“Yes, I believe her claim was right,” heannounced.
“Why? What did shedo?”
“It is not a question of what she did. It is more of trying to understand what the two of youcreated.”
“Why does this even matter? I need you to killit!”
“I do not believe it is thatsimple.”
Derwin picked the boy up and turned himaround.
“Ah,look.”
Derwin pointed to the three dark diamonds at the back of hishead.
“Fuck,” Isnapped.
It was the birthmark of the Mortas family and clan. Those that were created with the Mortas seed are born with it. But those who have been bitten by a Mortas would eventually have the mark grow on their skin. The mark was both a blessing and a curse. A Mortas could only be killed by someone that bore the Mortasmark.
“His mother told me that she was unable to kill it,” Irecalled.
Derwin continued to brush the fluid around on the boy’s extremities. There had to be something that could bedone.
“Derwin, can you not do anything?” Ipleaded.
“Would it be that much of a problem to have ason?”
“Derwin! His mother was not a member of the Carpe Noctem! How would it look if the leader of the group had a son with someone outside the circle? Can you find a way to killit?”
Derwin looked at me with menacing eyes, and then he slowlynodded.
“It will take me a few days to put together aconcoction.”
“Good!”
“Lochlaan, I must warn you. This one will be special. I can see it. He is thehybrid.”
“The hybrid? What the hell is that?” Ispat.
Derwin moved his hands through the fluid in a horizontal pattern and then in a few vertical lines. He did this on each arm and leg before hespoke.
“He will be able to do special things, though, at this time, it is unclear what. He will be of use to you. Perhaps not for manyyears.”
“Rubbish!”
“It is not rubbish, Lochlaan! And it is foolish of you to believe so,” Derwinshouted.
I considered what he was saying. Perhaps, keeping him around would be of use in case Derwin’s vision wastrue.
“At what point will he stop aging?” Iasked.
“It is hard to say since he is literally one of a kind. Perhaps around full maturation…thirty, or so,” Derwinestimated.
“Very well. Curse him to a life of agony, and then you can keep him with that other filthy mistake,” Iinstructed.
Derwin looked up at me with a heatedstare.
“Put the same curse on him that you did on Lucian’s mistake,” Irepeated.
“The Curse of Demons?” Derwin questioned slowly and looked down at the boy. “Lochlaan, putting that curse on this boy could alter his use to you in the future. You would berisking—”
“I do not care! Do it and keep him away fromme!”
I stayed in Derwin’s shack until the curse was placed on the boy. If the child turned out to be of no use, then he would have an immortal life of anguish as a sineater.
