Fighting - Anaya Phoenix (free books to read .txt) 📗

trace of tears in her eyes.

“My son, Anthony. Centuries I go without thinking of him, and it all cave on me at once.”

“We gave up so much to help so many. Sasha cried like a cub again when it was time for us to leave.” All was silent, all of the gods in their own memories.

                Gaia stepped forward, her hands folded loosely and pain in her eyes. She looked old then, like all the years had weighed down on her witht he light of the memories.

“I ask a lot of my children, all of them try to fulfill it. Then there are those who go above and beyond my wishes, those that give their all and their very being towards making sure that I am satisfied. I asked them to leave their lives, their homes, and their children because I knew that there would need to be guidance. I asked them to call their children to fight, because I knew that their children would be the strongest ones to fight. I asked that they continue to do it, because, even with lack of foresight, I knew that more wars would come and that they would need to be ready. You, you’re different. Because of that I’m relieving you of your duty as a Victor.” I stepped back, tears flying to my eyes.

“You… you can’t do that. You’re just fucking with me.” Gaia raised a brow and smirked a little.

“I don’t know if you noticed, but I can kinda do whatever I want around here.” I shook my head and closed my eyes, begging myself to not believe it. To not fall for it, to not be stupid and to think it through.

“I’m needed, wherever I’m needed I go.”

“You’re not strong enough for this.” Anger peeked through the disbelief and I gripped it and pulled with everything in me. I pulled it over my body like a thick quilt and allowed myself to finally think clearly.

“My family was held hostage publically, my sister scarred  for life. My baby sister got a rare, uncurable form of cancer and I had to hold her down while she had seizures while she slept. I had to hold her hair back while she threw up, so bad that blood was streaked through it. I watched my mate fawn over some human for five yeats, because I wasn’t stable enough for him. I have dealt with nightmares of the dead, and those meant to be because of me for my whole life. Rage and anger run my whole life. I am responsible eleven children, protecting them from themselves. My best friend died and I had to keep moving through life as if it didn’t effect me. For you to say I’m not strong enough to be Red Lun is not only an insult, it’s dismissing all the bullshit I’ve been through.” I turned my backm allowing my legs to move.

“Take away my title if you want to, I’ll ride on the back of the Fallen One and tear this place down.”

 

 

 

                I woke up with a jolt and made Cara squeak and jump off the bed. She sent me a glare from the floor before getting up and rubbed her butt. I looked around and chewed my lip before settling on Cara. She narrowed her eyes and backed up one step; one step too slow. I called water and air to me, lifting her up and setting her in a water globe. She quickly called fire to her and stood in front of me, wet and angry. I stood slowly, keeping my hands braced in front of me and staying very far from her actual body.

“Before you do anything rash-”

“MOM!!”

“I said BEFORE ANYTHING RASH, YOU HEIFER!” I yelled, running before I got in trouble for attempting to drown my sister. Again.

 

 

                I walked to the McReery family hole , following the smell of human and peanut butter. I cocked my hip on the opening of the hole entrance, watching as Zena and Cameron dug their tiny fingers into a half empty jar of peanut butter. Cameron stilled and looked up, his finger coated in peanut butter.

“I thought we had made it clear there would be no food in the rooms.”

“This isn’t exactly a room, now is it?” Zena mumbled around a full gooey mouth of the sticky substance. I raised a brow and she stared at me, all the while moving her mouth around the peanut butter.

“Where’s  your sister?” They stilled and looked at me cautiously, thy even stopped eating their peanut butter.

“She’s with Amelia.” Cameron answered slyly, looking away. I scoffed at his way too powerful tell and moved closer into the hole.

“Where’s Amelia then?”

“With Isabel.” Zena replied smoothly, her frizzy hair moving with her as she went back to their treat.

“I could always probe your mind for it.” They both groaned and I barely held back a smile.

“They’re with the ones that came from the portal.” I gulped and hit myself for my own stupidity. Of course Amelia would be smart enough to pull everything together before I would.

“Thanks, don’t let the others smell that.”

“Who’d ya think gave it to us?” Zena said, her eyes rolling almost to the back of her head.

 

 

 

 

                I practically ran to the Old Ones living area, trusting myself to know where they were and to be drawn by their power. It was understandable that Izy wanted to know what was happening, and she was smart enough, well Amelia was smart enough, to know that they might have a clue to it. It just hurt that I wasn’t option number one. I slowed down, hoping none of them heard me as I picked up a piece of their conversation.

“What, exactly, happened yesterday?” Ashley asked in that sweet understanding tone she had mastered over the years.

“I don’t know, I told you. It was like rage and hopelessness took over me and I blacked out. When I woke up at least three of my ribs were broken and I had wicked sprain on my wrist.” Was that really all the damage we’d managed to inflict on her? Damn we’re getting rusty, my wolf groaned.

“Then I just… I healed. No, wait. Luna healed me, I remember that. I got a grip on my body at the end and I’d seen all the damage I’d caused. I think that hurt more than a few ribs could give me.” I could hear the fear shaking her and the smell the growing sadness. I crossed my arms and steeled myself off, I’d lost my cool once today; something I tried not to do twice in the same day. Crossing my arms I walked in and stood next to Ashley, looking down at Izzy. When she said nothing but looked up at me, I knew that she’d been really shaken.

“She’s the Fallen One.” I said briefly, looking at the plate of cookies on the table between the two and scoffed.

“If nobody’s gonna listen to the rules, why do I even need to keep saying them?” I mumbled before taking a cookie.

“Oooh, goodie. I thought she was one of us but then,” she tapped her nose and looked up at me “sniffer told me I was off. She’s got so much raw power.” Excitement rolled in thick waves off of her and I rolled my eyes.

“I’m a what-now?”

“The Fallen One, one of the entities from time of old; or Olden Ones as everybody calls them.”

“Yeah but, I’m not old.” My eye twitched.

“The spirit that has joined with yours is, and you’re perfect for the job.”

“W-why me? I’ve never done nothing to nobody…. except that bitch in pre-k. She deserved it though.” Ashley choked laughing on her cookie and I tapped her back a little too hard.

“You’re incredibly strong, even for a human. You’ve been asked to give so much, yet you continue to give more. The spirit that’s within you saw that. The Fallen One is an Olden One who feeds off of strength and sorrow, the greatest mix their could ever be. Humanity is in sorrow and power is in strength. When you fought us, the tears you cried are the signature mark and so is the sword you wielded.”

“Hold the phone, I had a sword?” My eyes narrowed and I nodded.

“Did you lose it?” Light shone in her eyes as she bit her lip and patted her pockets.

“Yeah, no?”

“Was that a question?” She looked up at me and scrunched up her lips, shrugging as she did so. Ashley giggled and I nudged her shoulder with my hip.

“Your sword only manifests when the spirit does, then.” All was silent and then Amelia looked up at me, those green eyes ever so smart.

“This means she fights, right?” Her voice was so so silent, but so so strong. I did her the liberty of looking her in the eye as I gave a short nod. Her face paled and I heard Izzy’s heart skip a beat.

“I can’t.” She said, standing and avoiding my eyes.

“All the Oldens fight, we need all the power we can get.”

“You said I’ve given a lot? Take that, I can’t give anymore.” She said, the snormal strength in her voice gone. She grabbed Amelia’s arm, as she seemed to be stuck in her seat, and lifted her.

“Izzy-”

“I can’t fight, I have to protect my family.” The truth hit me like a train and I gasped, a hand went over my mouth and tears came to my eyes. I don’t know how I missed it, really it had been my fault. They’d come alone, Izzy and her bandwagon family, nix two people.

“Your parents.” It was a statement, those two words hit something deep within her and her eyes glazed over silver. Izzy-who-was-not-really-Izzy-anymore stood in front of me, gripping her sister close to her.

“What happened?” I wasn’t scared by the Olden, I had grown up knowing we would fight alongside each other. They were friends not foe.

“E-everybody turned on us, when you guys disappeared. They thought we knew something about it, but we didn’t. They-they fought for us. One morning we all woke up and our house was surrounded, Zena was crying and everybody was scared. Izzy was going to go out there and fight them off but Mom and Dad… beat her to it. As soon as they stepped out, they were shot in the head. It was a message, ‘tell us or this happens to the whole family’. We couldn’t mourn them, we were too scared to do anything. Bella was just… everybody couldn’t function. Everybody but Izzy. The next day she woke us up and said we’d be safe. She opened a portal and we… I hsould’ve noticed I was just.”

“It’s understandable. The Fallen One was brought to you by your incredible strength and capability. Not to mention, your mind was probably screaming for help unconciously.” Ashley said with a shrug and a small smile. I looked in Izzy’s eyes and saw the tears stream down and knew some of it had to be hers instead of the Fallen One’s.

“I’m sorry but you have to fight, The Olden in you knows that.” I said, not wanting to fight today. I don’t really appreciate getting my ass handed to me by somebody that I trained. I walked past her, avoiding getting too close or looking too threatining.

“Meet me later, I can help.” I whispered as I passed her and left, barely holding myself together.

 

 

 

                I stood anxiously, twisting my fingers and shuffling my feet, outside the hall from where Izzy and her family slept. I could hear the rest of them sleeping, but I knew that Izzy wasn’t. I could almost feel the heat of her body, even though we were several feet away. I knew she’d come out here, she’d always been curious. She’d never back down fro a challenge, and with her upgraded talents I was barely a challenge. I could hear the moment she’d changed her mind. She took a deep breath and got off whatever bed she was on,