07-06-2009, 04:31 PM
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| http://digital-bonsai.com/katew/rp/kae/kae_disorder.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat:no-repeat;"> Regardless of his sire, Enigma was still her grandchild. Whether Vitium clearly presented himself through Enigma or not, Kaena could not hate him for a single act his father had committed. Viti was but a contributor of their genes, and even in him, Kaena's blood flowed strongly, carrying the hints of her father and her mother, and the dogs and coyotes and wolves that had spawned them. Her traitorous Lykoi child—well, he wasn't anything of a child anymore, he was nearly four years old now—had served to spawn more Lykoi/de le Poer descendants, direct carriers of Ahren's blood and Kaena's. She wondered if Viti had ever spoken of his father to these children, and listened as the youth spoke. The question honestly surprised her, rare for the Lykoi matron. Her golden eye jerked to her grandson's face, studying it and those deep, dark eyes for a long moment before she answered. There was hesitation, but the hybrid creature did not pry; she left him alone and merely contemplated what he'd said. "I don't know," the woman responded after a brief silence. "He must have known returning would have ended his life, but I don't think for a moment any one of us would have so much as touched any one of you," she said, sadness creeping into her tone. She did not want to see her son die—but if he set foot on Inferni soil again, surely Gabriel would not hesitate to take his life. If she were Aquila, could she have done the same to her own child? She didn't know, and it deeply frightened her. Often Lykoi and Inferni were synonymous; the clan had spawned the family, and the family had kept the clan alive over those long, long years. But here was one instance where the two were completely at odds—Kaena would have been faced with the brutal choice of loyalty to her word as Aquila or loyalty to her very family. She was quite glad the chance for that choice had been passed on, though she realized that same choice was now in Gabriel's hands. His brother, or his clan? The silver hybrid did not envy him; it was perhaps more difficult than her decision. A child, or a clan? She knew she would invariably choose the child, regardless of his sins. She would drive him away and remind him with another scar, but she did not think she could kill him unless he endangered her life or the life of another family member. This was at once comforting and deeply frightening to the silver canine; it showed for once a clear weakness in all of her viciousness and malevolence. Enigma again spoke, and Kaena's scarred head turned to face him, away from the dancing fire. He lamented and expressed that same thing Jael and Halo had told her. Their father was a liar, and he had spawned a generation of Lykoi which did not know the truth of its own history. The ashen hybrid frowned, her brow knotting with distaste. "What did he tell you, dear?" The Lykoi woman was curious—she wondered what web of lies Vitium had spun for his children about her, Inferni, and the Lykoi family. The term of endearment had slipped from her naturally; this was her grandchild and she would treat him as such, and accept him regardless of his eyes and his father. |