Walks in very, slowly while looking at everything and everyone Umm... I'm very sorry I haven't updated in a long time, but I was having problems with my computers (It got infected with three Trojan virus and I had to delete everything I had in it), plus I was thinking very hard about my career choice and decided that a hospital is not the place for me. Now I'm pursuing a career in psychology! Now, who wants to be my first patient? Anywho... Now that I'm free from my school work, I should be able to update more frequently.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and its characters belong to J.K. Rowling. Permafrost, the Vampire Lords, Reaper, and Braeden belong to yours truly! Go me!
So, without further...whatever the hell, here's the next chapter in:
Hell Raiser: The Stand
by: K.L. Bloodfang
Chapter 3: The Ice King's Bride-To-Be
After that long, painful talk with Permafrost, Azarius and Kestrel arrived home to find their three children waiting for them in the living room. They knew that whatever the Ice King wanted was not good. The vampire Lord sat down and his mate threw himself at him and began to cry at his shoulder. Their daughters looked at him, worried edged in their brows.
"Father, what did the Ice King want?", asked the oldest daughter, Amaya.
"I rather not talk about right now", answered Azarius, who still tried, without success, to calm his crying husband.
"Whatever it is father, we deserve to know!", yelled Amaya's twin, Lilith. Kestrel lifted his head from Azarius shoulder and looked at his daughter. "Sweetheart, you'll wish you didn't know once we tell you", he said to his feisty daughter.
"What does he want, daddy?", asked the last one of the Vampire Lords' children, their one and only son, Braeden. At hearing his son speak, Kestrel began to cry once again. Azarius looked at him as tears began to fall from his own eyes.
"Permafrost called us because he wants to begin a family. He wants an heir for when his live comes to an end", answered Azarius to his kids. The three of them gasped after they heard of Permafrost's plans.
"That monster wants to procreate? We can't allow him to do it!", yelled Lilith
"My dear sister, I believe that there is more Father wants to tell us", said Amaya, putting her hand on her sisters shoulder. Azarius smiled; that girl always was able to tell when something important was going on. She would make a great leader when the time came.
"You are right, my girl. Like always. There is more. Not only does he want a mate, he wants a vampire with Royal Blood", said Azarius to his daughter.
"Wait a minute, hold it right there. He wants a Royal Vampire? That means one of us! He wants to marry Amaya or me!" Amaya stood dumbstruck in her spot as the words her sister said sank in. "One of us will have to give him an heir...", she said, still staring into nothingness. Their parents looked at them and shook their heads.
"No, he doesn't want either of you. The one he wants is your brother. He wants to mate Braeden", said Kestrel, still sobbing quietly. The two girls look at their little brother, who had only lived through 15 full yearly cycles. He stood staring fearfully at his parents.
"Why?', asked the frightened teen."Why does he want me? I'm a male! If he wanted a mate should he search for a female to give him children?"
"No. Not in the case of a vampire. Our males can reproduce, or have you forgotten that I'm a male and brought you to this world?", asked Kestrel to his son. The boy in question shook his head as tears also streamed from his eyes. Azarius and Kestrel went to their son and hugged him. "Don't worry, Braeden, we will not relinquish you to the Ice King to do as he pleases. We have the whole week before he comes. We'll think of something", said the boy's father, still hugging him tightly.
"But papa, he will not give up me. If he truly wants me, he might hurt you to get me! I don't want any of you to be hurt!" said Braeden between sobs. Kestrel smiled at him. "Don't worry about it, little one. He are not going to let him hurt you."
"YEAH! I would like to see him try and get his filthy hands on MY little brother!" "Do not worry, little brother. We will protect you from him." More tears escaped he teen at his sisters' words. He was sure his family would go to great lengths to protect him, and he wasn't very sure he wanted that.
Azarius and Kestrel both let go of him, not before kissing him on the forehead. "It is very late. Tomorrow is another day. We can talk then. For now, sleep and rest", Azarius said to his children. After making sure that all three of them where asleep, he and his mate made their way to the mirror that pose as their link to the Grim Reaper. They both stared at it and said the undead's name. Suddenly, their reflection changed to that of a scythe-wielding Sirius Black. He looked had a concerned look in his face.
"I believe we don't have to inform you what the situation is?", asked the brown-haired vampire.
"No, that won't be necessary", the Reaper sighed. "I honestly didn't expect him to want a mate, at least not this early on. Also, I didn't even crossed my mind that it was going to be vampire, let alone a male and your son at that. We must think of a solution and fast. He only have a few days until his Ice Ghouls come barging in and attack."
"But Reaper! We can't just hand him Braeden! He's my only son, he's my baby! I refuse to give him to that cold-hearted, son of a bitch murderer!", yelled the usually calm and cheery Kestrel at the man in the mirror.
"I know, I know! But what about your daughters? And yourselves? Unless you hand him over all of you would die and he would STILL get Braeden! I know is not easy, but unless you are able to think of something before Friday, all of you will be gone. I wish I didn't sound so pessimistic, but I can't paint everything with sugar and candy to make it sound better. I really don't like the idea of handing the boy to Permafrost, but it might just end in that", said Grim at the angered vampire.
"It's your fault", whispered Kestrel as he looked at the floor. "All of this, all of it, it's all your FAULT!"
"Kestrel!", yelled Azarius at his mate.
"I f you hadn't made that deal with Harry all the people that Permafrost killed might still be alive, the world might not be in the verge of destruction and my son would not be wanted by a psycho that would probably EAT him after he gives him the child that he desires! It your fault, all your..." Kestrel stood dumbfounded at the verge of tears as he held the cheek that Azarius slapped.
"Stop it! That's enough! I know that your upset about all of this, but blaming Reaper for it all will not make it better! He didn't knew this was going to happen, none of us did! It's not fare to him that you blame him for what is happening. He made the decision with the best intentions at heart. That his plans didn't went the way he planned is a whole 'nother thing. So don't take your anger out at him!"
Kestrel fell to his knees and once again began to cry. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I don't wanna loose my son; I don't want to loose my family. And I don't know what to do." Azarius hugged him as he whispered comforting words to his husband's ear. All Reaper could do was watch as more people got hurt by his misjudgment. He clenched his fists in anger and determination. He would put a stop to Permafrost's plan even if it was the last thing he did.
Unknown to any of them inside, Braeden had heard the entire conversation. He had been standing behind the door the whole time. He slid down the door and pulled on his hair. 'What do I do know?', he thought. ' If I don't go to Permafrost he will kill me family! Either way, he gets me. There is no other choice. The teen boy stood up and peak inside the room, where her father still tried to calm his dad. He knew what he had to do; he wasn't going to let Permafrost destroy his family. 'It is for the best. Good bye, Papa. Good bye, Daddy. There is no other way.' Braeden walked away and towards his each of his sister's rooms. 'Good bye, Amaya. Please, protect Lilith for me. I know she'll try to go after me. You can't let her, or daddy for that matter. We may see each other again, some day.' 'Lilith, farewell my sister, I must do this. Don't follow me. I love you both and for that reason, I must go.'
Braeden went to his room and packed his belongings in a small white and blue backpack. He then wrote a letter and set it on his pillow. 'They'll find it tomorrow, when they wake up' He walked outside and looked at the home in which he had lived his entire life, probably for the last time and, with tears in his eyes, he walked away, towards Frost Castle.
The next morning, the Vampire Lords where beginning to worry about their son. It was almost 11:00 p.m. And he had still to come out of his room. Considering that the boy always awoke in the early night, that was very odd behavior. Lilith, who hadn't been blessed with something called patience, grew tired of waiting for the boy and went to his room herself.
"Hey, brat! Wake up already! What?" Inside, there was no Braeden. Lilith walked over to the boys bed and laid her hand over it. "It's cold. He hasn't been here for a long time." Ready to leave to search elsewhere for her lost brother, she noticed the letter on top of the pillow. She took it and read it. Once she finished, she ran downstairs to where the rest of her family was. Her eyes where filled with tears, something also very uncommon on the headstrong girl.
"Lilith, what is the matter? Why do you cry, my sister?", asked Amaya. Unable to talked, she handed the letter to his father. Azarius took the piece of paper and immediately recognized the neat handwriting of his son. He read out loud:
To my beloved family:
If you are reading this, it means that I am long gone. I am very sorry, but it had to be done. Papa, Daddy, I know you where hoping to find another way, but there is none. It was either me or all of you and I could not live knowing that I had caused my entire family's assassination. By know, I must have already reached Frost Castle. Once again, I'm sorry, but there was no other option.
To Amaya, please take her of Lilith and Daddy, Papa will need all the help he can get. Don't let them do anything silly in an attempt to get me back. None of you are strong enough to battle Permafrost head on.
Lilith, for God's sake, don't follow me, don't fight. If you do, my sacrifice might be in vain. I do this so you can live, so live on and be happy, for me. Try to be a little less aggressive and you will be able to find someone that will truly love and make you happy.
Papa, Daddy, I know you didn't wanted me to do this, but I had to. I heard you talking with Reaper last night and found out that if I didn't go to him, he would kill all of you. I couldn't allow it. You must understand, there really isn't any other way. Don't blame Reaper for what is happening; it isn't his fault. Be happy, you still have to daughters to keep away from men. I will be fine. If I die, I will go with the knowledge that I gave my life for my family. It is after all the only way I can repay all you have done for me.
Once again, and I know I'm repeating myself, I'm sorry and I love you all very much. Don't let my sacrifice be for nothing.
This is my last goodbye'
Braeden
After reading the letter, Azarius dropped to his feet in defeat. The thing he dreaded the most had happened: he had lost his son. Kestrel was sitting on the sofa, while silent tears fell from his eyes, the exact thoughts going through his mind and the twins where crying on the floor.
Elsewhere, in Frost Castle, Braeden stood, shackled to a while in Permafrost's dungeons. He was covered in bruises and his back was split opened. The pain was almost unbearable.
"No matter what happens to me, there is no amount of pain I would go through to protect my family", said Kestrel as darkness began to encircle his consciousness.
Well, people, that is the end for this chapter. By the way, Braeden calls Azarius, papa and Kestrel, daddy. In case, there are anyconfusions.Again, I apologize for not updating sooner. Anywho, please review. The more reviews I receive, the sooner I update.
