Page 21 of Secrets in the Shadow

You don’t know shit about love, and you definitely don’t deserve his.

Poddy wurb a no-no.

A burst of laughter escaped Raziel. It’s not polite to invade my thoughts, hon.

Sowwy.

He had to stop himself from ruffling his son’s hair. So far, Ethan hadn’t looked up at him. He kept his head slightly turned as he gazed at the images. Then he giggled.

Turning to see what amused him, Raziel frowned. It was a memory so distant he couldn’t make it out. Clearly Ethan knew what it was, and it made him happy.

The scene softened into warmth, muted light filtering through watery darkness. Ethan’s small form shifted, not yet fully developed, cocooned in safety. His tiny fingers stretched, brushing the edge of the womb, and Raziel swore he could feel the faint echo of a heartbeat resonating in his own chest.

It was quiet. Fragile. Sacred in its simplicity.

The muted hues of reds and golds surrounded Ethan, a protective glow that seemed to hum with life itself. His son’s tiny fingers curled in slow, tentative movements, exploring the limited space with a curiosity that made Raziel’s breath catch. He watched as the baby’s legs kicked softly, an instinctive motion that conveyed a kind of innocent determination.

Even then, before his son had entered the world, there was a strength to him.

The watery darkness shifted, and Raziel became aware of the rhythmic cadence surrounding Ethan, the steady thrum of his mother’s heartbeat. It resonated in the memory like a hymn, wrapping his son in its comforting melody.

Raziel’s chest tightened, his own heart falling into sync with the memory, the sound filling him with a strange sense of belonging he had never known.

He reached out instinctively, his hand hovering over the image, knowing he couldn’t touch it but unable to stop himself. The womb seemed to pulse gently, glowing brighter as if in recognition of his presence. A faint ripple moved through the memory, a soft nudge from the child within, and Raziel thought, absurdly, that it was meant for him.

Ethan’s small form turned, his face not yet fully formed but already perfect in Raziel’s eyes. The delicate curve of his cheek, the budding shape of his nose—it was all there, etched into a moment Raziel had never been part of but now felt with unbearable clarity.

He hadn’t been there for this, for the first signs of life, the first stirrings of his son’s existence. The loss of it hit him like a blow, a deep ache that burrowed into his soul.

I’m here now, amoretto.

The heartbeat grew louder for an instant, a steady drum that seemed to echo his thoughts. Then the memory began to fade, the warm light dimming, pulling him back to the present.

Carol.

Her name pierced through him. Raziel swallowed hard, his throat dry as he tried to ground himself. Ethan. Where’s your mommy? Raziel murmured the thought, his voice low and reverent.

Ethan sat, shaking his head in a slow, deliberate motion. He didn’t speak, his body language carrying a weight Raziel couldn’t ignore.

He crouched beside his son. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me.”

A chill passed through him, subtle at first but growing sharper, prickling against his skin. Raziel turned his head, his gaze drawn to the edge of Ethan’s mind—a darkened corner that seemed to pulse with its own unnatural energy.

This…was impossible. It shouldn’t even be in Ethan’s mind. What was a Sollis doing inside a child’s head?

Raziel’s gaze darted to Ethan, whose small form trembled within the mindscape, his hands clenched at his sides as he stood at the forefront of the chaos. His wide eyes shimmered with fear, but beneath it was a flicker of something else.

Resolve.

He wasn’t cowering, he was holding the entity at bay as best as he could, his small body shaking under the strain.

“Hep me,” Ethan whispered, his voice quivering but steady, a spark of determination shining through his fear.

The Sollis rippled, bloated and writhing with invasive energy, feeding on the threads of his half-angelic essence. A knot formed deep within Raziel as he took in the sight. Ethan was fighting, but the strain was evident, and the boy couldn’t hold out forever.

Raziel’s wings expanded. “Back away now,” he snarled into the emptiness, his command laced with quiet fury.

The pulsing calmed to a thrum before growing silent.

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