A Bastard's Allure-Chapter 77: Mistaken (Family Reunion)

Gabriel paced in the cellar before grabbing the cold metals and taking a peek outside. Not a single soul was there. Just him and the stoic Vathin.

He shifted his gaze to him. He was drawing something on the dusty floor as if being locked had suddenly fired the artist in him.

"You said the gates would be opened," Gabriel fumed, now wanting to pin the blame on someone. His fists were itching to bite on some flesh.

"I did," Vathin replied, still invested in his artistic work.

"But they were closed!" His nose flared, anger and annoyance flashing across his eyes when Vathin didn’t spare him a glance. Unable to restrain his urge to break a bone or two, he walked over and grabbed the demon by the collar. Their eyes momentarily locked before a blow landed on Vathin’s nose, breaking it in the process.

Blood dripped from his nostrils drop by drop to the ground on the drawing he had made. Gabriel was about to land another blow when a bright light caught his attention. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

’What was that?’ He took a step back, denying his brain the things he was seeing. The sketch on the ground had turned into a hologram with beings moving around. On a closer look, he saw his father hurrying through the hallways of the Eldorian castle.

With his interest piqued, Gabriel watched as the king rushed into a room and closed the door behind him. Inside, the midwives were urging a woman to push, beads of sweat now formed on her face.

"Mo - Mother?" Gabriel called in a whisper. He didn’t know how he deciphered that, but he had this gut feeling it was her. Her features did not betray his thoughts either. She had dark eyes,with a hint of gold in them that they appeared like shiny pearls; shiny from afar but scary up close. Her features were sharp...

She let out another scream before Gabriel could take in her features. The midwife’s eyes widened before she held a baby in her hands.

"It’s a boy your Majesty," she told the king first, but there was no smile on his face. The baby’s eyes were alive but not a single sound came from him; he didn’t cry. Instead, his golden orbs locked with Thoron’s as he drawed closer.

"I want to see my child," Allicent complained from the bed, her voice rising in contrast to her current condition. The bed sheets were painted scarlet with blood.

"You need to rest Lady. You’ve lost a lot of blood," A midwife to her left coerced. She was still holding her hand all this time.

"Let go of me," Allicent said, whisking her hand off the midwife’s grasp. She placed her legs on the cold floor with the little strength she could master, her white dress now painted scarlet from her waist.

Thoron took the baby from the midwife and walked closer to where Allicent stood.

"It’s a boy," he told her casting a smile on her pained and tired face. Slowly, he placed the babe in her hands. Her eyes teared up as she caressed little Gabriel’s face. He was sucking a thumb already, his languid eyes darting between Thoron and the crying woman.

"He’s so beautiful," Allicent admitted. She lifted her eyes to look at Thoron. "He’s a boy. I’ll keep him. That was our agreement."

Thoron looked at her long enough to hint he’d changed his mind. "I can’t let you raise my son among the demons. You’ll corrupt him with your misguided values..."

Allicent hugged the babe tighter, taking a step back. Thoron motioned the midwives to take the baby from her.

"Don’t you dare!" She warned, bearing her free hand. The midwives halted in their tracks knowing well what she was capable of.

"You thought I wouldn’t know you’d try to use your powers against me?" Thoron asked. Allicent stole a quick glance at the glass of a blue liquid by the nightstand and cursed under her breath.

"You monster!" She screamed, her voice raw in anger and emotions. The midwives cornered her and one of them emerged from the commotion with the baby in her arms.

"Please don’t take him away from me," Allicent cried as she watched the midwife exit the room with the baby. Her eyes met with Thoron’s. "Don’t let them take him away please," she begged, tears flowing across her cheeks in floods.

"Lock her up!" Thoron ordered before he walked out of the room. His retreating silhouette was the last thing she saw before the world disappeared right in front of her eyes. Everything she had hoped for had disappeared in a snap of a finger.

The hologram faded, Gabriel’s eyes widening in surprise. All this time, he thought his mother abandoned him but she was kept away from him. How cruel could his father ever be?

"I thought," he started, now boiling in self hatred and anger. His eyes searched for Vathin in the cellar but instead, he was met with the figure of a woman. This must still be the hologram, right?

The more he blinked, the more real it became. His mother was standing at arms reach away, tears rolling across her cheeks. She was just as he could remember, not even a sign of aging on her face. This must be a dream, hell it has to be one.

"Where’s Vathin?" He asked to escape the trance momentarily. Allicent smiled bitterly.

"I was Vathin all along!" She transformed back into his shape and back into her original form to drive the point home. Now Gabriel was stranded... speechless.

Allicent took a step forward. "Watching you everyday in the disguise of another and never getting to touch you. That hurt like hell."

She lifted her hands, their coldness settling on Gabriel’s cheeks. A smile lighted her face, the simple action taking her back to that night.

"I would have given up my life to spend an eternity with you." She smiled bitterly. "You carry so much pain Gabe."

’Gabe.’ The word pulled a few strings in Gabriel’s heart. It was as if a human part of himself had suddenly awakened, a part he longed for. But a darkness settled with it, and before he knew it, his hands were tearing Allicent’s off his face.

"If you loved me so much, you wouldn’t have waited for so long to come in my life. Especially not when I’ve suffered enough to feel numb!"