Diary of the Unbroken (BOOK #4)

Soldier

Ava 

Dear Diary,

I realize it's been a while. My life—or whatever this is—has gotten in the way of something I once found so comforting. Now, every time I think I'm done, the next problem hits. I can never get out.

For years I dreamed of what would happen when my father finally came back. I barely remembered him. Just the scruff of his beard and his soft baritone when he sang old lullabies to me. I didn't remember the whole Original Vampire ordeal.

Now, around every corner he stands just waiting with open hands. His hands already grasp William and Val. Val, whose presence there I'm beginning to question. Did she know? Is it out of choice.

And William

"William!"

I heard the screech of his name echo from downstairs. I slammed my diary shut, throwing it on the bed before I bounded downstairs.

William's broken body sat on the porch right outside our front door as if he'd been delivered to us like a package. He writhed in pain, pain I could only assume was caused by Daniel and whatever ruthless action he took to ensure the trade-off.

Victor and Derek carried him into the house, propping him on the couch.

"William," Bernard ran over crouching beside him. I stood back with the others, my body all of a sudden frozen in place. "What happened to you? How did you end up here?"

"Gerard," William groaned, clutching at his abdomen. "Daniel injected me with vervain after we got back into the truck. I blacked out. Then I woke up with Gerard pulling me along."

"Gerard?" Angelina choked out.

William nodded. "All this time, he's been torturing me. Now, all of a sudden he wants to help? It doesn't make sense."

Angelina's dark brows pulled together. "Maybe he hasn't lost all of his humanity after all."

"What's going to happen?" Victor was the one to ask. "Surely, Daniel will find out that Gerard let you go. He'll know exactly where you ended up. Are we sure Gerard did this with good intentions?"

"He goes by the book," William groaned. "This isn't Daniel's plan. He was just waiting for Ava to come to him."

I swallowed. "What—what is he going to do now?"

Bernard's eyes narrowed. "I know Daniel. If someone interferes with his plan, the outcome only grows worse. Whether or not Gerard did this with good intentions, Daniel is going to be furious."

"And Gerard's going to be dead," Angelina whispered.

The room grew silent. Everyone stared at the ground as Bernard tended to William. Once again, we found ourselves at a crossroads with nowhere to turn to. I guess running was always an option, but I was so tired of running.

Finally Bernard sighed. "I think the best thing you can do, William, is rest. Eventually, this will leave your system."

"But what about Daniel? What if he comes here looking for me? I have to go back. I have to, or he'll—"His eyes landed on me. "Can Ava and I have a moment?"

Bernard nodded, standing up and leading everyone out of the room. Derek seemed to be a little more reluctant, standing there with his brow classically creased.

"Go," William mumbled. "I'll be fine."

Finally Derek left the room leaving William and me alone. Alone for the first time in such a long time. Our secrets finally flooding us, becoming our realities.

I stayed where I was, standing feet away from him, just in his line

"Is it true?" he asked me, his voice barely a whisper whether from the pain or from the scary truth. "What Daniel said—about the prophecy of the child of two Unnaturals. Ava...are you pregnant?"

I avoided his gaze.

"Oh my God..." He attempted sitting up. "I can't believe it. I thought it wasn't possible."

"Me too," I muttered.

His eyes narrowed in realization, calculating the weeks. "That night...On your birthday..."

"Yeah," I shrugged. "It lines up."

"It's because of the whole Unnatural thing, isn't it? The fact that we still have human characteristics, human capabilities. We can still—"

"I guess so."

He stared at me, staring as if I was some fragile being. "Well...what are we going to do?"

I perked up at the question and everything it insinuated. "We'll you're not going back to Daniel. I can tell you that much."

"Neither are you." His brow furrowed just like his father's. "I will not let you fall into his hands. I don't trust him or his plans or anything he has to say for himself. Whether he's your father or not..."

"My father..." I brushed a hand through my hair. Every time someone said it—it just felt like another punch in the face. "God, why..."

"I couldn't believe it either. But it all makes since. When I talked to him, he used such ambiguity when talking about his other children. At first I thought it just had to do with his other daughter."

"Val?" I questioned, my voice breaking.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "Val is a whole other story. I was talking about the other one. I guess she's your half-sister. She's thirteen."

I remembered a brunette teenager standing with my sister in the town square. "The girl who was standing in the back...She's my sister?"

"Jessamine," he explained. "She's a lot like you. Stubborn, won't listen to thing anyone else has to say."

I put my hand on my stomach. "God, this kid's is in for it. Such a screwed up family tree. With Derek, my mother, now my father and this sister I knew nothing about..."

William licked his lips wryly. "It seems like this family tree may be the least of its problems."

I shook my head, the thought of a baby so helpless thrown into a life too complicated to explain. "I can't let Daniel win. We have to stop him."

William took my hand. "And we will. Just understand, that it can't be you. Especially you and especially now. We can't give Daniel what we wants."

I swallowed. "Even if it means an end to this war--"

"Even that."

But the words didn't resonate with me. After seeing William so broken. After seeing my sister filled with no remorse. After witnessing the world crumbling around me, I knew I couldn't just idly stand here and wait.

So I lied.

I nodded, as if obliging to William's wish. As if promising I would stay out of this. All while my brain ran rampant with the words I would tell my father when I turned myself over.