Light's Shadows - On Hold

Chapter 13 - Sanctuary

James POV

I knocked impatiently on the large mahogany wooden doors leading to my father's study. Despite wishing that I could get rid of the vampires with a snap my fingers so that no one in my family would ever have to worry or get involved, I knew I had no choice but to report what had happened to my father.

"Father!" I bellowed, knocking harder now.

As I was about to pound my fist on the door for the millionth time, the door swung open and there stood my father looking extremely agitated. His grey pinstripe suit was cut and pressed to perfection. He looked formal and business-like as he always did. The scowl on his face marred the image though.

"For Pete's sake, what is it now James?" he said, angrily pulling out asleek Bluetooth piece from his ear.

"What was so urgent that you had to disturb me when I was on an important call? You know I don't like being disturbed unnecessarily."

He turned on his heel, walked briskly back to his desk and sat down smoothly. I followed behind him and took the smaller, emasculating seat in front of his desk. Taking a deep breath I started.

"There was an incident tonight. I thought it would be best if I reported it to you so you could alert the other Elders."

"What incident?" he asked sharply, now giving me his full attention.

"Philip was heading to friends when he was accosted by two members of the Fibonacci family."

"What? Is he okay? This didn't show up on my radar." 

His worry for Philip was quite evident in his voice and face. Of course an uncle would be worried about his nephew but none the less a small, childish part of me turned into a green monster. My father never seemed to give a shit about me, yet here he was playing the role of a worried family member.

I was being a child; stupid, jealous, immature. In a way my father had every right to act towards me the way he did...

I pushed these thoughts away. Drudging up the reason for the strained relationship between my father and I would not be a good idea.

'He's okay. They didn't intend on killing him. They wanted him to play messenger for them. Only they didn't get a chance to, because that was when I got there."

My father squinted his eyes at me suspiciously. Shit, him knowing that I used venom was most definitely a no no.

"Luckily, I had my dagger on me so I was able to take them. And once the first one went down, Philip helped me with the second one. I'll probably be really sore tomorrow from the few hits I took but I'll live." 

I was lying through my teeth and although my father didn't say he did, I somehow felt that he knew I was lying. It waslike I was 8 years old again, trying to lie my way out of one of many pranks I had played on the staff or on my cousins.

My father leaned back in his large, black leather chair and looked at me coldly. I knew what was coming before he said it.

"Time and time again I have warned you about your recklessness coming back to bite you, and it has. No, James - not you- Philip. My poor nephew was the one that was attacked by vampires. Do you not understand the severity of your actions? He could've gotten hurt! He could've died, James! And it would've have been all due to your idiocy. I don't know how many more times I have to drill this in until you finally realize that you can't just take these things into your own hands. You killed those Fibonacci scribes and now our family is being targeted. These are repercussions of your actions!"

"They couldn't have found out it was us. They attacked the Degraci clan. After that they wouldn’t have suspected it was us." I said weakly, trying to convince myself more than him.