NEW GODS: The Awakening

The Treacherous One

Although Damian had slept by his mother’s bedside, cocooned away in a bundle of fluffy blankets, specifically because he did not want to be alone, when he woke up, no one was there with him.

Where was she? Was she well? Her fever could not possibly get worse overnight, right?

He could not sleep with such thoughts roaming in his mind.

With blurry eyesight, he wondered how his mother had gotten up without him noticing. It was a miracle she had not stepped on him.

Judging by the placement of the sun, he had only gotten a few hours of sleep.

School must have begun already but it was unlikely that more than two lessons had passed.

He got up. His legs felt a bit unsteady but nothing too strong. His mind was not functioning properly. Static was going off in the back of his head. And the voices were mumbling.

He scowled. Even with his slow brain, the voices had no reason to be acting up. He had not used that much magic. Had he?

Rapidly, images flashed in front of his eyes. As the memories flooded back in, he let out a pitiful groan.

Oh, he had used plenty energy to turn Xiris into Torey. That made sense.

The realization sunk in at last.

He had helped Xiris sneak in. He had agreed to help him.

He was so dead.

Looking back at yesterday, Damian could not quite say he felt guilty for what he had done, nor that he was proud of it. He wished he had thought through this more cause now he had no clue how he would break the news to Leon.

What if Xiris got lost on his way? What if he got into trouble? What if he was caught? Would they hurt him-?

No. There was no way. He prayed at least.

It was way too early for this kind of breakdown session.

He needed to find Isabella and Helios. Not only would their presence calm him, but he also supposed he owed them an apology. If only to not completely break their trust in him.

He headed towards their room. If he didn’t find them there, they would have to be in the monastery. No way Helios would let her go out in that condition.
Actually, he had stayed out in the pouring rain with her so perhaps he would.

The heavy wooden door of their room had been locked since he could remember. To check if they were inside, he pressed his ear against it. He heard some light shuffling and let out a sigh of relief.

He was ready to pull back and knock when a freezing metallic feeling slithered beneath his skin.

The false sun rises, obscured by flames of a churning forest. Fire meets dragon and the rocks descend beneath their weight. The rocks fall upon the glass clock and shatter the pitiful copy. The blood moon mourns the death of its eldest.

That was not the sturdy, confident, sunny tone of Helios. It could not belong to Isabella either- it lacked both her strength and her warmth.

This voice was unnatural. Human fingertips grazing the moon, so lost in its otherworldly beauty that you almost forgot you could not breathe.
Complete and utter silence.

Damian fell back, hands desperately gripping the wall for balance. He tried to steady his breathing but to no avail.

He knew that voice. Better than he knew his own. It had plagued his mind, dreams, nightmares. Once had been with him every second of every day.