A Song of Silence

Chapter 73: Confessions in the Dark

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"The Grand Assassin is my biological father."

I hang my head in shame as I wait for a response. No doubt if I looked up, I would see disgust, betrayal, shock, and shame blur across his face before he ran from the room in disgust. The evil from the prophecy that he is trying to stop. A vile man that he cannot stop and someone who Azazel has long seen as an enemy. Instead seconds pass by. Then minutes. Still no response. Still no reaction. Still no answer. Gaining the courage to look up, I see Azazel looking down at me with a shocked expression on his face. As our eyes meet, the expression fades to a small smile.

"Well, that wasn't something I had expected to hear," he says quietly. I brace for his next words. No doubt they would condemn me, "But it doesn't change how I see you firefly."

I stiffen in shock as I ask confused, "What do you mean? I am the daughter of the Grand Assassin. The blood of your enemy."

"And you are the daughter of a man you despise. Who you wish you could kill, but something holds you back." He says quietly. "I am assuming because you called him your biological father, that you wish you had no blood relation to him?"

I nod before shrugging my shoulders, "I have never really had a father figure in my life until half a century ago." I flinch internally at the reminder that I had killed the only man who had treated me as family, not as something to be used. Someone who coincidentally was Azazel's father.

"And your mother?" He asks quietly.

"A woman the Grand Assassin would fuck every once in a while. I looked into her years ago. The previous seer, Miranda, took me in after my mother had thrown me out of the house. Miranda is the only woman I consider to be my true family." My words rush out in a waterfall as i tell him the things I had been meaning to for a long time.

"So, then how did the Grand Assassin find you?" He asks, patient and understanding through my explanation.

"This is going to be a longer story. We'd best sit down for this." Azazel goes and sits on the bed. I perch next to him, tense for the questions yo come.

Azazel notices and says, "Remember, you call the shots. If it gets too much, you don't have to answer."

I shake my head, "No, I-I have to tell someone, anyone. It's best if I get it done sooner rather than later." Azazel says nothing and merely waits patiently. Taking in a deep breath, I quietly start talking, "He had been tipped off of our location. I only learned two months ago that it had been your mother that had tipped them off because of jealousy and anger." Azazel stiffens, but I hold up my hand and say, "Stop, I hold no grudge any longer for it. I have done worse when I felt betrayed." Taking another breath, I continue my story, "Our home had burned down and a small, silver haired girl was easy to find. He found me, took me in, and made me what I am today. He only resented when I would not care only for him and him alone."

"You are not a product of him," he says, his voice stern and uncompromising.

"Sorry?" I ask, quite confused at his words.

"You said that he made you what you are today. I don't believe that for a damn minute. I wouldn't love you as I do if you were a product of him. Nor would you have survived all that he and others have done to you if that was the case." He looks at me and says his words with such conviction, my mind doesn't snag on the word love until a few seconds later.

"Wait, wait, wait. Azazel. Love. Seriously. You can't feel that strongly about me. We've only known each other for a few months!" I say, my palms in the air moving in a stopping motion.

Azazel smiles slightly, "How long do you think it took for my father to know my mother before they were married?"

What a strange question. "I don't know, a century?" I say skeptically.

He shakes his head, "A few hours at most. He saw her and he just...knew that she was the woman for him. Their marriage was drought with stress and struggle, but they loved each other and that was enough for both of them. A few months is enough time for me. The question is, is several months enough for you."
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. Is it truly enough for me? Azazel puts his finger to my mouth and stops me before I can speak, "Stop. I don't need an answer now, or anytime in the future for that matter. I just wanted to let you know how I felt before..." His voice trails off as he tries to find the right words.

"Before what?" I ask curiously.

"Before you leave and I might never see you again," he says quickly, "You are planning to leave soon are you not?" I nod. "I just wanted to make things clear between us before you leave."

I can sense that Azazel's words were a straight out lie. He's hiding something. And I want to know what the duck it is. "No, there's something else," I say quietly, "What is it?" Azazel's shoulders sag in reluctance. Azazel never would have let me get away with lying to him if he could sense the half truth. I don't know why Azazel would think I wouldn't do the same.

After a few moments Azazel says, "This is something that you cannot repeat to anyone. Ever." He says those words with a severe look on his face, so I know that what he is about to tell me must never be repeated. Azazel takes both of my hands in his and starts to speak, "It was the old seer that gave us this warning. A woman who eventually turned out to be your adoptive mother. When I was born, she gave us a prophecy. Well, not exactly. An idea of the future is a better word for it." He rubs the back of his neck as he tries to find the right words. "She told my parents that in order to be a good king, to be the king I needed to be. A king that the continent needed. I must to die."

Silence net his words. I froze and went stiff. I must have heard him wrong. Die? Azazel couldn't die. He needed heirs first. And secondly, I wouldn't let him fucking die. I refused that to be a possibility. Shaking myself out of my shock I say, "She must have been mistaken. You need heirs. Your people need you."

He smiles slightly as he takes in my panicked expression, "That is why my mother pressures me so to marry and produce a child. Any child so that I will not be the last of our line. And besides, seers are never mistaken." Of course he is right. He is always fucking right. When a seer delivers a prophecy, it always comes true. That is why we are trying so hard to figure out Karasi's prophecy before it comes to fruition. Who knows what will become of Altreya if we don't.

"She didn't give you a time limit?" I ask curiously. Seers sometimes gave you a time limit or the prophecy itself gave you an idea as to when it would come to fruition.

He shakes his head, "No, she told my parents what she could and then disappeared abruptly. I think whatever she told us cost her greatly because she seemed to be weak and hurting when she galloped out the palace gates." Seers saw all of what was to come. If they spoke too much of what was to come, well the consequences were lasting and the seer never lived much longer afterwards.

Nodding, I say, "She always seemed tired when we lived together for those few short years."

Azazel tries to sound upbeat as he says, "Best not worry about it anymore for tonight, Aerilynn. We won't be able to do much until morning." Bidding, I suddenly yawn and scoot back in the small bed we shared. The last thing I remembered before succumbing to sleep was whispering, "No funny business, mister," to Azazel before my eyes snapped closed and darkness encompassed me.