Chapter 7: The Lie

Damien POV

I couldn't see anything. The black was absolute and uninhabited and frightening. My heart was beating as it was going to crawl on my ribs. It was my mother, the woman, who was saying I was tightly held. I had been able to sense the trembling of her like I was trembling.

Listen, Damien, listen to me, she said. She drew me nearest to her body as though she could shield me even by the very darkness itself. You must be extremely courageous at the moment. Can you do that?"

I did, and she was unable to see me. "Yes," I said. I was so little in the large warehouse. So weak and scared.

"Father is here," she said. "Do you know who that is?"

I did know. I had witnessed my father grow into a wolf. I had seen him fight. I had seen him bleed. And yet he was my father, and despite the fear, however, I felt a little safer knowing that he was near.

We are going to hide, said Evelyn. And we will hide with Adrian. Do you know where Adrian is?"

"No," I said. My eyes were badly straining to make out in the darkness, but there was nothing to see. Just black on black on black.

She was moving me, her hand was on mine. Her hands were touching my arm, and she was in the darkness leading me. Every step felt dangerous. Every deep note kept on crying out.

Then I saw Adrian. He was still lying asleep upon a heap of tattered blankets. He looked like everything was alright by his features. He was not aware that this world was dangerous. He was unaware that human beings were endeavouring to harm us.

Evelyn took Adrian on her arm without disturbing his sleep. Now she was holding us one on each hip. It was supposed to have been safe, but was weak. She was as though holding in two things which might break and was trying to keep them up.

"Where are you?" a voice called out. It was Serena's voice. But it sounded different now. It was as though a snake hissing then it stings. "Come out, come out. Let's talk about the lies."

Far away somewhere in the darkness was my father. I was able to feel him, as though we had a strand of thread between us. I had always picked this thread, when I had not known what it was. It had left me cold and out of place the rest of my life.

"What lies?" another voice called out. It was my father. His wolf voice mingled with his human voice and sounded terrible and pain-stricken. "Tell me your lies, Serena."

The boy you like so much, said Serena. Her voice was getting closer. I was able to hear her steps now. "Your precious Adrian. Would you like to know what the truth about him is?

Listen to her not, Evelyn, I told you. It is the words she is trying to hurt us with. You can not be hurt by the things people say even though the words do not hurt you.

But I was listening. I couldn't help it. I had a desire to know what she was going to tell me.

Never again, was he supposed to live, Adrian, said Serena. The laugh was a laugh of glass she broke. I was telling the truth when I told Evelyn that I killed the baby. The baby was dead. I killed him. I killed Adrian myself."

My whole body went cold. It sounded as though Evelyn was breaking something inside her. Her legs clung around both me and Adrian.

But Adrian woke up. At this, he opened his eyes and stared at me in confusion. "Mama?" he said, looking for Evelyn.

"I'm here, baby," Evelyn said. Her voice was shaking. "I'm here."

This boy is a substitute, Serena said. Somewhere a child named Kieran was found. A child who looks like him. You have been loving a child of five years who only thought he was your real son. But he's not, Evelyn. He's a stranger."

"That's not true," Evelyn said. But I could feel her doubt. It was her shadow in her arms.

"Test his blood," Serena said. "Test it right now. You'll see. He's not a Blackwood. He's not your son. All this time you had been rearing the children of someone else yet your real son was alive. Damien knows the truth. He's always known. Haven't you, Damien? Adrian was different, you knew Adrian was different.

The darkness was gazing at me all now. I could feel their eyes. I would feel them sitting there and waiting to be spoken to. To prove or disprove whatever Serena was saying.

But I had something of which she was not conscious. It was something I had always known that she did not know.

"Adrian is my brother," I said. My voice was very distinct in the darkness. "I would know if he wasn't. I would feel it in my bones. We're twins. We're connected. And whatever you do say Adrian is real. He's my brother."

"How touching," Serena said. Something different in her voice now there was. A noise that had a semblance of rage. You want to purchase his lie so much that you are ready to turn a blind eye to truth.

The electric was turned on once more. It was so glaring that I was forced to shut my eyes. I was able to see everything when I opened them again.

We were surrounded. Serena was before us with at least ten men who had guns. They were wearing black attire and their faces were tough and blank. I was able to see my father, lying on the ground, behind them. He was bleeding. It was full of fighting Victor cuts on him.

Victor was there too. He was even bleeding worse than my father. He was barely standing. However there was a gun in his hand and he was pointing it at my father.

And something that was, then I cannot tell, fell on my heart.

Another gentleman was standing beside Serena. I recognized him, I just could not say how. He had kind eyes and a sad face. He was also holding a folder in his hands and that was a kind of face of pain towards me and Adrian.

"I'm sorry," the man said. He had opened the folder and presented us with documents and pictures. I am sorry so much that you had something to go through.

Evelyn gasped. She stepped back. "It can't be," she whispered.

"Hello, Evelyn," the man said. He looked about towards her, and his eyes were full of sorrow. "Hello, my daughter. I am very sorry to say this to you now, but you should know what the truth was. Adrian is not Kieran's son."

My mother uttered a sound like an animal on deathbed. Adrian cried in terror with the fear in her voice.

"He's mine," the man continued. "Adrian is my son. And I've come to take him home."