
"Something…is wrong Dominique," Everett whispered.
"What could you mean?" Dominique replied.
"My head hurts…" Everett explained.
Chara bolted into Everetts office with a frown on her face, a towel sat on her shoulder unsure how to react.
"Master Everett, Alex collapsed," Chara shouted.
"What happened?" Everett asked calmly.
"He said his head hurt or something I think," Chara responded.
"Is he with Mai?" Dominique inquired.
"One of the other residents took him to Mai," Chara said, concerned.
"Maybe something is going around and I caught what Alex had," Everett suggested.
"Perhaps you need to rest just in case." Dominique proposed.
Helping his master up just when the doorbell rang. Everett shoved his hand away, straightening his clothing to vanish in a second's time to meet the newcomers at the door with a smile.
A tall man with blonde hair and dark skin stood there, his hair braided into a long ponytail, sharp red eyes, almost a colonial dress suit of purple sat on his shoulders. Behind him was a pretty brunette, her hair curled at the bottom colored in pink.
Her blouse was a white mock top with a pink brooch, her skirt was a ruffled rose pink that cascaded to the ground. Her gentle smile was welcoming.
"We were scheduled to meet you today Sir Everett, my name is Steel." She said,
"Mine is Mateo." He laughed.
"Where did I lose my head? I will have Chara make tea right away." Everett grinned.
Gathering in the living room around the simple coffee table, Chara quickly sets a tray down of very small teacups from a silver tray.
"May I ask if any of you consume food?" Chara asked.
"Oh no, just tea please!" Mateo said politely.
"The funny part is I forgot about this meeting completely!" Everett laughed nervously.
"No worries, you must be stressed lately," Mateo replied.
Letting his flip phone flick open he checks notes he has contained, clearing his throat slipping it back in his pocket.
"So we agreed to become mutuals prepared to attack together, become brothers in the veil," Mateo explained.
Steel hands Everett the agreement agenda to sign, he barely scanned over. Taking a pen he quickly scrawled his name across the line. She retrieved it hastily.
"You are making our bonds stronger by helping us, but we also will help you." Mateo clarified.
"Of course!" Everett said with a chuckle.
"You just started this small guild only a few years right?" Mateo asked.
"I did, why?" Everett inquired.
"Oh no…I was just curious."
Everett pressed his fingers to his temple massaging his forehead, letting his eyes shut trying to concentrate on the conversation, it was all stuff he heard a million times before with these meetings.
He agrees blindly to things over and over in hopes they will understand and leave accordingly in time. Images of an empty building enter his mind constantly, dogs howling and broken glass, small details, but nothing too scary, but jarring enough for him to question.
Chara comes back asking if they want refills, she gives gentle advice or spurs new conversations. Holding the tray firmly in her hands Everett gets up bowing to his new contracted clansmen.
"I will be right back Mateo, I am sorry," Everett commented.
Strolling to the bathroom he takes his time walking there, he is greeted by many of the ones he took in before.
"Master, you look really pale." A woman noted.
The other friend takes a closer look, Chara cruising back to the kitchen spotted Everett with the two keeping a close eye on him. When she comes around out he is gone again from her sight.
"I hope the Master is doing well…" Chara whispered.
The restroom is slammed open Dominique has Everett limp in his arms, water flooded the floor from the sink spilling out. His head bludgeoned on the side.
Chara helped Dominique by turning the spigot off.
"Call Mai, Chara!" Dominique cried.
"What happened?" Chara shouted.
"Dominique…" Everett muttered, "Where am I?"
"The guests!" Chara yelled.
She tossed the towel at Dominique running off to meet the others who were waiting for Everett to come back.
"Snap out of it man!" Dominique insisted.
"I…I…" Everett said.
"Hey, do you need help?" Mateo asked.
Dominique gawked at the man embarrassed sitting in an inch of water, they both used teamwork to lift the dizzied compound leader up. His head hits Dominique's shoulder.
"Master Mateo, you didn't have to!" Chara responded flustered.
"He needed help, my lady." Mateo declared.
"My master is caring!" Steel boasted, "We knew something was wrong!"
"You are such a princess, stop that now." Mateo scolded.
"O-oh! I am so sorry master!" She shouted back.
An arm on each shoulder he is brought to the second bed in the infirmary, Mai is shocked upon seeing Everett hauled into the room by two men let alone by the honored guest.
"What happened?" Mai challenged them.
"Master took a tumble in the bathroom," Chara stated.
"I will take a look at him," Mai responded.
Pulling out her equipment she worked fast bringing out the stethoscope, Mateo, and Steel stood by watching in case Mai needed help. Dominique chills in the room silently.
"If he needed rest he should have told us," Mateo said.
"Poor Master Everett!" Steel replied.
Steel hopped around the room to view Alex sleeping peacefully in the other bed, his face rang familiar to her, but she thought nothing more of it. Her heartfelt pain for the sleeping boy.
"Hey who is this?" Steel asked.
"He is a newbie here, I think he was sick, why?" Mai asked.
"Oh!" She exclaimed loudly.
She moved her arms out like a conductor high in the sky, a pink sigil appeared above Alex. It descends fading into his chest. He screamed arching up a little before falling back to the bed.
"Hele!" Steel screeched.
His eyes opened a little gazing up at Steel, Mateo became worried as the exchange continued.
"What..was that?" He breathed out.
"My heal, I woke up one day and I instantly knew magick, but I don't know why." She explained.
"Why was it so painful?" Alex pondered.
"My heal speeds up the process, but it comes with a price." Steel answered.
"She is very gifted despite being a vampire, she is like Chara, but in terms of support." Mateo bragged.
"I am grateful sir and madam." Alex thanked them.
"She is going to be the master for my household." Mateo pointed out proudly.
"I still have a lot of training to do though!" Steel replied excitedly.
Mai pushed Everett down to rest after tending to his head injury, Alex sat up feeling anxious in her presence. He felt energized by her being there, he couldn't explain how he felt so simply.
"May I ask your name?" Alex said shyly.
"Steel, who are you?"
"Alex, why are you called steel?"
"I was told I didn't come from this world…I am from beyond the veil where steel mills are torturing men to death by overworking hours and their duties. Something about the word steel clicked with me…I want to be as tough as steel!" She claimed.
"You have too much energy." Alex laughed.
"I am glad they are getting along," Everett said weakly.
"You really shouldn't move much Everett!" Mateo shouted in shock.
"It's okay Mateo, from this day forward…Alex will become the leader of this guild." He stated.