“He was born over thirty minutes ago now.”
“We have time, Creed,” Ellian says, holding his hand out for me to pass him the baby.
I spare a glance down at the sweet but twisted face that hasn’t stopped crying. My eyes fall closed as I run my thumb over the wrinkles in his forehead.
Valories, bless this little one, for he is pure innocence. Don’t let his parents’ stain follow him. He doesn’t deserve that.
I pass Ezra to Ellian and he rushes to the Veil, whispering sweet reassurances the whole walk. He kneels on the ground and as his hands pass through the Veil to lay him down, my power untangles its weave from around his mother’s soul.
A deep breath, one strong enough to make my body slump, falls from my lungs as it detaches from me and enters the essence of the realm.
Valories…forgive her as well.
“Creed,” Annalise mumbles.
I blink, but I can’t see. The fog of the Abandon is clouding my sight through my mind.
“His name is Ezra. His mother requested he take the last name of the mother who becomes his.”
She nods in understanding. “I will honor her, and he will be loved. Now you listen to me, okay? You’re going to go straight home, preheat your cooker, and take a shower. When you get out, you’re going to fix a cup of tea, make a loaf of rosemary bread and some medley soup to go with it. You remember all the veggies that need to be chopped for it, yes? Of course you do. Repeat that to me.”
“Go home, preheat my cooker, and take a shower. Fix a cup of tea, make rosemary bread and medley soup.”
She goes to reach her hand out to lay on my arm, but at my flinch, she stops herself. “Good. Go do that. We have everything here.”
I turn wordlessly and walk out of the room. My breathing falls faster from my chest the more steps I take and my fists clench tightly at my sides. My head twitches with the sounds of Griery’s labored words and Ezra’s wailing cries that are stuck in my mind.
Before I can hit the main lobby of the Gods Sanctum, I close my eyes and wrap my power around me once again.
When they open, I’m met with the familiarity of my living room and my feet carrying me mindlessly to the kitchen.
Preheat cooker.
Take a shower.
Make tea, rosemary bread,and medley soup.
You could go to Hellveilious instead. Release all this anger on those deserving of it.
No. No, no…
Glass shattering on the floor startles me still. Shaky hands grip my biceps and don’t let me go as I try to rip away.
“Creed, it’s me. Please stop, let me look at you. Are you okay? What happened? Oh, there’s so much blood. Valories…should I get Kyzen?”
Thayla’s panicked voice and soul calls to me from where I’m lost to the dark whispers I’m battling to drown out.
I nearly jump out of my skin when she places her hand on my cheek.
My soul slithers forward, touching hers.
My knees threaten to buckle beneath me with the strength it’s taking to fight it from claiming hers completely.
“Don’t. Don’t touch me, my endling.”
My voice croaks as I remove her hand from me and back away. Her mouth opens and closes repeatedly.
“Creed,” she breathes.
