Silence

{38} Faltering

{Aspen's POV}

It takes me a moment to realize that a man also came out of the house. My brothers are looking at me carefully and I cant help but stare at him. I suddenly realize something, making me pause mine and Quest's reunion.

He looks an awful lot like my brothers.

I stand up slowly and Quest sits by my side. The man and I make eye contact and he starts to walk towards us.

He has graying hair but it was once clearly brown, brown eyes, that Caspian look I've grown so accustomed to. He is tall, like a freaking skyscraper. I'm guessing 6'5 or something like that. He walks confidently, longs strides and head held high. 

It's pretty much an older Caspian.

He stops a few feet in front of Caspian who is beside me. He puts his hand on Caspian's shoulder and whispers something in his ear to which Caspian nods and turns his head to me. I feel the gazes of all my brothers but I keep my eyes glued to this man.

It's not a hard guess as to who this is.

The man who is supposed to be dead.

Our father.

He takes a step back from Caspian and turns to me. I take a step back when he takes one forward. Quest doesn't seem to get the hint when his tail wags at the man. It seems they've been acquainted.

"Hello Aspen." The man says.

I look at Caspian, not sure what to do here. Caspian nods his head towards the man and I give him a confused look. He raises his eyebrows, earning another confused look from me.

"Just say hello." Caspian urges.

I look back to the man and his face has a soft smile.

"Who are you?" I ask although I already know. I just need someone to say it out loud. 

"I am Elias Karieo," He says and hesitates before his next words.
"Your father"

How the frick do I respond to this?

I look around at my brothers carefully watching me. There is only one thing I can do to get me out of this situation right now. 

I start to hyperventilate and Caspian takes a step towards me. I step back and hold my hand up, making him stop. I get slightly light headed and roll my eyes, closing them. I start to fall and brace myself to hit the ground. Instead of hitting the ground, I'm caught by someone and I make sure to go limp in their arms.

"You made her f*cking faint." I hear Sorin say.

"Talk to me like that again and she wont be the only unconscious one." I recognize the voice of my father.

"Sorry." Sorin says quietly.

I realize the person who caught me is Elias. I feel incredibly uncomfortable in this man's arms, but I need to stay limp otherwise they'll know I faked the faint.

"What's taking so long?" I hear a new voice, one I don't recognize, they must have come out of the house.

"Dad made Aspen faint." Kohen replies.