The Morningstar Brigade

Chapter 50

XXXXX

ELI

156 A.E.F.

Asylum Chapel

"Hon, could you help me slide this ring back on my finger? It keeps falling off, no matter what I do," Eli said, turning to his wife.

"Where would you be without me?" Lila asked, slipping the silver band back onto her husband's finger.

There was a soft pitter-patter of quick steps across the floor as a young mop of raven black hair made his way over to Lila. "Mama, mama!" A little voice called up as a small hand tugged insistently at Lila's pant leg.

Lila smiled, knelt down and hoisted the young boy into her arms. She poked his nose playfully and brushed his unkempt hair out of his face so she could look into his pure, empty eyes. "Yes, Faustus? What is it, my little man?"

Faustus sniffled and tugged at his ear uncomfortably. He thrust an accusing finger back at Daken as he wiped his nose. "I told him to stop, but he won't! He keeps knocking over the game!"

"Daken," Lila began with a sigh, "If you're going to play chess with your brother, then play fair." She frowned as she looked over at the cackling child, who was clearly pleased with his handiwork. "Don't you like doing anything other than causing trouble?"

Daken grinned. "Sure. I also like teasing, badgering, joking, irritating and rabblerousing. If momma's boy can't handle it, that's his problem."

"All right, that settles it. I'm getting rid of that thesaurus," Eli said with a fatherly chuckle as he walked over to Daken and began to furiously noogie the young boy.

"Thank you for that inspired parenting, dear," Lila said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she crossed her arms with dissatisfaction.

Eli studied Lila's face intently, analyzing every inch of her expression with the sum of all his knowledge of women. "You're not happy," he concluded.

"Mm-hm."

"You want me to say something to them?"

"That's right."

"You want me to say it now?"

"Absolutely."

"Before I eat my muffin?"

"Dear."

"If I don't, we're not going to-"

"Nope."

Eli groaned, then rolled up his sleeves and cracked his neck. "All right, time to get parental," he declared as he walked over to his chair beside the fireplace. "Faustus, come over here for a second. You too, Daken."

The two boys walked over to where Eli was sitting and stood in front of his chair expectantly. Each glared at the other out of the corner of their eye, their feet constantly shuffling in an attempt to subtly kick one another.

"You know that I love you both very much, right?" he said, placing one hand on Faustus' shoulder and one hand on Daken's.

The boys nodded.

Eli smiled. "Good. If there's one thing I want you to know, to never ever forget, that's it." He glanced over Daken's shoulder to see Lila motioning for him to continue. "But, I'm not always going to be with you."