AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter was a pretty easy one to write, I knew what I wanted to get done in it. The next one will be another challenge to figure out. Oh well, that's life for you.

CHAPTER 9 -PROMISE-

(Bath, England 1782)

Bernard watched his father exit the metal room. There was something strange about Francis. He was smiling, just barely.

"I'm leaving for Calais. Take care of it while I'm gone."

"How long will you be gone?" Bernard asked.

"I plan to bring your brother back. It might take some convincing."

"Not him, father. Let him stay in France."

"Bernard, once I die you can leave Bruce behind you. But while I'm still here, we're staying as a family," with that said Francis left the room.

Bernard quickly fetched a bowl of water and a cloth. He entered the metal room to see Mabon curled up in one corner. Bernard kneeled next to Mabon and reached to uncover his face from the mass of hair, only to have Mabon shrink away.

"It's alright. It's me."

Mabon was shaking and Bernard took a closer look at him. Now he knew why his father had been smiling.

"Oh, Mabon..."

Mabon turned his tear soaked face towards Bernard. "I tried not to scream. He wouldn't stop..."

Bernard carefully wiped Mabon's face with the cloth. "He had no right."

"Broken... Everything's all wrong..."

Bernard shushed. "You'll heal, just like before. He won't be back for a long time. You can rest."

Mabon shook his head. "I don't want to. Every time I close my eyes he's there."

"He had no right," Bernard muttered and moved to clean the rest of Mabon's body. "Why won't you just give up? Do what he asks of you?"

"I can't. If I do it, the others will have another reason to hate me."

"I wish I could be that strong."

Mabon looked at Bernard in disbelief. "I'm not strong."

"You are." Bernard smiled sadly. "I can't even stand up to my brother. You've been here all this time, but somehow you always manage to stand up to father."

"You can always leave, unlike me. But instead of running away you stay. That makes you stronger than me."

Bernard put the cloth away and sat on the floor next to Mabon. It had been decades since Francis had brought the elemental to the metal room. Mabon had told Bernard earlier how painful it was, not to be able to call on the earth through the walls. Elementals had barely any weaknesses, sadly metal was one of them. As Francis had found out, metal was something that elementals had no control over.

Bernard's father had figured out that acquiring an elemental would make him a force to be reckoned with. Metallurgy demons were often content at being the best blacksmiths in existence, but Francis had bigger ambitions. Upon finding out the elementals' main weakness he had constructed the metal room. the perfect place for imprisoning an elemental. There was no way for one of them to break the walls or the door.

Once the room was ready Francis went for search of a suitable elemental. A quadruple one was a natural choice, but not as easy to find as the more limitedly enabled ones. Finally Francis had come across a young quadruple in Dover and captured him. Bernard had not thought that he would end up sympathising with his father's new pet the way he had. But the first time he had seen Mabon, he felt his insides twinge with unfamiliar empathy.

Since their first encounter Bernard had done his utmost to take care of Mabon. He did not think that his efforts mattered much, yet Mabon seemed to be genuinely thankful of every bit of relief provided by Bernard.

Mabon moaned and leaned his head forward.

"Are you alright?"

"I feel sick."

"Then throw up, I'll clean it."

"I've never thrown up, don't think that I can. Now I know why other people do it so often."

"Take your time. I'll stay here for as long as you need."

A shaky hand reached for Bernard. The demon took hold of the hand gently and pulled Mabon toward him. The elemental leaned on Bernard's large frame took deep breaths.

"I'm sorry. You shouldn't worry about me."

Bernard buried his face in Mabon's hair. "No, I'm sorry for not being able to do more for you. I promise, someday you'll be free. And I promise I'll never let my accursed brother lay his hands on you. Maybe I can't stand up for myself, but I'll stand up for you."

- - - - - - -

(Present day L.A.)

Bernard sat on the couch in Bruce's office. He hated being there, everything in the room reminded him of times he would rather forget.

Bruce looked at his brother. "I can't believe you could let it be stolen. Father would be very disappointed with you."

"I'm sure he was more disappointed when you turned on him."

"Are you going to bring that up again? I think we have more important matters to discuss."

Bernard sighed. "Are you doing anything to find Mabon?"

"My men are searching the city. We better hope they find it."

"I just want to know that he's alright."

"You would let it go, after everything our father went through?" Bruce sneered. "You're more stupid than I thought."

"Our father wasted his life trying to make Mabon submit to him. It can't be done, you can't force an elemental to do anything."

"Father didn't have the resources I have."

"But you're not as skilled as he was."

Bruce chuckled and bent down to pull something out of his desk. "I do not need his skills when I have this."

Bruce produced a crude collar onto the table. Bernard could not help but stare at it, he knew that collar all too well.

"I thought we agreed to get rid of that along with everything else."

Bruce shrugged innocently. "I merely wanted to keep this as a memento of my dear father. And just in case you ever got that elemental out of the box."

Bernard stood up, appalled. "I made a promise to him. You will keep that away from Mabon, or so help me-"

"You'll do what?"

"Father left him to me. You have no right over Mabon's life."

"But it is clear that you are no longer able to take care of the responsibility. As your older brother I must take matters into my own hands."

Bernard turned around, ready to exit Bruce's office, when one of the Kaliff demons that worked for Bruce entered.

The demon nodded at Bruce. "I believe I may have found it."

Bernard's breath caught in his throat.

"Are you sure?" Bruce leaned back in his chair.

"Red hair, pointed ears, looks like a human child? I saw him," the demon affirmed.

"Where?"

"I was spending my night off at Caritas, a girl entered the club with the elemental. The girl seemed to be friends with the owner. Once they were gone I did some asking around. Apparently the girl is called Fred-"

"Strange name for a girl."

"And she works for a vampire named Angel."

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "I've heard of him. Didn't he finish off some of your kind once?"

"Yes. He is a formidable adversary."

"I'm sure you would love to get back at him." Bruce smiled. "It would seem that I have solved your problem, Bernard. A vampire has our little elemental."

"But to my knowledge this Angel is fights for the good side. He wouldn't hurt Mabon."

"Can you be sure? Wouldn't you like to check things out?"

"Not if you're coming along. I don't want you anywhere near Mabon."

"Would you rather I do this behind your back? In the end it boils down to which you value more, that elemental's freedom or your own life."