Cameron and Sybil stepped back, giving them space to come back into the house. Rhia retreated behind the island, separating herself from the conflict while staying close enough for her presence to be a comfort.
Nolan turned to face his children. Bastian was as calm as he ever was. He was the oldest. He'd lived through eight-hundred years of war and peace, disasters and golden ages, he'd loved and lost, and most of all, he knew better than anyone that his father was at Constantine's beck and call.
Sybil was furious, her power fluctuating rapidly and her eyes brimming with that all too familiar red glimmer. Of the three, she had been the luckiest. She had grown up in the middle of a lull of Constantine's orders during the peak of the Ottoman Empire. The king hadn't been actively sleeping with and feeding from Luna, so mentally he was more stable, but it wasn't immediately after she left him again, so he wasn't being reckless either. Nolan almost had a normal life with her and her mother. It wasn't until much later that she learned what it meant for him to be Constantine's right hand.
And finally, there was Cameron. His sweet, intelligent Cameron born from the woman Nolan had confessed was his favourite wife. He was looking at him with the same face he wore in court. He'd been so young when he watched Valentina killed in front of him. It had torn him apart... and Nolan wasn't there for him. It had taken them over thirty years to patch together a functioning relationship, strongly aided by the birth of both his grandchildren. He had the most to lose in Cameron by going back to Constantine.
He looked to Valentina, the namesake of her grandmother. She was old enough to understand that working for the vampire king was hardly a glamourous job... He had hoped he would have had a lot more time to watch her grow up.
Nolan sighed heavily. "Constantine has called me back." He said without any emotion. "To deal with Raphaël."
Sybil hissed demonically, her fangs descending fully, and a stream of swears and proclamations spewed out of her mouth. "I have been reporting Raphaël's cronies for months!" she shrieked, her accent becoming even more pronounced in her anger. "He's been holding rallies in front of Lenin's fucking Mausoleum to attract followers. He thinks he's leading the modern-day fucking Bolsheviks!"
"Syb," Bastian said calmly, not looking at any of them. "He doesn't have a choice."
That took Nolan off guard. He knew Bastian wouldn't have taken Sybil or Cameron's side in this, but he also wasn't expecting him as an ally.
"But our fucking king does!" Sybil continued. "He could have dealt with Raphaël years ago, but he just sat around and let chaos rain until he has no choice but to call you back!"
"His tactics are not lost on me, Sybil." Nolan sighed.
"But you let him get away with it." Cameron said just as quietly.
While he had taken a casual stance, leaning against the arm of the couch, his eyes were willed with barely controlled rage. "There is no letting Constantine do anything." Nolan reminded his children.
"Appeal to Luna!" Sybil insisted. "She can make him let you stay!"
"A short-term solution." Nolan snapped, trying to keep a handle on the volume of his voice. He didn't want to scare Rhia again. Once was more than enough. "Until she gets bored and leaves him to his own devices. And what happens in the meantime? Do you really think he's going to deal with Raphaël on his own?"
"So, we lose our father once again to the madman that is our king?" Sybil's voice cracked. "And what happens to her?" she pointed at Rhia. "Will you break her heart and leave her here, or are you going to drag her to the middle of a war zone and get her killed just like Valentina? Does her death mean that little to you?!"
A wave of powerful, anger-fueled magic pulsed through the house. Every lightbulb exploded, and a thick blackness that even the vampires couldn't see through filled the room. Rhia yelped in surprise and fear. Nolan barely had a fraction of a second to act. He rushed forward, grabbed Cameron by the shoulder and shoved him hard against a wall. His son's blood red eyes, taking over the pupils and the cornea as well as his irises, cut through the dark like the eyes of a demon. A blood-curdling screech ripped from his throat, the sound piercing his eardrums and sending a paralyzing shiver through his body.
He forced his body to move and grabbed Cameron's throat, cutting off the sound. "Cameron," he hissed, filling his voice with his own magic. Pain rocketed up from his arms where Cameron was clawing at his hands. "Listen to the world," In the muted blackness, he could hear crying, though he couldn't tell who it was coming from. "Val and Ethan cannot handle this. Come back."
Cameron stopped moving. The illumination of his eyes widened. The darkness started to dissipate slowly, and his face came into view. Horror was written all over his face. The crying got louder as the air thinned again. "Ethan..." his voice was cracked and rough as the last of the broiling anger drained from his eyes, leaving only the sapphire blue of the Wes bloodline. "Val..."
Warily, Nolan loosened his grip and Cameron started to shake violently. He took a staggering step back towards his children before the entire room went still again. The smell of blood filled the house. Rhia's blood. Cameron's eyes flickered red again. The sudden overwhelming use of his magic left him starving. He turned suddenly on his heel and ran out the front door. Nolan looked back to the living room. Val stumbled towards the door, her fangs descending slightly. "Sorry, gramps," she gasped. "I can't..."
She didn't finish her sentence. She vanished after her father. Nolan almost ran back to the kitchen. Rhia was curled up on the ground, clutching her head over her ears. A trickle of blood ran down her cheek. Bastian was kneeling in front of her. "I've got this." He said softly. "Take Ethan to Cameron. He needs to be around his children now."
"But... Rhia..."
"There is more you can do for Cameron right now. Leave her to me."
Nolan battled his desire to split himself in half and do both. But Bastian had a point. "I'll be back soon." He told her.
He turned to Sybil, who was holding a sobbing Ethan in her arms and trying to sooth him. "Dad," she stammered as she transferred the toddler into his arms. "I'm..."
Nolan turned away from her and walked out the door without another word. "You should go, Sybil." Bastian said, his voice still calm and even as if nothing had happened. He tugged Rhia's hands away from her face and tilted her head up gently. "Take the rental. I'll get a ride with Cameron later."
"No, Bastian, I..."
"You crossed the line, and you know it." For the first time, his voice sounded strained. "You need to give Cam and Nolan some time before you try to fix it."
There were a few seconds of tense silence before Sybil grabbed her bag, the keys to the car, and left. Rhia hissed in pain as Bastian probed the tender muscles of her neck and jaw. "What just happened?" she groaned.
Bastian moved her head to the side and looked through the blood clogging her ears. "The Dracula bloodline is special." He muttered. "They have a special kind of magic that they can cast. It takes a lot of blood to sustain it, and it usually frays at the edges of their sanity. Valentina was particularly powerful. Cameron inherited her strength and our father's level head, which makes him extraordinarily deadly. But he's young. He hasn't learned to control it yet. Huh..."
He sat back on his heels, narrowing his eyes at her. "What's wrong?" her hand flew up to touch her ear.
"Nothing. Your eardrums are fine. There's blood but..." He shook his head disbelievingly and helped her to her feet slowly. "Vampire venom has a number of healing properties. Is Nolan feeding from you?"
"What? No. He's been very persistent in reminding me that it's illegal."
Her head throbbed painfully. She dragged herself through the dark and collapsed on the couch. "I guess that's technically true." He muttered.
There was the sound of a lighter being struck and a warm glow came from the kitchen. Bastian joined her in the living room carrying a candle and a bottle of water. "Technically?"
"Nolan has an exception to most of our laws." Bastian shrugged. "He can feed from the vein, automatic approval to turn any human he likes... he's pretty much untouchable. It's Constantine's way of solidifying his authority."
Rhia felt her stomach twist in knots. "But he doesn't..." she felt sick. But why was she so upset? He'd already told her he wouldn't feed from her anyway.
"It's nothing personal against you that he hasn't fed from you. He doesn't like being treated differently. It's just a reminder that he was never supposed to be this way."
"You know what he is?"
Bastian shrugged. "One of the few. He's never told his other children or wives. That you know is... telling. He's invested in you." His blue eyes were so intense she had to look away again. After a second, he rested a hand on her shoulder. "He's a different person around Constantine." He said softly. "Give him a reason to keep his humanity."
He squeezed her shoulder gently before letting go and walking away. Exhausted, Rhia curled into the cushions and closed her eyes. Just for a second. Just until Nolan got back.
When she opened her eyes, she was in Nolan's bed. Sunlight streamed through the crack of the black curtains. Her lover lay next to her, deep blue eyes watching her and a smile playing on his handsome face. "Hey you." He said softly and brushed the hair out of her eyes. "How are you feeling?"
To be honest, it felt like every single one of her muscles were wound up and overused. Her head ached from the base of her skull. She edged closer to snuggle in his arms. "Is Cameron okay?"
He stroked her hair soothingly for a minute before answering. "Shaken. But he'll be alright. He was worried about you. His magic..."
Rhia wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss to make him stop talking. He groaned and melted into her touch. "You worry too much." She muttered against his lips.
"And you don't worry enough."
He rolled so his body was pressed against hers. He ran his fingers across her cheek, relishing in her beauty. There were shadows under her eyes and her hair had lost some of its lustre. But damnit if she weren't the most beautiful woman in the world. How could he possibly leave her behind? He sighed heavily.
"If you get all the paperwork in order," he said slowly. "I'll get the passport process expedited for you."
Her eyes widened in surprise before a brilliant smile spread across her face. Her enthusiasm was adorable. She reached up and cupped his face with her hands. "Feed from me." She whispered.
He jerked back, horrified, and stared down at her. "No!" he said a lot harsher than he intended.
Rhia lifted herself on her elbows. There was a determination in her eyes. "I'm not asking, Nolan." She said softly. "I have to know what I'm getting into. If Constantine is going to play games and try to use me against you, then take away any ammunition you can."
"Rhia," he growled. "I don't know if I'll be able to hold back. You... your blood..."
"I know," she reached up to touch his face again. "I trust you."
His heart thumped hard against his chest and slowly leaned over her again. He took her chin and tilted her head so he could look deeply into her vibrant green eyes. "If you want this, we do it my way." He said slowly, filling his voice with as much warning as possible. "Understand?"
Heat flared in her eyes. "Show me what you've got, big guy."
~