Dead Lines

36: War Is Coming

Unedited.

Chapter Thirty-Six

What does one do before going off to battle? Spend time with loved ones. Go over plans in hope of success. Check weapons and other various tools of the trade. Relive happy memories as to not be dragged down by the fact one's life might end soon.

That question was going through every Elite's mind and I knew most of them were doing exactly what I imagined they should be.

I, on the other hand, was busy staring at the wall in my bedroom. It was covered in photographs. Some old, some new; the faces I knew by heart. The smiles, the faded laughter rang in my head reminding me how easy my life once was. And what I'd lost.

Three of my friends were dead and Caelus was threatening the rest. My father. My uncle. Allie. Schylar. The threat couldn't go unanswered. No matter what the Gods decided, I already had my mind made up. I knew what I was going to do and my decision had my life lines flowing across my skin in gentle waves. They were keeping me centered, calm. Restraining me, keeping me still where I sat at the end of my bed and not allowing me to explode into action against the coming threat.

Violence was in me and it was clawing to get out.

I wanted to let it out.

I closed my eyes and dropped my head into my hands.

Everything was weighing me down, hunching me over. Like snapshots, moments of my life blinked in and out behind my eyelids. All the good and the bad. I couldn't make it stop. Even if my body remained still, my mind was racing to relive everything.

We are the sum of moments, of our actions in life, and the result of those choices would define where we go. My mother told me that once. I didn't understand until now as those moments flashed before my eyes.

I was the sum of my moments and I would do them justice.

*

"Dad?"

The house was quiet when Kye and I got back. I was a little surprised since Schylar was supposed to be here. My father wouldn't have been able to sleep after hearing Caelus' demand. With only an hour to the dead line, there should've been noise in this house. A tv, Schylar and my father talking, something.

Maybe they were downstairs. I galloped down the stairs and nearly tripped backwards when I rounded the corner into the living room. They were indeed down here but they weren't alone.

My uncle.

Cecil's parents.

Allie plus Allie's parents.

Bev and Corey.

Jesse.

Caroline.

Chris.

Andrzej.

When my eyes landed on Cecil, anxiety settled heavy in my gut. He was leaning against the wall to my right, calm and cool despite the heaviness to the room around him.

There was someone missing. Union. Was he told separately? He was Elite and we were all commanded back to home base for preparations. Because of that, I was surprised to find those who were Elite here.

"What's going on?" I inquired, trying to sound sturdier than I felt. When it didn't come out the way I wanted, I held out my hand to Cecil and he took it.

No hesitation.

He pulled me in and looped our linked hands over my head, around my shoulders. With my back to his chest he whispered, "Your dad and uncle are telling the ones who didn't know about the Triplets." That explained the heaviness to the air. He brushed a kiss against my temple and I relaxed into him. "Everything go ok?"