THE DEVIL'S SON

chapter 36

"Is something wrong?"

Lucian forced back his anger and tears. He didn't want to make him worry anymore.

He shook his head. "No, nothing is wrong. I just remembered that I have to be somewhere."

he nodded. "I understand."

No he didn't. Even he couldn't understand.

"I'll be back, wife." He forced himself to smile.

"I'll be waiting." he smiled back.

Leaving Gulf behind Lucian took his horse and rode far away. He didn't know where he was going but he just needed some air. Or maybe a lot of air. The pain and the tears were choking him and he felt like screaming out loud.

Once he neared a cliff he stopped and looked down. Beneath the cliff was a river. Lucian stared at it emptily for a while wondering what it would feel like if he jumped. Would the water wash away his pain?

He climbed down the horse and sat at the edge of the cliff. He felt empty as he listened to the flowing water but soon tears began to fall down his cheeks. He couldn't hold it in anymore so he let it all out.

Irene stood behind a tree and watched her son cry alone. When she found out that he had regained his memory, she had followed him afraid he would do something stupid. But here he was, alone and in tears. She could feel his pain and wanted to take it all away. Unable to just watch she went to him and ever so lightly she put one hand on his shoulder.

Lucian didn't react. He probably knew she was there all the time and that he didn't bother to look told her how much pain he was in. She crouched to his level and wrapped her arms around him and began to stroke his back. Oh, how long she had waited to hold him and now he was finally in her arms. She had expected him to pull away but he didn't. He just kept crying.

Irene wanted to tell him that it wasn't his fault but she knew he wouldn't listen so she just held him until he calmed down.

"Lucian. I can take away your pain if you let me." She said once he calmed down.

He shook his head. "I don't deserve it."

She grabbed his face gently in her hands and made him look at her. "You do. You deserve all the happiness in this world."

He just looked at her for a while. His eyes swollen and red from the crying.

"Why did you leave me?" He suddenly asked.

Irene could see the desperation in his eyes but she could also see that he was losing hope. The flames in them seemed to die away slowly and that made her heart ache. She would not let him give up.

"I never did. I would never leave you. You were taken away from me." She explained.

He looked at her as if trying to figure out if she was telling the truth. She wouldn't blame him if he didn't believe her.

Slowly he grabbed her wrists and removed her hands from his face then he stood up. "What is your name?" He asked.

Irene was glad that he at least asked her questions and didn't ignore her entirely.

"My name is Nyx." She said standing up.

Lucian stared at the woman Infront of him. He couldn't ignore his resemblance to her. She was indeed his mother and when she had hugged him earlier, he never felt anything like it before. But even if she was his mother, he didn't know her and it felt strange somehow to let her hug him.

Confused about the whole situation he turned away from her and climbed his horse, then without looking back he rode away.

Nyx. He repeated her name in his mind. His mothers name was Nyx. Lucian had heard the name once even though his father or to be more correct the King had forbidden anyone to speak about her.