by Drako
Demun closed his eyes as he felt his brother reach out to him. There were no words, only emotions, and they weren’t pleasant emotions. He opened his eyes and whistled to get everyone’s attention.
“We need to get back to Solaris. Something’s up,” he told them.
Victoria and Andreas looked towards him. Unable to speak in dragon form, Victoria spoke telepathically.
Is your brother ok?
Demun nodded. “He’s healthy, but something went wrong when he left here.”
“I agree. We’d better look into it,” Ares stated.
On Solaris, Brandon left Adonis in a room with Phil and walked through the palace. He couldn’t stand being so close to Adonis during his grief. They had no choice but to tell him that his parents had been killed. Brandon had hoped Adonis would blame it on him, that he’d rant and rave at him rather than blame himself. But the boy knew that the wolves hadn’t come because of Brandon. They’d come for Adonis. Something about Adonis had the rogue wolves and their leader after him, and he knew it. Therefore, he blamed himself instead of Brandon.
Brandon left the palace and continued on towards the closest city. On the way, a burst of flames stopped him, and in its place stood Demun.
“What’s wrong?” Demun asked. “And don’t lie to me. I felt you all the way in the mortal realm in the midst of battle.”
Brandon looked his twin in the eyes. “While I was there fighting and rescuing my son and his mother, Adonis was attacked. His parents didn’t survive.” He looked back towards the palace. “He’s here now, with Phil, and he’s grieving. He didn’t even do what the normal human would do. He didn’t blame me. He knows the wolves were after him and him alone. His parents were merely casualties.”
Demun studied him. “Even after he severed your connection, you’re too much of an empath not to feel his pain if you’re near him.”
Brandon turned back to face him. “Yes, it was killing me to be in there with him. And I have no way to help him. I can’t resurrect his parents because I’m not a god. And I already know Gramps will say that it was their time. He’s already given Hades the word to place them in the Elysian Fields. What we don’t know is what it is about him that makes him a target.”
“Don’t you think you need to spend your time with your son now?” Demun asked. “Today hasn’t been an easy day for him either. Do you even know how long they were held there?”
“Yes, I’m aware of how long they were there. Theo is as much of an empath as I am. I don’t want him to sense what I’m feeling at the moment. All it would do is upset him.”
“Or perhaps it’ll cheer you up a bit. Besides, I want to meet my nephew.” Demun gave a small smile. “I also want to know how it is I never knew about him. I thought we told each other everything.”
Brandon couldn’t help but smile back. “That’s a bit complicated. Come on, let’s go see him.”
Victoria remained in her dragon form, flying over Solaris. Only on Solaris was she allowed to fly free without any worry about being seen. All beings here knew of and accepted the existence of dragons. Frankly, she loved her dragon form because it was easier to think in it. And she had a lot to ponder.
She landed on a distant mountaintop, surveying the land below her.
“It’s very interesting to see you here in your natural landscape.”
She turned to see Ares just below her on the mountain. She grunted in response.
“You’re quite beautiful in this form, but you’re a bit hard to talk to. Care to make this easier on me?” Ares asked.
Black flames surrounded Victoria’s body and eventually shrank down until she stepped free, now in her human form. She looked at Ares speculatively.
“It may be awhile before we get any time alone again.” Ares watched her with evident interest. “It has occurred to me that after well over six thousand years of knowing you, I don’t truly know you.”
“You’re the god of war and I’m the Dragon Witch. What more do we need to know about each other?” Victoria asked.
Ares raised an eyebrow in question. “What do you have against me, exactly?”
Victoria scowled. “You’re a god. You’ve never had more than a passing interest in any woman. I refuse to be the next plaything of any god.”
“It’s rather unfair of you to judge me without knowing me. Are you this harsh on your father? After all, he has far more children than I do by a great deal many more women than I do.”
Victoria frowned. “I don’t condone my father’s love life either, but I understand him at least. You I don’t understand.”
“What’s there to understand? I simply have not found the one truly meant for me. Women are attracted to me because of my status. The violence that is inherent to the god of war is appealing for a short time, but I’m not what most call a keeper.”
“Have you ever tried to settle down?” Victoria asked, a hint of accusation in her voice.
“Yes, actually, I have. I’m simply not as notorious with my affairs as my brother Apollo.”
That stunned her into silence.
“You judge me from the things you’ve heard. Perhaps you should take more time to actually get to know me, and not the stories, fables and myths.” Ares eyes sparked with an unreadable emotion. “You should know by now that not everything you hear or read is true with the gods. After all, your father is never once mentioned in the history books. By and large, he doesn’t exist to the human world. In the stories, you’d be a raging monster for warriors to slay in a quest for glory.”
“Well, that’s true. Still, not all that I’ve heard on you are just stories,” Victoria retorted.
“No, there’s truth in the old tales. I won’t lie about the children I’ve made. I’ll admit there are more than you’ve heard of as a matter of fact. But the stories never tell why I am this way.”
“So, is there some big deep purpose?” Victoria asked.
“I told you already, I’ve never found the right one for me,” Ares answered. “Surely by now, you understand the concept of soul mates. I’ve never found that.”
“Are you saying I’m your soul mate? Is that the reason for your sudden interest?”
Ares shook his head. “I can’t say anything of the sort. Even the gods can’t clearly see their own soul mate. All I know is that you interest me.”
“Interest you how? I’m no goddess, and I’m no great mortal beauty.”
Ares laughed. “No, you’re no mortal beauty, but you are beautiful in both your forms. And frankly, goddesses could not hold my interest like you. They are highly demanding and controlling. If you can’t answer their every beck and call, they go into fits of rage that results in natural disasters and curses that unfold over the course of several centuries. With you, at least, I’m confident you’d be more direct if you’re pissed. I might get my ass kicked, but at least the rest of the world wouldn’t feel your wrath.”
Victoria smirked. “That’s true, I suppose. But you have to admit this is weird.”
“What do you mean?” Ares asked.
“How often does the god of war pursue someone so actively?”
“To be honest, never in this way.” Ares gave a slow smile. “But you won’t believe anything unless I prove it.”
“Is that why you’re here now?”
Ares shrugged. “You could say that. Honestly, I merely wanted more time in your presence. The only way to get to know each other is to talk. I think we need to dispel some of your illusions about me.”
“Fine, if you want to go through this spending time with each other thing, we at least need to get some work done.” Victoria turned away. “See if you can keep up. I’ve got rounds to make.” She jumped off the ledge.
“Well, life will never get dull with her,” Ares muttered before he jumped off after her.
Twenty One
Brandon sat with Theo in his lap and Demun standing over him. Theo had hold of one of Demun’s dreadlocks, studying it closely. Brandon smiled as he watch
ed his son’s fascination with Demun’s hair and with his twin in general. As the two played with the young child, Jarel appeared in the room.
“This is an interesting sight to behold,” he commented.
“Where’s Anaya?” Brandon asked.
“She needed some time to think, and perhaps try to contact her goddess,” Jarel answered.
“Can she do that from here?”
Jarel shrugged. “I never banned her patron from my realm. She banned me from hers.”
“Her patron?” Demun questioned.
“Verlaine, the patron goddess of the Fae, angels, dwarves, and any other paranormal creature not created by myself,” Jarel told him.
“I take it there’s some history between you two.”
Jarel snorted. “That’s an understatement. But before you ask, I’m not really sure what her grudge is against me. She’s a goddess, so really it could be something excessively petty that just doesn’t register to the male mind. Or it could be something major. Who knows, and at this point, who cares?”
“Well, I’m sure you’re here for more than idle conversation, Gramps, so what’s up?” Brandon asked.
“Well, a decision needs to be made as far as the protection of your son and his mother. And something needs to be done about Adonis.” Jarel looked closely at his grandson. “As much as you don’t want to do it, you have to go to him. You can understand his pain better than Phil can. You’ve lost both of your parents. Phil still has his.”
Brandon scowled. “His emotions bombard me. I haven’t learned to control these empathic powers I’ve been cursed with. Even Id feels his pain. I can’t think when I’m near him. Besides, Phil may not have lost his parents, but he’s more than capable of being there for Adonis.”
“Why are you avoiding him, really?” Demun asked his brother. “It’s more than the empathic powers.”
“I’m not avoiding him,” Brandon shot back. “I’m simply making his decision easier for him to live with.”
Jarel decided to change the subject. “And what about Anaya and Theo?”
“I’d have to ask Anaya,” Brandon replied. “She’s not a timid woman that I can make decisions for and she just accept them. But if she agrees, can we set her up here in one of the cities?”
Jarel nodded. “Of course. I have no problem with them being here. But keep in mind you have more work to do with your aunt.”
“I know. I just wanted this time with Theo and Demun before I got back to work.”
“I will allow that. Take a few days to rest and come see me after you and Anaya decide on what to do.” Jarel vanished.
Andreas stood on the nearby beach outside of his father’s palace. This was the place he’d trained each and every one of his siblings after he’d come into his father’s service. And it was time to do some more training now.
“What are you planning?”
Andreas turned at the sound of Kazarian’s voice. “It’s time to see what the twins have learned. They have so much raw power it’s almost scary, but they still have much to learn. It’s time for me to get more hands-on with them.”
“You didn’t train your nephews?” Kazarian asked.
Andreas shook his head. “No, they worked with their father in the early years, and then they developed while I watched over them. I did some, but not to the extent that perhaps I should have. But they’re still growing. I figured I should spar a bit with them here, where I last taught their father.”
He turned as Brandon and Demun came walking towards him across the sand.
“You rang?” Demun questioned.
“Yes, boys, I think it’s time we had a little meeting of sorts.” Andreas gestured around him. “This is the training place of every single black dragon, the last of which was your father. And frankly, it’s time for you to go through the same training as the rest.”
Brandon raised an eyebrow. “Okay, so how does this work?”
“Ditch the armor, kids. We’re going to see what you’ve learned.”
All three removed their armor, leaving them in nothing more than a pair of leggings worn under their armor and boots. All three went shirtless, their Black Dragon birthmarks shown prominently in the bright sunlight.
“Now, both of you come at me. If you can take me down together, then we won’t have to have another one of these sessions.”
Brandon and Demun exchanged a look, then spread apart to circle their uncle. Andreas didn’t follow them with his eyes, nor did he turn his body. He stood perfectly still, closing his eyes and waiting. Finally, the twins moved in together. As they were swinging their feet, Brandon going high and Demun going low, Andreas held up both hands, one in front of each twin and lightning shot out, striking them both in the chest and sending them flying several yards away. Both hit the ground and slowly pushed themselves up on an elbow.
“That was sadly predictable, boys,” Andreas told them. “Your time apart has ruined your sense of strategy and your combined technique.”
Brandon rose first and sent his power forth as Demun rose and shot a stream of flames towards his uncle. Andreas flipped high into the air and the twins’ powers collided, cancelling each other out. As it did, Andreas landed in front of Demun. He caught him with two quick punches to the stomach and shot an uppercut to his jaw that knocked him off his feet. Already, Brandon was on the attack, coming from above and swinging a roundhouse kick at his uncle’s head. Andreas didn’t even turn as he held up an arm to block the kick. He did turn, however, to deliver a hard punch to Brandon’s chest that sent him flying. Whirling around in a fluidity honed by thousands of years as a warrior, he delivered a backhand that caught the now standing Demun by surprise and actually made him spin in the air before he hit the ground. Once more, Brandon came at his uncle and Andreas kicked him in the stomach, causing him to double over. Placing a hand on his nephew’s back, Andreas used him as a prop to whirl around and kick Demun in the head. He landed on his feet again and took Brandon down once again with an uppercut to the jaw. This time, the twins remained down.
“Had enough?” Andreas asked.
“Oh no, we enjoy getting our asses handed to us,” Demun said sarcastically.
“Yeah, it’s really the highlight of our day,” Brandon added irritably.
Andreas laughed. “Come here, boys, let’s talk through some things.”
He sat down in the sand and the boys sat with him. Kazarian also joined them.
“You boys are far stronger than any of my siblings were at your age, but you seem to be letting it go to your heads. Individually, you two improved a lot but against a seasoned warrior like me you don’t stand a chance. I’m not necessarily stronger than you, but I’m more level headed. Therefore, it’s pretty easy for me to take you down at once. And you’ve lost one of your more vital strengths: you’re no longer in sync with each other.”
Brandon and Demun looked at each other, then away. Andreas hadn’t missed the look.
“What’s going on with you two?” he asked.
“A lot can change in two years,” Demun said quietly.
“That’s true, but your bond isn’t something that should change this much,” Kazarian replied.
“We have problems dealing with the things that have happened since we left,” Brandon commented.
Demun glared at him. “Don’t say we have a problem when you know I’m the one with a problem!”
Brandon stared at him silently.
“What are you talking about, Demun?” Andreas asked.
Demun sighed in frustration. “Do you know how much he’s kept from me even after I asked him to show me everything? I never knew about Theo, and that was from before we even left for Shevat. Our mother was still alive then and he never told me. I didn’t know anything about that spell he cast with Adonis.”
Brandon rolled his eyes. “Oh, you told me everything, huh? How about Krazas? Have you told me everything about our little demon friend?!”
Demun ground his teeth but made no response.
“My point exactly. Now tell them your real problem, Demun.”
Andreas and Kazarian looked to Demun, who scowled deeply.
“You know my problem. If you hide everything important from me, how can I protect you?”
“Who the hell says I need you to protect me?” Brandon shot back. “I’m just as strong as you are.”
“Yeah, right. Riddle me this, dear brother, if I were to come under someone’s control like I did that damn vampire when we were younger, would you be able to stop me? Or would you do what you did then?”
Brandon narrowed his eyes. “Are you asking me if I would kill you to save myself?”
“Yes, damn it. Would you kill me if it came down to that?”
“No, because there’s no need. I can always reach you if it comes to that.”
“Can you?” Andreas asked.
Brandon and Demun looked at him.
“With the way you two are arguing, I question that logic right now,” Andreas continued. “I’m not a twin, but I know how twins work in our world. You two were so much closer before. You fought much better together. Today was entirely too easy for me, especially considering your increase in power. Your bond isn’t what it should be and you have to fix it.”
“The real problem is that he can’t get past everything I showed him from my time in Shevat, plus the fact that I didn’t tell him about Theo,” Brandon commented.
“You told Gramps but you didn’t tell me,” Demun shot back.
“I didn’t tell him anything. He already knew.”
“That doesn’t make it better.”
“Perhaps I should shed some light on that situation.” Jarel appeared in the middle of them.
Demun folded his arms across his chest and waited. Jarel raised an eyebrow, slightly amused by his grandson’s demeanor.
“Well, Father, you let Brandon keep his child a secret from everyone, and I’m guessing you aided in us not finding out,” Andreas commented.