Severing Sanguine: A Companion Book to The Fallocaust Series Book 2 (35 page)

Then Silas stepped in front of Jack and gave him a small smile. Though this was no reassuring smile or even one of kindness; it was unimpressed and almost patronizing.

“Jack,” Silas said. He raised a hand and stroked the young man’s cheek before removing the black rimmed glasses that Silas knew, above everyone else, he didn’t need.

Jack said nothing back. His ears reddened further as he stood face-to-face with his king and creator.

“Smile,” Silas commanded, still holding the same patronizing smirk.

Jack sighed, trying to ignore the wave of embarrassment that was ravaging the bravery he never had. He knew what Silas wanted and why he wanted it, so he relented and smiled.

And in that smile held two rows of snow-white teeth, each one serrated and sharpened to a point.

The king nodded before lightly brushing the balls of his fingers over the genetically engineered teeth. Then he leaned in and gave Jack a kiss on the corner of his mouth.

“Do you know what you are, love?” Silas said in a hushed whisper. He put the slightest amount of pressure on Jack’s cheek, directing the young chimera to look at him.

“A chimera?” Jack mumbled.

Elish gave an irritated sigh in the background but Silas only nodded. “Yes, lovely one, but not just that… you are a stealth chimera,
my
stealth chimera. You have weapons for teeth, agility like none other. Your body is perfect for quiet movements and your reflexes sharper than any of your brothers. Jack, why is my beautiful silver fox letting Valen get the best of him?”

Jack looked at his king, then behind him where Elish was giving them both an impatient look. These men were men that Jack respected like no one else. Silas, his king and master, and Elish, the man who helped raised him. Both of them were so strong, so in control. And though they both radiated elegance and dignity – there was an aura about them that told everyone in the room to be on guard.

And to be wary… because they were as dangerous as they were beautiful.

Jack’s mouth twitched as Silas continued to stroke his cheek. “I’m not quick like you, King Silas. When they confront me I tighten up. I stall. My mouth turns to mush and I just want to get away from them as quickly as I can. I don’t… I don’t have that bloodthirst that our family has. I’m a horrible chimera.”

“No,” Silas said shaking his head. “You’re not. You know very well you will receive no discipline if you kill Valen’s arian gang members. All I ask is you do not fatally injure your brothers.”

“I won’t… I can’t…”

“Stand up for yourself, Jack. You’re a chimera. You’re a Dekker. You rank higher than Valen, Ludo, Rio, and Felix, and they’re only bullying you because you let them,” Silas said.

Then above them a series of chimes sounded on the loudspeaker signalling that classes would start in five minutes.

Silas glanced up and so did Jack and Elish.

“You will receive no protection from me,” Silas said slipping his hand away from Jack’s cheek. “It would be an embarrassment if I had to come to the rescue of someone who is supposed to be one of my most lethal,” Silas said.

Elish frowned. “It looks like for the next batch we will have to make adjustments. This chimera is obviously a failure.”

Jack’s shoulders slumped.

Silas clucked at Elish. “We should be happy that he hasn’t had to be used. Besides the chaos in Irontowers we’ve had quite a few years of peace. He’ll grow into his own. Won’t you, Jack?”

“Yes, Master,” Jack said. When Silas handed him back his glasses he made the motion to put them back on his face, but at Silas’s narrowed look he shifted uncomfortably and put them into his jacket pocket instead. “Thank you for taking the time out of your day to – to help me. I’ll be going to class now. I will see you for Sunday dinner, Master?”

Silas nodded and patted Jack’s shoulder. He turned Jack around and started walking him to the door.

“Yes, love. Learn lots now.”

“I will…” Jack said with a sigh and the door closed behind him.

There was no mistaking the look of disappointment on Silas’s face when he turned around. But as soon as he saw the equally negative expression gracing Elish’s cold features he seemed to back pedal on his emotions.

“Don’t start with me,” Silas said bitterly.

Elish gave him an apathetic look before absentmindedly organizing his notes for today’s lecture. “I’m just saying… we’re having an exuberant amount of problems with your stealth chimeras.”

“We only have two,” Silas said flatly.

Elish glanced up as he put a folder in his briefcase. “One of them chewed a hole through his wrists last week and spends half his time hiding under his bed growling at people. The other is a cowardly oddball who weeps whenever a tree gets cut down or a bird flies into a window.”

“He isn’t that bad.”

“He cried when the willow tree got struck by lightning.”

“He likes nature!”

Elish sighed and shook his head; there was a clicking snap as he locked his briefcase.

“When you were little, Elish, I thought I had failed with you.” Silas’s tone suddenly dropped.

Elish paused and like Silas had been waiting for that chink in his armour he took a swing and hit his mark. “You were worse than Jack. Or is that why you’re so hard on him? You had anxiety attacks as a child over how much Nero tormented you. Even Garrett stood up for himself more than you, and why did he? Because I protected you and sheltered you, and I left Garrett to fend for himself.”

Elish ignored him and put a hand on the door handle, though he wasn’t quick enough, another blow came swift and quickly.

“You were worse than he was, golden boy,” Silas said.

Unable to stand it any longer Elish whirled around.

“I am practically your clone, Silas,” Elish said sharply. “Jack is not. You fucked up the Chimera D’s genetics so badly they’re unable to function in normal society. Don’t compare my genetics to his. I was able to overcome my issues because I am an arian with chimera enhancements. These stealth chimeras are barely human and now we’re suffering the consequences of their maturity. And not just those chimeras, half of the second generation are failures.”

“Remember your place, Elish,” Silas said, each word becoming more and more hostile. “Don’t throw me a paper tiger to rip apart. This isn’t about his genetics; it’s about his personality and his need to grow a pair. This has nothing to do with our problems with the second generation. This problem is an issue with Jack and nothing more.”

“And what about the chimera you brought home a broken, traumatized shell?” Elish said, his hand testing the handle of the door, wishing he could open it and leave, but he knew better. “Your second stealth chimera?”

“Sanguine’s problems are due to being in the greywastes and locked in a room for over eleven years. It has nothing to do with his genetics,” Silas snapped.

“Yes, it does. Because his genetics kept him alive. Which is why we now have to deal with a schizophrenic mad man who’s been sexually abused since he was–”

Silas slapped Elish right across the face.

Elish’s eyes hardened and his lips pursed tight, but he said nothing as Silas glared at him, the king’s chest heaving up and down.

“Get out of here,” Silas said in a harsh grating whisper. “And you can forget about coming over. Get the fuck out of my sight.”

Elish glared back before turning away and opening the door. “Gladly,” he growled, before disappearing out the door.

Silas gave an approved nod to the two thiens who were guarding the door to his apartment.

“Were there any noises inside?” Silas asked them.

The two thiens shook their heads. “No, my king,” the one on the left said. “Everything has been quiet inside and no one has come or gone.”

Well, that’s a plus,
Silas thought to himself.
No blood curdling screams. No Kinny trying to flee from the gnashing teeth of the monster under the bed. Perhaps I can trust Sanguine to be left alone for several hours – though he seems like the type of man to snap on a hair trigger so perhaps I shouldn’t become lax.

The doors opened and Silas walked inside the dimly lit apartment, still shrouded in darkness from the black curtains on the windows. Immediately he was greeted by Kinny who still had all of his parts. And even more surprising he seemed calm and collected, not a single hint of terror on his face.

“Everything went well?” Silas asked as the auburn-haired sengil took his coat. Beside him, as always, was a glass of bloodwine and steaming mug of tea. Kinny knew what Silas wanted when he came home after being gone for a couple hours. Though since Elish wasn’t coming over tonight Kinny may be used for other things, unless he decided to call one of his other chimeras.

Perhaps I should summon Valen. He sounds like he needs a good fucking for picking on Jack.

Kinny paused and Silas saw his mouth press. Immediately the king took a step away and gave Kinny a dangerous look.

“My apologies, Master,” Kinny said. He was a very soft spoken sengil with the face of a cherub. A young man of twenty-one who had been Silas’s personal sengil since the retirement of Kirrel six years ago.

The sengil dropped his voice, “He snapped out of his trance about an hour ago. Immediately he seemed stressed out and anxious and he started hiding food in his bedroom again. I hope you will understand… I let him do it out of fear that if I stopped him he may start hurting himself or worse.”

Though the prospect of having to once again gut Sanguine’s bedroom was annoying, the sengil did have a point. So Silas gave him a nod of dismissal and left the relieved Kinny to finish whatever duties he had been doing previous.

With the glass of wine in hand Silas walked over to Sanguine’s closed bedroom door and put his hand on the handle. He opened it and walked inside the completely pitch black bedroom.

A growl immediately sounded, like Silas had just hit a trip wire.

“It’s just me and I’m alone,” Silas said. He closed the door and a moment later his night vision started to focus his eyes. Right away he could smell the food that Sanguine was hiding. Cookies mostly from the scent, and last night’s dinner had made its way into the bedroom as well.

Arian meat spaghetti with bosen cheese on top. Well, I suppose we have another day before it becomes spoiled, though less since –
Silas looked around –
he has the heat cranked right up. It’s like a sauna in here.

The growling stopped and this made the king hopeful… if only a bit.

He sat down on the floor and reached into his pocket. Silas pulled out a bag of potato chips he had gotten from the college vending machine and held it under the bed.

Though knowing what was about to happen he quickly pulled it back. Sure enough, he heard the scraping of nails on the floor as Sanguine tried, unsuccessfully, to snatch it.

“Nicely,” Silas said sternly. “How many times must I tell you you’re not going to starve? Try these, if you would like more then please join me in the living room.”

“No,” Sanguine’s raspy voice said.

Well of course. I suppose he’s already had his fill of food if Kinny was giving him free access to the fridge.

“How about you sit on the bed?” Silas said, trying his hand at negotiating. He had been a wonderful negotiator when the first and second generation were small. Though negotiations turned to demands once they hit their teen years but Sanguine was a bit… different.

Yes, that’s the word for it
.

There was a pause under the bed and for several seconds the sounds of their heartbeats and steady breathing were all that could be heard in the room.

Then the sounds of shuffling and shifting clothing. Silas stood back and soon Sanguine emerged.

Every time Silas saw him after being away he was taken aback with how ill the boy looked. His limbs were like grey broomstick handles and his face a skeleton that still had its skin. His hair was unhealthy and unbrushed, straw-like strands of black hair like he had a pile of hay on top of his head.

And those scars – Silas looked down at Sanguine’s arms absentmindedly, but winced when he saw fresh cuts in his new chimera’s skin.

Though the king bit down the comment on his lips and smiled instead.

Patience… you told yourself this year you would practice patience and now you must. Yelling at him will do nothing. You can’t fuck this one up. The entire family, well the first generation anyways, is watching you. If you fuck up Sanguine you will suffer Elish’s smug fucking look for the next three hundred years. Show them you’re the calm leader you know you are and handle this with grace, Silas Dekker.

And I will.

Silas watched Sanguine sit on the bed and slowly, without any sharp movements, he sat at the head of the bed with him with his legs stretched out in front. Sanguine sat cross-legged beside him, surprisingly close, and held out his hand for the chip bag.

As Silas handed it to him he noticed something in Sanguine’s hand, a small piece of sharp metal.

Silas motioned to it. “Are you using that to hurt yourself?”

Immediately Sanguine became flustered. He hid the piece of wire underneath his pillow and mumbled a small denial.