Free Sharing Sirius by Shona Husk

was creeping closer. He trusted her completely with the band, and now he had to trust her with his lover. A smile tried to form but didn’t quite make it. They were both his lovers now.
    When had he gotten so old?
    Decades blurred, some of the early centuries were little more than a collection of events strung together like a badly cut film, as if he could no longer hold on to the individual memories after so many years.
    Owen pulled out his cell phone and dialed William. He was sure there were other old Vampires around, but none of them lived such public lives. They were probably shut up in an old manor somewhere waiting to die or they drank enough blood to ensure a fast death in sunlight. In that heartbeat, Owen knew just how lucky he was to have Jack in his life.
    “You’ve seen the review then.” William didn’t bother with a greeting. They’d moved well beyond such simple pleasantries many decades ago—even before they’d taken to each other with swords in an effort to exorcise the pain.
    “I did.” How did he take away the one thing William lived for, performing?
    “We’re over, again, aren’t we?”
    Owen sighed. “Yes.”
    “It was coming for a while.” William sounded resigned.
    “What will you do?” While the love that had once existed between them had been hung, drawn and quartered, an affection had grown. If nothing else, they had shared much of their lives and they could talk about things no one else had ever experienced. They were more like brothers now.
    “Don’t know. We have four months of shows to play.”
    “We’ll play them. We don’t need to piss off fans.” They would go out on a high and vanish as if they never existed. It was easier that way.
    “You still need to be loved by everyone.”
    “And you still avoid it,” Owen countered. William had never settled down with anyone for longer than a few years. Even their relationship had burned out, too hot for either of them to handle.
    “Time changes nothing. I am what I am. A half-breed nothing.” Where once William had spat the words as if they stung his tongue, today they were simple fact.
    “You are at risk of the ennui.” And Owen couldn’t imagine a time when William was no longer around.
    “I am part Shaman, Owen, I am fine. And you?”
    “My situation is being resolved.” And he didn’t want to think about the things Jack and Katya were doing. He should go back…and what? How would him being there help? It would only serve to salve his mind, which he’d lose in the long run if this didn’t work. He exhaled softly. He had to have faith.
    William was quiet for a moment. “I’m glad Jack was there for you.”
    So was he. “Take care, William. I’ll tell Etienne and Aidan.”
    The Vampire-Shaman half-breed laughed. “I think they will take the news fine. They have other concerns.”
    “No doubt. Do you think we’ll ever get to perform again?”
    There was a measure of silence. “I want to say yes, but who can say where we’ll be in another two hundred years? Maybe Vampires will be able to step out of the shadows along with all non-humans.”
    “Maybe.” If that happened, they’d be able to play again without the need for secrecy—but somehow that would take some of the fun out of it. It was nice to step off stage and be someone else. “Okay, I’ll see you in two weeks, Absinthe .”
    “I’ll let you win next time, old one.” William hung up.
    Owen looked at the phone in his hand. What now? He’d given Jack forty-eight hours and there was still too many to waste. He rubbed his gritty eyes. He needed to sleep. With the launch, he’d had too many late nights and early starts. There was nothing worse than breakfast radio, except breakfast radio the morning after a gig.
    He showered and then lay naked on the bed, waiting for sleep to claim him and steal some time. His eyes closed, but his mind wouldn’t rest. It created images of Jack and Katya, her milky skin against Jack’s golden flesh. Blood