THE UNBREAKABLE PIECE (FIRST BOOK OF THE HIDDEN WORLD) English version

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: CHAOS AWAKENS

The movement in New York at three in the morning was different but never entirely quiet, particularly now that my world was upside down, and I walked among the clouds instead of buildings. Raindrops washed my training clothes and sorrows upward. My mascara smeared beneath my eyes, making me look like a lunatic. I walked in a world full of it, and for the first time, I didn't care.

Creating the portal had been easier than I had imagined. I had stolen one of Gerard's books with the instructions used to forge it. I had laughed under the branches of the Phoenix, noticing that many of the Latin inscriptions they used I had seen before, written on Alice's mahogany table. They could continue deceiving themselves, but my instincts pointed in only one direction of the compass—our magic was connected to something older than Gael, the angel. My gift had helped me bind two pine branches, and after several attempts, I had managed to channel my emotions through the portal. Upon traversing it, I had appeared only a few blocks from Blue's with its dim blue sign.

I stood there for a couple of minutes, observing that place where I had liked to spend too much time, but now it sent more shivers down my spine than the icy rain. I stayed there, waiting for something with the certainty that it wouldn't happen—Cade or Christian wouldn't come out of that door and apologize to me for the lost time, for fooling me like a fool. No, that would never happen because no one was there, because the coffee shop seemed to have been abandoned weeks ago, and now a FOR SALE sign was stuck to the glass.

I walked a few blocks before reaching my street, the street that housed the only home I remembered. Now, the lights colored the pavement as lightning illuminated the sky. I didn't understand how storms always pursued me wherever I was. It was as if bad weather fed on my misfortunes.

I stopped a few houses before mine and took the internal route shared by the apartments on the block. Few knew about them because it was a cozy garden that we shared among neighbors and took care of together. One of its exits was connected to my backyard, appearing in the house next to mine. I had taken that precaution since my house was probably being watched by some Onpix guard or Drahceb's henchmen.

My boots made hardly any sound against the concrete. Ben had taught me that during my stay in Albus, the tiles there truly announced where you walked. A figure moved among the shadows like a cat sneaking around. I couldn't identify the triquetra or the distinctive color of Drahceb's followers, the color of dried blood. Gerard had taught me that in his history classes. His henchmen always wore some element of their clothing with that color to identify themselves.

I hid behind a bush, my back against the wood of one of the fences, my hood hiding a part of my face, but it wouldn't take them long to recognize me, whether they were one of ours or enemies. I heard laughter and the sound of metal against the ground. They were not part of our hidden world; they were simple intruders. Surely, the rumor had spread that our house was abandoned, and they were trying to usurp it.

I closed my eyes and channeled the energy of my body, the power of the rain, and all the elements of the earth that I could feel around me. Fearlessly, I approached, placing one foot in front of the other without making a sound. They were trying to break the back door with a wrench to gain easy and permanent access to my house.

I whistled twice to get their attention and smiled as soon as their frightened eyes rested on me. Soon, their expressions relaxed when they realized I was nothing more than a defenseless girl. I bit my lower lip, tasting a thread of blood, and clenched my fists before releasing my gift. This time, I didn't raise my arms; I just let them fall to my sides as drops of blood stained the ground, and I let my eyes take care of the spectacle.

"Hello, boys. Intruding where you weren't called?"

"Get away from here, harpy."

"No one called you, witch."