[ON HOLD] Exclusion, Confusion And Delusion.

Chapter 20- Must Come To Light

Valoria broke eye contact with me before she started recalling the horrendous events of her life. She stuttered struggling to begin the events until Harley held his hand in hers.

"My son... Wasn't a monster, he was different... But not a monster. When he was younger, he would ask about his father and I would just shush him and tell him to stop asking such foolish questions. But as he got older he became more persistent... I couldn't keep it in any longer and I told him everything. I told him how I fell in love with his father, how he had loved us too, but had to lead his kingdom, and why he wasn't in our lives." Valoria shifted under the attention of several pairs of eyes watching her.

"He had so much rage... So much rage pinned up inside, eventually it would get the best of him." Her voice cracked as she gripped Harley's hand tighter. "He began to fight back against the people who terrorized us, he didn't want to be a coward anymore as he would put it, but Issac wasn't a coward, he was my brave and precious son. He helped in any way he could, whilst being picked on and beaten day in and day out but he woke up every day to do it all over again without a single complaint."

"One day in particular Issac was being really adamant about meeting his father, he said he was a few miles away the trip will take awhile but he didn't mind. I became really angry at how through everything I told him he still wanted to meet the man who threw us out of his life. In a fit of anger I yelled that he didn't want to meet him, he didn't want us in his life and I forbid him to ever step foot in his castle, saying if he did it will be his head. I can't get the look on Issac's face out of my mind, it still plagues my memories of him... he was hurt and confused. That night he stayed in his room without speaking or even eating dinner, I went in to check but he was sleeping."

Uncle Axel hands a cup of tea to Valoria, she sips the tea cautiously before placing it down on the coffee table. "Issac had nightmares, I would hear him mutter things like 'stop' and ' please don't do this ' occasionally even a yelp, but this specific time he screamed... Not a normal scream, it sounded hysterical and painful like he was being tortured. I figured I upset him enough so I'll let him scream this one out until morning."

"When I went to wake him to help me with the chickens my heart stopped, I thought my son was lying dead in his bed. His bed was smothered in blood, it dripped forming huge masses of puddles on the damp wood floors. Issac laid on his back, his back was slightly arched for some reason until I tried to examine his body to find where the bleeding was coming from."

"His eyes fluttered opened as he panicked pushing me away. Gargantuous ebony wings sprung into the air, flapping so powerfully and elegantly my hair was being blown in every direction. Bone white fangs protruded from his redden lips. I was face to face with an angel... My angel."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but how old was Issac at the time this happened?" Quinn asks curiously.

"He was 18 at the time, his birthday was soon to come the following winter, but my baby didn't survive until winter." Valoria says. "Evie... You remind me a lot of Issac. I've failed Issac as well as Harley, my mourning made me drift into insanity forgetting I had another son who needed me... I will forever regret my decisions."

"But I will graciously give my life so not another child has to feel the cruel wrath of Julian's fear. Issac thought he was a coward... But Julian was. He didn't even have it in him when Issac broke into the castle." Valoria declared.

"What do you mean he didn't have it in him, everyone said-." Quinn blubbered until Luciville raised her hand to stop Quinn's ignorant rambles.

"The stories were wrong. I was instructed to never read a book, but to only give it to Issac when the ' blood was ready' so I did. He shut me out, he shut everyone out, he stayed in the basement most of the time with the book until the day he walked out and never returned. I heard word of his actions, yes, he did do inhumane things, but he planted his revenge on those who did worse on us."

"I looked for a way to stop Issac but I know my speed couldn't get me there faster. After I asked around for different routes a woman showed me the hidden passage to the castle. When I finally sneaked inside I suddenly remembered the nooks and crannies of the castle where I could remain hidden until I found him. When I did I saw guards surrounding Issac, Julian ordered to have the west wing closed off to everyone and vowed that no one dare speak about what transpires in the room."

The pain in Valoria's voice made me wince as if a hot poker repeatedly churned my insides. I know what she was about to reveal would break her when she finally confessed the real story.

"Julian's father was older, but still had no tolerance. He told Julian he knew this day would come and it should have happened earlier, he wanted Issac eliminated right there on the spot... Julian didn't even fight for his son's life, he was to afraid of his father."

"The guards piled onto Issac's back, Issac didn't cry nor did he plea, he looked his father right in his eyes and said he's grateful with what shamefully created him could now shamefully end him. Julian's eyes welled up as he raised the blade to his neck... But he hesitated, his father roared his disappointment in him for not being the king, he raised him to be, saying his emotions still stood for the boy. Julian's father ordered a soldier to behead Issac instead saying Julian was to weak and unstable. Julian left the room and Issac whispered he forgave him... And then."

A sob escaped her lips. " My brave, precious son was no more... I closed my eyes so tight and long, hoping when I opened them Issac would be in front of me giving me the crooked smile I adored so much but... He was gone, my baby was gone." She gasped. " The woman who showed me the route found me before anyone could sniff me out. She helped me find another town to settle down in, and to find work and start a family far, far away."

Valoria hands hid her face as her chest heaved up and down quickly. Harley pressed his mother closer to him to console her as she silently broke down. How could Julian sleep at night knowing his father ordered the slaughter his first born in front of him while he didn't stand up for what he thought was right?

Valoria's face was blank and pale she stared at the tea in her cup, she looked at is if she could see her son. There was no justice for Issac.

"We need to figure out why the vampire gene and the fairy gene activates to cause such rapid growth resulting in such a disturbing coming of age. This has never happened before, except the two times, and when it does, it forces the carrier of the genes to react aggressively after being awoken." Luciville paces around the room, fingers rubbing her temples. "Only if we could get a sample of both parents' blood, and start a series of experiments we could finally figure out what causes it and will it progress."

"If Issac never made it pass 18 and Evie is just 19 years old, we won't know if something else might occur. Her wings are already three times the size of an average fairy, what if her wings double in size? Or her genes mutate? Forming another race..." Adis eyes go wide thinking the possibility.

Valoria sips her tea. "I'm guessing finding Evie's parents will be a task. You can run some test on my blood."

"But we need Issac's father's blood as well." Charlie adds in.

"Well, I guess we're going to pay old Sadlestorm a little visit." Harley says gaze piercing mine. "You know what they say, what hides in the dark must come to light... Eventually."