"How n.o.ble, but you and I both know the truth. And that truth is that you're a f.u.c.king coward, a f.u.c.king selfish coward who is not man enough to keep his own woman, or man enough to confront her or even end the reptile that took her away from you. And do you know the worst part, you ran away, ran away! Leaving your family behind, people who you're supposed to protect because…..because you have feelings you don't know how to deal with! Disgusting! You're no vampire boy! You're a f.u.c.king human being."

Kodak could almost feel the disgust dripping from Shao Tie's words. And it succeeded in making him feel as bad as he could possible be at this moment. He could have used his aura to deal with his emotions, just grab everything and push them out. But just because he wasn't feeling it, it didn't mean it wasn't there. The Aura was temporary fix, a fix that became nothing more than an addiction to the vampires of old, turning them into cold emotionless machines.

Kodak wanted to feel, even if he didn't know how to deal with it. He wanted this hurt, this anger to remain, so that when he returned he wouldn't hesitate to pay Neva and her b.l.o.o.d.y snake rapist back for all of the pain they caused him. But he couldn't stay, because for one he could not let his family see him like this, to see him broken, and nothing but a sh.e.l.l of his former self.

And with a brother who could read minds, hiding what he was feeling or thinking would have been incredibly hard. He had to get himself fixed, his head focused, and his heart steeled. There was some good that he could do in the world, especially for his people. He wasn't just running away from her, he was running just so that he could strengthen his resolve for the revenge he was going to bring raining down on her for breaking his heart. Vampires and humans had one very startling quality in common, and that was the fact that both races could be incredibly petty and vindictive.

"You're right about me Shao Tie, but you're also wrong. Somethings are never as simple as they seem, and for a dragon who doesn't know s.h.i.+t about feelings and is ruled by his desires, everything that comes out of your mouth is total bull s.h.i.+t! Even if it's the truth. It makes you nothing more than a hypocrite, and quite frankly I hate hypocrites. I'm running away, there's no doubt about that, but it's not really because I don't know how to deal with my feelings, but because I don't want to act on them. Because if I did stay, Neva and her new lover would already be dead, and that would be to easy. I've obviously changed, but I don't want everything about me to be gone, the person who was loved and respected by many others is fading fast, and I don't want that. Because that's the person who believed there was good in the world even though he was a slave, the person who my mother and father loved, and the person I was most proud to be. I need a balance, and I can't find it back home, because right now as bright as Ethernalia Leonis is, all it can give me right now, is blood and darkness."

Kodak, closed his eyes as they both s.h.i.+fted into a dull silence. Shao Tie was an incredibly old soul, being thousands of years old. Of course he was still considered quite young by draconic standards, but in all his lifetime, this was the first time somebody called him out. Kael and Baeki were leagues above him, that they wouldn't even be bothered to give a s.h.i.+t about his personality unless he was a threat to them or their beliefs.

But Kodak, an obviously broken teenager could see through him. Shao Tie knew Kodak was right, he was a hypocrite. But he believed such a trait was afforded to him due to the strength he possesses. He believed might made right, even if you were a rapist or a pedophile. With power no one would question you, no one would judge you, and you could take and take and take and take. Kodak loosing the woman he loves was more than enough proof of that. But this was not the world he thought he understood or knew, at least not the world of these vampires. He could see clear as day, even if they didn't.

In their world, it wasn't might made right, but rather righteousness, goodness, kindness and understanding made right. The young vampire thought he had changed, that he was filled with anger and all that he had in his heart was elaborate schemes and plans for revenge. But after their conversation, Shao Tie understood why he left, and it was not because he was afraid he might kill this Neva, and that would be too short a punishment for her.

No, he left because of a number of selfish and petty reasons. He couldn't bear seeing her happy in the arms of another man, he couldn't be near her because he still loved her, he felt excruciating pain and intense hatred whenever he saw them, he wanted the world to burn for his pain. Those were all true, but the chief reason would probably be that he couldn't bring himself to hurt the woman he loves, or the people who loved her. Not without sufficient resolve and mental fort.i.tude. To put it simply, he left just so he could get over her, so that when he returns, he can confidently kick both their a.s.ses without worrying about his own feelings.

He had some darkness in him now, or maybe that darkness was always there and just fi ally got the chance to bloom. However that wouldn't change the fact, that this vampire, with a half demon mother, was good and kind all the way to his core. A newly acquired bloodthirsty and vindictive nature won't change that, not at all. Because Shao Tie could see it, this boy had a darkness, but just like his leader Kael Cor. He was a light so bright he rivaled the sun. And for some reason his new found darkness was not stifling his light, it was making it....stronger.