Page 4 of Unshaken

“What is it, Micah?” I hear my brother ask behind me. The sound of someone whistling has me quickly picking up the box and rushing out on to the circular driveway towards the entry gate to our house.

Wait, how did they get in without buzzing the gate?I wonder as I increase my pace. The whistle is loud and clear, it echoes down the street, but no one seems to notice it but me.

As I make it to the gate, one of our neighbors offers me a half-hearted wave as they pass by pushing their newborn down the sidewalk. They don’t acknowledge the whistling or the man in the black fedora and black pinstriped suit. It’s as if they don’t see him at all as he walks in the middle of the road. With his hands in his pockets whistling a tune I don’t recognize and looking like he’s without a care in the world. I almost second guess what I am hearing and seeing, but he stops, turning to face me he tilts his hat, offering me a brilliant smile. This mysterious man is hot. His eyes are hazel, richly captivating and draw me in, my heart thumps hard in my chest. As I watch him go, I want to follow.

“Did you hear me, Micah? You froze at the gate. I’ve been calling your name for a few minutes,” Marcus says as I slowly take my eyes off the man meandering further and further down the road.

“Earth to Micah.” Marcus waves his hands in front of my face, and I turn to give him my full attention as I cradle the box under one arm. His eyes immediately look down at it, eyebrows raised in question.

“I didn’t hear you calling me because of the loud whistling. Didn’t you hear it?” I ask him. Marcus narrows his eyes at me and walks up to the gate.

“What whistling?” He looks over his shoulder, eyeing me suspiciously. “Micah, it’s quiet.”

“The man walking down the street whistling just now.” I turn back to the gate and look in the direction the man was walking but there is no one there. I rear back in shock and step away from my brother. He turns, tilting his head to the side, again his eyes go back to the box under my arm.

“What man, Micah? All I see is Debra and Charles pushing their new baby. Are you OK?” He offers me a sad smile, probably thinking I have lost my mind to the grief of rejection.

“I’m not crazy, so stop narrowing your eyes at me like that. I know what I heard and what I saw. There was a man whistling down the street. He even turned and acknowledged me.” I turn and start to walk back to the house, not wanting to see the disbelief on my brother's face. There was a man, he was whistling. Right? I mean, I wouldn’t imagine that kind of thing.

I can hear Marcus behind me as he catches up with me and walks by my side. “Are we going to ignore the box under your arm? Or are you going to open it?” he asks, reaching out to touch it, but I move it out of his reach. For some reason I feel that this box is meant to be handled by me and me only.

“Can you at least read the tag underneath the flower?” he pleads like a kid at Christmas who wants to open their presents on Christmas Eve. That is definitely a big no in our house. I pull the box out from under my arm, stopping as we reach the porch. My brother leans against the white column across from me and I take the other one, needing support suddenly as I see the card poking out from underneath the flower. How my brother saw it and I didn’t is impressive to say the least. But Marcus is nothing if not observant. That’s why he will make one formidable Light Guardian.

“Come on, Micah, before Dad storms out here and demands what’s taking so long,” he begs impatiently but he’s right. We’ve been out here way too long. My father and mother will want to know what’s happening. I pick the card up. I read it once, then twice, maybe a third time. Marcus takes the card from my nervous hands easily, as my eyes slowly take in the box in my hands, he reads it out loud.

“Welcome to HellNight Academy, Micah Jones. The night calls you home.”

Well, fuck.

Three

MICAH

“Absolutely not, Micah.” I swear if my father doesn’t stop pacing the floor, he’s going to wear a trench into the tiles. Of course, my parents overheard what my brother read out loud on the front porch. Yes, they both had explosive conniption fits about it. For the last hour I have heard my father yell several obscenities into the air as he tries to convince me that HellNight Academy is a no go.

“HellNight Academy is a prestigious supernatural Academy.” I counter once again. It seems that both my parents have forgotten one crucial aspect about their objections. I don’t give a damn. I am a grown-ass woman. From now on I will decide what happens in my life and what direction it takes, not them, not anymore. So fine. I will let my father rage, but it’s all falling on deaf ears.

“You forgot to mention that it’s notorious for producing Dark Warlocks, Witches, and all the bad guys that walk the Earth. Vampires, Shifters, and Demons,” Marcus says with a shrug and continues, “You know all the run of the mill power hungry baddies that run our world.” If my eyes could shoot lasers my brother, he would be dust right now. He can’t possibly be siding with my father, but I guess he is a Light Guardian in training.

“Not everyone who attends HellNight Academy is evil. It’s a coincidence at best. HellNight takes in a variety of Supernaturals, just like Caelum—” I throw my hands up in exasperation, cutting myself off as I turn to my mother who’s been sitting quietly at the dining room table we’re all gathered at. The box that was awaiting me, is now placed in front of me, and my hands itch to open it. Again, I have a feeling that this is something I should do alone, so I ignore my own curiosity for a few minutes longer.

“Look, it’s obvious that I will not be getting an invitation to Caelum Academy. I think the third time should be a charm, don’t you? A big bad charm, but a charm none the less. So, it’s safe to say that they don’t want me.” I shrug.

“You don’t know that. We need to keep training you. You need to stay focused on the plan until—”

“Until what!” I yell. “Really, please tell me what else I can do to please your precious Angels, because I don’t think I can do it anymore.” My mother gasps in shock, her mouth is wide open. I have an urge to throw something in it I am so pissed off at her lack of words suddenly. She’s said absolutely nothing since we came back inside. Marcus frowns at me from across the table, and I have had enough of all of it.

“I can’t live my life like this. I’m a Witch. My magic calls to me just like yours does to you. Yet, you ask me to hold back, to limit myself for the sake of gossip amongst the other Witches in our community. I have mastered all that you have taught me, Dad. I have read every book and memorized every edict. It’s gotten me nowhere. I’m exhausted. Look at this opportunity HellNight Academy offers me. I have a chance to reach my full potential, to really see what I am meant to be in this world, because I’ve accepted that a Light Guardian isn’t it.” I sigh and stand, suddenly weary from everything that has happened in the past few hours. I don’t think anything I’ve said has gotten through to any of them, except Marcus. Marcus offers me a sad smile, and I can see the divide between us forming already. We were supposed to be a team, fighting the good fight together, it seems fate has other ideas. Picking up the box from the table, I turn to leave.

“I think this is for the best, Micah. HellNight is not for you. Think of the family. I think we are all a little shocked at this news. I think we should sleep on it.” My mother's disappointment is clear. I don’t even turn to respond at her half-assed attempt to finally address this issue. She clearly wasn’t listening. I said I was going. I almost asked what she was about to tell me before the doorbell went, but at this point it doesn’t matter. My parents would rather see me rot than for me to do anything remotely different. I had already made up my mind that I was leaving. HellNight Academy has given me more incentive to do so.

“Emotions are high right now, your mother’s right. We can discuss this over breakfast tomorrow, and then we can do some more training before Marcus returns to Caelum tomorrow.” I turn at my father’s words, the three of them sit at the table like the perfect Light Guardian family they are meant to be. Take me out of the equation and they are a shining example. I know then, even though I love them, that I will never be able to fit their mold, no matter how hard my father tries to squeeze me into it.

“Yeah, that sounds great. I will see you all in the morning.” I offer them a smile, clutching the box in front of me and turn away quickly. I didn’t miss Marcus’s narrowed eyes on me again. I am sure he already knows what I’m going to do.

Yes, they can all have breakfast together like a happy family. I won’t be here when they wake up.

It’s time for me to find my own way, no matter what the journey looks like.

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