“Yeah, pretty much. That was the gist.” The irises bloomed once more behind my eyes. “She took time to help me feel better. To feel stronger.”
I could hear the hurt in Mom’s voice. “We weren’t making you feel better?”
“Of course you were, Mom.” I squeezed her hand. “But you know the nymphs. I just needed a little healing or something. You know?”
You are really something, aren’t you? Abandoning your family for a bunch of drugs and unsafe sex, and now, to top it off, you’re gonna tell your mom that she isn’t good enough. Oh, yes! You are so much better than me! Sniveling faggot!
“Why do you keep doing that?”
I looked up to find Dad inspecting me with concerned eyes.
“Do what?”
“You keep grimacing every so often. Like you have a headache or something, but it’s more than that, I can tell. What’s going on?”
“I’m just stressed and exhausted.”
“You said you’re doing better.”
“I am, but still—”
Dad used the same tone he’d used on all of us as kids when he’d reached his limit. Do it his way, or there’d be hell to pay. “I think it’s time you quit lying to us. Be honest. Maybe part of the reason you’ve been so miserable since Brett left is that you cut yourself off from everyone else that loves you.”
The sigh that escaped left me deflated. “There’s this voice in my head that keeps coming back. It’s… I don’t know… it’s mean.”
I’m mean?The voice let out a long, high-pitched laugh.I’m mean! Poor baby! I can’t wait to show you what mean really looks like.
Mom and Dad exchanged looks. Drugs and sex were one thing, hearing your only son was losing touch with reality was probably a whole other direction they weren’t ready to deal with.
“There’s a mean voice in your head?”
I gave a laugh of my own, one filled with sadness and surrender. “Yeah. I know how it sounds. I promise, I’m not crazy. Well, at least I don’t think I’m crazy. The voice is really there.”
Mom reached out, took both of my hands, and enclosed them in hers. She opened her mouth to speak to me but then changed her mind and instead turned back to Dad. “Do you think it could be connected to the Square?”
“I hope not. Who knows what kind of creature it would be. My first guess would be some sort of demon.”
“No, Dad. Jordskote said it was a witch.”
“She did?” Dad leaned forward, causing Mom to have to scoot closer to me. “What did she say?”
“She said the voice belonged to a child of Cenera.”
Did she now? Well, look at her, spoiling the fun. So, you know I’m a warlock. That just makes all your problems go away, doesn’t it?
“A child of Cenera? There’s a witch with the power of fire talking to you in your mind?”
“Yeah, Dad. I guess so. A warlock, actually.”
The four of them sat in stunned silence. Each looked around at the others, each probably hoping the other would know what to say.
You disgust me. You and your whole family. You’re not fucking better than me! You don’t even have the power to communicate like I do. Your Goody-two-shoes family can’t even comprehend what’s going on, let alone do what I can do! You’re nothing but an imposter!
Dad leaned closer still. “He’s speaking to you right now, isn’t he?”
I nodded.
“What’s he saying?”
