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October 5th
Tristan clenched and unclenched his jaw as he scaled the fifteen-foot stone wall that surrounded Ark Mansion. Just as his feet touched the ground he saw a guard coming his way. Tristan crouched and backed into the shadow of a large evergreen, keeping completely still so he didn’t trip the motion sensor he knew were in the ground. The shape and size of a silver dollar, the green discs were virtually undetectable except for an almost inaudible sound they made, giving off their location to only the most sensitive ears.
Apparently, it emitted a sound the Guard couldn’t hear because when the infrared light scanned him, Tristan noticed the Guard tense as he searched for the device. He watched as the Guard’s eyes moved rapidly over the lawn, searching for the device as he continued to walk by.
Not waiting until the Guard was out of sight, but when he was only a few feet away with his back to him, Tristan stood and moved through the maze of sensors, avoiding setting them off. He moved very fast and very quietly, stopping when he saw the large wall of windows. It was a room he only been in once before, during Vivian’s Fasen ceremony when the windows were shattered during a fight. He and Cianne left for home before the wall of windows were replaced.
In the calm of night, Tristan stood just steps away from his family. Only a window separated them. He felt...nervous. As a drop of rain hit his shoulder, he looked up to the sky. Tristan closed his eyes just as the rain began to moderately fall, washing over his face.
He only had to reach for the handle, to step inside and let her know he was there.
To let her know that he suffered without her touch all this time. That he suffered even more in these last few moments was enough to move him forward, but his feet felt like cement. His heart raced and his mind clouded.
Maybe Caleb was right. Maybe he wasn’t enough. Hell, he couldn’t even bring himself to kill Tykel.
No. He was hers and she was his.
Just when Tristan reached for the knob, the room lit up and Cianne stepped inside. Still dressed in black with a hood over his head, he watched her enter the room without fear of her seeing him. He just wanted to look at her first. To see her.
Tristan held his breath as he watched Cianne pour water into a glass. Her hair was shorter, and her skin was paler but she was still breathtaking. His legs twitched. His body didn’t want to waste another moment admiring her.
“I’m sorry.”
Whodai? What is he sorry about?
Tristan remained in place on the patio as he watched Whodai enter the room. He looked to Cianne who seemed angry. She turned away from Whodai who walked over to her. What was Whodai sorry about and why did Cianne seem so affected?
“Please, Whodai. I’m too tired to do this right now. I need to time to think,” Cianne told Whodai. Cianne tried to walk past Whodai but he grabbed her arm.
Tristan stepped forward but stilled as he watched Cianne turn and look at Whodai’s hand on her arm. Whodai instantly let go of her and raised his hands in a defensive gesture. Tristan clenched his jaw but stayed still.
“Just hear me out,” Whodai begged.
Cianne looked up at the ceiling then back to Whodai.
Whodai continued, “I won’t presume to know what you are feeling. All I know is that if you allow me to, I can ease your worries and your fears. If you say yes,” he said as he took her left hand in his and kneeled on one knee.
Tristan tensed. He cursed as Whodai pulled a ring from his pocket. He saw tears in Cianne’s eyes but couldn’t determine what she was feeling by her expression.
The rain picked up
“I promise that I will make everything right again. Marry me, Cianne?”
Drenched from the falling rain, Tristan just stared at Cianne and Whodai. His heart was beating double time as he waited for her response. He wanted to go to her, to shut this shit down but...
Tell him no. Tell him you’re waiting for me.
When Cianne didn’t immediately respond, Tristan frowned. He could go to her. But he stood there in the dark cold and rainy night, waiting for her answer.
Cianne nodded.
Tristan closed his eyes and dropped his head.
***
CIANNE covered Whodai’s hand with hers before he could slide her wedding and engagement rings off her finger to put his engagement ring on. He gave her an apologetic look then sort of smiled as if he understood before he placed his engagement ring in the palm of her hand.
When she closed her hand over the ring, Cianne lifted her head and looked out of the wall of windows. She felt Tristan. The pull of him was so strong that she couldn’t hold in her tears this time.
Lightning flashed, illuminating the outside for a moment and showing her there was nothing out there.
You’re certifiable, she said to herself.
Cianne opened her hand and glanced at her new engagement ring, then to Whodai.
***
TRISTAN exhaled as he slowly pulled his hood off his head, exposing his face. Rain dripped from his clothing to the floor as he stood over the crib. They were so big. He felt pride lace around his heartbreak. He wanted to hold them. To tell them he loved them and that he wished things were different. That he wanted more than anything to be a loving husband to their mother and the best father in the world to them but sometimes in life, you don’t get what you want.
Lessons Whodai would teach them now.
“I’m sorry,” Tristan whispered. “I have to leave again.” Tristan used his sleeve to wipe his eyes, forgetting it was already wet. “Mommy,” his voice cracked. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Mommy and I have some things we need to work out, but we love you both so very much.”
He gently lifted a sleeping Nadia and kissed her forehead then placed her back in the crib. Tristan then lifted Aiden. Aiden opened his eyes and smiled. Tristan laughed as he cradled his son in his arms. When he felt Aiden’s hand on his face, he felt the same love he had when he held his son for the first time.
“Take care of your mom.”
***
CIANNE burst through the door to the nursery and saw that both children were in one crib again. Aiden stood in the crib, using one hand to hold on to the railing while the other hand was extended out toward the open balcony doors as he wailed. Nadia was seated next to her brother. She was reaching toward the open door as well.
She hurried across the room and over to the door. Cianne stepped onto the balcony and glanced from right to left before going back inside and locking the door.
“What is it?” Whodai asked. He lifted Nadia out of her crib.
“I don’t know,” Cianne admitted. She picked Aiden up but he struggled to get out of her arms. She felt helpless as she patted his bottom lovingly. “What’s the matter sweetheart?” She looked at the balcony then to Whodai. “He never cries.” She touched Nadia’s red face, offering her daughter comfort, but just like with Aidan, she was unsuccessful. “I think I should call Dr. Bannerman.”
“I’ll call.” Whodai placed a sobbing Nadia in her crib and left the room.
Cianne could do nothing but rub Nadia’s back as she kissed Aiden’s head while he screamed.
***
TRISTAN was blocks away when he yelled, “What do you want from me?”
“You can’t just leave things like this,” Caleb said. He fell in step with Tristan. “They need you.” He placed his hand on Tristan’s shoulder.
Tristan smacked Caleb’s hand away then pushed him as hard as he could. The push should have launched Caleb in the air but it only caused him to take a few steps back.
Tired of Caleb, of it all, Tristan threw his hands in the air as he continued on his way. “She doesn’t need me. She has him.”
“She—,”
“She wants him,” Tristan yelled, cutting Caleb off.
“You still don’t understand,” Caleb said.
Tristan stopped, rubbed his head. then looked Caleb in the eyes. “No,” he shouted. “I guess I don’t. Enlighten me.”
“She needs you. You’re the only person who can help her. The only one who can stop her. When she was held captive at the abandoned school, you saw the way she killed those dogs. You saw her at the house when she saw me restraining you. She attacked me with that same rage. You’ve seen her eyes. She can’t control it like I can. You are the one she loves and only you can bring her back to the light. You are her Protector.”
“You said it yourself, she doesn’t need my protection.” Tristan turned his back to Caleb. “She wants him!” he screamed at the top of his lungs. “FUCK!” he yelled, then took off running.
“The world needs you to protect them from the darkness that sleeps inside her!” Caleb yelled.
To be continued in...
The Battle of the Halo
Excerpt Below (Unedited)
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