I watch from a distance as Ezekiel and Axar ease her onto the floor from her feet. Her sides heave and she seems injured and tired. She will live though, unlike my brother. I can't understand how this all happened, and I find it even more ludicrous that she would have me believe that Samael came to her aid. I want to go to her even still, but the look of grief across my parent's faces snuffs the idea. Still, I need to address her. I have to call her on her misdeeds.
I excuse myself from my family, and I make my way over to her. Axar and Ezekiel have been healed by her hands save for Ezekiel's deeper wounds. The two work in tandem on Seraphine's now. I notice with her hiked top that her sides and stomach are bruised and welted. She appears to have a gash on her throat. Her arm is bruised and swollen. Her face is swollen.
"Seraphine." She looks up to me with vulnerability in her eyes. I'm certain to mask mine. I look blankly down on her. "You have caused my family a great deal of grief."
"I thought we were your family too? I caused nothing. I saved your life. Your legacy. I lost half my family today too Nox. We went into this knowing the risks."
"I'm aware, and that is on you as well. We had a plan. Why did you not follow it?"
"Because I didn't get the opportunity to end things as I had planned. I couldn't possess you or Yeomorah, you both avoided my eyes. See my memories Nox. Look into my mind. Why would I lie? I'm telling the truth."
"I don't want to touch you." I snap.
"Then check your precious grandfather's."
"I don't need to. We are taking my brother and his mate to bury. I expect you to tell me when the baby is close to being born. I think we need time apart." I turn to leave her.
"If you loved him like you pretended, you'd have never fucked his whore! Much of this is your fault, if you really want to push blame. As for my child, I'll never tell you in this lifetime if you leave me here like this. When you realize I am the only one here who's been honest with you, it will be too late."
"I just need time to sort this out."
"Sory out what Time? Seriously? What the fuck Nox? Time waits for no man, and neither will I, but you will hear my side before you leave here. I am not going down like this. I'm not the villain here!" She wobbles to her feet and flings herself at me, clutching my shirt. "I didn't lose half my family and come this far to end it on this note. Check my memories you son of a bitch!" She shakes me.
"Get your hands off my son, unless you want to lose yours too!" My mother shouts. Seraphine's dark eyes sparkle as she dons an unstable smirk.
"Then let him check your memories, Mileva. Let him see what happened. I'm sorry for your son, but taking this all out on me is wrong. We both know I did not kill him and I did not intend to. I did kill Livienne, but she was holding me up from protecting people that mattered. Nox deserves the truth. Whatever he does with it, I won't argue. If he walks, I'll let go. If he leaves without even trying to hear me out, I'll be out of his life forever. You'd all love that, wouldn't you?"
"He's my son. He believes me. I shouldn't have to prove myself."
"Then allow me." Seraphine retorts.
I collect myself, trying not to let our proximity sway me. My body has and always will betray me for Sera though, despite where my head might be. It then occurs to me how selfish I am being. I was willing to risk I sk life and limb for this female, yet here I am yet again doubting her. Lashing out at her. She was right about Livienne. If mother has nothing to hide she would relent. Could she be right about mother? If Seraphine is willing to endure all of my mistreatment and abuse, and still have my back after everything then I owe it to her to at least see her side.
I am conflicted. Her despair is smothersome though, and it overrides everything around me. Her eyes are just as expressive and gentle as they've always been. Yes, Seraphine is often impulsive and violent, but subconsciously I know she would never harm without reason. This woman took in a giant, wormy street kid. This woman has fed me after I have hurt her. This woman resurrected my jealous dead ex lover who tried to kill her because she felt guilty after killing her in self defense. This woman stands here now, aching and grief stricken with everyone against her, and still she tries to get me to vindicate her. She could just walk away and leave, but she is determined. There is a small blood drip below her, and without thought I ease her down to rest.
"You're bleeding. Rest. I will look into your thoughts in a moment, but first I need to apologize. I suppose I loved more people than I thought. I had never imagined that my brother's death would hurt so much, especially when we would drift apart so long. I guess that I had just always written my affection for my family off as tolerance over love, thinking that my love was only for you. There are levels of love, different types, just like you said. I'm sorry for what I said. I'm sorry for your parents, and your brother. I'm thankful to live and to be of free mind again. That was never going to happen against Yeomorah with bloodshed. My brother, well, he was not even meant to be involved in this so it is cruel of me to blame you." I squeeze her hand as she works to calm herself. I notice a knife beside her.
"Where did you get that?"
"It-it came from Asmodeus's side. Nothing I could do really affected him, but this did."
"You were able to steal his knife?" She nods. "Is that how you were injured?"
"Some of them came from him. Some came from Nehemiah, Narius, some came from you. Others, I don't even know."
"Are you okay?" She shifts nervously.
"I believe I will be, it is the baby that concerns me now."
"Yes, would be a shame if you were to lose a child." My mother jabs.
"Shut up. Shut up and step back."
"What are you planning to do?"
"I'm going to see what happened to my brother. Since you already denied me, I'm going to check Seraphine's side of the story."
"You are willing to give her a chance after all this?" She huffs.
"Yes. Yes I am. She has given me more chances than I deserve, I owe it to her to at least give her this one."
Mother stands with what's left of our family, and Ezekiel stands guard by Seraphine's side. He refuses my request for him to leave, obviously not trusting any of us with Seraphine. She is all that is left of his only daughter. I don't pull any theatrics, I am straight to the point as I quickly dive into Seraphine's mind.
As I feared, she is right. My shoulders slump forwards and I try to wrap my head around this. Sensing my change in mood, Seraphine tries to pull away from me. I shove her into my chest and hold her there as my family glares down at me. I square my shoulders and glare back at them. I lost my brother, and they would twist the truth to cost me my lover and my child. The air in the room is tense and heavy with unspoken ultimatum. My family is posing a question. Her or us?
The idea of being disowned by one's family is intimidating, it's enough to make many fall in line. Afterall, herd mentality and conformity is all survival instinct in most creatures. We all want the safety of numbers and to be accepted. Especially by those we once looked up to. As they look down on me though, I mo longer feel that need. I went decades without contacting them, and I can again. It is Seraphine though, that I cannot last days without. She's the only one I have ever admitted my fears to, my dreams. I have no personality outside of her. I'm a slave to my own hunger and boredom without her. This little being has came into my life and shaken everything up.
"Seraphine, I was wrong to take this out on you. This is not your fault, was never. What I said was ignorant and rash. I don't need time, and I don't need them. I need you. You are my family too. I stabbed you in the back, if anything. I can deal with their rejection, should it come to it, but I can't yours. Forgive me?"
"I feel like you say that a lot." She grumbles, but her shaky voice betrays her.
"Forgive me, please. I don't want you to leave me." She scoffs before answering.
"Why? So you can leave me? So I can forgive you then do it again a week from now, for a similar reason? You plucked me away from my normal little life and drug me into a shit storm. The entirety of which you have mistreated or been against me half the time. We JUST had this huge fall out over your not trusting me when I was right about Livienne. You have done it again. You jumped down my throat with both feet before it even occurred to you to give me benefit of doubt. You just-you-YOU!" Before I can register what has happened she has punched me in the face. "Such an asshole. You are just a walking asshole."
I ignore her fits and hold her tighter so she can't get away from me. I bury my face in her neck and though I'm tempted to feed, I do not. I just try to savor her, because this might be the last time. All those little moments come rushing back again. Watching her sleep. The glint in her eyes when she looks at sweets. The determination on her face coming into this place, and how she single handedly orchestrated the very beginning of this battle, and even pregnant she managed to play a huge part in our victory. Her physical and mental strength never cease to amaze me. I'll never find another Seraphine. My heart squeezes at the thought and I shiver.
"I guess I am sorry too." She whispers. "You don't have to cry. I really shouldn't have hit you. I was just...I don't know. I am so mad. I'm a freaking mess. I should've found another way, but he was already dead and closest to me. I needed a distraction to-"
"You need to rest." Ezekiel interrupts. "His family might not care about you or their grandchild, but Axar and I do. You owe him zero alologies for anything. So let's get our fallen home." Sera nods and stands, favoring her sides as she straightens.
I stand too and I make my way to my father and grandfather who stand by Narius. Without a word to them I kneel and put my head to his. We often fought and insulted one another, but feeling his cold face against mine is misery. His wisdom, his protection, and his presence will be lost from me in this realm. Though I can only speak to him from beyond, it is not the same as having him physically here. He was flashy and smug, but he lived what he loved with everything in him. I strive to be that kind of man for Seraphine and my own family.
I walk away as they leave with he and Livienne, never once looking back for me. It's queer tp me how that stings now,, when before it never seemed to matter. I go to Ezekiel and retrieve Samael's body, and I take my place by Seraphine. Axar has his hand on Alexavier's arm as Ezekiel repositions him on his shoulder. I nudge Seraphine to lean into me, to take some strain off of her. I kiss her head as we transcend, leaving Yeomorah's home behind.
I can feel Seraphine's emotions as we now stand in Ezekiel's palace. Her eyes widen for a second, taking in this place for the first time. The servants in their white gowns spot us immediately and they freeze in place and drop their heads in respect and their own sorrow. They do not look up, even out of curiosity to inspect Seraphine.
"We have lost three of our own today. Our beloved Ivara, our pesky Alexavier full of spunk and spite. Samael, Ivara's mate and father of her children. Samael left us on bad terms, but he gave his life to protect his daughter and avenge Ivara." The women snifle and blanket Alexavier with anguished eyes. A few finally are brave enough to study Seraphine.
"We've lost, but also we have gained. The younger man at my side is Axar. He was a great friend of Alexavier's, he fought valiantly to try to save him." The women thank Axar and dip their heads again in respect. "The woman before you is daughter of Ivara and Samael. Within her is my newest grandchild. You may call her Seraphine." The women try to smile and Seraphine tries too, dipping her head to mirror their actions which leaves them a bit amused. One breaks silence and points out her resemblance to Ezekiel. He chuckles half heartedly and thanks her for her sharp eyes.
"This asshole, is Noxodius. We extend our hospitality and offer our home to him simply because he is the father of Seraphine's child. He's not half bad sometimes." He extends his hand to shake mine, but quickly removes it and swats me between my legs. I snarl at him and the teary eyed women erupt in laughter. Alexavier's warning about Ezekiel's trickster behavior comes to mind, and I stop scowling and smile despite my aching manhood.
"Welcome them into our family. Send for my other children and grandchildren and have them meet us in the garden where we lay ours to rest." Ezekiel's eyes mist, and we trail him through the luxurious white halls.