Page 60 of In Your Light

“What the actual fuck?” Sawyer cried.

“Hello,” Hadeom said, his voice steadier than he felt. “I realise this may be a surprise to you. I mean you no harm.”

He heard a quiet splash and heavy footfalls on the pier and turned to find Otis and Pania stomping toward them.

Well, Hadeom thought. If any of them could probably hurt me, it’d be them. But still, not even close. He smiled, put his hand up, almost like a dismissive wave, and looked directly at Ciaran. “I have come with news from Cern.”

Ciaran stepped forward. “What?”

“A message from Cern,” Hadeom repeated. “For Salem.” The silence was so profound, it almost made Hadeom smile again. “I wouldn’t blame him for not wishing to speak to me, so perhaps you could pass on a message. I believe it was a matter of urgency. He insisted I come at once.”

“Tell me the message,” Sawyer said, “and I’ll see that he gets it.”

Hadeom gave a small nod. This was the first time Sawyer had admitted to even acknowledging Salem’s existence. “Cern said there’ll be unexpected visitors and for Salem and Aurin to go to the hut where they will be safe. And that I would understand when I see them.” Hadeom shrugged. “I won’t be there, at the hut.... I can stay somewhere else. So you can tell Salem⁠—”

But then Salem came out of the church, a blur of black and fury. It was only when Ciaran and Sawyer caught him—stopped him—that Hadeom saw he had a wooden stake in his hand, a broken leg of a chair, by the looks of it.

Salem’s yellow eyes were wild, his face a mask of rage. “Let me at him,” he cried, struggling in their hold.

Hadeom’s shadows darkened, ready to fight, even though Hadeom had no fight in him at all.

If Salem drove that wooden stake through Hadeom’s heart, it’d be no less than what he deserved. It probably wouldn’t kill him, not that Hadeom would even mind finding out if it would, but it would hurt.

Hadeom wouldn’t have minded that either.

But then Fyn was between them, in front of Hadeom, facing Salem. He had his hands out. “Please, Salem. Don’t hurt him. Please listen.”

Oh, this sweet, sweet man....

“Fyn,” Hadeom whispered. “He has every right to hate me.”

“I have every right to kill you!” Salem yelled.

Yes.

Yes, he did.

“I wouldn’t stop you,” Hadeom murmured.

Fyn spun to look at him, his expression pained. “What? No, Hadeom. No.”

Then Aurin walked out of the church, rushing to Salem. He put his hand to Salem’s cheek, urging him to calm down. “Salem, look at me,” he said, his voice soft and lyrical.

Ciaran and Sawyer let Salem go, and Aurin wrapped his arms around him, looking up to his face. “Tell me, Salem,” he murmured. “What did he do?”

Salem seethed, his teeth clenched, his eyes like molten lava. “He killed my mother.”

Every pair of eyes went to Hadeom, including Fyn’s. His mouth fell open. “What?”

Before Hadeom could say anything, before he could even nod, a scuffle sounded in the church, followed by “No, no, stop” before four kittens raced out of the church and ran up into Aurin and Salem’s arms.

Tobin and Fray followed them out.

“We tried to stop them,” Tobin said.

“It’s okay,” Aurin said, snuggling the little kittens between them. Four little black and gold kittens. One looked at Hadeom and hissed, and Aurin shushed it, whispering, “It’s okay. We’re all okay.”

Oh.