6.Betrayal
"The black mass in the middle" the clan's healer began "what is it"
"It looks like cancer." Moore replied.
"We have to operate at once..." Moore explained "or you might lose the leg."
Where Hudson's right upper leg should be, the blanket covered nothing... It just laid flat on the bed.
Not wanting to believe what her eyes showed her, Deborah pulled the blanket from this part. She would never forget what she saw in this second...
Her mate's leg was missing, but the first third of his right upper leg.
When she reached the stairs, Darlene discovered her daughter lying at the end of the stairs on the floor, crouched to a ball with Shade by her, trying without success to comfort her. While racing down, Darlene noticed that Lana was alive, but trembling all over her whole body as if she had fever... obviously in shock.
"Something in the box terrified her." Darlene explained to her mother.
"What is it" Darlene asked, even when a part of her didn't want to know.
"The head of a human baby." Demona noticed in the same tone, as if she would say the weather was good while she closed the box.
Interludes:3.Duties
12.08.98; 07:47; Castle Wyvern, Highest tower:
Goliath stood on the highest tower, his arms crossed on his chest and looking down on the castle where his clan slowly gathered to go to their resting places. He smelt the scent of the city, a poisoned scent as some of the elders once noticed, but he had grown used to it, finding it as natural as he had once found the salty scent of the ocean back in Wyvern.
It helped a bit to draw away the thoughts on his mentor.
"Goliath" he heard a soft and wonderful voice calling his name.
Looking around, he discovered Elisa coming up the stairs, looking at him with a smile, which made all his worries lift from his shoulders for a moment.
"My Elisa." Goliath greeted.
He made a step to her, yet she was faster, throwing herself on him and embracing him strongly.
Goliath laid his wings around her, returning the embrace and softly stroking her hair.
"I'm sorry that I didn't arrive sooner." Elisa told him when they let go. "Chavez and I had a lot of work to do, to sell the district our story. Has Asrial told you"
Goliath nodded.
"Lucifia's evil is endless" he simply stated.
Elisa nodded, yet there was something more, her mate's voice seemed distracted and the pain in his face ran deeper.
Elisa placed a hand on his face.
"What is it, Big Guy" she asked him, looking straight into his eyes.
"Dr. Moore had to amputate practically everything of Hudson's right leg." Goliath told her.
Elisa gasped, placing a hand before her mouth.
"How did it happen" she asked unbelieving.
"We think it was Lucifia's blood from the last battle, which caused a sort of cancer in his leg." Goliath explained. "We even thought of asking Demona to help us, but she told us already that Lucifia, like her blood, is immune to her magic... or shamanism, as she calls it." Goliath looked away from his love. "It happened too fast."
Elisa, knowing her mate, pulled his face so that he looked in hers again.
"It wasn't your fault" she told him. "Don't even think that for a moment."
"I'm the leader." he replied, balling his claws to fists. "I could've protected Hudson when I had the chance."
"Could Demona have done anything about it" Elisa replied, stubbornly not letting her mate wear this load. "Or Hudson, or anyone else"
"He will suffer through this for the rest of his life." Goliath noticed. "When he awakens tomorrow..."
"Then we will help him..." Elisa assured. "You, I, the whole clan... not to mention his mate."
Goliath thought about it, noticing the first sunbeams nearing behind his back, then he gave a smile on his love, even though it was a soft one.
"Thank you, my..." the last words were lost when the sun changed the leader of the Manhattan clan into stone.
Elisa gave the statue a soft smile, touching his still warm face with her right arm.
"Always, Big Guy." she told him.
