Chapter 8: The Deal
1653 Words
Samuel
I was notified when Rave was found, I hadn't said anything to Claire, it was a secret, I wanted to know the truth and clear my wife's name from this misunderstanding. I wrapped to our private cells where he was being held, no one knew of this place besides Balthazar and his older twin brothers, Devon and Haru, not the younger ones. Although Devon is on the Queen's protection detail, he has a blood oath with me and won't speak of anything he learned in our meeting with her even if ordered. A precaution I took after my falling out with Dawn, I missed my younger sister and my mother was angry with me. My mother wasn't the Queen since my dad mated his mate who is Sol's mother, and she loves us all the same. They even became bestfriends, secretly, I think they are a throuple but my father would never admit to that and I don't care to know.
Sol was talking with Haru with a cigarette in his mouth, he looked at me and said, "He is not talking but I need to tell you something, you can banish me, punish me, or do what you wish after I tell you this and I'm sorry I took so long to mention it but I love you, Sam, that's all you need to know." He was scaring me and I nodded for Haru to leave us alone, we sat on the bench and he said, "I had s*x with Claire the day before I married Personia, I told her not to say anything to avoid conflict because she loves you and I was being reckless. I was drinking with her at the club and things happened, Dawn suspected, she confronted me about it and I denied it which drove her to dig deeper, Saul maybe my son, Sam, and I am so sorry." I honestly didn't feel anything I just rested my head back to the wall taking in what he was saying knowing my sister was probably right about Claire.
I got up and he looked at me ready for my judgment but I walked into the cell with him on my heels not ready to talk to him, my heart hurt but I swallowed the pain. Rave looked at me surprised I came down here, I smiled because he looked older, he aged a few years because we age very slowly, in most cases, once we reach a certain age, not at all, I could pass for a twenty-five-year-old man but I am way older than that. I said, "You are a hard man to find," he said, "I was banished, why would I be interested in being found?" I said, "Tell me what I need to know," he looked at me and said, "I told your brother I did whatever they said I did." I wanted the truth and I said, "I will lift the ban and give you your youth back if you tell me what happened between you and Queen Claire the night my sister caught you." I was throwing straws at him remembering what Dawn told me and I realized I hit a nail on the head as his demeanor changed.
Rave said, "Sign it in blood and I will tell you everything you need to know but you will not like what you hear," I cut my hand and the contract appeared. He read it and smiled saying, "Let me ask you something," I nodded for him to go on, and he asked, "Do you love, Claire? I said, "Yes, I do, she is the mother of my son," I looked around at Sol knowing he may very well be the father of Saul. He said, "I fell in love years ago, it was the first for our clan because it was a fated mate, we don't have fated mates in the Underworld like that, it was rare, however, it happened." Sol cut his hand and we both signed the contract, it disappeared and he said, "When I met my mate, she was after someone else and it took a while before we gave into the bond. She means everything to me so I went along with her plan to become part of the Royal Family," I knew he meant me and Dawn.
He continued as his youth returned, watching the wrinkles disappear from his hands, he said, "I am betraying the one I love to get my life back because clearly, she forgot about me, giving you a son. I never wanted this but her mother convinced us it was best to weaken our bond so we could be with other people. She aborted my child once and it pained me but I still wanted her, I had no idea Dawn caught us until she refused the proposal and Claire went into panic mode and I became the sacrificial lamb to save her dignity and plan to become Queen." I listened to how they spent many days and nights making love to each other, they paid servant girls to lie to sell their story, and that's why they disappeared and I figure they wanted to be away from public. I walked out to let Haru escort him to private quarters, no one would know he was there until I was ready to reveal everything.
Sol walked with me and we wrapped to my office, I grabbed a drink and sat down, Sol looked at me and said, "Talk to me, Sam," I threw the glass at the wall. I yelled, "I trusted her, I trusted you, I f****d up with Dawn and I am at my wit's end on how to handle this." I held back my anger and my tears, I said, "I need a test done on Saul without Claire knowing," I turned to him and said, "I won't banish you or punish you, you are my brother but I won't shield you from scandal." He nodded and left the room, Margaret, our witch came into the room and said, "I have been summoned, Your Majesty." I said, "I need Saul's paternity tested before Claire gets back," she asked, "Who should I test it against?" I said, "Me and Sol," she opened her eyes before leaving to get it done, I sat back down saw the contract, and locked it away.
*****
Rave
I hated doing this but Claire hadn't spoken to or contacted me in years since I was banished, she had been Queen and had a son with Samuel and yet, I was slowly dying. She used me and I was stupid to love and the bond to think she would change once she got what she wanted, I don't know how this would have worked out but I would have done anything for her. I walked around the room and I was under house arrest, I loved it in Ravena, I was a loner but I stayed off the radar. Most demons are back in the Underworld with their families because of how f**k up things are going with the Supremes, rumor has it, they were dying. I had my youth back but still not my powers, either way, I was glad to be back, I missed home and my parents probably missed me although they thought I was wrong for harming women, I couldn't tell them the truth and I could never force myself on anyone.
I heard a knock on the door and it opened, I saw Haru with a tray of food and he said, "This was sent up to you," I smiled and he smiled. Haru said, "I am glad you didn't do what I thought you did," he turned and left, I swear he was blushing but I turned to eat, I took a shower after the meal and then I settled in for the night. I woke up with th sun on my face and sol sitting reading a book sitting in the corner of the room, I asked, "What are you doing here so early?" He looked at me and said, "First of all, you are a prisoner and you don't question me, secondly, Saul is my son, that b***h lied and Sam has disappeared but he will be back once he settled his head. Thirdly, you are the closest thing to a brother besides Sam, what do I do to fix this, Rave?" I got off the bed and said, "I guess we both have some making up to do with Samuel."
*****
Sol
I couldn't believe Saul was mine, Dawn was right this whole time and I ignored it because I didn't want it to be true, I wanted that night in the past because he loved her. Personia looked at me so disappointed but she hugged me saying, "It was before me, so I forgive you," why she had to do that, why couldn't my sweet wife hate me too? She was ready to embrace my son because she already loves Saul as an aunt, I know my father is going to flip when he finds out. Samuel had told me he was in Ravena for a few days, something big was happening there and to act normal around Claire until he returned, he hadn't made up his mind about what to do about her yet but it won't be pleasant. I spent the morning with Rave reminiscing about old times, and I wonder if he knows Haru has had a crush on him for as long as I could remember, I mean, we demons can go both ways if we choose to. I saw Claire talking with her mother with my son in her lap and I pretended to be just the friendly adorable uncle, offering to take him off her hands for a few hours but in reality, I wanted to bond with my son.
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