Adventures in an alternate dimension Book 2

Chapter 46 - Secrets in the Shadows

**Trigger Warning: Abuse, CSA**

Ashlynn's POV

Rain lashed against the windows, a rhythmic counterpoint to the tension simmering in the living room. Shane, his brow perpetually furrowed, nursed a beer, his gaze flickering between the dying embers in the fireplace and the worn photograph clutched in his hand. Jackson, ever the mediator, sat beside him, a placating hand on his shoulder. I perched on the armrest of the worn sofa, swirling the remnants of my tea in a chipped mug.

The picture in Shane's hand was the one Mom kept on her nightstand - the four of us, beaming stupidly, on Dad's promotion to Captain. Back then, our world had revolved around the Navy, around Dad's booming laugh and Mom's gentle smile. It felt like a lifetime ago.

"He never told you, did he?" Shane finally rasped, his voice thick with a mix of anger and disbelief.

I shook my head, the familiar ache in my chest twisting tighter. Dad, the stoic, powerful Shadowmancer, had kept his secret life neatly compartmentalized. To him, I suppose, I was just the 'little one,' the oddity out who couldn't manipulate shadows.

"He was so damn careful," Jackson muttered, his voice laced with bitterness. "Never a misplaced shadow, never a stray whisper about the source of his promotions, his decorations."

A hollow laugh escaped my lips. "He probably thought I wouldn't understand. That I wouldn't be strong enough."

"Strength wasn't the issue," Shane countered, his gaze hardening. "It was control. He couldn't control you, Ash. You were a wild card, a reminder that his perfect little family wasn't so perfect after all."

His words stung, echoing the accusations that had poisoned the last conversation I'd had with Dad. The memory sent a fresh wave of anger crashing over me. "Is that what Mom told you? That I was some kind of freak he couldn't handle?"

Shane flinched, his jaw clenching. "No, Ash. Mom never said that. She blamed herself, and said she hadn't been supportive enough."

"Supportive?" I scoffed. "She practically worshiped the ground he walked on, convinced being a Shadowmancer made him some kind of hero."

Jackson squeezed my hand, his touch a grounding force in the storm of emotions threatening to consume me. "It wasn't that simple, Ash. Mom was scared. Scared of his powers, scared for him, scared for us."

"And what about me?" I shot back, my voice rising. "Was she ever scared for the daughter who didn't fit the mold?"

Silence descended, heavy and suffocating. Shame flickered across Shane's face, quickly replaced by a grim determination.

"We should have fought for you, Ash," he said, his voice thick with regret. "We should have protected you from both of them."

Tears welled in my eyes, blurring the image in the photograph. "You didn't know," I whispered. "No one knew."

"We should have known," Shane insisted, his voice tight. "We should have seen the signs."

He was right. There had been signs, subtle inconsistencies in Dad's stories, fleeting glimpses of shadows dancing at the edges of his presence. But we, blinded by the illusion of a perfect family, had chosen to ignore them.

"The worst part," Jackson sighed, his voice heavy, "was how it all fell apart. The day you left for Eldoria, the fight..."

A cold dread coiled in my stomach. The day I'd left for Eldoria, my dream of becoming a necromancer, had been the catalyst for the final, explosive fight. The details remained a blur, a tangled mess of accusations and recriminations.