Our house.
Shaney joined his man on the couch where Hudson thumbed through one of his grandfather’s leather-bound book. Todd and Caleb had similar books as well. Maximus did that lingering behind Caleb thing at which he excelled. Hudson grinned and threw an arm around Shaney’s shoulder, sharing the book. Shaney snuggled against Hudson’s side and the closeness stirred his dick to life. Shaney now understood why people in the movies stopped to have sex when the world was ending. The heightened emotions, the urgency, the need to control something, anything...
“Baby, I’m loving your hand on my crotch,” Hudson whispered in Shaney’s ear, “but I think we should focus on this book.”
Shaney’s was indeed rubbing Hudson’s growing bulge. Fucking hand had a mind of its own. No one else noticed as Shaney quickly pulled his wayward hand back. Hudson’s lust-filled eyes mitigated the amusement on his face. They both turned their attention to the journal. Shaney tried to decipher the scrawling handwriting, images and symbols, and complex mathematical formulas. It was like a foreign language.
Caleb knelt on the floor and sifted through the journal in his hand. His eyes widened. “This first journal entry is dated September 25th, 1993. Days after your creation, Shaney. Hyrum is referring to Silas’ deceit and lies. Exactly what deceit and what lies, he doesn’t say, but he writes, and I quote, ‘Today I found proof of Silas’ deceit. His so-called break-through, the missing catalyst in Shaney’s creation, was presented under false pretenses. His motivations for furthering the science of creation contain ulterior motives that may prove dangerous to Shaney and his future. I have no other choice but to hide Shaney and the potential power inside him from Silas. I’ll continue to work on ways to bind that power.”
Shaney jumped up and grabbed the journal from Caleb, eyes racing over the words. “He created a false paper trail to keep Silas from finding me, and then placed me with a local family he could trust.” Shaney lowered the book. “Silas didn’t find me because, if he had, he would have taken me back, right?”
Caleb shook his head. “I don’t know. Are any of these dated before September eighteenth? I need more information pertaining to the final puzzle piece Hyrum is speaking of to give us greater insight into your base of power.”
Todd narrowed his eyes at the journal he held and waved his hand frantically, drawing their attention. “This journal is from 2003. It talks about your dad, Shaney.”
The journal Shaney held dropped to the floor, much like the plummeting of his stomach at the mention of his father. “My dad?”
A door slammed upstairs, followed by another. Hudson looked up at the ceiling. “Must be Dan looking for us. I’ll go get him.” Hudson placed a quick kiss on Shaney’s lips and, with a smile, went up the stairs.
Maximus picked up the journal Shaney had dropped and started to read the pages.
Todd gasped, drawing their attention back to him. He had a white-knuckled grip on the journal, his gaze darting around the pages. A sickly, white pallor washed over his face. Caleb lowered the journal he’d picked up, waiting for Todd to speak. Nausea tossed Shaney’s stomach at Todd’s reaction to what he read.
“T-Todd?” Shaney’s voice shook and an icy panic gripped him tight.
Todd immediately shook his head. “Shaney, no...I...you can’t...” Todd turned hopelessly to Caleb, again shaking his head. Whatever it was, Todd was scared to death to share the contents with Shaney.
“Tell me,” Shaney pleaded meekly. He wished Hudson were there.
Caleb merely nodded, and Todd swallowed hard. “Silas did find you. When...when you were—Fuck!—when you were ten in May 2003. This is dated May 25th.”
The date circled Shaney’s head, refusing to sink in, refusing to become permanent.. “That’s the day my dad died,” Shaney whispered, eyes blurring with tears. “What...what...?”
Todd stood, unmoving, eyes locked with Shaney’s in a sorrowful gaze long enough for Maximus to take the journal from his death grip.
Maximus perused the page. “It says your father brought you to Hyrum because your energy was emerging too soon. Your father was aware of your origins, but not your mother.”
Wait for it.
Shaney stood on the tracks, the train hurtling toward him, poised to smash him into millions of bits and pieces. The energy clawed to the surface with a ferocity that ripped at Shaney’s insides.
“Says here that Hyrum was eventually able to lock the energy away for what he hoped was—I think this is Latin—‘Omni aeternitate’?”