Page 363 of Flirting with Darkness

“Well not quite. Fates only know thewhat, if you will. Thehowis always left to chance. She knows this is the course we had to take to secure our freedom, but everything in between is as much a surprise to her as it would be to anyone else,” Kharon explains.

“So this was always meant to be?Us.Like fate.” I smile at the thought, taking Kharon’s hand in mine as if there was no one else in the room but us.

“Like fate,” he repeats in a whisper.

“But wait one minute!” Ross clamors, clapping his hands to get our attention. “When Lux kissed Win, Melchior stepped out of a big block of ice. Are you trying to tell me that your sister is trapped in that small little stone? What is she? A pixie or something? How could she possibly fit?”

“Moirai is—” Both Kharon and Melchior say her name in unison. Kharon’s brow lifts, impressed by my cousin’s rush to his sister’s aide. Extending his hand in surrender, Kharon gives way for Melchior to continue.

“Well, as I understand it, Moirai is trapped in her metaphysical essence in the stone. But she lives out her physical form in the Netherworld. Binding a part of her consciousness to the stone allows her to consort with her brother in the earthbound realm.”

“Okay,” Ross begins, pinching his chin as he circles our cousin. “I just know I’m going to hate myself for asking this, but how does this Moirai consort with you?” Taking a long look at Melchior, Ross winks at me and Stephen, curiosity beaming in his eyes.

“All right, I’m not sure that’s a proper discussion,” Kharon protests, irritated as any sibling would be at the thought.

Melchior offers Kharon and Ross a crooked smile. “A gentleman never tells.”

“A gentleman might not, but I’m burning to know,” Ross whispers to Stephen.

Forcing a faux cough, Dalcour turns the attention back to him. “Well now that we have a better understanding of how you came here Nyx, I think we can all agree you meant no harm. And if the thoughts I’ve rummaged through your beloved’s mind are any indication, I see now there remains no malevolent intent. I owe you an apology.” Extending his arm, he offers his hand to Kharon.

“Thank you,” Kharon answers, shaking Dalcour’s hand. “But I want to offer my apologies as well.” Turning away from Dalcour, to my uncle, Kharon, curves his mouth into a thin smile. “Lord Elysian, Melchior, and all, please accept my apology for the role I played. I promise from now forward, I’ll endeavor to make myself worthy of your forgiveness. All of you,” Kharon finishes, turning to me.

Melchior and Ross come to Kharon’s side, patting his shoulders jauntily but my uncle remains still.

“If you think you can waltz in here and give me some off-handed manner of condolence, you have another thing coming!” Uncle El shouts. “I will never forgive your betrayal of my family. Nor will I ever condone this—this hellish union between you and my niece!”

“Lord Elysian!” Dalcour shouts, coming to Kharon’s side before either of us can protest. “With exception to the twins and their companion, no one in this room stands deserving of heaven. Not even you. Sure the lot of us may be monsters, but the role you played in all of this is not for nothing. For it was your dealings with the Changelings that brought your family to such a peril. You almost lost your son. And instead of being thankful for a second chance you stand here ungrateful and unrepentant!”

“Uncle El,” I begin, tearful and heartbroken. “You say my mother is rolling in her grave at what I’ve become. What about what you are? Heartless. Mean. Yes, you took my brother and me in when our parents died, but over the years I watched the loving and kind man, I once admired, turn into a cold-hearted fool!” A waterfall of tears race to my chin, and Kharon squeezes me at his side. I wipe my face, looking back at my uncle. “I guess the good thing is, I was never looking for your permission. Sure, I’d like nothing more for you to accept Kharon as you did Lux, but if not, so be it! I lived in the shadows long enough, vying for your attention and acceptance, but that time is over. No longer will I seek permission from you or anyone else for my happiness. And I will be with Kharon whether you like it or not.”

“Whether I like it or not, eh? Well, whether you like it or not, I consider you more than a niece. I see you as my daughter. Is it not enough that I have one daughter who’d rather live among the wolves? Now you tell me you’d rather love this, Ferryman. Why can’t we find happiness with our own kind?”

Kharon grumbles as does Dalcour, but it is my twin who steps forward.

“Own kind?” Ross begins, tilting his head with his eyes narrowed. “I can’t believe my ears. I know this isn’t the man who wrapped his arms around me when I was sixteen, assuring me that being gay was not some curse. Or something needing to be fixed. It was your acceptance that made my coming out story one of the easiest ever told. You said, only small-minded people loved small. You are the man who told me, loving with a big heart was the only way to love. How can that be true for me but not for my sister?”

“Yes, and you loving Stephen, or any other man—any other human is one thing. Stephen is not a monster! He’s a human! As are we. That’s all I want for my family. To love and to be loved. But I want them to share that love with humans. Not wolves. Or vampires.Or others.Is that too much to ask?”

“Yes father, it is.” Melchior circles Ross, stepping back into his father’s sight. “So it’s okay to use a monster to make a human. But not okay for a human to use their heart to love a monster. I don’t know father, since I’ve returned, I’ve only seen one monster. And I’m standing here now, using whatever remains of my heart to love and forgive him.”

30

KHARON

This has gone on long enough. Seeing not only Rae but both Melchior and Ross heartbroken by Elysian is too much and I can no longer remain quiet.

“A monster is only a monster if you give it power to be so. For some, a small spider appears as large as a dragon when it comes in their path. While for others, a lion is nothing more than a big kitten. It’s all in the eye of the beholder. Before yesterday I was not a monster in your eyes. Until Melchior was set free, you saw me as a friend and advisor. You perceived me to be someone you could trust and lean on.”

“Yes, I did.” Elysian admits quietly. “But for more than a decade you lied to me! How can I ever trust you? Much less trust you with my niece.”

“Well, it would seem, my friend, we both told our fair share of lies. Whatever our reasons are; they no longer matter. All I ask, is that you know the man you came to once trust and lean on is still here. I’ve only ever wanted the best for you and your family. Nothing has changed.”

Elysian grumbles incoherently, turning about. “But everything has changed! Now to learn all these years you’ve lusted after my young niece. Have you been sneaking around with her? Behind my back!”

My patience wears thin. “Firstly, Rae is a woman. A fine woman. I would never sully her reputation or treat her unbefitting of the treasure she is!” I roar back. “Second, last night was the first time we’ve ever been alone together.”

“Ah-hem…” Ross snorts, cupping his mouth. Rae and I shared a puzzled stare, before turning our attention to him. “That’s not entirely true. I mean there was that time on the ski lift a few years ago.”

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