The family was devastated at Lucas’ death, but they were more concerned with how he died. Nikolai and Regan had only been missing for hours, but it was obvious to everyone what had happened.
Nikolai killed Lucas and stole his brother’s woman, even though he swore he wanted nothing else to do with her. Angeline was near suicide herself. She thought that she changed him. She thought that he was under her thumb, but this wasn’t the case.
When the castle-wide manhunt was over, she went to the room she shared with Nikolai within Darth’s chamber and discovered the letter from Lucas to his parents. As much as she wanted to read it, she didn’t. It was for Alec and Brie’s eyes, and she let it be that way.
Two days later, she returned to the Castle of Farmers alone. As much as she hated to do it, she had to inform both Alec and Brie that they had lost two more of their sons. She went to the formal sitting room within the castle and handed the letter from Lucas to Alec. She had no idea of what it said, but she gave it to him anyway.
“What is this?”
“It is a letter from Lucas.”
Alec handed the letter to Brie. “I do not wish to read this.”
Brie looked at Alec and said, “He is our son. He loves you. Read it, beloved.”
Brie gave the letter back to Alec. He hesitated, but read it aloud so that Brie could hear.
‘Dear Mother and Father,
‘I write to you now because it is the time of my death. I am in so much pain that I can no longer endure it. It is my choice to end my suffering now and I hope that the both of you will forgive me.
‘I am no longer the proud man I once was. I have become a sexual slave to another man. He beats me and forces me to perform sexual acts upon him. He has shaved my hair. I am no longer your son, but a freak. I have asked Nikolai to help me and if you are reading this letter, he has. I am dead.
‘Do not be sad about my passing. It is good trust me. Mother, I have forgiven you for not writing to me sooner. You were traumatized by what you saw. Any good mother would be. I do not fault you, but Malachi. I am happy that we were able to reconnect in the end.
‘Father, you are one whom a son could be proud. You did something that no other in the entire coven was able to accomplish. You gave our coven freedom. When I am out with Master Malachi, I still hear your name. ‘Master Alec’ this and ‘Master Alec’ that. You are our great liberator and I am proud to have been your son.
‘In my last moments, I will say this. In my arrogance, I thought I could be something other than a Thorn. Later, I found that this was false. Father, you made me, raised me and loved me. How could I be anything else?
‘Do not mourn me. Celebrate my freedom. When it is your time, we will be together again. I miss the both of you and love you very much.
‘Love, your son, Lucas’
Alec handed the letter to Brie and left the room. He wanted to be alone to grieve for his son. Brie looked at Angeline with tears streaming down her face and asked, “Where is Nik?”
Angeline hung her head. “Mother, I do not know.”
Brie hugged her and they cried over the loss of Lucas and Nikolai. When they were finished, Brie sent Angeline to her room. Angeline went to the room that she formerly shared with Nikolai. She studied it, and knew the he was not going to return. She lay on their bed, missing him desperately. Her hand happened to reach underneath her pillow and she pulled out a huge pile of letters. Each of them addressed to a member of her family. The last letter, addressed to her.
‘My Dearest Angeline,
‘My daylight, my sun. I love you and have since I was sixteen. You have been everything that a man could possibly want in his woman. Loving and attentive, that is what men always want. However, in these last years, you were just a little too perfect. I know that deep down the only thing you want from me is the chance to be queen. That is what every woman has ever wanted from me, save one. I have killed my brother because he wished it. I am leaving, and asked Regan to join me.
‘She has no desire to be queen and because of my recent acts, knows she never will be. Forgive me, beloved. She has become the one that I truly love. She loves me for me, and that is all I really wanted. One to love me for me. If she accepts my offer, and I do not think she will turn it down, you will not see me for a while. We are off to America, land of the free.
‘Tell my parents I love them and maybe will one day see them again. I am sorry, beloved, but your love was just not enough.
‘Love, Nikolai.’
Angeline folded up Nikolai’s last letter and went about her business. The construction on her house was just about finished and the contents were on the way. She was not about to give up on what she had been given. In time, she would be queen of the clan.
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