A Blood Soaked Throne - Part Two

Thirteen - Damien

I wake up before Alayah and slip slowly from the bed. I don't think I've ever slept better than I did having her in my arms. She turns over as an empty space opens up on the mattress. The blanket slides down until the small dip in her lower back is exposed and her hair falls in a curled mess around her shoulders. I pull on a shirt and pants, slipping silently into the hallway as she sleeps.

Faint noises enter in from the streets outside, lights flickering through the thin curtains. I make my way into the kitchen, hoping to get breakfast made before Cyrus or Alayah wake up. It's the least I can do, but I'll never be able to repay him for keeping us hidden from my father.

The fridge doesn't hold much, Cyrus' monthly allotment doesn't exactly fund an extravagant lifestyle. There's a carton of eggs, half a container of orange juice, and an assortment of different meats on the shelves. I pull the eggs and place them on the counter, digging around for a bowl to crack them in. It doesn't take long for the stovetop to heat up and the sizzling sound of the eggs to fill the room. The smell begins wafting into the air and I toss a few pieces of toast into the toaster.

I wash the dishes as I go, laying out three plates as the eggs finish cooking. As soon as I place the washed pan onto the drying rack the door by the counter begins to open. Cyrus steps into the room, wearing only a pair of black shorts that extend to his knees.

More of the tattoos that cover his skin are visible now, concealing most of the flesh over his body. Some I recognize from before, but others appear to be fairly new. I slide a plate over to him, eggs piled on half of the plate with buttered toast making up the other half. He looks at me with yet another unforgiving glare before picking up the fork and shoveling a portion into his mouth.

"I want to thank you again Cyrus. If there's anything I can do to help you, just let me know." There's nothing that I can do to make up for the things I did, or to show the extent of my gratitude for the risk he's taking now. But I can't just sit around and do nothing.

"The only reason you're even here is because of Alayah. I won't hand a defenseless woman over to that monster you call a father. I know what he's capable of." Cyrus' eyes turn dark as he talks about my father.

He doesn't know what Alayah's already been through with him, and in truth I don't know the whole story either, but Cyrus has been on the receiving end of my father's wrath more than once.

"I know, and I will forever be grateful for it. Please Cyrus, let me try to make up for everything I've done. Just tell me where to start." I'll never forgive myself for the way I left things, and it's very possible that he won't either. I don't know what's going to happen to me in the next few days. The least I can do is try to make amends where I can. Cyrus grumbles as he bites into the last forkful of eggs on his plate and processes what I said.

"The bar could use a good deep clean," he says reluctantly. Based purely on the state it was in when we arrived yesterday I have to agree.

"I'd be happy to help." He places his dishes in the sink and turns back towards the bedroom, his eyes finding mine just before he passes through the door frame.

"Meet me downstairs in ten," he mumbles and disappears behind the closing door.