My eyes finally drop down to the object on the Lazy Susan, and my legs almost give out as I catch myself on the wingback chair.
There, sitting in the middle of the table, is the head of a young woman who looks as if she knew what was coming for her. No shock or fear shows on her frozen expression, but resolution.It’s her eyes, though, that hold her real feelings. The blue eye stares daggers, wanting nothing more than to fight; the brown eye is shy and reserved.
Desar.
Trying to pull myself together, so Cain won’t smell weakness as he ingests my friend, I choke back bile as I rush to think about what we were talking about before he started drinking Desar’s essence.
“Are you capable of telling the truth?” I ask, not sure I can believe anything that comes out of this man's mouth.I’m not even sure he has any information I want to know besides getting out of here. Wherever here is.
“It’s a section of Hell, so I didn’t take you far,” Cain answers, before swallowing the last of the essence in one gulp, and I want to smack myself in the head that I forgot he can read some of my thoughts.
“What truth do you think I should know that’s worth coming from you?” I challenge him, fighting the urge to cross my arms across my chest. Not like I really can with this damn sling on.
“Your father isn’t Adam,” he says simply, and my jaw drops because his words ring true.
Da fuck!
I’m momentarily confused as I look at him and then cock my head. “Huh. I knew we weren’t siblings. And here you?—”
“Oh, we are. You’re my sister—by blood, but Adam is not our father.” His words ring true once again.
‘Go to the light.’
A soft, barely there whisper gently touches my mind, coaxing me to listen.
Damn, this is getting deep. If Adam isn’t our father, who is?
‘Go to the light.’
The whisper gently comes to me again.
Cain’s shadows shift slightly as if they are irritated by something, the edges peeling back slowly, pulling his attention away from me. I take the distraction to slide towards the light in the middle of the room. Whatever this feeling and urge to move towards the light is, it can’t be bad; it feels pure.
It feels like home.
‘Go to the light,’an elusive inner voice whispers.
“If Adam isn’t our father…” I start, swallowing deeply, scared to truly ask, but needing the information. “Who is?”
Cain starts to open his mouth, but the shadows behind him open to reveal a form in a long robe walking out, and his jaw clenches in annoyance.
An identical man who looks a little bit older than Cain throws back his hood and gives me a crooked smile.
“I am, dear.” His smile is anything but welcoming. “And I see Cain’s been keeping you a secret. How long have you been meeting without me? Hmm?” He squeezes Cain’s shoulder. I can see the indentations from his grip from here. “You know I love family get-togethers.” He glares down at Cain before releasing him and moving away to his side.
Cain stands, and a look of scathing hatred flashes across his eyes before his face settles back to a deadpan blank expression.
“And you are?” I ask, getting a bad feeling in my gut.
“Aaron.” His thunderous eyes penetrate my soul. “But you can call me dad. Adam’s my twin.” He pauses, looking down at his hand as it makes a come-hither motion, and smirks to himself.
I follow his gaze, and my heart speeds up as I see, out of the dark gray shadows, a black, inky abyss creeping up beside him—the Sulks—and I almost call out instinctively to warn him.Wait, screw that. Kill the bad guy!Seeing Cain’s shadows and the Sulks so close, I can easily tell them apart, like oil and water in a bowl. I slam my mouth shut and scoot back a little more, hopingthis thing doesn’t sense me. My eyes go wide as it seeks Aaron out and wraps around his ankles.
‘Stay in the light.’
Not a problem there. No crossing into the dark side for this one.
Aaron inhales deeply and raises his arms from his sides as I listen to him begin a crazed ranting. It’s indecipherable to my ears, so I think he’s saying a spell.
