Chapter 34: The Past Darkness
Melissa’s POV
I could feel the weight of the lair itself bearing down on me as if it were alive. The entity's voice echoed with a strange blend of my child's supplication and Damon's brutality, and its luminous eyes stared directly into mine.
It repeated, "Mommy, help me," and it tugged at my heart like jagged claws.
I shook my head to focus. "You're not authentic. You aren't my kid! I tried to sound firm even if my voice trembled.
The beast refrained from attacking. Rather, it took a step back, its shape fluttering like a shattered shadow. Images of Damon's history started to swirl about us, leaking into the atmosphere like a burst dam.
As a woman, shrouded in light, turned away from Damon, I saw him as a boy, standing in a wilderness, tears running dow
