Obsidian: Tryss (Book 1) (The Reaver Chronicles Spin Off Series)

Chapter 1

Dedication

Here is to a new chapter! 

This is the start of the spinoff series, Obsidian. 

Here’s to new characters we can grow to love

Here’s to new adventures

Here’s to new love

Another GIANT thank you to my best friend Mike

Who’s still hanging on, this many books later (8,9?)

Who’s just as invested as these characters as I am

Who’s still listening to my insistent book babble

And who without, this work wouldn’t exist.

Thank you.

Chapter 1

I rubbed the handprint just above my wrist as I walked along the riverside in the forest behind my house. The bruise was a faint yellow but it was new, give it 24 hours and it would be as purple and blue as my black eye. I rolled my eyes at the thought, causing pain to radiate through my right eye. 

I was 20, turning 21 in a few weeks and then I could take care of my damn self. I wouldn’t have to deal with Andy anymore, my stupid drunk foster dad. 

I hate these foster rules. We have to go to school until we are 21 AND we cant move out until then either. Who even has rules like that? I thought when I turned 18 I was free, but nooo. 

I couldn’t wait for the day I could get the hell out of this town. I was angry at the world. I always had issues controlling my outbursts which is why Andy and I were always going at it. 

Thing is, he was bigger than me and hit a lot harder. I always ended up with the brunt of the deal, but I can’t say I didn’t try. 

School tomorrow was going to be awesome, not. 

I pushed the oversized sunglasses up on my face, hiding my swollen eye as I passed some random dude walking down the river trail going the opposite way.

He gave me a weird look because I was wearing sunglasses and it was cloudy outside, but I didn’t care. It was easier to get looks like this than have to deal with the poor pity looks I got from everyone else when they saw my injuries. 

I always had an excuse. I’m clumsy and I fell. I got hit with a volleyball. I fell down the stairs. I tripped on my own feet. I opened the car door and hit myself by accident. The list never ended. Most people bought it and just thought I was the most clumsy person in the universe. 

But some didn’t buy it, some knew the truth… Or they thought they did. Maybe they had to deal with it too? Maybe that’s how they knew… Either way, I wasn’t about to talk about it.

I had been in foster care for my whole life. In and out of homes. It wasn’t until Andy and Erica adopted me that I had a permanent home. I was about 13 and I soon found out just what type of family they were. 

Andy drank far too much and Erica just ignored it. She couldn’t ignore when he would go after her though. As sad as it was, it kept him off me for a moment. So for those brief reprieves I was grateful. 

I spent as much time as I could away from home, sneaking out if I had to. I knew the repercussions would be bad when I got home… 

But It was worth the peace I got being outside in nature. Something about the forest just called to me. It always had, ever since I was a child. 

The sun had already begun to set, and I knew I had about two hours until Andy was so drunk he would pass out. Then I could sneak back into my room, unnoticed, and go to bed. 

I had school in the morning and if I missed another day I would surely be expelled. Lets just hope I could power through another day. 

Sometimes I felt like giving up. A lot of times, actually. I never felt like I fit in anywhere, always tossed aside, outcasted… 

Like I had been my whole life. Whether it be in school, at home… Anywhere really. I just didn’t fit in. 

I wasn’t really bullied at school though, the only good thing about it. The only reason was because the first person who tried to mess with me lost two front teeth. I had a mean right hook, a cocky mouth and I wasn’t afraid to use either of them. 

You learn coping mechanisms as a child when you are forced to grow up in a not so desirable situation. I had learned a few throughout the years. I was a fighter and I would never back down, that shows weakness and I was anything but weak. 

I was at my favorite spot by the river where I often went. There was a small clearing and a space where I could sit right on the river's edge and put my feet in. 

The river moved fast and wasn’t a good place to swim right here, but I always put my feet in at least. 

I could see the trout and other types of fish swimming around in the water below and couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be a fish. No worries, no trauma responses, no dealing with Andy...

I was interrupted from my thoughts when I heard a sound across the river. I got up and stepped back behind the tree I was next to, peeking around the trunk. I didn’t much like people, and didn’t care to be known… But I did want to see who was there. 

A few minutes later two boys came bustling through the woods at full speed. It seemed as if they were running faster than anyone I had ever seen run before. 

They were chasing each other, and I could barely make out their looks. All I could see was tousled chocolate hair and muscular builds. 

They looked identical in height from what I could see. I didn’t even realize until they jumped that they were only wearing swimming shorts. The first boy splashed into the river followed closely by the second. 

I couldn’t see much after that, but I thought it was strange to be swimming in this part of the river where the current was so strong. 

They would surely be swept away, but to my surprise they were both just floating in the river as if the current didn’t even bother them… 

I could see more of their features now. They both had chiseled jawlines, perfect eyebrows and lips. 

I couldn't really tell what color their eyes were, but they had to be twins… Extremely gorgeous twins at that. 

I thought about what it would be like to be with them… And then laughed. I rolled my eyes at myself, irritating my right eye which I noticed was a hell of alot more swollen now.

I didn’t want to let the twins know I was sitting there being a creeper, but I also couldn’t sit here all night, I had things to do. 

I had slid down the tree with my back against the trunk facing away from the river. I exhaled softly, trying to decide what my next move was. 

I was so engrossed in thought about how I was going to get the hell out of here unnoticed when I didn’t even realize one of the twins had gotten out of the river and walked right up to where I was sitting. 

I jumped when I realized he was there and scrambled to my feet. At the same time, the other twin came sauntering over with water dripping from his dark locks. 

I locked eyes with one of them, but he couldn’t tell under my sunglasses. I was trying to make out his eye color. But through my sunglasses I couldn't see it clearly. 

Plus, I got a weird feeling when we locked eyes and I wasn’t sure why, or what it meant. I chalked it off to the fact that I was standing in front of two god-like men. 

I mean, I was 5 foot 6 inches. I wasn’t short by any means. But these boys towered me, and their arms were as big as my head… Or so it seemed. 

I averted my gaze to the side and I noticed one of them looking at my arm. I figured he was looking at my bruise so I instantly covered it with my other hand. 

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to be weird… I was just leaving.” I said, with a shaky voice. Something about these twins made me all flustered for words. 

I wasn’t usually like this… I was cocky and proud. But right now the words wouldn’t even form in my brain, let alone come out of my mouth. 

They didn’t say anything, they just sat there watching me. As I turned to walk away, one of them grabbed my arm, right on the spot where I was bruised. 

I flinched at the pain, and tried to rip my arm back but it was no use. I was no match for his strength. 

He was being exceedingly gentle for someone who just grabbed my arm, I thought. But still, I had been in this position far too many times. 

Andy’s favorite thing to do was grab my arm like this when I tried to storm off. My favorite thing to do was try and pull it out of his grasp, worsening the already growing bruise, I'm sure. 

I turned to look at the twin who was holding onto me and he noticed I was upset. He released my arm instantly and I automatically grabbed it with my other hand. 

We stood there for a moment like that, just looking at each other, and then I turned and walked away. 

What in the good f**k was that about? I thought to myself. Why didn’t they talk to me at all? And why grab my arm? Freakin’ weirdos. 

I turned to check if they were following me, but they weren’t. Good. I’d had enough Human interaction for one night. 

I grabbed my arm and started rubbing the spot where I was bruising but I didn’t feel any pain. I looked down but it was too dark to see anything by now. 

I had taken my sunglasses off and put them on my head to inspect my arm further, but I still couldn’t see anything. It was strange though, it just hurt. I mean, literally, two seconds ago. 

How would it suddenly not hurt? I must be in shock. That was the weirdest thing that has happened to me in a very long time. I decided to ignore it until I could get to some light and check on my bruising. 

I walked back the way I came and out of the forest towards my house. My window was on the first floor so I didn’t have any trouble climbing into it. 

I always left it unlocked anyways. Once I was inside I collapsed on my bed. I was exhausted, mentally and physically. 

I flipped my lamp on to take a look at my arm and I gasped out loud when I realized the bruising was completely gone. 

How? How could it go away?? I was baffled. I sat there feeling my arm for any trace of bruising, but there was absolutely none. Not even a tiny bit. 

I decided it was better to just ignore it, I was probably going crazy anyway, and I headed to sleep. School would come too early and I was dreading it already. 

I fell asleep trying to push weird thoughts of those twins from my mind.