A/N: Hiya! I'm back! and so are my lovelies, and i have some new characters for you to meet! Please review, i really would appreciate it. Chapter is maybe a loose R, not quite sure. As always i own everything and I will not be happy if you try to steal from me. R&R! THXS!
Chapter Two: Bring the Violence
Raphael's POV
'Today is shaping up to be a good day,' I decided as I watched my lovers walk in front of me, engaged in some form of bickering or another; however, there was a little nagging voice in the back of my mind that whispered that it wouldn't be good for much longer. That voice was quickly proven correct.
"Mr. Seraphim, may I see you in my office?" the voice of Headmaster Aiken sounded oddly bleak and defeated, making me stop ad look at him. The poor man looked tired and scared a sight that had never been seen before.
"Just Raphael?" Daemon's smoothly cultured voice inquired and I gave him a reassuring smile when Aiken nervously gave an affirmative nod.
"But he hasn't done anything wrong," Ferine half protested half asked.
"No, no, he's not in any trouble Mr. Montreal, I just need to borrow him for a little while," he soothed the worried red-head.
Daemon narrowed his eyes as he scrutinized the man in charge of our school before looking at me and giving a curt nod. "Come on Fer', Raphael will join us later," he said abruptly and gently herded a still worried Ferine away.
"If you say so Daemon," Ferine sounded less than sure as the rounded the corner and vanished from sight.
After a while I could no longer hear their steps or breathing and I turned towards Aiken. "So do I get to know what's going on?" I asked though I doubted that I'd get an answer.
Aiken said nothing in reply to my question, merely turned on his heel and strode towards his office clearly expecting me to follow without answers.
"Bloody wanker," I growled under my breath though I followed as expected, I was too curious to simply go to my dorm now.
Finally we reached the Headmaster's office and Aiken stopped in front of the door. "If you'll just go right in, they're waiting for you," he said looking over at me, brown eyes slightly more worried than they had been.
I stared at him quizzically; cocking my head to the side as if looking at him tilted would explain why he almost terrified. "Aren't you coming in?" I questioned quite confused by this time. Why in the world would he be not going into his own office, even look scared of it? The man was in charge of the school for Christ sake!
"No Mr. Seraphim, I'm not. Your visitors have informed me that they wish to speak to you privately," the man informed me as he opened the door and pushed me through.
"What the hell!?" I hissed stumbling slightly before turning around to glare just as the door was shut and locked with an ominous click. Giving a slightly annoyed shake of my head at my feelings of foreboding I turned towards the oak desk that sat on the other side of the room and froze, my entire frame seized up with mute fear as I stared wide-eyed at the last being in all the worlds that I ever wanted to see again…Ares Seraphim…My cousin.
Ares smirked at my discomfort. 'Really my pet has grown up quite nicely,' he thought, pleased though he didn't allow it to show. "Hullo Little Cousin," he greeted, voice mercury smooth and warm; however, that warmth never reached his icy blue eyes.
I stared speechlessly at the fiend that still haunted my darkest dreams. He hadn't changed all that much since I'd seen him four years ago; he still had skin pale as alabaster; a slender body that hid his real strength; and wavy coal black tipped with blood red hair that fell to the middle of his back. In fact the only things that I could tell had changed at all were he was taller, older, and most likely crueler. "Ares," I managed to get out through a suddenly parched throat and numb lips.
The smirk grew wider and smugger, rather like a cat that had a juicy mouse firmly under his paw and was contemplating whether or not he should play with it before devouring it whole. "Have a seat Dear Cousin," he motioned to a chair as though he owned the place and I was simply a guest who'd willingly come to speak with him.
I contemplated refusing, but I rather thought the outcome of that would not be at all pleasant, so reluctantly I warily sat across from him.
"Good boy," Ares purred, his smirk turning almost malicious and I bristled at the almost sugary tone. 'I am not your goddamned pet!' I wanted to shout those words so badly, but that would just lead to a demonstration of how much his pet I really was. I knew from past experience that if I wanted to be unable to for a week or so I would encourage that demonstration; however, I had plans that involved my moving about so I kept silent.
After a few moments of absolute silence I decided to ask the question that was plaguing my thoughts. "Why the hells are you here Ares? What is it that you want?" I was proud my voice managed to be so very calm, because inside I was nothing more than a mess of jangled nerves.
"You're always so suspicious, Pet, I am simply here to insure that Cathan and Desiderio finish their educations," he told me smoothly, shaking his head and sighing at the end as though I were nothing more than difficult child.
I opened my mouth to protest that their education did not include him being here when he cut me off, "Besides I thought it'd be fun to see what a normal education is like," Ares added almost sadly.
If I had been anyone else I would have bought the sadness in his voice and wondered what sort of education he'd had, but I wasn't anyone else and I could tell that it was more a curiosity than anything else to him. When the government enhanced a handful of children, I wondered if they knew what they had created when they chose Ares as their main lab child, hell I wondered if they even knew what his actual powers were anymore.
"A government education not enough for you any more?" I snarled without really thinking about it. Almost at immediately I wished that I had never said that out loud, because Ares eyes got so cold it was a wonder I wasn't getting frost bite from his glare alone.
"No, it's not," he informed me in a no-nonsense tone of voice. I flinched back slightly at the curtness and he smirked again before standing. An action that caused me to recoil further. "You seem to have forgotten that if it wasn't for me that you'd still be in a glass cell somewhere on the other side of the planet," he murmured coming around to stand behind me and lightly drape his arms across my shoulders. He did nothing else at first and I was just starting to relax when he bit my ear so hard it bled.
I pushed his arms off and jumped out of the chair, backing up with a hand to my wounded ear when he followed, a predatory grin firmly fixed on his features. "Hmm at least you're still smart enough to be afraid of me," he chuckled cruelly and continued invading my space until I backed up into the wall, where he easily pinned me.
I wiggled against his grip for a moment before stilling and glaring heatedly at him. "I am not fucking scared of you!" I hissed irritably, hoping beyond hope that I could convince him of that, overly smart bastard that he was.
Ares simply smirked and laid a hand against my chest where he could easily feel the way my heart raced with a bit of anger and a whole lot of fear. "This says differently Little Cousin," he purred icy eyes now completely feral.
I growled low in my throat and made an attempt at dislodging my stronger cousin, though I regretted it at once seeing as he transferred one of his hands to my throat and squeezed lightly, a silent threat that made me go completely still. "I hate you," I hissed at that smirking face.
Ares simply used his free hand to caress behind my ear and down my face, rather like something one would do to calm a favored pet. "I know you do; however, that is currently a moot point…as is whether or not you fear me," he informed calmly placing a small kiss on my nose before he moved off me and let my throat go; however, his eyes kept me pinned against the wall as though I were some exotic butterfly or moth displayed for its collector's viewing pleasure.
I warily pushed away from the wall after a while, tired of feeling the cold stone against my back, my eyes sparking with unvoiced questions. "Why the hell is that a moot point?" I demanded rubbing at my neck slightly, he'd held it more tightly than I had thought at first and now the skin was irritated and red. Not something I wanted to explain to anyone.
"Because at the moment there are bigger dangers than me to worry about," he said simply, turning away and exiting the room as though it would leave it at that. "Come on Cathan," he summoned and looked over towards where his brother stood in a corner. Cathan followed silently, though he did look back at me once as though to apologize for his elder brother's behavior. The door closed behind the pair, leaving me in the office alone.
I stood absolutely still, unable to really wrap my mind around what had just happened and the fact that it looked as though Ares was leaving me to figure out his cryptic message by myself. Thanks to the bond I had with Daemon and Ferine I could feel where they were and what they were doing almost all the time, after checking I sent up a quick thank you to the deities for the fact that both my lovers were sound asleep. Sighing I shook my head irritably before opening the door and trotting after Ares on silent feet.
He looked back at me once and smirked, other than that he completely ignored my presence, which was fine with me for now.
I followed them through the various corridors and the maze of hallways that made up the wings for the dormitories, keeping my questions to myself for the time being. No matter how badly I wanted to demand answers I knew Ares wouldn't provide them until he was damned good and ready to, asking would simply annoy him and it would take longer for me to get them.
Eventually we came to the most luxurious dorm in the entire school and I barely kept myself from scoffing at my cousin's oh so typical placing. Ares was the oldest teen at this school now, not to mention he had so much power in the outside world that he could make people disappear without anyone ever questioning… not even the government could really control him. They'd tried several times, but couldn't, not truly. Hell they'd even ordered him killed; however, none of the methods they tried worked at all, he simply couldn't or wouldn't die. I simply found it extremely ironic that the nineteen year old was only here because he wanted to see what a normal education was like, and the administration would trip over themselves to keep him happy. Again I reflected that the government had no idea what they would create when they worked with Ares.
"Come on Raphael," Ares' voice snapped me out of my inner musings and I glared irritably at him as he ushered me into his domain. Despite the fact that I had caught a glimpse of it from the doorway I was still slightly stunned.
"Ares, there has got to be something we can do about these dreadfully gloomy walls," a silky smooth voice greeted, a slight whine of complaint mixed in and I turned to stare. At only seventeen Desiderio Marcello lived up to his name beautifully; milk chocolate toned skin; inky black hair that fell straight to his lower back; not too tall at five foot eight inches with a dancer's frame; and pine green eyes that seemed to see through everything and everyone he was the very embodiment of desire. Too bad he lived up to his last name as well, which meant 'belongs to the god Mars', which is simply the Roman name for the Greek god of war, Ares. Desiderio belonged solely to my cousin, though sometimes he would indulge Cathan, but only if it was allowed by Ares.
Ares caught the nymph easily and kissed his lips gently, "I'm sure there are various things that you could make, or buy so that the walls don't annoy you Desi'," he replied before whispering something in his ear and releasing him.
Desi's eyes sparkled and he grabbed Cathan by the arm, "Come on Cathan, we get to go shopping!" He exclaimed cheerfully and pulled a slightly protesting Cathan out of the room.
"Have fun," Ares said calmly and got a dirty look from the fiery haired sixteen year old before he was tugged from sight. The door close and he turned back to me, making me shift uncomfortably. "Come on, we have much to discuss," he said and led me towards what looked like a study.
I followed obediently, my need to know what was going on, greater than my wariness of my cousin. Though in all honesty I doubted that I really had to be too worried just yet. I would find out how very wrong I was.