Chapter 4: Brothers of the Blood

Asmodyus’ P.O.V

It is not the normative that one of my ideas is accepted by King Sias. As a second son, my ideas are only accepted if they come from my mother. However, Sias liked the silly idea of the ball so much, I felt a sense of pride wash over me when my mother said it was my idea.

Sias saw it fit that I take on a larger amount of the responsibility in preparations, since the ball was my idea. Normally, I wouldn’t have moved at the thought; but seeing Malik’s face when Sias announced the ball for him to find a partner made me change my mind. It was always sweet justice to me to go about doing things that Malik hated, like a secret little victory.

Even Malik’s mother, Queen Simona, adored my idea—which made Malik all the more irritated.

Work in getting the ball ready started almost immediately. I synchronized servants moving in just about every corner of the castle, cleaning every inch of the palace, fixing up a menu for the ball, organizing wait staff for the evening, and the works. As tedious as it seemed to any other noble, it was work that had to be done.

As a result, I was kept shut up in my personal office, taking meetings with servants about the ball, going over choices over the dinner selection, etc. I was in the middle of discussing and organizing a set wait staff for the evening when Malik stormed into my office, appearing as red in the face as the blood in his veins.

In any other previous offense, I would’ve found the move insulting. Instead, I quietly dismissed the servants with the promise to speak to them later, closing the door behind them. I made the small distance from the door to a personal liquor cabinet, pulling out two high top glasses and a half full whiskey decanter.

I poured the beverage into both glasses and simply stared at Malik as he fumed with murder in his eyes. I wasn’t phased in the slightest. Malik and I had gone through the stereotypical sibling rivalry and hatred so many times that I lost count the older I got.

I took a slow sip of my drink to draw out the anticipation of what I knew was about to be a fight. I looked at Malik dead in his cold, heartless red eyes, swirling my drink in my hand.

“You seem upset, brother.”

Malik slapped the drink out of my hand. I stayed in my original position, hearing the glass shatter to my right against the floor. There was a pregnant pause between us, though I suppose in Malik’s case it was an attempt to scare me. I slowly shoved my hands into my pockets, keeping the anticipation of the inevitable shouting match the two of us were about to have.

“What are you trying to achieve?” Malik snarled as we stared down at each other. I leaned back against my desk as I stared down at him. Despite being younger, I was closer to 6’4” in height--beating Malik’s 5’10” stature by five inches--giving me the taller and stronger benefit thanks to my dragon genetics.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I walked around my desk, sitting in my chair as Malik came up and slammed his hands on my desk. How rude. I organized my papers, knowing full well that my ignorance was setting him more and more on edge.

“The h*ll were you thinking?! A ball?! You’ve lost your mind!”

“If you’ve come to me to complain that Sias wishes to see you get married, you should go complain elsewhere,” I warned him, “I have things to prepare for the end of the week.”

“And who the hell are you to make these decisions about my life?”

“Sias wants you married,” I said as I finally gave him my attention, “I could honestly care less on whether or not you have a wife or mistress. If this is only between you and him, why not go confront him?”

Malik banged his fists on my desk, knocking over the inkwell in the corner. I frowned at him.

“You’re acting like a child.” I rolled my eyes, returning to my papers. “Like I said, if you’re going to complain, go to Sias.”

“This isn’t about father!” He hissed, his eyes getting a deeper red the angrier he became. I wasn’t about to pity him, though. I didn’t have time for that. I stood up from my chair, starting for the door.

I turned when Malik grabbed me by the collar, grabbing him by his wrist. Shifting my weight forward, I moved my leg around his knee and pulled forward, causing Malik’s leg to pull out from under him. He tried to pull me down with him but I was able to get my arm under his hold and turn him away from me and he fell hard against the floor.

“You b*st*rd!” He hissed up at me, the glint of his fang catching the shine of the lamps on the wall. I moved off of him as he scrambled to his feet.

“You can’t deny an order of the King,” I reminded him.

He bared his fangs at me, snarling and hissing like an animal. It was almost pathetic how short tempered the younger Vampires were. Watching the younger fletchlings boil with anger always teetered on annoying and entertaining.

“I swear to you,” Malik growled as he started for the door. “If I see your face at that damn ball, I’ll tear your insides out!”

He then stormed off from my office like a child.

“I’d like to see you try, brother.”