Page 159 of Rose and Shadows
“Wouldn’t it be more pertinent to wait until the baby is birthed, before he’s assigned a name?” Cassius spoke.
He hadn’t been involved much in the baby name discussion and I’d been kicked out of it when I’d given a list of names that were considered“too aggressive”, many Latin-esque suggestions that had the meanings of“ruler”and“conqueror.”Sure, we were working toward living in a time of peace after this coming battle, but setting our son up with such a name served as somewhat of a deterrent.Even in peace, the wise man carries a blade.
Cassius had been focused on the nursery with Velra, while Ketheron and I had been figuring out possible locations to move this Rifted Cradle to, as well as ways to maintain it eternally,because Rifted Cradles were usually short-lived creations. But this,Glacialis Arxwithin it, was slated to be our eternal home.
And Lazriel had been working on a list of the baby items we would need. He was also secretly working with Kai to design a magical research lab for me—not a creepy cave-like one that Kai had for himself, but something more modern and expansive that could also facilitate collaboration. Because, yeah, I’d finally become the guy who wanted to collaborate. Not just with my work with Arcanum Order, but now this too, and Requital. I’d even heard him talking about making an area for me to resume my charcoal drawings within the lab itself.
I was letting Lazriel believe that his work with Kai was still a secret and unknown to me.
How could I ruin that? He was so excited about it. And it was undeniably so incredibly thoughtful of him.
“Very good point,” Velra told Cassius.
“Fine, but we still need names prepared,” Lazriel insisted, not willing to give it up.
Off Velra’s look, he winked at her, then went to seek out the sewing kit, moving to execute a burst of vampiric speed.
He’d just pushed off when he came to a jarring stop as a harsh wind ripped through the area, and then Remnant burst in front of him.
“Dad,” he choked.
And it wasn’t just the shock of him arriving in blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Ancient Vampire speed.
It was the blood.
Dousing him.
Dripping down his metal face mask, all over his hood and his leather coat, drenching his pants and mixing with a whole lot of dirt and debris.
His hands were also tinged with gray—the sign of desiccation—albeit he was healing rapidly.
“Shit, what’s happened?” Lazriel rasped.
As I shot to my feet, Ketheron’s eyes narrowed through the living room door.
“An alarm has begun sounding,” he announced.
He was the only being who could hear beyond a Rifted Cradle or pocket dimension, due to his Polygenus Entity nature and abilities.
“Yes,” Remnant spoke. “I informed the abrasive sorcerer just beyond this forged plane in Solumira outside and he has spread word to Ryker Morgan.”
Abrasive sorcerer—most definitely Kai.
“Informed him of what?” Velra asked. “What’s happened?”
Lazriel scented his father. “Some of this blood is yours.”
It took a great deal to make Remnant bleed, to even come close to puncturing his skin.
Remnant reached out on pure instinct, it seemed, which said a fuck of a lot considering how logical and calculated he usually was. But his care for his son now trumped everything for him and put a strain on his former way of doing things.
He grasped Lazriel’s shoulder in a gesture of comfort and reassurance, then winced at the fact that he’d just spread his own blood—and a whole lot of others over Lazriel’s skin.
“It’s okay, Dad.”
“As am I.”
“If something’s made you bleed, though—”
