Chapter 68 The Promise that could be broken (2/2)

Rassa chuckled, ”The Kildare Family. The Emperor's own bloodline. Of course I know who you serve. A group of rich and priveleged royals who only know how to serve themselves. If their own arrogance doesn't kill them off, their inability to sympathise with the lesser men will”.

Aegin was silent for a while, before finally giving his reply, ”You sound as if its personal”.

Rassa gazed at Aegin with a smile that hid one too many secrets, ”Like I said, perhaps you should ask more questions”.

”If I ask questions I'll be killed,” Aegin stated.

”Not if you're clever about it,” Rassa said, ”You don't need to involve anyone else to seek answers”.

”Why are you telling me this?”

”Why do you keep coming here?” Rassa shot back, ”You are earning nothing out of this relationship. Whatever it is. I'm a prisoner and a predator. By all rights you should act like all the rest, but you don't. It's really starting to bug me”.

Aegin sighed, ”So you want me to be cruel to you? To treat you like a monster and leave you to rot?”

Rassa frowned, turning away.

”I thought not”.

There was silence between the two of them for quite a long time, then Aegin's voice broke through the darkness as he prepared to leave.

”To be honest, I have no idea,” Aegin admitted, ”Ever since I first saw you, there's been this part of me that just feels...I don't know...drawn to you, I guess. And when I spoke to you, interacted with you, it was like something just...clicked. I don't care that you're a predator, a monster, a vampire, a boy, whatever you are. However you define yourself. To me, you are Rassa, he who does not fear death. Who does not fear imprisonment. Who does not fear the cruelty of the humans who desire to keep him as a pet. Watching you feels...liberating in a way”.

”Liberating?” Rassa chuckled, ”I think you've misunderstood. Of course I feel fear. Of death, of imprisonment, or being treated like I am-”

”Perhaps, but you do the one thing that very few your age, or few ever, have done,” Aegin cut him off, ”You have the courage to overcome it. To accept it has happened, and move forward. That is why I continue to come here and speak with you. Because if you can do it, maybe I can learn how to do it as well”.

Rassa looked at Aegin for a moment, then tasted the saltiness of a tear he hadn't realised had fallen. He wiped it quickly away, forgetting for a moment that Aegin couldn't actually see him in the darkness. Then he spoke.

”I need you to promise me Aegin,” Rassa said.

”What?” asked Aegin.

”Promise that when I get out, if what this place has done to me turns me into...a living death...promise you'll kill me so that even with all the cruelty in this world, at least the innocent won't drown with the guilty,” Rassa said.

Aegin stared through the darkness for a moment, then nodded, ”So long as I can break that promise”.

Rassa frowned, and Aegin seemed to sense his annoyance. With a smile, he stood and turned away.

”No matter how dark you get Rassa, you're a good judge of character. I don't think you'd ever let the innocent drown, you'd probably build an island just so they could be kept safe on it”.

Rassa found himself being glad that Aegin sounded so sure, because in all honesty...he wasn't.

In the silence that remained, Rassa went once more into deep thought. What Aegin had described to him, about how he felt drawn to Rassa...it wasn't keeping with the norm. Most people weren't drawn to Rassa unless it was for their own selfish desires. But like Rassa had said, Aegin wasn't getting anything out of this. Feeling his suspicions rise, Rassa consulted Victor.

'I can't be sure unless you ingest his blood,' Victor explained, 'But it sounds to me that the boy is from a long line of Sanguine'.

Rassa frowned, 'I thought Sanguine required a bond to be loyal'.

'Normally yes,' Victor agreed, 'But if the bond is consistent across generations, is becomes a part of their genetic makeup. Despite the thousands of generations between the fall of Chaos and now, it seems his contact with you has awakened a need within him to be close with you, and in turn, your instinct to trust him to fulfil your needs to the best of his ability. He would be a fitting Sanguine for you'.

Rassa tilted his head in thought. He supposed Victor was right, but still, it wasn't smart for him to form a bond just yet. Not whilst he was still imprisioned.