Page 15 of Unshaken

“The triplets you mean?” She looks up at me in alarm, her eyes are wide as she stops in front of a house that has my name on a gold plaque on a low white picket fence. It almost looks comical encircling the tiny yard with a small patch of green grass.

“Triplets? No, they were identical twins,” I say to her as I gaze up at the porch swing as it sways gently back and forth. Something tells me I won’t be enjoying that little bit of heaven at all.

“No, not identical, well, two of them are. Ty, Trys, and Rodyn are triplets, Micah. The sons of the Headmistress. They are cruel, fucking psychotic, and ruthless killers!” she bites out the words, and yep, that got my full attention. Larrieux, that’s what Ty said when he introduced himself and his brother, at the time I hadn’t considered the connection.

“If I am bound to you, Micah. Then I am bound to them as well. Is that how it works? I can’t. I just can’t.” Esme starts to pace back and forth, and again I wonder what the fuck did I walk into. I reach for her and grab her hands. “Look, I am clueless, but I assure you, I will get answers. I don’t have to accept any of this. Do I? I don’t know them. Besides, maybe Rodyn won’t be an issue and we just have to deal with the psycho wonder twins.” I try to give her a reassuring smile, but she doesn’t seem convinced.

I crack my neck, loosening my shoulders, desperate to put my bags down. Esme notices, steps in front of me and pushes the gate open.

“Your Anchor key will open the door for you. In fact, your Anchor key will open all doors you have access to, that will depend on your power levels. Keep your key with you at all times. It will be your lifeline if you ever get into a situation where you need to get somewhere safe.” I narrow my eyes at her in concern. I open and close my mouth, speechless. My mind is running a mile a minute with so many questions and concerns I feel a headache coming on. I walk up the steps and pause, Esme doesn’t walk through the gate, she just stands outside of it watching me go.

“Do you live in the Quads?” I look around and notice that the sun will be going down soon. I don’t want her walking back across campus alone, especially if what she is implying about the night being full of terrors.

“I live a row away from you.” She smiles, and her face lights up. My heart thumps hard in my chest. I have never felt attraction to another woman, I never came across one that turned my eye before either, and I don’t know if it’s the Tether, but there is something there between us.

“Thank you again for getting me here,” I tell her as she begins to walk away, then she stops.

“Oh, don’t worry about food. They have stocked your kitchen with things for you to eat tonight. I will come by in the morning if you like and show you where the cafeteria is. I can help you get to your first class as well. Who knows, we may have a similar schedule.” She hesitates, eyes locked with mine, as if she doesn’t want to leave me here.

“Good luck, Micah.” She gives me one last smile, and I watch her walk away down the path until she turns out of sight.

I take one last look around, noticing the movement of curtains as my new neighbors get a look at me. Well, they can look all they want. If they think I am going to be easy prey, then they will learn the fucking hard way.

Come for me, bitches, I dare you.

Ten

TRYS

Iam in love. I knew it the moment I saw her she is my beloved. She was tramping down the path with her bag dragging behind her, looking all kinds of beautiful. The exhaustion clinging to her face didn’t detract from her looks, and the steely determination in her eyes as she took measured steps towards the Academy showed no fear. They were the most attractive things about her.

She didn’t flinch when she drank me in, she didn’t cower away from Ty and I, she was shocked, yes, but anyone is when they set their eyes on two people that practically share the same soul. We are identical twins, but there is a reason why I call my brother my other half. He is me and I am him. Both of us are the same, with sick and twisted minds. I grimace at that. I don’t want to share my headspace and darkness with Micah at the same time. She is sunshine.

I am sure any sane person would think my feelings are too soon. I don’t know her, she doesn’t know me, yet when her soul reached out to mine, it was an instant recognition of love from our many past lives. I believe in reincarnation, after all I’m a Necromancer, I am eternal like death, and I have no doubt that she was mine in another lifetime. I could have come on the spot when she used her magic and sent us careening through the sky. When I hit the ground, it was as if I’d landed on a cloud. I had fallen, literally and figuratively. She is mine, whether she wants me or not. The Soul Tether is just an added bonus. A guarantee so to speak. I would have made her mine without it, and I know Ty felt the same way. I am still enraged by Mommy dearest’s demands that we stay away from her. Like she deserves my obedience. I am done. There is nothing that she can do to us that she hasn’t already done in the most horrific way possible.

The fact I still call herMotherscratches at the inside of my brain, clawing, tearing, but no matter how hard I try, that noun sticks. It falls from my lips, as if she tucked me in bed at night, kissed away my tears, and embraced me in her arms. You know, like a real nurturing person would. No, my mother pushed us out of that worn out pussy of hers, then tortured, and molded us into beasts. She didn’t have sons, she created rabid dogs, blood-thirsty, baying hounds, that kill on command. My mother wanted foot soldiers, and she got three of the most lethal. She demanded loyalty or else, and we hated her for it. I couldn’t give two shits about her request that we stay away from Micah. She has already taken so much from me, from us, and heavens be damned if she takes my Soul Tether away from me.

Hence, why I am lounging on the roof of our house, wearing fuzzy pink narwhal slippers, swinging back and forth as I wait for the show to start. A huge bowl of popcorn rests on my thighs as the sun begins to dip low on the horizon. The last of its orange and pink light dances along the waters of Sanquin Lake up ahead. Movement on the edge of the lake has my eyes locked on a few students hurrying through the trees, scampering through the woods towards the West Tower.

“Run, little piggies, run,” I say out loud, the glee and excitement spark bloodlust in my veins. Tonight, I hope they actually make it in time to the safety behind the walls of their towers. Secure away from those who would gladly rip their spines from their bodies and bathe in their blood as the light leaves their eyes, someone like, me. I’m not partaking in tonight's festivities. With my newfound love, I wish everyone the best tonight.

I am focused on more important things. My eyes are trained on one place. Micah’s house is on the other side of the Quad. From this high up I have a three-sixty view of her digs, and tonight I want to see who dares to come for what is mine.

One of the many perks of being the Headmistresses' sons, is she had a house built to accommodate the three us during our first year here. The two-story monstrosity towers over the other homes in the Quad, like we are high and mighty gods. I guess to most students here, we are.

“Why did I know where to find you?” I hear Ty slide down the roof tiles towards me, but I don’t turn around to acknowledge him as he stops himself just shy of the edge. He settles beside me, dressed for battle, wearing black combat boots laced all the way up to his ankles, black cargo pants, and black t-shirt. His braids are pulled up in a top knot. His customary knives are strapped all over his body. He is dressed to kill, and a pang of jealousy runs through me. Nope, I shake my head, I know where I am supposed to be tonight, I will watch over our girl from afar, and he can take out twice as many for me. He always does, or is it the other way around? I shrug, our actions tend to blend together in my mind.

“Because you are me, Ty, that’s why?” I quirk my brow as his eyes follow my line of sight.

“Have you seen her?” he asks, staring so hard, I am sure he wishes he has X-ray vision. If I close my eyes and pull on my power, I can feel her, well, her soul as it moves around in her house. I wish I could actually see what is going on behind those doors.

“Nope. She’s there though. I can feel her.” I tap my chest, and he nods, as if he feels the same way. I watch Ty stretch his arms over his head as darkness begins to take over the landscape below us. He cracks his neck to the side, and I instinctively do the same. My hands tingle as my magic knows exactly what time it is and my body itches to follow him. I shove my hands in my bowl of popcorn and toss a handful in my mouth, chewing it to distract myself.

“Where’s Rodyn?” I ask to take my mind off the fact that my twin is going down into the fight without me. I remember our first night here at the Academy. Our mother didn’t grant us the safety of our home to protects us. She took our Anchor keys and forced us to stay out all night and pinged our location to every student on campus. Even though we knew what to expect, nothing prepared us for the moment the floodgates opened, and everyone was out to end our lives. Heartless bitch.

“He’s with Sasha, she’s being extra clingy. He will be staying with her tonight.” He rolls his eyes, still looking towards Micah’s, his ringed thumb tracing his bottom lip, lost in thought. A part of me wants to walk over to Sasha Monroe’s and drag his ass out kicking and screaming. If he thinks he’s marrying her now, well, I can’t wait to see how that shit is going to play out. Always, the most dutiful of us, Rodyn isn’t fooling me. I think he did exactly what our mother asked of him in order to get close to her. Rodyn is like a viper, lying in wait, takin’ her shit, even this dumbass power grab of his betrothal, until he strikes Mother down with one swift blow.

“Do you think he’s going to ignore the Soul Tether?” I ask as the claxon sounds, alerting everyone who might be unaware to the call of the night. The first growls rend the air, followed by a scream that is quickly cut off, leaving behind a delicious silence. The first kill of the night. I sigh.

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