Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
He did, later standing across the table from Kellan and me. Aumae joined us as well. We kept the lights off except for one single lamp that was behind Damien from the living room. It seemed fitting, casting him in shadow and lighting up the rest of us. Damien coughed, looking away before starting. He drew in a breath, and held it there, grimacing. “I have to first explain that there’s a war going on in the heavens. I didn’t want to be a part of this. I wasn’t a part of this, but your father,” he looked at me, a wall shifting to the side to show new emotion, “and my father, Sachiel, is on one side.”
“Wait.”
Had I heard him right?
Kellan cursed. “Of course. That makes sense now.”
“You’re my brother?”
“Half-brother. We have the same father.”
My head was pounding. There’d been so many turns and twists when it came to siblings. I looked at one that I thought had been my brother to another that was my brother. I began laughing. There was nothing else I could do. Anything else I was feeling didn’t matter. I held up a hand, shaking my head. “This is just becoming ridiculous now.”
Damien kept going, an apology in his eyes to me, “I’m not as powerful as you because my mother was full human. I lived with my family until I was little. Nine years old. That’s when Sachiel found me. I was leaving the house with my grandpa and Sachiel—”
The vision came back to me. I remembered when I first experienced it. I’d been getting into my car. That felt so long ago now.
“Who are you?”
I held my breath and closed my eyes. The ticking from someone’s watch pounded loudly in my ear. When I opened my eyes, I saw an older man across the road. He walked beside his son, and they were headed into a house. The voice didn’t come from him, but it was connected to them. I just didn’t know how.
I said, “I thought that man was your father.”
Damien had been watching me. His eyes were knowing as he nodded. “We’ve been connected since I first started talking to you. I didn’t realize how powerful you were until you slipped into my memories. I had to block you after that. I’ve been blocking you since, well,” he regarded Kellan, “until last night.” He gestured beside me. “You and Kellan fully bonded, and that ended the connection you and I had.”
“What does that mean?”
“Wait. I have more to confess.” We could see the actual pain on his face. He paled, his eyes and mouth straining at the ends. “I’m the one who revealed your hiding spot to the demons. They attacked you because of me. I thought if the other side took you, I wouldn’t have to deal with Sachiel.”
It was because of him.
I leaned forward, saying softly, “We were protected there.”
“I know.” His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.
“We were safe there.”
“I know.” His eyes darted to Kellan’s, and his lips pressed together. Flinching. “And you guys defeated them.”
“You arrived the next day.” Kellan’s eyes were narrowed to slits.
“I was there before. I tracked where you were through my connection to Shay.”
I closed my eyes. I’d been betrayed through my own blood. I whispered, “They took Aumae.”
“Child.” She rested her hand over mine. “He’s confessing now. That’s all that matters.”
Kellan grunted. “I’m not that forgiving.”
Aumae insisted, “Let us hear the rest from him. He’s repenting and he’s trusting us now. He’s making himself vulnerable when he never had to. We must remember that.”
My own blood—I couldn’t get over that. A dagger was inside of me, cutting away around where my heart should be resting. It was becoming hollow, more and more, but Aumae was right. I could hear the forgiveness in her voice and I clung to it. I let it wash over me.
“I can’t track you anymore, if that makes you feel better.”
“It doesn’t.”
Damien’s head hung down, and he didn’t say anything more. I knew he had more to say, but for a moment, I needed him to shut up. For once, Kellan wasn’t the one ready to commit murder. Damien was my brother, and he had betrayed me. He hurt someone else who was good, who should have never been harmed. I glanced to Aumae and she was watching me back. Her eyes were so loving, so giving. She smiled at me. She was trying to convey the same peace to me, so that I would forgive him, but I couldn’t.
I sighed. “You can’t connect to me anymore because of Kellan, right?”
Kellan added, “You’re a part of my blood now. It’s like we’re married, Shay. You’re my family.”
My eyes went wide. Oh. “Okay.” I wasn’t surprised, not really. “That makes sense.” I guess…
Kellan grunted, hiding a smile. “I thought you knew.”