X • Ricky's POV • X

As night fell, I began to get out of bed, because the sunset was my sunrise. I've got to live on the schedule of four vampires, after all. I fixed up my hair and did my makeup. I've mastered getting ready within ten minutes because that's usually how long I have after waking before...

"Ricky? Are you up yet?" Ryan called through my door.

I walked over to the door, opening it. "Yeah, I just got up."

"Good, the guys and I are starving!" He replied. "We also were all anxious to know if you were feeling any better?"

"Um, I don't know." I said as I felt my forehead. "I guess my fever's gone."

"I'm glad. We were worried, although not all of us showed it." Ryan spoke, muttering the last part.

I know what he meant, and I sighed to myself as I thought about it. I'm sure Balz or Ghost, who both are telepaths, have overheard my thoughts about Chris, and they've probably told Ryan. Whether or not they've said anything to Chris, that I don't know. Maybe that's why he acts so cold to me. The thought disgusts him, or angers him, or both. Ugh, Ricky you're letting your mind wonder too much again.

Ryan and I started to walk towards the dinning room, when he put his hand on my back. I jumped back as I felt a terrible pain that shot straight through me, and I looked back at Ryan like a scared puppy dog.

His mouth laid opened for many seconds before he could muster the words "Are you okay?"

"I-I-I guess I didn't... I didn't get better. In fact, it hurt worse that time." I murmured, shivering a bit out of shock and nervousness. I really didn't understand what was happening and it was scaring me.

"When was the last time?" He asked, seeming concerned.

"Last night, when Chris checked on me because I woke up from a nightmare type thingy." I spoke, getting a mixed expression from him, so I explained a little further. "I can't call it a full dream really, because it was something that actually happened. I had a flashback to the night Angelo found me."

Ryan let out a low, grumbling growling type of noise. "Go lay back down, Ricky. I need to have a conversation with the others."

I nodded my head and scurried back to my bedroom, shutting the door. Why was he so pissed? Shouldn't he have already known? Or did Chris hide some of this from the guys? When Chris sweeps things under the rug - which he does a lot - the others won't know about it. He's the head of the household, meaning no one can undermine him. Reading his thoughts would count as a major violation of respect. Besides, Ghost isn't a powerful enough telepath to get into Chris' mind, and Balz is too mannerly to do it.

Even though my back was sensitive to the touch, everything else was fine and I wasn't tired. However, I was curious. Yes, curiosity killed the cat, but I've been pretty good lately so if I get caught I hopefully won't get in too much trouble. It's been a few months since I did anything out of line.

Once I knew Ryan was going to be far enough down the hall that I wouldn't get caught, I got up and left my room. It leads out into an octagon shaped room. Four larger hallways lead to the upstairs, the sanctuary, the reading room, and Chris' room. The other four lead to the other bedrooms, including mine. I snuck over to the stairwell, walking up it without making a noise.

Now I was in the main level of the mansion. Where I was before was the cavern, which is the most important area. The other three floors weren't of much concern to us, even if the house is very important to protect. It's been in the vampire world for centuries, just like all the guys. From what I understand, Angelo and Chris built this house by themselves in 1600s, with the help of several vampires that died off over time. Now several creatures live here, but I rarely ever see them.

Unless, of course, they're the guards. I quickly ducked into another room as I heard someone coming. Once the sound of boots clanking had passed me, I peered out from behind the door to see Brent walking by. There's one of the very guards I was referring to, and he's definitely the scariest. Guards are all demons, whereas the people they protect are vampires.

There's two kinds of demons, just like there's two kinds of vampires. As angels, we're taught they're both bad, but one is worse than the others. Shadow vampires are more evil than pure bloods, and the red-eyed demons are much worse than the white and black-eyed. Of course, among both categories there's a form of elders, in a sense. They're almost like royalty, and take care of all the important decisions. As well, they're also the most powerful. The "good" demons leaders were killed about fifty years ago, and since they look for safety from vampires or convert to the nasty side. As far as the vampires elders, well they were the four I was just about to spy on.

Yeah, another reason why I could never date Chris. The leader of the vampire world being gay? And with an ANGEL? It'd be so disgraceful! I'm not even aloud to leave the castle because only a few people are aloud to know I exist. Although, I might not exist for very long if something terminal is affecting me.

I stood outside of the kitchen door, hearing the guys talk over their morning cup of blood coffee. No one sounded very happy.

"Why didn't you tell us about this?" Ryan hissed.

"I wanted to be sure." Chris replied. I'm not sure he convinced himself of that one.

"I don't care if he breathes wrong for a second, you should tell us!" Balz said.

"I don't have to tell you shit! This is my house, I can run it how I want!" He scoffed.

"Maybe with everything else, but not when it comes to Ricky." Ghost stated. "It was Angelo's dying wish that we took care of him."

"Even if it wasn't, I'd still want to keep him alive so Angelo's death wasn't in vain." Balz added.

Ryan sighed. "It doesn't matter now, we can't undo it. All that matters is that we help Ricky now, and figure out why the infection returned."

I covered my mouth to keep from making any noises. Hearing those words made me feel like I just got punched in the gut. He can't be serious! There's no way! That infection is only supposed to infect wings I thought? Or, maybe it does attack all angels and it starts in our wings.

"It already spreads fast in an angel with wings. This could kill him in days." Chris spoke with a very numb tone. He didn't seem like a cared much for my life, just the investment he had made in me.

"And Angelo's solution before was to cut off his wings. We don't have anything left to cut off." Ryan replied. "If it was a spell or a curse or something, I could pull the energy out of him, but this is different. It's an inherited decease."

"It still takes someone activating the genes to cause it to attack his body. That involves some form of energy." Balz responded.

"It does," He said. "but last time I couldn't find any forms of energy attached to it, and you couldn't find anything in his conscious that caused it."

"That means it was physical. I wasn't here last time this happened, so I may be able to help where you two can't. I'm thinking it's a decaying process, and Angelo was able to stop it before because he not only cut off the main site of the infection, but he had the ability to reverse aging. Meaning, he could reverse the decaying, and I can do the same. I'd need to see Ricky for all this, of course." Ghost slyly looked out of the corner of his eye, right through the crack of the door and at me. "Come here." He said.

I backed up out of fear for a moment as all their eyes suddenly were on me. My body froze, with onto my breaths shaking.

"Ricky." Chris groaned, with somewhat of a parental tone.

There was no way I was getting out of this. I slowly pushed the door open, keeping my head down shamefully. They all continued to stared and I was ready to get reprimanded.

Chris took a drink of his coffee, but didn't stop staring. "How long were you standing there?" He asked.

"Um, l-long enough to know th-that the infection is back... and it could kill me... fast." I murmured. My right hand rested on my left elbow as I stood there, feeling so small in their large presence.

"You know better than to even leave the caverns, let alone spy on us." He barked.

"Chris-" Balz began to interrupt.

"Save it, Josh! Do me a favor and go get Brent." Chris said, very unhappily might I add. For the few moments Balz was gone, it was just awkwardly quiet and Chris kept staring at me. Even after Brent and Balz walked in the room, it didn't stop. "Brent, take Ricky back down to his room, and make sure he doesn't leave. Apparently I have to put him in his room, in time out like a little kid because he has problems listening."

I just lowered my head more. I'd get yelled at for speaking, even if I was apologizing. Brent scoffed quietly and grabbed my arm, yanking me along. I took one last glance behind me, seeing Chris sigh and run his hand through his hair. He glared back up at me, but this time, his eyes were somewhat glossy. Was he seriously that disappointed in my behavior? Or was there a slight possibility that he was upset about my life being on the line? The hopeful in me would hope for the latter.

Brent dragged me down to my room. Strangely, I wasn't mad about the situation because the thought that Chris actually felt some form of affection for me... it made me happy.