Like a cat startled in its slumber, the half-celestial sprang from the bed, her feet getting wrapped up in her loose clothing and almost sending her crashing to the carpets. Am�naelihn frowned softly and allowed her eyes to wander her own form; her chemise had been completely unbuttoned, revealing the full beauty of her slender figure to her own reflection in the mirror. Am�naelihn gazed into the reflective surface now, almost scowling at it for staring back when her attention was drawn suddenly to something she had failed to notice moments ago; two faded rings of raised flesh, made red by venturing teeth, falling along her breast and over her nipple. The memory of the events in the library flooded back to her like a tidal wave, and as such, she knew no good would come of them.

�Damn it, Koell��

With purposeful fingers, the winged woman returned the chemise to a comfortably closed position, hiding the culpable evidence comfortably behind her clothes. She began to move hastily for the door when she felt something dig painfully into the sole of her bare foot and she gave a yelp and hopped back, glancing down to find the cause of the pain. Only now did she notice the broken vase that had once stood five foot tall against the bedroom wall, its smashed shards of azure blue littering the carpet.Hm� A wave of dread washed over her, and something in the back of Am�naelihn�s mind told her she didn�t want to find out what had caused the vase to break.

She made her way down to the lower chambers of the manor, silently hoping that she didn�t run into her son on the way. After their encounter in the library, she was certain that she was unready for another conversation with Koell just yet. Time healed wounds. She passed the twin quarterstaffs hung on the hallway wall, moving briskly into the kitchen. Much to her relief, the small room was empty; hardly unexpected considering the other house members only used the room to snatch their food. Straightening out her clothes once again, and trying irritably to get her hair to stay at least mildly at rest, Am�naelihn wasted no time in starting on the meal she had planned for this day�s lunch. She stoked the oven, lighting it with little effort, and placed a pan of bottled water over the stove to boil. With the flat of a dagger she peeled muddied skin from new potatoes, and the same blade was the instrument that cut the carrots into long sticks. The half-celestial was half way through peppering the tiger meat when the hand gripped her shoulder firmly from behind.

In a sudden panic and with a racing heart, Am�naelihn spun around, kitchen knife slamming down as she turned on her heels. A large hand grabbed the blade in the air before it could enter any flesh, and dark red blood began to drip from the palm and pitter-patter over the granite floor. Am�naelihn stared at the owner of the gray hand, his blood now soaking his wrist and the knife blade he held so firmly in his grasp.

�Kaehlin!�

His name left her lips almost as a surprised squeak and she immediately released the knife, allowing him to toss it onto the kitchen side. Cursing herself for being so jumpy, Am�naelihn hurried to take a hold of his wounded hand, to heal the injury with only her divine touch, but he jerked his palm away from her grip. She craned her neck, looking up at him with pleading curiosity.

�Keep still� let me��

Before the rest of the sentence could even find its way to the tiefling�s ears, Kaehlin had brought a tightly closed fist into the air, and each of his knuckles made impact with the side of the half-celestial�s face. Am�naelihn gave a shrill gasp of shock, and before she had realized what had hit her she was sprawled out across the cold granite floor, her tongue busted open from where her own teeth had sunk into its flesh. Biting back the pain, she rolled over onto her side and stared up at him, but he shook his head in defiance of the baffled look she gave, instead aiming a kick for her midsection. She felt the air leave her lungs, swallowed down into the pit of her stomach and she whimpered, a single tear sliding down her cheek. She knew how the vase had come to be broken.

He would have waited for her to drag her aching form to its feet, but patience had never been one of his qualities, and so instead he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her upright. Like a rag doll she sagged, almost flopping back to the granite floor, but he gave her a hefty shove and instead she fell, supported on her feet, against the kitchen side. She stared at him, still tasting her own blood in her throat, and still feeling tears stinging her eyes and cheeks, as he removed the double axe from its restraints on his back. Am�naelihn gave a whine, shaking her head frantically. Whether it was her begging gesture, or the will of his own, for some reason Kaehlin placed the double axe down on the kitchen side behind him, and instead landed his fist squarely between her ribs, his muscles rippling as he failed to hold back. Am�naelihn�s head collided with the side as she fell, but by some miracle she remained conscious. What had she done? He was going too far; what did he know? She felt him straddle her hips, but did not see him for her eyes were closed as she winced back against the pain. He had damaged her chest with his punch, making it difficult to breath, and his heavy form laying over her now made it no easier. Am�naelihn heard the tear of fabric and knew he had ripped open the chemise again; there was a small clattering beside her and she was sure, subconsciously, that it was a button rolling away from the outfit.

It all became clearer now, as Am�naelihn felt the fingers; his fingers, large and firm; stroke along the twin bite marks on her chest. He knew; he�d always known from the moment he entered the kitchen and she was aware of this know. She knew he would hurt her, perhaps more than he had ever hurt her before. Yet even as Am�naelihn came to this realization, she could not help but wonder if the bite marks were clear enough for him to distinguish fangs. Would he suspect Koell? Would he find and kill her son� their son. Of course, he may already have killed the child within her now, but she knew from experience that this would hardly bother the tiefling.

�Who was it?!�

Her eyes shot open at the sound of his voice, deep and much akin to a growl, and she saw his crimson eyes, almost literally alight with flame, glaring down at her, just inches from her own face. So close was he, that she could feel his breath upon her lips, smell the scent of burning brimstone overpowering her senses.

�Who was w-what� K-Kaehl-�

Again her words were cut short as the back of his hand collided with her jaw, pushing the blood already under her tongue now further down her throat, and she began to cough and choke on the vile substance. She turned her head away from him as she tried to regain her breath, tried to get enough oxygen to her unborn child that it might, with all hopes, survive the crushing force of the tiefling perched over her stomach. But in his fist he grabbed her hair and jerked her head back around to face him again.

�The bites, whore!�

Am�naelihn whimpered; whether it was the look in his eyes, the tone of his voice, his form hovering over her or the crude term by which her love now called her, she could not say but beneath him now she felt worthless and cheap. She feared for her life; and for the lives of her children. She feared for the child that had not yet opened its eyes to the world around it, and she feared for Koell who for all his flaws did not deserve the �justice� his father could bring upon him.

�It was� was�� and the words �your son� hung on her lips� �the e-elf�Cae�rath��

Kaehlin snorted, but took a long and deep breath and for a moment the bruised and injured woman beneath him thought that he might release her now, contented by her answer. She felt guilty, but for those she loved; anything. Apparently the tiefling was not sharing her empathy at that moment; his elbow struck her on the jaw and she tipped back her head, screaming as loud as her lungs would allow. Her eyes almost rolled into the back of her head, and by only the desire to keep her unborn child alive did Am�naelihn resist passing out there and then beneath him.

For a moment he was still, long enough for Am�naelihn to lick away the blood that was spilling down her broken nose and teasing over her top lip into the gaping mouth caused by her aching jaw. She tried to lower her neck, to meet his eyes; instead she saw his fist, raised high and ready for another strike. And she awaited the inevitable state of unconsciousness almost with a desire of resignation.

The blow did not come; instead there was resounding clang of metal striking skull, and Kaehlin rolled off of the half-celestial woman. She whined and tilted her head, needing to know despite her pains why he had freed her so suddenly. She saw first the ankles, below a flowing black robe lined with white seams and gold padding. He stood over her now, Kaehlin�s double-axe in his hands.

Koell pulled his mother to her feet; cradling her in one arm and helping her regain her balance. Considering the blows she had taken, it was a miracle but she managed to stand on her own two feet. Koell met his mother�s eyes, noting to himself how pale they looked compared to the usual golden sparkle. She turned her head, a shaking hand pushing a lock of her ice white hair, now plastered in blood, away from her bloodied face and cast a glance to Kaehlin. The tiefling was stooped over at the foot of the kitchen side, leaning against the sack of potatoes she had dragged out for her intended meal, and cradling his head in his arm. The flat of his own double axe had had a painful effect upon impact with the back of his skull.

With tears flowing freely down her face, Am�naelihn turned again and lifted her head slightly, staring up at Koell, whose eyes were scanning her body with a horrified and concerned look; he was apparently assessing the damage, trying to decide where first to heal. Her form was as breath taking as ever, the chemise hanging to her form by little more than a thread or two of fabric, yet for the moment Koell did not concern himself with the beauty his mother unwillingly displayed in front of his amber eyes. For this reason he was taken completely by surprise when her lips embraced his, and by instinct he flinched into holding her tightly in his arms. He expected her to pull away as their lips met, but she didn�t, letting her tongue stroke over his just once� then twice� before she finally dragged her lips from her son�s. Koell stared at her a moment, and gave a warmed, yet surprised, smile. She reached out to him, placing both hands onto his chest; and roughly shoved him to the floor before storming, as fast as she could manage, from the kitchen and in the direction of the front door.

Koell furrowed his brow and frowned, sat still on the kitchen floor, staring across at his father who sat in a quite similar position directly opposite, his anger lost due to surprise. It was impossible to tell which of the two, father or son, looked the most shocked.