The Fate Of The Marked

Chapter Seventeen

I stared at Zofran, trying to take all of it in. Ellias had been killed. Everyone thought he was dead. He had been burned in the fire of Enico. But he had been in the vision the coin showed me. What did I have to do with him?

"But you lived through the fire of Enico!"

"Only for a few minutes only. I used the power of protection against the flames." Ellias had said.

"Was Alexios the one who burned him?" I asked.

I couldn't imagine how terrible it would to be killed by someone I trusted.

Zofran nodded.

"Because he told them about another war that would be coming?"

"The angels thought that information might cause another revolt. They stopped the information from leaking out at its source." Said Zofran. "Now you know why I'm not too fond of them."

"There had to be another reason." I said softly. "You don't just kill someone you've known that long for something like that. They could have put him back on earth."

Zofran's eyes flashed and he gave me a cold look.

"They have killed for lesser reasons than that, boy." He hissed.

His form flickered for a moment. The edges of his body blurred and his eyes turned as black as midnight before going back to their usual golden brown.

"What are you?" I asked, looking at him.

He radiated power, but it didn't scare me as it had with other Hunters. His eyes glowed with knowledge unsaid and his hair was graying. I hadn't seen anyone else that seemed to age. The only other thing noticeable on him was a scar that led from the bottom of his ear, down around his neck, like someone had sliced his throat. He smiled grimly.

"A shapeshifter. You may have met my son."

I sucked in a deep breath and met his gaze.

"Caius?" I asked. "He turned into a dog."

"Yes, he's not to good at keeping one form at a time. That comes with age." Zofran laughed. "But I'm surprised you made it away. He is a ruthless fighter."

I sucked in a deep breath. A thought nearly knocked me off my feet.

"Is he really my-"

"Uncle? Yes, very distantly. You'll find out very quickly that blood doesn't matter to those who are immortal." Zofran said.

"Wouldn't that make me related to you?" I asked.

"Not in any way. You have no demon blood running through you. Our bloodlines are very complex and typically intercross many times. Demon blood does not mix with that of an angels, that I am sure of."

"Do you know how, though?" I asked hesitantly, against my better judgment not to push him to far.

"Caius was your father's close friend. They were never related by blood. As I know of it, your father was never as fond of my son as he was." Zofran said quietly.

"You know who my father is?" I asked, heart skipping a beat. "Who-"

"Do not ask me, child. You are not ready to know the answer." He said wearily, running a hand over his eyes. "And in any case, it would do you no good to know."

"What about my mother? Is she alive?" I asked.

He sighed.

"In a way, yes. She is very much alive in you." He said. "You ask as many questions as she did."