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they’re going to fall off that damn car, and if he doesn’t want to fix it, he can drive the fucking thing.” She leaned over and kissed each of her children on the cheeks.
    Mathias couldn’t help but grimace.
    “I just don’t know what I’d do without my little angels!” She squealed, the frustration apparently dispersed by her obsession with her monsters.
    When she looked up, Mathias felt caught in her gaze like a deer caught in the headlights of a car.
    “What are you doing, Mathias Drvar?” she asked. You could hear the mean in her voice.
    “Just getting ready to clean the basement, Aunt Annette.”
    She nodded, hesitantly. “Well, get on with it then. I have a list of things I want done before your uncle gets home.
    Mathias went back down the basement steps, closing the door behind him.
    “I can’t fucking believe it,” he whispered.
    To give the impression that he actually did something, he moved a few boxes and rummaged through papers until most of the floor was open for use. Behind a stack of boxes, he found the old door that led to the yard on the other side of the house. A way out. He thanked God and after making himself a path to the door that wasn’t too obvious, he slumped against a box and sighed in relief.
    * * * * *
    His brain snapped back to the present. They were staring at him. Konstantin walked closer. Mathias waited to see what was going to happen. The blond reached up and rapped Mathias on the head. “Are you retarded?
    Mathias growled. “No.” He wanted to beat the shit out of him, but he did not know the rules here. Last thing he needed was to have some sort of bizarre punishment hanging over his head. Besides, it wasn’t exactly smart to start a fight right in front of Tepes’ office. The man was Dracula after all.
    “You’re going to learn to pay attention around here. We’ll make sure of that.” Konstantin and his side-kick nodded in agreement.
    “So lesser, what is your name?” the other one asked. He was as dark as the other one was light. They looked like opposite sides of the same coin.
    Mathias held his head high. For once, his odd sounding name would come in handy. “My name... is Mathias Drvar.”
    Konstantin and the other boy visibly froze.
    Mathias wrinkled his brow. He’d never had that reaction before.
    It was Konstantin who first recovered. “You are joking, aren’t you?”
    Mathias rolled his eyes. “No, dipshit, I’m Howdy Doody.”
    Konstantin and his friend turned to look at each other. They stayed like that for awhile, and Mathias could almost swear that they had been having some sort of conversation without opening their mouths. Suddenly, their expressions changed and their attention once again focused on Mathias.
    “We apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused you, Master Mathias,” they said in unison.
    Mathias found himself reminded of the old movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers . They were so weird. Suddenly, the great door opened.
    “Master Tepes!” Konstantin said, looking sheepish.
    “Ah yes, thank you, Konstantin. I trust that from this point forward, there will be no trouble?” Tepes asked with a knowing smile.
    “Yes, sir,” Konstantin turned to Mathias. “Again I apologize, Master Mathias. I truly did not know that you were back. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call on me.”
    “Not fucking likely.” There was something seriously wrong. When had he been here so that now he was back?
    “Now that you are known to us, we will spread the word. No one will bother you,” Konstantin said.
    And with that, both boys walked away from the office and down one of the various hallway mazes.

Chapter Three

    “So you had the pleasure of meeting Konstantin and Vasily, did you?” Tepes asked.
    “What is their malfunction? I mean seriously.” Mathias flexed his wings. He still wasn’t used to having them, and playing with them was somewhat entertaining.
    Master Tepes motioned for Mathias to follow him into his office.