Page 154 of Hell Breaks Loose

“I know what you mean. Sorry. Things definitely… escalated.”

“No doubt because you couldn’t keep your nose out of where it didn’t belong?”

“Wonder where I got that from?”

“Damon, one hundred percent!” She laughs, her hands shaking. The shadows return to her eyes, clouding over the brief clarity.

“Mom, I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“That we couldn’t have a normal life.”

“Now that’s my line, young lady.”

“I love you.”

“After everything?” Tears spill over again. “I love you too, Hemma.”

We hug again, longer. Harder.

When she pulls away, she’s distant, but pleasant. She reaches out, taking my hands, tucking the bracelet into my palm. Closing my fingers, she pats them, turning away.

In the light, I catch a line, a few lines etched into the metal along the inner lip. Deliberate.

“What the… “R.I.P. D.A.M.,” I mutter.

Shit.

I shouldn’t have said that.

Mom starts to whimper, slapping one palm against her cheek, softly at first, then getting harder. “No, no, Damon, please. Don’t leave…”

She sobs, her gaze far off on distant, horrible memories.

Trapped in a nightmare.

“Sing!” I cry, trying to figure out how to help, what to do. Every time I approach her, she throws out her hands, backing herself into the corner.

“Mom—”

“It’s alright, Hell, I’ve got her. Just step outside for a moment,” he asserts, crossing confidently to my mother and dropping to a crouch in front of her. “Now.”

His tone has me scurrying for the door, tears forming at the corners of my eyes.

Grief claws its way up through my chest as I click the door shut behind me, clutching the bracelet to my chest with both hands. Hot, shameful tears spill over and down my cheeks.

From inside I hear a deliberate, consistent murmur of Sing’s voice. Soothing. Chanting some phrase over and over.

I can’t stand the thought of her on the other side of the door, falling apart again. All because I was careless.

Stop.

I can almost hear it in her voice.

This isn’t my fault. There’s just too much pain in the backlog. Pain that we are going to have to work through.

As soon as I settle things in Sanctum.

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