Mikel woke his daughter and lifted from her bed. She had been dreaming again, calling out in her sleep. She was wrapped up in the shift so tightly that she had been sweating profusely, her silver hair stuck to her face and hands. He carried to his own bed as she clung to him sobbing.
"Shhh, Kadie," he spoke gently, softly and she listened.
"The monster.." she choked on the rest of her sentance and he patted her back while she got over the last of her sobbing.
"It can't do you anything, I'll protect you,"
"I know but you won't protect Mommy from the monster and it got her," Kadie was not looking at him in an accusing way. She was just speaking the truth. He had left his wife behind and he had no intention of returning. Kadie was too young to be told that her mother had cheated on him - in fact he had no intention of ever telling her that. He had been unhappy anyway and indeed he had been unable to give her what she wanted. The one thing he had given her: was a beautiful daughter and that was not what she had wanted. He had born the brunt of that hatred she spewed at him for 'making her pregnant' and shielded Kadie from her Mother's pettiness. Infidelity was the last nail - he wouldn't stand for that. Not with his daughter in his house.
She was only twenty and she had a lot more growing to do - Fay aged very slowly. They had been away from teh Fay Lands for five years now but still occasionally she had these vivid night terrors and all too often his estranged relationship with his wife was to blame.
He knew she was not unhappy - but Mirischa had told Kadie (and he only found this out after) that the reason their relationshio had ended was because Kadie had come between her parents. If he had known that when he was still near Miri, he would have probably done something to her he would have regretted. He only wished he could make her take it back; no  matter what he said she still seemed to lapse back into believing her mother when she was stressed in some other area of her life.
She was dozing off again, but she cherubic tear stained face remained in a frown. He tucked her in and lay beside her. He doubted that he would sleep - he wanted to be alert the instant his tiny daughter needed him. She was only half of his height and about a third of his weight. At times he marvelled at how small and fragile she was - but she made up for it with spirit. She was talented like him - in fact see seemed to have take nothing from her mother which was a blessing. She loved dancing and she was a good artisit - she focused on drawing houses while he had mastered in jewelry craft.
Miri had been right on one score - he did spoil her, but she was not a spoilt child. She was disciplined- well manenred and very kind and helpful. She was the most important thing in his life and it gave it structure.
His brother Cosmo was the second most importan thing: he was currentl studying at Yoyten and provided companionship for Kadie. Kadie adored her Uncle - even though he sometimes teased her mercilessly.
He had hired a Nanny for her, a fear hunger who he had met some years ago before he had married. Oea not only could dance very well, she was an architect. The only downside to her was that she was not very domesticated and so he had to hire a servant. He had secured Jikeh - he had been recommended by a friend and he proved to be a gem. Kadie clung to him and he was very good with her.
The only problem was that Cosmo, a passion hunger like himself seemed to have taken a fancy to his Norm manservant. He had to speak sternly to Cosmo about flirting with  the painfully shy an nieve boy but he knew it still continued; at least to Cosmo's credit he did no cast any charms or enchantments on him. Whatever reactions Jikeh had to him were genuine.
Cosmo shared many of Mikel's features except that his sver hair had a blonde tint. He was also broader having taken after their passion hunger father more than Mikel had. He was a handosome, smart lad, who was activiely persuing a career in sound ore refinement - a burgeoning and lucrative trade.
Oea was more stunning than pretty. He golden hair and eyes against th backdrop of her dark brown skin made her stand out in any crowd. She was tall and looked sturdy - her muscles were well developed as most Fear Hungers tended to be. She was very chatty and though most of teh rest of his make-shift 'family' were reticent she talked and joked enough for the four of them.
They lived in a small estate on the Outskirts of the Elwood forest. His cousin Lucrecia was an Elenian noble and indeed the Baroness of Elwood and she had given the property to him in exchange for weekends with his daughter (she was picked up in the carriage with Jikeh who had orignally worked for Lucrecia). It was something he did not mind: Kaidey enjoyed spending time away from home and more often than not she would end up sleeping out at Vanari's and Erin's more than at home. She had wanted to go to night and he was glad she had fallen asleep before they left and so had not been able to insist on leaving with them. He liked to have her close when she had these dreams.
Jikeh was the only other person he trusted to handle her when she was having a night terror; that was why he sent him with her whereever she went. Though it was generally accepted that he was a norm Mikel thought differently. Jikeh was vastly intelligent and very handsome. He had perfection with out having to strive for it - that was a mark of good genes and they certainly had not come from Jikeh's Father. The man was backward and insipid.
He generally kept his thoughts to himself on that matter; no matter what race the boy truly was he was grateful for the role Jikeh played in his daughters life. She was mostly happy and well-adjusted, he could attest to the fact that the move had increased his happiness. He could not however say the same for himself.
He was not the type of man to dwell on his own emotions - he had far too much to do and usually he also had several other people to think of first. Now Liam was causing him to think solely of what he wanted - he and his passion hunger in tandem - wanted to experience bedding Liam. He would be more mortified if he minded feeling like that - it was a new feeling but one that he welcomed. He had married his wife out of obligation alone; there was no passion and little pleasure to be had out of their coming together. To feel that passion again was refreshing.
But surely he could not think of himself only - Kadie could be affected if he got into a relationship as would everyone else in his household. He wasn't irresponsible however - he could conduct a relationship without disrupting or hurting her. What confused him about his thoughts were that they were irrelevant as he had already made up his mind to go after Liam.
He cleared his mind and glanced over at Kadie, she seemed to be sleeping peacefully. He tucked the sheets around her again as she seemed to be shivering a little, and then got out of bed. He'd have a shower and then finishing polishing the silver for the new jewelry collection; if he was going to up and his mind so full he would put his hands to good use.