The Silver Cross - The Path Of A Monster (Book One)

Chapter Thirty - The Realisation

Cain sighed as he pulled himself up out of bed, the pain he was in was cruel, heart broken over the brother he loved so much, cared about enough to want to save, but at the same time enough to want to hunt. He was a cunning one, with the mind of a hunter and no humanity. If he wanted to, anyone could be killed, their blood tasted by him, his need for human life, to kill. If he wanted to, he could force The Silver Cross on their knees, taking out the hunters and huntresses who fought for them, but he didn't. Perhaps a part of him, small or otherwise, was still alive, clinging onto his own humanity, fighting for its survival. Perhaps Jack would come back to him, when he was ready, but Cain wasn't sure about that, only sure that by the time that happened, his soul would've been destroyed and all that would be waiting for him, would be Hell.

He got dressed, throwing on a shirt and jeans as he headed out the door. A month since Jack first attacked a human, a month since he'd seen the monster come out of hiding in search of a hunt. People continued to go missing, of course their bodies were never found and yet people tried to search, wondering where their loved ones were taken, where the beast in human form, wearing his brother's skin had gone to. It looked like Jack, even sounded like him, shared his memories but the soul was long gone, burning in Hell, along with the rest of him. If there was any hope for Jack in the first place, it vanished with his first taste of death, when the monster within got what he wanted, what it desired above all else in the world. It left Cain without a brother, with a daughter reaching just three years of age, a whole world ahead of her, if she wanted it.

Heading downstairs, he got into his car, driving quickly to his ex-wife's home, separated but not divorced he was only there to say good night to his daughter, to let her know she was loved, respected, cared for and wanted. Her birthday was no different, it was a time they would come together, paint a smile on their face while presents were delivered. He had gotten her a doll's house, something that would last throughout time, unsure about what her mother had brought her, not really caring either way.

The front door was wide open as birds sang in the bright daylight, causing no shadows to arise. It was too bright for any immortal guests, not that he expected any. Jack knew better than to turn up there, in a house filled with hunters and well-wishers. He wouldn't want to hurt Katie, not when his hunger was beyond his control, and there were hunters there who would attack if they saw him.

"Hello," Nicola stated in a cold, sly tone.

"You don't have to like it, you just have to manage for a day," Cain snapped as he walked through the door.

She shut it behind him quickly as he made his way inside, picking up Katie and holding her close. Her doll's house arrived, beautifully crafted, he had spared no expense for the beautiful birthday girl.

"She liked her present," Nicola said quickly.

"I'm glad, it was hard to get, I remember phoning to order it," he joked as his eyes caught a glance at the pretty bracelet on her arm. "What's this?" he asked quickly.

"Your present?" Nicola responded. She rolled her eyes, sighing, "you shouldn't go around shaming people, she's three, she won't remember."

"I didn't get her a bracelet?" Cain responded fast. "Did it come in the post?" he asked as he looked around the room.

"No, I found it on her last night, I assumed you'd put it on her when you visited... what's going on?" she asked quickly, almost frantically.

Cain pulled her out of the room, into the back garden and away from the kitchen's prying eyes. He looked her in the eyes and said, "it's a vampire mark, a mark of protection... whoever it belongs to has promised her their protection..." he began, interrupted by a young blonde. "What?" he demanded.

"Sorry, I know it's your daughter's birthday, but we had DNA results off one the body we found... he was in the system," she started.

"For?" Cain asked quickly.

"Sexual assault, battery... seems the monster did us a favour, took care of another monster," she commented.

"Good, go," he ordered as he walked to the bottom of the garden.

All of it pointed to Jack, that he was either playing some kind of game, or that there was something there after all, a glimmer of hope, of humanity. If Cain could reach that, touch it, he could pull Jack back before the monster truly died, if he could reach into the man's soul and pull it back, he'd have his brother back almost completely. There was still hope, Jack was still there, protecting everyone from the shadows like he once had. He was still fighting the monster, knowing he had to be a monster, he took care of other monsters, feeding from them, killing them. He drank their blood, took them off the streets and helped the many and the few to survive, he was not just a monster but also a man, a good man perhaps, if he allowed himself to be and all Cain had to do was find him, bring him back before it was too late.