Lucivar rolled over in his bed, his wife right beside of him. Something had pulled him out of a deep slumber. Something… there a tap on his outer barrier. A soft caress. What the hell was Daemon doing contacting him this late at night? A flicker of annoyance flowed back on the thread and he was slipping out of the covers and stuffing his arm into his house rob as he very quietly made his way to his front room.
Hoping whatever this was wouldn't wake his family. Hoping that he wouldn't need to do more then send his brother home or at least to the Keep for the rest of the night.
Something told him it wouldn't be that simple.
A deep breath and a dark thought formed. Just as soon as his brother explained why he was here at this time of night, he the eyrien warlord prince who the bastard had woke up was going to pin him to the damn wall. Providing of course it was Daemon and not the sadist who he was going to have a conversation with.
Just as he made it to his front room Daemon stepped through the main door and the ebon gray shield that was placed around the eyrie. Even in the dark he could smell the stench of fresh blood. Tossing out a few orbs of witch light he fought to take a normal breath.
This wasn't right. What he was seeing… smelling …. No this could not be right.
Daemon was covered in blood. Every inch of him and his black suit and white silk shirt. Not even a speck of flesh that should be pristine …was. Very carefully Lucivar leaned against the wall trying to look lazy. Trying to appear that his brother hadn't thrown him off of his stride. In a hushed voice he said, "Damn it bastard you reek."
"Need to clean up before Jaenelle sees me. I think she might just kick my ass this time."
Jaenelle? Why would she kick your ass when her mother would beat her too it? No best not to ask that. At least not yet. Nor did he have time to before Daemon brushed past him going not to an empty room that had a shower… no he had just enough time to prepare Marian before his brother who was clearly not thinking slipped into the bedroom and into the adjoining bathroom.
Following he tried to give his beautiful wife a warm smile hopping she didn't decide that Daemon waking her was his fault. "Darling, would you mind…." A loud thud from the bathroom had him holding his thought before he rushed over and threw open the door. A single breath and his heart stopped. Daemon was collapsed on the floor, his eyes open and unblinking. Words that didn't make any sense tumbling from his lips. "Get Nurian, now."
Knowing Marian would rush out into the other room to contact the healer. Knowing he would need to tell her something… anything to help… he pulled Daemon to his chest. Another memory of another time he had held another family member while she broke under pressure, filled his mind. Pushing the thought aside he concentrated on Daemon's words.
Fought hard to remember the names that he was hearing had been dead for a very long time. Tried hard to remember that something had pushed his brother into this madness. Barely understood anything when Daemon's grief flooded the room.
How had he hidden this so well? How even after his daughter had been born had he hid this from everyone?
He didn't have time for the thought to really form before Daemon's body went limp and the room became completely and terrifyingly quiet.
XXX
"Prince Yaslana?"
Lucivar pulled Daemon closer and shook his head. "I don't know."
She knew she needed to do something or Lucivar might very well break just from the shock of not only seeing his brother covered in so much blood, but also from whatever dark path he had turned down. She knew it but still took more than a breath to form the words. "Will you help me get him cleaned up?"
After working with Nurian to make sure all of the blood his brother was covered in hadn't been that of anyone that was known to either him or the family, but most of all hadn't been from his from his brother, Lucivar helped tuck his brother into his bed and left Nurian to her work. Her only request was to ask for someone from the hourglass to come see if something was wrong that she didn't have experience in.
A single nod and he slipped out in to the living room. Surreal should be arriving any moment, he just hoped she sounded closer to sane when she arrived. But that was something to deal with once it arrived, His son on the other hand, "Boyo, you should be in bed."
"I was. Your niece woke me. Since she was speaking female I was hoping for a translation before I decide if I should go back to sleep or kick her ass."
By rights he should scold his son for the use of words. Decided against it since his boy was clearly not fully awake yet. The Warlord Prince on the other hand was dancing on knife's edge and waiting for an explanation, "Alright what did she say?" And once her mother was here they could discuss why a child of Jaenelle's age was using commutations threads. Or how a child who barely had her birthright jewels knew how to use them to begin with.
"Get up. Get dress I'm going with her. Damn it she didn't even say where or why. Or if it has to do with Uncle Daemon being here."
Damn. Before he could even think of responding Surreal rushed in two black widows close behind her. "Damn it Yaslana what happened?"
XXX
