Gods and Monsters

Ch. 29 Dad

Darkness. It surrounded him, shifting and pushing against his skin like a living thing. He was lost in it, completely absorbed. He'd walked and ran but no matter how far or how long, he was only met by more darkness.

Trapped here with only his thoughts to fill the suffocating silence had old memories and unwanted feelings resurfacing. The one that loomed over him was one he'd shoved in the deepest recesses of his mind.

It felt like his own mind was attacking him, forcing him to remember. The more he tried to ignore it, the more the images cleared.

Remember. Remember. Remember.

The darkness around him seemed to close in on him, making him stumble and spin around to see if there was anything there. Of course he couldn't see if there was, there was only darkness and that chanting word.

Remember. Remember. Remember.

The voice seemed to be coming from all around him, echoing loudly until it droned out every other thought.

Sage fell to his knees, his hands firmly against his ears and his eyes shut tightly. He could still hear it though and so he screamed.

The sound cut through the darkness and made the ground beneath him vibrate with a new energy until it dropped away and Sage was left falling.

There was no telling how long he'd fallen for, it felt like forever to him. Until broken apart pieces seemed to snap together around him and he landed with a loud thud in his living room. Relief washed over him to be home again.

"Hello?" He called out, listening for any sounds of his siblings but the house was silent. Running upstairs, Sage went to open the twins bedroom door but it was locked and the same happened with every other door. Except the door at the end of the hall. Sage hesitant before walking towards his mom's bedroom, the door left cracked open.

He knew none of his siblings went in the room, they went as far as pretending it wasn't there. So there was only one reason for it to be open. His mom was home.

The closer he got, a muffled sound cleared. Sage stopped outside of the room, peaking through the crack.

"You said we would be safe here." His mom cried. Sage was surprised when it wasn't the drunken slurred cry he was so used to.

"I thought we were!" Sage jumped at the loud voice of a man. He stepped back, confused. His mom had only ever brought one man home with her and that was Marlo's father. He didn't stick around for long but Sage couldn't remember another man. Maybe he was back? If he thought he was taking Marlo, he wasn't.

A little boy ran past him and pushed open the door. Sage gaped at the boy who looked like a young Elias.

"Daddy!"

Sage stood outside the now open doorway and watched a brown haired man scoop up the little boy. His mom was sitting on the bed holding a sleeping baby. Sage couldn't help but to stare in awe. She was beautiful. Her skin wasn't yellow from alcohol but a warm tan and her lips weren't dry and cracked but a soft pink. He'd never seen his mom so healthy looking. The most surprising thing was the smile she wore watching the man talk to the little boy, how her green eyes were bright with love.

Warm tears trailed down his cheeks and he rushed to wipe them away.

The little boy wiggled from his dad's arms and climbed up onto the bed, staring down at the sleeping baby. "Can I hold him?" He asked sweetly, looking up at his mom with big brown eyes.

Sage stumbled forward in surprise. He knew those eyes, he only shared them with one other person. Sage looked back to the man to meet the same brown eyes. He was surprised when it seemed the man was looking right at him but then he turned away.

"I'm going to pick up the kids from school, I'll be right back." He said, leaning down to press a kiss against his wife's cheek and then a young Sage's and a baby Elias'.

Sage didn't know what to think. He was somehow seeing himself as a child and what felt like the first time, he was seeing his dad.

His mom helped the child him hold baby Elias correctly before telling him to stay and not to get up. Sage watched himself before turning away and following his parents downstairs.

"Where are we going to go? Marailis is dead! We have no protection here, think of the children Mika." His mom cried, grabbing onto his dad's arm and stopping him before he got downstairs.

"I am thinking of the kids." He said, cupping her small face between his large hands. "My brother...if he found out about any of them," He paused with a huff. "He won't hesitate to kill them. They're as much a threat to him and the crown as I am."

Sage watched them, not understanding what they were talking about but somehow knowing it was important for him to listen.

"I love you." His mom said, making his dad smile.

"Don't I know it." He teased, earning a slap on the arm before he leaned down and kissed her. "I love you too, my Mate."

Sage moved to stand beside his mom as they both watched his dad run down the remaining stairs. He looked back and smiled before opening the front door.

His mom's scream made his ears ring and he stumbled back to see the child version of himself staring down the stairs in horror. His eyes met those of his own filled with tears.

"Wake up."