by A. M. Hodges
"I didn't text for a response, P. I texted because you needed to know that you weren't alone in this. That you had a friend," she pulls away from me, fumbling with something in her hands.
"I wanted to give you this," she reaches out her closed fist as I open my palm. She drops into it, a thin gold chain that runs through two small holes poked into a brass bullet casing. My eyes shoot to hers and I stumble on something to say.
This time, she shakes her head at me, "There are no words needed, Reyna. You saved me that day. You have saved me every day since that day. My daddy would have liked you, so I wanted you to have a piece of his memory too. I want you to always remember that you are not what people say you are, that you are your own person, and that person is kind, and loyal and beautiful inside and out. So here it is," she takes the necklace and puts it over my head.
"Ten for my mom, ten for me, and one for you. You will always be a part of us."
I nod my head and hold back tears as I pull her into another hug.
We sit on the porch together for a while. She tells me stories of a man that I wish I would have gotten the chance to know. She laughs and cries as she tells me about her life. In the end she hugs me before going home. In the end, my heart is full, and I have another friend to say goodbye to.
After she leaves, I go up to my room. I have a bit of time before I have to be at the mansion. I've been spending most of my free time now reading Malatia's history. So far, I have figured out that the continents originally stood as one, under the name Aurora.
Almost two thousand years ago, long before the civil war in
Malatia, there was a war that is now known as The Splicing.
A dark rouge group challenged the monarchy, not agreeing with the way that they ruled. The Splicing was long, brutal, and took many lives before a truce was reached. To this day, no one knows what the truce entailed, but the truce created a second monarchy, now known as the continent of Angof.
Angof struggled immensely under a tyrant’s rule, not many of its people agreeing with the new order and detesting their new way of life since being separated from Malatia. The years that followed in Angof, until the war surrounding my birth, are known as The Reckoning. It is said that their suffering was their consequence for challenging the rule of Aurora.
None of this is surprising to me. What is surprising, however, is the very literal translations of the continents' names.
Aurora obviously means light. Angof's name translates oblivion.
But Malatia, their name mixed with the information that I received from a stranger that night in Atlanta, makes the hair of the back of my neck stand up. Malice.
I have a feeling that I should heed the stranger's warning. I know that I can trust Jeb and Lucah, but can I really trust anyone else? Can I even trust my brother? How could anyone stand for a place whose name is literally evil. Then again, I guess if it's all you've ever known, how do you know that it's wrong?
I need to do more reading before I say anything. Obviously, the guys wouldn't have given the book to me if they thought that anything sinister lied within it. They wanted me to learn about their realm, the realm I was born to rule. If they thought that it would send me running for the hills surely, they wouldn't have allowed me to read it, they would have just spun their own webs of deceit and I would have been none the wiser.
I close the ancient looking book and change into some workout clothes. After locking the front door behind me and taking off into a run, I reach the mansion within two minutes. I am getting faster and stronger. I no longer have any issues keeping up my wings and I can see the muscles defined throughout my body. I have even given Lucah a run for his money a few times while sparring. Jeb still knocks me on my ass without even breaking a sweat.
Today, when I step into the makeshift fighting ring, Lucah is nowhere in sight. Only Jeb stands there, shirtless and shining with sweat. There are two thin, slightly curved swords in his hands and a devilish smirk on his face. Damn, he is glorious to look at.
He throws one of the swords at my feet and gets into his fighting stance, "Pick it up, " he commands. Well then, I guess we are skipping the kisses and small talk today. Blood and sweat it is.
I do mean actual blood. My Fae heritage comes with highly enhanced healing, and Jeb and Lucah are not shy about putting it to good use.
Jeb gives me enough time to pick up the sword and get into my stance before lunging at me. We are a blur of skin, fabric, and clashing metal. Where he steps, I falter. Where he swings, I block. We are twirling around in a menacing dance. My form slips for just one second, and Jeb takes the opening, giving me a shallow cut from rib to hip. He steps back to let me gain my bearings.
I reach down to feel the blood already soaking my shirt before letting out a low growl and baring my teeth at Jeb. He responds by extending his arm and wagging his fingers at me to come at him again. I pounce, full of blood lust and fury.
He cuts me again, this time down my bicep, and I full on roar before tearing off my shirt and charging at him again. Minutes later, I watch his sword go flying across the ring. Seconds after that, my sword is aiming to sweep his legs out from under him. Before I know it, he is on the ground with me straddling him, my teeth barred and my sword at his throat.
He grins up at me. Pride, and I think a little arousal, shines in his eyes.
I blink and I’m on my back, sword flung out beside me, with Jeb pinning my hands above my head. My eyes are wide, and my breathing is labored as I stare up at him. The realization that we are both half naked, me in only my sports bra and spandex pants, in the middle of the yard sends tingles throughout my body.
Though the air isn't even a degree above fifty, I feel like I am on fire. Jeb leans down and kisses me hungrily. We hear nonchalant coughing from the patio and break our kiss, lazily dragging our attentions towards the noise. Lucah is standing there with his arms crossed and a shit eating grin on his face.
"I leave the two of you alone for five minutes," he chastises us jokingly.
We both flip him off before Jeb removes himself from on top of me, extending a hand to help me up. I look down to see that my cuts have already healed, the leftover blood coating my skin being the only evidence that they were ever there. Jeb seems to have had some cuts of his own, which makes me swell with pride.
We all sit together for dinner, Lucah keeping a noticeable distance from me. Jeb has enjoyed making Lucah the practice dummy for my empathic abilities. Two days ago, I convinced him that the sky was falling. He spent the entire night running around outside and going up to random people screaming that the sky was falling. He is lucky he didn't end up in a mental institution. Jeb and I still call him Chicken Little.
Last week, I convinced him that he was afraid of household appliances. He cried every time he walked into the kitchen and said the toaster was going to kill him. The week before, I convinced him that he could fly. It took Jeb three hours of convincing him that he could not, in fact, fly after we watched him jumping up and down, flapping his arms for about two hours.
We haven't focused on my water abilities much, but I am sensing that we will be soon with how well I am developing in everything else. I haven't used my doubt again. It’s too dangerous to practice on anyone. Lucah was downright suicidal for days. He keeps telling me that it’s okay, and he knows I didn't mean it, but my heart still twinges every time I see his usual confidence waiver.
We talk over a dinner of roasted chicken and rice before Jeb and I return outside to spar, sans weapon this time. It is well after dark before I head home. The old man’s truck isn’t there when I slow to a walk in front of my driveway. Instead, there are two police cars and Bobby Rae's, and old friend of Jackson, old suburban. My heart drops and I instantly shout for Jeb down the bond.
"Get here. NOW."
I walk up the driveway to the men waiting on our porch, already seeing the pity etched into their faces.
"Reyna," Bobby Rae’s voice thickens, "Honey, there's been an accident."
"Where is he," I choke, trying to maintain my composure.
"They med evaced him to the main hospital in Atlanta. He needs more resources than we have here at Woodberry General. It isn't good, Reyna."
I look up at Jeb, "Get me there, now."
He gives me a grim nod and pulls me and Lucah to the side.
"This is what we are going to do. Lucah, you are going to the crash site. I need to know every single detail about what happened and the damage to the vehicle. You know what to look for. Bring a car to Atlanta when you are finished," he barks the order, his role as a General easily falling into place.
Lucah gives a curt nod before taking off.
"What are we going to do," I whimper.
"We are going to fly, my love. I will have us there in an hour. Go throw on a few layers to protect yourself from the cold and then meet me at the mansion. We leave immediately after you arrive."
He brings me into a lung crushing hug, threading his fingers into my hair and planting a lingering kiss to the top of my head. With a deep breath he inhales my scent before reluctantly releasing me and pushing me towards the house. When I turn around to look back at him, he is already gone.
Chapter 17
The flight to Atlanta is unbelievably fast, and cold. My eyes are stinging, and watering and I am shivering when we arrive. Jeb wasn't lying, it was damn near freezing at the height we flew to remain unseen. I step through the hospital doors not even a full hour later, immediately rushing to the nurses’ station.
"Jackson Mathers, my father. Where is he?" I rush out in a panic.
She types on her computer for a moment before looking up at me, "He's on the third-floor honey, in emergency surgery," she motions to someone behind me, "Brian will escort you to that floor’s waiting room. I will page the nurses’ station up there and let them know that you will be there."
I nod and follow the nice orderly to the elevators, still shaking. I am trying desperately to hold it together, but I’m not sure how much longer I’m going to last. When we get to the waiting room the orderly asks me if he can get me anything. My brain can't even form a coherent sentence so Jeb answers for me.
"We will take some coffee if it isn't too much trouble," he says politely.
"Of course, no trouble at all," the orderly, Brian, replies, "I'll be right back."
Jeb ushers me over to a small sofa in the corner, sitting down next to me. He can tell that my control is on its last leg, no doubt because he can feel it through our bond. I curl up in a ball, laying my head on his lap. I am awake long enough for the orderly to return with our coffee before I doze off to sleep.
Sometime later, I wake up to see Jeb and Lucah huddled in a corner speaking in hushed tones. As usual, when I approach them, they immediately go silent.
"How are you holding up Princess?" Lucah asks.
"I've been better. It would be nice if we had some news from the doctor," I rub my eyes drearily.
Jeb makes eye contact with Lucah, sending an unspoken command. Lucah merely nods his head once and then heads off somewhere unknown to me. Jeb pulls me back to the sofa and we sit in silence. He has a fresh cup of coffee brought to me which I am grateful for. Although I’m not chilled to the bone anymore, the coffee helps warm the lingering cold.
A half hour later, Lucah returns to the waiting room with an arm full of snacks. It's been a long night. We've been here for hours already and still no word on my old man.
I am picking at a bag of potatoes chips when a doctor walks in.
"Ms. Mathers?" he asks looking at me.
"Yes, that's me," I jump up to meet him.
"My name is Dr. O'Connor. I'm so sorry that we are meeting under these circumstances."
"How is he?" I manage to keep my tone even.
"We managed to stop the internal bleeding in his abdomen and fix a collapsed lung and a laceration to his kidney, but I am afraid we could not get to the bleeding inside of his brain in time. We did everything we could to save him Ms. Mathers but I am truly sorry, there was nothing more we could do."
This time, there is no one to catch me as the world crumbles beneath my feet. My knees hit the floor as a sob breaks out of my chest. There is a vague awareness of Jeb shaking the doctor’s hand before he leaves the waiting room as I stare into nothingness, feeling my heart splinter inside of my chest. It hurts. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts.
My old man, the only father that I have ever known is gone. He's gone and I didn't even get to say goodbye. I didn't get to tell him how much I love him and need him to stay. I haven't even seen him in three days because of the hours he's been putting in at the station. I thought I had a lifetime of I love yous. I never imagined that there would be a final goodbye, not this soon. I feel like my body is being ripped in two.
The first crack sounds as Lucah runs to lock the waiting room door before my wings eject with force. I can hear the pipes in the walls groaning as the room begins to shake. I don't need the terrified look on Jeb's face to tell me that mine has changed. I’ve officially lost control.
I stand and cock my head at Jeb.
"Reyna. Reyna, listen to me my love. You have to calm down," he stands with his hands up submissively.
I snarl at him, taking a step closer.
"Reyna baby, listen. Listen to me. You have to stop," he pleads as water begins pouring in through cracks in the walls.
I will bring this building down in pieces. They will know my pain as I drown them all. Every last useless one of them.
I raise my hands as water begins to form a wave behind me.
"Reyna! Stop it!" Lucah shouts, "Listen to me! Stop it, just listen!"
I fling a hand at him and water cocoons around him from the neck down, holding him in place.
"HE ISN'T DEAD REYNA. DO YOU HEAR ME," Lucah is shouting as the water climbs up his throat, "HE ISN'T DEAD REYNA. LISTEN TO WHAT I AM SAYING."
I lower the water to Lucah’s shoulders and cocks my ear towards him, giving only seconds to explain before I bring this place to the ground. My eyes are still focused on Jeb’s face as he nods for Lucah to continue.
"I switched the charts, Reyna. Jackson is alive. It wasn't an accident. We are trying to protect him," he rushes out. It takes minutes for me to finally comprehend what he said, weighing the truth of his words. My head begins to clear as I will the water back to where it came, turning fully to face Lucah.
"What are you talking about," my tone is deathly calm. Jeb waves a hand at the walls, sealing up the cracks.
"It wasn't an accident, it was deliberate. Someone sabotaged the truck. I could smell Fae all over it. They need to believe that he is dead, or they will come back for him. So, I waited around at the nurses’ station, listening for someone who resembled Jackson. I finally heard of a man with no contacts or family, and I switched the charts," he explains.
My eyes slide to Jeb and he nod in confirmation.
"He's alive," my tension eases and my wings retract into my back. They nod in unison as they visibly relax.
"I need to see him," I demand.
Lucah looks to Jeb for an answer.
"Not yet my love. There are things we need to do first. Jackson, for all intents and purposes, is dead. We need him to remain that way. Which means we need your help." Jeb puts a hand on my shoulder.
I wait for him to continue.
"First, we need you to go and confirm that the body is Jackson. No one else can see him, no one else can know. You will need to plan the funeral, and you will need to make it believable that he is gone. We will take you to him in a while and he should be awake by then. You can say your goodbyes, but after tonight, you can never see him again," his voice drips with sympathy. My heart cracks again as I accept what needs to be done to ensure his safety.
"I won't need to make it believable," I whisper, "b
ecause he really will be gone. Alive, but gone."
They both stare at me sadly.
"He will be taken care of Princess," Lucah assures, "we will cover all the medical bills and the funeral, including the burial of the man who actually died. We will set him up in a new home with a new name. He will want for nothing. I promise."
I take a moment to collect my thoughts and then roll my shoulders back, standing up straight and steeling my nerves.
"Let's do this."
A nurse leads me to a room where I identify the stranger as Jackson, my heart swelling with remorse for the man. He has no one, not a single person who loves him to claim his body. I vow to make sure he has the best burial possible, a beautiful plot and headstone. It doesn't mean much now, but for his sacrifice to ensure that my old man can live, I will do it.
I spend two hours going over formalities and signing paperwork. When all is said and done, Jeb and Lucah take me to see the real Jackson. The scene cracks my heart a little bit more.
There is an IV and wires connected to him everywhere, displaying their data on various monitors. Both of his legs are in a cast, as well as his left arm which is casted to his side indicating that he has broken at least one rib. His face is swollen and battered, his head wrapped to hide multiple lacerations and stitches.
