"Tell me," Lucian roared.
His father acted like a coward and tried to shoot again. This time, the bullet jammed inside the carrier. Rapidly, he tapped the stuck trigger, but fate was not on his side, and he knew his time was up. "I can't let you in. I won't," he sneered.
Using both his hands, Lucian grabbed the hunting rifle from him and snapped it in two. He tossed it to the ground and looked down at his dad. "Everything is connected," Lucian said. "Kneel before me, Father. It's time for a prayer."
Micah fell to the floor in shock, and Lucian elevated his hands into the sky. "Son, please,” said Micah. “We are a family."
He pleaded to his son for forgiveness, but his words seemed to have little effect on any of us. He was to be judged for keeping us here. This place needed to end with oblivion.
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Lucian opened his eyes and smiled. "Can you see the light, Father? Death is swallowed by longstanding victory."
"There is no victory in death," he cried. "There is only darkness."
Lucian nodded and grabbed his shirt. He pulled him up. "That may be so. If you can somehow find a way to fix your wounds, I will let you live with what you've done."
Lucian let go, and Micah collapsed before his son's feet, weeping. "Oh, thank God."
Scoffing, Lucian took hold of his hair. He pulled his head back and said, "Thank no one but yourself. You will not come with us to the other side. You will stay here and carve out your own life, alone. By yourself. Is all of this clear to you, Father?"
As he let go, his dad appeared to misunderstand him. He shook his head and wept. "But I can't stay here. My cabin is destroyed. Everything I own is gone."
"So, now you know what it's like to have your home destroyed. You will understand what it feels like to have your choices dealt to you by someone you thought you could trust," Lucian said.
"I never trusted you," he sneered.
"We trusted you. Your sons," he roared. "You never trusted Kahn or me. You only trusted yourself. We were your children. We were Mother's pride and joy. How could you act in such a way? How could you let my brother die?"
Micah showed his true colors. He looked up in defiance, face shaking with rage. Thunder rang out above our heads. "I inherited this future because of you. All of this was your fault."
He dropped his arm back and reached into his sock. I screamed as I saw the blade reflect against the moonlight. "Lucian, watch out!"
Lucian barely had time to react.
I ran wit
h all my strength and urgency, but I was too far away. Everything seemed to slow down. My vision went blurry, and my hearing seemed to muffle. But as I watched the blade swing at Lucian's chest, I heard another gunshot. This time, it came from inside the forest.
Everything stopped.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
A flock of birds flew into the sky. My ears rang. I dropped to the ground. Death was calling.
"Lucian…"
There was blood all over him, dripping down his shirt. He stumbled back, eyes wide and glazed. Rain poured against his body. He looked at me and then his hands.
He started to laugh.
His father fell face first to the ground, flinging mud onto Lucian's boots. "He's dead. The bastard is dead," he said in disbelief.
"What… how… who?"
All three of us looked back at the marshes. Ducking out from behind a tree was Lucian's brother. He limped forward and swung the rifle around his shoulder. "I found you, brother," he said, face grinning. "This time, I'm the one who came to help."
Lucian's face lit up. "Well, I'll be damned, little brother. You survived," he said.
Kahn laughed and threw his arms around Lucian. "Guess I'm stronger than I thought."