Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

"Why is it every time you show up? It's in the infirmary. And I see you brought a friend." Sharla said, wrapping bandages around Tia.

"You're cute. Glad to see Arsene is keeping some beautiful company." Mighty Dragon Tia said.

Sharla gave a triumphant nod while shooting me an accusing stare. " Glad to see someone recognizes me every now and again. How many times have I bandaged you up? And I've yet to receive thanks or a compliment."

My eyes went wide. "Are you serious? Because of you, I recognized the Shades. I enhanced their lives over a million times. If that's not the—"

"Has my little incubus gone so blind?" Tia remarked with a giggle. "She's not saying that. She merely wants to be recognized for the things she has done or has."

"That's idiotic!"

Sharla snorted. "Well, fine. I'll go back to work… Asshole," Storming out of my sight, my jaw couldn't help but drop.

"Is she serious? What the hell did I do?"

"Poo! She didn't even give us any medical pills. I've got some nasty internal wounds." Tia said, running her fingers through her long onyx black hair. She smiled, her beautiful eyes raised with a glint of amusement. "She's quite a catch. I hear shades are ravenous, you know."

"How ravenous?"

'They fuck like Amazons."

Imaginations flaring, my throat dried at the thought as a wry laugh escaped from the back of my throat. "I see my wingman hasn't lost her edge. How the hell have you been, Tia?"

"Bored out of my mind. You have no idea how gruesome it is to scale the Heavens." She replied, scaling back down to the bed. Her silky black hair draped over her curvy figure, wrapped in all black.

"You didn't join Zariels—"

"Massicare? No." She replied, sliding her calm gaze to me. "Against all biological instincts, I held and created. I decided it was better to raise our child. I gave up a massive opportunity to raise him."

"You regret it?"

"Hell no! Never. Zaid is the love child of the Fallen and the Angels. They tend to leave him alone, but they all secretly want him. And despite all I've done to dissuade him. He is leaning towards one side."

"Zariel never brought him up to me." I softly replied.

"Of course, he wouldn't. Your brother isn't the most social being. It either slipped his mind, or he didn't care to tell you. I chose the latter. Zariels a dick."

Bittersweet laughter sprang from my lips. "I hear that. I don't know if Zariel is selfish or just isn't conscientious of his wrongdoing."

"Look who's talking." Tia remark. "You are the most selfish guy I know."

"Selfish Lover, you mean?" I half-joked, " because you know I go down on Lilith a lot."

"Is that right?" Tia mused, her silvery red eyes narrowing into half slits. "How many times have you taken her on a date or just talked? Two, maybe three times? When it comes to you. Booty is all you see."

I frowned. "That's not fair. Lilith is also—"

"So her face doesn't just pop when you cook for her? I'm just saying you're a selfish guy. Nothing wrong with that. And Lilith seems cool with it. I'm selfish too." The deepening grin in Tia's expression flared, jarring the fire within me.

"Oh really! You?"

"Damn right!" She said with a cheeky fang over her lip. "Tia gets what she wants."

"That you do." Reminiscing over those days, I stared at her for a while. "Where is Zaid?"

"Guess?"

"Iluthath?"

She nodded, " Yep. I told him to find Lucifer or Mephisto."

"And you think he listened?"

"I'd beat his little ass with a hammer if he didn't." She spat, rolling her eyes. "He is not too old to get his ass kicked by his mama. Mephisto said he owed me a favor. Lucifer, too for their part in your death. I never called it in. But to protect him, I will."

"And the people after you," I remarked, already getting a picture of who they were amidst the assimilation process of adding them to my Hive Mind.

"I was hoping you would know. I haven't been attacked by any assassins since I was on Iluthath. I'm guessing you fucked up."

"It could have been Zaid." I blamed. But we both knew the truth.

"I wish he'd get in more trouble. That boy needs to let loose. He needs to get laid. Big time." Tia mused, pursing her lips. " I think I raised a bitch."

"Jesus."

Frailing her arms, Tia released a mocking voice. "I'm not looking for whores, mom. I'll not be like my father! What man thinks like that? I almost drugged him… Almost." Seething in her bed, she sighed. "He has a stick up his ass. And I'm hoping you can help him out."

"Corrupt, my son? Tia… That's what I do." I smiled. "But aside from woman. How is he overall?"

"Domeeniring." She coldly said. "He's got your killer instinct and my tyrannical tendencies. But lacking in major schemes and forethought. He'd make a solid opponent but a weak rival."

Tapping my fingers over the bedding, I smiled. " I'm looking for a personal knight who is strong enough to protect me. If you give your blessing, I'll help him out."

"You think you can help him?" Tia said, arching her brow. "He's older than you and stronger."

"Has he been to hell? Has he ever been tortured? Ever been through major tribulations?" The look on Tia's told me everything as I nodded. " He's my blood even if I didn't raise him. And if you want me to help. Send him my way so I can mold him to be a proper Snow."

Softness caressed Tia's features in the form of hesitation as I continued. " Dragons abandon their children upon birth, leaving them to fend for themselves within the Myriad. You didn't. You molded the boy in your image the best you could. Like a proper Mother. Send him my way so I can add to his character."

Bitterness crawled at Tia as she sighed. "Do you know why I created those instincts? The one where the mother dragon will toss their young away?"

"Honestly?" I shook my head.

"Protection. Idiots will disagree, but raising children makes you weak. It leaves you open in various ways for a long time. We dragons are born with such a long lifespan and are consumed by a need to procreate. The likelihood of having more just about guaranteed it's worth it casting our children away. Both for them and us. But…"

"You didn't. Or you couldn't."

There was a long silence that made me a bit uncomfortable.

"When you died, Arsene… we all broke in some way. Zariel went mad. Zero uprooted everything, And Aurelia… well, let's just say she had it bad after knocking Zariel out to escape. There were a lot of broken hearts that day. And it's probably the only reason I kept Zaid, that piece of shit. Did you know he made a boom-boom on my curtains? No idea how he did it."

Rising to my feet, I made my way to Tiamat, who lay still on the bed. " Send him my way. And I'll make a man out of the boy."

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