The Shattered Genesis (Eternity)

by Rudacille, T.

Yes. I cursed.

  “Get yourself under control before you come downstairs.” His eyes glared into mine, “James, you are responsible for her. If anything happens, I will throw all of you out. Is that understood?”

  “We are leaving! And he most certainly is not responsible for me!” I exclaimed angrily before storming away.

  “You can't leave! There's no safe place out there for you, Brynna! Your father is looking for you! He has a bounty on your head! You have nowhere to go!”

  “Ignore her. She's just having one of her little girl tantrums.” James told him loudly as he leaned against the wall.

  I turned around, walked up to him, and slapped him so hard across the face that Don gasped.

  “What the f...” James started to say but I hit him again.

  “I am already livid. My fury is directed right at you. Do not tempt me to commit violent acts. Do you understand me?!” I growled furiously after my eyes had turned red.

  “Let me tell you something, you crazy...” James began.

  I turned and huffed away before opening and closing the door to Violet's room. Her suitcases were still lying on the floor, only half-empty. We had been in Don's house for weeks and still, she had not unpacked completely. I wondered if perhaps she was wary of staying or if she knew that I would make us leave. For a moment, my heart jolted in guilt. How could I uproot their lives when I knew how much they loved living there?

  Because two women were killed and those other people in the house enjoyed recklessly indulging their most carnal inclinations. Because heavy drug use was not only allowed, it was encouraged. What more did I need to know?

  The door to the room slammed and James stormed up to me. His hands grasped my upper arms painfully as he spun me to face him.

  “That is enough!” He snarled with his face close to mine, “You are not going anywhere. Your father wants you dead. If he gets you alive, there is no saying what he'll do to you! I am not going to have that on my conscience. Have I made myself perfectly clear?!”

  “Do you really think that I am going to obey your orders like I am some intellectually insufficient, pitifully smitten schoolgirl, James Maxwell!? I will not stay here another day and you will not follow me! What happened to Penny is your fault! You were high and you were not there for her!”

  “Newsflash, sweetheart, neither were you!”

  I swung my fist up to hit him but he grasped my wrist firmly. Beneath his fingers, the bone began to break. I barely winced.

  “Hit me again and watch what happens.” He warned me and now his eyes were blazing red, too.

  “Let go of me!” I shouted at him before pushing him with my free hand. “If I had not been going downstairs to check on you, I never would have breathed in that smoke! It is your fault that I wasn't there for Penny! You were so recklessly stupid! You were so childish, wanting to get high because all of your stupid friends were! You are so stupid, James!”

  The hand I was pushing him with flew up to slap him again. That was when whatever fragile hold he had on his anger was lost. That was when whatever remaining juice from the Peace Fruit that was flowing through his veins whispered angrily to him that he had to defend his physical health and his masculinity.

  James had been gifted with great strength. As a result, in a physical fight, he would inflict great damage on me. I wished that I had remembered that, but it was too late by the time I realized it.

  His arms wrapped around me and lifted my small body up. Then, he slammed me down hard on Violet's bed. Despite the thick padding between the two coverings, my back hit the hardwood floor beneath the bed.

  Do you remember how I described to you the feeling of one cornered? Well, when James pinned my arms above my head with one of his hands, I fought with that same desperate, mindless, intensity. I forgot the notion of suppressing my fear in order to avoid being seen as weak. I screamed and kicked him. I lunged forward, trying to sink my teeth down into his throat. Nothing, not even my best effort, could successfully subdue or even weaken him.

  He was hissing insults at me through his clenched teeth. If he was to be believed, I was both a female dog and a mental patient. Most disgustingly, he spat out a derogatory slang term for a woman's lower anatomy once or twice. I fought to free myself from his grasp, all the while bracing for the moment when his fists began to rain hard, excruciating blows upon me. I had fought my father just like that so many times. I could not believe that the man I loved was capable of the same cruelty.

  “James, stop it!” I screamed after dodging the first punch he threw at me, “JAMES! STOP!”

  The second punch landed hard on my jaw.

  I was horrified to see that his eyes had dissolved back into that deep blue of the fruit's juice. Somehow, the Peace Fruit (so stupidly named) still held him in its grasp.

  His free hand was tugging at my sweatpants in a struggle to pull them down.

  “James, please don't! James, please stop!”

  Consider it shameless. Consider it weak. I know that I do still. I was almost in tears as I begged him. I was unable to picture any scenario more horrendous than James, whom I loved so incredibly much, assaulting me in the most terrible and unforgivable way.

  “James! Please, honey, this isn't you! JAMES!”

  His teeth sunk down into my shoulder. I landed a perfect kick between his legs and his jaws released. We both howled in pain together.

  “Honey, please! James, stop!” I whispered to him as he gathered himself back up. I was struggling to free my wrists from his firm grasp again. “Look at me. James, honey, look at me!”

  The door came crashing down. James looked up and his grip released. I swung my fists up in a fury and managed to hit him several times in the face. I did not care who had arrived just in the nick of time. I only wanted to inflict as much physical damage on James as I could for what he had just attempted.

  Of all the people on Pangea, Adam was my “rescuer.” He shouted over his shoulder, presumably at Violet, Alice and Quinn to stay back. Terrified, they nodded and shrunk away. Adam threw James backwards, shouting in a language unknown to our kind. Even in my state, shock registered upon hearing James shout back at him in the same tongue. The evolution apparently had intellectual side effects beyond what I had previously believed.

  James’s new strength was a force to be reckoned with. But Adam had lived for thousands of years with the same power and as a result, even my boyfriend did not stand a chance against him. Adam threw James back into the wall, shouting still and trembling in a rage that could have shook the ground beneath our feet. They fought for several minutes and I laid on the bed, curled up in a ball, shaking with sobs that never came. Tears brimmed on my eyes as I buried my face in my hands but I did not shed them. Still, even after all that had just happened, I could not cry.

  “Don’t hurt him…” I managed to gasp out when James gave a shout of pain.

  I loved him still. I knew that he was not himself. Sure, he would have to deal with my terrible anger while he won back my trust. I wondered briefly if he would even try to resolve the issues that were now standing firmly between us. A tugging part of my cynical heart told me he would not.

  “Adam, stop!” I shouted after turning over onto my side to look at him.

  Adam looked back at me before grabbing a hold of James’s shirt and hauling him over to the door of Violet’s bedroom. With an almighty thrust, he threw him into the hallway.

  “Elijah!” I screamed when my brother immediately went for his throat, roaring in protective rage.

  “Don’t!” Adam shouted deafeningly. The house trembled in fear at the sound. Elijah hissed at Adam but released his grip on James. I did not see James run.

  Other people had gathered in the doorway, thirsting for a show of drama. A front row seat was coveted by all; their lives had no meaning, I decided. They needed to witness theatrical events in order to feel fulfilled. Perhaps they even held themselves in higher regard as they watched me, knowing their lives had not taken such a tra
umatic turn. Only through noble actions of their own were they spared from experiencing my pain.

  Adam’s hands, so rough in texture but so gentle in movement, pulled my pants up. I covered my face, feeling the skin of my cheeks burning in a humiliation so toxic, I believed it would be the poison that ended me. I could not understand his words, for he was speaking in his language, but his tone was gentle, soothing. The beast of Pangea was trying to calm me.

  “Make them go away.” I whispered to him.

  Instead, he picked me up with ease and ran from the room. I closed my eyes, feeling the air whizzing past me as he bolted from the house, over the lawn and into the trees. When he laid me down in a soft patch of grass beneath a towering oak, I looked up at him.

  In the mid-morning sun that shined through the trees, the color of his eyes seemed to glow. Reflected back at me, I saw both a fearful concern and a desire to quiet the thunderous emotional storm inside of me. His hand rested on my face as he leaned down to kiss my forehead tenderly. His lips moved down my face, pressing to both of my still burning cheeks, my nose, and both of my closed eyes. Just as his mouth stopped to hover above mine, he pulled away.

  “I do apologize,” He muttered after looking away from me, “I have allowed my human side to get the better of me.”

  I shook my head and sat up quickly.

  “Thank you.” I said without a scrap of actual gratitude in my voice. Perhaps it was an old habit unable to die, but I still could not trust him completely. In fact, I could not trust him at all. He had saved me in the interest of a motivation that was not clear to me. His tenderness from a moment earlier was simply meant to make me drop my guard.

  “I know that you do not trust me, Brynna, and for that, I am very sorry. I did not present myself to you as I should have. Killing your people was an action on my part that was not pondered through completely. I did not think of the consequences. I only thought of Purissimus.”

  “Did you encourage Don to eat the Peace Fruit?” I asked.

  “Yes. I did.”

  “Why?”

  “Such reckless indulgence is so fitting of his persona, is it not?”

  “I suppose so. I would just like you to be aware of the consequences. My younger sister killed a man today. That man had assaulted and murdered two women. Penny caught him in the act. A few others have died, though I do not know how. I only know that they have been killed.”

  “Some went willingly. The Peace Fruit enhances that which will invoke a state of peace, hence the name. For some, that peace could only be achieved in death. They wanted to escape all that is happening here.”

  “If you had left us alone…”

  “My reasoning behind this war will make itself evident to you in time.”

  “I doubt that sincerely.”

  “I am sure you do. Just know this, Brynna: I am not your enemy. Your disgusting male partner may plant distrust of me in your mind but it is a lie.”

  “Another consequence of you encouraging Don to give us drugs was what James did to me. His eyes were still blue.”

  “Yes. The Peace Fruit has been known to cause grisly after-effects in those that ingest it.”

  “I have an idea, Adam and it is a very admirable one.”

  “I would love to hear it.”

  My eyes darkened as I looked at him. My voice trembled with fury as I spoke.

  “Stay away from me. Stay away from my sisters and brother. Stay away from the house. Slink back into your city and live out your miserable, immortal existence far from us. Stop interfering in our lives and tempting us with things we do not need. I do not care about your reasoning. It will not become clear to me because I will not think of it for even one moment.”

  I expected my own anger to come back at me, swinging wildly and in indignation. I expected, at the very least, a flash of hurt in his eyes. But alas, I must have forgotten briefly who I was dealing with.

  Adam chuckled softly and a chill swirled down my spine. He leaned forward and ran his finger down the length of my face.

  “Your anger is admirable. Your spirit is strong. I find you fascinating, Brynna Olivier.”

  “I find you aggravating,” I smacked his hand away, “Do not touch me.”

  I stood and turned to run back to the house.

  “I wish you the best of luck in repairing what has been broken between you and your mate. He loves you very much.” Adam said as he followed after me.

  “Why are you walking behind me?” I turned around to walk backwards. I did not like being in his presence and not having my eyes fixed on him at all times. As I have said, I did not trust him or his unsavory intentions.

  “I am seeing you home.”

  “I do not need you to see me home.” I replied irritably.

  “Believe me when I say that you do.” He smiled arrogantly.

  “What is it with stalking men? Do you have no pride in yourself? I believe my message to you just now was very clear. Can you not gather that I want nothing more to do with you?”

  “Consider it gathered, my dear.”

  I turned back around and rolled my eyes skyward. I could not imagine a man more annoying. I could not imagine a man more intimidating. The two traits were strange in their coexistence.

  When we reached the house, I opened the front door, ignoring the stares of those who had clearly been awaiting my return. Just as I stepped inside, his hand grasped my wrist gently. I shuddered as a warm, tickling sensation traveled slowly up my arm. When his other hand took my other wrist, the same feeling took hold. The two currents ran until they finally joined together at my wounded shoulder. I closed my eyes as I felt the skin mesh back together, knowing that the evidence of the gaping bite-marks had been erased.

  “Your wrists were broken.”

  Adam’s voice snapped me out of my drunken daze.

  “Your shoulder was still bleeding, also. You will find them all as strong as the day you were born. Goodbye, my beauty.”

  He zoomed off across the field, gone from my sight as quickly as he had emerged. As the effects of his healing power wore off, I registered what he had called me. I groaned loudly and stomped my foot in disgust. I hated him. I hated how his very nature baffled me. Whatever armor guarded his heart could not be breached even by my most stinging rejection. Instead of musing for hours on such an annoyingly frustrating tendency, I silently resolved to find another way. Surely, there was some way to hurt him.

  When I returned to my room, Penny was still asleep. Violet, Elijah, Alice and Quinn were waiting for me but I quickly shooed them away. I needed peace and quiet. I needed to sleep as my sister was.

  “We will talk about this when I wake up. I need some time alone.”

  “Brynna, I’ll kill him when he gets back…”

  “You will do nothing of the sort. Goodnight.” I closed the door and walked slowly back to the bed. I laid down beside Penny, not even bothering to change my clothes or cover myself with the thick, animal-skin blanket.

  I just closed my eyes.

  XXX

  A note from Violet was on the nightstand, placed right where my eyes would fall when they opened. She and Elijah had taken Penny downstairs to get some food. Don said that I was excused from work responsibilities for the day. She loved me. I sighed and rolled my eyes to the sky. What a terribly odd situation…

  I moved into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Over the rushing water, I did not hear the door open, but I did feel his presence in the room. I did hear his rapidly beating heart. My body braced for a physical blow or his rough hands throwing me down onto the floor. I was prepared to fight him to the death if he tried to hurt me the way he had earlier in the day. It would break my heart, quite literally, to hurt or kill him. But I would not be assaulted so terribly again.

  Instead of pain, though, I felt only that warmth. I closed my eyes as my body and mind bathed in it. His arms were wrapped around me from behind and his forehead was pressed to my back. I shuddered as his lips moved over my shoulders
, up my neck and to my ear.

  “I’m so sorry.” He whispered, and I heard a crack in his voice. “Brynna, I’m so sorry. I love you so much. I’m sorry.”

  “How many berries did you eat?” I asked him firmly.

  “What?”

  “How many berries did you eat?”

  “That’s a random question, baby.” His voice still betrayed great pain and guilt.

  “Answer it.”

  “Three. Why?”

  I turned to him and threw my arms around his neck. For the first time, I saw him cry. I could not imagine his guilt. I could not imagine his sadness. I had suffered pain at his hands. He loved me tremendously, passionately, and yet, while under the influence of that terrible fruit, he had harmed me. I knew that it had not been him.

  “Promise me that it will never happen again.” I whispered.

  “Never, baby. I promise. Brynna, I promise you.”

  He kissed the bruises that were forming on my face. He kissed my shoulder where his teeth-marks were still only just visible. When he finally kissed my lips, I had tears in my eyes.

  “I love you,” I told him in between his kisses, “I love you, James.”

  “I know, baby. I love you, too.”

  We were lying down on the floor of the bathroom. We were shedding our clothes already.

  I do not care if you think that I was wrong for taking him back so easily. I knew his strong heart beat for me. I knew his love for me was pure. I knew that he was truly sorry. More than any of that, I knew that he would never harm me so cruelly again.

  I needed James. For that, I am not sorry.

  XXX

  In regards to the murders, the story became clear. Both women were high on the Peace Fruit when the man, who was sober, had encountered them. They had fought him like the animals that they were but he had won. Because he was clear-headed, he was able to utilize his new strength far more efficiently than they could in their state. He had killed them when they began to scream.

  Penny told me her story in a tiny voice so unfitting of her normally boisterous personality. James and I sat beside her as Violet and Elijah paced outside in the hallway. Her honesty on the subject was astounding but because she was so young, she did not know that she could have lied. James and I had agreed that we would only console her. We would not offer any halfhearted lectures on the immorality of killing another human being. We stressed to her that what she had done was an act of self-defense. We promised her that we would never allow such a terrible thing to happen to her again.