Chapter 51: Chapter Fifty-One

"Is she alright?" I asked Damien as he walked back towards the house, his eyes downcast and filled with his unspoken pain. Once he'd gotten to the bottom step, he turned to look at Bast, who was laying down in the meadow. As I watched her, I was reminded once again of her beauty. Her long beautiful black hair glimmered in the sun, her stunning features so serene as she lay there. Her troubled mind was clear, even from where I stood, as she seemed to have troubles with making sense of something.

"She believes herself to be my possession, and thinks the witch was correct." He responded, shaking his head, before turning to me. "Sam, what is the news for the meeting?"

"Everyone should be here by high noon." I responded, motioning for Sinclair to join us.

When Damien saw Sinclair, it's like something inside him snapped. He immediately grabbed Sinclair by the throat, and shoved him to the ground, snarling. "Is this your doing, Sinclair?"

Sinclair didn't seem to be bothered by this at all, and smiled when Damien grabbed him. "Is what my doing?"

"Did you bring that witch here to drive a wedge between Bast and I?"

"I did not. But I'm touched you think I could have thought of something like that." He said, then grabbed Damien's collar, and threw him across the yard. I was taken aback by the ease in which Sinclair had done this, showing he had more strength than Damien and I had ever witnessed.

"Will the two of you cease with the fighting?" I called out with a sigh, as the two men began running towards each other.

"Since when is Alastair against a fight?" Damien mocked, holding his hand out to Sinclair, to show he wasn't going to attack him.

"You haven't called me Alastair in over sixty years, almost sounds alien." I said, shaking my head. "Bastet dislikes the fighting, the least we can do is settle this like 'rational' people."

"If you insist on calling me by my birth name, I will call you by yours." Damien said as he and Sinclair returned to the house, the tension between them only growing, the closer they got to each other.

"So be it." I said, turning to walk into the library. Once Damien and Sinclair were seated, I sat next to Sinclair, across from Damien. "What more do the two of you need to work out?"

"Samuel, we've no issues, other than simply hating each other." Sinclair said, leaning back while keeping his eyes trained on Damien. The two of them couldn't relax around the other, and this would be the downfall of us.

"No issues?" Damien spat incredulously, mock laughing. "You toyed with Bast's feelings, making her believe she had feelings for you. Then you fucked with my emotions, making me attack Bast. Now, you've brought a witch into my house, who's only goal seems to be getting Bast to leave me."

"I cannot create emotions or feelings, Lucifer. All I do is increase the ones that are there. Bast explained to me why what I did to her was wrong, and I apologized. I knew little Bastet wouldn't hide it from you forever, but I also knew you wouldn't believe her. Tell me, if I didn't give you firsthand experience with my abilities, would you have believed your little human? Or would you have thought she was making it up, as an excuse?"

"Wait, you attacked Bast?" I asked, unsure of how to process this new information. I was with Damien when he first caught her scent, and was with him while he watched her grow up. I know without a doubt that Damien would give up everything he has, including his life, for that girl. But now hearing that he'd attacked her, was something I didn't consider possible.

"It was my doing, Samuel." Sinclair said, nodding softly to Damien, his face showing his regret for his actions.

"For the love of- Stop calling me that, Alexander." The moment the word "Alexander" left my lips, Sinclair jumped up with a snarl, his golden eyes darkening into an amber shade, ready to attack me.

"Calm down, children." Damien growled as he stood, and shoved Sinclair back onto the couch. "Yes, Sinclair increased my hatred, anger, and jealously. I didn't hurt her, but I terrified her."

"Alexander, you cannot use your abilities against us. That is first and foremost. Secondly, I believe you can be an ally like no other. Your age and experience is unmatched. Damien, if it's alright with you, I think I'd like Sinclair as my second."

"First and foremost, stop calling me that." Sinclair snapped, balling his fists. "Would you really take me as your second?"

"If Luci- I mean, Damien, is alright with it?" I asked, looking to Damien who'd remained silent, lost in his own thoughts.

"I agree with you, Alastair, having Sinclair as a partner would compare to nothing else." Damien said, as he looked back at Sinclair, then stood. After a moment he held out his hand to Sinclair, and with a soft growl he spoke: "Sinclair, welcome to the coven. If and when I die, Sam will take over as the king of the coven. When Sam either passes, or retires, you will become the vampire king. Do you agree and accept?"

"I both agree and accept." Sinclair said with a smile, his eyes glowing like the sun.

"A fucking recreant as vampire king." I muttered with a smile, shaking hands with Damien, then Sinclair. "Welcome to the new world order."