Talon slept comfortably. The night’s events had so exhausted him, physically and mentally, that he never heard his bedroom door slide open and then shut as a slim dark-clothed figure entered the room.
Alexander watched his father sleep, and tried to contain his mounting anger, tried to keep his breathing slow and quiet. His beak still ached from where Talon had put a chip in it this morning—for no other reason than Alex had been in the wrong place at the wrong time—but right now it was the last thing on his mind.
You killed him. As he watched his father’s deep level breathing, Alex could feel his hatred building. Zylander Nighthawk loved Mother. He loved us. And you killed him.
Without even really thinking, he triggered his wrist blade. The tip trembled slightly in the darkness.
It would be so easy, he told himself, creeping toward Talon’s prone form. But each step seemed harder to make, and the weapon strapped to his arm began to tremble a little more. Why shouldn’t I do it? All he’s ever done is made my life a nightmare—mine and Lexi’s and Mother’s. He doesn’t care about us. People like him need to be in Hell where they belong....
He was standing beside the bed now, and slowly he raised the blade. I can end it, right now, right here. Everyone will understand why. They can see what a bastard he is...can’t they? He faltered slightly and blinked, suddenly tearful.
Then why don’t they all just leave? Why don’t we just leave? Do I really have to kill him?
Alex glanced down at his intended victim and swallowed the lump in his throat. I can’t do it. Much as I hate him, he’s still my father.... Reluctantly the boy lowered his weapon, though he kept it drawn, and wiped messily at his eyes.
I can’t. I just can’t. I’m not like him—
"You should have done it, boy."
Alex had just enough time to gasp before two powerful hands grabbed him, one clutching his bladed wrist and the other reaching for his neck. He was roughly thrown onto the bed. He let out a yell of surprise and fear, but cut it short when Talon gripped his throat and jabbed a knee into his chest. He was paralyzed, and soon Talon’s vise grip would cut off his breath.
"So." The red drake’s smile was thin. "Try to kill me, will you?" He laughed, but there was no humor in it. "You should have done it while you had the chance, Alexander. Now I’ll make you regret that you didn’t."
Alex didn’t dare struggle; he knew he was no match for his father. "Talon, please, I—"
"What possessed you to come here?" Talon tightened his grip, making his son writhe in agony. "Did you actually think you could get rid of me?" He leaned forward, and his knee pressed more tightly into Alex’s ribcage. "Or it is because you’ve finally broken?"
Talon was testing him, and Alex knew it. Anger flashed through him like fever. "I wouldn’t give you the pleasure."
"Oh, you wouldn’t?" Abruptly Talon released him. Alex rolled off the bed and onto the floor, gulping air and coughing. Talon stood over him, his smile returning as he unbuckled his belt. "We’ll just see about that."
For what seemed the thousandth time, Angela wiped at her eyes. It’s a dream, she told herself. Landy and Nightshade aren’t dead, it’s all just a bad dream. I’m going to wake up soon, and everything will be fine....
As she knocked on her daughter’s half-open bedroom door, she almost believed it. "Lexi, sweetie, where’s your brother?"
Alexia sat on her bed, reading a book, but she looked up blankly when her mother entered the room. "I don’t know. He said he was going out and that he didn’t want company." She shrugged and hunched over her book.
Angela was about to say more, but she knew that Lexi was no longer listening. That wasn’t unusual; the girl practically buried herself in her books when something was bothering her, and God knows enough had happened today to bother all of them....
But for Angela, fighting to control her grief and her rage, Lexi’s tight-lipped silence wasn’t enough. "Honey, do you have any idea where he might have—?"
"He’s right here."
Angela whirled, just in time to see Talon drag Alex into the room by the wrist and throw him to the floor. The young drake gave a whine of pain when he hit the ground, tried vainly to get to his feet.
"Talon!" Angela flung herself on Alex’s still form, tried to shake him into sensibility, but the boy was barely conscious. "Alex...."
And then it was as if everything snapped. Angela’s vision turned red and then gray, and when she looked up at Talon her blue eyes were very cold.
"What have you done to my son?"
The red drake blinked in initial surprise, but then said smoothly, "Woman, your son tried to kill me."
For a split second it was Angela’s turn to look stupefied; then she sank to the floor and started laughing hysterically. "He should have done it! Oh, I wish to God he’d done it!"
For a moment Talon stared down at her, his face twisted into a horrible mask of revulsion; then he turned on his heel and walked out.