Tyrell paced around the room, rooting through drawers and searching for something to entertain Lucian with. The redhead’s silence unnerved him. It wasn’t like Lucian to be so obscure and aloof. Tyrell chalked it up to the fact that Lucian was probably just reeling from the effects of a bad date with his sister. Kat could make almost anyone act weird. Yet the way Lucian just kept staring at him as though he was trying to gaze into his very soul creeped him out. Lucian wasn’t seeing him at all. He was just watching him like some predatory beast. Tyrell didn’t trust that hungry look in his eyes. It wasn’t like Lionelle’s, hungry for blood. Nor was it like Kat’s, hungry for affection and love. It was more like Angelique’s in that it craved knowledge. But what could Lucian want to know about him?

Lucian had been like this ever since they had sneaked back into the house as Tyrell had quickly informed his disinterested parents that Lucian would be spending the night with him. Before they had a chance to respond, Tyrell had dragged Lucian upstairs and locked his door so that he could shed his STRYFE persona before his parents discovered it. After reassuming the appearance of the well-bred schoolboy that his parents had brought him up to be, Tyrell had spent the last hour trying to find out why Lucian was acting so strange. As of now, his current mission was to come up with something that would bring the redhead out of this trance.

Ducking from the insatiate gaze of his companion, he dipped down into one of his drawers and retrieved a video game CD. It was for some new-styled role-paying game. He hadn’t played it much lately though Maren had given it to him a while ago for his birthday. But it did claim that it allowed for double-player scenarios. Lucian seemed to enjoy things that were challenging. Perhaps, he would opt to try the CD.

He held it up and showed it to Lucian with an ardent smile. "Hey Lucian, want to play a game?"

"Why?" the older boy responded briskly.

The other youth’s smile faded and he plodded over to place the game in the system. "I just thought that you looked like you weren’t having much fun. I don’t want to bore you. So I found this game for us. Maren got it for me and he told me that it had spectacular game-play. He said it’s really challenging and has superb graphics. And the story is...."

Spinning around to the yapping boy, Lucian knocked the CD from his hands and glared at him in pure ire. "I don’t have time for mindless frivolities! I came here to talk to you!" he snapped as Tyrell recoiled, terrified by the anger that his friend was showing him.

"I’m sorry Lucian, I...."

"Didn’t you hear me? I said shut up! I’ve played the perfect guest long enough. The rest of your family is asleep by now so I wager that we shouldn’t have any interruptions."

"Interruptions?" repeated Tyrell as he backed into his bed, hitting the side of his legs by accident. "Why would you be afraid of being interrupted? What’s going on?"

Lucian advanced upon him, reaching forward and grabbing a piece of the chain that draped around his neck. He yanked the younger boy toward him, sinking the edge of the necklace deep into the back of Tyrell’s throat. "You are a stupid, child, Tyrell Alistar," he hissed as Tyrell gasped, unwilling to believe that Lucian would want to hurt him.

He couldn’t even fight back. There was no way that he could strike Lucian. But as the red-haired teenager wrenched the chain even harder, he found himself battling with the urge to push Lucian away. The chain was really chaffing his neck and Lucian kept leering at him those dark and unfeeling eyes. It hurt. Though the physical pain wasn’t half as bad as the realization that it was his friend who was doing this to him. Lucian did want to hurt him. What was wrong with him?

"Stop...Lucian...please...stop," he moaned as he reached up to shove the older boy away. Paying to mind to the green-eyed youth’s pleas, Lucian jerked the chain even harder, whipping the Cruce out from Tyrell’s collar. He stared at the piece of jewelry in his hand as his eyes grew wide and the red light in them dulled to a soothing brown.

"So you’ve had it all along," he murmured as he let the cross fall back on Tyrell’s chest. "I should have known. The last Alistar had the Cruce this whole time. And I allowed you to fight with it. You could have lost it to those fiends. How careless of me?"

"What?" Tyrell mumbled as he closed his hand around the Cruce, suddenly nervous of the boy standing next to him. How did Lucian know what the Cruce was? And why had he called him Alistar? There it was again, that name that had haunted his dreams for so long. What did it mean?

He looked back up at Lucian as he caught the chocolate waves swirling in his cold eyes. Finally, he understood. The person in the room with him now wasn’t Lucian at all. It was someone else. Lucian was possessed. Emerald eyes filling with rage at the sight of someone trying to attack him by using the identity of his friend, Tyrell slapped the older boy with all his might. "You are not Lucian! Tell me who you really are!"

The redhead threw back his head in a maniacal laugh that was a complete mockery of the purring tenor of Lucian’s chuckles. "Very astute, young Key," he sneered as he took one step back from Tyrell and turned his head, lifting his hair to show him the stigma imprinted on his neck. It was now glowing with a bright ruby sheen. Dropping his ponytail back over the mark, he faced the boy once more and set his piercing eyes upon him. "But are you so sure you want to know who I am?"

Before Tyrell could answer, the other youth closed his eyed and then let out a sharp cry as he clutched his shoulders. In front of Tyrell’s very eyes, a pair of massive ebony wings tore their way from his back, unfurling to their full length as they speckled blood around them. The wings were formed in the image of Evangel’s from Tyrell’s dreams with the same angelic feathers and sloping bones. Rolling over the gorgeous feathers came a winding river of dark red hair that extended to the creature’s waist in cascading waves of silk. The hands on his shoulders shot out vicious black claws, which scraped along the figure’s skin, drawing blood wherever they touched. As the person opened his eyes, a thin scar appeared just next to the surface of the right one, reaching out to the edge of his cheekbone.

"Oh my god!" Tyrell breathed, almost stunned beyond thought by the exquisite creature that stood before him. His eyes danced across the figure, taking in the scar on the eye, the deadly claws, and finally, the impressive wings.

The winged-figure noticed where the boy’s eye was resting and flashed a sinister smile, elongated fangs glistening from behind his lips. "Breath-taking, aren’t they? The black gives them an almost eerie appeal. Would you believe that these are the attributes of a demon?" he cooed, pressing against one of the black feathers.

The bitterness in his voice pulled Tyrell from his stupor and the youth rose from his bed, his eyes flashing with wonder. "Who are you?"

"Don’t you know? You are after all, the child who is supposed to see the past and future. Haven’t you seen me before? In your dreams?" the winged person encouraged as he waved his hands before his eyes, which were returning to the color they had been before he had come in contact with the Cruce.

In a heartbeat, everything from Tyrell’s dream came back to him. He saw the shorthaired boy fighting against Vincient to save his sister and Danae. Then, he watched as that boy tumbled to the ground, breathing his last breath as Vincient cackled in the background. Those wings and that scar. He knew who he was.

"Tavores."

With a flourish, Tavores bowed, his graceful mane spilling out over his head and shoulders. He swiped at it roughly with one hand and brought himself up to face the bewildered teenager. "Tavores Destin. Heir to the Destin thrown and protector of the Cruce."

"Didn’t you have short hair?" posed Tyrell, not knowing what else to say at a time like this.

Tavores hissed and tore his fingers across his luxurious stands, yanking a few out and tossing them aside with a disgusted frown. "Hah! Do you think the powers that granted me my rebirth would allow me to keep my mortal form? No! Those bastards seated me with this wretched body. The form you see before you belongs to the creature that possessed me for decades. Armageddon, the demon of destruction, Vincient’s private servant and most treasured assassin," he snarled as he ripped more of the wavy tresses in his hand.

"You’ve been inside Lucian all this time?"

"Yes. I guess you could say that Lucian Ambrose is my host or rather my reincarnation. Of course, that carefree lout insists on parading around in a ponytail. As if this form isn’t enough, he has to take my second chance and make me into a pretty boy. I guess I should be thankful that he still likes girls. I don’t think I could stomach it if he acted the way he looks."

Tyrell made a face at the other youth’s slanderous words. It was obvious that Tavores wasn’t into the new styles of this age or the new attitudes on life for that matter. Come to think of it, he was beginning to get the impression that Tavores didn’t respect Lucian very much either. He seemed so indifferent to him. "Where is Lucian right now?" he asked in a nervous tone.

The red-haired figure folded his wings and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes as though the mere mention of his host’s name was bothering him. "He’s sleeping in my subconscious. Don’t worry, he’ll be fine. It’s just not possible for us both to be in control at the same time. When I made my bargain for resurrection, I was promised that I would still have some say over my life though I would not always be in full control. I guess what they meant was that I could only control this conscience when I force myself to. Otherwise, Lucian gets carte blanche of this body. Some new life. I don’t even get to enjoy it. I have to sit around while that psycho spends the majority of his time trying to ruin it with some crazy scheme or other. He has no respect for this body. He doesn’t deserve it at all."

"Are you asleep when Lucian’s in control?"

"No. Unlike my pathetic alter ego, I am always aware of what is going on around him even when I’m not in control. Lucian only sees what I want him to see about me. Most of the time, he’s oblivious to my entire presence."

"But he knows that you are part of him, right?" questioned the younger boy, afraid of the possibility that Tavores could be occupying Lucian’s mind without his consent.

The demon rolled his eyes and nodded his head glumly. "Yes. The child knows about me. He wouldn’t if I didn’t choose to speak to him in his dreams. It is rather unfortunate that sometimes our memories get mixed up and he has to suffer though my past. Such a thing is not a pretty sight for a young man, especially when one is still very much a boy."

"Wait! Your past. You’ve shown it to Lucian. You’ve shown him Vincient and your death and the way he controlled your very soul. Lucian has seen this. Since when?"

"Since he was born, of course," Tavores shrugged, trying to hide his shiver at the mention of Vincient’s name.

"Since he was a child? How could you do that to him? A child can’t understand those sorts of things. A child should never have to see that. You could have traumatized him!" Tyrell accused, lunging at Tavores and clutching his shirt.

"Could have? I did. He just won’t let any of you see. Lucian is very good at hiding things. He gets that from me. We’re both masters of deception."

The green-eyed youth shook the demon, not able to control the rage that was washing over him. This creature was admitting to forcing Lucian through such atrocities as though it were nothing. He had messed with the life of another human and he didn’t care. How could this same creature share Lucian’s body?

"You can’t just mess with somebody’s life like that!"

Tavores used his wings to push the boy away from him as he turned his head with a grating sigh. "Look, it’s not like I meant to show him my memories. It just sort of happened. Would you rather me have not shown myself to him at all? That way he would have grown up without ever knowing I existed and would have just thought that he was warped and that caused him to have insane dreams. Too bad, it did take him so long to figure out that I actually existed. For quite a while, he thought that he made me up. Lucian has a very twisted mind."

"I guess that makes sense," Tyrell moped as he remained on the ground, sitting on his knees. "So what do you tell Lucian when you talk to him?"

"Guardian things," drawled the red-haired youth, running a claw down the side of his neck. "Don’t worry about it."

"You know, you’re just like Dominic," the other boy complained as he observed the evasive way that Tavores was speaking to him. "He always says stuff like that. ‘You don’t need to know. It doesn’t concern you. Keep out of my business.’ I think you two would enjoy each other’s company."

"Bah! I’ve had my fill of that abusive jerk. Lucian may play along with his violent games, but nobody touches me!"

Tyrell stared at him with unsure eyes, resting his hands in his lap. "Dominic hit you?"

"He hit Lucian while I was in possession. You could say, I reacted badly," Tavores hinted with a tiny smirk.

"I can understand why you don’t want to be touched. You must have some bad memories from your time with Vincient," Tyrell said understandingly as Tavores drew his wings closer to his body. The younger boy felt bad bringing up a subject that obviously caused the demon so much pain, but he had to know about the person who he might be facing. Fang had mentioned Vincient when he had left with the other Chimera the night of the dance. Then too, Tavores had been terrified by the mere sound of his name. Of course, he had been in the guise of Lucian at the time and Tyrell had not known it was him. Whatever Vincient had done to Tavores and Reyna, it had had a permanent effect on him. Approaching the tender topic carefully, Tyrell pulled the Cruce around his neck in a circle as he glanced toward the other youth. "Tavores, what happened to you? I’ve only seen a few random scenes. But I don’t understand. What made you into this demon that you claim to be and how did you come back after Vincient killed you?" Tavores bit his lip and then slid down the wall, leaning his head against the unyielding surface.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"I will tell you this only because it may help you to know the creature that you Keys are up against. Vincient is a powerful warlock that has discovered the secret of a type of immortality. Yes he can die, but not from old age or by some simple weapon or accident. Only magic can strip him of his life. All of his life, he has been searching for the Cruce, believing it to possess the power to make his immortality complete.

"My family, the Destins, were given the Cruce as a wedding gift when one of our ancestors fell in love with a simple peasant. Upon the marriage, he presented his wife with the Cruce. I am not sure where he got the relic but I know that it has something to do with a woman named Devah, possibly his great-grandmother. Years passed and the Cruce was passed along each generation of Destins ending with my own. By this time, rumors had spread that our family wielded a treasure said to grant unlimited power. Of course, there was war. Many were killed, including my parents, leaving my sister, Reyna, and I in the care of some ancient friends of the family. We grew up with them. They were known as the Alistars.

"But the war did not end with the murder of our family. No, the power-hungry men still wanted the Cruce and they came after the last surviving Destins, us. Fortunately, we had an advantage. One of the children of the Alistars was a clairvoyant, much like yourself Tyrell. He warned us of the oncoming attack and convinced us to give the Cruce to one of his daughters for safekeeping. She was then taken away by one of our family’s loyal servants. He promised to protect her and I now know that he did since she was the last Alistar after we were attacked. She must have given the Cruce to her descendent, Danae.

"One day, the Alistars were attacked as the son had predicted. They fought bravely, but were no match for our assailants who were aided with invincible magic. Nobody knew who was helping them and none were able to escape. Since I was seventeen at the time, I too fought alongside the family that had guarded my sibling and me all this time. During a fight, I was stuck down with a mortal wound. The man who had dealt the blow would have killed me had not Reyna shielded me with her own body. She was killed instantly and I went mad. I attacked without reason or mercy, hewing down any that remained in the castle. But there was one who I could not defeat. A young man with midnight black hair and soulless black eyes. He delivered another fatal blow and while I was on the ground, unable to recover from my injuries, he sliced his sword just across my eye, missing the cornea by just a hair. I suspect that he wanted to humiliate me rather than blind me since he knew that I was dying anyway.

"I drifted in and out of consciousness, the wound was deep but had not stuck home, meaning that I was going to bleed to death slowly. Then someone appeared before me. With my blurred vision, I could barely see him and only caught the faintest sound in my voice. He asked me if I wanted to live. I told him that I didn’t care what happened to me. I just wanted Reyna to be all right. So he offered me a choice. Our lives for a favor later on. How could I have even imagined how ghastly that favor would be? But I was furious. My lust for vengeance had made me stupid and I agreed to his offer. The figure walked up to me as I passed out due to the blood loss. The last thing I remember was feeling his cold fingers on the back of my neck and a searing pain.

"When I woke up, Reyna was awake and wandering around frightened. I was thrilled to see her back she backed away from me, pointing to the scar running across my eye. I tried to reassure her and rubbed the back of my throat as I had often done whenever I was nervous. That was when I felt the hexacle that had been burned into my flesh. A mark that I belonged to Vincient. The symbol of our pact. Eventually Vincient revealed himself as the same man who had nearly killed me. I tried to escape but by then it was too late. The bargain had been sealed and we were his to command.

"At the time, I was still unaware of what Vincient had done to me. But I did begin to notice that I was becoming colder toward my sister and even openly threatening her life. Vincient was forcing us to do his dirty work, mainly to steal things, fight by his side, and kill those who opposed him. By this time, I knew that he understood that the Destins no longer had the Cruce. He tried to force me to reveal its location but since I did not know, he could not manipulate me into telling him. Reyna grew afraid of the way I was becoming and accused me of being a monster. She told me that I was no longer her brother and that I was a bloodthirsty fiend. Since Reyna had never agreed to the pact herself, Vincient’s hold over her was weaker and she escaped. Before she left, we had a final fight where she promised me that she would do her best to stop me from hurting anymore innocents or ever finding the Cruce, even if it meant that she had to kill me. Not the nicest words to hear from the sister who once gave her life for you.

"When she abandoned me, I was lost and angry. I didn’t know what to do. Worried that she was right about how I was changing, I tried to kill myself. Vincient arrived just before I slit my throat. To my surprise, the wound did not kill me and within moments had healed as if was never there. You see, Vincient had placed a curse upon me upon my resurrection. He had combined my blood with that of a demon and had managed to create his own minion. That creation was Armageddon. Using his power, he had seen to it that I was now just as immortal as he was. Now only he had the power to kill me. No matter how many times I tried in the years following that, I couldn’t die. But the worst realization was that he had done the same thing to Reyna, creating in her the demon, Tranquillity. An ironic name for a demon, I must say. I guess it was his private joke to have her name counteract mine.

"Over the years, I lost control of my mind and Armageddon was able to have complete control. The moments of peace that he did allow me were usually spent trying to commit suicide yet again or searching for some information about Reyna. I no longer cared about anything but finding her. When I realized that she was beyond my reach, I gave up entirely. Vincient used his demon as he wished, only seeing me as someone that he could mock and torment. In those years, Armageddon killed hundreds. He relished in the rush of blood and the screams for mercy, which he never granted.

"One day, long after my hell had begun to destroy me, I came across this innocent young girl with a wonderful gift for music. Her name was Danae. She played the flute in such a way that it served to quell my interminable despair. Danae was attacked by some boys for stopping them from stoning some helpless cat. Even though, I had never spoken to her, I had fallen in love with her soothing music. So I rescued her. After that, she became determined to become my friend. My depression saddened her and we spent many afternoons engaging in some activity that she hoped would bring me out of my slump. She was sweet and though I knew I could never be with her because of my fate, I fell in love with her. Little did I know that she felt the same way about me. Had I known that, I probably would have avoided her. But I was oblivious, as are all those in love’s spell, and I stayed with her whenever I could escape from Armageddon. Vincient neither knew nor cared since he knew that he could always find me because of the mark on my neck.

"Then, I found out Danae’s secret when I saw that she wore the Cruce. I don’t know why I never noticed it before. I assume it was because I was too busy gazing at her mesmerizing eyes to notice anything on her neck. But when I saw the religious emblem on her throat, I knew that she was an Alistar. Afraid that Vincient would somehow find us, take the Cruce from her, and then kill her, I tried to force her away. I told her I was a demon incapable of love. I even tried to show her by cutting my wrist just to have the wound close before her eyes. Although she was scared, she told me that none of it mattered because she loved me. It had been so long since I had heard those words that I grew careless.

"I began to fight against Armageddon’s control and Vincient started to notice the change in my attitude. He did not like to see his servant, whom he had thought was completely broken by now, rebelling against his will. Seeking to find the source of my renewed spirit, he followed me to where I went to see Danae. When I returned to him by nightfall, he declared that he knew of my new flame and was determined to destroy her. I promised him that I wouldn’t fight against him any more as long as he spared Danae. Vincient refused, calling me weak and demanding for Armageddon to regain possession. He was enraged that I was able to hold back the demon inside of me. Knowing that this was the result of my relationship with the girl, he set up a trap to kill her. Thankfully, he was still blind to the fact that Danae had the Cruce.

"Danae fell for his ruse, thinking that I had summoned her there to talk to her about something special. Vincient attacked. But Danae possessed one major ally. Over the years, she had come across my sister and befriended her. Reyna must have known that I was seeing Danae and knowing her, she probably chastised Danae for her foolishness. But something had stopped my sibling from killing me when she had the chance. Part of her still believed that I was her brother and that perhaps, I deserved a chance to prove that I could overcome what Vincient had done to me. So she did not come for me before that day. Though when she learned that Danae had received a letter requesting the girl to come see me, she had trailed behind her just in case. Reyna was also the cautious one. I guess you could say that I was the reckless twin.

"You probably know the rest. Vincient forced Armageddon back into control and he fought with Reyna. But the sound of her scream was able to jolt me back into power and I turned on Vincient with her help. Vincient killed Reyna while she tried to protect me. Then, he killed me when I begged for Danae’s life. Only too late did he discover that she was an Alistar, just before she sealed him forever, or so I thought.

"Somehow Vincient escaped. I may never know how. All I know was that the deities of Purgatory came to me and presented me with the chance of a new life for both Reyna and me. I had played this game once before so I was cautious. They laid out all the elements for me, explaining that all I had to do in return for this chance was promise to find the Cruce and protect it as I had when I was growing up. In exchange for my services, they would grant me a new body and a fresh start of life. I would still possess my memories of what had happened and my own conscience but I would be confined to the mind of my reincarnation. As for Reyna, she too would be reincarnated except for the memories of the past. I did not want her to have to suffer for my mistakes.

"They agreed and I was reborn in the form of the child, Lucian Ambrose. The child was destined to live a life of chaos, never truly knowing who he really was. When the time came for revelation, I entered Lucian’s dreams and presented him with two Shards given to me by the deities. One was the ruby gobule that he constantly wears and the other was Tashira’s opal. Upon waking up, he discovered that the relics were concrete and that’s when he understood that his dreams were real. He had a rough life overall, even without my presence. But I wager that he would rather tell you about it than have me spread his secrets. His business is not mine to impart. I respect his privacy that much. But eventually, the call to find the Cruce drew him to you and that places us where we are right now. So, are you clear on everything, Tyrell Alistar?"

*~*~*~*~*~*

Speechless from what he had just heard, Tyrell sat there for a while swallowing within his throat and trying to keep from breaking down in front of Tavores. The demon’s story was just so depressing. He couldn’t hate Tavores now, no matter what he did. Tavores had been through hell and he was just fighting for a piece of his old life. He just wanted to be happy. How could anyone blame him for wanting that much? Even if he was possessed by the shadow of a demon, he still was human. He had emotions and fears and desires just like everyone else. Tavores just had to use less convention methods of getting what he wanted since he couldn’t force Lucian to act as he pleased. After all, Tavores had confessed that Lucian was pretty much running the show.

But there was something that he was curious about. Why did Tavores keep calling him Alistar? Yes, he had the Cruce but it had been given to him from his father who could have gotten it from anywhere. Just having the trinket didn’t prove a thing. What made him so special?

"Not quite," he answered after some moments of silence; "I still don’t understand why you believe that I am an Alistar. I don’t even know how to use the true power of the Cruce. What makes you think that I am the last of that family?"

The red-haired demon raised his eyes and cocked his head to the side, gazing at the youth with a calculating visage. "I’m not sure. But I can just feel it about you. Your aura is much like that of Danae. There is no mistaking it. You are the last Alistar. That is why you were chosen to wield the Cruce," he replied with a nod of his head.

"What about my sister? We share the same blood. Isn’t she an Alistar as well?"

"Ah, the fair Kathy. Yes, you two may share the same blood. But the power of the Alistars is stronger in your veins than in hers. Somehow her power has been weakened. Perhaps, the inability of her to use her own attributes may be the cause of this. You see, while you have undergone your trials of the prophecy dreams every night, she has rarely used her ability to detect danger. It was only when your destiny as the Keys was revealed that she first started to understand her power. Therefore, she has allowed her Alistar lineage to dissipate. But only one of pure Alistar blood can control the Cruce’s essence. This is why you, Tyrell Arteme, are known as the last Alistar."

His answer didn’t satisfy Tyrell but the boy knew that he wasn’t going to get anything better right now. It was best to accept the response and move on. Drawing his legs out from under him and sitting on his backside, Tyrell lifted the cross and examined the way the crystalline surface caused the surrounding lights of his room to bounce across the walls. It was a ravishing object, but he still couldn’t fathom what sort of magic it withheld.

"So what did you want to tell me? Back at the concert, you said that you had something important to share with me. I’m guessing that it wasn’t your past. Is it about Vincient?" he inquired as he flipped the Cruce in his fingers.

"Partly. It has more to do with what Vincient is seeking."

"But I thought he just wanted this," contested Tyrell, holding out the cross for Tavores to see. "What else could he want?"

"Evangel."

"What does she have to do with this?" the other boy mumbled in an awed voice. Evangel was the girl from his dreams. She had bargained with the deities for the chance to live as a mortal and had been granted it. Whatever power she had once possessed as a servant of the celestials was long gone. Besides, being mortal, she would have died centuries ago. What could Vincient want with her? Then, he saw the Cruce wrapped around Evangel’s neck in his mind’s eye. If she had once had the relic, then how had it been passed to the Destins? Was the man who married the Destin daughter one of Evangel’s descendants?

Tavores beheld Tyrell’s meditation, noting how quiet the boy had become after posing his query. The older youth probably was trying to figure out what he was thinking right now. Tyrell just hoped that Lucian’s alter ego didn’t share the Hell Guardian’s telepathic abilities. Tavores hadn’t brought that up during his story so there was a good chance that the talent was Lucian’s own birthright.

"Vincient seeks to bring back the deities’ chosen assassin," Tavores replied as he reclined against the wall. "He knows that the Cruce is the key to her ultimate power. That is why he’s been searching for it all this time. I remember him once showing me a book about her. It was said that four elements were required to summon the soul of Evangel. These were the Cruce, some ancient pendant, a person with an abundance of magic stored in their blood, and the life’s essence of the one who cared for her. I know nothing about the last two, but I do know that Vincient discovered the pendant upon the book that he was showing me. He had found the book as a young man. It was some sort of journal or diary and listed the life story of a woman named Devah who claimed to be the mortal form of Evangel. She had written it in hope of warning her descendants against wedding those in power and producing an offspring that might be able to take on her ancient power. I assume that the man who married into my family was one of her sons, which is why he carried the Cruce. Vincient is trying to assemble the remaining pieces to call upon the service of Evangel. With her power, he would be unstoppable. He would be as a god."

"What did the pendant look like?" Tyrell asked, growing uneasy as he recalled the pendant that Angelique now wore along with the Amethyst.

"It was in the shape of an angel wing carved from pure amethyst jewels with a single letter inscribed on the bottom edge. I believe it was an...E or something," the redhead answered as he had trouble in remembering the exact details of the object.

"That’s the one that Angie has!" the younger boy blurted out before he could stop himself. Tavores jerked his head toward him and rushed over, sinking his fingers into the tips of his shoulders.

"You know about the pendant? Angie? That’s your cousin, Angelique right?" he demanded, pressing down on Tyrell’s supple skin. Unable to respond because of the knot forming in his throat, Tyrell remained motionless as the demon jostled him violently. "Answer me Key!" Frightened by the ferocity in the other youth’s roar, Tyrell nodded weakly. Tavores tossed him to the side and jumped to his feet, clenching his fist and cursing. "Wonderful! You’re cousin is traipsing around with the jewelry of a killer. Where the hell did she get it?"

"I don’t know," Tyrell whimpered as he clapped his hand over his eyes and shook his head. "She said one of the Chimera gave it to her, Fang I think. I don’t know if he got if from Vincient or not."

"Get it away from her!" Tavores commanded as Tyrell lifted his head and peered at him with his trembling gray green eyes.

"How am I supposed to do that? She loves that thing as much as she loves the Amethyst. She’ll never give it to me."

"Do you want her to fall prey to the Chimera again? If one of Vincient’s servants gave it to her, then it must mean that he wants her for something. If you want to protect her, then take the pendant."

"You think Vincient is after Angie?"

"Maybe. You can’t trust that bastard. He will use anyone to get what he wants. And Vincient always gets what he wants."

Tyrell thought of his reserved cousin being forced around as he had seen Vincient do to Tavores and shuddered. He couldn’t let that happen. Vincient had nearly shattered Tavores. Angelique would never be able to survive that sort of mental torture. She was already in enough anguish at not knowing anything about her mother’s past or the identity of her father. If he had to take her treasure to keep her safe, then he was willing to do it, even if it made her hate him for it.

"All right. I get the pendant. I don’t want anything bad to happen to Angie," the mahogany-haired youth whispered as Tavores glared at him.

"See that you get it soon."

Jeez, Tavores was pushier than Dominic was. Even though his voice was as smooth as nectar, it could bark out commands in the same manner of the eldest boy. He demanded obedience and with his treacherous appearance, Tyrell was positive that very few would want to argue with him. Still, Tavores was right about the pendant. It would be safer to keep it away from Angelique.

"So where’s Kathy?" Tavores interrupted with a wistful look in his dark red eyes. The dour expression on his face had softened and his bellow had dropped to a gentle timbre.

"She’s...um...in her room. It is almost one o’clock, Tavores," Tyrell stammered, puzzled as to why Tavores would be interested in his sister all of the sudden.

The redhead tapped his nails on the wall and frowned. "Of course. I forgot."

"Why do you ask?"

"No reason. I was just curious what the other Key could be up to," chattered the demon, waving his hand around in a dismissive gesture. Tyrell gave him a skeptical look as he climbed to his feet. He sauntered over to the edge of the room and picked up his CD from where Tavores had knocked it and placed it on top of his gaming system. Then he moved over to his mirror and began to remove the lightning mark from his eye with a set of wet wipes. He had long since switched his lavish band attire for a simple set of nightclothes.

"Really? For a second there, I thought that you asked out of concern for my twin," he tempted as he scrubbed against the black pencil shading.

"I am concerned about her," Tavores snapped and then immediately pressed his lips shut, looking as though he had just said something foolish.

"Why?"

Tavores’ silence gave Tyrell as the answer he needed as a crystal clear realization started to seep into his brain. Tavores cared about Danae. Kat looked just like Danae. Even more intriguing was the notion that Lucian cared for Kat, though he always seemed anxious and agitated around her. For the longest time, he had been wondering how Lucian could seem to desire Kat so much and still flee at her slightest touch. Now, Tavores had just given him the ultimate conclusion to the scenario. Tavores was in love with Kat and was forcing Lucian to lust after his sister. He was controlling Lucian’s emotions. It was a blatant robbery of Lucian’s free will.

Tyrell suddenly felt incredibly angry. "You! All this time it was you! You’re the one who’s forcing Lucian to love Kat. That’s why he freaks out whenever they kiss. You’re forcing him to feel things that aren’t there!"

"So what," the demon snorted dismissively. "She’s a pretty girl. He should be happy to get a chance to be with her."

"But they’re not his feelings…."

"Sure they are. I am the original conscience. So my feelings should take top priority. It’s only fair."

"Fair!" screamed Tyrell as whirled around to Tavores. "Fair? How can you even think of calling such a thing fair? You’re taking over somebody’s emotions here. That’s interfering with his very life. How can you consider that fair."

The redhead bared his fangs and narrowed his eyes as he spoke in a thick, cynical tone. "It was supposed to be my life. I was cheated! All I wanted was another chance with Danae and they tricked me! Well, I showed them. I’m going to get Danae my own way."

"Kat is not your Danae. She never will be. Even if you did get her to fall in love with you, it wouldn’t be you. It would be Lucian. Kat doesn’t even know you exist, Tavores. What you’re doing is selfish," the younger boy preached.

"It doesn’t matter. As long as I can still hold her in my arms, it’s enough for me. I don’t even care if she knows the difference between my other self and me. I just want to be with her."

"I’m sorry for what happened to you, Tavores. I truly am. I would love to be able to tell you to woo Kat and relive your dream with Danae. But I can’t. Don’t you see? It’s no longer your life. You’re hurting Lucian like this. If he is going to fall in love with my sister, he has to do it on his own grounds and in his own time. You can’t just make someone love someone else. It isn’t done. Can’t you see what’s wrong with your logic?"

Tavores turned his head and motioned toward a picture on Tyrell’s bureau. It was a snapshot of the two sitting on a swing while Tyrell braided wild flowers in Angelique’s tresses. Tyrell was laughing at how one of the flowers dangled just above the center of her forehead like a loose lock of hair. Lying on her knees, Angelique was cracking the tiniest of smirks as she looked up at the boy. It was one of Tyrell’s favorite pictures and once he had swindled it out of Kathryn’s hands, he had placed it in the silver frame where it was located now. Tavores looked at the photo again and lowered his head.

"Love isn’t about logic. It’s about knowing what you feel and acting on that knowledge. I had hoped that you, of all people, would understand this, Tyrell," he whispered.

"But Tavores, you’re controlling Lucian’s mind and stripping him of his private emotions. It might as well be a rape of his conscious thought. By doing this, you’re just repeating what Vincient and Armageddon did to you."

"You don’t know what you’re talking about, boy. You’re just a child, a child who’s always had someone to help him out and support him in times of need. You’ve never known what it’s like to have all that taken from you. Why should I let you judge me?"

"I’m not trying to. But you have to face the facts, Tavores. Yes, you got conned. You didn’t get your second chance as you had thought you would and had to deflect it to Lucian. So, of course you’re going to be angry. But now this is Lucian’s life. He has lived it, throughout whatever fate gave him to work with. And though you may see fit to take over on occasion, you can’t possess his emotions and you can’t make him love Kathryn," Tyrell argued, his voice becoming more forceful as he thought about what affect this mind-control was having on both Lucian and Kat. He had to make Tavores see reason here. If he really loved Kat, he wouldn’t trick her like this. Tavores might have been jaded, but he still had to have some piece of decent humanity left in him otherwise why would he regret causing Lucian’s nightmares.

"I will do as I please. It is because of me that Lucian is even here. So I will decide what is best for us and no whiny rich-kid is going to stop me," Tavores hissed.

"You can’t do that! What about Lucian?"

"I AM LUCIAN AMBROSE!"

Tyrell turned around slowly and walked up to the demon so that he could look him in the eye. He shook his head as he rolled his eyes toward the redhead. "No, you’re not. You’re nothing like Lucian."

"You’d be surprised just how much we do have in common," the older youth snarled as he spread out his wings and wrapped them around himself. Seconds later, they faded into black stardust as Tavores began to take on Lucian’s form once more. The red star on his neck glowed from beneath his mass of hair that shortened and slid down his shoulder blades as the scar vanished from his right eye.

His eyes closed as the red-haired boy grabbed his side and groaned, falling to his hands and feet. Noting how Lucian looked more like himself, Tyrell crept forward and touched the teenager’s back. Lucian jerked up, terrified garnet eyes scanning the length of the room. The orbs had lost the brown sheen to them that they had possessed when Tavores had been in control. They looked more like the dancing chips of jewelry that Tyrell was used to seeing, which meant that Lucian was back. But the way Lucian’s body was trembling and the way his eyes were traveling up and down every inch of the room worried Tyrell. Hugging his chest with one arm, Lucian allowed his eyes to make their way back up to Tyrell. When they fell upon the younger boy, they widened in a mixture of shock and perplexity.

"Tye? What am I doing here?"

*~*~*~*~*~*

Lucian was frightened that he couldn’t remember a thing after seeing Tyrell sing at the concert. Everything was gone, wiped away like a giant slab of slate. Yet, here he was, kneeling on the ground in front of his charge and battling a nasty migraine in his head. His back also felt strange, almost as if something had ripped through the skin. As he waited for Tyrell to answer his question, Lucian ran his hand down the surface of his back, finding only the slight rip of the cloth in two places, but no sign of any injury to the area. But if nothing was wrong, then why was it hurting him?

"Tye? Help me out here," he pleaded as the other youth gave him a mournful glance.

"You really don’t remember? I guess he wasn’t lying about it then."

"Who wasn’t lying?" Lucian cut in, grabbing a fold of Tyrell’s shirt. As he did, a small piece of black fluff tumbled off the clothing and fluttered down to the floor. The redhead dropped his eyes to see that it was actually a black downing feather. Something in the back of his head clicked as it dawned as him where he had seen this feather before. "Tavores!" he wailed as he leapt away from Tyrell.

That demon had been here. He had been talking with his charge this whole time. This meant that now Tyrell knew everything. He knew that he was just a host for a spiteful demon who felt that he had been robbed of his rebirth. Tyrell knew that he was just a creation. He knew that this whole time, he was being influenced by a creature that was not human. Worse of all, Tyrell now knew that he wasn’t entirely human either.

"Lucian?" Tyrell said gently as he tried to approach his shaking friend.

The older boy backed up against the door, fumbling for the knob as he squeezed his eyes shut. "I’m sorry. I should have told you, Tye. But I didn’t know how. I didn’t want you to be afraid of me."

"Why should I be afraid?"

"Because you know I’m not like you. The blood of a demon flows through my veins. I’m not human."

Tyrell rushed over to Lucian and held his wrist, softly pulling it away from the doorknob. Lucian flinched at the touch while bringing liquid eyes to met Tyrell’s. The younger youth smiled at him as he brought Lucian’s hand to the redhead’s chest. He could feel his heart thrashing inside as Tyrell moved his fingers down so that he was holding Lucian’s palm.

"We can both feel it, Lucian. Your heartbeat. Demons aren’t supposed to have hearts. So I guess you’re human enough for me," the green-eyed boy whispered.

"But…."

"I’m not afraid of you, Lucian. I don’t care what you are; you’re still my Guardian. Tavores may be a part of you, but he’s not all there is."

"You don’t understand. I’ve never known who I really am. Am I this boy you see before you? Or am I that winged jerk who was here before? You don’t know what that’s like. I know you mean well, Tye, but your words offer me little comfort."

"I know. I just want you to understand that I’m not going to run from you just because of this. Though you have demon blood, you’re no demon, Lucian. You are the same as I."

Lucian’s eyes darkened as he closed his fingers around Tyrell’s hand and squeezed harshly. "Am I? Then tell me why I have these?" he demanded, waving a hand in front of his eyes. "Why? You once wanted to know how I felt about them. Well, I’ll tell you. I hate them. I don’t care how unique others think they are. They have brought me nothing but absolute hell my entire life. These aren’t eyes; they are the mark of a demon. Red as the blood of the men that Tavores has slaughtered in his past. They are meant to serve as a reminder to me that I will never be like normal humans. I am a demon."

"Who cares?" Tyrell yelped despite the pain in his hand. "I don’t. I don’t care what your eyes may represent, they are still you. They are the most astonishing eyes I have ever seen and you would not be the same without them. And as for what others may have told you, eyes do not make a person. Thoughts and emotions make a person. You feel things just the same as everyone else and you can be hurt just like any other human. I don’t believe that either you or Tavores is really a demon. It’s just one part of you. It doesn’t have to mean anything."

"Tye."

The older boy was astounded. Could Tyrell really mean the things he was saying? Did it really not matter to him that he was sharing the conscience of a demon? Nobody had ever acted this understanding to him before. His constant queries as a child had been met with savage teasing and heartless leers. They had rejected him; all of them had rejected him. Even those who had pretended to be his allies had only done so under the impression that his faults could serve them well. None had ever truly shown him compassion. Yet Tyrell was different. There was no sarcasm in his tone, no hint of disgust. Perhaps, Tyrell truly did trust him. Now if only he could get the same reactions from Dominic. Of course, that would be considered suicide since Lucian knew fully well that if Dominic ever found out that he was part demon, he would kill him on the spot. Dominic would not allow such a creature to endanger their charge.

"You’re really not afraid?" he asked softly as he lifted his pinching fingers from Tyrell’s skin. "You trust me that much?"

Tyrell chuckled and intertwined his fingers with Lucian’s as he gave a strong nod of his head. "I could never be afraid of you, Lucian. You are my Guardian. I put my life in your hands. Of course, I trust you."

The other youth smiled as he pulled his hand away. "Thank you, Tye. I needed to hear those words." Lucian was delighted. Tyrell actually did trust him even though he knew that Tavores was resting inside him. It made him feel at peace. But at the same time, the feeling brought with it pathos of deep yearning. Why couldn’t Dominic ever show this sort of kindness to him?

"I guess you should know that Tavores wanted to warn me about Vincient. Tavores thinks that he may be the one who’s pulling the Chimera’s strings. He says Vincient is out to resurrect Evangel and is searching for the elements needed to summon her," Tyrell’s tenor rose through Lucian’s thoughts.

"Evangel? Who’s that?"

"I’ll show you." Tyrell stepped back and went to his bottom drawer to retrieve the drawing. But as he searched among the piles of sketches, he soon realized that it wasn’t there. Frantic, he pushed the other papers away, going through each one and checking for his portrait of Evangel. He yanked his sketchpad out of the drawer and flipped through it hastily, checking every page in case the drawing had got shoved in between a couple of sheets. His investigation yielded nothing more than one edge where there were the distinct marks of a page being torn out of the pad. The younger boy gasped and then dropped the sketchpad back into the drawer with unsteady fingers.

"What’s wrong?" offered his friend, pushing himself from the door. Tyrell appeared devastated. His eyes were wide and anxious and his whole body was stiff as ice. Forcing himself to forget about his humiliation for the moment, he strode over to the other youth and stared at the mess of papers scattered at the bottom of the bureau drawer. "Tye?"

"It’s gone. Someone took it. I don’t understand. Nobody knows about this except…Angie!"

"Your cousin took your picture?"

"I don’t know. Maybe. I’ll have to ask her tomorrow. But I don’t know who else would have taken it. Everybody knows they’re supposed to stay out of my room."

It was weird for Tyrell to be speaking so aggressively. He was really insistent on the principle that nobody should enter his room without his permission. While the request was highly reasonable, it was unlike Tyrell to be so overprotective. What was Tyrell trying to hide? All he could see were a bunch of talented drawings of people, places, and…wolves?

Not bothering to ask for permission, Lucian dipped one hand into the drawer and fished out the sketch. It was Dominic’s wolf all right. There was no mistaking the intensity in the eyes or the proud way that the creature stood. Right under the place that he had gotten the wolf sketch lay another one with a young boy with wild black hair swept up in a tight ponytail. From the depths of the drawer, he could just make out the powerful gleam in this one’s eyes as well as the lively smile. He reached for the drawing when Tyrell kicked it shut, missing Lucian’s fingers by a couple of inches.

"I’m sorry about this, Lucian. But I don’t like anyone to look at my drawings," the boy explained as he leaned over to take the wolf from the older youth.

Lucian pulled it to the side and held a hand out to block Tyrell. "This is Nicky, isn’t it?" he questioned as he tapped one finger on the drawing. Tyrell let his hand fall to his side and nodded. "How did you do this?" Lucian continued.

"I saw it."

"From a dream?"

"How do you know about that?"

"Tavores," the redhead spat through his teeth. "Sometimes he sees fit to tell me things. I didn’t believe him when he told me this though. It was too incredible. But it’s true. You really can see the future in your dreams."

Tyrell sighed and hung his head. "I can also see the past. I have trouble making the distinction between the two and sometimes they even merge."

"Tye, the drawing the I was looking at a minute ago. The boy with the dark ponytail. Do you know who that is?"

"I don’t know for sure. But the person I based that on was a boy in my dream who was called Nick. Possibly, it could be a younger Dominic."

"If it was him, he sure had a cute smile as a kid. I wonder what happened to it?" Lucian mused as he thought of his embittered partner. Could that innocent child be the same person as the angry teenager whom he saw everyday? He looked so happy in that picture. What had happened to that jovial boy? Was it still possible to get the side of Dominic back?

As he stared at the picture, Tyrell snagged an edge with his fingers and slid the paper out of Lucian’s hands. He leveled his eyes with Lucian’s and began to speak in a grave tone. "Lucian, there’s something else that you should know about my talk with Tavores. He told me something about you."

Stiffening in rage at hearing the name again, Lucian jerked his head from the boy and rubbed his arm in a scraping motion. "I don’t want to know. Whatever came out of that creature’s name isn’t worth defiling my ears to listen to."

"But Lucian, this is about you. It’s about your feelings for…."

"I said stop it! I don’t want to hear anything that wretch has to say to me. I hate him! I don’t want to have to acknowledge his existence! I don’t want to talk about him!" What misery did Tavores want to impart to him this time? Wasn’t he happy enough that Lucian had to lie to Dominic about his nightmares? Wasn’t he satisfied that he had hurt Dominic the last time he had shown up? Did he even care that Lucian had to keep his existence hidden from his twin sister who knew practically everything about her sibling? What could Tavores possibly want now? Whenever Tavores reared his distasteful head, Lucian had to suffer. It would be easier to just avoid the whole thing by not learning what the demon had said.

"Lucian, you don’t understand...." Tyrell began again as Lucian stormed away from him.

"I don’t want to understand! Tavores has brought me nothing but agony my entire life. Everything bad that has ever happened to me can be traced back to him. I don’t care what he says. It’s the truth. He ruined my life! I didn’t want any of this. I just wanted to be a regular kid like all the rest in this damn world."

"I know how you feel. I’ve had my dreams since I was a child as well. They often made me feel like I was some sort of freak. Even my own parents couldn’t help me. But now I understand. I’m not a freak. The dreams are a gift to help me prepare for the tribulations ahead. Perhaps, your relationship with Tavores is a means of making you stronger so that you can support us Keys."

Listening to Tyrell compare their lives as if they had any similarity at all infuriated Lucian. So what if the younger boy had a couple of frightening dreams that either foretold the future or reminded one of the past. He still had not even come close to the persistent torture that Lucian was put through every single night. Tyrell couldn’t understand. It wasn’t his fault, but he could never truly understand.

As he examined his thoughts, he noticed a striking aspect. The way that he was viewing Tyrell’s ignorance at this moment must have been the same way that Dominic regarded him. Dominic had felt that Lucian could not comprehend his misery just as Lucian knew that Tyrell could never relate to his. He was beginning to see why Dominic always seemed so vindictive around him. The eldest youth was also angered at the audacity of someone to try to compare his own suffering to whatever he had been through. Whatever it had been, he could bet that it had been bad.

Shooting the mahogany-haired boy a look of pure destitution blended with loathsome fury, he chastised Tyrell. "You haven’t the vaguest notion under God of what you’re talking about! How could you? You’ve had it all: a loving family, a decent childhood, and a genuine chance at a normal life."

"Lucian!" called out the other boy, leaping up to stop Lucian from leaving. Lucian paused at the door, keeping his eyes to the ground as he breathed a disconsolate sigh.

"You and every other living child have at least been giving a chance. As for me, I’ve been damned since birth," he murmured as he left the room. "I’m going home now. I never should have gone to that concert. Shira is probably worried sick."

"But you said you wanted to spend the night," the green-eyed youth whispered as he chased Lucian into the hall.

His companion shook his head. "No. He said that I wanted to spend the night. He probably just wanted to spend some more time with you. I’m sure he’ll share your discussion with me if he deems it worthy. In the meantime, I want to go home. This whole conversation is making me ill."

"Wait Lucian," Tyrell begged as he ran up to Lucian and seized a piece of his shirt. He raised his docile emerald eyes to the older boy as his fingers clutched at the fabric. "Tavores said that he liked my voice. Was that just his flattery or were those partly your words?"

"They were my words. I loved hearing you sing, Tye. You captured the life of the lyrics like very few others could. And those few, I have yet to hear. I hope you’ll let me hear you again some time," he replied in a much friendlier tone.

"You know Lucian, you can come to our next concert if you promise not to tell anyone about my involvement."

"And I trust that you won’t tell anyone about Tavores?" Lucian implored, a touch of desperation in his tone. "I don’t want anyone to know. Not even Shira knows. That’s the way I want it to stay."

"I understand. I won’t give away your secret, Lucian. You can trust me."

Lucian lifted Tyrell’s fingers from his shirt and raced down the stairs and toward the entrance to the house. "I know."

*~*~*~*~*~*

Placing his car in park, Lucian stepped outside his car and made it to the front door of his house. As he reached for the handle, he saw that all the lights were turned off except for the one in the den. Tashira had probably forgotten to switch it off and Dominic could care less about conserving electricity. He shoved the key into the lock and twisted it into place, pushing the door open and entering the darkened hall. The delicious scent of chocolate met him as he moved to the side of the wall to flick the lights. Something sure smelled inviting. Had Tashira been making something while he had been away?

"Where the hell have you been?" barked a sleepy voice from within the den. Lucian spun to the side to see Dominic lifting his head from the table he had been resting on, his arms folded in the center. His rough interrogation woke up the dozing girl beside him, her head lying adjacent to her plate of half-eaten cake. Tashira blinked and yawned as she prepared to give Dominic an earful for daring to wake her up. Then, she noticed the befuddled expression of her brother as he stood by the wall.

"Luce! Do you have any idea what time it is? I had no idea that a simple dinner date would take this long!" she reprimanded, holding a hand up to hide another lengthy yawn. "We’ve been waiting for you all night."

"We?" repeated Lucian in a flabbergasted tone as he caught the pair of violet eyes that were wandering over his body, exploring the ruffled shirt with the paper-thin tears in the back and the unkempt hair which lapped at his shoulders, free of its restraint. He could only imagine what Dominic must have been thinking upon seeing him like this. His nervous manner of breathing wasn’t really helping the manner either as Lucian fought to stay cool.

"Yes, we," Dominic declared as he rose from the table and closed in on Lucian like an eager predator. "What happened to you? Did you sleep with Kathryn? Is that why you came back so late?"

Tashira cringed at this suggestion and forced herself to forget about her tiredness as she stumbled from the chair. "Oh Luce, you didn’t?"

"No!" the redhead insisted as he made his way past the dark-haired youth. "I didn’t have sex with Kathy! I dropped her off at her house as soon as we finished eating."

"Really? Then how do you explain your questionable appearance?" prodded the eldest youth, turning around and following Lucian with his eyes.

"I got bored. So I parked the car by some field and took a walk. I wasn’t paying attention and must have tripped over something. The next thing I knew I was on my back. Somehow I had managed to tear my shirt, probably on a branch, and I knocked my ponytail way out of place. So I figured that I just let the whole thing down since I was only planning on returning home," Lucian narrated, disgusted at the obvious falseness of his reply. He couldn’t think of anything better at the moment. His head was too filled of concerns with Tavores and Tyrell.

"So you were walking the rest of this time?"

"Pretty much."

"It’s not safe for someone your age to go sojourning through an unknown area this late at night. You could have got jumped by some thug or worse, a Chimera," reminded Dominic in the manner of a protective parent.

Lucian clenched his fist and shot his partner an insulted glance. "I am not a helpless child! Nor am I a Key. I can take care of myself, Nicky. I would thank you to keep that in mind the next time you want to rag on me for returning so late."

Dominic seemed offended at the malicious way in which Lucian had spoken to him. "I do not plan on bringing this up again. Next time, I’ll just let you get yourself into a mess. Apparently, the only way that you learn anything is through experience. Maybe if you got your ass kicked, it would teach you to show a bit more respect."

"But you forget Nicky, I live for danger."

"We’ll see how long you live if you keep pulling stunts like this. One of these days, that impeccable luck of yours is going to run out and then what are you going to do?"

"Obviously, not turn to you. You could care less what happens to me," the younger boy spat. He was not feeling up to this. After getting forced out of control by Tavores, he was by no means ready to wage another battle with Dominic. He was tired and the violet-eyed youth’s testy rants were getting to him. All he wanted now was to be allowed to pass out on his bed. He would welcome the nightmares as long as they provided him with an escape from this exhausting reality. Forcing Dominic from his path, he shuffled toward the stairway.

"As long as we’re clear on that," Dominic snapped in a surprisingly dismal voice as he turned to Tashira who was swaying on her feet and kept mumbling about whether she should scream at her brother, Dominic, or both. "Where’s the rest of the cake? Eating would take my mind off of beating some sense into your brother."

"Cake?" Lucian piped up, feeling the murky tension draining from him at the idea of something sweet. Food always did wonders for a disheartened soul and Tashira made the best delicacies that he had ever tasted. A scrumptious piece of chocolate pastry might be able to take his mind off the ordeal that the night had been. "Did you make a cake, Shira darling?"

Tashira nodded her head vigorously and rushed into the kitchen, removing a large plate of German Chocolate from the refrigerator and setting it on the den’s table. Lucian flew over to the confection and began to slice himself a generous piece. Only two slices of the cake had been taken and knowing Tashira, it had been her who had helped herself to them. His sister leaned over his shoulders, patting down his disheveled hair as she looked at the cuts on his shirt.

"Looks like you’re going to have to ask Carthala to issue you another dress shirt," she mused. "My only question is how you managed to only mess up these two slits while the rest of it is fine."

From the corner of the room, Dominic snorted and stalked over to join the twins. "I still say that he was sleeping with that Arteme girl. She looks like the type who would be into something kinky."

"Dominic!" snarled Tashira as she poked at the older boy with a fork.

Her brother grinned as he swallowed a chunk of cake. "Don’t mind Nicky, Shira. He’s just jealous of Kathy."

Dominic crashed a hand down on the table and shot his partner a deadly gaze. "I’ve told you a thousand times that I could care less who you spend your time with. I just think it’s wrong to have sex with a person that you’ve known for little less than a month."

"Were you even listening, Nicky? I didn’t have sex with her! Look, I’m not ashamed to admit when I’ve slept with people, but I did nothing with Kathy. Now I’ve just had a night of hell and it would make me unconditionally happy if you just shut up for once. Nobody wants to hear your mouth!" Lucian flung his words at the eldest youth.

"What makes you think that I would do anything that would make you happy?" the dark-haired teenager muttered as he turned away from Lucian.

"Go to hell."

Grabbing one of the knives from the table, Dominic passed it between his hands for some time before suddenly stabbing it into the split in the table. "I knew I should have gone to sleep instead of helping with that infernal cake. If I had, I wouldn’t be down here listening to you lying through your teeth. I would be up in my room."

"Yeah. You’d be up there obsessing over your beloved notebook again or you’d be alphabetizing your angst issues," mocked Lucian as his eyes set on the knife sticking out of the table’s leaves. Dominic sure was pissed about something. He wasn’t sure if his partner truly believed that he had slept with Kat, but he knew that there was no way that he believed the story about why he looked so disarrayed. Maybe Dominic was just sore about the fact that he was lying to him. Though Dominic never chose to reveal the truth about his own matters, he often insisted on getting unaltered facts from everyone around him. Lies seemed to get to him.

But Dominic had just brought up something else in his need to verbally bash him. Lucian could clearly recall the older boy saying that he had helped with the cake. The mere vision of Dominic assisting Tashira with one of her baking projects was enough to make him roll on his sides with laughter. Tashira had probably nagged his partner every step of the way. When it came to her baking, Tashira was a perfectionist. It almost made him feel sorry for Dominic. Well, it would have if he weren't so annoyed with him for bothering him when he was feeling lousy to begin with.

"Yo Nick, did you say you helped Shira with the cake?" he called out.

"Yeah. Though now, I don’t see what possessed me to do it," Dominic responded in a callous growl.

"Really? I’m stunned, Nicky. That was damn sweet of you. Are we losing our edge?" Lucian taunted playfully.

"You just keep testing me and we’ll see just how much edge I still have."

The redhead laughed at Dominic’s threat. He could tell that Dominic only half-meant the words. His companion was just trying to maintain his vicious appearance. Dominic was on the verge of being nice just now. That relaxing thought seemed to put to rest all his uneasiness for a moment. It was amusing how Dominic could act agreeable while still projecting his hostile aura. He must have worked at it for quite a while to get it to such a zenith.

"What’s so funny?" the other youth inquired, bringing his eyes back to the boy across from him.

"You are. You can be so unpredictable sometimes, Nicky. It’s downright hilarious."

"I’m so glad that I can provide such entertainment to your otherwise mundane existence."

Lucian leaned over the table and yanked the knife from the center, resting the hilt on his cheek as he rested his wait on his elbow. "Heh heh. What ever would I do without you, Nicky?"

Dominic became quiet as his eyes lost their savage spark. They traveled over the youth and paused on the knife dangerously close to his skin. Then, Dominic jerked them away from Lucian and let them drop to the ground. "You would be safer," he uttered in a doddering whisper as he left the table and tramped up the staircase.

Still pressed against his elbow, Lucian shifted his face to Tashira. "What do you suppose that was about?"

His sibling had remained silent during most of the fight. It was evident that she had long since understood that it would be pointless of her to jump in unless Dominic was hinting toward any physical action. Lucian and Dominic just had to work things out in their own way otherwise they would refuse to work together for the rest of the day and that was counterproductive. Glancing over to the stairs that Dominic had scurried up for no apparent reason, she shrugged her shoulders and stole a piece of cake from Lucian’s plate with her fingers.

"Who knows? Dominic is always freaking out for some reason or other," she said bluntly, tossing the cake into her mouth.

"Yeah. I guess you’re right. Hey! Stop eating that! It’s mine!"

"I made it."

"With help."

"Not much. Dominic is a slow helper."

"He probably just didn’t want to seem to eager to help you out. He’s got a rep to defend you know. Not everyone can wear the title of the World’s Biggest Jerk," Lucian gibed, nearly choking on the food in his laughter.

Tashira giggled at his joke and grabbed another smidgen of dessert. "He is right though. You’d be safer without him."

Lucian leaned against the chair and raised his eyes to her with a smirk. "Shira, when have I ever preferred safety over adventure?"

*~*~*~*~*~*