Page 36 of Unshaken

“Why would she do that?” I ask my words almost a whisper. I haven’t had a face to face with this woman yet, but gosh, when I do, there may be a few choice words.

“Because everything she does is for personal gain, even raising her children.” Trys lets those words hang heavy in the air. I’m outraged on their behalf. A lot of people shouldn’t be parents and don’t deserve to have children of their own.

“We were nine years old when we first murdered a man. Nine when our bloodlust awakened. Do you know what that does to a child? In order to push us to use our Necromancy powers, my mother locked us up inside a cold dark crypt, with no food, or water and told us that we couldn’t come out until we could reanimate the body. Ty and I suffered for five days. We were barely able to stand by the end of it, but we managed to do it. But that wasn’t enough for her. No. When she realized I could hold on to souls and Ty could wield the shadows, she locked us away again. This time with a man, bound and gagged, he was tossed into a cell with us, and she said if we didn’t learn to use our powerful gifts, she would leave us in there to rot. She had her perfect Warlock in Rodyn, we were expendable. Her honest to goodness exact words.” He smiles with his hand on his heart, and I can’t help the tears that run down my cheeks. Why would you do that to your own flesh and blood?

“I didn’t set out to tell you this story of my woe for you to cry, sunshine. I have too much darkness stored away up here to clear it away most of the time.” Trys points to his head and then to me. “I want you to know that no matter what, you have a light in you. A light you can find in the darkness. Yes, you awakened your Demonic side tonight, but I know that you will be able to control it.” He looks at me, and I see the truth in his eyes, and I want to believe it. I felt so out of control, I almost hurt Ty. I’m not sure if he is right, but I will damn well try to hold on to his belief in me.

“I never thought I could be anything but a slave to my darkness. I was just a shell of anger and rage, until the day I leapt out of a tree and into your path. That’s why you’re my sunshine. My only sunshine.” He smiles, and I wipe away my tears as he holds out his arms for me. I look at Esme sleeping peacefully, and I go to him, falling into his lap as he holds me close.

“As long as I’m with you, I’m not afraid.” He rocks me, comforting me through my own pain as well as his own.

I pull back and kiss his full lips, pushing back his wild mane. “Afraid of what?” I ask.

“Being lost forever.”

Twenty-Three

RODYN

“Have you seen my brothers?” I yell over the loud music bumping through the speakers throughout the house. Cardi B’s “Money”has the entire crowd in the front room pretending to be wannabe rappers as they dance and shout out the lyrics. Our house is packed with students from both The Towers and The Quads. After a particularly gruesome week, everyone wants to party. Friday and Saturday nights here at the Academy are always a celebration. I guess most of the students are just happy to have survived the week, so why not get piss-ass drunk and fuck the girl or guy next to you. Live like there’s no tomorrow is what I say. For most of these people, next week might be their last.

“I don’t think they’re here. Haven’t seen them all night.” Some random guy next to me yells back. I look over my shoulder and I can’t quite recall his name. Robert, Fred, fuck, I don’t know.

“Thank you,” I reply, moving through to a doorway in the house. The lights are dim, pink hazy smoke fills the room, followed by moans of pleasure. The smoke floating around the room is spelled to lower one’s inhibitions, and only lingers in this area. With a quick glance I see people are fucking in various positions, tits out, and cocks on display. It’s a playground of orgasms, slurping and sucking, and cries of pain and pleasure filter out of the door. It’s why I don’t go in.

This is where I would have found Trys not too long ago. He’s not here though. I can only guess he’s with her. If he is with her, then Ty is as well. If they’re not here trying to rip me apart, then it means she’s not dead. Fucking Wolves. It is so hard to find good help these days, or at least a decent killer with the balls to follow through. I curse myself for the poorly executed plan, I acted on it without thinking it through. That’s how desperate I am to get rid of Micah. Even as I think it, this stupid Tether between us pulls at my insides, wanting me to seek her out, and it only angers me further. No one controls my actions but me.

I move to the kitchen, and grab a beer as I go, wondering if maybe I went too far. No one is in here at the moment, so I lean against one of the black marble countertops, lost in thought.“Never regret your actions, Rodyn. If you don’t like an outcome of a choice you’ve made, then create an opportunity for others to fix it for you. Use those around you to your advantage. If you do this, you will never be beaten.”My mother’s words push to the surface of my mind, like black oil floating on the surface of water, ready to consume any positive thoughts that I have. Her words are like a plague, eager to blot out my own mental weakness. That’s how deep she is in my psyche.

Screams pull me from my thoughts, then people are running past me through the kitchen and out the back door. I place my beer down and make my way out of the room. I’m surrounded by chaos. People are pushing out of the front door, some finding windows to jump through as they run for their lives. That could only mean one thing. One or both of my brothers is here.

“Leave now or die. The party is over,” Ty’s voice booms over the crowd of partygoers as they scramble for the exits. I saunter through the house, following his voice when another scream rings out.

“Rodykins!” Sasha screams. I’ve been dodging her and her so called friends all night. Honestly, they’re all a bunch of leeches with makeup and fake tits in my opinion. Leave it to Ty to find her. Now I have to go and pretend to care. I find them in the main living room. The large flat screen tv on the wall is askew. The black suede furniture has been moved to clear the floor for dancing. Sasha’s friends huddle in the doorway, shrieking in terror as Ty waits for me to appear. His shadow magic undulates around him wildly, his face void of all emotion, poised to strike. Floating next to him is Sasha. Her legs are wrapped in shadow, hanging upside down, her tiny skirt reveals her very naked ass and pussy for the world to see. God, the girl is a thirsty bitch. I cringe at the sight of her thrashing and howling my name like a crazed banshee.

“Rodykins! I don’t know what games you and your brother are playing. Get him to put me down now!” she yells but I ignore her and face my brother.

He turns and barks at Sasha’s friends to leave, and they all scatter like flies on shit, leaving my dearly betrothed to her fate. “I take it you’re not here to party.” I fold my arms over my chest and wait for him to speak. Ty lashes out, his shadows slam into my chest. I let him take hold of me, there is no point of fighting when he’s like this. The living black mist wraps around me, lifting me, it squeezes me tight.

“Are you serious right now, Rodyn? You know why I am here. Don’t play dumb with me.” Ty’s voice is lethal, with the kind of calm that screams psychopath. He doesn’t go berserk like Trys. Ty is a viper: you won’t even see him strike.

“Rodykins! I’m getting dizzy,” Sasha simpers, interrupting us, and I just don’t have the patience for her shit.

“Sasha, shut the fuck up. Do you want to die?” I ask her furiously. She tries to look at me while she is flopping around like a fish on a hook out of water. It’s almost laughable. I am probably seeing things, but I know I just saw a smirk of Ty’s lips too. Of course, she begins to cry.

“No,” she sobs, and with a flick of my wrist I throw a silencing spell over her. I can’t be asked to care.

“You know, I am going to give you one more warning.” Ty walks towards me, leaving Sasha suspended, squeezing me with a vice grip in his shadow clutches. It’s getting harder to breathe but I don’t show any distress. “If you attempt to hurt Micah or Esme again, I will kill you myself. You’re a fool, Rodyn. Did you think it will not hurt you to harm her? The Tether has already formed between you. You would die, with her name still on your lips after a lifetime of pining for her. That’s it. Done. Is that whatyouwant?” he yells, his chest is heaving, and shadows leak from his black eye. He looks otherworldly, like a Demon possessed.

“Is that what her name is? Esme. I will have to remember that next time,” I reply, ignoring the rest because I don’t know how to answer. Is that what I wanted? Of course not, but I also don’t want fate to decide my future. On the other hand, didn’t my mother do that for me instead? She decided what our futures would look like.

I look at Sasha sobbing within the silencing spell, and I feel absolutely nothing for her anymore. Perhaps I never did. I think my fate was sealed the moment I set eyes on Micah Jones, and there is no way to get around it. I look at my brother as he tries to hold back his anger, his power continues to constrict my air, my eyes zero in on the new tattoo on his chest. A black infinity symbol that looks as if it’s moving. I don’t even have to ask, because deep down I know what it is.

I gesture towards his chest, lifting my chin to him. Hopefully changing the topic for now. “You’re branded. I assume you’ve completed the Tether to her now?” I ask, trying to ignore my feeling of jealousy. Why should I feel jealous? I don’t want her. Do I? Is this denial?

“Yes,” he answers simply.

“Trys?”

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