Ruthivan glared at Claire, his chest heaving. He could slaughter her here, but no, she had a child in her. He would calm himself enough not to rip out her insides like he had her father. It was a fight. He grabbed her around the neck and squeezed hard, to the point he knew she was ready to pass out, then pushed her against the wall, holding her in a standing position. "You liar," he snarled in her ear. "You fooled me once, but you will not ever again. You'll do everything I ask of you and never question it. I don't care if you dry up and rot, you'll dry up and rot as a pure blooded Esper devoted to her family, and so help me if I don't see adoration and devotion on your face-" he gave another squeeze.
He let Claire slump to the floor in a coughing fit and turned around to the body laying on the floor. He roared as he leaned down and began to devour the body. He knew as he crunched the bones, the magic in Eladrim, in Claire's father, would saturate him. He thought nothing of the consequences or the putrid nature of what he was doing. He did not stop to think about the madness that would consume him even more than his own. The blood dripped down his face, the magic quivered in his stomach before radiating outward in pulses, causing him to shiver beneath the power.
He shuddered back into his Esper form and looked up into the faces of his horrified children who stared at him from the doorway. "Children..."
"You eated him..." Desmaren whispered before suddenly breaking into sobs.
"Claire," Ruthivan snarled. "Your duty begins now. Take your children to their rooms and tell them how you brought this upon yourself and our family."
Ruthivan stood up and wiped his mouth. All that remained of Eladrim was a puddle on the floor, and he would force Claire to clean it. For now, he had to find Seranfrit. If she feared him, all the better. He would force his family back into the tribe, and he would rule them as he saw fit. He caught Claire as she walked past him and forced a kiss upon her lips, smiling at the blood that smeared itself on her. "I love you," he grinned and walked out the door, slamming it behind him.
Discussions
Eladrim sat down and sighed deeply. He turned to look at Claire. "You say he hit you?"
'Yes, father. And I can do no magic, I can't be freed of this place. I can't get out.'
"Claire," Seranfrit commanded. "This is ridiculous. You need to settle down and you finally have. This is your life!"
'Then why don't you have it, mother? Honestly, I don't know why you don't have more children. I am a litter mother to a brood of children, why not you?'
Claire watched her mother struggling to formulate words, her mouth working like a fish. She turned her attention on her father. "Please, I don't want to be here, father. I will go wherever you ask of me, but not with him. Break the bond, absolve me of this misery!"
"And what of your children?" Eladrim asked.
'Take them, take them from him and his racist and ignorant teachings. Don't let them become him.'
"You don't want your own children?" Seranfrit hissed with disgust.
'You don't want me, mother, unless its on your own terms. If I could take my children from him and not have to endure his presence I would, but something tells me that if I take them, I would never see peace.'
Claire stared at the frozen beast that hulked in the kitchen. She could hear the low growls from under the frost. "I am willing to let them grow up in the tribe, if you'll have them, full blood Espers. I can't do this, father. Please."
Eladrim sighed deeply and finally nodded. "I will seek out the wise ones to see if we can free you of the bond. In the meantime, we will bring you and the children into the tribe."
"You can't be serious," Seranfrit spat.
"I will not have this man harm -our- daughter. Will you?"
Fish mouth worked and Claire's eyes filled with tears. 'Thank you, father. Thank you.'
Eladrim rose and walked to the icy Ruthivan who growled and whimpered in his shell of frost. He stared for a long moment. "I know you have heard all of this, Ruthivan. You will be separated from my daughter as soon as we find the wise ones. You will not have your children, you will not be part of the tribe. You will not have Claire. In fact, you would best serve yourself by returning to your home and your mother."
Claire gasped as the frost began to melt and crack. With a roar, Ruthivan broke his bonds and drove his entire fist into Eladrim's stomach. He ripped his hand back out, entrails flowing over his hand. Claire didn't hear her own screaming as her father dropped to the floor, shocked as he exhaled his last breath and died. She only knew that in a moment, her mother was running for her life, and Claire was face to snout with Ruthivan.
"You will never leave and above all, you will never take my children. If you try, I will kill you."
'Yes, father. And I can do no magic, I can't be freed of this place. I can't get out.'
"Claire," Seranfrit commanded. "This is ridiculous. You need to settle down and you finally have. This is your life!"
'Then why don't you have it, mother? Honestly, I don't know why you don't have more children. I am a litter mother to a brood of children, why not you?'
Claire watched her mother struggling to formulate words, her mouth working like a fish. She turned her attention on her father. "Please, I don't want to be here, father. I will go wherever you ask of me, but not with him. Break the bond, absolve me of this misery!"
"And what of your children?" Eladrim asked.
'Take them, take them from him and his racist and ignorant teachings. Don't let them become him.'
"You don't want your own children?" Seranfrit hissed with disgust.
'You don't want me, mother, unless its on your own terms. If I could take my children from him and not have to endure his presence I would, but something tells me that if I take them, I would never see peace.'
Claire stared at the frozen beast that hulked in the kitchen. She could hear the low growls from under the frost. "I am willing to let them grow up in the tribe, if you'll have them, full blood Espers. I can't do this, father. Please."
Eladrim sighed deeply and finally nodded. "I will seek out the wise ones to see if we can free you of the bond. In the meantime, we will bring you and the children into the tribe."
"You can't be serious," Seranfrit spat.
"I will not have this man harm -our- daughter. Will you?"
Fish mouth worked and Claire's eyes filled with tears. 'Thank you, father. Thank you.'
Eladrim rose and walked to the icy Ruthivan who growled and whimpered in his shell of frost. He stared for a long moment. "I know you have heard all of this, Ruthivan. You will be separated from my daughter as soon as we find the wise ones. You will not have your children, you will not be part of the tribe. You will not have Claire. In fact, you would best serve yourself by returning to your home and your mother."
Claire gasped as the frost began to melt and crack. With a roar, Ruthivan broke his bonds and drove his entire fist into Eladrim's stomach. He ripped his hand back out, entrails flowing over his hand. Claire didn't hear her own screaming as her father dropped to the floor, shocked as he exhaled his last breath and died. She only knew that in a moment, her mother was running for her life, and Claire was face to snout with Ruthivan.
"You will never leave and above all, you will never take my children. If you try, I will kill you."
Dinner
His eyes bulged and he could feel the rage that coursed through him electrify and ignite. Only the calm he forced on himself kept him from turning into the beast and ripping the table asunder. He glared at Claire, then felt the icy blue eyes of Eladrim on his face. "Is this true?" Eladrim asked.
"Now, dear, you don't mean all of that, do you?" Seranfrit coddled, patting Claire's hand.
"I mean it all," Claire answered, finally looking at him. He wanted to kill her.
"Children," Ruthivan said, measuring his patience.
"Take your food to your rooms."
"But father," Celiara whined and was silenced by the glare from under his brows.
"Go. Now."
Ruthivan gripped the sides of the table and forced himself to look at Eladrim. "I had to knock a bout of sense into her, that is all."
"And I'm your prisoner in this house," Claire added.
"You are being kept safe," he said.
"I want out. I want out now."
"Ruthivan, you knew my rule. If Claire was not in agreement with this arrangement, you would have to set her free."
He couldn't contain it, and he felt the change ripple over him. He was the beast, he was beyond any soothing or consoling. He let out a roar in Eladrim's face, his clawed fists clenched. "I will not let you take my family from me. They are mine!"
Eladrim stood calmly, closing his eyes and bowing his head. Suddenly, he exhaled, frost flowing from his mouth and over Ruthivan, freezing him in place. Ruthivan could see out of his prison, he could hear the conversation, but he could not move or fight against the superior magic that held him fast.
"Now, dear, you don't mean all of that, do you?" Seranfrit coddled, patting Claire's hand.
"I mean it all," Claire answered, finally looking at him. He wanted to kill her.
"Children," Ruthivan said, measuring his patience.
"Take your food to your rooms."
"But father," Celiara whined and was silenced by the glare from under his brows.
"Go. Now."
Ruthivan gripped the sides of the table and forced himself to look at Eladrim. "I had to knock a bout of sense into her, that is all."
"And I'm your prisoner in this house," Claire added.
"You are being kept safe," he said.
"I want out. I want out now."
"Ruthivan, you knew my rule. If Claire was not in agreement with this arrangement, you would have to set her free."
He couldn't contain it, and he felt the change ripple over him. He was the beast, he was beyond any soothing or consoling. He let out a roar in Eladrim's face, his clawed fists clenched. "I will not let you take my family from me. They are mine!"
Eladrim stood calmly, closing his eyes and bowing his head. Suddenly, he exhaled, frost flowing from his mouth and over Ruthivan, freezing him in place. Ruthivan could see out of his prison, he could hear the conversation, but he could not move or fight against the superior magic that held him fast.
Dinner
It had been several days since Claire had talked Ruthivan into birth control, raising their four children, inviting her father and mother over, and faking her flames like mad as she held onto memories long past. It was just unfortunate that in her zeal to lie long enough to break free, Ruthivan had lied about birth control so that he got her pregnant days after Hadriel was born, he kept her parents from coming for days as well, and her hopes of getting outside long enough to contact someone, anyone, to save her were shut down with the discovery of her newest child. She was frantic, she wanted free, but she was drugged and found herself in a foggy haze for a day.
Finally, Ruthivan had made good on his promise. He invited her parents to dinner, knowing that her mother, Seranfrit would be on is side, and knowing that her father, Eladrim, wouldn't be at all the wiser since - in the tent - she couldn't communicate with him in secret. Still, Claire had to do something. She felt stir crazy, like she was drowning, suffocating, being choked by the lies that fell fat from her lips after filling her throat.
She did her cooking, listening to her mother's harpy-like voice crooning over her grandchildren and praising Ruthivan for being such a good father. She kept her head bowed as she worked at the stove. Once dinner was ready, the entire family sat at the table. Eladrim, her father, gave a smile and nod. "This looks delicious," he said. "So, it seems things have been going well here."
'He beats me,' Claire said, not bothering to look at the strangled look of murderous rage on Ruthivan's face as she spoke. 'I want to leave here and he will not let me. I am a prisoner in my own home. I want out. I want to break the bond. I want to be free of this man. If I can't break away, I'm afraid of what I will do to myself. I harbor a hate so deep and full, a hopelessness so complete and total, that I will end my life if I do not get help.'
The table was silent until Desmaren, two and so precocious shouted out, "Let's eat!"
Finally, Ruthivan had made good on his promise. He invited her parents to dinner, knowing that her mother, Seranfrit would be on is side, and knowing that her father, Eladrim, wouldn't be at all the wiser since - in the tent - she couldn't communicate with him in secret. Still, Claire had to do something. She felt stir crazy, like she was drowning, suffocating, being choked by the lies that fell fat from her lips after filling her throat.
She did her cooking, listening to her mother's harpy-like voice crooning over her grandchildren and praising Ruthivan for being such a good father. She kept her head bowed as she worked at the stove. Once dinner was ready, the entire family sat at the table. Eladrim, her father, gave a smile and nod. "This looks delicious," he said. "So, it seems things have been going well here."
'He beats me,' Claire said, not bothering to look at the strangled look of murderous rage on Ruthivan's face as she spoke. 'I want to leave here and he will not let me. I am a prisoner in my own home. I want out. I want to break the bond. I want to be free of this man. If I can't break away, I'm afraid of what I will do to myself. I harbor a hate so deep and full, a hopelessness so complete and total, that I will end my life if I do not get help.'
The table was silent until Desmaren, two and so precocious shouted out, "Let's eat!"
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