15. Capable Of Change #2
Ryder knew–of course, he knew–that Lawson was Legion’s Childe.
And Lawson had been bad in all sorts of ways when Ryder had known him.
But this was different. Here, Lawson was like some kind of beast. Because that was what Legion would want.
That was what Legion would reward. And, as frightening and depressing as it was to consider, the Lawson that he’d known was likely an improvement on this version.
He’d managed to suppress his more animalistic urges.
This is why I rejected my animal forms and all the joy they offered me. Because I feared becoming something else.
He saw those forms in his mind’s eye, much like he had that fight with Lawson, all facing him. They were beautiful and elegant. There was nothing about them–not even the ones that would have been called monsters in many eyes–that was quite as depraved as what these Vampires had done.
It’s not the animal in us that makes us like this. It’s us. We’re what’s wrong.
He embraced those animal forms with his heart and mind.
He felt them draw nearer to him with sympathy and love.
He had kept them far away from himself. Not just as Ryder, but even as Weryn back in the day.
He had not drawn strength from their support, but only from their abilities to attack.
Now he knew better. He was connected to all life.
Even the Mers. He could feel them in himself.
He could feel the humans. He could feel everything that lived and breathed.
I need to protect them, too. I am here to protect them if I can help it.
Dani’s voice was arctic as she retorted, “Yes, I am. These people work with me.”
“You work for the Order,” Lawson contradicted. “And Legion is–”
“Legion is only allowed to live out of Tanis’ kindness,” Dani said. “They have no power over Confessors.”
Tanis? She is keeping Legion on? How strange. Well, Kaly is, undoubtedly, the one that’s truly keeping him on. Some Kaly slice that is above Tanis in the pecking order.
“You say that with such certainty,” Natasha drawled as she too licked blood from her fingers.
Both she and Lawson were nude, of course. Lawson’s eyes hooded as he gazed upon her lithesome form. He immediately went over to her and slid his hands up her arms until he was cupping her face. She smiled at Lawson with a lazy, almost drunken look upon her bloody face.
Blood drunk, Ryder thought with a snarl of disgust.
“You may have thrown in your lot with him, Natasha, but not me and not mine,” Dani said with a sweep of her Confessor’s robes that had the other two remaining Ashyr Vampires at her sides.
Natasha tsked, “How sorry you Ashry Vampires are now! That two of you fall against Mers for goodness sake. Pathetic. I suppose you were always relying upon the Weryn to keep you safe.”
Dani’s expression became a mask. “We only tolerated you animals because our Immortal loved yours. For some unknown reason,” she muttered the last.
Lawson bared his teeth. “You dare to speak ill of Weryn?”
Why do you care, Lawson? Ryder thought. Legion has me in his pocket right now. But perhaps you don’t know that.
“Our Immortal bedded your cold star,” Natasha sniffed. “That doesn’t mean that you get to insult us and get away with it.”
Dani’s eyes narrowed. “I fought by your side in the War, Natasha. Or don’t you remember? Ashyr and Weryn together? I realize you were turned near the end of it, but surely that hasn’t escaped your mind yet.”
Natasha is a War Childe. I didn’t turn her. Who did, I wonder? She was not familiar to me at all. Likely, she was turned by someone loyal to Legion.
“Until you ran away,” Lawson said.
“Until your Immortal went mad,” Dani said with a shake of her head. “I don’t see many of you mourning Weryn. You talk about him, sure. But none of you are grieving him. Admit it. You know it’s better now that he’s gone.”
“We admit nothing of the sort!” Natasha snarled.
“You know nothing! You never met Weryn! You never knew the before-times! All you’ve known is this–this mess.” Dani’s expression crumpled as she took in the destruction of the Mer.
“What’s wrong, Dani?” Lawson mocked. “Are you upset by a little blood spilt? You were the one to rip his majesty here apart. You look like you regret it.”
Dani stared down at the legless, armless Marinus. “We should have tried to keep him alive. Find out about this weapon. That’s what Ashyr would have done.” She picked up the Mer weapon, but almost immediately dropped it, hissing as it burned her hands, shaking them. “Ah! It burns!”
“They can have as many such weapons as they want. We will still kill them with our fangs and claws,” Natasha mocked.
Dani shot an unbelieving look at her. “Are you truly such a fool? Did you not see what it did to the others?”
Natasha shrugged. “They died. So have many. What does it matter? We were victorious.”
Ryder grimaced. That was the position that he had taken during the War, especially in regards to the War Children. Why did he expect Natasha to know any better?