Malin awoke slowly. His alcohol battered brain struggled into consciousness. The acrid smell of his own vomit assaulted his nose. Memories of the night before crept into his mind and so did a deep anger. He yelled out for his servant. No answer came. He struggled out of his bed and stagged to the bathroom. Once refreshed, Malin reached out with his magic and found no one but himself in his home. He screamed out in frustration, pointed his finger at the nearest chair and watched as it exploded into millions of pieces.

"This is the last straw!" he screamed out. He'd been abandoned by his servant. Abandoned! Plus, those blundering terrorists and foolish kidnappers can't do something so simple as kill someone and even kidnap a kid.

"Time to take care of this myself," he said as he watched the smoldering remains of the chair. "Yeah, time to pluck this thorn from my arse myself. Ceenta won't know what hit him." Malin relaxed somewhat as a plan began to formulate in his head. Death and destruction would be the primary goal, now only the details needed to be worked out.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Allaoua walked out onto the veranda. He saw Harry, er, Dan talking quietly with Ceenta. He really didn't want to disturb them, but he was really worried about his family. He was sure they were worried about him and he genuinely did miss his dad.

"What if something had happened to him? Why has Ceenta not taken me back? I do really like spending time with Harry and Draco, er, Dan and Tom, but I need to go back home," Allaoua thought to himself as he quietly moved over to a lounge chair and sat down.

"Allaoua, are you okay? You look … apprehensive?" Ceenta asked as he looked over at the young OPEC son.

"I'm worried for my family. I'm worried for my dad. And I'm worried about being a wizard. What does that all mean anyway? Can I go home? Is it even safe for me to go home? And if it is, how do I even get there?" Allaoua said quietly as a big tear rolled down his cheek.

Ceenta and Daniel both got up and approached the young boy. Daniel swept him up in his arms and gave him a warm hug.

"Your parents have been informed that you are safe and okay and are under my protection. They know of your wizarding powers, Allaoua, because your father has them as well," explained Ceenta. The boy gasped at the news of his father. "There is still some uncertainty about your safety and that is why you are still here. Additional attempts to kidnap other OPEC ministry sons have happened, but no attempt has been successful."

"If my father has magic, won't he be able to protect me?"

"I've discussed this with him and we both agreed that you would be safer with us, besides, you have Harry and Draco, the two most powerful wizards in the world helping to protect you." Allaoua grinned and looked at Daniel and hugged him back fiercely.

A hooded figure in tattered robes made a sudden appearance on the far end of the veranda. Ceenta and Dan stood immediately, Daniel swiftly moving Allaoua behind him. They both stood at a defensive posture and glared at the unknown man.

"I come in peace," the old man said quietly. "I humbly ask for your protection oh noble heir of the inheritance," he said as he bowed deeply.

"Who are you and how did you get past my wards?" Ceenta glared at the man.

"My name is not important, only that I was once under the employ of Master Malin." Ceenta gasped and mentally called for help. "I was his servant for many, many years. He was a good man once upon a time, but the goodness has eroded from him. All that is left is a shell of the man I once knew." The old man watched carefully as other people came onto the veranda, surrounding the noble heir. "My magic," the old man continued, "is strong and your wards, impressive as they are, did not heed my access."

"One wrong move and your life is forfeit," Jon yelled out. The old man watched as the vampire's eyes turned red and the wizards drew their wands. He bowed his head and slowly put his wand on the floor in front of him.

"I mean no one here any harm. I only ask, with great respect, for your protection from the man I once called friend. He has no respect for the noble heir and has attempted to assassinate you and your friends many times," the old man bowed again.

Will, Starr, Tom and two Samari soldiers rushed on to the veranda. Will took stock of the situation and acted without thought.

"Accio wand," Will cast and the old man's wand zipped into his open hand. He followed up with "Rigescere" and the old man stiffened and remained still.

"That's Tiberius," Starr said. "He was father's servant. I'd recognize him anywhere." Ceenta looked at Starr.

"Is he to be trusted?"

"He was always kind to me, even when father was, ah, not," Starr said quietly, as memories long since past reared their ugly heads. Will wrapped his arm around Starr's shoulders and gave him a reassuring hug. Ceenta warmed at the protective move Will made.

"Okay, Tiberius, that is your name, correct?" The old man remained unmoving. "Will, please remove the Rigescere." Will pointed his wand and murmured the counter spell.

"Yes, my name is Tiberius, and I am at your service noble heir," the old man said, again with a deep bow. Ceenta relaxed and mentally told everyone else to relax but to remain alert.

"Okay, let us sit and talk." Sarduri snapped his fingers and a large conference table appeared on the veranda complete with comfortable chairs. Jon grinned and moved toward the table. Starr looked at his old friend and nodded. Tiberius nodded back and took a seat at the table.

"Young Starr, I feel I failed you when it comes to your father. His treatment of you is most reprehensible and inexcusable. I should have done more to protect you, but your father can be quite persistent and very persuasive." Starr nodded. "I have left him, alone, in his rotting shell of a life. I could stand it no more. He screams his vitriol at you because of your homosexuality, but he takes innocent young boys into his bedroom at night and has his way." Starr sobbed and Will wrapped a loving arm around his shoulders, not without Tiberius's notice.

"He loved you, Starr, at one point in his life that has long since passed. Today, he is nothing but a shell of his once magnanimous and loving self." Tiberius turned his attention to Ceenta. "Evil has taken up residence in Malin's home. It has latched on to Malin in particular. I sensed it myself. The evil slowly eroded all the good in Malin. It consumed him and his personality became cruel. I tried everything I knew from spells to even potions. Nothing stemmed the tide of evil. The staff left one by one as he dissolved into something unrecognizable. He has become obsessed with you, oh noble heir. He does not accept that any one person can have the enormous responsibility of keeping the wizarding world separated from the ordinary humans of this earth. Malin believes that Merlin ceased to exist the day he died and that Merlin's magic returned to the elementals from whence it came." Tiberius took a deep shaky breath. Sarduri noticed and snapped his fingers. A glass of Merlot appeared next to Tiberius, who nodded his thanks, then spoke to the people at the table. "The mere idea that the responsibility Merlin took upon himself could be passed down generation after generation, Malin found absurd," Tiberius said as he glanced at Ceenta. "No offense."

"None taken my friend. Please continue." Ceenta snapped his fingers and a glass of Merlot appeared in front of everyone except Allaoua, who got a Coke. Ceenta smirked at Sarduri, who snapped his fingers and a small plate of yeast crackers and Caspian Sea Caviar appeared beside everyone's glass. Sarduri smirked back. Tiberius smiled at the banter.

"I can see the effortless magic performed around this table and can see you are comfortable in your position as the latest heir of responsibility from Merlin. The fact that you have held that position for over three hundred years has not gone unnoticed by myself and many others. Unfortunately, as you are aware, there is a growing tide of fear and resentment against vampires in general. There is also a growing conservative movement, particularly against homosexuals. Next, consider the current state of our governors. A dozen donuts and you can have anything you want." There were nods all around the table. "I apologize for my heartfelt candor. Please, let us partake in a brief respite our hosts have so graciously provided," Tiberius said as he raised his glass to Sarduri and then to Ceenta. He took a deep drink of the Merlot.

"Chatau LeFite Rothchild, I believe 2020. You have a pre-release bottle sir," Tiberius said with a nod to Sarduri. "Well done." Sarduri smiled as he refilled Tiberius's glass. Tiberius tried the caviar and smiled. "Caspian Sea Caviar I believe. Top shelf. Well done once again." Allaoua sniffed at it and tried a little nibble, immediately turning his nose up. "Ah, I'm afraid it is an acquired palate, young one." Allaoua happily munched on a plain cracker.

"Tiberius," Ceenta started. "Malin has indeed tried to, and successfully, wreaked havoc on his own son, my friends and on me personally. To what do you attribute his motivation other than his personal hate of me?"

"The evil encouraged Malin's conservative nature. Anything that did not conform to his way of belief was beaten down and eliminated, usually in a brutal way. He hates that his son is homosexual. He hates that you and your spouse are homosexual. He hates that you and your mate have effectively taken his son away from him. He hates that the most famous wizards in our world and even that of the human world are homosexual. He also hates that a vampire is the heir of responsibility. While he secretly acknowledges the heir, he wishes that honor to be his own. In his twisted mind, he has decided that eliminating you will move that responsibility to him. He is willing to do anything to get that. He kills indiscriminately and without thought or remorse. He has contacts with terrorists and deals with them on a regular basis. That, in a nutshell, is his mindset."

"I have witnessed his aggression firsthand," Ceenta said. Tiberius turned to Daniel.

"And I believe that aggression was dealt with quickly young man," Tiberius commented. Dan blushed and nodded. "I understand you have recently come into your vampire self. For such a vampire youth to crush a highly trained and skilled fifty man assault force speaks highly of the skill you have already grown into. I look forward to seeing your skills increase and fine tune." Daniel nodded again. Will, Starr and Allaoua whipped their heads around to stare at Daniel.

"What the fuck?" Will exclaimed.

"Language," Ceenta gently chided.

"Sorry," Will said. "Dan? Fifty men?"

"They attacked my friends and then I was just along for the ride as my vampire instincts took over," Daniel explained.

"Malin was most terribly disappointed," Tiberius said sadly. "He killed the man. I should say he mutilated the man who organized the raid in a complete rage." Ceenta frowned.

"What do you think is his next move?"

"At this point, I fear he will take matters into his own hands, hence my being here today, along with my most sincere request for asylum."

"Of course, of course," Ceenta said. "Sarduri, please prepare our best accommodations for Tiberius."

"Certainly."

"You have brought things with you?" Ceenta asked Tiberius.

"Only the clothes on my back. My escape this morning with done with haste."

"Sarduri, please escort Tiberius to his quarters. Please give him access to our extensive wardrobe and tend to his every need."

"Of course, Ceenta."

"Tiberius, please plan to join us for dinner. We will gather again here on the veranda around seven."

"Ceenta, you are most generous and gracious. I sincerely thank you," Tiberius said and bowed deeply before following Sarduri into the mansion. Once he was gone, Ceenta turned to Jon.

"What do you think?" Jon nodded to Starr. Ceenta smiled. "Starr, what do you think about Tiberius? Was he telling us the truth?" Starr considered the entire conversation and smiled.

"Yes, he told us the truth. Everything he said about my father sounds accurate, even though what he described was unbelievable. My father truly is a cruel man."

"I want to know more about Dan and this assault team," Will said.

"Ceenta and Jon were here on the veranda when they we cut done with hundreds of bullets from the assault team's weapons. I came out and saw all the blood and their unconscious bodies. Sanduri was beside himself," Daniel explained. "I don't know what happened next, but Sanduri said my eyes turned red and my fangs slid down. I jumped off the veranda and next thing I know, I'm back on the veranda. Sanduri is hurrying me to the Ceenta and Jon's bedroom. They are all laid out looking quite dead. I bit each one and gave them some of my blood. Apparently, that was enough and they came around almost immediately." Will got up and looked down off the edge of the veranda.

"That's at least fifty feet, Dan. You said you just jumped off the edge, killed everybody and jumped back up?" Will asked.

"Pretty much."

"How about you bite me? I'd like to be able to do that too," Will said with a grin.


On to Chapter Seventeen
"Storm Watch"
Back to Chapter Fifteen
"Because of Me?"
Chapter Index

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