Please note that I have revised the first two chapters and that if you read this note, there will be some inconsistencies ahead. Nothing major, though, and I plan to amend asap.  

Adeem hated Christmas—partly because humans decided to decorate absolutely everything with needles and figurines. But perhaps Christmas wouldn't be so bad if not for the constant reminder of how important it was to treasure your family and loved ones. Clearly, these people had never met his family.

Tense from head to toe at the unwelcome thoughts of his parents, he watched the clouds turn pink as the sun slipped beneath the horizon. It wasn't late, but Stockholm never got much light during the dark winter months. It was an added plus for those who didn't like to venture out during the days.

He backed into the kitchen, pouring a cup of coffee to pass the time. He'd sent a message to Nev an hour ago when his patience had run out, but it had been useless to expect a response until the sun vanished from sight.

Staring at the screen, he began to pace across the cold hardwood floor. Hopefully, Nev would realize his duty as a friend and knock on the door within the next half hour. If not, he would make sure to drag the vampire to the Archive and let him stew alone at the Guardian's inauguration. It was a fucking travesty that they were both forced to attend tonight's festivities. The phone call from the secretary, with a personal invitation from the dragon, was one of the worst things that had happened during the year—and that said a lot, considering it was 2016. The year had been quite bad for more or less everyone, paranormals included.

Whenever there was unrest in the human world, things tended to happen on the paranormal side as well. The Nighters made a fair point when they claimed the Council of Guardians held too much power. Their not too secret wish to start a rebellion had merit, but any attempts were doomed to fail. At least they brought some attention to the idiots who sat on their tall thrones and called themselves the pillars of light in a darkening world. The Council's message might have been humorous, if not for the fact that many paranormals bought the propaganda. They were was a corrupt bunch, no doubts about it. It didn't help that his parents were a part of it.

The coffee tasted burnt on his tongue, but he gulped down the rest and refilled the cup. He would need all the focus he could get if he wanted to live through the entire ceremony. If the dragon got another whiff of his pitch-black mood and slipping control, he could say goodbye to a peaceful life in Stockholm. Most likely, he would be forced to relocate somewhere remote to avoid the wrath of the Council, and not only that, he might have to spend another decade or so beneath their radar until they decided he wasn't a danger anymore. He'd done it before, but with today's technology, it would be ten times harder to stay hidden.

Nev didn't even knock. The vampire simply walked inside the apartment and threw his jacket on the chair by the door. "Your mood reeks. I could sense it from the street."

"Fabulous," he replied and gulped down more coffee.

"Did you get a Christmas card?"

"You know I did. Every year, without fault."

At least Nev had the grace to hide the pity. The vampire walked slowly across the floor and slumped on the couch. "So, what did your lovely parents write this time?"

"Don't call them lovely."

Nev threw out his arms in frustration. "Jeez, it was a joke." The snippy mood was still disconcerting.

"We don't joke about them."

"Right. Did I ever tell you about my family? That the vampire who created me decided to kill them?" It was a tragic story, but dead parents couldn't interfere and make your life a living hell. Dead parents didn't use you for their own gain. At least Nev could remember them fondly.

"You look weird in a suit," he said instead. They were both dressed for a ceremony they wanted to avoid.

Nev studied him from head to toe. "I don't think I've ever seen you in a suit. It looks off. Maybe if you would loosen the tie a bit." It sounded like a sincere suggestion which almost made it worse.

He ignored Nev and leaned against the marble window sill. Perhaps he could fake feeling in control.

"So, let's try again. What did your awful parents write?" Nev clearly wasn't about to give up.

"Merry Christmas," he replied.

The vampire inched forward and frowned. "That's all? Don't they usually wish you a great year while they really mean they want to kill you?"

"Well, they also wanted me to send their greetings to our new Guardian."

"Oh."

"Yes. Oh. I'm sure they've managed to prime this guy as well. He'll be singing their praise and I'll have to stand there and say nothing."

Nev's frown turned into a scowl. "Are you ever going to tell me what your parents did to you?"

"Probably not. But lets stop talking about my parents. We have a ceremony to attend and I need to get this fucking mood in control."

"Maybe you need to fuck someone." Nev said with a strangely sweet voice that meshed badly with the words. Apparently, Nev didn't know when to stop joking when he was stressed and dead set on lightening the mood.

"I'll end up killing whoever I'm fucking, so no thanks."

"All right. We'll figure this out. Somehow." Nev sounded hesitant beneath the forced smile. "Any suggestions?"

He knew Nev wouldn't like his solution, but it didn't matter. "I need you to bleed me." It wasn't ideal because bleeding out power would weaken not only his lethal mood but also his ability to fight back if anything happened.

Nev closed his eyes. Adeem could guess what the vampire was thinking. Nev was well aware that his sharp teeth could break demon skin, but it was dangerous to attempt. If a single drop of Adeem's blood entered the vampire's body, he'd be sick for 24 hours.

"Is there no other way?" Nev asked.

"Not that I can think of. At least nothing that would work quickly enough." They had less than an hour to prepare, and it was barely enough time as it was.

"I hate this part." The vampire had only done it once before, and that time it had been a close call. Nev rose from the couch and approached the window. "Let's do this before I change my mind. And, if I get sick, you get the honor of telling the Guardian why I can't attend." Nev grabbed his wrist and brought it closer to those sharp teeth.

He fought to control the urge to lash out and defend his skin. It was a natural reaction and almost impossible to curb. Breathing in slowly, he closed his eyes and tried to forget what was going on. The pain was sharp and piercing. Thick, black blood pulsed out of the two puncture wounds, spitting and hissing when it landed on the floor.

Nev wiped his mouth and backed away. "Next time, you find someone else to do this."

He nodded, hoping that he wouldn't have to ask for this ever again. He knew just how much it repulsed the vampire to get anywhere near his blood. The oily liquid continued to flow from the wounds, and he could feel the power draining out slowly. The floor was a mess, but he didn't care. All that mattered was the cool relief. It wasn't something he enjoyed for the sake of it, but in this instance, it was a necessity.

"You should have done this outside. You'll never get this floor clean again." Nev was still wiping his mouth as if the taste of Adeem's skin lingered on his tongue.

"I don't care about the floor."

"Well, maybe you should care about your neighbors downstairs. They'll get a black, deadly stain in their apartment if you're not careful."

"I don't care about the neighbors. I care about survival."

"Right." The last hint of sarcasm had vanished from Nev's voice. He wasn't stupid after all.

Adeem sighed and attempted a weak smile. "Thank you." He felt ready. Finally. "What do you think, am I ready to go?"

Nev assessed him, taking more time than usual. "Yes, I think you are. I can't sense much of anything."

Adeem pressed his hand against the wrist to stop the blood flow. The incisions sealed fast, and he could only hope he'd lost enough power to take him through the night. If only he managed to stay mellow, the dragon wouldn't see him as a threat and hopefully leave him alone.

Meeting Nev's gaze, he tried to convey just how grateful he was without having to use all the words. "Let's go then before we change our minds."

Nev nodded. "After you."

A/N Happy Holidays everyone :) This was my little gift to you. Hope you enjoyed it <3 Don't forget to vote and comment. 

xox

Again, I provide some cliff notes. There's no need to read them unless you feel confused. 

1) Adeem doesn't have a good relationship with his parents.

2) The Council are in power and Adeem thinks they're corrupt.

4) He is afraid that the Council will come after him if he can't control his powers at the inauguration. He says that he's fled the wrath of the Council before.

5) Nev was created by a vampire who then killed his parents.

6) Adeem's parents are members of the Council

7)  Adeem can be drained of his powers by bleeding, at least momentarily.

Any questions? If not, just read on :)