Page 26 of Unshaken
“She’s a child. Our child, and I won’t have them trying to take my daughter away from me, Verity, because they are afraid of her. I will train her myself. I can already feel the other families pull away from us. What if we can’t find her a match? Will she be ostracized from our community?” I can feel my daddy’s panic, and I sob into my hands. What is wrong with me? How can I kiss this better?
“She won’t—”
“They will question our lineage, Verity. No one in my family holds that type of magic and neither does yours.” My daddy’s voice is low, mean even.
“Like I said, our daughter is special, and in time the Council and the Angels will recognize her strength, and she will be a commanding Light Guardian. She will make us proud,” my mother says, and I hope, really hope that she is right. I want my family to be proud of me. I’ll work hard and do my very best.
“I hope you’re right, Verity, because I fear the alternative.” Heavy feet march toward the door and I try to run away but the door opens and my father steps out.
“Micah,” He calls my name, but I keep running to my room. I don’t want him to be mad at me. I don’t want to disappoint them. I want them to love me.
Large hands grab me from behind, lifting me off the ground. My daddy turns me towards him, and his face falls as his tears and mine run down my face.
“Don’t cry, baby girl,” he coos, holding me with one arm so he can wipe away my tears with the other. “You weren’t supposed to hear that. My little spy.” He smiles, and I smile through my tears.
“Are they going to take me away from you, Daddy? From Momma and Marcus? I will be good. I promise. I can learn. I’ll do whatever you tell me, honest.” My voice climbs higher with every word, and I start crying. I want to stay with my family.
“No one is going to take you away from us, baby. I won’t let them.”
My eyes spring open, my heart is racing as I sit up looking around at my room, trying to remember how I got here. My dream, my father’s embrace still clings to me as things start to fall in place. After I calmed down and took control of my magic, I couldn’t go back to class, and the thought of trying to go about my day as if nothing had happened didn’t appeal to me at all.
My only thoughts are that I need to contact my mother. I don’t have the urge to talk to my father, because I know that if anyone has answers, it will be her. My mind goes back to the other day, right before the doorbell rang. There was panic in her eyes as she said she wanted to tell me something. Was that it? Was she going to tell me something about my father? My real father. That I am half Demon? How in the hell did a Demon get their claws into her though? I think in quick succession as I ponder the possibilities.
My mind lingers on my dream, my subconscious is searching for answers as well. I can still hear the love in my father’s voice as he held me close, with his promise to protect me. My father was hard on me from that day forward, pushing me physically, helping me to push down the power within myself, shaping me to be like everyone else around us. I know he meant well; it breaks my heart to know that he is not truly my father. It’s going to hurt even more if he already knew it. I can’t help the guilt I feel at the way I reacted the other day, but I can’t take it back either. I wish I could have left things between us on better terms at least.
Ty brought me home. He refused to let me walk, even after I insisted, he carried me all the way here, and I knew that would only fuel the rumor mill as students eyed us like hungry Wolves, eager for any scrape of gossip. I am going to be the talk of the Academy. Epic fail, Micah, day one was a bust.
I immediately find my new phone and power it up, finding all my old numbers have been synced to my new one. I don’t know how they managed this, but maybe they had some magical pixies who flew around and took care of all these things. Again, I don’t know. I am just happy my phone is working, and I can call out.
I plan to call my mother first. I don’t know if time works differently here, I had failed to ask. I make a mental note to ask Esme, if I ever manage to bump into her again. The way she sped away after breakfast, I have a feeling she will be avoiding me like the plague. I am a shitshow walking at the moment. It doesn’t make the ache in my chest for her go away, unfortunately. For fucking Rodyn either. The bastard. His rejection stung, but I wasn’t surprised really, not with that leech with her too tight uniform and tits up to the heavens clinging to him like her life depended on it. As far as I’m concerned, she can keep him. I didn’t ask to be Tethered to him, and I’m damn sure not pining for his ass for the rest of my life. So, I will find a way to sever the bonds between us.
I call my mother. The phone begins to ring as movement from outside of my room has me jumping out of my bed, walking through to the living room with my phone to my ear. Ty and Trys are sitting on my couch, talking softly to each other without a care in the world. As if they belong here with me.I wouldn’t say I hate it,I think to myself. How had I not heard them when I first woke? The phone continues to ring, but I arch my eyebrow in question as they turn their gaze to me. Ty waves his hand in an arc, and with a popping sound his voice comes out loud and clear. Now that’s something I am definitely going to need for him to teach me. I could get behind turning the volume down on a lot of people in my life.
“I wasn’t going to leave you alone,” Ty says determinedly, not giving me any room to argue. I nod appreciatively, offering him a small smile of gratitude. The way he held me close, protecting me, it only endears him to me more. I huff as the phone continues to ring. Where is she? My mother always answers.
“I brought your bag back, sunshine, and decided I wasn’t leaving either. Not at least until you woke up. Oh, and don’t worry, I went around to the rest of your classes and told the professors you had a family emergency, so they won’t hold it against you.” He salutes, and I return his salute with a smile. He didn’t have to do that. I look at these two wild creatures sitting in my house, and my heart warms to them. They could have left me to it today. They could have laughed and pointed with everyone else as I fell apart, but they had my back. They took care of me in their own way.Then claim them, they’re yours.The words are a whisper in the back of my mind, but it’s not Rook, it's mine.
“You’ve reached Verity Jones, Headmistress of Caelum Academy. I am away from my office, and I will endeavor to return your call as soon as I can. Please leave your message at the beep.” I stare at my phone. I didn’t know my mother had a voicemail for her office phone. She is always there. Her office phone calls connect to her cell phone, so she doesn’t miss any. She’s a control freak, she would never. I pause at the beep sound.
“It’s Micah. Please call me back. We need to talk.” I hold the phone, wanting to say more, but I stop myself, hang up and call my father.
“Thank you,” I say to the both of them as they watch, not a blink in sight, and I don’t find it uncanny. They look at me like they don’t want to miss a move I make, taking me all in like I am a puzzle they want to solve.
“Always, kitten, always.” Ty nods as if it was his pleasure. Maybe it is.
“You stole the words from my mouth, Ty. I’m shocked,” Trys says with a pout.
“My words are your words,” Ty says in an exasperated tone that makes me smile.
As they talk amongst themselves, my father’s phone goes to the voicemail. I hang up. Not bothering to leave a message. I honestly called him because he would know my mother’s whereabouts. My heart aches for him, because I have a feeling my father and I have both been living under false pretenses. Or at least I have. I really hope he hasn’t lied to me as well.
I hang up and I roll my shoulders back, trying to find the courage I need to make the next call. If I am going to tell anyone the truth today, it will be my brother. He is my everything, and we don’t hold back from one another. I dial his number and wait for him to pick up. The emotions I feel make my knees weak, so I perch on the arm of the couch.He is still my brother, no matter what,I reassure myself as his phone goes to voicemail.
“It’s Marcus Jones. You know what to do.” At the sound of the tone an eerie feeling runs through me as I open my mouth to leave him a message. What are the chances that no one in my family would pick up their phones? We live in a world of modern technology, there is no way they wouldn’t answer. Somethings wrong.
“Marcus, it’s Mi. Emergency call back, please.” I hang up feeling so drained. The weight of my situation is pressing down on me, and I find myself gravitating toward Ty and Trys and perch on the arm of the couch.
“I am sure there is an explanation in regard to this, kitten. Maybe, your parents were trying to protect you. Either way, it changes nothing in my eyes. In fact, it only makes you more appealing,” Ty says as he reaches for me and pulls me down from the arm of the couch. He tucks me in between him and Trys. The warmth of their bodies is all consuming, our arms touching sends shivers through me. I shift my hips, but there is nowhere to go. I am in the middle of a twin sandwich, and although the idea of the two of them is enticing, I know that I can’t take things further with them. I can’t risk making this Tether permanent, it’s too soon. Or is it? My mind is seesawing back and forth, but something is pushing me towards this. The pull of our connection is calling to me, urging me to solidify the Tether between us. To make them mine forever.Claim them.I shake my head, trying to clear my wayward thoughts.
