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~Three months earlier~ |
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They sat near the water's edge and soaked up the warm sun of the Mediterranean. The man turned to his companion and remarked, "It is good to be home, is it not? I cannot express how delighted I am that you have chosen to return here with me." |
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Rushing on, he added, "I know that I am not your first choice of companions for this trip to Greece. But this will give us time to get to know one another again." |
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Helena glared at the amusement on her younger son's face. It was the only way she could only express her ire, with her body poisoned by the same potion she'd used earlier on him. |
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"Come now, Mother. Don't you see the irony in our little change of fate?" He crouched down beside her wheelchair. "Perhaps I'll toss you in as you had your servant do me." |
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He reached up and gently wiped the corner of her mouth. "We'll have to get you a bib." |
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"How it saddens me to see you this way," Stefan intoned solemnly. Throwing back his head, he laughed heartily. The wind carried the sound until it seemed to echo in Helena's head. |
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"You have only yourself to blame, Mother." His voice was low and intense. "You should have killed me when you had the chance. But do not worry. I have no intention of harming you." |
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"No," he smiled ferally, "you will waste away here, unnoticed and forgotten. Nikolas will be safe from you." He began to push her back toward the house. "I hope, in the months to come, you do not give me cause to regret not killing you." |
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One hand caressed her shoulder. "I do not really worry that you will cause problems for me, Mother dearest. You will be too busy trying to survive." |
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~end flashback~ |
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"Explain yourself," Stefan demanded of the young man. His voice, barely above a whisper, was deadly. |
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Darius blanched at the hostile tone. Despite all his careful efforts to remember his grandmother's teachings, he had obviously angered the man before him. "F-f-forgive me," he stammered, wringing his hands anxiously, "for whatever flaw in my manners, sir. I can only plead my worry for my grandmother." |
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Stefan frowned at the seemingly genuine concern written all over the lad's face. "Sit." he commanded. "And let us begin again." He waited while the youth lowered himself warily into the chair before him. "What is your name?" |
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"I am Darius Cassadine," the young man replied. His gaze was fixed upon Stefan's face. |
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"And your father?" |
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A flush crept up Darius' neck and he lowered his eyes. "I do not know. Grandmother would not say which of her sons fathered me. Nor would she name my mother." |
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Any hesitation Stefan had regarding the young man's story disappeared with his inability to provide details. Whether pawn or partner to Helena's games, the lad had failed miserably to convince him of his sincerity. |
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"But I do not matter right now," he explained earnestly. "She does." Darius slid to the edge of his chair. "I have not heard from Grandmother in several weeks. We have never gone so long without some form of contact. I am truly worried." |
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Stefan stroked his goatee as he considered the youth's face. He would see just how long the ruse would continue. "Where is your home?" |
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"Manhattan. I live there with my guardians, Ari and Maria Petrarch." |
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Stefan felt a small shock at the mention of the couple's names. They were two of Helena's most faithful employees. Employees who had quietly disappeared from Greece over eighteen years ago. |
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