Chapter 22 – Raziel's Return
"Mioko...Mioko? MIOKO!" Kain shouted, trying desperately to resist the urge to slap the hysterical child (and almost failing). Mioko had been screaming for the past hour or so since the attack from the Turelim had began...and ended.
Mioko stopped screaming, but continued to sob. Rahab was sitting beside the child with his arm around her, Kain was kneeling in front of her and both were trying to console her.
"Azzy's dead!" she screamed, looking over at the bed where Azrael was lying in a bloodied heap.
"I'm not dead!" Azrael protested from the bed. A female vampire was tending his wounds, cleaning him up while Melchiah drank from a goblet, healing his own wounds. Azrael's main chamber was extremely crowded in the aftermath of the assassination attempt.
"Y'know if Melchiah hadn't turned up then you probably would be dead by now," the female said to Azrael, and then glancing over at Mioko muttered, "and she would too."
Mioko started wailing again,
"Thank you, Meg," Kain growled, as Mioko became hysterical once more. The female winced and turned away,
"Sorry," she whispered. She stood up and looked down on Azrael, "Nothing more I can do for him," she winked at Mioko and left. Kain gestured for Rahab and Melchiah to leave them, which they did reluctantly. Rahab gave Mioko one last comforting squeeze and followed Melchiah out.
Mioko stopped crying and went over to Azrael, jumping up next to the healing vampire. "I'm sorry Azzy," she whimpered. Azrael winced and sat up,
"Third assassination attempt this year...I'm doing well," he wheezed. Mioko rested her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around him,
"Thank you Azzy," she said, shrilly, "You saved my life!"
"Actually it was Melchiah who saved your life and I was not trying to save your life, I was trying to save mine," Azrael added." Kain chuckled, and seemed to mutter a sarcastic, 'Of course,' under his breath. He picked up Mioko and took her away from Azrael to her own chamber. She scrambled onto her bed and buried herself in Chibi Kain's body.
The real Kain prized her away and tried to comfort her, "Mioko?" he asked, "Are you alright?" She shook her head,
"The nasty men attacked me...Azzy was bleeding..." she broke off and melted against Kain, trying not to become hysterical again. There was a knock at the door, as it opened Kain glared up at the intruder, irritated they had been interrupted.
"Daddy!" Mioko screamed, happily, bolting from Kain and leaping into her father's arms. Raziel buried his face into her hair, smiling as Kain rose to his feet to greet his son.
"I missed you, daddy!" she cried. Raziel said nothing, of course he couldn't say he'd missed her, he had been asleep for almost two months with obviously no concept of time.
Kain scanned his son and his eyes feel on his son's feet which had become cloven like his own. Raziel held Mioko out,
"I..." he broke off and his smile faded immediately as he saw the numerous cuts on her body. Raziel looked up at Kain, demanding explanation; Kain shook his head and placing a hand on his shoulder murmured for him to wait. Raziel put Mioko to bed and she fell asleep almost immediately, huddling Chibi Kain, with a smile on her face.
Raziel turned to Kain the second her eyes had closed, "What happened?" he demanded.
"A group of Turelim vampires tried to assassinate Azrael, Mioko was with him. Melchiah saved her." Kain told him.
"Right," Raziel muttered, turning and sweeping from the room, past Rahab who was standing in the open doorway,
"Uh...would you like me to summon Turel, my lord?" he asked, his eyes flickering at the sleeping Mioko. Kain shook his head,
"No, I don't think that will be necessary now Rahab."
"You bastard! You used my fledglings!" Turel snarled, holding Zephon against the wall by his throat. Zephon stared down at his elder, calmly,
"This isn't the first time that your fledglings have tried to eliminate Azrael," he said, "what makes you think I have something to do with this?"
"Because after the last attempt, Raziel made it quite clear that I was to keep my clan under control," Turel growled, his grip tightening around the younger sibling's throat, "You have crossed the line, Zephon..."
"I agree," Turel spun around quickly, dropping Zephon in the process. Raziel was standing behind him, his golden eyes blazing with fury. He placed a hand on Turel's shoulder and moved him aside, taking a step towards Zephon who was cowering on the floor. In a swift movement Raziel's sword was unsheathed and its tip a whisper away from Zephon's face. Raziel snarled at his brother,
"You should be running."
TBC