37 - ‘Come gentle night…’

It took Kemp a minute to remember where he was when he woke up. When he did he shucked off the blanket and rolled onto his back to stare up at the ceiling. Can I really trust Trevor not to get in touch with Leif he wondered? And on the other side of that, would Trevor let Rikard know Kemp was back in the city? He’d said he wouldn’t interfere but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t if, for some reason, he thought it was Kemp’s best interests to drop his search .

He heard something and turned his head to see Trevor standing there watching him. The dhampir cocked an eyebrow. “Having second thoughts about being here?”

Resisting the temptation to deny it Kemp nodded. “Just a bit. Do you blame me? Between my brother and Owen’s Sire we’ve been, I don’t know if betrayed is the right word but it feels like from where I’m standing. And then you conveniently show up with an offer to help me, again.”

Trevor came over to the sofa, pushing Kemp’s legs back so he could sit down. “I know a lot about betrayal on a personal level Kemp. I may be many things but there’s one thing you can count on. I would never betray someone I considered a friend no matter the reason. I might argue the merits of what you’re trying to do but that’s as far as it goes. I’ve already placed a couple of calls for you as I promised, to find out if anyone knows where Rikard lives. It could take a while to get any answers. Vampyres are notoriously unwilling to give out that sort of information. Especially to a dhampir,” he added with a low chuckle. “In the mean time you’re welcome to bed down here until you find a place of your own. It’s safe enough all told and better than the cemetery.”

Wriggling his legs free from behind Trevor, Kemp sat up, pulling his knees up so that he could wrap his arms around them as he stared thoughtfully at the man. “You mean that don’t you.”

“Mean which?”

“The part about being my friend.”

“No you little shit; I was just talking through my hat. Yes damn it, I mean it.”

“Good, because I need one right now.”

“You think I don’t know that. Look kid. Okay, Kemp,” Trevor said before Kemp could protest, “I think you’re in for a lot of heartbreak but I’m willing to do what I can to help you locate Owen. And if you do I’ll be here afterwards whatever the results. That work for you?”

“Yeah. Yeah it does.” Kemp closed his eyes for a moment, remembering Owen as he had last seen him, the lost, pleading look in his eyes as Rikard spirited him away. “He’s out there somewhere and he needs me,” Kemp stated under his breath. Opening his eyes again he nodded, saying more to himself than for Trevor’s ears, “And I am going to find him.”