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CHAPTER 12
Robyn lay against Torin. Her body resting, finally. She would be made a vampire tonight. Her master would make her his Childe, and she had earned, and shown her gratitude for, it. "I'm tired." She murmured.
Torin nodded, tightening his hold on her. "Me too, Blue, me too."
She looked up at him. "Master, I don't think I can do anything else."
"No, baby, I'm just Tori, right now. It's over, when Az sent you to me, he decided it was over.
She just shook her head. "No, when Azrael makes me his Childe, he will become my Sire, and you will then stand as my master. He warned me of what would happen, back when I gave myself to you and him." She lowered her eyes. "So, yes, Master, it is to you that I beg off."
He looked at her for a moment, as if he didn't quite understand what she had said. "Oh, okay. Well, don't worry about it Blue, I'm not up to anything else. You tore me up. You just lay here at take a little nap for a few."
* * *
Azrael waited until Michael pulled back from Jason, taking note that the boy just curled up into a ball and cried. "Megel?"
Michael looked up from where he was, trying to sooth Jason. "Father?"
"Let Cain care for your Chosen for now. Come, I am going to mark Cerberus first, and then he will mark me. You will need to come and block the pain. And then I will block it for you as you are marked as well."
Michael looked to Cain. "Take him Hon, I will be just over there." And he passed the sobbing boy to the young vampire. Before rising to his feet and moving to where Azrael lay, holding Cerberus. "I'll block the pain for you when you mark Eris and Zephyr." He sat beside Cerberus, reaching out to lay a hand on his chest, beside the old mark of his line. "Go on Father, he will feel nothing."
It took just moments for Azrael to add his naming mark to the lower left of the original mark. Waiting until the wound was fully healed before sealing it with his power.
Cerberus looked down at it. He had never felt a seal of power. He had still been too young when his Sire died, for him to have it sealed. This time, though, he could see and feel how it had been done. "You were right, Megel. I do feel a bit foolish, now that I know how it is done." Then he looked up at Azrael. "Just how do you plan to get my mark on you, Loki or Megel. The rest, I am older than, but not you three."
Azrael just chuckled, shaking his head. "That would be a problem, if I was just an elder Kin, but as both Megel and I are Magi, we can see to it that your blood will be powerful enough to do the trick, and I will see to it that you can mark Loki."
Cerberus wasn't a Mage, and neither was his Sire before him. So he really wasn't sure what a Mage could or could not do. So he decided to take Azrael's words at face value as he took the blade from the elder Kin.
It felt like it was taking forever. He had never marked anyone with his name, and had almost forgotten how. And he was worried that if he didn't make his mark look like that of his old Sire's, that Azrael would refuse to carry it on his body. So, time consuming or not, he took his time and great care in making his mark. And then, trembling with nervousness, he lay his hand over it to set the seal.
Azrael looked down at Cerberus's work on his flesh. "A lovely mark, Cerberus. Take some comfort in knowing that if I did not know that this was your first mark in truth, I would have never suspected it. Other than the unholy amount of time it took you to make it." He chuckled at the younger Kin who looked down, both pleased and embarrassed. "Let us see if you can do Megel, with just a little less time consumption." Then he stopped. "Answer me this boy, you said that you were just short of being marked full Kin. If I added my mark, my name and power to activate the seal of your line, would you welcome it?"
Cerberus just looked at Azrael, a look of disbelief. "You would do that? For me, when you have done so much already. I am never going to be able to repay you for what you have given me thus far. Not even if I served you for the next five hundred years. And you would still offer more?" He shook his head, trying to understand that which was not understandable. "Why, what is it that I or mine have that you are willing to do all of this? I can accept that you are not like the others, but even you have to have a price, a demand for the amount of power you have shown me."
Azrael smiled, touching the old brand on the younger Kin's chest. "Horus was my Sire's third son. The next, to the youngest, of his Brood, only Bast, my sister, is younger. I never knew how he died, or that he had left a Childe alone. Osiris had been gone from me for only little over three hundred years at that point, and I still hurt too much to feel anything down the line that I share with my other sibs." He smiled, wiping the tears from his face. "So you see, I have more than just a passing interest in you and your Brood'swell being. Had I known, so many years ago, you would not have been forced to, stand alone, you would never have had to hide your First-Borns lineage. Had you been better trained, older, you could have come to me, as was your right, as your uncle, and sought protection. But you were too young, and I was in too much pain to do it voluntarily. So, why am I helping you? Why does any Kin help his blood?"
Cerberus, he just sat there, staring at Azrael. "You, mean, you're that ' Azrael '?" Over seven hundred years, and a life of fighting to live, and it all came down to this. "I knew my Sire's Sire was dead, but I never imagined that you, and my Sire's brother, were the same 'Azrael' . I know three others who have that name, it's a rather popular one."
He laughed. "Oh, I am sure that there are a few that carry my name out there, but I am the one that your Sire told you about. I am that 'Azrael' . I cannot believe you did not guess the truth, when you fed from me. I have known who you were, from the night I met you, since I first felt your essence."
"Well, why the hell didn't you tell me that to begin with? I've been worried sick that I'd have to figure out some way to pay you back."
The room erupted in laughter. "You have grown strong, have stood without my, or anyone else's, help for so long. I was not sure if you needed, or even wanted my help, this late into your life."
"Not want your help? Damn you, Azrael, I have spent my entire life, thinking that my own Line, turned on me. How could you think, I wouldn't want it." His, eye's searched madly, for some kind of answer on Azrael's face. "And the Lady Elder, the one that you brought with you. She, who you forced me, to kneel, before, she's my great-aunt?" Okay, so this was not at all the answer that he had expected.
"Yes, and Isis will be just as thrilled as I that we can welcome Horus's Childe, once again, to us."
Michael laughed in pleasure, as he reached to pull the stunned younger Kin to him. "Welcome, home cousin. I never had the chance to meet your Sire, but I am sure with Osiris as a Sire, he was one hell of a good man."
"And with my mark on you, and your mark sealed and activated, no one will ever raise a hand to you or yours again." No wonder the boy had been so hurt, and had felt so betrayed when his Sire had died. Cerberus had been taught, and had believed that his Sire's blood would have came and supported him in his loss, that support had never appeared. "I am sorry, so sorry, I have no right to expect you to forgive me, but I do ask you, your pardon. I failed you, Cerberus. I was the oldest of Osiris's Brood. I should have been the one to track you down, to help you. All I can say in my, defense is that his death, it came, at a time that I wasn't fully myself. That, more than anything, was the reason I did not tell you sooner. I did not want any of my blood Kin, to hate me as I fear you might."
"Hate you?" Cerberus whispered, his eyes, so dark. "Hate you?" There was a sob in his voice. "You, you think I'm going to hate you?" He looked from Azrael to Michael and back again. "You, you're my uncle, Megel my cousin, by blood. My Line has been returned to me. Hate you, my God man, how could I hate you?"
"Then, you do not resent me for not coming sooner, for leaving you to suffer alone?"
"I have to admit, it would have been a hell of a lot easier if you had shown up. But then, I wouldn't have done all that I have." He sighed, shaking his head. "No Azrael, all in all, you showed up just when I really needed you to." He closed his eyes, biting back a moan as the pain of the final sealing mark, was added to his original brand. Michael reached to set up the block again, to stop the pain. But Cerberus shook his head. "No, it's okay. I suffered the first time, I can do so again."
Morgan hugged Zephyr. "Hey, we're going to be related."
"Wow." He just couldn't believe what was going on. "I never dreamed." Yes he had pushed for the connection that Cerberus now had with Azrael, but he had never thought, not even for a second. That they would ever be connected, in the way that, they were now.
"That means that you can stay here, a lot more than I thought you would be able to."
He just nodded. She wanted to see more of him, him he still couldn't believe it. "Yeah, now like I'm legal, I guess it's okay."
Morgan just giggled. "I was going to ask Azrael if I could keep seeing you anyway. He had made a pact with your Sire, so I knew that he wouldn't say, no. The only thing that will change, is that we have a blood tie, now." She fussed at him. "Legal, I can't believe you would think that the only reason I still wanted to see you was that you can now say you are part of the Lines."
"No, baby, I didn't mean it that way." He was crying now. Emotions, too strong for him to contain, swept over him. "I meant, now that we are related, that yeah, I could stay here more often. That's all." He took her face in his hands, and laughing through his tears, he kissed her.
* * *
Cerberus reached for Eris, "Come on honey." He was still a little shocky from his discovery. "I should have never made you hide your relationship to me. I'm sorry baby. But I'm going to rectify that mistake now."
"You had to suffer your marking." Michael held his hand, ready to prevent the pain, if Cerberus was willing to allow it. "Are you going to insist that all your Brood, suffer theirs as well?"
Cerberus touched his love's cheek. He could remember the pain he had suffered through the original brand. Its searing memory was still as fresh as the new finish on him. And he just couldn't bring himself to ask that any of those he loved, and held, suffer through what he had. "No." He bent and kissed his most loved of all he had ever known or loved. "No, I can't do that to him to any of them. If you can stop the pain, please do so Megel. I would much rather not ever have, to, know I caused him that much pain."
Zephyr looked up as Cerberus motioned for him to come to where he sat. "Father?" He hadn't, not since, the night Cerberus made him his, felt the power coming from his Sire, that he did now.
"Come on Zephyr, I won't be able to fully seal the mark I am going to brand you with, but, you're going to carry my brand. All of you that are mine, will." The knife poised over the boy's breast, waiting for Michael to nod that he had the pain blocked. "Don't feel too bad about not having it activated yet. Of your other brothers, only Eris and Jacob will have it activated now. You still have another 80 years before I will put the final seal on it."
"Cerberus, Father," Zephyr looked up at him, moving to push the blade away from his chest as he pulled away from Michael, and went into his master's arms. "I have spent the last 20 years, wishing that I could have a brand like the one you have. It was the closest I would come, or so I thought, to ever being connected to your past. I don't' care if you seal it now, or later." He bit at Cerberus's neck, moaning softly as he felt his Sire's arms tightening around him. "I don't need Megel, to hide the pain from me. You paid with pain for yours, I'll pay the same for mine."
Cerberus just held his Fledgling, kissing him hungrily. "Thank you, baby. I agreed to all of this, just so that you would be able to link yourself with a, Blood Line, I never imagined that it was mine." He pushed the boy back into his First-Borns arms, setting the knife's edge against his skin. He hadn't been able to bring himself to hurt Eris, but on the same note, he couldn't bring himself to deny his precious youngest Childe, his right to feel it. "Go on, Zeph, cry if you need." And he began the first cut. "Hold him, for me, love."
Zephyr bit his lip, trying to keep from making a sound as he was finally branded. Yes, it hurt. It hurt in a way that Cerberus had never hurt him before. But with that pain came the knowledge that it was his Sire's mark, his Father's Line, and his power, that were now forever branded into his flesh.
Azrael, moved, to Loki's side. "There seems to be a lot that I have to thank the Fates for tonight." He let the man pull him close. This time he was the one that needed to be soothed, and to Loki he went knowing, that his brother, friend and lover, would be the one to seek it from.
"I am going to spend the rest of my life, thanking them for you."
"And I for you, my love, and I for you. But when I realized who Cerberus was, I never dreamed that he would, ever if he found out the truth would, do anything but hate me for failing him. But he has forgiven me, and with his forgiveness he had done his own form of healing to my soul." He pressed his head against Loki's chest, and he wept.
Loki held him, trying to think of words that could ease the pain he knew Azrael felt. But, there were none. So he held his adopted brother, his wedded lover, and let him cry.
Michael moved to Loki's side, reaching to share the joy and pain that he knew his Sire was feeling. Never once, trying to pull his Sire, and oldest friend from the arms that held him. Only striving to join with them to offer his support and his joy.
Cerberus looked up as he finished the brand he had carved into his Childe. "You are mine, Zephyr, now more than ever."
"No, I have always been yours, Father. From the first night you took me and made me love you. You took my heart and soul, with my virginity, even before you made me your Childe." His hips thrust up as Cerberus reached for him. Half, sobbing, as he allowed his Sire to take him. "Now, please Master, Father, now." His head fell back as he felt his Master's teeth sink deep into his throat.
"Wait, later," he hated to pull away, but if he didn't, he would never be able to pull away, not until he had taken his boy and bent him to him all the way. "When we get home, I won't let you go, not until dawn, and even then, you will sleep with Eris and I." He felt the boy shudder against him as he devoured his lips. "Go, I have to finish dealing with my 'uncle' ." He smiled at the whole concept. Over seven hundred years of being alone, of being without any to support him, and now. He still was having trouble facing the truth. "Go back and hide in your little friend."
Azrael lifted his head, looking to where Zephyr was moving from Cerberus and returning to Morgan, who was holding her arms open and welcoming him to her. "Boy."
Zephyr turned at the sound of Azrael's voice. "Master?"
"Love my girl there, as your Sire would love you."
Zephyr looked at Morgan. "Have you ever been loved like that?"
She shook her head. "No. Az, said that he would know when it was time, and I guess it's time now." She wouldn't show any fear, no matter what, or how much it hurt.
"But, I can't. What else are you going to show me, I have a bond with you, one of not only blood but one of love, too. I still can't understand why your Master, why he gave me that. And now, you're a virgin to this. I don't think I can block the pain like Cerberus did with me when he took me the first time."
She just smiled at him. "It's okay Mike, Zephyr. I ain't afraid of a little pain." She pressed against him, arms wrapping around, to pull his close. "Make love to me, please."
Cerberus knew his boy would never be able to force himself to take Morgan, not as long as he feared hurting her. "Hold on, baby, let me help you." He knelt by the couch where Zephyr was holding her. "Look at me, honey, listen to what I have to say to you." He brought his will down on hers as gently as he had ever used it on any, even his own Fledglings. "Zephyr only wants to love you. He wants nothing more than you to enjoy his love. So you will, okay, there won't be any pain or discomfort. Not even once." He bent to kiss Morgan, feeling her brightness, understanding, at last, what his Childe saw in her.
Eris gathered him closer as he returned. "That was sweet of you."
"If Azrael is willing to let Zeph, take her second virginity, the least I could do, was see that he didn't have to worry about hurting her. I know my boy, he would have never touched her if he thought it could possibly hurt her."
"Still, that was sweet of you. So soon after the pain Zephyr suffered with his marking, he needed to be reminded that you don't usually allow him or any that he holds to be hurt."
` "Why do you think I did it." He kissed him. "Azrael probably thought Zeph could block the pain himself. I'm sure he could have, if I had been working as hard at his training, as I should have been. But that failing was mine, not his. So I took care of it."
Zephyr shook as he held her, feeling her open to his touch and his love. He had never been so grateful for his Sire's training before in his life. Cerberus had taught him how to love another, even took the time, to show him how a woman was to be loved, as Zephyr took his first drink from one of the pets his Sire claimed. And now, he showed Morgan, her body hot against him, ever touch, every caress, that he had ever been taught.
Morgan lay back, lost in the bright wonder that this new lover of hers was showing her. She gasped, body jerking upwards as she felt teeth, lightly biting, at her sex. Her body beginning to burn, with pleasure as fingers found her as a loving mouth set her senses on fire.
"Please, Zeph," she sobbed against his lips as he made his way back up her body, loving her skin with his mouth as she came. "Make love to me, now." She wanted so much more now. She had been taken as far as mouth and fingers could take her, now she needed to feel him in her.
He moved, pulling her to the floor with him, holding her back against his chest as he felt her wet, tight, heat, as he sheathed himself in her sex. Moving to, cover, him, fully, in her, wetness, before moving to take her final mark of innocence. "Breathe for me baby. Breathe."
Morgan let out a low, open mouthed, cry as she felt him move against her, slipping inside. She pressed her hand against his as he began to stroke her in rhythm to his motions.
"Raise your hands honey, pull my head to you." He pressed the side of his face to hers. Kissing and tasting her skin as he did so. He had never wanted to drink so badly from anyone other than his Sire, before in his life. * Please. * His thoughts reached out to his Sire.
Cerberus looked to Azrael, who only, nodded, smiling. * Go on honey, it's okay. * He would have to, one day soon, take his boy and his new, love, and share the love he was showing her.
The cry that Morgan made at the feel of his teeth, and then the heat of his hunger, was almost a scream. She gave herself to this, welcoming the power that flowed through her.
* * *
It was much later, with dawn just an hour or two away when Cerberus was finally able to pull his two up and together, to, finally leave Azrael's. He had had to remind Zephyr twice of the boy who his brother was watching over for him. Finally, snapping in exasperation that for someone who had no interest in women, he was being damned hard headed about it all, and if he didn't behave, and come home with him, he would just give the boy to Jacob. It was that final threat that finally made the boy bend and agree to obey. Bending to kiss Morgan, repeatedly as he dressed, promising to return soon, and even bring Darion to meet her.
"Zephyr!" Cerberus only laughed. "Calm down, boy, you act like I'm not going to let you come back anytime in the near future. It's time to go home, I have to see to the rest, and tell the Covenstead what has happened. But I am sure that you will be more than welcome to return, anytime you want to. If it wasn't for that little boy you just took at home, I wouldn't make you come home now."
Michael went to gather Morgan close as Zephyr finished dressing. "You are like a drug to the boy." He teased her. "I don't think he is going to be able to stay away from you more than a day, perhaps two, at the most."
"As long as the boy wants to see her, and is good, I don't care how often he is here." Cerberus looked to Azrael, with a look of one tolerant Sire, to another. "Just so long as he understands that as the host, and Master here, if he behaves badly in your realm, it is to you he answers to."
"As long as he does not hurt my Chosen, I do not believe he will ever give my cause to censor him."
"If he ever does, it is not going to be intentional. Zeph couldn't even go ahead and love her as he did without my stepping in. He didn't know how to block pain, and was terrified that he would hurt her. So you don't have to worry about that, at least, not from him."
"I know that, and he also knows what I told him would happen if he ever did. So he will strive to see that he never does her harm, intentional, or not."
He just nodded. He knew he would never be able to convince this one of how harmless his boy really was. But he could sit back and let his Childe prove it for him. "Well," he grinned. "Uncle, I have to be getting back to my home. I've still got to make sure that Garren gets to see his last sunrise. I'll finish marking the rest of my Brood with my brand, at setting tomorrow." He looked at the rags that had once been his shirt, in his hand. "Oh well, I guess I can always buy another shirt. I lose the damn things about two or three a week sometimes.
"You tend to be in just a tad too much of a hurry to feel skin against skin. That's all. Why do you think I keep so many smoking jackets, when I do not smoke."
Cerberus just laughed. "That's a thought, or I can just forgo shirts all together when I'm with one of mine."
* You are welcome to try that, little one, but do not be surprised if you find you are still losing shirts. If your Brook is anything like mine, you will quickly find that they are always with you. * Azrael's thoughts flowed over him, teasingly.
"Safe domain, Azrael." He hugged him.
"Safe sleep to you as well."
"Good hunting." Michael hugged him, patting his back.
"You too."
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