Sons of Hellfire: Book 1 [Wattys 2016]

Lucien - 16

"You look so much like him, it's unreal." Rodel was tending the fire that they had started up farther in the forest where they chose to spend the night. It was too unsafe anywhere near the town at this point. They would travel incognito.

Lucien was sitting with his back against the tree, staring at the flames as he tried to focus both on what Rodel - his other sister - was saying and what was going on in his head.

"When I first saw you, I thought it was impossible, that you were just someone with a really, really strange resemblance to him. But it turns out you really are one of his sons." She breathed a sigh that turned into flames, mingling with the fire with a crackle. "I really can't believe it."

He couldn't believe it either. Was he supposed to just accept all this new information easily? Even Demetrius looked like he was having a hard time processing the information, shooting him a glance every few seconds from his spot across their campsite. Luckily, there was no more malice within the brown dragon's eyes. Just curiosity and still a healthy amount of regret.

Was it regret that they hadn't found him sooner? Regret that they had come up north and found him at all?

No. Rodel seemed happy at least. And Demetrius had even shared some of his provisions with him - salted fish from Ignisia. The camaraderie as well as the food were brilliant.

Aeric, however, Lucien could tell was a wreck of emotions. First it was shock that his assumptions were correct, then disbelief, then anger, then confusion. He felt warmed that his friend was so protective but he wanted to pull Aeric over from his position a few trees from him and tell him to just relax. Maybe it was all for the best. Maybe...Maybe having siblings closer to his age would be interesting. A learning experience.

At least, that's what Lucien was trying to persuade himself to believe as well.

It was too new, too sudden. Or maybe it was seventeen years too late. Either way, he had no idea what to do. Was he expected to act like Demetrius and Rodel? Family-oriented and bickering happily with no true bite? Lucien wasn't even sure he could act chummy. Aeric had only ever been the first person close to his age that he trusted to see him relaxed.

"Of course, aside from Cadius, I'd say you're the closest out of all of us to look more like father."

"Cadius?" Lucien repeated, sitting up and looking at her. "There are more of you?"

"Of course!" Rodel quipped, dropping on the ground practically right in front of the fire and leaning back on her hands. "We're a huge family, Lucien. You've got plenty more siblings than just the two of us." She glanced at Demetrius and grinned. "Plus, he'd make a terrible crown prince, wouldn't you Dem?"

Demetrius sighed at his sister's tease, turning his eyes towards Lucien. The reflection from the fire made it look as if his brown irises were melting. "Cadius is our eldest brother, the crown prince. You do look a lot like him." He lifted up his hand and started ticking fingers off. "Next is Gaspar. Then there are Bartholomew and Baldrick who are twins. Then you have me, next is Rodel, and finally you." He raised the seventh finger. "The seventh child."

Lucien felt winded, the news of having so many siblings making his head spin. There were seven of them? Seven? He barely felt stabilized after learning he had one!

Were they all like Demetrius and Rodel? Would they even like him? Lucien initially had no intention of going to the castle once he got to Ignisia, but he knew that would be impossible with the way his two siblings seemed eager to introduce him to the family.

Family.

Would he have that in Ignisia? If Rodel and Demetrius didn't even know he existed, there was no chance anyone else did either. Would they believe him if he said he truly was the king's son, appearances alike or not? Would he be welcomed with open arms?