“I found out what I was when I was three. I set a tree on fire. I thought I was a demon, but Uriel told me otherwise,” both Sadik and Abraxas looked at Nikola, transfixed.

“Then, I began my training. It lasted until I was five. Little time stops for me to learn. Then, I learned that my parents weren’t really my parents and that the real ones were dead. That I killed my mother because that is what happens during the birth of a Nephilim,” Sadik frowned at that.

“You didn’t kill her. She must have loved you very much to not have terminated the pregnancy,” Nikola become saddened at that.

“I suppose. Or, she must not have known what she was bringing into the world,” Sadik raised his hands in defeat. For now, he would allow Nikola to blame himself. But, once Nikola got more comfortable around him, he was going to do something about it.

“And that is all, really,” Sadik let Nikola keep the suicide attempts to himself. Abraxas didn’t need to know, and he had forbidden the vampire from reading his thoughts, or his precious people’s, long ago.

“And you have been living your entire life with superpowers?” Abraxas sounded like a child who was given proof that Santa was real. Sadik wondered why that was.

“They were under wraps, alongside my memories, until Sadik decided to mind rape me,” Sadik looked at Abraxas, whose eyes were wide.

“You did the old thing where you don’t value another person’s privacy again. Glad to know I wasn’t the only one to whom you have done it,” Sadik huffed.

“I needed to know what he was. And, he didn’t remember. So, I might have been a bit forceful…”

“Blood dripped from my nose, Sadik,” Sadik looked down at his hands.

“It was for my own good. That is the truth,” Nikola nodded, glad that Sadik hadn’t lied, this time.

“Well, this is all nice and all, but, shouldn’t we be finding out who blew up both your houses?” Nikola went to his laptop and started it up.

“I have cameras on the house. Small ones,” he clarified when Sadik send him a quizzing look. “Whoever did it might have been caught on one of them.”

Nikola clicked on a folder and then on a file and a video showed up. He watched the different cameras, attempting to find something improper. They watched the house being calm for half an hour, and, then, a man came by through the backdoor and slipped inside.

Zeroing in on his face, Nikola loaded the image in his program.

“I don’t think you can ever sell this, bar to an intelligence agency,” said Sadik as he shook his head.

“I don’t think so, either. You will end up in jail if someone finds out you are accessing FBI records,” Nikola grinned at Abraxas.

“Not just. Pretty much every agency there is. Plus, some military ones,” the screen turned green and Sadik saw a prison record pulling up.

“Does either of you know a Fernando da Lavera?” Abraxas paled at that.

“Well, we are in deep shit then, boys. He is a vampire hunter and I might have ditched his ass last month,” Sadik and Nikola shared a look, then, they both nodded.

“You are paying for the houses,” they chorus as Abraxas looked pained at the prospect.

“He is a nut. But, I know where he is staying. Sadik, can I borrow your angel boyfriend for a bit of smiting action?” Sadik shook his head.

“You will clean up your shit by yourself. However, the note said we. Who are we, Abraxas?”

“Fernando’s brother, I suppose. Philip. They are vampire hunters…” Sadik groaned.

“You fucked around with a vampire hunter? Abraxas!” Abraxas smiled sheepishly.

“He is hot. But, I fed from him once. Just as we finished with the sex. And he nearly staked me in the heart,” whined Abraxas.

“Well, your love story is amusing, but Fernando needs to go. He blew up our houses,” Nikola send Sadik a glare.

“We can’t kill a human!” Snapped Nikola. He turned to Abraxas. “Can’t you smooth things over?”

“Smooth them, how? He wants to see my ashes!” Abraxas leaned back in his chair and buried his face in his hands. “And I loved him, darn it all!”

“Well, we can speak with him,” said Nikola, determined. “Call him here. I placed a nonaggression ward on the property as we were cleaning. So, he won’t be able to fight you here.”

“I don’t think it will help much,” said Abraxas. “Considering, I landed his brother in a hospital while I was trying to get away from them.”

“You spend romantic time with a lover while the brother is close by?” Sadik sounded outraged. He had never pegged Abraxas as a deviant. But, maybe he was.

“He was visiting. There was nothing I could do,” defended himself Abraxas.

“Call him,” prompted Nikola again. “We can talk it all out. If he loved you, even a little, he can forgive you for being what you are. And, if we are persuasive enough, he might even stop hunting vampires.”

Abraxas raised an eyebrow and massaged his forehead. Yes, Fernando could go back to being in love with him. But, it was more possible for him to attempt to stake him again.

“I’ll call him. However, your wards better hold up,” Abraxas took out his phone and dialed Fernando. He put him on speaker and heard loud Spanish curses from the other side.

“Yes, Fernando, you are not happy with my fangs. But that doesn’t mean I suddenly know Spanish,” Sadik raised an eyebrow at the tired tone with which Abraxas addressed his lover.

“You never cared enough to learn!” Snapped the man from the other side of the line.

“Darling, I will give you one opportunity to stake me. I am staying at a lovely cottage. I am sure you already traced the number. Furthermore, I am waiting for you. By the way, would you be up for some hate sex later?” The call ended abruptly and Abraxas shrugged. “I had to try.”