Chapter 33: A House Divided II

𖤐••{AZERIA’S POV}••⛧

My palm slowly rises to my cheek, and tears gather in my eyes as I stare at Mother in disbelief.

It’s not the sting from the slap that hurts.

That faded almost instantly like pain always does for our kind.

It’s the realization that she even struck me at all.

I’ve lived longer than most of human history. I’ve seen civilizations rise and fall in fire and blood. And in all that time, my mother never raised her hand against me.

Until now.

As I hold Mother’s furious gaze, my heart aches as if there’s something wrapped around it, squeezing slowly with every beat.

My lips part, but before I can say anything, Azræl steps in front of me.

"Don’t you—ever—touch her again," he warns, his tone dangerously calm.

Mother lowers her hand and her eyes flick to me.

"She crossed a line," she says quietly.

"No," Lucærys says firmly. "You did."

My brows shoot up with surprise as I turn to face him.

His jaw is clenched so tightly that the muscle along it visibly ticks, and his usually warm eyes are now fixed on Mother with a coldness I’ve never seen in them before.

"You forget yourself, Lucærys Mordred," Mother says sharply. "You are a guest in this house. Don’t make the grave mistake of thinking familiarity grants you permission to speak to me however you please."

Luceris doesn’t respond.

He doesn’t even bow or apologize.

He simply holds her gaze until Mother’s eyes shift to me, and the second our eyes meet, I almost wish they hadn’t.

The anger is still there... but there’s something else beneath it now.

Grief.

"After everything we’ve been through together," she whispers. "How could you compare me... to him?"

The last I saw Mother cry was after Samæl killed Father. So the moment I see tears welling up in her eyes, guilt begins gnawing at my heart.

"You of all people should know what he cost this family!" she screams as the tears fall, streaming down her cheeks.

She steps closer and grips my shoulders.

"You have no idea how it feels to carry a child in your womb," she says, her voice trembling with each word. "You’ve never felt the agony a mother goes through, just to bring that child into the world. And you’ll never know how it hurts, to think of your own child and feel nothing but hate!"

Her grip on my shoulders tightens.

"So how dare you liken me to the man who murdered my husband—your father!"

The room falls dead silent after that.

Then slowly, I raise my hands and cup her face, brushing her tears away with my thumbs.

"Samæl’s lust for power..." I say softly, "his obsession with restoring our kind... walking under the sun... bearing children and becoming more than we ever were... that dream is what drove him to murder the man you loved. That is why I likened you to him, and I would say it over and over again if I have to."

Her expression hardens, and I can see the anger already reigning in her golden eyes.

"If the truth angers you so much," I continue gently. "Then maybe you should take some time to look at yourself in the mirror instead of lashing out at me."

Mother shoves me back and raises her hand at me, but I grab her wrist before it can meet my cheek.

"The next time you try to lay your hands on me," I say, my tone low and dangerous. "I won’t be sorry for whatever happens next."

I shove her arm away and she stumbles a step back, her mouth hanging open in disbelief while her eyes are wide with shock.

She turns sharply to Azræl.

"Azræl, how can you just stand there and let her disrespect me like this?" she demands.

"Because you’re the one that’s in the wrong here," he answers without hesitation.

"I am your mother!" she raises her voice. "You don’t get to treat your mother like this!"

"Yes, you’re my mother," he replies calmly. "But in this matter you will obey me. Have you already forgotten what happened that night when Rhiannon bled."

He raises a finger.

"One drop," he says. "That was all it took for the entire castle to lose their minds."

He folds his arms across his chest.

"During the years I spent travelling and searching kingdoms across the sea for the last of Nytheriel’s bloodline, I read countless ancient texts," he continues. "For us vampires, our thirst for celestial blood isn’t something we can control once we consume it. It’s a temptation. A slippery slope. One taste turns into a craving. That craving becomes an obsession. And that obsession eventually leads to madness. A constant, uncontrollable hunger."

Azræl slowly shakes his head.

"That is something I refuse to gamble with," he says quietly. "I have no desire to conquer the world, nor do I want every soul to bend the knee to me. Just like Father, I believe our people must be kept in check."

"I’m not asking you to conquer the world," Mother replies. "I’m asking you to make sure no other house ever dares challenge us."

"Didn’t you hear a single word I just said?!" Azræl snaps. "Rhiannon is under my protection, and any attempt to touch her, coerce her, or even try to see her without my consent will be treated as treason."

"This is outrageous!" Mother shouts. "You’re making a terrible mis—"

Azræl raises his hand, cutting her off.

"I’m done having this conversation," he says calmly then gestures to the doors. "Please, leave my chambers."

Mother goes completely still.

For a few heartbeats, she stares at Azræl like she can’t believe what he just said. Then she turns to Lucærys before finally looking at me.

Her gaze lingers on me longer than the rest. Long enough that my stomach twists and I start picking at my fingers without realizing it.

Finally, she nods to herself and without another word, she heads for the doors.

When her hand closes around the handle, she glances over her shoulder to look at Azræl.

"You might think your power as Emperor will be enough to protect her," she says quietly. "But a day will come when you’ll be forced to look back at this moment..."

Her voice turns frigid.

"And you will regret it."

The door slams shut behind her, and the echo of it feels like something breaking for good.