Broken Chains

#6 The Start of Something New (Part 1)

Skylar awoke to the sunlight that shone through the thin curtains of her room; it was not a hot day as there seemed to have been a snowstorm that occurred the previous night as the grounds outside was covered with whalebone-white color snow. The gravel-grey skies were bare.

She had not realized that it was already Christmas morning until Tyler burst into her room to say, “Merry Christmas!” He also passed her the gift that he had gotten her.

A voice came after his, “Tyler, I thought I told you to not wake her up and let her wake up on her own.” It was Cody. He knew that Skylar had already had a long night but yet it was Tyler who started the tradition of waking everyone up for Christmas morning.

Skylar got out of the covers to smell the peppery scents that filled the hallways of the mansion. She had not felt so many festivities for such a long time and this was her first Christmas without her mother. But whatever had happened to her mother she had left it in the past and it was time that she moved on but of course not forget about her entirely. Though she loved her mother but then it was not something to be grieving about anymore especially when she had a new life ahead of her.

She hurried down the stairs in her long-sleeved shirt and her leggings. The whole family was gathered around the fireplace, all but except for Tyler and Skylar, it was a perfect Christmas until her friends showed up of course. This was because Skylar and her friends always had this Christmas tradition to bake cookies and mess up the kitchen with the supervision of Skylar’s late mother.

There was a difference this time as there was not much of messing up as everything had been organized to the point that there was no fun in baking cookies anymore. This was because the servants had already baked more than enough cookies for everyone.

Skylar could not believe how well behaved her friends were especially when finally meeting Zaylee. It made her feel awkward as she was too used to seeing her friends being savage around her parents. This made her wonder what had made them change.

It was finally time to open the presents. Alexa and Brooke insisted that she opened their gifts first. So, she did as so; the first gift was from Alexa, it was a Pandora bracelet with all the Disney charms that she really wanted. As for the gift from Brooke, she had finally completed the scrapbook that she had been working on since the beginning of the year with all the memories of her and her BFFs.

Skylar appreciated all the gifts that she had gotten this year but then she was really amazed with the person who had gotten her everything she always wanted. And despite the thing having to be a Secret Santa, she secretly knew who her Secret Santa was, it was too obvious that it had to be Cody. So, she left her friends and family in the living room to find her brother, Cody who was already in his room, according to Zaylee.

She was planning to go and thank him for all the gifts that he had gotten her. When she got to his room, her heart wasn’t with her mind. She really was not thinking, and her heart made her kiss him, not on his cheek but on his lips. Realizing that she was actually kissing her stepbrother, she immediately pulled away from the kiss and apologized for kissing him.

His reaction was also unexpected, she was pulled back to lock lips with Cody. She laced her fingers across the back of his neck, ruffling his golden hair and he was holding on to her waist. About five to ten minutes after, Cody broke from the kiss and confessed from the bottom of his heart, “Skylar, I don’t care if we’re stepsiblings, because I can’t imagine another day seeing you as nothing more than my sister. I don’t love you as a brother would love a sister as it is more than that, I can’t last another minute just seeing you as my sister.” and he got down on one knee as if he was going to propose to her and asked her to be his girlfriend, pulling a box with a ring in it out of his pocket. Though it was really cheesy but then he could not think of any other way to confess to her.

Skylar was lost for words as if she rejected him, she’ll be lying to herself because she too hard feelings for him. Without any hesitation, she said, “Yes!” Cody slipped the ring up her right hand’s ring finger. “But when did you have time to get a ring?”, she continued.

Cody thought back to the night he went to find Nick to get the ring, then he continued to think if he should actually tell her the truth. When his mouth opened, all that came out were kind of lies, “When I was out with Carson and some of the other guys, I saw it on display and thought of how the ring really suits you, so I got it.” He knew he could not tell her the truth that the ring was a ring to protect her from demons. It was of course one of the most powerful items of hell, it was the ring of Lilith, the mother of all demons and demon-blooded creatures like himself though she was not really his mother but indirectly. As long as he knew she was safe, that was all that matters.

She thanked him again for all the gifts that he had gotten her and also pulled out the gift that she had gotten him though it of course could not beat any of the gifts he'd gotten her, a G-shock watch. But still, he was grateful for anything she’d gotten him. Skylar was even more shocked when she saw his watch collection which consisted of many watches including Rolex, Samsung Gear S3 Classic and Seiko Men’s SNK809 Automatic Stainless-Steel Watch. All the watches were much classier than the one watch she’s got him.

“What would you say to dinner tonight?”, Cody offered after putting the gift she’s gotten him aside. “Just the two of us...”

“What about mom and dad? Isn’t it a family tradition to be together with the family to celebrate?”

“I mean like I’m sure that won’t mind. Mom is already quite used to me not showing up to dinners because of various reasons.”

“We can still have a good time even without being able to go out; just the two of us. I mean like I kind of overheard dad’s conversation with mom that we’re going to Hawaii later this week.”

“Really?”

“From what I heard-”

Without hesitation, Cody lurched forward to hug her, this left her in shock. Just then Tyler came in to check on Skylar, “Hey Skylar. Your friends are waiting for you-” and was shocked to see Skylar in Cody’s embrace, “Am I interrupting something?”

“No, you’re not, it’s just that Cody needed a hug after explaining the story of your father’s death.” Skylar lied as she needed to make sure that no one in the family finds out about the forbidden relationship they were having.

“Alright, I’ll be downstairs with mom and dad, it’s not like we have much time with them after Christmas.” and with that he left the room to join the rest downstairs by the fireplace.

“What does he mean by that?”, she said in a questionable tone.

“Whoops! Did I forget to explain it to you? Silly me, of course I did. You will not be going to continue school in New York and because mom and dad have to remain here to work, you’ll be going to the same school as Tyler and me back in Houston.”

“What? Doesn’t that mean that I’ll have to say goodbye to Alexa and Brooke?”

“Don’t worry we’ll be coming back to New York to visit them quite often. - And plus, you already know some of the people from the school.”

“Anyways, is it just me or has the room just gotten colder?”

“I think you should really be going to get ready, it’s just the storm I guess?”

With that Skylar sashayed her way out of his room. Cody was left all alone or so he thought, “I thought that she’ll never leave.”, a voice came from the shadows.

“What are you doing here during this festive season?”

“Is there something wrong with wanting to welcome my new cousin into the family?”

“Yes - there certainly is. - And stop pretending, I know that you aren’t here only for that.”

“Of course, how silly of me, before I go and talk to her and formally introduce myself, I will have to pass you first, the older brother or should I say her bodyguard?”, he was marching to the door to exit Cody’s room when he was stopped.

“Stop right there, you’re not going to talk to her, she’s already been through enough trauma for the past few days especially when you almost caused her death, if you really want to see her, you’ll have to wait till the next big event, that our whole family is together-”

“Oh, and when is that?”

“Umm. How about - never? Why don’t you just skedaddle back to the place you actually belong? - Hell.”

Nicholas nodded his head and pranced to the place he had come from when he suddenly turned to face Cody again, “Actually, I’ve been meaning to tell you this but then I’m sure you are not really that willing to listen to a word I say-”

“What is it, Nick?”, Cody asked reluctantly. “If it is something from grandpa then I’ll listen but if it isn’t you can leave.”

“Well, it’s kind of is from grandpa - Well ever since I had gotten a girlfriend, grandpa had been wondering when he’ll get to meet yours.”

“What do you mean, my girlfriend?”

“You know, the one that you’re willing to spend your time with and everything-”

“For the last time, Nick, I don’t have a girlfriend so can you just leave already. - And how did you actually manage to find a girl who actually accepts you for you?”, Cody suddenly got curious while also trying to change the topic.

“Well, that is really simple, when you’re the Lord of Hell, it is much easier to get one of the children of Lilith to be your girlfriend – especially when we’ve already met when we were younger.”

“So, you're dating a demon? I thought you were more into humans-”

“That’s the thing, none of them accepts me for what I truly am so my choices were slim. Plus, I was convinced by grandpa that I had to have someone ruling by me.”

“What’s her name?”, he asked because Lilith had so many children.

“Gracie-”, his answer was short but yet he still could not lie to Cody. “Well anyways I better get going, got places to be and things to do.” But then since their minds were somehow connected, he knew that Cody was lying when he said that he did not have a girlfriend.