The Book of Gemma -Apocalyptic Fantasy Romance-

CHAPTER 32: BROKEN CHAINS

Once I descended back into the hole in the ceiling of my safe house, I called out to my friends, I had no message of their whereabouts.
"Deecon!" I repeatedly shout.
I grab my father's letters and fold them into my pocket.
I walk into the living room and pick up a bottle, plopping myself on the couch.

'Where would you go?'

Edna's?

I stand from the couch and chug down the rest of the bottle, I wish it didn't take so much to just give me a buzz.
I look back to the window walls behind me and see the darkness of the night become a shade lighter, sunrise coming.

I waltz over to the balcony, pulling myself up the rails and standing on top.
I smirk, "A leader should never fall... but I know how to get back up."

I let my body go limp as I fall from the top of the building, the wind lashing my face, my hair stretching upwards with it and then... floating. I soar through the city to Edna's, defying gravity again.

I look down on her living development, about to descend to the doors but see someone on top of her roof,
Deecon.
He wasn't tired?

I float down behind him quietly.
I clear my throat, "Get the fuck back in the house before you get sick."
I quoted him from the time he wanted me out of the storm while I stood in the garden.

He turns around to me, laughing at my gouge to him.
He races to me, his arms wrap around my lower waist, pulling me off the ground and twirling our bodies.

"You made a hell of a storm." He whispers onto the top of my head, gently putting me back on the ground.
"I found the men who threatened Sky... I wish you could have seen me."

He pulls me off his chest to look into my eyes. I thought he would scold me for acting out, using my power for evil but he smirks, "What did you do to bring Sky justice?"
I place my hand over his chest, "I ripped out the thing that keeps them alive but were not used for mercy... their hearts."
He kisses the top of my head, "Tell me everything while we watch the sunrise."
I shake my head, "I want Albi and Edna to hear it too, no more untold stories and hiding them from my decisions as their leader."
He nods, "Wait here, I shall bring them to you and we will enjoy the sunrise together with the safe morning you have brought Sky."

I shall tell them of the letters my father wrote me as well, they need to know the Darus Devils are the least of the problems... Vyx is the true enemy of me and the humans.

Later that day I brought Deecon, Albi and Edna with me to question the men that served the leader of the radical group.
Each cell I visited, I asked them one simple question.

"What is your sin?"

Fully entranced they give up their darkest secret and it starts to hit me as they confess, they sacrificed someone they loved to be a part of this group...
The Darus Devils.
I look back to the guards who stand on each side of me as I question each prisoner. I nod my head, "Unworthy of my mercy."
I snap my fingers as each one's neck snaps before their eyes.
One by one they drag the bodies out to be burned into ashes.
Not a single one could be saved, darkness consumed them and they did not want to see the light.

The leader sits before me now as I ask,
"What is your sin?"

His eyes go gaunt, his head nodding to the side,
"I gave my wife six hundred and sixty six cuts to her flesh after feeding her our son in a pot of stew.... And when she was on the brink of death... I let my leader fuck her eyehole."

I hear Edna whimper behind the glass as they watch me speak to him. I had told her she didn't have to watch but she insisted on knowing everything now.

"We searched your whole cave dwelling and found no maps of where these bombs you laid down, how do we know you aren't bluffing?"
He leans back in his chair, "Check under the flooring of your favorite bar, right under your favorite seat... I don't bluff and I don't care for your threats, as long as I am alive, they will not go off... but I am human, I have to die eventually."

I press my lips into a fine line, infuriated that I can't control this outcome. He was in his mid forties, he could live another forty years under my thumb but if old age takes him, Sky will fall after he has passed.
I look back to the guards, "I'm done with him, lock him back up."
I turn to my friends, "We can go home."

We stand outside the gates of my house, it's exactly how I left it.
I had given Edna a room, her safety being so close to me could make her vulnerable. We begin to walk up the driveway with Albi carrying Edna's things.
I throw open the doors, too eager to get inside.
I help Edna set up her things and show her around where things are while Albi takes a couple guards to my favorite bar to uncover if there is a real bomb threat to Sky.
Edna tries to get settled and I retreat to my room to put on my clothes that make me feel more at home.

It felt nice to relax for a moment, I walked downstairs and towards my back doors.
Deecon puts his body in front of it, "Gem, I'm so sorry... we forgot to get someone to tend to your garden."
I push him aside and open the doors, all of my flowers break and wilt before my eyes.
I turn back to him smiling, "It's okay, I'll make it better."
I crouch to the ground and press my palm into it.
The colors come back more bright and vivid than ever before, stretching over the brick walls and coating the isles in fresh life.

I sit down on the porch step and Deecon mimics my action.
"I'm going to tell them today."
Deecon cocks his head and focuses on the side of my face.
"Tell them about the Darus Devils?"

I shake my head, "I'm going to tell Sky who I am, I'm going to tell them that I'm turning Sky into a training facility to defend off any of Vyx's soldiers... Everyone will be put back on Lower once I create safe housing developments. I'm going to put walls up to protect them from the weather Lower has created, I'm going to bring water back to the planet and I'm going to nurture them.. Not test them... Lock up any people who would be classified as dangerous to the community... and I'm going to murder the Darus Devils and anyone who is unworthy of my mercy will stay in cells to rot... even the people on Sky who have no mercy for the innocent dying on Lower will feel their pain... I'm going to protect my people.. And I will not be shoved back into a cage ever again.... And when the time has come and the dust has settled... I will go to war with my creator.. Vyx."

Deecon puts his hand on my knee, "I have faith you know what you are doing, your father's letters gave you a push none of us could, I'm proud you are no longer afraid of your purpose because he has shown you that you can choose your own destiny."

*************************************************

Albi comes through the front door with a look of sorrow on his face.
"He's telling the truth isn't he?" I say with a heavy weight of sadness.
Albi nods his head, "We found all of the explosives, they are connected, one goes off, it becomes a domino effect. They are strung together underneath businesses you discovered were open after midnight last year. Sky Patrol brushed off your orders to make rounds, they figured it was just civilians wanting to stay out a little longer after the work week. I have written their names down for you in case you want to take action against their betrayal to your orders."

He hands me the paper of names and I rest it on the counter, I can feel Deecon's anger rising.
He lashes out, "She is their god damn leader and they just spat on her orders?"
I go to put my hand on his chest to push back his tense scowling. He wasn't mad at Albi, he just wanted to lash out at someone for the spike in his emotions.

Albi raises his hands in surrender, "If you hadn't noticed over the years, Gemma has been treated like a spoiled child to authority. Very few have taken her orders seriously when it comes to security. They see a little girl in a castle ordering big guards to protect her kingdom, even you-"

My body tenses now.
Albi, don't.

Albi closes his mouth before spewing words that will trigger Deecon, too bad Deecon isn't naive.
"Even me? Even me what? Even though I treated her over the years with zero respect like those guards?"
Albi lowers his head, "I know you have changed, I didn't mean to upset you."
Deecon's fists ball up and then slowly release the tension.
"I'm sorry, Albi. My emotions are still hard to control." He sighs, tapping the wall beside him.

Tap, tap, tap... and then a stumble. Deecon's weight he pushed against the wall with his hand sends him stumbling.
The place on the wall he was touching has turned to the liquid elements the structure is made from. White and silver liquid that was once smooth solid marble has a chunk of the side of it floating back and forth still forming to the structure of the wall.

I raced over to the marvel and touched the floating liquid, Deecon manipulated the marbles matter.
Without even looking away from it, I grab Deecon's hand and raise it to my face, his hand felt warm.. Very warm and calm.
"Deecon... you just manipulated matter... your hand isn't even strained, it's calm.. Like it took little effort." I start to chuckle quietly but it grows louder and louder.
Deecon looks at his hands, Albi can't stop staring at the wall, I put my hands over my chest.

"How much of my star did I give you?" I ask a question only I could answer but I'm at a loss. I thought he would only be able to do what my pendant state was strained to do but... I have wasted time learning what he was capable of.
Deecon raises his hands up higher and looks to me finally with an open mouthed smile, "Teach me."
Of course I will, my star.