Dimokre Chronicles Book 2: Sarah's Fate

Chapter 10 - Protecting Happiness

Sarah took Kael's hands and focused on his past. She focused on what would've upset him so much he wouldn't speak. She focused on what she imagined the Huntress to be like. She drew in a breath and—

Kara paused in their game of chase, turned her grin into a scowl, and sank into the ground. She disappeared.

"Kara?" Kael's voice asked.

"Hello, Little One."

Sarah—using Kael's eyes—looked up, and he turned around.

A beautiful woman stood in front of him. Her long, brown hair rolled past her waist in thick, shiny waves. She wore a white blouse with puffed sleeves, brown pants, tall boots, and a belt wrapped around her waist. A chain was around her neck and whatever was on it was tucked neatly into her cleavage. Her lips thinned into a polite smile, her yellow eyes glinting.

"Are you a pirate?" Kael asked, delighted. "You look cool!"

She laughed. "No, I'm a hunter, but today, I need to deliver something."

"You're kinda like a pirate then. You just hunt animals instead of treasure. What do you need to deliver? Maybe I can help you find who you're looking for."

"I already found him actually." Her smile widened as she pulled out a small glass bottle from her belt satchel. She uncorked it, and black smoke rose from it. She looked at him again, her polite smile fading into cold and sadistic. Her voice drawled in a low voice, "You're worthless, Kael. You know I killed your father, don't you? Be thankful you're such a waste of space I don't kill you too."

Kael's eyes widened. The smoke bellowed, growing in volume as she spoke. It seemed to strengthen, the more she said. The smoke shrouded over Kael to the point where he couldn't see anything.

Her last words echoed in his mind and seemed to take shape in the smoke. Waste of space. I killed your father.

Huntress's voice called into the smoke, making it writhe with more anger. "If your dad didn't sacrifice himself, I would've killed you instead."

Kael screamed for help, but she either remained quiet or she left.

Either way, the smoke didn't care at all. It twisted and plumed around him, boiling with rage. It whispered every insecurity, every bad thought Kael ever had. Kael's knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the ground. His sobs wailed.

You're never good enough.

You killed your dad.

You deserve to die.

You're not good at anything.

You're a coward.

The thoughts swirled around in his mind, blending and merging together. They blurred together so well that it was hard to keep track of anything. Kael couldn't hear his own thoughts anymore. The smoke finally dispersed, leaving Kael as an apathetic heap on the ground. His mother's footsteps ran closer to him.

Sarah tried to stay longer, to see his mom's face and hear anything she said to him. But she was drowning. She gasped in a breath and coughed.

Michael fell beside her. He pulled Kael into his lap. He didn't touch her, but she could tell he wanted to hug her.

"I'm fine," Sarah whispered.

She reached out to Kael, looking into his eyes. His wide green eyes looked pitiful, then after catching onto hers, they flooded with recognition. Sarah had seen everything, and Kael knew. He wasn't alone anymore, and he didn't have to repeat any of the horrible things he had been told. He let out a sob and dove into her arms. She hugged him tightly, crying herself. The vision was so vivid it felt like her insecurities, until she snapped out of it. But Kael still had those thoughts in his head. That smoke did stuff to his brain. It was personal. She hugged him tightly, and between her own whimpers, she said, "Kael, none of it was true. None of it, okay?"