Page 9 of Ever Dark Academy: Volume 6

Grayson’s throat felt tight again. “You–you made it better, Sam. You did your best.”

“My best wasn’t very good,” Sam said goodnaturedly. “Your dad was taken from you really early, but he made every day count with you.”

Grayson remembered his dad putting him on his lap in the car, letting him pretend to drive. Then there was another memory of when he was sick and his father reading to him until he was hoarse as Grayson couldn’t sleep due to his fever. There was yet another memory of him helping Grayson learn to tie his shoes. Something about a bunny going around a tree and then down a hole? Grayson had giggled, loving watching his father tell him that story again and again even though he’d figured out how to tie his shoes the week before. Grayson’s hands were trembling as they went to his temples.

“I… I know,” Grayson said weakly. “But I can’t… I can’t…”

“You don’t want to remember because it hurts and you think you can just move on,” Sam said sorrowfully. “I wish it worked that way, Grayson. Your dad does too.”

“I don’t want you in pain, Grayson,” his father said. “I so don’t want you in pain.”

“I’m… I’m… not. I…” Grayson sank down onto his haunches.

“I admit that I don’t want to leave you,” his father said. “We got such a short time together and it wasn’t fair.”

Grayson shaded his face with one hand. “No, it wasn’t.”

“But I didn’t stay for me or just for me,” his father said, getting down in front of him. So close, but so far. “What you went through in this life maybe should be small compared to everything you’ve experienced and gone through.”

“But it isn’t,” Sam added.

“It isn’t,” his father agreed.

Grayson wanted to howl. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling. It was pain, but also anger and loss and… and he didn’t know. The emotions were so huge. They were like the tidal wave that he’d created.

“So I want to help you to handle this,” his father continued. “Your mom and I are still here. With you. And you can talk to both of us and we can help–”

“No.”

Grayson shot upwards and turned his back. He was shaking. He realized then that he had picked out a ton of memories of his father, but he’d not allowed himself to remember any with his mother. Not of the three of them together, though that should have been the majority of his memories, or of him and his mom alone afterwards. He wouldn’t even picture her face.

“Why, Grayson?” his father asked.

Grayson just shook his head. “There’s no need to go over all of this. It’s a blip of time. It’s not important.”

For the first time, his stepfather spoke and that voice caused other memories to rise up, “Your son is one cold motherfucker.”

Grayson’s back went rigid.

“Don’t speak to him! Don’t you dare!” his father hissed.

“What are you and the old drunk going to do about it?” his stepfather laughed. “Nothing! You can’t do anything to me!”

Grayson slowly turned around. He faced the man he had killed. One of many. But the first in this life. The one death that had shattered his world in this life.

“They might not be able to, but he can.” Grayson pointed at Christian.

His stepfather smirked. Actually, smirked. Grayson’s rage rose. Could he tear soul particles apart? Was there anything physical about this bastard that he could just rip into pieces?

But it was Christian’s reaction that had his blood running cold instead of hot. The young man went stiff as a board. His silver eyes narrowed and glowed softly.

“We have a problem. A big problem,” Christian said.

“What?” Grayson asked.

His stepfather’s soul was suddenly being pulled to Christian as if the young man had the Ashyr power. His stepfather struggled against it, but he could do nothing. Christian faced him eye to eye.

“He sometimes haunts your mother, too. He was there earlier tonight,” Christian said. “And he’s seen Roan near her house.”