Hush

Chapter Twenty-Three

Distantly, he heard Silver's yell. First Hush falls into the darkness, and now he's stepping into the light. How ironic.

Less light, Hush realized, more like impossibly powerful magic.

Hush had to shut his eyes, though the colors seemed to leak through his eyelids.

All at once, without warning, memories surfaced to the front of Hush's mind, unwelcomed like the burning sensation in his veins. It felt as if his blood was boiling, his skin rippling. Hush cried out as the memories continued, taunting him, though no sound rose from his mouth.

Torn by the cold and scalded by the heat. It seemed to Hush that what had happened before was repeating itself in opposite form.

Something struck Hush's heart. Sharp and cold, burning, causing him to scream and clasp his hands against his chest. Nothing was there, though, confusing Hush. It felt as if something was twisting inside his heart. His skin felt like it was ripping, stinging. His muscles tightened and his hands and arms began to shake. He scar seemed to be slicing open again, and in Hush's mind, his silver blood spilled against the red and gold of Magi and humankind alike, always the odd one out.

There was no sound he could hear apart from the sound of his memories. The screaming, the shouting, the contrast of silver against red and gold, the bodies.

His sister, standing in front of him, screaming at him to stop. Himself, screaming back that the boy was gone. He was still there, locked inside, screaming and clawing to be let out.

His sister, screaming that she would kill them all, stepping forward.

Himself, his body, stepping forward against his will, his arms raising, his mouth chanting, calling upon his own anger.

Himself, screaming at the inai controlling him to him go, to let his sister live, trying to regain control of his body.
A cloud of darkness, cutting into his sister's chest, spelling her blood on the ground.

A burst of anger and grief, mixed together, forming into one in his mind, in himself, creating there words.

Isch ei ghan. Thou must die.

A burst of red, a tearing his palms, engulfing him, destroying the inai, releasing him.

Him, actually him, crawling to his sister and pulling her up, cradling her, crying, swearing, chanting.

The spirits, disappearing, being destroyed.

His hands, covered in gold and silver, glowing.

His mind, pieces gone, memories stolen, replaced.

His crying, growing distant, quiet, a child sobbing for his sister.

A crowd, gathered, chanting around the siblings, chanting for the lost.

Hush's mind grew dark, quieted. It cleared and he relaxed. His eyes closed, his skin stopped burning, his heart slowed.

The snow touched his skin and his mind went silent.