The Judgement Of Divinity (TMOE #2)

Chapter 10: Go for the neck

When Lucius had been thrown down on a chair with a knife to his face that night he'd been rather certain the person ending up hurting him would not be Anthony. Yet, he could confirm that it hurt a lot as Anthony stormed out of the BBT manor, pulling him along with a firm grip around his arm.

"Unbelievable," Anthony growled, paying no attention to Lucius trying to halt their pace. "You're like a child, doing the exact opposite of what someone tells you to just to spite them."

"That's not true," Lucius protested, only half sure it wasn't a lie.

"I tell you to stay away, and you waltz in there in the middle of the night, having the gall to ask to join?"

"And they said no!" Lucius scowled defiantly as he struggled to keep up with the pace. "No harm done."

"You don't even realise what could have happened, do you?" It was hard to see in the dark, but it looked like Anthony's forehead wrinkled in what looked like concern but returned to his furious mode immediately after. "He had you pinned to a chair, with knives!"

"Yeah..." Lucius swallowed, but refused to admit he'd been scared. "... Bummer about my coat."

"Lucius!"

"Well they decided against it when I told them I know you, so—"

"Don't ever assume that's going to save you." There was a tinge of fury in Anthony's voice, but then he suddenly lowered it. "Rather the opposite."

Lucius joined the frowning-club. It seemed odd that Damien would actively harm someone his son cared about.

Assuming Anthony does care, if just little.

Then again, what was Damien's relationship to his sons anyway? Why had he gotten so moody when Derek mentioned Ethan?

Lucius halted his step and looked around the large garden. Now that he thought about it, where was Ethan?

"Just... Hang on, will you?" He tried loosening the grip again as Anthony still managed to pull him forward. "I need to, uh... Look for something before we leave."

"Ethan?" Anthony had already guessed, voice taking on a chilled, almost Damien-worthy tone. "He's at my house. Completely exhausted, probably showing off as usual, and now he's out cold because Tom's not there."

"Wha—Is... Is he in danger? Like... Starving?"

"He'll live." Anthony shook his head. "But barely functional until he eats."

"Oh..." Lucius pursed his lips. He hadn't known Ethan would exhaust himself through shroud-walking, but couldn't help but feel bad regardless. "I—I guess he could have some of my blood."

"I can't believe you two," Anthony continued, ignoring Lucius' offer. "You're both acting so immature despite your age."

"Pretty sure Ethan's much older than me," Lucius objected, intentional bitterness slipping into his voice. "Not that I'll ever actually know how old you two are."

"You do realise the more you do these kinds of things, the less I want to tell you?"

"You're not telling me anyway!" Lucius raised his free hand. "I had good reasons to go there, and you know what? I actually have even more reasons now."

"But you're not going back there." Anthony turned to give him a scalding stare even the dark of night couldn't mask. "If you care even the slightest about me or your own safety you don't ever go back there, and you don't interact with Damien or Derek. In fact, don't even go near anyone belonging to the BBT."

Lucius' mood sank, and he swallowed before replying.

"Not... Even you?"

He couldn't have suddenly burned a bridge just like that, could he? Thinking about it, it was possible Anthony found him more of a bother than anything else. He'd never been interested in letting Lucius close, much to the latter's confusion after all that happened before his supposed death.