Damian stood at the threshold of the Blood Wing mansion with the little bundle lying in his arms, it was a sight his subordinates engraved into their memories. The sprawling estate rose majestically against the backdrop of dark, brooding hills, its stone walls bathed in the warm glow of the late afternoon sun. Vines twisted around its columns like the tangle of her own thoughts, and the whole structure hummed with a life that felt both foreign and strangely familiar.
Da rel couldn't understand his brother at the moment but he trusted that he was always right. Walking into the warm greeting room, Damian looked down at the quiet baby and sighed, how confused his heart, warming up at the sight of a child that wasn't his own. he had learned early on that his intuition was the only thing he could trust not to falter, so he took the child into his arms when he saw her, he had a feeling she had to be his. He unwrapped her silk and the amulet within the wraps fell to the ground with a clang. He bent down and picked up the golden amulet that shined with the flow of magic, he silently observed the amulet for clues on the child's origin but round only a name engraved at the back of the golden cover. "Raven" he called out to the name , the child stirred in his embrace and let out a soft giggle. A smile he couldn't yet fathom bloomed on his face. "Your name is Raven Willows child" he found himself plunged into the depths of Joy for the first time in his hundreds of years.
"Welcome home, Raven," he said, his voice deep and reassuring. The child baby seemed to understand his meaning as she smiled, extending her short hand, she deemed to touch his face but wasn't quite equipped for the endeavour, so he lowered his face and let her touch as she pleased.
"Let me introduce you to the rest of the clan," he said, carrying her half wrapped in her linen deeper into the mansion. There was an odd symmetry in how the mansion breathed, each room exuding stories of humor and tenderness, conflict and resolution, each corner painted with memories just waiting to be shared.
As he walked, he introduced her to members of the clan going about their activities, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and reserve. How strange it was for their cold patriarch to openly show such emotions, their hearts were stirred and their curiosity peaked. They all wondered if their lord had finally produced an heir with a woman outside. He wasn't just bringing her into a new home; he was ushering her into a legacy draped in shadows and light. It was a heritage whispered through lineage—a lineage that pulsed through their veins and crackled in the air around them.
"Here, let me introduce you to Darel," Damian said, pausing before a magnificent archway. The young man who emerged didn't appear much younger than Damian himself, with tousled dark hair and the kind of mischief in his bright eyes that spoke of daunting madness.
"Hey, Raven!, do uou remember the other handsome uncle at the gate" he teased as he rubbed her little round cheeks. "Don't mind my brother, if you get tired you could just stay with uncle." Raven couldn't help but smile at the enlarged face in front of her.
A smile bloomed on their faces as they watched her swing her arms happily around.
the warmth in the air lingered pushing the coldness of their bodies aside.
In the family hall, the walls were adorned with portraits of ancestors, immortalized in time, their gazes seemingly following tgem as tgey walked passed. Each face was a testament to battles fought, alliances forged, and the delicate balance that had become a hallmark of their lineage.
As Damian walked along the halls with the baby in his arms and his brother following silently behind, he paused in his steps and looked back towards the doors of the mansion that were opened to welcome the new guests.
Druella Willows. a testament of the beauty of the Vampire clan walked in clad in tight fitting black pants and a deep red top accentuating her figure, behind her followed a man with a deep meaningful smile, as he gazed at her figure with all the love he had, Blarren Damon, her husband, he followed silently behind his wife with noticeable submission. Druella stopped at the centre of the greeting room, tracing the figures of her brothers walking towards her, her fierce eyes stopping on the bundle in her brother's arms. "So you really got a kid without my knowledge, ehn, Brother " she began with annoyance laced in her voice, Blarren looked up from his wife to the his brother in laws at the other end of the room. "Dru, little sister, meet our niece, Raven" Da rel responded with a wide grin as if showcasing his superiority. With a light scoff, Damian walked up to his little sister, " Meet your niece, Dru" he said lightly. With shining eyes, she took the baby from her brother and raised her up in her arms. "Raven huh!" she seemed amused by her brothers wide grin.
Blarren smiled at his wife with a meaning in his eyes, "Damian, i'm surprised you could still have kids at your age" , Blarren teased with a smile on his face. He was truly surprised by his friends apparent ability. With a dark look on his face, Damian lightly patted Blarrens shoulder, "My dear friend" he said through gritted teeth.
The greetings were over and it was time to resolve the lingering questions. They walked along to the council room upstairs in silence. Sitting at the head of the table Damian told tales of the circumstances behind his new found child.
His choice to keep her, they knew was final.
"She is a blood wing now" , Druella broke the imposing silence. Aknowledgement followed naturally.
The chapter ended, but the flickering flame of Raven's identity had only just ignited—a slower burn lurking beneath the warmth of all she was to call family.