Page 117 of Visions & Shadows

What else am I going to say? The truth is all I have.

“I know it sounds crazy.” I give him a pleading look. “In my first vision, you were standing in the passageway of the aviary at the back of your house, talking to your birds. At some point, you looked right at me as if you sensed I was there.”

His eyes are glued to me, telling me I definitely have his attention now.

“In the second vision, you were in your kitchen. You had two beautiful gray birds with you. The love I felt in the visions was overwhelming, Jason. It’s what makes you so special.”

When he lowers his head and lets out a shaky breath, my heart squeezes for him.

I get up, and crossing the living room, I take a seat beside Jason. Needing to comfort him, I place my hand on his back.

He clears his throat, and with a thick voice, he says, “When I woke up this morning, they were all gone. The birds and fish. My dogs…they’re gone. Even poor Siege, who’s dying of cancer. Who would take a sick, old dog?”

He covers his face, and his body shudders as he cries for his animals.

I scoot closer to him, feeling an echo of his sadness in my chest.

This is the heartache I didn’t want any of my chosen ones to experience.

“They’re my life,” he mutters. “I just want them back.”

He pulls away from me and drops his face into his hands, a heartbreaking sob shuddering through his body.

“Your animals are waiting for you safely on Vaalbara,” Raighne says.

Jason’s head snaps up, and my eyes dart to Raighne as I say, “You couldn’t have told us this sooner? The man is in pain, Raighne. Your timing sucks.”

“Vaal…what?” Jason mutters next to me. He looks from Raighne to me like we’re crazy.

“I’m here to take you to Vaalbara. It’s a new Earth.” I pause for a moment, then break the news to him as best I can. “All hell is about to break loose. It’s the end of this world, and you have been chosen to be saved. There’s a new Earth waiting for you, and your animals have already been taken there.”

I watch him cautiously, waiting for a response.

I’d lose my shit if someone dropped such a crazy bomb on my ass.

“It’s the end of the world?” he asks, his face masked with disbelief.

“Yeah, pretty much.” I nod, folding my hands on my lap. I look down and start to fidget, not knowing what else to do.

“There’s a new Earth?” Jason asks, scooting to the edge of the couch.

“Yes.” I really hope he’s starting to understand. I don’t know what else to tell him.

“My animals are there?” His voice pitches.

“Yeah, they’re safely there,” I assure him.

His tone is deceptively calm when he says, “You took my animals.”

“Ye–”

Suddenly, Jason lunges at me, and his fingers wrap brutally around my neck. I’m shoved back onto the couch, unable to gasp as he chokes theliving hell out of me.

“You took my animals?! You dare touch my children and then break into my house! I’m going to fucking kill you,” he hisses in my face.

I gasp for a breath of air and grab his arms.

When I try to focus on Jason, all I see is Ares, and the horror I suffered at his hands bleeds through my soul.

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