Once Time Passed (A Burdened Novel Book 4), page 29
“I’m sorry,” he says, sea of regret washing over his face, with his brows pulling tight and his mouth matching the movement.
Caige told me the call to kill Mom and Dad came from inhouse, Tracey tells me.
Inhouse. . . Maybe, Laine, meaning him. I throw a point. Eyeing my father, I have to calm myself to say, “She didn’t ask for your apology. She asked for your explanation.”
“Maybe I agreed to this to get under your skin, to edge on your anger. The Qualms don’t require you to have a family, they need you alone so that there’s only one individual in your life.” He shifts his gaze to me. “That there is only one thing that matters to you.”
Tracey loses her breath for a split second, but she quickly recoups. When she goes to speak, there’s a croak, and she holds her words hostage. So, I say them for her, adding a few of my own. “She’d already had her friends ripped away, her freedom, was mated to a Burdened Sephlem—me—of all the greater men she could’ve had, and you snatch away her mother, knowing how it felt when yours was snatched away from you? For no reason at all, you took her parents?”
“I’ve experienced every ounce of Tracey’s pain, but she got her mate returned to her. Mine is gone forever. We were executing what needed to be done to assist in your advancement. Nathan has a thing about using you, Tracey. Never wanting to feed off his mate, never wanting to change her,” he nags in a monotone. “You should consider yourself lucky.” He over talks Tracey saying, “He’d never reach the full of his potential without you, and we needed him now. Not never. With him in our grasp, and you with nothing, how willing would you be to come at his calling?”
“Very,” Tracey admits. “But, I’ve established that.”
“Yeah, and you wouldn’t give up. This opened my eyes to something I ignored because I thought I knew the type of animal my son was. I didn’t,” he says, shaking his head. “You aren’t on a hunt for power, control, or ruling. You’re not as evil as I thought. You only wanted her.” He looks on Tracey, expression stained with realization and admiration.
I draw back and throw my fist forward, connecting it with his nose. He drops to his knees, hands pressed to his face, trying to hold back the strain of silver liquid. “What the hell was that for?”
“For you existing.” Pulling my foot back, I bring it forward, containing most of strength. My attack hits him in his shoulder and he falls on to his back. I crouch down over him. “I want so badly, to seal my hand around your neck and watch those white eyes burn silver as the vessels burst and your heart slows while I wait for the first and last thought to cross your mind. And I’m hoping the first is your parents and the last is my mother as both causes you the greatest anger and the most pain.” I inhale. “I can smell it on you already. And I will take every bit of you, from your hopes, to your blood, then your fears, and lastly, your soul. I think it will be sweet.” My vision shades red and the beast breaks free. “You inconvenienced my heart. Now why. . .” It presses its fist against my father’s chest and applies bone crushing pressure. “Shouldn’t I destroy yours.”
He cringes, gulping at oxygen. “Your mother. . .wouldn’t. . .want you to.”
“Oh, that’s cheap!” Tracey gripes from behind me.
My Burdened recoils and gives me back the control. We blame ourselves for not saving her. It took me too long. . .
I’ve backed away from my father, now on my feet, standing next to Tracey.
“Son. Keith, you have to hear me out.” He’s panting as he heals. “I’m sorry for what’ve put you two through.”
“This whole, I’m sorry son thing you got going on, I call bull shit. I believe you and Lunis have had a plan since Tracey came into the picture. Had you been able to kill me, you would’ve turned my body over to Lunis, and infused me with one of these half-alive fiends. You would’ve made me a puppet for a species that’s not even our own, just so you could possess an inkling of power.”
Backing away from us, he acknowledges its time he takes his exit. “I’m truly sorry to you both.” He vanishes, dispersing with the darkness until he’s nothing.
“Well,” Tracey sings. “He was honest. You sure that’s your dad?”
“He was. But why?” He’s never cared to share his past before. I don’t know if my mother knew that great of detail either, because she would’ve shared that with me as another attempt to prevent me from killing him. I don’t care, not in the least what he went through. It’s still not an excuse for what he put us through. “I saw him, the entire time,” I say. “In Laine’s body. And then his past played out before my eyes, like a movie.”
A thought crosses her mind that evades me. “Was it like you were snapped in one dimension and then another?”
“Exactly.”
“Like me, with the hallucinations.” She points to her eyes. “It makes it feel like you’ve lost touch with reality for a split second.”
“Vaguely remembering.” I nod. “I think so. . .” So, now, I’m seeing through Tracey’s eyes? “But did you see him?”
“I’m starting to believe they weren’t hallucinations. Maybe they are apparition. I only saw Laine until I grazed your hand. But the second I broke away from you, he was Laine again.”
“Hmm. That’s odd.” Am I using her ability or feeding off it, consuming where it robs it from her? Scratching the back of my head, I squeeze my eyes shut at the river of thoughts drowning me. “Let’s head home, Sparks. Grab a shower, get some sleep.”
“Fine.” She yawns.
“You know your father’s going to come back to get him, right? We can’t let that happen.”
“You won’t like what I’m about to say, but just hear me out.” She throws her weight on her left foot and looks up at me, already angered by the words I’ve yet to release. “Lunis is the very least of my concerns right now. It’s him who should be afraid of me. And by the sounds of it, him and my father know what’s good for them. We’ve got other stuff we need to figure out. If my father gets him out of there, we’ll take care of that when it happens. For now, let’s grab a shower and rest our brains.” My Burdened isn’t up for any fights. That bit against my father took a lot from it.
“We?”
I shrug. “What about it?”
“You’d always been a me, myself, and I kinda guy. Thanks for seeing me.”
I huff once and drop my arm on Tracey’s shoulder. “Let’s get out of here.”
Tear in My Heart
Nathan
We make it home and drag our feet to the bedroom. I drag my feet. A bed has never look so inviting. My taking in Tracey’s ability might’ve drained me. My Burdened can’t even take over and give us power push onward. I stare at the bed a second long before snatching the heavy comforter from atop it and grabbing a pillow. Throwing them on the floor, I decide against grabbing a shower, hearing the water cut on, I sit on the floor with my back to the bed.
The name. . . our name. Our title. The All-Seeing of Death. If I’m supposed to be death, and Tracey’s this All Seeing, it would require the two of us to create this being. But, are we good . . . or evil? We aren’t evil people, but Lunis is right, with the darkness that’s living inside the both of us, we can easily be converted. I have many of times. So, what’s our purpose? “Dammit. I have to visit Amelia again.”
Tracey’s out of the shower, and I jump in, but it doesn’t give me an ounce of energy, and I’m even more warn out after it. I want to go back out and find the answers to my millions of questions, but I can’t force myself to stay awake any longer. I drag on a pair of shorts and stand in the doorway of the closet to the room. The bed’s empty. “Sparks?”
“Yes?” comes from the other side of the room.
I cross the floor and find Tracey laying on my pallet, snuggled under the covers.
“I don’t want to argue about this,” she says. “Take the bed this one time. I demand it.”
Chuckling, I sit on the side of the bed, near her. “You’ll just wake up next to me anyway.” I nudge her with my foot.
She slaps my ankle and turns onto her back. “Hate me for loving you, Nathan.”
“Okay. If you insist.” I lay back on the bed, stuffing both remaining pillows under my head, then throwing my arm over my eyes. “I hate you.”
She shoots up, poking her head over the edge of the bed. “Shut up. You do not.”
I scoot over and pat the side I moved from.
“You sure you’re comfortable with that? I don’t want you to feel weird.”
“We’re not arguing about this. I demand it.”
She’s instantly on her feet and laying on the bed. “Whoa. . .” she mutters, looking over herself. “I haven’t felt that in a long time.”
I didn’t mean to force her in the bed with me. Being her mate, and her being bound to me, I control her, and I forgot. “Sorry. I didn’t do that on purpose.”
“Don’t be. I knew. Goodnight.”
Instinctively, I grab her to me, pressing her back to my chest, and wrap my arm around her middle while resting my face in her hair. “Goodnight, Sparky,” I breathe.
Best damn sleep of my life.
“You sure about these cousins, Nate? It’s really creepy out here.”
“No. But we’re limited for answer and don’t have anyone else to turn to who can tell us more about this All-Seeing of Death. Last night was crazy, with my father, I could feel his pain, the loss he suffered through from losing his family, the hate that grew with him as he watched each of them die and he live. The loathe he felt for species like me. It’s like I was living him and that shit was weird as fuck. I don’t remember you doing that. Your vision and the ability were centered around you. Not others.”
She draws her lips to the side and chews on their corner. After a thought I can’t catch, she says, “Okay. So, you’re going to knock?” pointing to the door.
Sucking in a breath, I grunt it out. “Yeah.” I knock twice.
“Why ya back here, boy?” Jucenta asks.
“I need some more help.” Regrettably, I use Tracey as leverage. It’s why she’s with me. “My mate’s with me, like you all asked.”
Tracey slaps my arm.
The door swings open before I can react, and we’re greeted by two big smiles and four wide eyes. “Her she be?” Amelia asks.
Tracey slips a bit behind me and through her eyes I see her peeking past my shoulder. In my eyes, they’re old and brittle, yellow and brown stains in their old eyes, wooden teeth, and wrinkled skin. Through Tracey’s, they’re young and beautiful, with tight, emerald skin, long salt and pepper hair, and enchanting mauve colored eyes.
I smirk. “You ugly broads aren’t all that ugly at all.”
“How you see us, boy?”
“Don’t worry yourself with that,” I say. “Will you help us?”
“Ya come back here for our help and ya still keepin’ secrets?”
Alright Nate, give a little get a little, I tell myself. Throwing my arms out at my sides, I reveal, “My mate can see thing that aren’t present.”
That’s not true, Nate. They are ugly. I see old wrinkled, Freddy Kruger looking ladies with eyes so dark they can seize my soul. Tracey’s grip around my waist tightens. You sure you trust these people.
I look over them again. Why are we seeing three different images? If it’s not Tracey’s eyes I’m looking through, then whose? “Can we come in or are you going to make us stand outside?” My confusion grows troublesome, but I keep my focus, so they can’t see through my insecurities.
Amelia and Jucenta step aside, and Tracey and I enter the dark home by candles. While the sun’s high and shining light on everything but beyond their front door. “Why don’t you all open a window? All that sunlight outside and you’re shuffling around by candle light.”
“Boy, don’t come hea tellin’ us how ta live.” Amelia extends her hand to Tracey. “Come hea, gul. Let me have a look at ya.” Tracey stays out of reach. Amelia looks to me for encouragement. I shake my head. “What y’all want?” She crosses her arms in front of her large tits.
The wall is cleaner than the couch Chris invites Tracey and I to sit on. I lean my back against on the wall, and Tracey stays stuck to me like a magnet. Her sight of the three is far worse than what I see; and though she’s trembling, she holds herself with grace and confidence. “Have you found anything else about what I brought up?”
“I have assumptions,” Amelia mentions. “But I been givin’ ya much fa nothin’, Nathan. Ya tab runnin’ ova and I want payment!” she shouts, index finger extended.
I throw up my hands. “Okay. Fine. She can see.” Correcting, I add. “We can see, and I’m it.” I pull my shirt over my head and turn around. The markings burn present on my back, covering the entire top half.
They gasp and stumble across the floor. Tracey yanks me back around, and I gaze on the shocked faces of the three sisters. Their awed expressions cause Tracey to recoil beside me, but they fuel me with pleasantry. I regret the feeling of power that sends my Burdened thrashing with excitement for their fear it can feed on. And the gratification of feeding on a witch, the deep darkness resting in their hearts would make their souls a pleasant treat. My mouth salivates and the trickle of my beast’s plea pinches the back of my neck.
Tracey’s pulling me back, and I recover the few steps I’d unconsciously taken. I ease the heavy breaths charging past my lips, and, calm the beast riling to life inside me. It’s begging for it, for the fuel in need of energy.
Whoa, Nate. You okay? Tracey asks.
I squeeze my eyes shut and shout, “What’d you do to me?”
Amelia straightens and says, “It’s not us. Ya beast want somethin’. And ya tell it ta calm down. No bustin’ up my home.” Resting her hand on my shoulder, “So, ya see. That prophecy be true. The real seeing is that ya see that now and ya must know ya have decisions that need be made. Ya memory was washed clean be what we discovered. Fa ya heart.” She gently beats her fist against my chest twice. “It be in there but dying away from ya two bein’ apart, now confused ya back together. Ya power growin’ stronger. Ya,” she points to Tracey and back at me, “Ya been cursed.” Throwing the words over her shoulder, she calls, “Chris, how that prophecy goes?”
“Don’t,” Tracey stops them. “We know how it goes.”
“Naw, dear gul. You know what that hourglass made ya see.”
Tracey gasps, a sudden realization hits her. “What I wanted to see?”
Amelia nods. “Ya brought it, didn’t ya, Nathan?”
From the bag slung across Tracey’s shoulder, I grab the heavy hourglass. My Burdened keeps me from handing it to Amelia. And I keep it out of her grasp. “Tell me what you know about it, Amelia.”
Chris steps to her side and recites, “He who bears the mark of death, encamped by the sight who steals his last breath. Upon the stone, his life comes undone. The earth will shake, trouble souls will roam. It is they, as one, destruction will win. It is he, alone, minds fall into sin. Though if she may know the hands of time will fall short, and he who holds death’s will in his court. Should time not part, a light will spark, and what’s gone will replace in death’s heart through giving of the start. As this blessing, you can sway the minds and will of man, animal, angels and demons. There be dragons in them bones, Nathan. I see it mustering in ya, boy. The monster dare you be. How it feel? The strength it fuel you wit. How it feel to have ya eyes open to a world beyond ya own? How it feel to see the desires of another? Tell me, Nathan!” she grabs my shirt in her hand, falling to her knees. “Show me how ya see, share ya power, just a taste I plead.”
I shove her away from me. “Amelia, get Chris under control.”
Tracey’s partial scream is muffled.
I whip around.
Jucenta’s got Tracey’s arms pulled behind her back and her free hand over her mouth.
I dig my teeth into my bottom lip and look daggers at Amelia. “We want answers too,” she says sorrowfully. Jucenta’s whispering in Tracey’s ear, and I charge for her, but get held back my Amelia.
There’s a crackle followed by a pop. In the middle of the floor, broken free from Jucenta’s grasp, Tracey levitates, hair strands of flames, eyes covered in blackness, accommodating the sinister expression on her face. She looks over the three sisters and speaks in a language I’m not familiar with. Her voice’s a raspy whisper, and edge of warning’s darkening her tone.
Amelia orders, “Ya under our power, ya give us relay of where we lie, what’s to come of us.” Each of their eyes gloss over, hungry for the information neither Tracey nor I know how to access.
“We’re not at that point yet, Amelia,” I tell her. “We wouldn’t know how to start doing the things you’re asking.”
“You lie, boy.”
“Swear it.”
I’m snatched from my reality, arriving in a haze. Twisting around, I’m still in the house, but it’s empty. Though I don’t see her, I can hear Tracey and the agonizing cries from the sister.
“How do I get back?” I shout. I try blinking, slapping myself, opening doors. . . “Wait, Nate. Slow down. Focus.” I breathe and will an exit. I hear the opening before I see it like wind rushing through a small opening. Before me, space slowly waves like water. I test it with a touch. Something wraps around my hand and pulls me through.
“Make her stop,” Chris cries, pointing to the cringing bodies of Jucenta and Amelia. “She be doing somethin’ to them.”
Tracey, still a levitating, black-eyed she-devil, speaks, repeating herself. A fiery glow has formed around her. The closer I get, the hotter she burns. “Sparks!” I try to tap into her and snapped into another, different reality. Here, Tracey stands stagnate, looking over her hands.
“Did we just break through reality?” she asks.
“We’re doing something. Would you mind going back into yourself to stop . . . you.” Around us, unlike where I stood in the empty house moments ago, we look upon the scene of her and the sister, none of them in control of their surroundings.
