Page 6 of Unbroken

"Ty, Trys, Rodyn, I need to—”

"Oh Brother, there’s no need for introductions. I think it is clear who I am, right boys?" A tall man stands in the doorway of the dining room, black shiny wings flex out behind him. He stands there as if he owns the world. The authoritative glare he pins us all with has my hackles raised.

Who the fuck is this guy? Did he just call Micah’s father, Brother? I step away from the table to observe him further. I can feel his power thick and heavy in the air. He saunters into the room. His muscular frame fills out an all-black three-piece suit. Dark brown skin, that seems to absorb the light, pulling it in all around him like a cloak of doom. Serious super villain vibes. He stands a foot taller than Bishop, black hair neatly cut, with eyes. . .his eyes, one such a pale gray it looks white and the other completely black. Heterochromia. . .just like. . .like me and Ty.

A red watch chain hangs from his pocket, swinging hypnotically as he moves. I follow the movement, unsure why, of all things, it's the one object I can't look away from. My brain is failing to piece all of this together, the one time I need to be firing on all cylinders and I’m short-circuiting big time. This is my. . .my. No!

"Fuck, Luc, I told you to give me a minute to talk to them," Bishop growls and steps into the man’s path, placing his hand on his chest.

"You're protecting my sons from me, Bishop?" He tsks. "I'm touched." He looks down to where Bishop’s hand sits right in the middle of his chest as the air around us shifts and Rook appears at my side, his eyes widening in alarm.

"Oh fuck, Lucifer," he mutters beside me, confirming the name I had already whispered to myself in the deep recesses of my mind. Lucifer is our father. It's almost laughable, but nothing about this shit is funny. I finally break my shocked stare and quickly glance his way. Oh, of all the Demons in hell, wait, he’s an Archangel. Wait. That would mean. . . I’m so confused.

"No shit," I say, my mouth works, finally. I’ve a million questions on my tongue.

Lucifer smiles and steps away from Bishop, raising one hand, he snaps his fingers. Rodyn’s head snaps straight ahead and he roars like an animal, losing his shit, he erupts into a full-blown rage and explodes like Mount Vesuvius.

I grimace as something begins to poke and prod at my own beast in the hopes that I would do the same. I grit my teeth as my own monster batters at its cage, the pressure builds as I slowly lose my will.

Wait.

Something's not right. My emotions, my actions, they don't feel like my own.

Plates, glasses, and cutlery hover in the air then shoot across the room like lethal torpedoes as Bishop and the fucking Devil throw up shields to block the blast from Rodyn’s ferocious attack.

The arched windows around the room begin to shudder, then glass blows out and shatters like a bomb had ignited. Rodyn begins to levitate as a tornado of furniture, glass, and debris swirl all around him. There's so much circling him that I lose sight of my brother, but not before I see a glazed-over look in his eyes. Something is definitely wrong.

Screams begin to break out around the castle as Ty's black Necromancer power pours from him so fast that it flows like a tsunami. My other half’s head is tilted back, eyes unseeing, arms stretched wide as he searches and seeks out Demonic lives to take. I can almost picture creatures dropping like dominoes one after the other.

"Stop!" Bishop shouts as the chaos erupts all around us. Rook rushes Lucifer but he is knocked off course, flying through the air until he shifts into shadow to avoid flying through the now open window.

Lucifer looks at me, his eyes are two burning orbs of flames, and he laughs. He throws his head back like he just heard the best joke of his life. "It would be the one with the least control over his beast to ultimately be the strongest. This is better than I imagined. So much better. You are a surprise, Trys. I thought Rodyn would be the one, but you are blocking me like a pro. But not for long." He steps towards me, and I ready myself for a fight. I am not about to be controlled. I was controlled and abused my entire life, and to watch my brothers succumb to his power only infuriates me. I throw up my own shield. I refuse to allow my Necromancy to be unleashed at another person’s bidding. Ty's is enough. For once, I let my thoughts clear. I am completely in control as I stamp down my Demon and fight the devil who calls himself my father.

"You do know who I am, don't you, Son? I am the first! The greatest of creations. No one defies me! You are mine. Mine!" Lucifer shouts as he continues to close the distance between us. He reaches out with one hand, creating an invisible wall to block both Bishop and Rook from getting to us. They both batter against the force separating us until Rook’s eyes widen then he vanishes from sight. I don’t get a chance to wonder what happened to him, I’m too busy fighting against the onslaught of my no longer absent father’s power.

Screams and shouts continue all around us. Shit is flying everywhere. The power in this room is damn near suffocating but I keep myself in check. I would be proud in any other circumstance. I am always the one to break first, but something is helping me keep my darkness at bay. It rises slowly at first, lending me strength, building one strand at a time until. . .until. . .

“Sunshine?” I whisper, then I feel it. No, I feel her. My sunshine. I smile, and for the first time in my life I let go. I let go and I let her save me. I let her save us.

“No!” Her voice booms through the room as Rook appears with her in his arms, which are protectively wrapped around her waist, until he places her on her feet. Her appearance fills me up with joy and I feel like I can finally take a full lungful of air now that she’s opened her eyes.

I sag in relief as the magic is sucked out of the room, like she’s somehow siphoning it all inside of her. Rodyn falls to the floor on his knees, panting heavily, and Ty follows suit, totally exhausted, they’ve used too much power, too much, too fast. I growl in Lucifer’s direction, but I don't get to retaliate as sonic waves explode from Micah. Her magic is the purest color of white I’ve ever seen. Lucifer is knocked on his ass. Bishop flies backward hitting the stone wall behind him as Rook and I both are left shielded somehow from her blast. It’s Micah 2.0 and I am swooning like a bitch in heat.

Micah walks with purpose despite being asleep for two weeks, she practically floats toward Lucifer. Her eyes are like two glowing suns, her presence is almost blinding as she comes to a stop, towering over Lucifer who shields his eyes against her brilliant light.

"No! They’re mine!" she shouts. Her chest heaves as she sways on her feet, but she remains standing. “You don’t get to come here and claim what’s not yours.” She steps back and the light around her dims, until finally, it’s just her, my sunshine, my Micah.

She’s back.

ChapterFour

ESME

The foothills of the Blue Mountains are a magical place. Soaring ridges of sandstone tower above me as I move with ease down a path I can navigate with my eyes closed. Rich green plant life grows tall and wide all around me in the valley of a massive ravine. My hand brushes against large ferns that seem to reach out to me in welcome.

This has to be a dream or a vision. I am aware that this is not real, but I can't open my eyes to break the pull it has on me, so my feet keep moving. Whatever this is, I must let it play out.

The sounds of waterfalls in the distance makes me quicken my pace. Nothing is more majestic than breaking out through the ravine into the algae slick stone landscape leading up to the falls. Water pours down from three sources, the river at the top of the cliffs, its waters trickle down from the snow-capped crest of the Blue Mountains itself. Wild and turbulent and full of unimaginable dangers. I remember the constant warnings against swimming for fear of the jagged rocks and the perilous undertow. But here at the base of the falls is where we celebrated, worshipped, and gave of ourselves to the Gods of the mountains.

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