Knowing The End (SAA Book 2) ✔

6: Forgotten Voices

Xenia, over the past few weeks, has been taking things from Clayton and Oren's bedroom. Little valued things they've collected; all gone. Oren's been confused and distraught over this and yet Clayton didn't seem to notice. He was always too busy taking care of Hunter, trying to prove that he could be a great parent too.

Oren trudged downstairs to prepare Hunter's food, sighing as he rubbed his eyes sleepily. He was never a morning person but now that he has a son, he has to be more productive. Clayton was still sleeping so it was Oren's responsibility to take care of their child. As he entered the kitchen, the shuffling of fabric came from the dining room, but he dismissed it as Chip wrestling around in his dog bed. He tended to do that if he was sleeping heavily.

Once Oren placed the prepared baby food onto the highchair tray, he turned back and exited the kitchen only to see a shocking sight.

There he saw Xenia curled up next to broken trinkets and torn fabrics. Oren had a strong gut feeling that she would be a hassle. The little runt was only born two days ago and she's already causing havoc. The elf shook his head gently, walking over with a soft smile.

Oren shook her awake and held up a piece of knitted fabric that was once beautiful, painted in vibrant colors and tropical scenes. It was now laden with saliva and riddled with ragged bite marks. The dragon sniffed it and growled, wings flapping angrily. She ripped the fabric from Oren's hands and shook it about, expressing her hatred for the cloth.

'That was from the tropical dimension. It's special, so why...' Oren thought silently, watching as the dragon tore the fabric further.

Something clicked in his head, and the world around him seemed to slow. He finally realized... everything Xenia hates is from an alternate dimension; somewhere within the time wounds of space. He wondered why though.

"Το μισείτε επειδή είναι από μια διάσταση;" (Do you hate it because it's from a different dimension?) he asked, his eyebrow raising as Xenia paused. Her jaw slackened, letting go of the tattered piece of cloth. Her arctic eyes turned downcast, glimmering with regret.

She gurgled slowly, the sound vibrating throughout the dining room. Ashamed, her wings tucked behind her, pressing closely to her bony back. She huffed through her reptilian nostrils, skin rolling with her movements. She looked ethereal, though didn't she always? She looked vicious, despite being so cute at the same time.

"Ο Κλέιτον θα ήταν εξαγριωμένος αν τον είδε να το λυγίζεις." (Clayton would've been furious if he saw you rip this up.) Oren laughed gently, reaching forward to stroke her head. She looked up with glassy eyes and she shuffled up from her sitting position. Her thick tail swayed in the air as her black tongue darted out and dragged along Oren's cheek. The elf yelped with a grin, scratching gently at her sides as she tittered animalishly.

"Το μυστικό σου είναι ασφαλές μαζί μου, υπόσχομαι." (Your secret's safe with me, I promise.) Oren uttered between melodic fits of laughter. Xenia pawed at Oren's shirt, screeching with a glint of joy in her icy eyes. She hopped off of Oren and pranced in a circle, which seemed to become a habit whenever she was ecstatic.

She is becoming doubtful. She is prematurely suspecting.

A female voice echoed distantly in Oren's ears, making him jump back in shock. His pulse leaped with anxiety. He looked around, baffled. His breath hitched, eyes wide and panic settled in his chest. He scrambled to his feet and dashed away, to the stairs and climbing hastily. Xenia followed, concerned.

"Clayton!" he called, worried and puzzled, he opened the door to their bedroom and stumbled in. His ears were pressed against the sides of his head in alarm. "Clayton," he sighed once he saw his fiance, who was as equally startled as Oren.

He jolted up from the bed and staggered back when Oren nearly fell into his hold. Oren grabbed onto his shoulders as if his life depended on it, and heaved into his lover's arms.

"What's wrong? What happened? Oren? Baby?" Clayton pressed, rubbing firm and smooth circles over the elf's back. He squeezed his eyes shut and kept quiet until his mind settled. Once he calmed, he looked up to Clayton.

"There was a voice. A woman's voice. Someone.. There's someone in my head. I heard it! It wasn't a hallucination! I-I heard someone- someone spoke!" Oren explained hastily, both his eyes and mind desperately searching for answers. Clayton raised an eyebrow, looking down to Oren with an unsure expression.

"Are you certain?" he said, almost too slowly.

He doesn't believe you. What now? You're helpless without him.

"Shut up!" Oren suddenly cried out, his brow caving in with frustration. "You have to believe me. Please... Please believe me, Clayton. Please." he begged, "You've been by my side for so long, you have to trust me."

"I trust you, babe. It's just... so sudden, y'know? Why haven't you had this voice before?" Clayton asked.

"I-I don't know... Just, please help me. Anything! If there's anything you can do, please do it.." Oren looked down to his hands, which clenched fistfuls of Clayton's shirt in his palms. Clayton was silent at first, but then he tilted Oren's chin up and pressed a short, innocent kiss to the elf's forehead.

"I'm sorry.. I don't think I can do anything." Clayton muttered softly, pressing comforting kisses to the boy's trembling eyelids. Oren practically melted in the other's hold, grip going lax on Clayton's shirt and breath slowing to only a few huffs here and there. He was stable once again and it felt good to be that way.

"No, don't apologize. I'm the one that.. that shoved this all onto you. You didn't know."

Of course he didn't know. He's a human.

Oren jolted and his eyes snapped open, making Clayton pull back instantly. He let out a shaky sigh as Clayton gently rubbed his temple, soothing him back into bliss as they both stood there, wallowing in comfort. Their embrace settled Oren's nerves instantly, until a female laugh rippled through his head.

If your imbecile brother hadn't delivered the egg, you would have been fine.

The elf gasped, ears twitching, fingers tightening all over again on Clayton's shirt.

"The voice is back?" Clayton suggested, bending down to move some hair out of Oren's pale face. The elf nodded in a silent reply. He sighed and dropped his head onto Clayton's collarbone. The rumble of an unsteady laugh reverberated through the core of Clayton's body. Oren felt a wing drag against his leg, and a raspy squeak came from behind them.

It was going to be a long day.

_____

Thanks for reading!

Who do you think the voice belongs to?