He was torn now. He had wanted someone to spend eternity with him. He was so tired of watching the others debaucheries. Court no longer held any pleasures for him. His father had sat on the dais, a bloated potentate. Taking a feral delight in watching his subject’s antics.
"Why do you not join them son?" his father mumbled over the human hand he was busy sucking dry. He tossed the bones aside and wiped his hands on the nearest fledgling. "All of this will belong to you and your brother someday. You should take a greater interest so you can rule when I choose to seek the dawn." Although the glint in his eyes belied that statement.
"I want no part of this father." he swept his hand across the scene. "I have no heart for all of this. It's beneath us." He despaired of his father ever seeing reason. “The only reason I stay is because you need someone to keep you all from being destroyed by your own foolishness."
His father sat up and turned the full power of his black eyes on his son,” I will not have you speak to me in such a way. Remember who brought you into this world boy!" His face mottled and blood sweat broke out across his high forehead.
His tirade was interrupted by the wail of a human infant. All eyes turned to see one of the fledglings carrying a small bundle in one arm while dragging a gutter rat with the other.
"Please sir," she fell to her knees as he threw her at the dais. “Don’t let them kill my baby, please, I beg of you."
He watched helplessly as his father stood and took the infant from the fledgling. It was all he could do not to snatch the babe from his father's greasy, blood stained fingers. There were gasps from everyone in the room as his father threw back the blanket to reveal the monster that lay underneath.
The babe was horribly disfigured. His legs bent, and his hands twisted as those of an old man. His face was ruddy and blotched from squalling so. But there was an intelligence in his eyes that couldn't be denied.
"Father!" he shouted as he tried to think. “This child is even beneath you. Let me dispose of it. Take the girl. I will deal with this one."
A spark of suspicion came to his father's eyes, and was quickly dowsed by the pleas of the girl. “Yes, please sir. I will serve you, just let my child live." she dropped to her knees before the great bulk of his father.
His father sighed, " very well my son. The child is yours, though I can't imagine what you want with this one." A strange light came to his father's eyes, "But you have cost me a meal this night. And you will replace it when it is asked of you. No matter the price."
"Fine." He just wanted to get the babe out of here.
As he took the babe from his father, the gutter rat clenched his coattail, Please sir, thank you for this but there is another. His sister." she spoke barely above a whisper. You will find her hidden in the crofter’s cottage down the road. Please do not let them get her." The plea in her eyes was more than he could stand. "Shh. I will take care of it."
All he could do was watch as his father yanked the girl up by her hair and threw her at the nearest fledgling. "Clean her up. I can't stand the stench. Bring her to me tomorrow night. “The primal delight in his eyes made the wretch cringe.
****
There was no one on the road leading from the castle ruins, nor did he expect that there would be. No one came to these woods by moonlight unless they had a death wish.
The old crofter's cottage the guttersnipe had spoken of was just ahead. It lay hidden under several decades of weeds and ivy. There was no sound from within.
Perhaps the others had found the child, or some other predator had gotten here before him.
He dismounted his horse, a magnificent black Belgian named Lucian, and stood outside the door listening. He was trying to decide whether to go in or leave it to natural selection.
Just as he was making up his mind to leave the door swung open. A child of no more than three stuck her head around the old oak door and said,"Maman?"
The poor wretch squeaked and ran back in at the sight of him.
He pushed the door open and strode into the hut. The floor was cluttered with debris and animal refuse. The child huddled in the far corner, clutching a rag doll to her chest and gazing up at him through dusky lashes. He was surprised to see very little fear in the lake blue depths of her eyes.
"Your mother sent me child." It came out as more of a growl than he had intended. It had the usual effect. The child cowered further into the corner. Gods! He had no experience with children! He had to think of a way to get her to come to him. He tried again.
"Your mother has been ... delayed." He said in what he hoped was a more soothing tone. “She sent me to fetch you and take care of you until she can come for you." He hated lying to the child, but what other choice did he have at this point?
The girl seemed to be weighing him. An intelligence far beyond her years shone out from the twin pools.
She smiled suddenly, apparently finding him trustworthy. The effect on the girl’s face was astounding. He was momentarily blinded by the light that seemed to emanate from inside the slight frame.
He shook it off and held out a hand. The child tucked her doll under one arm and reached out for him with the other.
He scooped her up and headed back to the door. He groaned as he recognized the figure standing in the wane light from the moon outside.
"Well brother, what have you there? A slight morsel you were keeping for yourself?" The sight of his brother always made him cringe. The only man on the planet more depraved than their father stood there, feral glee shining in his cat like eyes.
"Perhaps." He shrugged carelessly and tucked the girl tighter to his chest. She seemed to feel the danger, for she turned her head to his chest and shut her eyes tight.
"Well, let’s have a look then. It looks like skin and bones. Not much to keep to yourself."
There was no doubt that given the chance his brother would gladly take the child off his hands. A small voice in his head said why not? It would solve the problem of what to do with her. And he would be absolved of guilt.
She chose that moment to tighten her grip on his ribs, clutching the fabric of his greatcoat under his arm. His brother never saw the movement. But it was enough to break his revelry and return him to sanity.
"Obviously it is beneath your esteemed interest then." He replied snidely. “We all know that you prefer your meals well fed and well bred."
Something flashed across his brother's face. A blackness that he had not seen before. His brother was becoming more dangerous than even their father was aware of.
“Where I choose my meals is none of your affair." He seemed about to say something and caught himself. He smoothed the front of his coat with taloned fingers and flashed his older brother what he hoped was a conspirator’s smile.
It only succeeded in making him look corpse like. The thin skin stretched across the high cheek bones like rice paper. The sunken eyes, dark as their father's and twice as cruel. He'd heard that some women found his younger brother's darkness appealing, even irresistible. He found him tiresome and sincerely wished he'd thrown him down that well when they were younger like he'd wanted to.
Of course, being a pure blood, it wouldn't have killed him. And he probably wouldn't have heard the end of it from Father but the sound of his little brother crying at the bottom of a well for a few hours would have been music to his ears back then. A small revenge he would have gladly paid the price for against all of the torment heaped on him by the man who stood still as death before him now.
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