Broken (Broken Wings) (4 page)

Chapter Six

Cordelia

             
I run so fast to get away from Cameron and his sister that my feet don’t even feel like they are touching the ground. Why is he being so nice to me? No one is nice to me. Maybe it’s a set up. Maybe they all planned this; kind of like that
Carrie
movie. Maybe they all got together the day before and thought, hey let’s be nice to the new girl, and then BAM we’ll douse her in pig’s blood.

I stop a block away from my house to catch my breath. I really don’t want to go home after what happen
ed to my mother this morning. I know I will get the worst beating ever and my body can’t take anymore. I feel so broken and damaged, to the point that I know I will never be whole again. I continue to walk home, and when I got close enough I notice the van is gone. My spirits lift a little, and run toward the front door. I walk in and do a search.

             
Yes! I’m finally alone. I need to search my father’s study, and see if he has anything that will tell me more about what he had said that morning. I walk to the only door that was closed in our house. I slowly open the door to reveal a neat and clean room, with a mahogany desk in the middle. I walk to the desk, and notice that there is a brand new laptop sitting there. I wonder where he got the money to get it. I sit at his desk and am very glad to notice that I will be able to hear if anyone pulls up in the driveway. I start with the desk, searching for something that is tied to me; like a birth certificate or something about my childhood. I don’t find anything in the desk, so I get up and move over to the file cabinet. I open the top one to find nothing. I open the second one and BINGO! A whole folder with my name on it sits nestled between the others. Then I hear a car drive up, and I start to panic. I grab the folder and run, shutting the door behind me. I run into my room and place in my closet.
Oh shit
, I think.
I left my bag in the hallway
. I know I will pay for that one.

             
“CORDELIA ROSE, GET IN HERE RIGHT NOW!”

Great
, he sounds so mad. I sigh and head for the living room, keeping my fingers crossed that he is just begging for something to eat instead of waiting to beat me.

             
“Yes sir?” I brace myself for what is to come.

             
“You listen, and you listen good. Your mother will have to stay in the hospital until they find out what happened. I know this has something to do with you. I will be staying at the hospital with her, and if I find out you did anything to her, I will beat you so hard you will not be able to move. You may leave my sight.”

I r
un to my bedroom and shut the door. Feeling relieved that I will be alone, I can finally watch T.V. and listen to the radio, and everything else that I have not been allowed to do in more years than I can remember. I hear the door shut, and seconds later the car starts up and leaves. I walk out into the living room, almost tentatively as if I’m afraid he lurks around every corner.

After I’m sure that he is not sitting in the shadows, waiting for me,
I go to the study again and try to turn the knob. I sigh when it doesn’t move an inch. I should have realized he would lock it; my luck isn’t good enough for him to have left it open again. I am somewhat disappointed, but I decide that there are other things I can accomplish while he is away. Like food! I can actually eat normal food! Thank the goddesses! I walk into the kitchen and pull out ham, cheese, bread, and mustard. I make myself a huge sandwich; practically too big for me to bite into. But I don’t care. It is like pure heaven. I’ve never eaten something so good. I finish the sandwich and sit back in relief. Then my stomach starts to hurt and I realize I ate too much. But the pain is bearable, unlike the many punishments I’ve received from my father, and I do not regret the giant sandwich I just inhaled like a starving wolf.

             
As I sit there, basking in the wonderful feeling of my full belly, despite the pains, I start to think about the folder I found. Then I head to my room and grab the folder. I am feeling very nervous, because I don’t know what to expect. I sit on my old ass bed and slowly open it. There was a letter in it, and on the envelope, it said:

To My Darling Daughter:

Cordelia Rose Cassen

             
Cassen? But my last name is Newton. Why does it have a different last name on it? I am afraid to open it. I sit there for a few minutes, just staring at the envelope. Then I get the courage to open it and am shocked by its words.

My Dearest and Lovely Daughter Cordelia,

              My sweet baby girl, I bet you are so confused by now. You should’ve come into your powers by now. I’m sorry I had to give you up. The Old Ones would have tried to experiment on you. I had to lie to your mother and tell her you died by the hands of The Old Ones. I am very sorry for this, Sweet Pea. I will try my hardest to come get you from my brother. There is a story there with how he is not in Ithaca anymore. Baby, you have to know I am trying to protect you from your mother. She has become an evil witch. I met her when she was a white witch, but during her pregnancy she decided to turn to black magic. I didn’t want you near all of that. I have no idea what you will become; it’s a mystery. But I hope that I am back to get you before your 17
th
birthday. I love you, my sweet Delia.

Love Always,

Your Father

             
Tears spill down my cheeks while I stare into space. These horrible people are not my parents. Why have I been lied to all my life; and what the hell am I? A mystery? I am so freaking confused! This has to be a joke, a sad twisted joke. My whole existence is a lie. I fold up the letter and put it back into the folder. As I am putting it in my bag, a photo falls out. I pick it up and I can’t believe what I am seeing. This has to be a dream. No, no, no, this cannot be happening.  A woman with long black hair and grey eyes stares up at me from the image. No! I flip it over and see the name Amelia Cassen printed on the back in scratchy handwriting.

             
“Oh My God,” I whisper into the room. “It’s the woman from my dream.”

The photo slip
s from my hands, and then everything, once again, goes black.

Chapter Seven

Kaleig
h

(Yes you read that right)

Cameron and I walk home in silence. I can tell this is eating him up inside, and that kills me. When we had to watch our parents die like that, it destroyed him, and now he is falling in love with the reason our parents are dead. I can’t bring myself to tell him this. You see, our parents were wonderful friends with Cordelia’s parents. No, not the ones she lives with. She has no clue what she truly is. How powerful she is. She is truly unique; there is no one like her. Her biological mother is a bitch, and we need to keep her away from here and away from Cordelia. I don’t hate Cordelia, not one bit, but because of all that has happened in Ithaca when I became a fallen angel, I lost my love. Not one day do I live and not think of that beautiful angel, Kale. I wish my parents didn’t try and hide Cordelia from The Old Ones. I have no idea what they want with her, and how they found out that she existed. I don’t want to know. I want to do my job and move on.

“Earth to Kaleigh
,” Cameron’s voice cut into my mind as he waved his hands in my face.

“Sorry
, Cam; I was just missing Kale and Ithaca.” Tears fill my eyes at my admission.

“You know
, I still try to remember what our parents did that was so horrible to have to die like that, but nothing comes to mind.”

“Don’t think about it
, Cam. It will only bring heartbreak, and you are too young for that.”

“Yeah I guess. I think I’m going to go lay down. I have a headache
,” he says as we enter the cabin.

“Okay, I’m going for a walk in the woods. I need some nature in my life.”

I start for the door. I really do like it here. The woods are divine and peaceful. It’s still warm, even though it’s October, but the colors of the leaves are breath taking; with Mixtures of reds, golds, and oranges—just beautiful. I walk up a small path, listening to the birds and watching the rabbits run free.

Then I got a bad feeling that Cordelia
is in pain. I usually don’t fly, but I have a feeling that she needs me. When I got to her house, I notice that no car is in the driveway. I go ahead and enter. I go to her bedroom; of course, I know which one is hers from the couple of weeks I spent watching her.

When I enter the room
, I see she has passed out, and I notice a picture in her hands. I walk over to see what it is, and I can’t believe my eyes.

“Oh. My. Goddess.” It
’s a picture of Amelia; Cordelia’s real mother. Has she found out her identity? I really hope so; I want to go home. I see a letter that is addressed to her. I pick it up and start to read it. I am completely shocked as to what I am reading. Dean, Cordelia father, wanted to come back and get her. But why? Was her father telling the truth in this letter? I need answers. Then I notice there are other pictures in the folder. I go through them. Some are of Amelia and Dean. Then I stop at one. It is one of my parents, standing beside her parents and smiling. Amelia looks pregnant, so it must be from when Cordelia was still in the womb. I fold up the photo and put it in my pocket. I decide to try to wake her, so I kneel by the bed and touch my hand to her cheek.

“Cordelia
, please wake up. It’s me, Kaleigh.”

She starts to wake up and then rubs her eyes.
“Why are you in my house? I don’t really know you.” She starts to freak out and pulls down the sleeves of her shirt.

“I am here to help you. I am no enemy
; only a protector.”

“Are… are you a witch also? Is my mother a witch? Why am I a mystery?” She start
s to cry. I sit next to her and wrap my arms around her. I sit like that for what seems like an hour, but is probably only a few minutes.

“Kaleigh
, I’m scared,” she admits. “These people are not my parents, according to the letter.” She starts to gesture toward where the letter had been, but when she doesn’t see it there she starts to freak out again. “Where is the letter?”

“Honey
, I read it, and I’m 100% sure it is true.”

“Wait
, how do you know? Do you know my father and that horrible woman in the photo? Please, please tell me. I am already a freak at school.”

I d
on’t know what to say. This poor girl is freaking out and wants to know the truth. How can I tell her and not face the consequences? I look in this girl’s eyes and I can see myself; lost and confused.

“Cordelia
, I am your watcher. I was sent here to protect you from your mother; your real mother. She is a horrible person.”

She turns as white as a ghost.
“Wait, are you telling me I
am
a witch?”

“I really don’t know what you are
. Your mother was a white witch, and your father is an Angel. I have no idea if they are living. The last thing I knew was that your mother was a powerful dark witch, living in the dark part of Ithaca, and your father was on the run, but that was five years ago.”

She stops me from further explanation.
“Why would he run?”

“Well
, because he lied to everyone by saying that The Old Ones killed you, because he didn’t want you to be with your mother. So my parents teamed up with your father to protect you from your mother. Sadly, because of my parents’ rebellion, they were murdered by The Old Ones.”

“Old Ones?”

“They run Ithaca, our home planet. They’re immortal. They choose your fate, whether you are a watcher and so forth. My fate was chosen because of my parents. I once was a pure angel. As a punishment, I was made into a fallen angel. I will never love again. I am cursed. I am to watch over teens that are in line to be an angel or white witches, like you.”

“So
, Cameron is an angel?”

“He is a fallen angel. He has the same fate as me. If he was to fall in love,
The Old Ones would murder him. It’s a painful death. I’ve seen it for myself.”

Cordelia stands up and starts to pace the floor.
“So, all of this is my fault? Your parents are dead, because of my parents. My mother is some evil witch that ‘wants me to kill myself’,” she says with air quotes. I look at her in shock. How does she know that part? “I had a dream that she told me to that,” she continues. “All because my father said I was dead. Why the heck would he say that?” She slides to the floor and starts to cry.

“Cordelia
, you have to listen to me. You may never repeat what I have just told you; ever. They could kill us both.”

“It sounds like
The Old Ones are murderers. They cursed you, and now they want my father dead, and probably want to kill me since they have no idea what I am. Wait; do these horrible people, that are my “parents” know what I am?”

“Yes they do, and I want to change what they are doing to you. You are skin and bones. I also know about the scars on your back.”

“What the hell!?” She cuts me off. “You know what has been happening to me and you, as my
protector
just sat back and watched it happen? Why? You are just as bad as they are. Please go.” I went to stand up and walk out the door.

I stand up and start to walk out the door, but stop and turn toward her.
“I was only supposed to watch you, not jump in and be the hero. This was something I was never supposed to tell. I probably will get punished for telling you all that I did. Remember that I was trying to be your friend. You need to stop pushing people away, and talk about your problems instead of hiding behind the blade that you use.” Her mouth dropped open. “Yes, I can see everything you do; that is one of our powers. I live in the old cabin across the creek.” I continued toward the door. “You know where the bridge is if you need me. But I ask of you to not tell my brother anything.” I shut her bedroom door and walk out of her house.

I really hope she doesn’t do anything stupid. I don’t know what I would do. I start to walk back to the cabin
, silently praying that Cordelia will just lay her head back on the pillow and sleep peacefully.