Chapter 12 – Come Undone
"I love Uncie Kain! He looks after me when I've had a bad dream! I love Uncie Kain..."
"Raziel," Kain growled as Mioko continued to sing, "shut her up." Raziel smirked and nudged his daughter,
"Mioko my love, could you stop singing?" he whispered. Mioko looked up at him, wide eyed and disbelieving,
"but," she cried, "but...my song?" she pleaded. Raziel shook his head sympathetically, refusing to admit that the song had been annoying him as well. She stopped for a moment, choosing to hum the song quietly, before she inevitably burst into song again, "I love Uncie Kain, he...he...uh...daddy?" she asked, "What else does Uncie Kain do?" her face contorted with thought as she tried to think of another line for the song.
"I kill annoying children," Kain snarled, though only Raziel's vampiric hearing could hear his master's whisper. Raziel grew fearful for a moment, fearing for his daughter's safety. He clamped a clawed hand over her mouth, desperately trying to shut her up. A moment later the air was filled with a hissing sound followed closely by a yell of agony from Raziel. Kain snapped his head back to see Raziel's flesh burning where Mioko had run her tongue over his hand, forcing him to release her. She looked up at the pain she had caused her father and to Kain's surprise started crying. Raziel cradled his hand, watching it heal, quickly but painfully nonetheless. Raziel winced a smirk at her as he healed. She continued to cry and then to both vampires' surprise she leaped off Raziel's horse and once again made for Kain's horse. She pressed herself against Kain's chest and sobbed against it, Kain made a silent prayer of thanks that on this journey he had chosen to button his shirt so her tears didn't burn him. This also relieved him from more pain as he was still healing from the severe burns he received when he lifted her from the water after the incident in Rahabim.
"Didn't mean to hurt daddy," she sobbed, "I just want to sing." Even the mighty Kain was overcome by the intense pitiful tone of her voice, he placed a hand on her head and muttered,
"he knows." Mioko smiled slightly and hugged Kain again, before turning to her father,
"I'm sorry daddy," she said, her lip quivering again as she once more beheld the pain caused by her action. Raziel reached out for her and placed a lingering claw under her cheek,
"It's alright, my love," he opened his arms out to her and with a smile at Kain she leaped again. Unfortunately her excitement caused her to time the jump wrong and she landed a fair way from Raziel's horse, falling some five feet from Kain's stallion. She was but a whisper away from the ground when she suddenly stopped. Raziel looked down on her, his breath had long caught in his chest and he looked up at his master for some indication as to why she had stopped so suddenly and unexplainably. Kain had slowed his horse and held a hand casually toward her, his telekinetic powers keeping her from harm. She held her hands out and touched the ground before Raziel scooped her up and swung her back onto his horse. With a smile at Kain, Mioko launched herself off the horse again, purposely aiming for the ground. Again Kain saved her and used his powers to lift her onto the horse. Mioko laughed and jumped again. This time Kain stopped her a foot from the ground and dropped her so she landed harshly on the ground. Raziel looked up at his sire, mildly surprised.
"My powers are not a child's play thing," he growled, looking down on Mioko. Mioko frowned and climbed back up with Raziel, poking her tongue out at Kain,
"I hate Uncie Kain; he stops me from singing my song! I hate Uncie Kain; he isn't a very nice man. I hate Uncie Kain; he stops me from having fun..."
"Welcome my lord!" Zephon praised, greasily, "I hope your journey was a pleasant one." Kain didn't reply, he got off his horse with Raziel following suit. "And my dear older brother," Zephon smiled, "how wonderful to see you too," he said, though without much conviction. Not that Raziel cared; he didn't exactly relish his brother's company,
"Zephon," he nodded, distastefully. Zephon's eyes rested on his brother's child,
"This must be Miko," Zephon said, almost cheerfully. Raziel was about to correct him when Kain cut across him,
"Me-yo-ko," Kain said, phonetically as if he were talking to someone stupid. Zephon shot a daring look at his sire but covered it quickly with an appreciative laugh before he was saved by the inquisitive child,
"Are you really Uncie Kain's son?" she asked, frowning. Zephon smirked,
"Why yes, I am the fifth born," he told her, "Why?" he asked.
"But are you really Uncie Kain's son?" she asked again. Zephon grew impatient,
"Yes," he snapped, "Why?" Mioko shook her head,
"You don't look like Uncie Kain...you're ugly."
It wasn't just Raziel who burst into a suspicious coughing fit, the surrounded Zephonim vampires had to disguise their laughter in a similar manner. To Raziel's surprise, he could see Kain chuckling, not bothering to hide it. Zephon eventually mustered a laugh,
"Sweet," he said, though not very convincingly, "Come," he said, "I will show you to your chambers, I hope you enjoy your stay here." He smiled at Mioko and she felt Raziel's hand squeeze her shoulder, protectively. She looked up at her father, he was staring at his brother as he sauntered off; there was something in that look, something that made Raziel uneasy. He would make sure Mioko was with him at all times, he knew how much Zephon hated humiliation; he felt it more than any other, human or vampire. And when he was humiliated he always got his revenge, even if it was a child.
TBC