Adela Augusta Blood Famine

Chapter Ten

Chaise

Chaise gave a tug, pulling the last of the darts from his shed wall. His pockets weren't necessarily sagging with coin or currency, it'd be a shame to let good ammunition go to waste. He laid the arrows on the table and sat back in his chair putting his feet up. Adela. Could she actually help? Would she actually help if she could? His barter for Diya's life didn't exactly go as expected. He had meant to reason with the supreme lord of the vampire's daughter, not insult her and nearly kill her. The gorgeous vampire had left seemingly unphased, but he knew that's only what she wanted him to think. She had shown her true colors only moments before she left. She was angry. Angry about what? What'd he say? Something about nobody dying? Why would she be mad about- "Crud." He said aloud.

Vampires had died that night. That's why she was upset. Chasie let out a loud groan, "Moron. Wait, what do I care? They're vampires. They'd lived long enough." He said trying to justify it but it didn't make him feel any less guilty.

It's true, just about all vampires started out as a human, and though he cursed the people who gave up their mortality to be a monster, he still couldn't bring himself to rectify his words. Well, right or not she wasn't getting an apology, vampires were still responsible for what happened. He clenched his fist till it nearly hurt, then Chaise grabbed a wooden bowl and threw it.

There was a snapping sound and Chaise let himself fall backward in his chair. He smacked his head on the dirty floorboards but that was nothing compared to what would have happened should he have chosen to stay upright. He climbed to his feet and dusted the cobwebs from his hair. He wrenched the javelin from the wall and tossed it on the table with the rest of the weapons before exiting.

At first, he shielded his eyes from the sun's rays, having become accustomed to the moderate darkness of the shack, but it wasn't long before the blinding subsided.

"Dad! What are you doing outside?"

"I think a better question Chaise Mason Comfert-" Henry shouted back at him, "What were you doing with the daughter of Aquilo? And why did you take her to that dirty old shed instead of inside the house?"

"To protect you."

Henry made a shooing motion with his hands before turning his back on Chaise mumbling all the while to himself. Something about not needing his protection was all Chaise could make out. Then his dad lurched forward collapsing on his hands and knees coughing violently.

"Dad!" Chaise rushed to his side, trying to steady his father as he heaved. Henry hacked until the ground in front of him became stained with blood. At last, he let out a long ragged breath before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, painting the back of it red.

"I wish I had that sun blister pandemic. That sounds less painful."

"Unless you're a vampire." Chaise replied, helping his father to his feet. Nearly all of Henry's wait was on him now. "I wish you had that too. Then no vampire would touch you and-"

"-Stupid boy! If I had my way I wouldn't have anything. To wish some sort of plague on your own father."

"That's not what I meant. Let's just get you inside. I told you you need to rest."

"And I told you I needed to be outside." Henry took a long wheezy breath and then coughed out his next words. "Good thing I did too. Otherwise, I might never have learned what you were up to."

"You talked to her?"

"Yeah, went a lot better than yours too, by the sound of it."

Chaise followed his father's lead assisting him down into a wooden rocking chair. It creaked and cried as Henry sat in it but it bared his weight.

"By the sounds of it, your foolishness nearly killed her. Were those silver?"

"No. So unless I burned her after she wouldn't really be dead. Well more dead than she already is."

His father let out another heavy sigh, though this time it seemed less so from the labor of breathing. "I wish you would let go of all this hate son."

"You know why I can't."

"On the contrary. This hatred, this racism is toxic. I fear you'll only destroy yourself."

"You know you never gave this talk to Alaster."

"Your brother learned to let go of his grudge. He decided to become a protector. A defender, not some avenger. You boys chose similar paths for very different reasons."

Chase's fists clenched at his sides. Technically it was for the same reasons, but of course, his brother Alaster the golden child could never do anything wrong.

"You know I saved some people just the other night." Chaise blurted feeling a bit childish but not caring.

"Yes, yes. You told me." His father said stroking the ends of his beard. "I'm still not sure whether that was foolish or brave."

"Well, you'll be happy to know dad that I even teamed up with vampires to pull it off."

"Yes, I know. Princess Adela mentioned it. Funny you didn't."

"Didn't seem important at the time." Chaise said bending down pretending that weeding was now of interest to him. "Besides at the time, I didn't know it was her. She didn't have her whole fancy Dawn armor get up."

"And yet your paths cross again so soon."

Chaise looked up to his father from his spot kneeling in the dirt. "Why do you say it like that?"

"Perhaps Solange has plans for you. One thing is certain: the sun rises and sets always. Perhaps she has you on a fixed path now."

Chaise rolled his eyes, and yanked another weed from the ground, and tossed it to the side. He thought just as much as the holy and divine Solange and her sun-based religion. Monsters that lurked in the world they lived in had no such business walking with the living if there really were gods.

"I know you don't believe me Chaise. But be careful, Adela said you are of interest to her."

"I'm what?"

"How did she put it? You are a curiosity, and apparently unexplainable curiosities have become her hobby of late. Or so she says. Either way, you've got yourself trained in that high noble's sights."

The thought made him uncomfortable. As a hunter, and vampire being his main quarry, it didn't do him much good to be under the attention of the most esteemed vampire's daughter. Perhaps he had bitten off more than he could chew.

**Author's Note**

Welcome back vamp fans. It's Chaise, in another short chapter. Sort of like his patience for vampires. Can you guess why? I believe Adela already has. How does he compare to his father Henry? Still, like this salty slayer? So many questions. ;) It wouldn't be any fun if I just gave you answers. Later.