Brightly colored birds flew over the trees with thick brown trunks. The smell of rich dirt and moisture permeated the air.
I tried to keep my guard up and my mouth closed, but it was difficult not to stare in wonder at the lushness of the life in this room. Before I’d been thrown out, tending fields and nursing seedlings had been my passion, and something deep inside yearned to return to my roots, to give life instead of taking it.
In the middle of the vibrant ferns and thick forest floor, a path appeared, leading through the dense foliage.
I debated calling for Adam, yet held back. If he didn’t know I’d arrived, should I announce my presence?
But with the fighting going on below, how could he not know?
I shifted my sword to my other hand and wiped my sweaty palm on the cold metal encasing my thigh. This had to be a trap, yet nothing in here felt dangerous or frantic.
As a matter of fact, I couldn’t shake the peaceful, calming sensation washing over me.
Probably part of the plan to overpower me.
With a cautious step, eyes peeled for any sudden movements from the forest, I stalked along the path, forming an invisible shield around my body for an extra layer of protection. My reserves were draining faster than I would’ve thought, and again, I wondered if I’d made a mistake by not learning how to manipulate this new form.
Too late now.
Unseen crickets sang and the wild birds fluttering above burst into song. In the distance, the low conversation I’d heard through the door began once more, growing louder as I approached the center of the jungle.
Where the towering trees stopped, a circular clearing, brilliantly lit from the skylight above, cleaved a perfect sphere in the woods.
On a stone bench sat Adam, the man I’d loved as a father until he’d shunned me.
“You,” I growled, forgetting everything in the moment. Straightening my spine, I stopped and pointed to him.
His eyes, as blue and deep as I’d remembered, widened and he gave a small jump. His white beard, which had always been long, had been neatly trimmed, giving him a more youthful appearance.
“Cain.” He smiled softly. “It has been so long.”
I narrowed my stare and clenched my jaw, fighting a wave of dizziness. “You have no right to smile at me or act as if you and I aren’t anything other than enemies. I’ve come to kill you.”
A low laugh shook his chest. “I’ve no doubt.”
My free hand shook, and I strode forward, now fully in the light of the cleared space. Giving the area a quick scan, sensing no others nearby, I refocused on him.
“Do you know how long I’ve waited for this moment? How long I’ve suffered from what you did to me?”
He frowned then slowly rose, his hands out in supplication. “I’m sorry. As your father, I should’ve never—”
“Shut up.” I didn’t want his apology. I’d expected him to deny what he’d done or try to justify his actions, not own up to it. With deep effort, I clung to the anger I’d held all these years, all the loneliness, all the sorrow.He made me what I am. If not for him, maybe I could’ve been the man Phoebe deserved.“But you’renotmy father, are you, Adam, beloved of God?”
I curled my upper lip, my flaming black sword pointing toward his chest.
“No,” he sighed. “Yet I always thought of you as a son, even when I knew you weren’t. Still, every time I looked at you, I saw her betrayal instead of an innocent boy. I’ve waited for you all this time in the hopes you could forgive me.”
Fury poured through my blood. “You’re out of your mind. You and Abel always treated me as if I were something lesser, a boy not worthy of his family’s love. Mother couldn’t even look at me without bursting into tears.”
Adam dipped his chin toward the floor, gnawing on his bottom lip. “We failed you. I know I can never make it up.” His chest expanded with an intake of air. “But God has shown me the errors of my ways and the truth.”
“What truth?” I spit out, my attention sharpening on his face.Even here, where everything’s supposed to be oh-so-perfect and disgustingly good, he wears his weariness like a mantle.
“The truth of that day.” Slowly, he lifted his eyes to mine and a watery sheen reflected the light. “You didn’t kill Abel. Just as you’d tried to explain, Abel’s death had only been a terrible accident.”
Shock froze the blood in my veins, and I stumbled. The constant sorrow sitting on my shoulders lifted, and I drew a ragged breath. “Stop. Say nothing more.” I’d lived so long with the responsibility of my brother’s death that, even if I hadn’t intentionally struck the killing blow, Adam’s words felt like a blatant lie.
“You were a boy trying to keep the peace with your smaller brother. I saw it all, how you dodged his blow, how he tripped and fell on his own weapon, how you tried to save his life.”
