The Legacy of House Auron

The moment Helena leaves the room Kent rounds on Larcen.

"What the hell were you thinking?! You don't just initiate contact with an empath!"

I don't think I've ever seen Kent so angry.

He's always been so careful to keep him emotions in check.

It feels like the temperature has dropped severely.

I see Adrian move to protect his father and I pull him back sharply.

The spike of emotions that runs through me is nothing compared to what I'd feel if he got hurt in the middle of this crossfire.

"I forgot."

Larcen sounds so lost when he says it.

My heart clenches at the agonised way he looks at his hand almost as though it had betrayed him.

"You don't have the luxury of forgetting. Do you know why there are so few empaths?"

Kent's voice is low and cold, but I can see him trying to rein in his temper.

Larcen shakes his head no.

"It's because every time we come into contact with someone we risk an overload of emotions. Many choose death over that constant risk."

My voice seems to startle Kent.

No doubt he was so caught up in being Helena's white knight that he forgot the rest of us were even in the room.

He backs down and begins to leave but not before tossing a few parting words at Larcen.

"If you ever touch Sonia or Helena without their permission again I will rip your arms off and feed them to you."

His words remain even after he is gone.

It's clear that no one remaining in the room has any idea how to deal with a still shell-shocked Larcen.

It's Adrian who eventually takes the plunge.

He tugs on Larcen's sleeve but gets no response.

"Dad?"

Adrian's voice is a bare thread of a sound but it seems to shake Larcen out of it.

He stares at his son for a long moment.

Then he pulls him into a strong embrace.

He's whispering words that I can't hear.

Words that I wouldn't want to hear.

It's not my place.

I exchange glances with Arabella and Riel.

This is a private moment.

We shouldn't be here.