MAEVE

Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

                     Elijah

I once wanted to believe that a man has cruel as he could someday be my father. I had believed that cruel lie most of my younger years spent rapunzeled in a tower. I had believed it until the truth was revealed to me.

Fate could be cruel indeed, cruel enough to make me share my destiny with two strangers, cruel enough to take my mother from me, and cruel enough to pit my father against me, for the son of a commander must kill his sire to fulfill his destiny. And perhaps that's the reason for my father's hatred which resulted in mine.

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if he had talked to me, if he had been my father instead of my tormentor, would i have delivered the moon child to his doorsteps? Whatever my answer was, it changed the moment she activated the triquetram triangle, and then I knew I would take on the world if it meant keeping her by my side. Trying to forget the other angle of my triquetram was strangely harder than I thought it would be. While I had no urge to look into his eyes, or crashing on his bed at night on the pretext of being concerned, I was also worried for him, and the disgusting thing was if he called for me, I would go running, unable to help myself.

I was no stranger to failure, after all I had failed all my life, but back then the only person to witness my crushing defeat was my self. But what do I do now that it's all changed? Immediately my father left, we all noticed the irregular pattern of the young boy's frantic breaths.

He was losing it, every vampire here knows what happens next. We have all heard of their kind before, but it was the kind of things we learnt about in history lessons and old legends. It was not supposed to happen here, not inside the school that had become a safe haven for my kind, and me as well.

"He is becoming petrified, isn't he?" Ashton asked softly, and I turned to him.

"Clear the hall. Move everyone outside. This is something we have never had to deal with before," I told him grimly.

We both turned to the young vampire on the floor gasping for breaths, he was already roped in silver chains by the guards, and we all waited to see what would happen next.

I must admit, the sight of a person chained with silver brought back terrible memories, the voices in my head woke up with a vengeance. Since I met Paris they had been mostly silent, but now they spoke sharply, words like daggers, and laughter like spears.

I could see Ashton staring at me with concern. No one knew the details of my time in the tower, but I had told them enough for them to be concerned, a fact that I now regretted. They were stupid enough to use their bodies as shields for me earlier, my Father was not a man known for mercy, and now I worried about what they would do in a situation they thought I could not handle. I shook my head at him resolutely and stared forward, gaze strong, body poised, and my mask unshakable.

"He is turning," A guard muttered in awe, and everyone shifted forward cautiously, we had never seen a petrified before. It was a novel experience.

"What are you all doing?" Mr Rhazia gritted, striding towards us in his long black coat and trademarked walking stick.

"Protect your prince!" He ordered.

I turned to him, lips flattened to show my displeasure.

"Protect me?" I laughed sarcastically. "Yeah right, you are just about eighteen years late,"  He flinched back before masking his expression again. With a swift nod from him, the guards surrounded me, forming a perfect shield. I almost laughed at the irony.

"We have to secure him right here," Ashton's voice interrupted my thoughts. They were all still, waiting for my command, I nodded.

"Secure the threat."