“You said that we might have bigger problems,” Asher said when his father didn’t continue. He didn’t know if he was glad or upset they didn’t talk about his special talents.

“Oh, Asher…” Asher knew the tone in his father’s voice. It wasn’t the same sweet tone that he used with Adrian, but Asher knew it well. It was harsher, more strict, but still caring. “The voices, they can… change people.”

“What do you mean?” The words slipped off his lips. Asher wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer, but he asked the question anyway.

“Make people do things they regret. They just… lose control. You’ve only done it twice as far as I know, which we should take as a good sign.”

“Twice?” The word barely escaped Asher’s lips. “Are you counting this morning?”

“Well, it’s not very like you to yell and storm out, is it? You’re very quiet, just like your mother. You’re almost a clone of her, you know that? But yes, I’m counting this morning.”

“Then, is the second one.. when I… when mom…” Asher couldn’t find the words.

“You remember that?”

“I don’t think I could ever forget. But the details are kinda fuzzy.”

“Well. It was a bad night. For both you and your mom. You stayed up late singing songs and painting together. Oh, your mom had such a wonderful singing voice. I’m sure you inherited it, if you would only just create some lyrics to go with those wonderful songs of yours.” Asher blushed slightly at the compliment.

“I did my best to stay awake, to be there with you two. I had Adrian, I remember that. Eventually, Adrian started crying. I went to go put him down in his crib, and your mother said that you two would try and get some sleep. When I came back, I found you huddled in the corner with your hands over your ears, gently rocking yourself back and forth. Your mom sat in the other corner, slumped against the wall.

“Keep in mind, Asher, I didn’t know at the time what had happened. All I knew was that I was deliriously tired, and couldn’t keep my head on straight. I only heard the story from your mother after all was said and done. She said what had happened was you had started yelling and screaming, kicking and punching at the air. Your mother tried to calm you down, but eventually, her voices began to yell at her as well. She could feel that she was losing herself, so she threw herself against the wall and knocked herself out so she couldn’t...wouldn't...hurt you.

“I don’t know if that’s the true story, Ash; I don’t know if I believe it. But I don’t think we’ll ever know. The only thing I do know is what I did next. And how stupid it was. Oh, so so stupid. I saw your mother, and I saw you. My brain connected two dots, placing a line where there shouldn’t have been a line. And I attacked.

“You must understand, Ash, I wasn’t thinking correctly. My own inner demons-not the kind that you face, but the mortal kind- were tearing at my brain. I hadn’t slept well since before Adrian was born, and that’s when they’re most powerful, when you’re at your weakest. But it shouldn't be an excuse.

“I felt like you had taken her away from me. With your voices, your talent, she was spending so much time with you. I didn’t hate you, not really. And truly, I wish I could go back and change what I did that night. But I can’t.

“I believe you know what happens next. I attacked you, asked why you had hurt her, why you had taken her away from me. But that was all wrong Ash. That was so wrong.”

Silence filled the room. Tears began to trickle down Asher’s face. They came faster down Cedric’s.

“Didn’t she get sick after that?” Asher asked.

“Yeah. She did.”

“I always thought I was the one who made her sick. I thought I was the reason… that Adrian… didn’t have a mother.” Asher choked out his words, trying, and failing, to hold in a sob.

With his tears came all his emotions. All his pain, all the anger, anger at himself, the guilt, everything poured out, and Asher found something he never would have expected. It felt good to cry. He didn’t feel weak, he felt… powerful, almost. He liked it.

“No, Ash. She got sick. That was that. Nothing more than nature being nature. No matter how unfair it was, it was no one’s fault. And you should have known that sooner.”

Asher didn’t know what to believe. So he hadn’t caused his mother to get sick? He wasn’t the reason behind it all? Asher thought back to this morning. When he had first heard the voice. Or, at least, finally realized it was there. He had worried, worried that Adrian knew, and that his brother didn’t see him as the big brother he wanted to be.

All for nothing.

“Never all for nothing.” His mother had once said. “Always for something. That’s how you keep moving forward. Find a goal, and work towards it. Then, you can never get lost.”

Asher absentmindedly stroked his cheek, where so many memories were stored. Where his mother had kissed him good night. Where his little brother had hit him with an apple. Where his father had left him scarred. And where a girl he would never forget had kissed him goodbye.

“So. What do we do next?” Asher couldn’t find the words to say “I forgive you,” as he wiped tears from his eyes, so all he could hope was that his father could read it in his expression.

“I guess we talk to Adrian.”

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Asher looked at his brother across the table as they finished telling him the story. As they finished telling him everything.

“Wow.” was all Adrian said.

“Wow what?” Asher replied. “Good wow or Bad wow? Or In-Between wow?”

“I don’t know, just wow.” Adrian paused before adding “My brother’s cool.”

It took all of Asher’s strength to keep in his laugh.

He failed.

Adrian joined him in laughing, and soon his father did too. Asher’s pain was immeasurable, as was his fear, but in this moment, he felt safe. He had his family, and he knew they would protect him. For now, Asher could smile as he laughed with his brother and father, and for one second, nothing else mattered.

As the day grew late, Asher rejoiced in the silence of the voices. He knew it wouldn’t be easy, and frankly, he was terrified. But he didn’t let that show as he piled blankets onto the floor of his brother’s bedroom.

“You know,” Adrian had said to him, “Everyone said I wouldn’t live to see my tenth birthday. I did, but maybe, just in case, you should sleep with me tonight. Just to make sure.”

Asher wondered if his brother was scared of his demons as well. Cedric had promised he would keep researching, and that they would figure out a way to help Asher. For now, he simply had to try and stay happy, and hope that would be enough to silence them.

“Of course,” Asher thought, “How hard can it be to stay happy when you have Adrian as your younger brother?”

As Asher’s eyes began to close, he added, “And how can you be sad when you’re friends with the prettiest girl in town?”

As Asher’s eyes closed and his breathing slowed, one word, one minuscule word so overlooked in the conversation, now pierced Asher’s mind as it replayed the conversations of the day.

“Mortal.”