Chapter 7.

Felix

I was sitting on my bed, staring at the closed box infront of me. It wasn't very big....big ebough to hold records I thought. I touched the etched top. It had some weird design...celtic knotts and such. I let out a deep breath and looked for a latch. There was none. Just a gold plating around the box, seemingly sealing it shut permanently. I couldn't help but grin. Guess Dad had to use to open and shut it. I felt my eyes flash and it opened. I swallowed hard and flipped the lid up. My eyes darted over the contents. Papers and more papers. Gently, I picked up the first couple sheets, scanning over them. It was old banking records and the deed to a Florida estate I had no knoledge of. I grinned and sat them down in a pile next to me. I pulled a few more out and noticed there was a small leather bound diary. I just stared at it. It was as if the object might lash out and bite me like a snake.

My jaw clenched and I grabbed it, untieing the leather straps that bound it together. When I pulled the leather bound cover back....the large bold black old English letters startled me. These My Sins. I cautiously turned the page and was shocked. There was dates and entries from centuries ago....from the early Covenant days. My eyes became greedy as I read first accounts from Giles Corey, down to his son...Hubert....then his son....and so forth. 2/3's of the book in, finally came my father's entries. There was some papers, folded in half.... My brows furrowed and I opened them. The top one didn't surprise me. It was my birth certificate. I stared at the dates and smiled. Then I set it down, and my world shook. There was another birth certficate. Same date....same birth parents...same doctor and hospital...Felix Ryan Corey. Nine pounds and 4 ounces. Born two minuets before me.

I adverted my gaze back to my birth certificate. I was totally confused. I had a twin brother? I swallowed hard as I laid the paper down and looked at the third one. It was a death certificate for Felix Ryan Corey. He had died hours after our birth due to complications. I felt tears sting my eyes. They never once mentioned me having a brother! So many emotions were flooding through me. Almost on impluse, I began reading the journal entry.

Today, Lillian gave birth to our children...unfortunately...my son died. I can't say I'm truly overwhelmed with grief....but relief. I know as a father and a man, it is a heartless thing to say...but he shall never know the burden of our blood.

I stopped reading for a moment to wipe my eyes, fury running hot through my body.

God bless my beautiful daughter, Matilda. She will never have to know the pain and struggles of our heritage and the curse that is upon our own. She will be able to grow up normally, do normal things, not having to worry about hiding dark secrets and who she really is. I have never been able to live without judgement and rumors spreading like wildfire. I just pray that wherever my son may be now, he understands my lack of grief. -Joesph Corey

My hands felt numb as I shut the book. I was shaking. I found myself putting all the documents back into the box and closing it back up the way I found it. I checked the clock. One hour to go. I sighed heavily, not really being able to soak up all this information. I felt woozey as I stood and grabbed my car keys and wallet. I slipped into my old cowboy boots I hadn't worn in a while and looked at myself in the mirror. My hazel eyes shown back at me. I was in my white tee, jean shorts and my boots. My dark brown hair on my shoulders and my glasses slightly crooked. I ground my teeth. What would Felix have looked like? Would he have been taller? Would we have the same eyes? I was bitter. He would have had these powers naturally. No one would have had died to give them to him. My fists were white knuckled at my sides. Tears slid down my cheeks and I left.

It was starting to get cloudy outside, the sky was getting dark and the clouds thick. The low hum in the air was unavoidable. I briskly got into my car and started the engine up. I shifted into reverse and then into first as I peeled out. Hundreds of thoughts were racing through my mind as I got faster. Why wasn't his name listed in BOD? These thoughts continued until I pulled into the dirveway and shut the car off. I walked in nonchalantly and smiled as Gorman smiled widely at me. "Hello Matilda, happy birthday dear!" I nodded and hugged him, accepting a card and joining the guys downstairs. They we're talking calmly, then their faces fell once they saw mine. I just sighed and raised my hands. "Later okay?" One by one they all nodded and I hugged Caleb. "You okay baby?" His voice asked soothingly. I shivered and nodded, looking up into his brown eyes. "I will be...I just want to get this over with...if theres anything to get over.." I took my place and felt all their eyes on me.

The charge in the air was thick. Same as it had been with Tyler. Reid checked his watch. "Fifteen more minuets." I met his blue eyes with mine, nodding. Chase was visibly shakey. I smiled and reached for his hand and squeezed it. "Its okay." He smiled and nodded. I felt his tension wash over me, before I blocked it out. "Ten." My heart was speeding up, I heard the thunder crack outside....shaking the ground slightly. I gulped and found Caleb's eyes. He wasn't trying to be cheerful now, he was genuinly scared...we all were. My breath was quickening up. Something was shifting. The air pressure was raising. My stomach felt queasy. I knew something was going to happen. Quickly I looked at Caleb. "Anything happens to me, let it be." It was all I could think. "Five." I heard Reid's voice shake slightly. Once more I looked over them, all handsome and healthy men.

My eyes drifted closed as another crack shook the house. I concintrated on my breathing...my heart beating rapidly in my chest. Beep. My eyes shot open and I braced myself. Their eyes shifted to black and I felt mine do the same on their own. Suddenly the air I was breathing felt like it turned into fire. I wanted to scream but I was silenced. My eyes looked around the room and there was a rising fog engulphing the room. "MATILDA!" I heard someone scream, but I ignored it and kept focus on the fog. Another crack of thunder and the bright light came through the ceiling. It hit me in the center of my chest and my body became a mass of pain. Tears leaked out of my eyes as I stared upwards. As this strange energy surged through me, a face began forming infront of mine. It was a man's. Soon it was a whole man. His eyes black like mine, but they looked angry. I tried to choke out a sob, but my throat was closed tightly.

The man roughly grabbed my face and screamed....forcing alien images through my head. A bright white room....babies crying....a woman screaming....there was blood...I was twitching violently. Then the memories of Chase's past flashed before my eyes. His pain and anger. All his sins. I was staring back into the ghost that had me hostage. His eyes flashed to normal, dark hazel eyes that matched my own. Felix. The word echoed through my soul and he nodded, before taking his hand and plunging it into my chest, grabbing my heart. I sucked in a violent breath. Pain was all I knew. Severe pain and anger. "You forgave....but forgot too.." The words choked out of his lips and he screamed again. The bright light that consumed me turned red and something snapped. I felt a rush of energy kick all the guys back and then he let me go, falling to my knees.

I don't know how long I stayed there. I couldn't move. My chest was burning and my lungs felt like they were opening and closing. I blinked a few times and finally was able to take a comfortable breath. I lifted my head to look up. All the guys were backed closely against the far wall, staring at me as if I was an alien. I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked down at myself. My clothes and skin was smoking, the ground charred black. All the sudden I felt ill, like the weight of the world was put on my shoulders. I was weezing, I grabbed my chest and winced. Slowly, I lifted my shirt up and looked. Right where his fist had plunged into me....was a large round burn. It was bleeding and I felt woozy. I let my eyes drift up and saw Caleb finally scrambling to his feet, running to me. "Baby?" I drowsily looked up at him, trying to smile. "Mati....your eyes.." His now brown eyes searched mine. "Huh?" I managed to whisper, as the scenery started fading out. "They are...white.." I wanted to ask, but I passed out right there.