Hudson gasped at the revelation of his grandfather’s death and struggled to breathe. Pain etched deep lines into his face. Seeing his boyfriend suffering with the knowledge Silas had killed his grandfather and, was possibly dying, gripped Shaney’s chest tightly. Shaney tore his eyes away from Hudson’s face, focusing instead on the symbol Silas waved wildly in his hand. It came much too close to Hudson’s chest several times. Shaney had to get control of the energy, the power, battering against him. Focus.
A painful mask pulled over Silas’ craggy face. “No, you’re my Shaney. Your beautiful mother, the love of my life, died giving birth to you. I lost you both. I watched helplessly as she bled to death before I could deliver you. You were alive when I cut you from her lifeless body. I tried to save you, but I failed. You died in my arms.” A weak sob escaped Silas. Then, as if appalled by his weakness, a look of disgust crossed his face. A steely repose overtook him. Gone was the broken, vulnerable man he’d momentarily revealed. Shaney might have felt sorry for that man, but Silas had clearly separated from that part of himself long ago. The father who’d lost his wife and newborn son? He was a ghost.
Hudson’s eyes fluttered and closed, terrifying Shaney and catching his breath until they opened again.
“What good was I as a doctor if I couldn’t save my wife and son?” Silas’ voice echoed across the pond and against the mountains. “But I found a way to get you back, using your original DNA. I gave you the ability to heal and create life. Something I had failed to do. It is my gift to you.”
Caleb stepped forward. “The powers manifesting within Shaney have proven to be the opposite of the healing and creation you planned,” Caleb said. The amount of force in his voice was surprising.
A cold stab hit Shaney in the chest. The massive energy coalescing inside, if unleashed, would be devastating to anyone nearby. He needed control. Shaney’s eyes locked on Hudson—the man who believed in him, stood up for him, wanted him. Since the first day he’d seen Hudson at The Morgue, Shaney had known he was someone special. Hudson was someone who would change his life, someone he could love. Oh, God, he loved Hudson! He loved the carpenter with all of his heart. And Shaney was going to tell him so, just as soon as he got them all out of this fucking disaster.
Silas glared at Caleb, as if he was a bug crawling before him. “You always did think you were smarter than me. I have knowledge you could never fathom existed, much less comprehend! Ten years I scoured the world, searching catacombs and ancient caves, dusty, long forgotten rooms in churches and basements where no one would think to enter. Cesspools of the world. I gathered all that information into what you see before you. A son. A healer. I sacrificed over thirty years of my life. I am entitled to whatever gifts Shaney has to offer. I gave my life so that he may live. The selfless love of a father. No one could argue against my rights.”
Shaney took in deep measured breaths. “I can argue against that, fuckhead,” Shaney said, drawing on the energy within. Using the symbol on his hand, Shaney was going to end Silas for killing his dad and Hudson’s grandfather, for endangering his friends, for daring to hurt his boyfriend, and for just being a fucking awful human being.
Blue crackles filled the air around Shaney, and for one millisecond, Silas’ face revealed his underlying fear. Silas slapped the symbol onto Hudson’s chest for a brief second. Hudson’s scream rent the air, a never-ending series of echoes bringing Shaney to his knees.
“Stop! Please stop,” Shaney begged as Hudson panted and whimpered, eyes rolling back into his head.
No!
Silas cocked an eyebrow. “I will kill him without hesitation. And when he’s gone I will still have your sweet mother and those three women you call sisters as leverage.”
Shaney ground his teeth. “I will end you before you have the chance to touch them.”
Silas cackled. “Daniel, put our insurance policy into the car.” The Antichrist (who had truly reclaimed the title) obeyed, but not before casting one brief, aggrieved look at Todd. Todd’s pain and anger radiated from him as if an entity unto itself.
Silas drew a small, leather book from his pocket, which he flung onto the ground in front of Caleb. “Consider that a gift from one scientist to another. Within that book, you will find all you need to know about the elements that went into Shaney’s creation.” Silas gave Shaney a pitiful glance. “And, please, use the symbol contained on the last page before Shaney loses all control and kills every one of you and himself as well. Shaney, you will come to me at Hudson’s cabin, tomorrow at eleven a.m. We need to get right to work. I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but do know this. If you fail to show tomorrow, he dies.” Silas turned toward the door currently being held open by the fucking Antichrist. Shaney struggled to stand, to catch a glimpse of Hudson in the back seat, but his legs wouldn’t support him.