Brianna Acero and the Second One's Return

64. I have a vision that takes my breath away

Khan types something on his computer before turning the screen around, showing us a picture of a man that looks exactly like him, sitting in a chair, smiling at the camera. The only difference between the two being the scar that runs across Dominic's right eye.

"He was a good man," says Khan, looking at the picture with longing burning behind his eyes. "He had always been misunderstood. My father tried to turn me against him, told me horrible lies, and tried to convince me that Dominic wanted me dead. He blamed him for the death of our mother you see, it was because of his Gift that she died. Skin so toxic to the touch that it killed anything it came in contact within seconds."

I hear someone gasp, and I can't tell if its Cassie or myself. The room is spinning so I have a hard time focusing on his words. Nevertheless, I listen, wanting to understand the story fully.

"My father was not kind towards Dominic. He is the one that gave him that scar, on my thirteenth birthday, when I snuck some cake to him in his room," he scoffs "although it was more like a cell. Then when he was old enough Dominic left and never looked back, and I didn't blame him. But I worried. Who would be with a man that killed everything that he touched? That's when he met Hera."

He smiles, and shows us another picture, this time it's of Dominic and a woman. It looks like it's their wedding day, judging by her dress and the size of his smile. The woman is stunning, with long glossy brown hair and eyes the color of hot chocolate. Her skin is sun-kissed, cheeks rosy from blush, and her smile is dazzling as she hugs her husband. The white dress and flower crown on her head make her look like a goddess, and if someone were to tell me that that is what Aphrodite looks like, I would believe them.

"She was a Shield, her skin made it impossible for her to be injured. That also meant that Dominic's toxin couldn't get into her bloodstream."

I try to focus on Khan, but my vision is starting to get blurry, darkness eating at the edges.

"It seemed like a match made by the gods, and yet, even then my brother had to suffer. It turned out she wasn't completely immune to his poison; she just took much longer to succumb to it than a normal person would. She died the day their daughter was born, and Dominic was devastated. He didn't want to touch Ila for fear that he would kill her. For days he just watched as the doctors did test after test, pacing the hallways of the hospital like a ghost. When the doctors said that Ila had been lucky, that she had inherited her mother's Gift at the time of birth and was stronger than her mother had been, Dominic was overjoyed. He was still cautious though, wore gloves every time he was with her, he even created a special suit for himself that covered every inch of his skin."

He sighs, looking at us sadly.

"That still wasn't enough to save his daughter. It turns out she was a Shield, but the doctors got one key aspect wrong. She was weaker than her mother was. It only took a few moments of forgetfulness on Dominic's part, one too many times that he touched her without his gloves. She died on her sixteenth birthday."

"So that's why he killed the doctors," says Mara, remembering what Kalen and I had told the team when Christian had told us about Dominic's story. "Because if they had warned him about her Gift, or had determined it properly, she would still be alive."

The president nods, brown hair flopping in front of his eyes. Is it just me, or are the colors in the room starting to blend together? And where is that ringing coming from?

"I begged the council to spare him. He was my little brother! And yet, they overlooked my decision. I was powerless to stop them. I watched as they sentenced my brother to death and suffered the consequences later. But- he adds, a puzzled look to his face -I still don't understand how he could be alive! I watched him die! I watched as they..."