Shake the Disease Pt VIII: The Meaning of Love (standard:fantasy, 878 words) [8/11] show all parts
Author: Jenkis	Added: Dec 05 2000	Views/Reads: 2950/4	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Best if you read parts 1 through 7. Drakon defines Love while Sioux experiences it once more. Tai ponders Humanity. FEEDBACK HIGHLY APPRECIATED.

Sioux and Gwendal’s first son, Aiken, was born three years after his
parent’s Wedding one November night, and therefore thought not to live 
very much. In those times, children who were born in the Night were 
considered a specific sacrifice to the *Vampyres*. He was an extremely 
beautiful child with his Father’s black hair and his Mother’s sapphire 
eyes. He drew out all of the love his Mother had left in her and 
reveled in it, sometimes in an almost devious way. Through Aiken, 
Gwendal and Sioux came closer together so that they almost liked each 
other. To them both Aiken was everything, even if in their world to 
love one’s child so fiercely could mean severe heart-break. 

*  *  * 

Elrych laid on his bed with his arms around Tai, smelling the
vanilla-scented essence that emanated from her. In her deep, 
impenetrable sleep, Tai whispered Drakon’s name and smiled. 

*  *  * 

Drakon moaned loudly with pleasure as he sucked the life out from a
slave-boy by the name of Andrew, who lay entangled with him on Drakon’s 
bed. The boy, who was only fourteen, was also in ecstasy as Drakon’s 
hand rested in between the boy’s legs and he cradled him like a baby. 
Drakon’s mind was shimmering with colors inside as he glimpsed the 
boy’s short and miserable life before coming to the castle in the 
middle of the City of the Dead. He’d been brought here by a True Blood 
named Val (who unbeknownst to Drakon, was his own father) when he’d 
been nine. Drakon feasted on the boy’s sadness as if it were blood and 
almost wept at the boy’s utter innocence. The boy had fallen in love 
with Drakon and trusted him deeply. He died in an absolute state of 
bliss, thinking of Drakon. 

*  *  * 

“Gwendal, you don’t really think the *Vampyres* will come and get our
child, do you?” Sioux frowned at her husband as they went to bed one 
evening after their son’s third birthday. He turned and looked at her. 
“It may happen but no, I don’t think that he is destined for that, no,” 
he said thoughtfully. “If something happened to Aiken . . . I really 
don’t know what I’d do,” she whispered. “I understand what you feel, 
Sioux, I more than once have thought of that and reached the same 
conclusion,” he frowned as he lay next to her. Out of habit, she turned 
and cuddled closer to him and out of habit he put his arms around her. 
“Sioux?” he whispered after a while. “Yes?” she whispered back. “Did 
you love Elrych?” he asked. “I suppose in a way I did. But I didn’t 
have enough time to really do so,” she reflected, “Did you love 
Kaitlin?” “Yes, with all of me,” he whispered. “Sioux?” he said. “Yes, 
Gwendal?” she answered. “Did you ever love anyone, I mean really loved 
them?” he said. “Yes, once,” her eyes filled with tears. “What was his 
name?” he asked. “Drakon,” she sighed. “Did I know him?” he inquired. 
“I don’t think so. He was too good, really,” she smiled sadly, “He 
always was.” 

*  *  * 

Tai entered Drakon’s chamber silently, threw a look at Andrew’s dead
body on the floor and turned to Drakon who sat by a mirror. “Drakon,” 
she said and he turned to look at her. “Tai,” he smiled. “I take it you 
are staying in tonight?” she asked, sitting beside him, and motioned to 
Andrew. “Yes,” he answered. “Are you going into one of your moods 
again?” she asked him. “No, I suppose I’m not. Don’t really have a 
reason to,” he frowned. “All right, good. I hate it when you get like 
that. I feel all uncomfortable, you know?” she gave him what to her 
kind was a warm look but couldn’t really be further from one. 
“Uncomfortable?” he frowned, “What do you mean by that, Tai?” “I can’t 
explain,” she frowned for a second, “Like it bothers me to see you like 
that. It’s the strangest thing, really. But I don’t want to think about 
it, ok?” then she leaned over and put her arms softly around him, 
resting her head on his shoulder. He sighed against her hair. “I killed 
him, you know? Andrew?” he whispered after a little while, “And he was 
in love with me.” “Hmmm,” she said, “Love. What’s that like?” “Love is 
when you care about someone so much that you come to understand why 
they hurt you and you forgive them for it and finally hurt is all you 
expect,” he said thoughtfully “Doesn’t sound like fun, the one that you 
Love hurting you,” answered she, “But I really wouldn’t know.” “I 
suppose not,” he gave an ironic laugh “Does it really bother you about 
Elrych?” she asked after a long pause. “What do you mean?” he frowned 
at her. “I mean, does he bother you?” she said. “Does it matter?” his 
eyes searched hers. “I don’t know,” she looked into space, then shook 
her head, “No, I suppose it doesn’t. That was a silly question,” she 
smiled. He said nothing. “Suppose your humanity is rubbing off on me?” 
she laughed, “That would be decidedly horrible, wouldn’t it?” 

Once again, he said nothing. 


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