Birthmark

Ch. 33: Bittersweet Dreams

At the castle, Camila and Lilith laid in bed, something they have deeply missed.

"Is it still a good idea to enroll her in school?" Camila asked.

"She'll be surrounded by people, no one would try and kidnap a student from there." Lilith said, "And we both know how protective Principal Bump can be."

"I know but I still worry. You told me how Caine did it hesitate to turn his own soldier into a bomb." Camilia said to her.

Lilith grabbed Camila's hand and then used her other one to rub Camila's cheek.

"I would never do something that would put Lucenda in danger, you know that right?"

"I know, Mi amor. I know." Camilia said as she leaned into the embrace.

The two kiss and begin to fall asleep.

"I love you, Beloved." Lilith said.

"I love you too." Camilia replied.

There was a knock on the door and Lilith got up to open it. She saw Luz on the other side.

"Sweetheart, what are you doing up?"

"I... I had a nightmare. Can I sleep with you two?"

Though Luz was a bit too old, it was a moment she missed out because of Caine. Why not treasure it now? Plus, they could also protect Luz if Caine tried a surprise at in the middle of the night.

"Sure, Lucenda." Lilith said, allowing Luz to come in.

Luz got between Camila and Lilith, both moms hugging their daughter.

"Good night, mama. Good night, mami." Luz said to her mothers.

"Good night, Lucenda. We love you." They said to her, kissing her head together.

Tomorrow will be fun, Lilith can't wait for Bump to see his favorite students again. And she can't wait to see his reaction to Luz being her daughter. He'll be driven to drinking, mostly because that means there's another Clawthorne that's as unrulily as Eda.

'But Lucenda has shown to have a much higher learning appetite than Edalyn did and is eager to learn. Maybe he will like having her as a student.' Lilith thought as the family of three fell asleep.

In the throne room, Belos was thinking.

"What is his next move?"

A random attack that Rachael didn't know and warn him about, a member of his own group cursed and turned into a bomb, and the rest in prison. Was this meant to be a failed attack?

"He always relied on using misdirection, it wouldn't surprise me if he did just that."

'If he is going to play like that, I am going to have to think of countermeasures.' Belos thought.

He looked at the time.

"I should get to sleep, it's getting late."

Getting up from his throne, Belos walked towards his room in the castle. He entered and took off his mask. He looked at it and sighed.

"I finally have my family back, and now they're about to be taken away."

'No. It will not end like before.' The Titan said to him, keeping his spirits up.

"How can you be certain, you said something similar last time."

'I underestimated Caine last time because he could not connect with me like you and Lilith have, I thought that meant he would be a weaker witch than you. I was gravely mistaken.' The Titan said to Belos. 'I can't apologize for my foolishness back then, but I can try to make up for it now.'

"For the longest time, you were the only person I could trust. You listened and guided me through every problem. I will never be able to thank you for that, but now... I have my family, and we need every last resource we have to find him."

'I will do my best to cover that. I didn't know how he hid from me before I do now thanks to Rachael, I can be your second pair of eyes and ears if there's something Caine doesn't tell her.' The Titan said.

"Thank you."

Belos placed his mask in the dresser and began changing into a sleep robe for the night. He rested on his bed and stared at the ceiling. Sleep has always been hard for him to get, ever since his father was murdered right in front of him as a kid, by his uncle no less. Until Eda and Lilith came along, he was fine with having no family, because almost everyone in his family had either betrayed him or was murdered in front of him, all of which happened before he was 15. Even after Lilith and Eda came into his life, he was distant to them, and then Camila and Raine came into his daughter's lives, and then Luz came. He truly saw his family grow and... it truly brought out the man that he was meant to be.

"I won't fail them, not again." He said, "I swear on my name... on my real name... I won't fail them... any of them."

'Not Edalyn, not Lilith, not Hunter, Not Camilia, and especially not Lucenda.' Belos thought as he slowly succumbed to slumber.