Children of The Fallen

Chapter 26: mistakes and apologies

"That's awful." I say as he places his book on the end table next to his chair.

He gives me an agreeing look. "They got to experience things they haven't before. Humans reveled in every day they had because the next wasn't guaranteed. Being immortal they didn't have to worry about that. Eventually the other High Celestials and their king, Azrael found out about their daily outings, even though Lucien and Kendrick did their best to cover it up. They punished them- they 'fell from grace.'" He put in air quotes. "Those 15 supposedly loved humans and the things they did so they cursed them to be in direct opposition of that. They loved the sun so now they no longer could walk in it. The gardens they tended to- your mother Aurelia brought a plant back with her- sage. She loved the way it smelled, so that became toxic to her. To all of us. The humans they were so fond of became their only source of food, cursed with an insatiable hunger for their blood. Their immortality remained so they could spend forever as a product of their mistakes." He explains. "Half of them were a wreck, they were cursed and they acted that way. The other half saw it as a gift. They loved this even more. They remained as powerful as they were and had even more power over humans."

"I'm assuming the vampires initiated the war then."

He nods, confirming my assumption. "The 15 were all pissed just for different reasons. Some wanted revenge, some wanted a show of power; that the celestials had indirectly created a species that would be their ruin. Once they found out they could sire people- turn them, they started building their armies. One thing led to another, celestials got wiped out, 6 Fallen died, and here we are."

"Holy shit." I sit in silence for a moment to process it all. Then my mind focuses on another thing. "I know Aurelia isn't one to share what she's doing- or more so can't but has there been even the slightest hint of anything?"

He frowns as he shakes his head.

I push on my teeth with my tongue. "I genuinely hate this Lucien guy. Never even met him but I hate him."

"If you ever met him you'd hate him even more."

"He was really always an asshole even when you guys were kids?"

He makes a face. "Asshole is putting it lightly."

"Psychopath." I suggest.

"Still putting it lightly." He laughs but shadows cross his eyes. "He has expectations. Since I was about school age he was forcing me to shadow him, watch him do heinous things. Sometimes he'd force me to do it."

"What like... he'd make you kill people?"

"From the ages of about 7 to 16 yes." He states very casually. "He will do vile things to ensure you are what he wants you to be. If you do something wrong in his eyes there'd be a consequence. He liked starving me. Locking me in a cell for days on end- no food, no one around, nothing. He liked burning Victoria."

My eyes widen as my heart twists in my chest. "He'd burn a child?!"

"A teenager." He corrects. "Not that that makes it any better. She didn't grow up with him. She had a family. Lucien took her away from them when she was 15. She wasn't anything of use to him prior to transitioning." I sit there with my mouth agape. I didn't know Victoria was taken, I can't imagine it was as amicable as when Kellan was taken. "With me, he thought if he could get to me before transitioning then after it- I'd be perfect. Or what's perfect in his eyes. None of what he wanted me to be genuinely stuck. I don't know how but I'm happy it didn't. I was a good actor though."

"But to have to act all the time, that has to be tiring." I can't imagine the things he was forced to do under Luciens watch and afterwards to keep up the facade.