Chapter 415: The End of the Rising

Chapter 415: The End of the Rising


Anna looked pityingly at Ian.

“You won't get over your losses if you keep refusing to talk about them.”

“I don't understand how you got over it.” He said and looked at Anna's prominent belly. “Or maybe, I know perfectly well.”

“Do you think this child in my womb can replace the people I've lost? Can it make me forget my daughter Tayme?”

“Not the child. But surely what put her there is your consolation, and if you follow the Lens pattern... A great consolation.”

Anna didn't know whether to laugh or get angry.

“Maybe you need a child too. It won't erase the pain you feel, but it will give your heart a new focus. It's better than living in constant despair.”

“And how do you suggest I make the child? Like Ryan did Hope? Staring at some woman's body, while I masturbate and hand you a jar of semen to put inside some woman to carry this child oblivious to the fact that it's a fucking Lens werewolf?”

They heard the sound of an object falling to the floor and when they looked back, Hope was sitting on the floor, around the shards of some broken glass, tears rolling down her face as she sucked furiously on her thumb.

Anna exchanged a worried glance with Ian. Both of them unaware of how much of the conversation she had heard.

“What are you doing, Hope?” Ian asked, coming out of his lethargy.

The girl stood up.

“We want to draw the Firecold who took Mom away.” She said defiantly.

“You shouldn't keep drawing bad things, Hope.” Anna said puzzled.

Hope glared at her.

“Zoe's right about you!” She shouted and ran off.

Anna turned to Ian.

“What does my daughter say about me?”

Ian's face turned red.

“Mom... They're not babies anymore. The children understand what's going on and Zoe won't forgive you for abandoning her to be... in Eron's words... Ryan's dog.”

“And you didn't make them understand what happened?”

“What did you want me to say to them? I share their thoughts too.” Ian said and left.

...

At the meeting, everyone agreed that it would be better to risk their lives on the surface of the Earth than to live like rats hiding in a cave, but Maxwell refused to go with them.

“I will visit, but I will not bring vampires to live among you. Donald, David and their children will not spread this gene to anyone else. The children don't need to know that their thirst is quenched by blood.”

“But they will realize that this thirst is never quenched.”

“David and Donald will make sure there's no synthetic blood in their grape juice. They'll explain that they have a rare disease that needs to be controlled by the medicine they put in that 'juice'.”

“Donald ruined it when he told Edward that he would turn into a giant bat if he ran out of the 'juice'.” David complained, looking disapprovingly at Donald, who smiled delightedly.

“But that's not a good way of making sure they're afraid of running out...” Ian began to speak with an amused twinkle in his eye.

“Don't you know Edward? He's excited at the prospect of turning into a monster that can cross the skies without being caught by the Firecolds!” David said angrily, but ended up laughing along with the others.

...

The children approved of the change. It was the first time they had seen the sun. Baron accompanied them on their move. The houses were occupied and chosen that same day. They found the houses furnished with the food they needed for a week. There were clean clothes, laundry facilities in the basements of each of the houses, firewood and everything else they would need to live comfortably.

Baron accompanied Ian to the largest of the houses and Ian noticed that it followed the model of the other houses, even though it was obviously the largest.

The children ran past them in search of their rooms and Ian and Anna stopped in front of it.

“I realized that there's only enough food for one week in each of the houses.” Ian said without emotion.

“Yes. That was deliberate. These people need to feel like they're living in a society that rewards them. The Firecolds aren't going to keep your homes, school, hospital clean and running. That's your problem. There's a supermarket.” He said and handed Ian the key. “If you don't want to see this place turn into chaos, distribute tasks and reward them with food and clothes.”

Ian took the key.

“Is there anything else you want to say?” 

He smiled understandingly.

“I've brought someone who wants to see you.” He said and knocked on the door he was leaning against three times and Tayme emerged from a room surrounded by three children. Two boys and a girl. All of them with light brown hair and sparkling blue eyes. But her face was contorted with fury and, approaching quickly, she slapped Anna.

Anna didn't know if she was more surprised to see her daughter alive and well and with children or by the slap she had received.

“Tayme!” She said impressed.

Tayme ignored her and her face filled with emotion and joy as she turned to Ian and hugged him, crying in his arms.

She didn't talk much about her time living among the Firecolds, but she wanted to know everything about Hope, and the other children. She refused to speak to Anna and concentrated on the children and especially Hope.

Ian understood straight away that the children were Ryan's children and that Tayme had discovered this many years ago and that she hated Anna irredeemably for making Ryan feel divided. She didn't say it, but her expression was very clear.

Tayme talked to him a lot about a Diana who would soon be seeking refuge there and recommended that he pay special attention to her.

As she talked to the children, she said that she would often bring other children to play with them, but she never revealed that these children were Adam and Thalia's children.

Adam and Thalia resignedly accepted that they should stay where they were, even if Ian was safe now, because they knew he wouldn't accept his father staying with the woman he loved, just as Tayme wouldn't accept Anna's union with Ryan.

And once again, Adam and Anna, even with all the opportunities, made choices that caused them to live apart.

When she said goodbye, she insisted that Hope go with her, but the girl thought it best to continue living with Ian, whom she trusted and loved as if he were her father. Tayme was not saddened by her daughter's decision, as Baron had promised that she could visit whenever she wished.

At the door, she turned to embrace Ian and spoke into his ear.

“Your ascension ends here, brother. In a few years the reign of Eron will begin.”