"Marcus wanted my help to create an Eldkin who had no need for a catalyst," Lavinia sighed as she told her children the story of Damian's birth. Or, perhaps more accurately, creation. "And he used charm and manipulation to make sure I stayed loyal and productive."
She snorted wryly. "Of course, as a naive young woman, I fell for his crap, hook, line, and sinker."
"Anyway," she shrugged, not wanting to dwell on it for too long. "I won't bore you kids with the details of our operation, but we eventually settled on the most likely solution: to inseminate the egg of a species that can use myst without a catalyst, with the seed of an Eldkin."
Both Lilith and Damian reacted sceptically to this revelation. "Can Eldkin procreate with the other races?" Damian asked, an eyebrow raised. Since the different Kin-types couldn't procreate with each other, why would they be able to do so with other races?
"No, they can't," Lavinia immediately denied. "That's why finding a way to do so became our first step. Marcus showed up with a lot of data on the DNA and reproductive methods of the three races we know can use myst without catalysts, and we got to work…"
She waved her hand indifferently. "Once again, I won't bore you with the details of our work, but eventually, we devised a process through which the insemination could be done…"
She fell silent then, as bitterness slowly spread across her expression. "And that's when everything changed. On the day we were supposed to test our method… Marcus disappeared and took all our research with him."
Barely even noticing what she was doing, Lavinia started sitting up, anger flickering across her face. Her eyes stared into the distance, and her hands clenched into fists. "That was… was also the day my brother died. I found him myself… lying in a pool of his own blood, just outside of my lab…"
The shadows in the room started twitching as Lavinia's fury rose. "It wasn't hard to guess what happened, or who killed Lucius! It was then that I realized it'd all been a lie! I was used!"
By now, she was sitting upright, and Her fists started clenching and unclenching rapidly as her breath became a little more rapid. Damian and Lilith looked at each other for a moment… and then lunged forward to hug their mother from behind, unafraid of the turbulent power radiating off her.
No matter what, Lavinia was old and powerful. She wouldn't simply lose control.
Their touch quickly calmed the maternal woman down again, and a grateful smile spread on her lips. Now unclenched, her hands gently caressed her children's arms. "I'm alright, kids. Thanks. I still miss my brother, but… it was a long time ago."
Lilith shook her head vehemently. "I'm sure if big brother died, my anger wouldn't have an end date either, Mom! Certainly not with the killer still out there!"
"What she said," Damian nodded, his chin resting on his mother's shoulder.
Lavinia's smile widened, and they stayed in that position for a while. Finally, they relaxed back into the pillows, and she continued. "So… after that, I became the new family heir, and my parents started training me in the arts of manipulation."
At that point, blame and anger flashed through her eyes, suggesting that this period of her life had its own stories. But before Damian or Lilith could ask about it, their mother continued.
"I'd become quite cold after Marcus' betrayal," she muttered absentmindedly, her thoughts in the past. "The years passed by and started blending together. My mind had closed itself off from any outside affection. All I cared about was making sure I was never betrayed again."
She sighed softly, not really enjoying this reminiscence. "Naturally, I spent several of those years trying to find Marcus and get my revenge, but nothing came of it. He was probably already off-world, and I didn't have the resources for an interstellar search."
She chuckled wryly, "Unfortunately, the Moroi name doesn't really carry that much weight outside of our little planet."
Damian and Lilith could feel their mother's frustration, but had no way to comfort her. Instead, they simply made their presence known.
A small smile flitted across her lips again, and she continued. "Anyway, my parents eventually retired, and I took over the position of family Matriarch."
Her two kids both nodded. They'd met their grandparents a few times, as they were still alive, but their relationship with Lavinia was… strained. Neither of them knew the details, but based on this story, it probably had something to do with the aftermath of their uncle's death.
Regardless, they now lived as revered elders of the family and counted among their most powerful forces. An Eldkin who'd spent most of their lives absorbing myst could live for several hundred years, only growing stronger over time, but living so many years in monotony would burden anyone.
To reduce the strain on their psyche, they usually secluded themselves until something exciting happened, and it was no different for them.
Lavinia continued indifferently: "Many more years passed, and I divided my time between managing the family, and continuing my research into the genetics of Eldkin. I didn't have the resources Marcus had anymore, but… it was something to keep my mind occupied."
Finally, a smile spread across her lips again, and she looked at Damian, her eyes willed with love. "And that's when you finally entered my life, and everything changed..."
Suddenly, she chuckled wryly. "Although… I must admit, I wasn't sure how to feel about you at first."
Damian cocked his head with an obvious question on his face, and Lavinia pursed her lips before she explained. "The thing is, it was Marcus who brought you to me…"
***
It was a few hours later, when Damian was casually strolling through the halls of his home. He was once again dressed in an elegant outfit, of which he had many. In his hand, he held a sheathed Nox Aeternum, which he twirled around absentmindedly. Occasionally, he shot a thoughtful glance at it.
He was lucky his family had picked his catalyst out of his car's wreckage. Unsurprisingly, Elias had not done him the courtesy of taking it along during the kidnapping.
Unfortunately, a catalysts' most convenient option was bodily absorption. They had no return function, so if you left them behind somewhere, you'd have to go get them back.
Regardless, the most interesting thing about this sword was that it did belong to Marcus. Previously, he'd believed this sword was an inheritance from his father, but by now, he knew he might not have a father in the traditional sense.
For now, Lavinia actually wasn't entirely sure what Damian's birth had looked like, or his exact relationship to this man.
The only thing she knew was that one night, sixteen years ago, she'd woken up with a start when her supernatural senses started blaring in her head. There, in her room, stood a bloody, heavily wounded Marcus, somehow having evaded all the defences of the Moroi estate to end up in her room undetected.
"I'm sorry," was all he said before disappearing again, faster than even Lavinia could follow. In his wake, he left behind a two-year-old baby, the catalyst Nox Aeternum, and a note…