Return of the Demon Sovereign (Book 1) [MxM]

75. Throne Room (2)

Erebus felt immeasurable anger radiating from Halcyon, Samar, and even Leonis. Halcyon's face was even red with rage.

However, Samar spoke out again; his voice wrought with emotion. "Have you forgotten how the Themis family killed my sister? How they killed her husband—my brother-in-arms! What about the sin of murdering their newborn child?! Instead of punishing those Themis villains, Golden Mountain protected them. We shouldn't be talking about an alliance. We should be at war!"

Halcyon sighed and gripped Samar's shoulder. Samar turned to Halcyon. "Say something, Father! She was your daughter!"

Erebus winced when he heard this. He had taken over the body of Eri, so his blood was undeniably 'Themis'. He felt the bile rise to his throat from the shame but forced himself to swallow it down. 

How could Shadowbane sit idly by when their General was wronged like this? The Shadowbane of old would stand up to this injustice, not try to embrace it.

Tolerating Golden Mountain and the Themis family was something he could never do. The memories of Eri were enough to tell him that he could never forgive them.

He had told Leo that the line between Eri and Erebus had become even thinner, nearly indistinguishable. Leo has speculated that Eri's memories would soon be his, and Erebus couldn't help but agree. 

Especially now. Eri's pain and despair were becoming his own. He saw the Earl turning away from him. He felt the back of his hand. He felt his disdain. He felt the emptiness and anguish of a small boy just trying to be accepted by his father.

Erebus shuddered and then stilled when his mind lingered on the memory of Eri's mother. He was an orphan in his last life and never knew of a mother. But watching Eri's mother, Selene, through Eri's eyes filled him with a deep affection... and remorse. Eri was too weak, and Erebus was too late to free her from her painful reality.

The Earl controlled much of Eri's life, blocking him from obtaining friends and independence. He also controlled his visits to his mother and the words they could exchange. She could never reveal anything about her life, so he didn't know if she was a cultivator or why she was bedridden. 

Still, the naive Eri simply cherished these moments with his mother. Time spent with Selene was a small pocket of serenity. Although Eri couldn't see it, Erebus could recognize the sorrow and guilt in Selene's eyes within each memory. It was as if she blamed herself for Eri's suffering, and she grieved she could never fully be the mother she yearned to be for Eri.

But Erebus couldn't fault her. The Earl had made that so. He had destroyed Selene and Eri, just as he did the same to Halcyon and Samar. 

He was still kneeling on the ground, his face turned towards the ground. He could not hear the yelling or bickering on either side because he was losing himself to Eri's memories. It was becoming difficult to maintain his rationale.

He needed to separate himself from Eri and focus on being Erebus. He needed to be the Lieutenant General who had to address the council and object to joining hands with Golden Mountain. But he was hit with another unbearable pain, a fresh memory of the Earl looking down at the kneeling Eri.

...dragons do not tolerate shadow rats.

The Earl had uttered words that were too similar to Jericho's. Themis family... Golden Mountain... they were just pieces of the true enemy.

Golden Mountain and the Themis family were the descendants of the Fire Dragon sect and Jericho, the Titan sympathizer... the bastard who killed him. To ally with them would desecrate the ancient history of Shadowbane. How could his old comrades rest peacefully in the Aether if this came to pass? How dare the leaders of today even consider it?