Finn returned to the Solar with Draco, exiting the elevator with his head in the clouds, but they were storm clouds.
Frank would now learn the truth about his accident. Zeth had confided in Finn what he knew a long time ago, and things wouldn't end well at all.
Finn wanted to protect Zeth and Draco, but it was their fault for hiding the truth.
"Do you think Alex and Paul and Everett will be back soon?" Draco asked.
"I hope so," Finn said, "I just hope Alex doesn't get lost on the way back here again."
"BC-13 is with him, and no one knows this castle like BC-13. Alex won't get lost." Draco said a little nervously, "But Everett and Paul? I hope it doesn't take too long to repair what's upside down or broken in Evie's room."
"Frank is talking about difficult subjects with Evie," Finn swallowed hard, "You think things will be okay, Draco?"
"No idea. Anyway, I'm going to continue fixing the song," Draco said as he entered the Solar. "Do you need anything?"
"Are you going to turn off the lights and light a candle?" Finn asked, and Draco nodded, smiling and effusive. How could he be so calm now? "Fine. I'll be in my room."
Walking down the hallway of doors felt like an eternity. Finn passed Frank's door, Draco's door, and Alex's door until he reached his own, right in front of Paul's new room.
But when he opened the door, he stopped short, blinking a lot.
"Zeth?" Finn whispered.
"It's not a wet dream. I'm really here," he said what was typical of him. He had a thoughtful face and was lying on the water bed with his eyes fixed on the ceiling, his hands behind his head, and his feet dangling from the edge.
"Why didn't you go help Evie? Why did you leave her alone?"
"She has personal issues with this hunter to settle," Zeth said, "Evie is overly protective of the blonde. I preferred not to intervene."
"And you were going to risk Evie dying? That doesn't sound like you."
"The blonde carried an empty gun in the alley, she fought with Evie at the hotel and let her live, and took Evie hostage. Unlike Basil Iskov, I am sure this hunter doesn't want to kill her." Zeth then looked around, "You don't sleep and you don't date. Why do you want this water bed, Seamons?"
"It's comfortable to listen to music with your eyes closed, and listening to Fall Out Boy makes it quite an experience," Finn said, closing the door of his room. In here, it was like a small aquarium. The walls had many tubes filled with water and fish of all colours, and Finn remembered the name of each and every one of them.
There was also a huge Jacuzzi that he spent most of his time in when he was here, but right now, the only thing in here for Finn was Zeth.
"You still haven't answered my question, Zeth. What are you doing in my room?"
"Jade is in mine. I'm not going to keep her up with my perfection," Zeth said, still not looking at Finn. "And! I find it uncomfortable to stay awake and watch her sleep. That's something out of a vampire romance book."
"Yeah, I guess," Finn laughed and sat on the bed next to Zeth, who only turned his blue eyes to look at him. "Draco is fixing the song out there."
"Good. It was about damn time," Zeth said nonchalantly.
"But why are you here?"
"I think I'm close to knowing who is behind this but not why the blonde is here." Zeth sighed and sat up on his elbows. "I need to tell you a secret," Zeth clenched his fists, his sapphire eyes filled with worry. "But you can't tell anyone about it, okay?"
"You know I'm not going to do that, Zeth," Finn replied, and Zeth nodded.
"If I tell you this, I want you to tell me if it's a good idea or not."
"Zeth, are you okay?"
"No, I'm not. I'm scared to tell you this and I'm even more scared to tell the others. I just don't want to lose you." Zeth was upset, but with himself more than anything. "The end of our family is near, Seamons. And I don't see any way to fix what's not broken."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because Duke Kade Rahman of Zeleste Island supposedly had a prophetic nightmare in which a Zeldrich as large as a mountain emerged to threaten Evalon," said Zeth, and Finn couldn't understand what that had to do with the current situation, "More than two hundred years later, I fought that beast myself. That's when I understood that premonitory dreams are real, sent by the god of your preference, but destined to announce catastrophes."
"And you're telling me this because?"
"Over a hundred years ago, during the final years of The Six Thousand Year Reign, there was an earthquake that divided Northern Evalon and Southern Evalon." Zeth explained, "Queen Zafira ordered the construction of a bridge over the huge crack to connect Robleston, Lightning Strike and Hellstorm with the rest of the kingdoms to the north. Draco and I were still in the Human Lands defending humans from the remaining Zeldrichs. It was the year 1906 if my memory serves me right."
"How did you find out about that if you were far from Evalon?" Finn asked.
"Our Envoy mate told us that she telepathically contacted Zafira and found out what happened in Evalon." Zeth replied, "The thing is, when Draco and I were kids, I told him about a dream I had in which the southern half of Evalon sank into the Volcanic Sea, and when we learned about the crack, I knew it was bound to happen."
"And what does that have to do with..."
"I saw a woman in a nightmare." Zeth said, and his voice sounded worried, "She was standing in the centre of a dark room and all of us Monster Mash boys were around her, losing colour, and then... Ashes... I knew then that a woman would be the end of Monster Mash, but now I know that the woman I saw was..." He clenched his fists and fell silent.
"Who?"
"Jade."
Finn was stunned, silent for a moment, but then shook his head.
"Well, I don't care about your visions, I know that we are family, and that even if the band ends, we will not fall apart, not even because of a woman," said Finn.
"I'm afraid I'm putting you, and everyone, in harm's way," Zeth said and bit his lip.
"Evie works hard to keep us safe," Finn caressed Zeth's cheek. "Let her handle it, okay? What you should care about is your job and the harmony of the group."
"I'm sure she is more than capable, but I am a control freak," After a long silence, Zeth spoke again, "I used to think you wrote 'Brainless' with me in mind. You always knew I fall for smart people. The song was going to be quite upbeat like 'Spread my Wings' and the other songs on 'Bite Me, Darling' but you preferred to make it a 'Teenage Dirtbag' style song with lots of zombie moans in the background... And then I thought about the lyrics of 'Teenage Dirtbag' and I understood that you... You wrote 'Brainless' with Evie in mind, didn't you?"
"I wrote 'Brainless' with you and Evie in mind," Finn confessed.
"But zombies are stone-cold. They don't care 'bout love. They won't chase hollow skulls. And I'm so brainless. So dumb," Zeth quietly said the lyrics to the song instead of singing them. "I think I've made you miserable."
"Why do you say that?"
"I have secrets, Seamons," Zeth laughed like a fool in love, "Frank and you? I've hurt you so much. All of you in fact, and all because I was a coward and selfish."
"And you're here to confess some sin?" Finn cocked his head.
"The evil blonde made me realise this must end." Zeth grunted, "Yes, that's why I'm here."
"If you're talking about the band, you know we won't agree, none of us," Finn replied with a frown. When Zeth grumbled, he knew it. He was talking about disbanding. "Wait, is that it?"
"Yes, it is," Zeth shook his head. "I can't afford to put you and the others at risk, and fame is synonymous with being in someone's sights." He covered his face with his hands and slouched. "We are monsters, and the hunters are still out there. If Jade isn't the reason for our end, the Hunters will be!"
"What if we stop being monsters?" Finn replied, "Laska can do wonders with makeup and hair. Plus, I don't think anyone knows that we're actually monsters, everyone thinks it's a show. Halloween is near, we can say that we dressed up as humans just as people dress up as us, then we make it permanent."
"Seamons, you're a genius," Zeth mumbled and looked back at Finn. "That might solve the hunters thing, but what about Jade? How do I solve that?"
"I've known you for years now. And I know that behind the self-centred and a little conceited boy, there is a leader and guide for all of us, a noble, altruistic, intelligent, and kind old man. And I know that you will find a way to solve what has not yet happened."
Zeth smiled softly.
"Thank you, Seamons."
"And did I mention that you're handsome and my crush?" Finn wiggled his eyebrows as he stood up, and Zeth laughed a little, looking at the hand Seamons offered to help him up from the waterbed.
"Yes, yes you have," Zeth held his hand and stood up, "Actually, I read your diary. You left it on the nightstand," Zeth pointed back, and Finn covered his face with a long lament. "That wet dream of yours, pun intended... I have to admit it made me blush."
"I understand that you're probably a top and not a bottom but, your mouth is so sexy I..."
"You know, Mr. Seamons? I'm quite adventurous," Zeth said as his hands pressed lightly against Finn's firm pecs and moved up to rest on his shoulders. "And when it comes to this, as long as I'm in control, I don't give a damn."
"Are you serious?" Finn had never blushed this much.
"I didn't imagine you'd want me on my knees, but I'm flexible," Zeth winked, "Come on, I owe you this, so kiss me."
"What?!"
"Kiss me," Zeth moved closer to his lips, "I know you want to."
"Oh... Okay," Finn timidly reached for Zeth's waist, slowly, so slowly.
"No, no," Zeth put his hands on Finn's waist and pulled their pelvises together, "Like this. I want you to feel how much I like you when I kiss you." And then Zeth crashed his lips against Finn's.
Oh! Zeth definitely didn't fool around.
Zeth kissed Finn's bottom lip, almost sucking his soul out, and Finn responded with all the pent-up passion he felt.
Zeth and Finn were desperate for each other, grinding their bodies together, moaning into each other's mouths. Zeth had complete control of the kiss, guiding Finn without even trying, and Oh Boy! He was a good kisser!
One second they were talking, and the next, Finn was under his control, kissing his upper lip while Zeth sucked on his lower lip.
Finn moved his hands over Zeth's chest, over the thin fabric of his tank top. God! His pecs were so hard and firm!
"Open up for me, Seamons," Zeth whispered close to Finn's lips.
Finn did what he was told.
Zeth's tongue soon entered Finn's mouth, without fear of his piranha teeth, without stress or hesitation.
This was so erotic! So hot!
They were both getting hungrier, and where their bodies collided, they were both growing harder and harder.
But Finn still had doubts...
This was crossing a line, it was going from friends to something more perhaps. What if all this ruined their friendship? What if their friendship became blurred because of this?
Maybe Finn should have waited and said no, maybe Finn should have thought before kissing Zeth back so passionately.
But just then, Zeth pulled off Finn's shirt, revealing his muscular form.
"Damn. You've been going to the gym, huh Seamons?" Zeth's hands moved up and down the front of Finn's torso. His hands were so warm, and those calluses on his fingers were so sexy! "You have some beefy pecs here."
"T-Thanks," Finn couldn't activate plant mode and just stay there, right? He had to say something! "You are... You are so..."
"Finn?"
"Yes?"
"Shut up and kiss me," Zeth ordered.
Before they knew it, both of them collapsed onto the waterbed.
Zeth was on top of Finn, kissing him, tasting him, touching him.
Finn was trembling, from nerves or excitement; that was debatable. But kissing Zeth was something unique, liberating, even magical for him.
"I want you on top of me, Seamons. Just this one time," Zeth said, and his arms were soon around Finn, holding him close. He carried Finn and rolled him to be on top. "Oh yeah. You look good on top of me. You should smile like this more often."
Finn was breathing through his mouth, his face was red, his eyes had a determined look.
"I'm always smiling when I am near you." Finn said breathlessly, leaning down to kiss Zeth's lips.
Tongue, lips, tongue again, this was like fire and gasoline!
Finn broke their lip-lock to plant a trail of kisses along Zeth's jaw and neck. He was letting himself go, he was no longer the fearful Finn, he was now adventurous and daring, or at least that's what he told himself over and over again with his face burning and his heart beating a thousand miles per hour.
"Come here, Seamons. Hump me," Zeth ordered, crushing their bodies with his strong arms.
It was an intimate embrace.
And then Finn began to hump Zeth's crotch.
They both moaned into each other's mouths.
"Oh. Oh yeah... Oh yes, Zeth... Zeth, this is... This is perfect," Finn whispered. "There's no one like you in this world, Zeth. You are a needle in a haystack, utopian like Atlantis, and..."
"Fuck! I have a theory!" Zeth exclaimed, pushing Finn off him gently.
Finn was in shock, paralyzed, breathing heavily, looking at Zeth from above with irrefutable confusion.
"What?"
"You just gave me the puzzle piece I was missing, Seamons!"
"I did what?"
Finn got off of Zeth, and sat on the edge of the bed as Zeth stood up.
"I want you to listen to both of my theories, every detail," Zeth put a finger on his chin and began to walk in circles, very thoughtful. "And if you think what I'm saying makes sense, which obviously will because I'm a genius, then we'll go to Evie and put an end to all this madness!"
"But weren't we going to..."
"Finn, I'm sorry to leave you with blue balls but," Zeth held Finn's face with both hands, "Right now, you just gave me the blonde's motives. And I need your full attention."