Page 23 of Unshaken

“It looks like it’s just you and me, kitten. Magical History?” I pull out my tablet and my schedule pops up, and sure enough, that’s my first class.

“I won’t even ask how you know that,” I reply. Ty winks and holds out his arm for me.

“Good girl,” he says. His words wash over me like a delicious caress, and I have to bite down the moan that wants to escape.What the fuck just happened?I wonder as he stands there still holding his arm out. I guess we are just going to stand here because I will not be taken to class this way, but I don’t want to be late either.

“Fine.” I throw my hands up because I have a feeling he will be able wait me out. I grab my bag and toss it over my shoulder. I loop my arm through his and he pats my hand.

“Good girl,” he purrs.

Yep, it’s official, I’m a good girl. I chuckle softly to myself.

I am in so much trouble, and it’s only day one.

Fifteen

TRYS

My ears are burning. As soon as Micah is seen with Ty and I the rumors will spread like wildfire. I leisurely stroll through Lux Hall, the large white marble walls with a vaulted glass ceiling bathe the main hall in bright sunlight. Massive gold vases with white dahlias are intricately placed in the alcoves and on side tables, giving the place an almost angelic touch. The interior of this building is the direct opposite of the dark gothic exterior, and I can only assume that it was planned this way to throw its students into a false sense of security. By day, you can almost feel a normality in the air. My fellow students breathe easier knowing that as long as the light shines down on them, they are safe to learn without danger lurking in the shadows. I almost laugh. I am the shadows, and so are my brothers. Night or day, nothing changes within my dark demeanor, hence the parting of the crowd like the Red Sea as I slowly make my way down the hall to Magical History.

I hear the whispers, and every time someone says Micah’s name, I want to pounce on them and cut out their tongues to keep her name out of their mouths. They don’t deserve to speculate about the new girl. Fuck, she isn’t a girl; she is long legs, more than a hand full of tits, and pink luscious lips that I want to kiss raw all the time. My sunshine is all woman, and definitely older than most of the students here. Hell, technically she should be within her last year of education at any Academy by now. She doesn’t belong here, but fate dropped her in my lap.

I guess I have my mother to thank for that. She is up to something, but what, I have no idea. I do plan to find out though. We are halfway through the first term; it isn’t like her to admit any new students this far into the year.

The tug in my chest has my eyes scanning the crowd. Micah has her arm hooked through Ty’s, and I fight hard to keep my resting bitch face in place. I understand her reluctance. I get it, we aren’t the type to go pining after anyone. Especially the opposite sex. They come to us willingly. Micah is an unknown, like Ty said, she was unexpected, we didn’t see her coming. I want to work for it. To work for her. I am almost certain it has everything to do with wanting to complete the Tethering between us. It is pushing us to give in; I don’t want to fight it and neither does Ty. Micah, well, we will have to see. She said she doesn’t want to reject us, but as we learn more about what being bound to each other means, will she eventually renege?

I growl deep in my throat just thinking about it, scaring the girl next to me who immediately opts to cut up the double staircase leading up the second floor to get away from me. I think she’s in our class, poor thing, she’s going to be late taking the long way around.

Micah laughs at something Ty says and she nudges my other half playfully, my cold heart flutters to life for the first time in what feels like forever. For the first time in my entire life so far, I begin to feel. Again, it sounds crazy. Who believes in love at first sight? It’s utter bullshit. But this, the acceleration of my pulse, the butterflies in my stomach at the light she shines on us, it makes me want to be happy and I can’t help but wonder if there is truth to love at first sight.

I watch as Ty ushers Micah into our first class, and I pick up the pace to catch up with the two of them. I don’t want anyone else sitting next to her but us, especially when I can feel the shit storm brewing on the horizon with the arrival of fucking hurricane Rodyn and his fucked-up band of merry ass kissers.

Students are slowly filing in, each one of them going to their assigned tables. Ty and I never share with anyone else, so when I spot Micah sitting next to him, I am thrilled and excited for her to share our space with us. I wonder if she’ll move into our house. Scratch that thought Trys, that’s way too far, too fast. Or is it?

“Did you miss me, my beloved sunshine?” I ask sliding in next to her as she begins to get all studious on us pulling out her notebook and pens, with her tablet at the ready. She’s so cute.

“I promise you just left me moments ago, Trys—wait", she stops and looks between the two of us like she has a burning question on the tip of her tongue. “Are your names truly Ty and Trys? Or are those shortened versions?” Ty and I go quiet, the only people that call us by our real name’s is our mother when she wants to assert her will upon us, and a few professors. Although, the latter would be scared to death to do so in front other students. This is a crucial moment for us both. Do we let her in completely or do we skirt around it? I look over her head, Ty nods giving me permission speak.

“I am Trystan, and the brooding one next to you is Tymond.” I do a mock bow, and she looks between the two of us with her nose scrunching like she can’t picture calling us that.

“See.” I shake my head. “You think it’s ridiculous as well. Do we look like a Trystan and Tymond to you?” She looks at me and then Ty, who mirrors her scrunched up face and shakes his own head no with her.

“Ty and Trys it is, gentlemen.” She laughs, and Ty’s mouth lifts a fraction at what we just shared. For us, that was a lot. There is power in giving one's name. Especially for Necromancers, and it’s our guarded secret to keep those names from the lips of our enemies, and boy, do we have a lot.

Suddenly, Micah grabs her Anchor key, and the shiny black metal begins to heat up in her clinched fist. She holds it away from her clothes with one hand and rubs at her chest with the other, and I immediately know who’s walked through the door. Micah’s face shoots up in alarm, searching the room until her gaze widens in shock, as if she’s gasping from pain. I want to reach out and take it from her but touching someone else’s Anchor key is damn near forbidden.

Here we go.

“Rodykins! I thought you said we were ditching this class today,” Sasha says in her too tight uniform, her tits pushed up so high that if she bent her head, she could probably swallow them. Long black flat ironed hair falls down her back, and she wears so much makeup I could chisel it off with a knife. Not a bad idea really, but I can’t touch her because this marriage is crucial to my family's future success. My mother's words, not my own. Sasha Monroe is the daughter of Nelson Monroe, an affluent Warlock my mother has wrapped around her little finger. My mother does nothing without gaining something for herself first. She doesn’t give a shit about Rodyn’s happiness, although happiness isn’t something she considers when it comes to us anyway. She gave Rodyn an order, and of course, he obediently obliged.

“I changed my mind, Sasha. Plus, I have to see if the rumors are true.” Rodyn’s eyes turn to us, and the smile on his face is absolutely feral. If being in Micah’s presence is affecting him at all he doesn’t show it. But his jaw is clamped so tightly, I can see it working underneath his skin. I guess she is getting to him after all.

Rodyn stops next to our table. Micah has somehow managed to lay her Anchor key over the lapel of her blazer. It isn’t glowing anymore, and I can only assume it is because he is standing close by. Sasha, frowns, looking from us to Rodyn and then to Micah with a question in her eyes, then she opens her mouth and stupid falls out.

“Is this the girl everyone’s been talking about?” she scoffs, looking back at Rodyn’s entourage for support. In the very back of the line are the two students we caught last night outside Micah’s house, and I watch as the blood drains from their faces when I notice them. This only proves our suspicions. Rodyn orchestrated the attack in his attempt at trying to get rid of a problem. Well, Micah is far from anybody's problem.

Micah studies Rodyn for a bit, ignoring the jabs and whispers from Sasha and the others. My brother doesn’t look like us, he is taller, and broader with a shit ton of muscle. His brown skin, is like dark honey and his hair is cut short, faded at the sides, with black slick waves at the top. He is control personified, the complete opposite of Ty and me. He is always so pristine, not a piece of clothing out of place. He hates our mother, but he is practically her twin.

Micah continues to look at everyone around us, her eyes widen a fraction when she notices the same students from last night. Then she looks at Sasha, offering her a kind smile, even when Sasha is sneering like a dog. Micah’s eyebrow lifts, and Ty leans on his elbows, resting his chin in his hands and waits for the exchange. It takes everything I have not to jump out of my seat, but I want to see how our girl handles herself. I can tell the moment it all falls into place. She figured it out. Micah stands and holds out her hand to Rodyn. To anyone else it was polite, a simple greeting, but I know that as soon as they touch, we will know for sure he is her Soul Tether too. I can feel the magic buzzing between all of us, and there is no denying the pull to her.

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