Page 78 of Voices in the Stars
Metal clashed together as Atlas swung down in time to block the attack. His face pulled together in a wince as the sound rang through the building. Any sounds from outside vanished as all my attention was focused on them. That was all the reaction Atlas had before Eris was on the attack again.
Each powerful blow left me flinching. Atlas was stuck on the retreat. He was only given enough time to bring his sword up in defense before it was knocked away from him once again. The minutes dragged on as Atlas was forced along the platform away from me. His eyes frantically looked around before they landed on mine. The apology written in them was enough to bring the tears back in my eyes. Eris was going to kill him, and there was nothing I could do about it. Each blow came closer to hitting Atlas. Every time Atlas had to bring his sword up took longer than the last, while Eris only seemed to be gaining speed.
There had to be something I could do. Anything. Splinters of wood were all that lay around me. Throwing them at Eris could be enough to distract him for a moment. A grimace pulled my features at the thought of my help going wrong again. I could just end up distracting Atlas and speed up his death.
A gasp left me as a memory and Eris’ previous words came flooding back. My father had a small leather notebook he was writing everythinghe learned inside for me when I needed it. I couldn’t think of a better moment than this.
Pushing myself up into a crouch, my gaze stayed trained on the fighting men as I moved over to the door. I waited for the next loud clash before opening the door and running in. The door softly clicked behind me. My breath was stuck in my throat as I waited, heartbeat pounding in my ears for Eris to come barging in the room. When nothing happened, I turned, dread settling in the pit of my stomach.
This was it.A door softly clicked shut, and Eris’ gaze darted to something behind me. It had to be Cece. This was my moment. I lunged at my father, sword aimed at his chest.
His attention quickly snapped back to me as he sidestepped my attack. My arms were aching, chest heaving as I tried to breathe. Eris looked like we were simply out for a stroll.Cece, forgive me.I just fought my way back to her. As her blood finished running through me, the control that other side of me had got weaker. After the first full day, I was able to shove my way to the surface more than before. By the second day, I was able to fully shove him to the side so I could get back to her. The one thing that benefitted me from being a Saeva, we needed a constant blood source to stay trapped in our blood fervor. Now, after everything, I was about to leave her again. There was no way for me to win this. I knew this, and the smirk on my father’s face told me he knew this as well.
“You’re really going to kill your only son?” I huffed out, looking for any distraction.
Eris just laughed. “I don’t need someone as pathetic as you by my side. I have your sister.”
I grimaced, barely dodging to the side quick enough to avoid his mace slamming into the ground next to me. My legs shook as the stage vibrated from the blow. Just one hit would be enough to end me.
“She’ll betray you some day,” I commented, glancing around foranything that could help. “You raised her to be just as bloodthirsty as you.”
“Then I’ll kill her, too.” Eris snapped his teeth at me.
“Shit,” I cursed out, flinching away from him.
My foot caught in one of the holes Eris smashed into the stage. My eyes were wide as I crashed backward. There was a loud crack as my head smashed into the wood. I groaned as stars danced around my vision. My sword I had been holding went sliding across the floor.
My heart hammered as Eris walked closer, looming over me. I tried pulling my foot free as splintered wood dug further into my ankle, making me hiss. Eris smiled as he grabbed my sword, dangling it above my chest.
Cece.I never got to tell her, but I prayed she knew how I loved her. In this world and the next. My heart belonged to her. My eyes slid closed as Eris brought the blade down on me.
Everything was ruined.The small sitting area was thrown around. Wooden chairs were smashed into the ground. The table was flipped upside down. All the cabinet doors were either missing completely or barely attached.
With each step I took either crunched with broken glass or further splintered the broken off wooden chunks, I wanted to turn back. It felt wrong seeing a place of happiness in such a state. I would watch the different women in the house cook for us. I would play with the other children in the cushioned seating area in one corner of the room. The little blocks and dolls we had were still sitting there. They were half covered in the feather that was stuffed in the seating. He ripped everything apart.
A chill ran down my spine as I kept walking. The grunts from outside the door reminded me there wasn’t time for my stroll through lost memories. There would be time if we got through this. When we got through this. Atlas saved my life before; it was my turn now.
All I needed was a little help. I kept my gaze focused on the door at the end of the room, ignoring the set of stairs that led up to the other living space and bedrooms. There was an itch inside me to follow them upstairs. To see with my own eyes that everyone was gone.
My hand shook as I opened the door that led to our rooms. More throbbing took up in the back of my head as glimpses of memories tried to come flooding in. Quick flashes that I couldn’t grab onto to make sense of.
Any hope I had been clinging to for finding the notebook was shattered. My father’s room was in the same state as the rest of the house. Everything was broken and torn through. The desk he spent hours writing at was now smashed to pieces. The door to my bedroom had a hole near the doorknob, like someone kicked it in. My hands ran through my hair as I looked around the room, tears welling as a yell tore through me.
To hell with being quiet. This was my only shot at helping Atlas. At getting us both out of here alive. I dropped to my knees as sobs took over. What could I possibly do now?
I jumped as a hand grabbed my shoulder. My eyes squeezed shut as I waited for it. There were only two options for who it could be. One would continue the calming stroking of his thumb. The other would lead to excruciating pain at any moment. I only spoke up when nothing happened as the calming action soothed my racing heart.
“I’m sorry, Atlas.” My voice broke as the crying stopped. “I was trying to look for his notebook. It’s the only way I could be useful.”
“That’s not true.”
I looked up, eyes wide as I faced the man behind me. I scrambled back from him, knowing this had to be a trick. There was no way I could actually be looking at my father.
“You’re alive?”
I didn’t believe the words even as they came tumbling from me. The skin around his green eyes crinkled as he looked down at me. His blond hair was shaggy as it hung just past his chin. He looked almost identical to the memories I was shown, always too busy to take care of himself. There was something wrong with the way he looked down at me now, though, with his eyes kind, even as his face twisted into a soft frown.
My trembling hand reached out to grab him. His eyes closed right as my fingers passed through him. Then it hit me: what was wrong was the fact that I could see through him. It wasn’t obvious at first. He seemed just as real as my own hand. The longer I stared at him, the more I could see the faint outline of the room behind him.
