“It didn’t help she was already the black sheep of her family, classic runaway and doing drugs before she met my father. So, when she had me I guess she saw me as a second chance at life and from what I remember she was a decent mother, she loved me but then dreams would come. The addiction to the Surrem’s presence hadn’t left her completely, she would see him even though he wasn’t there. She started to hallucinate so badly that when I was four years old she walked into traffic and that was the last I saw her alive.”
Rising to her knees, Lanias wrapped Fabian in her arms pulling him close. “I’m so sorry.”
“For the longest I couldn’t understand why she was gone, and when my grandparents showed up that was it. They took me to an orphanage blaming me for her death. Their last words I remember were that they were happy to get rid of the progeny who’d destroyed their daughter’s life.” He pressed his face deepinto her shoulder. “And now I’m the same, I’m the same as him. This power proves it.”
She pulled back, “Listen, our parents don’t determine who we’ll become in the future. Your magic isn’t anyone’s but yours. Your father was the monster, not you. And your mother obviously loved you on sight. If she’d wanted to be rid of you, she would have left you but instead she decided to raise you with all the love she could.” Lanias said hating how much she’d wished someone would have said the same things to her when she was young. “Look, I’ll help you hone your powers.”
“Really?” he said excitedly, pulling back before he squinted at her. “Wait, you’re going to ask for a favor in return right?”
She smirked. “How did you know?”
Fabian clicked his tongue. “You don’t look like the type who’d just give me something for nothing.”
She removed her arms from his shoulders as she sat back on her legs. “Fine, that’s true. You mentioned that the others were hidden away.”
He pursed his lips, narrowing his eyes. “Yes, Stan would hand them off to Roni and then he’d take them somewhere safe. A headquarters of sorts.”
“How do I meet with this Roni person?”
“Do you promise that you’re not going to hurt him,” he asked.
Lanias lifted her hand. “I vow I have no interest in hurting him. I just want to know about Eris.”
“Eris? Why him?” Fabian asked, clearly interested in her answer.
“My uncle talked about him a lot, so I found myself curious about him. From what I’ve gathered he’s the reason you all were being protected by Stan, and I’m assuming Roni as well.” She explained, feeling a tad bit guilty for lying to such an innocent kid.
“Yeah, apparently a Surrem killed his wife and child. So, he started looking for us, to protect us. He also said something about the “cleansing”. I think he knew that the True Ones would someday comeback and try to kill us.” Once more his expression turned dark.
Lanias placed her hand on his shoulder, “Trust me, I won’t let anyone hurt you. You’re safe here.”
He nodded, “Alright, I did see your Vampire kill that Surrem.”
“Right, so tell me where I can meet this Roni person.”
He visibly weighed telling her or not before finally coming to a decision. “The last time Stan went to go meet him, he mentioned that Roni liked a bar in the crack of the Veil. When I asked him to go with him, he said it was dangerous since only the worst of the worse spent time there those like the Nephilim. He said the bar itself was seedy and underhanded deals went on there all the time.”
“Sounds like Cains.” Both Lanias and Fabian looked up to find a man, with bright blue eyes standing beside them. Fabian, unaccustomed to the habit of vampires suddenly appearing released a shocked shout and scrambled half staggered to his feet taking a few steps back.
Lanias stared up at him. “One of Aleks kids I presume.”
His glared down at her. “Sorin doesn’t like you, he hasn’t since the first time you two met.”
“The feeling’s mutual,” she said, coming to her feet. “Not that I care whether he likes me or not. My only concern is Alek.”
“I would prefer it if it weren’t,” he said as he took a threatening step forward, only to fall back when where he’d stepped erupted in black thorns.
“Oh, look at that it seems your path to getting what you wanted is riddled with thorns,” she said while turning herattention to Fabian. “I’m starving, let’s practice after you eat. Hmm.”
He gave a jerky nod, still eyeing Mihai who glared after Lanias as she walked away. Only to jump when those same eyes landed on him. Fabian quickly reached down and picked up his staff then quickly followed after the daunting Witch.
A Meal for Two
ALEK
“Why didn’t you tell Sorin and I about her?” This was Mihai’s first question the minute he found Alek alone in the weapons vault.
Alek looked over the wall of weapons before him, each holding the purple glow of the magic stone they’d been made from. “I believed there to be more important things to focus on.”
