(no subject)
The floor boards creaked under invisible footsteps. I told myself that is what I was - invisible, silent. Dead and gone.
Steady breathing, strong heart beating loud and clear. The dusting of silver grey hair at his temples shimmered in the moonlight, curling in a gesture of welcome.
I stepped into the room, slipping into the moonlight like it was a tailored silk jacket. The cool air seemed to stop around me.
"Dad," I whispered. I didn't want to reach out and touch him, afraid that I'd frighten him.
Two weeks had passed, two blood soaked, decadent weeks. Corbijn and I prowled the mansion like giggling school boys, shocking the others that lived there with our openly affectionate behaviour. Corbijn shocked everyone with his growing confidence. When he was human, he'd been no more than a timid pet. He'd evolved into a beautiful, brave vampire with dangerous amounts of charm. Eternity was looking better with each passing night.
I fed at the mansion, nameless, faceless founts of blood. The physical need for it was, at best, distracting. When it was at its worst, it was consuming.
Lilith had vanished, to do some research in the remaining dark places of the world. She had sent me emails, and I had devoured them like the blood. Every word, her lavish descriptions, conjured up a world that had all its doors unlocked and waiting for me.
"Dad," I repeated, loud as I dared.
He stirred, his eyes fluttering. He was exhausted, I could tell. The past two weeks had been hell for him, not knowing what had happened to me. But I understood that I had to wait until I could make sense of my situation before I could explain it to someone else.
"Eren?"
I met his wide eyes, trying to hide the change from him. I didn't want to scare him, I needed him of all people to understand.
"Hey," I said quietly. "We need to talk."
He nodded, still shocked and moved over so I could sit beside him. I did sit down, hunched and nervous.
"Where have you been, Eren? We've all been worried sick!" His eyes darkened, and his voice was hard as steel. I couldn't help but smile - I was dead but he was still my dad.
"I've been with Mom," I replied quietly. "Lilith? Pretty lil' redhead with an uncommon thirst."
"Oh, Eren," he sighed, shaking his head. "It's complicated."
"I know. Believe me, I get that it's complicated," I chuckled. "She showed me just how complicated everything can be."
I let my smile widen, knowing the moonlight would dance along my new fangs like diamonds along a knife blade. He gasped and recoiled, a natural reaction.
"She didn't..." he muttered, shaking his head again. "She wouldn't. Not to you, not to our son..."
"She had to," I told him. "I was dying. The Leader of the local coven decided I'd make a nice meal."
"They wouldn't touch you, Eren. They wouldn't dare."
"You were wrong, dad. I was a marked man, you must have known. That's why you were so over protective, that's why you wouldn't let me cast. You were worried they would be able to trace me."
"This is so much bigger than you, Eren. This is a battle that's been roaring on in secret for thousands of years."
"I don't care," I shrugged. "It doesn't matter what led to this point. What matters is...I've changed now," I sighed. "Everything has changed."
"What name does he use now?" He asked suddenly.
"What?"
"There's a boy, in the coven. With shattered eyes, where the ashes of lost empires still smoulder," he said, quoting from one of his ancient scrolls.
"Corbijn," I stammered, without thinking. His knowledge had thrown me. "His name is Corbijn."
"If you want answers, maybe you should ask him," my dad said. "You should have bought him with you. I would have loved to meet him."
"Maybe I'll bring him for brunch," I replied sarcastically. "You know something. You should tell me."
"I only know small fragments. A few threads of Destiny's grand tapestry," he confessed.
"Cut the crap, dad," I said, rolling my eyes. "Tell me what you know."
"Lilith was once the leader of the most feared coven in the world. She was from a time before memory, powerful and ancient. Hundreds of years ago, under her rule, the vampires and our people made a pact to cease and desist all violence against the other side. But then, before you were born, a group of rebels within the coven tried to overthrow Lilith. They started attacking us without her knowledge or permission. But we thought she was behind it. As punishment, the Elders captured her and used all their power and spells to trap her in a human form. I had just become an Elder, and they trusted her to my care."
"Go on," I urged him.
"I bought her home. She hated me at first. I taught her to cast. I cooked food for her, dressed her in the popular fashions. Time passed and we...we fell in love. We married, and she had you. But Eren...something wasn't right."
"She wasn't happy?"
"No, she was. But even as a newborn, you were powerful. Too powerful for someone so young. You had inherited a mystical power from Lilith that had combined with my own. It was clear you were destined for great things. Among the vampires, there was an uproar. They had heard that Lilith had given birth through a psychic they kept as a pet."
"Corbijn?"
"I'm not sure," he answered honestly. "But they wanted you, alive at first. Then, suddenly, they wanted you dead. We were terrified, Lilith and I. We loved you so much, Eren. We wanted to be a real family. But we knew that if you ever tapped into the power inside you, you'd become a walking target."
"That's why you wouldn't let me cast," I concluded.
"Yes, exactly. Your mother and I just wanted to protect you, keep you safe and happy. Lilith decided to become a vampire once more, so you would have someone of power looking out for you in both communities."
"She never told me," I said, letting the information sink in.
"She is still trying to protect you. After all this time..."
"How is everyone?" I asked quietly. "How are my friends?"
"Worried, as you'd expect. What should I tell them?"
"That I'm...alive. Just tell them I have a lot to figure out."
I got up to go, feeling heavy and confused. My head was aching. It was time to feed and forget, even for a little while.
"Will you be back, Eren?" He asked, concern etched across his features.
"I never really left."
---
The night was sultry and warm. I stood on the porch for a long moment, trying to gather my thoughts and make sense of the tragic tale my father had just told me.
I became aware of a presence close to me. A presence I knew well, a quiet voice laughing softly in my mind.
"There's no need to hide. I know you're here," I told the whispering night.
Corbijn was sitting quite comfortably among the branches of my favourite tree. He jumped down, landing on his feet with ease. He smiled at me, his lips bloodied with a fresh kill.
"You said you wouldn't stop me from seeing him," I reminded him.
"I didn't stop you, did I?" He replied with a delicate shrug.
"But you don't approve," I argued as he fell into step beside me.
"No, I don't," he replied honestly. "And I make no secret of it. You know there is a distance between you now, a chasm that no amount of love and devotion can close."
"So what am I supposed to do?" I demanded, feeling frustrated tears coming on. "I can't just forget them. My dad has answers, I know he does. And I need to know."
"Why does it matter, Eren? These answers you speak of, they won't change anything."
"My dad knew who you were," I told him, meeting his gaze. "He quoted something about you, from a scroll or something. You have answers for me too."
"Not answers," he smiled bitterly. "Just...more questions."
I stopped, pulling him into my arms. The ice in his eyes melted away as he looked at me.
"Tell me, Corbijn. Tell me your story."
"You're going to hate me, afterwards. I don't know if I could handle that."