?“Well. . .” I run my fingers through my hair and blow out a breath. “Okay so I don’t pay that much attention to all of that but that’s because I have a lot going on internally. But we’ll get to that, so you entered the Kingsguard.”
?I gesture for Varian to continue and while all of them look like they want to ask more questions. . . we’ll get to that.
?He nods. “We were enlisted for a hundred and twenty-four years before everything changed. I learned that Percius and Alexandros had been a part of the rebellion and spying for them and they were still wanting to enact the prophecy. I told them to leave because it was too dangerous playing both sides, whether they left for the rebellion or stayed with the Kingsguard was up to them. They told me they were staying with the Kingsguard and we swore we would never speak about their treachery again. Until I found Percius sneaking into the catacombs to take the prophecy to the leader of the rebellion. That was when I found out Percius and his true form was one. Our father found us fighting over the scroll and realized what I did about my brother, and he could not stand that someone else was unaffected by his dominance. So he tried to kill Percius.”
?Millions of questions are flying through my mind, but I keep quiet waiting for him to finish. There’s so much I don’t know about any of them. For a moment I think how nice it would be if we had the rest of our lives to slowly get to know one another.
?“Percius ripped out his heart before I was able to kill him. Our father was not a good man, but he was also the devil councilman of the Mage Board. Percius wanted to me to run away with him to the rebellion, but I couldn’t stand their morals. Too much useless death. That was when Edmond found us and because of the oaths he swore there was no way we would not be punished. But I knew if they found out about Percius and his true form, my brother would be killed. So I made it look like in a fit of rage with Percius getting me in trouble I killed him and destroyed the scroll.
?“Then the leader of the rebellion attacked Syngenia and the damage was so colossal there were no graduates for the next four years.”
?They take a moment of silence and I dip my head in solace at all the innocence lost. Praying is useless, but I do hope in their afterlife they have peace.
?Varian clears his throat and returns his gaze to me. So much sorrow swirls and I feed comfort through our bond.
?“The attack was only possible because of the information from Alexandros and Percius, and because Castiel and I knew of their involvement we were punished and marked. We are in servitude to the Mage Board and blood sworn to them for the rest of our lives. And individually, I must teach at Syngenia and I cannot leave the grounds for a millennium, with Castiel being the Mage Board’s spy.”
?I look between my red devil and demigod. Cautiously, I ask, “And me being a spy?”
?Varian blows out a breath and Castiel lightly grins as he shakes his head.
?“Fifty years ago was the first time I had seen my brother,” Varian continues. “In truth, I hadn’t known if I actually had killed him or not, but then I saw him with a hood drawn up sitting in one of my classes. I nearly killed him then and there because of his foolish antics. But then he told me about Alexandros taking over the rebellion and their morals shifted. Their plans about making people believe they kill people when in actuality they’re recruiting them. More people than you think disagree with the Mage Board.
?“He said that prophecy was more than what we had thought when we were younger. He said it was a key to a door. And that is all I can say about that because of the blood oaths I’ve taken. But, I can tell you that we have been trying to figure out the truth behind the prophecy and what this door is. It was something neither Percius nor Alexandros has learned. It’s what we’re trying to figure out. But we do know Alexandros is still keeping secrets from us.”
?He gestures to me and licks his lips before gesturing to him and the others.
?“We believed you were a spy sent from either the Mage Board because they were figuring out what we were doing, or from Alexandros to see if we were hiding anything from him. There were too many anomalies with you and being a vampire.”
?I lean back and rest my weight on my hands as I nod.
?“So how do you know,” Thorne begins to ask, “about the prophecy? Why do you say red sun instead of burning?”
?And here we go.
?“I. . .” I almost slip on my control of my blood as my heart wants to skip a beat and a mixture of adrenaline and anxiety flushes my system. “I am a descendant of Syngenia the Blood Witch. That’s why I can obtain some of her knowledge through her blood. It’s not just because of my blood art but because distantly we’re related. That’s also why my aura is more expansive.”
?Their expressions start shifting and I stare at the floor as I continue.
?“That’s also why I know Sanivin’s song. All vampires can hear the hum, but so can certain descendants.” Without looking, I nod towards Varian. “I had asked you if you knew what started the War of Gods. . . do you know it and are unable to speak it or do none of you know it?”
?I look up now and find Callahan’s eyes. His gold ones fluctuating as his mind starts working with what I’m trying to explain. He was there, after all, in the library when I told our group the story.
?“That is something I do not know.”
?“Okay, well to understand I need to tell you it from the beginning. Syngenia the First Vampyr gave birth to a human daughter who at nineteen consumed blue belladon and died. Struck by grief and unbelievability, Syngenia bit Sanivin and injected all of her venom into her daughter while creating a runic curse. Praying to a goddess over moons to help her instead of her set God of Sun, Ruu.
?“Syngenia was able to bring Sanivin back to life, but Ruu cursed her and Syngenia so only humans can be turned and only vampyr can turn them and so vampires cannot face the sun.”
?I pause and look at all of them to make sure they’re listening. All of them dip their heads in acknowledgement.
?“Well, Sanivin was not an only child. Syngenia’s first child was actually a boy, and then a few moments later was when Sanivin was born.”
?Castiel frowns and asks, “Syngenia gave birth to twins?”
?A presence makes itself known in the room and all of them freeze.
?“A boy and a girl. One god, and the other human.”
