This time, he just wanted to chill, so maybe it was a sign he was getting old.
The smaller room was as busy as the former asylum gymnasium, but at least full of familiar faces. The number of people pouring through the doors to be at the Kings of Hell New Year’s celebration was insane this year, so it was a good thing they had hangarounds take care of some of the tasks.
The muted lights made the chill-out zone a relaxing space, and Nao put a cold beer in his hand without even asking. She gave Knight a wide smile as she passed. Dressed in silver and glitter from head to toe, she looked like a firework herself, and for a while Knight considered asking her to stay in his lap, but he was just too tired with all that was going on with Elliot to bother. Her bright personality and endless energy made it seem like she’d been a permanent fixture of clubhouse life, even though she only came to live here four, maybe five years back. When it came to women, Nao could just be the closest to what Knight would consider a friend.
Elliot had been approved to leave the room yesterday, and he promised—again—not to enter the cellar. For good measure, Knight installed locks down there, but Elliot refused to talk to him, and Jake had told Knight he’d spotted Elliot wandering around the building endlessly and muttering to himself.
It was all horribly disturbing, but Knight couldn’t quite force Elliot to stop sulking. Rev suggested Knight should kick the parasite—as he called Elliot—out to live back at the trailer park, but how could Knight do that when Elliot’s behavior had become even more erratic than when he’d been The Count?
And speaking of the devil, Elliot slid into the room, dressed in the same black-on-black-with-black as usual, nursing some drink in his long fingers. He was visibly tense, with his shoulders stiff as he slowly made his way through the crowd, looking around as if he wanted to make friends with someone or flirt, but had no idea how to go about it. Which would be pretty appropriate for a weirdo like him.
Maybe it would have done him some good to fuck the anger out of his system. Then again, Elliot’s mind seemed so fragile recently that Knight wasn’t sure if it would bring about a positive development after all.
He drank his beer, discreetly watching Elliot move along the wall, his long body bathed in purplish light. Something had changed in him. As attractive as he was with his long, graceful limbs, sharp cheekbones and eyes so black that looking into them felt like falling into a well, his vulnerable charm was muted. He looked the same in shape and form but felt like a shadow of the man Knight had got to know.
Their eyes met, very briefly, and Knight took a deep breath just before the connection was severed when Elliot walked straight into Violet, sending her drink drizzling down the front of Fox’s T-shirt.
Elliot started apologizing profusely, and Violet laughed it off, but Fox gave him a stern look that meant ‘go away or die’. So Elliot did rush away, like a spider chased off by a broom. Knight tried not to stare and just stole discreet glances at the dark silhouette, but even that was starting to bring a chill to his bones. He missed Elliot’s presence in his bed. Why did Elliot have to go and wreck the good thing they had? Great sex, fun times spent together…
Standing on his own in the corner, Elliot laughed, with an expression of surprise flashing through his features as if someone had told him a joke. Fuck, he was such a strange creature. People ignored him for the most part, but it made Knight slightly uneasy that a few male heads turned to follow Elliot when Elliot went to get himself another drink. He did have a pretty face without all that Halloween paint. And a body that was a treat to play with.
Elliot looked at him again, even if very briefly, before going past Laurent and Beast, who were tucked in a loveseat sharing a bottle of wine and chatting animatedly, whispering into each other’s ears like lovesick teenagers. It was silly, and yet Knight was so happy for them.
Elliot glanced their way as well when he reached the small bar area where one of the hanagarounds served alcohol, but the moment his head turned, he dropped his glass to the floor and it shattered. It didn’t garner all that much attention, since stuff like that happened all the time at parties, but Elliot took one step forward, one back, and his lips moved even though he wasn’t really looking at anyone in particular.
Jake was there in no time, and he said some harsh words to Elliot, but Elliot was already rushing away in a strangely unbalanced manner. Knight sighed and watched Jake clean the mess with a tense face. It wasn’t like him to explode like this either, so Knight wondered what had made him so angry.