My Beloved Shadow

For Nick, going to see Athan was even worse than going to school to do a test he hadn’t studied for. He felt almost sick to his stomach he is so nervous, though he refused to let Michael know that. He wouldn’t be weak, at least he kept telling himself that.
Michael took him to the sitting room in the castle, where Athan was waiting for them. Michael had contacted him mentally, telling Athan to meet him there. Nick hadn’t liked the idea that they had been talking so *intimately*, but he had sucked it up and dealt with it. He had been the one who wanted to talk to Athan anyway.

Athan looked up when they walked into the room, a look of surprise crosses his eyes when he sees Nick come in behind Michael. The look is gone so quickly that Nick is uncertain he even saw it at all.

“This is what I would call more than a little late.”

His voice is even, not betraying even one emotion. Not once betraying the hurt he felt when Michael hadn’t shown up last night, when he had realized that he had been used. Athan, like everyone else, had felt when the ceremony had been finished between Tsion and Nick. It had been like a slap to his face.

It wasn’t so much that he minded, he doesn’t. He is happy for his liege to of found someone to love, and who loved him back. What he did mind was that he had been stranded without so much as a warning. And he has the feeling that he had been used by Tsion, the way the other had stayed by his side when he had a zorey.

Nick cannot sense Athan’s emotions, but he understands the meaning behind the words. They should of said something to him and not just left him waiting.

“It’s my fault and I am sorry about that. But, I’ve come here this morning to let you know that I cannot allow you to touch Tsion any longer, not intimately.”

Athan looks over at Tsion, “Are you so weak now that you would allow a human to make the decisions for you?”

Athan planned on getting his little bit of revenge anyway he could, however petty it might be. He has never asked for much over the years, he has served Tsion faithfully over the years. He has exiled himself from his own people because of his shortcomings. The only thing he asks is that he is welcomed whenever he does come back and that he gets a little respect.

Athan’s words rub Nick the wrong way, especially the way he had called him ‘human’, implying that he is weak. Athan turns to look at Nick in time to see his eyes flash red, then turned back to Tsion only to see him grin.

That bastard, Athan thought as he turned back to stare at Nick’s eyes. Eyes which glow red in his irritation. Eyes that, on Athan, always stay red.

Athan stands from his seat and walks over to Nick. Nick has the sudden urge to take a step back, but instead stands his ground, from what he doesn’t know. Athan gives Nick a good look, something he hadn’t done the whole time he’d been around the boy. There had to be a reason Tsion had chosen someone so young, why he had chosen the boy to be dominant.

When Athan reached out to touch Nick his eyes bleed red and seemed to pulse with a life of their own. Nick doesn’t want him touching Tsion, and he certainly doesn’t want Athan touching him. Athan just smiles and pulls away.
“Don’t worry, I do not fuck with my own blood.”

With that he turns away and walks to the door. He turns around before he leaves though, addressing Nick as he speaks, not even bothering to look at Tsion.

“Will I be allowed to come back?”

Nick looks at Michael who only gives him an ‘I told you so’ look. He had said that Athan would take the ‘no touch’ rule as a ‘get out of here’. Nick sighs silently to himself, very uncertain what he should do, nothing had gone the way he’d planned.

“Yes, I didn’t say you had to leave. I just don’t want you to touch Tsion intimately, ever again.”

Athan chuckles, “Jealous little one. You shouldn’t worry so much, he could care less about me. You’re the first person he’s ever put any real interest in.”

He looks at Tsion with barely hidden sadness. He had accepted long ago that no one could ever love him. He cannot even help his own race by siring children. No, he had given that up when he had had to kill his own child for fear of it destroying everyone.

But, maybe there is some hope with the humans. He had gone to earth, the mortal plane that is nearly void of magic ability, and mated with several females there. He had hoped that by doing so, mixing his own diseased blood with weak blood, that something good would come out of it.

Looking at Nick, he knows it can be done. He looks back to Nick, all emotion gone from his face. He can see the little things in Nick, the eyes that he doesn’t even seem to realize are there. They share the same bone structures in the face, though he is much taller than Nick, his grandmother had been a small woman. If it’s who he thinks it is.

“Don’t let him get away with anything, he’s had years to gain a large ego and it’s only fair that someone should bring him down a little. But we need him together enough to keep all of us together.

You do plan on taking part in protecting your people?”

My people? Nick wonders on that, though it doesn’t seem to be something his mind wants to think about.

“Of course. I want to see them get better just as much as the two of you do.”

Athan nods his head and turns to look at Tsion.

“The next time I return I want to hear that you’ve been treating him good. I may not have much say in things, and I know you don’t really care what I say or think, but treat him good, Tsion.”

Athan bows low, to both of them, then opens the door and leaves the room. It isn’t until he’s outside, and amongst the trees, that he stops. He leans up against a tree and looks over at the castle. He feels like crying and shouting for joy all at the same time.
Ever since he had been cursed he had never been able to produce a child that hadn’t gone mad. The last one, his third attempt, had been so consumed by blood lust that it had killed many of Tsion’s people before Athan had to step in and kill him. It had only been five years old.

Athan had long ago learned to not refer to any of his failed attempts as more than an ‘it’. It put too many emotional ties in them and would hurt far too much. But, now he has a reason to be happy. Nick is his, he knows it.

Nick isn’t direct blood, no, he’s too young for that. It’s been nearly forty years since he went to earth. But he’s of Athan’s blood, he can feel it. Before he can be certain, though, he will have to return to earth and investigate further. It won’t be hard to track down the women he had been with, and from there find his children.

When he can know without a doubt he will return home. When he can know without a doubt he will seek out any other offspring he might have and bring them home. It would almost be too much to ask for, that the gods had finally forgiven him his part in the war.
Athan takes one more look at the castle, at his home, then turns away from it and disappears. He vows that he will not return until he knows for sure whether Nick is truly of his blood, and if he has any other’s on earth.

***



Nick stared at the door Athan had disappeared behind for awhile before turning to Tsion.

“Now I’m not sure what to do. I still don’t want him touching you, but I feel sorry for him. Have you actually told him you didn’t care for him?”

Tsion gives him a dirty look, “Why would I do that? He comes and goes as he wishes, he is the only one of my people that does not stay here. He’s the one that feels the need to exile himself for us.”

Nick just sighs, shaking his head softly.

“Lets just not worry about it right now, I’m too tired for that much information. What is there that does *need* to be done today?”
Tsion laughed and pulled Nick close, hugging him as he looks down, into his eyes.

“We could always go back to bed and stay there all day and on through the night.”

“Really? That’s all there is to do today?”

Nick couldn’t help but smile, feeling his mood lifting just a little. Tsion thinks hard for a moment, then grinned.

“Well, we do have to get things together to give everyone a public ceremony tomorrow. Since the zorey ceremony is completed privately, we are now obligated to do so in public. It’s very different rules than a private ceremony, but there must always be the public, and the private, ceremony.”

“Does it entail much?”

Nick asked as Tsion lead him out of the room.

“Not really. Basically, there is decorations, excess on food and drinks. Everyone wears their best and we stand before everyone and declare our devotion to one another. More or less, it’s just an excuse to have a party.”

It all just seems so strange to Nick, he comes from a place that wouldn’t allow such a thing. His grandparents had freaked when they had learned he was even with Michael, if they knew that they are now married… He doesn’t want to think about that.

“Mich-- Tsion? What do I even call you? Everyone here calls you Tsion, but I know you as Michael.”

Michael shrugs as they come to stand just outside the castle door. He takes a step away, putting himself directly in front of Nick.
“Call me what ever you wish, Meili, I will always come when you call.”

“I guess I should just use your real name. Do you think that there would be a way, some day in the future, for Jason and Norris to go visit their families? It wouldn’t be for long, because I know they’re needed here.”

“I suppose, at a later date. Right now I don’t believe it would be a good thing, but I know Jason has a younger brother that he cares for. Norris…”

Michael shakes his head, “He hates his mother and stepfather, and his real father is in an institution.”

“Really? How is it you know that?”

“I might be cruel at times, and heartless at best, but I like to know everything about my people. They are mine now, and all my people have my protection.”

Michael leans in, kissing Nick softly.

“Right now, though, I think Jason would like to talk to you. I will handle all the details of the ceremony if you wish to go to him.”

Nick glances off to the side and sees Jason, who looks a little lost.

“It won’t bother you?”

“I told you, seeing you with him, or Norris, or even any of my people, doesn’t make me jealous. I know your mine and will always come back to me. Now, it might be different if it were someone that did not belong to me. Then my jealousy might rise, but for now it’s not necessary.”

Nick smiled softly, “Maybe some day I’ll become comfortable enough that I’ll rescind my order about Athan. Though, he is strange and the things he said earlier even stranger…”

“Ever since the gods cursed him, he hasn’t been the same. But, that is something for another day. You need to go take care of your people and that one there looks like he’s in need of a lot of help.”

They kiss again and Michael walks off after telling Nick he would see him later. Nick turns in Jason’s direction and makes his way towards the other. Jason is frozen where he is, unable to move forward, or away. He’s fighting to keep the tears at bay, he had never had a fight with Norris before. They had always gotten a long so well.

“How are you doing, Jason?”

But, when Nick spoke it brought everything back and he only response he got was Jason hugging him as the tears spilled out.



**
Yes, I know, I took my time on this chapter. *shrug* Tough. I\'ve been busy and my brain stopped when I barely had three pages. I wanted this chapter to end a certain way and it wasn\'t coming. So, now I\'m happy. heh Give or take. *lol* Rode horses yesterday for nearly three hours and I\'m paying for it now. I should really ride more often.
I didn\'t give much out in this chapter, I know. I would appologize, but I\'m not really that sorry. Nick won\'t find out for a long while yet that his eyes become red when he\'s highly agitated. I did add more about Norris, and the next chapter will have even more. *grin*
Enjoy what you have!