Last Chance (Book Two In The Kingston Series)

Chapter Fourteen: Meeting His Dad

Chapter Fourteen: Meeting His Dad

"Who's the snake? What mistake could have happened?" I ask Keith frantically. He doesn't answer me. He slumps back to his position. My heart stops in my chest. My whole body flushing hotly. I cover my face with my hands.

Trying to breathe. Trying not to get angry. To lose control. No wonder Kol felt this way. My frustration almost consumes me.

"Snake? Like the one on Killian's hand? The birthmark?" Christian's voice is filled with curiosity. I uncover my face quickly. Whirling to look at him. My eyes wide.

"Christian, you're a genius." I rush out. I close my eyes.

Killian

Yes?

Come back now. Somethings happened.

"Already here!" I hear a shout. I turn to Kol. "Stay with them I'll be back." Christian follows me out the door. And down the hall. I shove open the front door and pause. Not quite ready to believe my eyes. Killian is holding the arms of a struggling man. Sebastian is next to the two. Looking pissed off and ready to throttle someone.

"Whats going on? Who's that? Let him go!" The man looks up at my voice. His has these purple-gray eyes. His eyes go straight to Christian. He stops struggling. Christian makes a noise half between a moan and whimper. I look back at the man.

He has high cheekbones, a trim body, and bags under his purple eyes. But he's clothed in dirty rags. His face is angular. His hair a dirty brown color. He has a scar on his eyebrow. He looks to be in his 40's or 50's.

"That's my dad." Christian's voice is weak and hollow.

Suddenly a wave of anger rolls over me. My anger mixed with Sebastian's. I try to think clearly but the feeling is so strong I feel like murdering him myself. I remember all the bruises on Christian's body.

Christian's face when I walked into the police station. His voice saying he deserved the pain, the beatings, because he had killed his mother. The whipping marks. My teeth clench together painfully.

"What did you bring him here for?" I ask Killian in the harshest voice in my arsenal. Killian looks determined, and not at all sorry.

"We need his blood right?" He asks haughty.

"Killian tell me you didn't-" I start.

"Boy," The man spits. I tense so hard my entire body hurts. My hand goes to Christian's. Holding his tightly. His hand shakes and sweats against mine. His eyes go to the floor, his shoulders hunching. "Get down here and face what you have to do. Today you will die."

"Shut the fuck up." Killian barks out. Kicking his legs out and having the man kneel.

"Don't." But Christian's voice is barely above a whisper. I squeeze his hand.

The man sneers at both of us. "No whore or mutt will protect you."

"Don't call her that." Sebastian says coldly in unison with Christian weak voice and Killian's almost bark.

"Kol says it wont work Killian." Sebastian says. His eyes becoming glazed for only a moment. "The blood has to be willingly given."

"Obviously." The man snorts. He gives Killian a mocking look. "You broke me out of jail to try to get my blood? Druids don't bleed unless we want to give up our blood. The only reason you mutts have drained any of us is because we are martyrs and it's our nature to self sacrifice for the greater good."

"You don't get to speak." I order. My voice a command, but quieter than Killian's. I turn to Christian. Ignoring the surprised look from his father at me. "Isn't there a rule about the first time you see him, with knowledge, you have to kill him? Or he kills you?"

"Yes." He sighs. Squeezing my hand. Looking over at me. I shake my head.

"You don't have to do this."

"You know I do." Then he drifts down the stairs. "Let him go."

"Time to die, son." The man says. Standing up. Killian backs away. His surprised face finding mine. Now, he looks sorry. I narrow my eyes slightly on him and motion he come onto the porch with me. Sebastian follows him and they both stand next to me.

"Goodbye, Father." Then two lights start up. From their chests? It extends through their arms. Down their forearms. To their hands. Christian eyes are closed. His face twisted in a grimace. I take a step forward. Wanting to help. I could kick the man and have Christian win.

Christian's light is green. His father's is red.

Sebastian stops me. Shaking his head. "It could kill them both if you intervene. That's their inner auras. It's their soul, lover girl. If you go down there now. You might damage his soul forever. More than it will be if he wins."

"What do you-"

Christian's lips move but the nose that comes out of his mouth isn't words. Cutting me off. More like a series of different syllables. His father does it back. Is there a Druid language?

Christian's face is angry. His father's face is calm.

Then Christian's face changes too.

I try to follow the conversation by the emotions on their faces.

Thi lasts a long time. Almost two hours. The light extending across the field toward each other. Right as the light are about to touch, both Druids speak in unison. Christian's face has tears and sweat dripping down. His father's face is shining with sweat.

The two lights, one green, the other purple touch.

The world flashes white for a moment before I focus again. Christian stands there. But it's also not Christian.

His chocolatey brown hair is white. Pale white. His eyes a bright purple. He blinks. His glasses in his hand. He turns back to us. His lips parted. His face pale.

"I-" But he crumbles. Sebastian gets there fastest. I run to them. Noticing there isn't a body of the father.

"Christian." I cry. Touching his face. His face is more angular than before. A Druid. "Whats wrong?"

His body convulses. The shaking has my heart pounding. He screams. His body arching. Killian and Sebastian steady his jerking. After two more yelling episodes, he stops.

He opens his eyes. Finding mine. He smiles sleepily. He looks around. Then he sits up fast. Looking around the yard. His face crumples. His eyes closing his hands finding my shoulders and pulling me into him.

"I-I can't-" He sobs. His face finding it's way into my lap. His arms wrapping around my waist tightly. Clutching.

"It's gonna be okay. Don't worry." I rub his back. Strange to have switched positions with him. It feels like years ago he was comforting me about Kaden.

"I should have hated him." He sobs. His breath on my thighs. My heart breaks for him.

"He was your father."

"I wish I hated him." He stays like this with me. Sebastian and Killian walk around the house. Going all over. Making sure we can stay sitting out here like this without worrying we'll end up like Kaden. Oh god.

Kaden. Keith. Christian.

Why are they all hurting? How can I help them?

Why us?

I hold onto Christian and he holds onto me.

Inside Keith writes another line onto the scroll in front of him. Kol mindlinks me what it says.

But I already know.

Knowledge will challenge brawn to a fight to the death.