Chapter 16 Velra #2
I gazed between them. “Absolutely. In fact, I have some ideas for the nursery, how we should ward the place, which Academy we can send him or her to, what their abilities might be like, how to introduce the Cloud Muffin thing and when…” I trailed off at their stunned looks.
“I have a notebook full of parenting approaches,” Cassius announced.
Lazriel, Sylas, and I stared out at him.
He lifted a shoulder. “It will prove useful, I am sure.”
I beamed out at him. “Of course it will. That’s really lovely.”
“Yeah, that book I sent you about emotional intelligence has really had some major knock-on effects,” Lazriel said.
Cassius ruffled his hair.
Unfortunately, the levity was too short-lived, as I saw a spark in Lazriel’s eyes as he looked over at Sylas.
He couldn’t hold it in any longer.
It was coming.
Now.
He stepped up to Sylas and snapped, “Of course, none of this is gonna work well if you’re fucking off ninety-percent of the time down in the Shadow Tunnels, and cut off from above ground by going against whatever Ryker’s orders were in that scroll Lenos handed over to me.”
Sylas moved to speak, but Lazriel slapped his hand to his chest and continued heatedly, “I knew my dad was offering you something like that—a place in The Shadowed, and, yeah, maybe even to take his role as leader. But this… us… the baby… it changes things. Or at least it should.”
“History isn’t going to repeat itself. I won’t leave you like your father did to—”
“Urgh, I’m not making a comparison between his treatment and relationship with me and mine with yours. Don’t… don’t ever say that again.”
Sylas’ gaze flicked to mine and then Cassius’ knowingly. “You know what I mean,” he told Lazriel, realizing he needed to tone that aspect down.
“No. This is about our baby and you as one of its dads.”
Sylas drew in a weighty breath, then revealed, “Remnant asked me to become Commander of The Shadowed.”
“That makes strategic sense, especially given his clear intent to be granted a reprieve from such a heavy burden so he can further his relationship with Lazriel and Rhyza,” Cassius spoke.
“Having a powerful necromancer as Commander would ensure full protection for the vampiric underground in a way that could not be achieved through anyone else.”
Lazriel glared at him.
Cassius held up his hand. “However, it would also be detrimental to you, Sylas, And our familial unit. You would constantly be torn between two duties which do not mesh well.”
I pushed off my desk and walked over. “But this is also something you’ve wanted for a while—a way through the red tape and constraints that have been plaguing you, hindering what the Guardian Movement calls your vigilante activities, but which is you seeking justice and righting wrongs that they can’t.
” I eyed Lazriel pointedly. “We understand that, don’t we? ”
“Yeah, of course,” Lazriel admitted, stepping back from Sylas. “But it’s just—it’s also—”
“There’s another way,” Sylas cut in.
“Another way?” I asked.
He scrubbed his hand over his face, then explained, “I’ve been communicating with Remnant about it.
At first we’d come to the conclusion that we’d split the Commander role between us.
The only viable compromise available at the time.
Until Ryker’s communication through that scroll.
” His lips lifted. “Well, his proposal. I haven’t run all the details, numbers, or any of that yet, because I’ve had my priority set on the immediate issue of finding Morien, the core, and Corvin’s magic.
But the gist of it is that Ryker is offering a bridge between above ground and The Shadowed, something that would take the load off Remnant in a major way without weakening the organization—actually, it would enhance it.
And it’s something Ry wants me to head in conjunction with being his conduit to The Shadowed—at a much deeper level than Cornelius’ mysterious support to them currently is. ”
I smiled.
He’d done it.
He’d chosen us.
His lone wolf disposition and previous unilateral action approach was no longer leading the way. He’d just proven that because this whole thing, being offered such a vital role in The Shadowed… it was major, especially to him.
But he hadn’t succumbed to it.
He hadn’t pulled away.
He was here with us.
Here to stay.
I saw Lazriel relax.
“Well done,” Cassius spoke, coming to Sylas and grasping his shoulder.
“Yeah,” Lazriel breathed. “Good. Thank fuck.”
Sylas grinned out at us. “Told you I’d never leave you. Now can you finally trust in that?”
I answered by throwing my arms around him.
He chuckled and held me tightly to him as Cassius and Lazriel gathered right up close as well.
Everything was headed in the right direction. A positive, happy, and loving direction.
I had no worries there. We’d all be okay. We were ready to be with each other in every way, to build our lives together, far beyond the confines of even Wraeven Academy.
Now all we had to do was get through this last hurdle with all this external shit, and then we could be free to do that.
I couldn’t wait.
And it was such a powerful thing to hold onto through what was coming.