Kain tightened his grip on his shoulder. "This is the will of the prophecy. The curse will end only if a mother takes the seed of her son. It is not a sin—it is salvation. And you…" His lips curled into a predatory smile. "…you will be the one to deliver it."
Without waiting for his son's answer, Kain simply turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing faintly in the hallway.
For a long moment, Julian sat in silence, staring at the space where Kain had stood. Then, a low chuckle escaped his lips, growing until it blew into full laughter. He leaned forward, clutching his stomach, as though he had just heard the grandest joke in the world.
"What am I doing?" he murmured in amusement. "What madness is this?"
He straightened a little, covering his mouth with his hand, though the grin refused to leave his face. "…this is going to be fun."
Pushing himself up from the bed, Julian stretched his arms high, his muscles still aching after the long night before.
