This took place after the two slave boys, Julian and Evan, had been kidnapped by Simon Pleiades, and Nathan beat Robert up and nearly killed him...

If you have questions, please feel free to e-mail Dr. Robert -- he loves explaining things.

Nathan Roulan walked silently down the hallway to the Pink Room. His mind was swimming. He had just gotten off of the phone with Simon Pleiades, whose death he was still plotting. That bastard. Nathan should never have allowed him in...but he had been distracted lately.

Distracted. That was one word for it. Evan seemed to evoke such extreme passions in him. Was it all to do with Julian’s lack of ability to give himself after the torturous rapes and beatings he had endured at Frost’s hands? Was it all about sex? No...no... Why did he feel the urge to keep beating the beaten child? Continuing the tradition his parents had begun, breaking every promise he had made...

I never claimed to be more than a bastard.

Ah, but you did.

Nathan opened the door to the Pink Room and strode through the antechamber into the bedroom. A slender figure was huddled beneath the thick, candy-striped eiderdown comforter. It barely made a lump beneath the thick blankets. As he came into the room, the small bulge in the bedding trembled. Nathan felt a feeling shudder through him which was called guilt, but it was such a foreign thing, he hardly understood it.

“Evan...” Dr. Robert moaned.

“He’s not here,” Nathan said shortly.

Robert fell silent, then slowly the pink comforter was pushed back and the pale face appeared, two feverish blue eyes the color of sapphires set against skin the color of cheap Xerox paper, thin and bloodless. His lips were thin red lines, too red for the face. He looked not the least bit human, and the long, thin fingers which had pushed back the blanket were just as white. His coal black hair was messy, falling over his forehead in the shape of a question mark.

“Oh,” he said wearily, “It’s you.”

“Indeed.”

“Where’s Evan? Have you killed him?”

The plaintive note in Robert’s tone said that he was convinced that his boy-lover was lost to him, dead and gone. Nathan kept to his usual expression -- blank, giving nothing away. What would Robert do if he knew how Evan had been left, whipped and dying, like a dog, in the punishment room? Nathan had gone back to get him, but by then it was too late. Simon had taken him. But then again, wasn’t it Nathan’s fault for allowing Pleiades time to know the boy, to...want him? He should have taken Evan away the minute the rape was over, not let them talk... but even then it was already too late, for Simon had learned of Julian through manipulating him.

“Simon Pleiades has him, and Julian. They’ve been kidnapped,” Nathan said without emotion.

“Wot?? How did that happen?”

“Don’t strain yourself, Robert. You’re still too weak.”

“I know. I need blood,” Dr. Robert said hoarsely. “Ain’t we got some young lovely thing round about that can give me a little taste?”

“I’ll have something sent.”

“Ta, darling. But Evan, Evan--”

“Pleiades is a weasel. I allowed him to visit and arranged a treat from the larder for him, since he complained of missing the end of the year feast, treated him like my most esteemed guest, and he repaid me by taking our boys.”

“Oh it’s our boys now...”

“You know it always was.”

“Mmm. So wot’s the deal?” he sounded exhausted. “I want Evan back. Tell me Simon hasn’t killed them. He always liked me, can’t believe he would.”

“He’s asked for a ransom.”

“Oh, good then. There’s no problem.”

“I’ve agreed to Julian’s price but not Evan’s.”

“WOT?” Dr. Robert sat bolt upright. “You bastard! Is this my punishment then? You leave him to be barbecued by Simon Pleiades? He’s probably got him on a spit already. Damn you, Nathan--”

“Robert, calm yourself. The boy is fine, though I rather suspect Pleiades wants to keep him for himself, though not for the table -- for the bedroom.”

Dr. Robert collapsed back against the pillows. “Is that supposed to make me feel better? That you’ve left him to be raped by Simon Pleiades. Is that better than being raped by you? Maybe it is, Simon doesn’t seem the sort to beat him, even if he was a pirate.”

Nathan didn’t comment. He wasn’t even sure himself why he felt so inclined to beat Evan, except that at the times, he had felt it...necessary...somehow.

“What do I have to do to get you to bring him back? If Simon doesn’t give him back and doesn’t eat him he’ll only sell Evan...he won’t keep him...” Robert didn’t believe it. “You have plenty of money. How much could he have possibly wanted?”

“He didn’t ask for money. Only conditions. I don’t accept commands on how to run my life.”

Dr. Robert let out a long low groan, then coughed... “Why didn’t you just kill me if you were going to do this? Why did you send Thom to bring me back here? Do you wish to torture me too, now? Poor Doctor Robert who was nothing but a friend t’you...”

Nathan sat down on the edge of the bed, and he pressed his mouth against Robert’s. “I’ve ill-treated that friend.”

“Yeah.”

Nathan smiled. Robert didn’t mince words -- this time. “You need something sweet.”

The door opened and a young boy entered the room. He was six years old, with dark hair and eyes, very attractive. Nathan smiled at him and he approached hesitantly as if pulled to the vampire by a force that he could not understand. He let out a small whimper and Nathan drew him into the bed and up next to Robert as if he were giving a teddybear to a child. Robert’s thin arms went around the boy. Quickly he found the throat and sank his fangs in without playing, without anything but need. The child gasped, but as he became overwhelmed with pleasure, he simply trembled and shook as Robert drank and drank.

Finally Dr. Robert lifted his head. “Bad for his health if I weren’t to stop. Evan would suffer him to live...”

“Finish the lad.”

“Won’t.”

Nathan sighed. “Save me from humanist vampires. You should be feeling better shortly. I’ll speak to you later.” He took the limp body of the boy, who fainted from the blood loss, though he lived still, and left the room.

He wondered when Simon would call him again.