Betrayal's Gift

Chapter Fifteen

A/N: Trigger warning, this gets intense.

Julius watched from the safety of the teeming crowd of mortals, unseen by his selected prey of choice. This woman was all that stood between his brother's descent into evil and his final fall into the hell Julius called home. She was his unlikely anchor in this strange, but fascinating mortal world. Once she was gone, Varagon would be at his mercy. Helpless against the many demons that she held at bay inside him.

Julius' slight satisfied smile faded as he leaned forward to study her intently, curiosity gleaming in his maddening silver eyes.

This one kept his brother from turning? What made her unique enough to command his brother's undivided attention and adoration? What made her so different from the rest of them? She was beautiful, but not exceptionally so. She was smart but not a genius. What was it?

The slender red haired female was just sitting there in an open arena, talking to the others that were swarming around her like gnats. It didn't even register in her mind to scan for danger or use her newfound gifts. If she had even found them yet. She didn't know that she was already halfway into another world.

She was powerful for a young one and the change had already affected her a great deal. Typically human, she paid no heed to the fangs itching in her mouth or the new keen senses she had. She was like them, oblivious to the fact that they were hunted. No caution in their movements or forethought to anything that they did.

Perfect targets.

Perfect prey.

Danger was standing around them, its teeth closing around their necks with the killing snap and they didn't even feel the bite of its fangs. Mortal, immortal what did it matter? He'd feasted on them all. He'd call them cattle but at least cattle had the sense to run.

He started to move forward, his body responding with an inhuman grace as he stood. It was time to kill. Something made him hesitate and he looked at her closer still. He just didn't get it. Looking deeper into her, he saw the sad faraway look in her eyes.

Julius found himself touching his mind to hers' to find the cause of her wistful look. The image of his brother jumped out at him so abruptly, he almost stumbled back out of automatic defense.

In the memory, Varagon was looking down at her tenderly, brushing her hair back from her face. Leaning down, he brushed a kiss over her soft trembling mouth. Love for him welled up inside her mind and inadvertently touched his.

As something in him reached out in a helpless response, Julius tore away his light contact with a wrenching effort and crouched down to the floor, chest heaving.

It was too late. The warm tendrils had followed and were imbedded in his mind. He had seen the deep love in his brother's eyes for this woman. Something strong inside of him balked at the thought of killing her. When he gained his feet and started to go towards her, his feet refused to go forward. He tried again with the same result.

I can't touch her. He realized. He was incapable of physically harming her. He ran his hands over his face hard as he felt frustration well up inside his gut and begin to churn. His hands curled into claws as his mind began to crumble. He had to do something to satisfy this craving for suffering inside of him, yet not touch her in anger.

A plan formed in his mind and he smiled, his fangs slightly showing. That was better than actually killing her.

He stood from where he was and walked towards her, his gait stealthy and smooth. He blended with the crowd and shielded his presence almost without thought. Not that these fools would look, but it never hurt to be cautious.