Chapter 48 Provide & Protect
~ MELEK ~
My son shook, that blade trembling against my throat, the sting of it growing as Gall roared with such force, spittle hit my face, and his body quivered.
Then Yilan appeared from the shadows behind him, her blade drawn and bloody, eyes furious. She appeared only feet behind him, creeping on silent feet, blade at the ready, every line of her body a deadly promise.
“Yilan, no!”
Gall jerked, and the axe jerked inches away as he turned.
Praying I was fast enough, I used the hairsbreadth of space to push his elbow high to keep the blade away, then as he roared and whirled back, I dove past him, tackling Yilan to the ground.
I threw an arm over her head as we rolled, then crashed into one of the thick table legs—a wave of Deja-vu squeezed my heart, reliving the moment when I’d first seen her in Gault’s tent, and tackled her as an enemy—but there was no time for nostalgia.
My mate hissed like a cat as a shadow fell over us. With a grunt, I flipped her, rolling to my feet between her and Gall—but I was too slow.
I’d only made it up to one knee when the blade of the halberd that extended from the top of the weapon like a spear, flashed then went still, pointing directly at my throat once more. I froze.
“Melek—!” Yilan breathed. I snapped a hand up in a gesture for silence, and slowly scanned up his body until I found Gall’s eyes.
My son stood over me, shoulders broad, marble arms extended to hold that weapon steady against my flesh.
Strands from the warrior’s length he seemed determined to earn, splayed over his shoulder.
The lights from the sconces on the wall high behind him, made a halo of light, casting his face and body into deep shadow.
His eyes glowed out from that darkness, with an avid light I didn’t recognize. His chest heaved like a bellows.
Gall was stressed. Overwhelmed. And angry.
Slowly, I raised both my hands, palms towards him in surrender. “Gall—”
“Why did you do that?!” he snarled, looking furiously back and forth between me and Yilan over my shoulder. I hadn’t heard her move, but I was of no doubt she was crouched under the table, ready to run—or fight. I hadn’t given her room to get out.
I frowned. “Do what? I won’t attack you—”
“I moved the weapon, and you went for her instead of me. Why did you do that?!” he roared.
I locked eyes with him and gave him a moment to breathe, and hopefully calm before I answered. “I told you, Gall. I won’t hurt you. I’m trying to protect you.”
His heavy brows pinched, lines appearing on his forehead. Confusion shadowed his gaze. “But—”
“Gall, please… please don’t hurt him,” Yilan breathed. “Please. We’re going to have a baby, and—”
“I’m having a baby too! Grandfather’s got her! He’s got my Izzy!”
Eyes wide and suddenly red, Gall made an awful, howling cry and his body began to shake.
“Son, it’s okay. No one’s going to touch you—”
“It’s not okay! Stop saying it’s okay!”
I startled when the weapon moved, but to my relief, Gall yanked the halberd away from me and stumbled back a step. Then another. He hissed to himself, letting go of the halberd with one hand to smack his own head.
“Gall, no!”
A low, strange noise began in his throat, and he screwed his eyes tightly shut, shaking his head. Muttering under his breath.
Then his eyes flew wide, round, wild and he whirled towards the doors, throwing the halberd off to the side where it clattered on the stones. Then he rushed back to it—only to catch himself as he leaned down to pick it up again and whirl.
“Melek, what’s going on?” Yilan whispered at my back. I took her hand and pulled her out from under the table, and we watched my son endure torment.
Gall twitched and growled. One moment he wept, the next he snarled. He muttered words, as if answering a voice in his head, then shook it off and smacked himself.
I wanted to intervene—needed him to stop hurting himself—but I knew that any raised voices or extra stimulation would only escalate him.
I tried to reach him gently. “Gall, I’m here. I’m here for you.”
He snarled and swept one long arm down to grab the halberd again and bring it up, turning to face me with the weapon leveled, though he’d have to throw it to reach me from this distance. I raised my hands again, but stepped in front of Yilan.
“Please, Gall… don’t use that.”
His brow pinched again, and he looked down at the weapon in his hands, following the length of it, then looked at me, fear, awe, thrill, and terror chasing each other across his features.
Our eyes locked, and I saw the battle waging in him—his heart open, grieving, and fearful. Then the sharp, cunning gleam of malice. He closed his eyes again and flinched, but opened them when I took a step forward, and he brought the weapon up again.
“Don’t touch me!”
“I won’t.” I made soothing motions with my hands, and walked slowly to the side, to a position nearer the center of the hall where we had more space.
“Gall, listen to me. That argument in your head, it’s not you.
That voice you hear that reminds you of everything he told you, everything you fear, everything that makes you angry?
We all have it. That’s why we have to resist. You have to understand where that voice is coming from. Because it’s lying to you—”
“He tells the truth! He showed me! He made me understand—”
“He spoke to your mind, he changed your body, he offered you power to intoxicate you. Yet, he’s brought more misery and fear into your life than anyone else before.”
“No! No, I was always scared! He made me strong, so I don’t have to be scared!”
“You’re strong now, Gall. Really strong. Are you still afraid?”
Gall frowned, then cursed again and jabbed the halberd towards me. “You’re trying to fool me because you want to be king.”
“Gall, you know I’ve never wanted to be the King.”
“Then why did you claim the crown? We wouldn’t have to fight if you’d just—”
“I would never have taken a crown that belonged to you. I’d have been the first to bow if you were ruling, Gall.
Your heart is true, and pure, and good. But that’s not what I see.
I see a man who’s being… pushed. I see my son who’s scared, and trying to take care of his mate, when they’re both surrounded by very real danger. I also see—”
“That’s right.” He’d gone suddenly still. My heart sank as Gall took a deep breath and his hands tightened on the halberd and he met my eyes, his own gaze flat. Resolute. “I’m taking care of my mate. Because she’s in danger, and I can save her.”
I raised my hands, to remind him I was surrendered, but shook my head. “Gall… your grandfather is the danger she’s in. If you give him what he wants, there will only be more danger—for both of you. Can’t you see?”
“Yes, I can see! I’m not stupid!”
“That wasn’t what I meant! I—”
“You’re the one who doesn’t understand! Everyone admires you because you’re strong, but I’m strong too, and they mock me! Everyone thinks you’re so good because you kill people and win battles, but I kill people and you say I’m being evil!”
“Gall, I wasn’t calling you—”
“You say you’d die for your mate, you lie to help her, and you lie to me! You say you meant well. But when I do it, it’s because I’m bad!”
There was very little of the dark gleam left in Gall’s gaze. He stood in front of me, the halberd in one hand, the other gesticulating wildly, eyes red and chin quivering. I ached for his brokenness, but hope sprang to life because it felt like talking to my son again.
“Gall, you aren’t bad. That’s been my point all along. These things you’re doing… they don’t seem like you. Not the you I’ve always known.”
“You think I’m still a child!”
“No. I think you’re a young man with a unique heart and mind, and I want to see you thrive. I want you rewarded. Not… corrupted.”
I didn’t expect him to simply give in. He didn’t seem calm enough to have found the truth he’d grasp and cling to—which was his way.
He always battled, until something made sense to him.
Then he would hold to that for the rest of his life.
I knew he wasn’t there. That we hadn’t gotten to the heart of this yet. So, it was a surprise when he slumped.
The point of the halberd tipped to the stones with a clink. He didn’t let it go, but it drew his eyes.
“I’m…” he trailed off, then grimaced. “I am bad this time… aren’t I?”
God, the misery on his face. It broke my heart. “Gall, no. You aren’t evil. I know you aren’t. Lucifer though, he’s nothing but darkness.”
“I am…” he murmured. “I’ve been bad, Papa. I’ve… I liked it when they were scared of me,” he whispered. “I liked it when he made me smart, and people listened to my words, instead of just waiting for me to finish. I liked it when they begged me to have mercy. No one ever needed me before—”
He faltered. His eyes were down where that point lay on the stone. Forehead pressed to lines. His mouth turned down in a fierce frown. Tears welling in his eyes.
That malicious glint slipped away.
I could barely breathe with hope.
But then a shadow entered his gaze to replace it.
“Gall?”
He didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Outwardly, nothing changed. But something shifted in my son.
“Gall, talk to me.” I took a step closer.
“I can’t save her,” he whispered. “He’s got her, and I can’t stop him. He just… disappears her.”
“We can get her back. We’ll figure out a way to… we can resist him, Gall. I promise!”
Gall shook his head and took a step back, but his eyes were still on that blade on the stone. “She’s so afraid all the time. She sees the dark in me too, and she doesn’t like it. I scared her. I hate that I scared her.”
“Gall… listen to me…”
His grip on the handle tightened until his knuckles turned white.
“Gall—”
Yilan gasped, and I leaped forward as he brought the blade up, turning it awkwardly, using both hands in an attempt to turn that point on himself.
“Gall! NO!”
The world went silent. I couldn’t move fast enough.
Watching the arc of that blade rise, turn towards the tender skin of my brokenhearted son. But he was out of reach. I scrambled, screaming, pleading, running for him, cursing the space I’d placed between us as I saw his death coming and—
‘Melek, DROP!’
It was instinctive. The command in my mate’s voice so complete, my own despair at not reaching my son was overwhelmed. I dropped to my stomach on the floor—only to see the flash of blade, right under Gall’s chin, and Gall jerked.
“NO!”
It happened too quickly, before I could push back to my feet. A flickering blade, the clash of steel, Gall cried out and his eyes went wide with shock. He roared.
I was back on my feet, sprinting, screaming, as the halberd clattered to the ground and Gall fell backwards, arms pinwheeling, to hit the ground so heavily he grunted.
Three paces, two… Then I threw myself to the stones next to him, grabbing his lapels and screaming his name, horrified by the red under his chin, grabbing his throat with my hand to staunch the bleeding—only to have Gall smack my hands away, spluttering like a child given food he didn’t want.
It took seconds to understand, my ears unable to hear, and my heart pounding in my skull. But finally, Gall pushed to his feet, and shoved me off, wiping at his chin and looking at the red on his hand as his shoulders hunched in… embarrassment?
What?
“I haven’t practiced throwing in a while,” Yilan shrugged, appearing at my shoulder. “My aim was a little off, so he got nicked. He’s okay.”
I blinked, panting, body thrumming.
Gall dropped to sit on a bench just a few feet away. There were tears on his cheeks, and he hugged himself, rocking, with his hands tucked around his sides. No knives. No blades. No halberds… just my son. Confused, and scared, and cheeks heated with humiliation.
“Gall…” I hurried to his side, knelt next to him, one hand on his head and pulled him to me. He resisted at first, twisting in my arms, but I didn’t let him go. “I’ve got you. We can do this. Together. We’ll get her back. And you’ll be a great father.”
“I won’t. I’ll get it all wrong—”
“Stop. Please. Don’t let fear drive you to that darkness. The power Lucifer holds over you is only by deception. We’ll fight together. I’ll show you.”
“Are you certain of that?”
The voice was cold, hard, and saturated in contempt.
I whirled back to my feet, putting myself between Gall and Lucifer, looking for Yilan, reaching for her but… but she…
Where was she?
Terrified, because Lucifer was here, I reached for her through the link.
‘He can’t see me, Melek. I shrouded. I don’t know how long I can hold it. This shadow is only dim, but he can’t see me. He looked, and he’s angry. He thinks I got away.’
I swallowed hard and faced Lucifer.
Lucifer smiled an ugly, malevolent grin, as if he’d heard my thoughts. Then, he prowled towards me, like a cat toying with a mouse.