Marcus did not return until the evening, Erika and Selene where chatting in Selene's room. To his satisfaction Selene was still in bed
"Good to see you relaxing"
Selene smirked then looked to Erika
"He insists I lay in bed all the time like and invalid"
"You're due in over a month and I want to be cautious due to the history of Vampyric births"
Selene rolled her eyes, same shit different day.
Erika sat on the sofa next to the fire watching him, wondering of his decision.
He could feel her eagerness though he ignored it, waiting for Selene to ask not Erika.
"What are we going to do about Duncan?" Selene finally asked annoyed at him. He grunted slightly
"I'm sorry we can't do anything I'm not equipped with the right force to barge in and get him, they may yet make a demand for him"
"What, you're going to stand by?" Erika yelled jumping to her feet fists clenched by her side.
His eyes narrowed upon her
"Not all hope is lost, he may annoy them with his continuous bad jokes and Scottish banter, they'll beg us to take him from them" He smirked sitting down. Erika face dropped into a pout, her eyes souring at him. He crossed his arms and sat back
"That's if they don't kill him, if they haven't already" He snared knowing it would stir her up.
Selene sat up and hopped out of the bed she could see what was about to happen
"You are just as heartless as the rest of the elders!" Erika yelled stepping forward, he stood up eyes changing black, he was not angry but decided to scare her to put her back in her place by grabbing her by the throat lifting her high enough so her toes where still touching the floor
"You've got guts to yell at me like you do, if I was that heartless I would have left outside that gate in the sunlight! But no I let you stay in my home. I will not risk the lives of all my men for one Vampyre, this war has Marta's" He growled Erika watched her face couldn't hide the fear.
He felt like squeezing her throat right at that instant. He stopped when he felt Selene's cold hands gently snake over his arm to let her friend go.
Almost instantly obedient he let her go she stumbled back onto the sofa
"Sorry my lord" she choked avoiding eye contact. Marcus wasn't watching her he was locked on Selene's deep brown eyes.
"Is there nothing we can do?"
"No" He avoided anymore on the subject and marched out of the room.
Selene felt there was more to it than he was letting on.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, his hand is like a steel clamp" she rubbed her throat
"How can you come here and put up with him? He's so..." she was about to say cold but Selene interrupted.
"He's different when he's alone"
"Yeah, sure if I was alone with him he would have wrung my neck"
"Well you did"
"I know" she cut her off
"I was just trying to help you, besides I think he is very different" she paused and leaned toward Selene and raised a brow
"With you"
Selene leaned back both her brows raised, she shock her head
"Don't deny it, I've seen the way he looks at you, it's more than wanting to protect you"
Selene began to feel uncomfortable, she had noticed but every time she did she ended up thinking of Michael. She got up and headed for the door
"Where are you going" Erika asked curious at whether Selene was going because of what she said or because she had that 'I have an idea' look on her face.
"Stay here I'll be right back"
Erika didn't argue just check her neck in the mirror for bruising.
Selene stood outside Shadows door which was partly open. Without hesitation she pushed open the door and walked in. He sat with his back to her, she could see from his bald scared head he did not have the wrap or mask on it was sitting on the bed beside him.
Turn around was all she could think, wanting to know who it was he was so familiar, she had a good idea who it was, but it was impossible he was dead.
"Shadow?" she spoke so close to him hoping to see his face.
With the speed of light he whipped the mask onto his head and shut a large box he was sitting in front of
"Why did you not knock?" he snapped, he had turned his head she could see his mouth and jaw.
She paused squinting her eyes at him thinking hard scanning what features where available to see
"Sorry, the door was open I thought it was alright to enter"
"That's alright" he turned his head back away and tucked it under his collar, then stood up to face her.
"I suppose you are here because of Marcus's decision"
She was about to answer but her attention was diverted to the box, which she swore just moved.
"Um, yes" she said glimpsing at the box as she spoke. It moved again, he noticed and stepped in front of it
"Is that box moving?" she asked lost in curiosity
"No"
"Yes it did what's in it?"
"Nothing"
"An empty box that moves on its own"
He didn't know what to say and didn't really want to lie to her, there was a thump from the box and it fell onto its side plain in her view.
Selene's eye widened when she saw what rolled out of the box.
