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“But she isnotyour own, Vampyre. She ismine.” Salem’s eyes burned with anger.
“I am no-ones,” Tegan spoke quietly. All eyes turned to her and she did not falter under the intensity of the stares. “I am not a slave, I am not a servant. Ibelongto no-one. I am not a possession.” She took a step forward and placed her hand on Leonid’s shoulder, her father’s hand reached up and rested on top of hers. “I am Leonid Novikov’s daughter. He raised me after the Drakyhn killed my mother.” Tegan’s eyes flashed to Salem. “You knew nothing of me until tonight, donotpresume toclaim me,Principal Elder.”
Salem watched her quietly and then he smiled at her, “You sound so much like Celeste.” He bowed his head in acceptance. “Forgive my presumption, Tegan.” Tegan regarded him for a moment and then stood back. “Leonid, please. I need to hear your story tonight, if you will?” Salem sat back in his chair; he ran a hand over his face, suddenly he looked tired. “I will listen.”
“You were a terrible listener as a child, Salem,” Leonid mocked softly. “But I will tell it. Those who do not wish to remain, I suggest you go. It is not a short or pleasant tale.”
“I will stay,” Marcus confirmed. Accompanying nods came quickly from Michael and Sloane. Tegan surveyed them quietly. The Second, the brother, the cousin… she thanked the Ancients that she was ready for this, it would have been so overwhelming to be thrust into this situation unprepared. In that regards, she had sympathy for hernewfamily members.
“Very well. Tegan, you should sit.” Leonid instructed; Tegan looked back at her father with a smirk. “Stubborn daughter,” Leonid’s voice did not hide his amusement as he turned away from her to face Salem once again. “I tell you now, I apologise for nothing.”
“For the benefit of your son, I will tell this from the beginning.” Leonid didn’t wait for confirmation. “Your father was betrothed to Mikayla in a binding ceremony when they were mere infants.” Leonid began. “A ceremony such as this has lost favour over the years, something to do with free will and love.” His sneer intimated to the room what he thought of that. “A binding betrothal, although rare now,isblessed by the Ancients, and their union was blessed. I know this as I was there, as was Marcus. A binding betrothal cannot be unbroken. Once it is blessed by the Ancients, the binding is for life,” he paused, “possibly afterlife but I have never had the opportunity to ask.”
“Is it the same as a betrothal ceremony?” Sloane asked as he pulled up a chair. “We still practice betrothal ceremonies.” His face flushed as he looked at the floor.
“No, a betrothal ceremony is merely a promise. A binding ceremony, it is an old custom, and binds the couple together by Casting and a blessing from the Ancients,” Marcus stated. “The main families of power favour it, although it has fallen out of practice. Parents now seek their children to be happy.”
Tegan watched them all and saw the different opinions of that statement across each of their faces. Salem looked guilty, Michael looked agreeable, Sloane sneered, and Marcus remained expressionless.Interesting mix,she thought to herself.
“You can be as happy with a binding betrothal as you can with a match made on love. Both can flourish, both can fail.” Michael spoke up from his corner. He, like her cousin, had sat down, leaving Tegan the only one in the room standing. Like a sentry she thought,exactly what I am.
“Indeed. Divorce is very much a human concept, but I believe it is becoming more common in even our way of life.” Leonid shrugged slightly. “However, a binding betrothal blessed by the Ancientsisunbreakable.” Leonid looked at Michael. “It does not mean it is infallible. Your father fell in love with another. Celeste Ivanov to be precise.” Leonid sighed, “Celeste was of a strong house, the Ivanov’s are a fierce bunch.” He nodded at Sloane. “As I am sure you can attest to.”
“We are one of the better ones.” Sloane grinned, “the madness isn’t talked about much.” His easy grin at such a disrespectful statement made Tegan glance at her father in confusion.
“The madness is more from your father than your line,” Leonid laughed humorously. “I have known many of your ancestors and I can assure you, your father is the first one to be unbalanced.”
“Good to know,” Sloane said quietly with a quick look to Michael.
“Celeste was a beauty, a fierce warrior with a strong mind and large heart.” Leonid looked out the window as he reminisced. “She was much sought after for her hand, but she would not be bound to any. Her focus was killing Drakyhn and it wasn’t until much later, it would be discovered that she had already given her heart to another.”
Salem looked up from his desk. “We didn’t mean to fall in love,” he spoke to his son but the words for the room.
“It was what it was,” Leonid shrugged. “You were betrothed to another in a binding that could not be broken, you knew that, Celeste knew that and yet you both acted on your feelings.”
“Did mom know?” Michael asked his father quietly.
“Yes,” Leonid answered instead, “weallfound out when they were discovered together.”
“We tried to run,” Salem sighed heavily, “we were children.”
“You were old enough to know better.” Leonid reprimanded him. “Youbothwere. After discovery, Mikayla begged you to move to her House where you would be away from temptation. But you would not go.”
“My home washere. This ismyfamily’s legacy to be at this Headquarters,” Salem snapped.
“You stayed for Celeste!” Leonid bit back. “You didn’t give a damn about your family or theirlegacywhen you ran!”
“Father,” Tegan murmured.
“I apologise daughter.” Leonid straightened in his chair. “Celeste was shunned. To save her own marriage prospects and to gain grace for her name, she came to me.”
“Why you?” Sloane enquired.
“I was a Sentinel trainer at the time, for those seeking to enter the Elite Guard,” Leonid explained.
“She was training to become Elite?” Sloane looked impressed.
“She was and she did. An exceptional Sentinel. All the best Sentinels trained with me,” Leonid commented. “As did Salem.” Leonid grudgingly acknowledged even as he scowled. “He came to do his final training before his Trial. His father, Joaquin, believed his son had learned from hisimpulsesand Celeste would be no temptation to his son.” Leonid’s scorn was evident. “But you were both foolish.” His glare held no kindness as he stared at Salem. “She believed you would return for her, that your promise to break the betrothal would be held.”
