How It Was by T. S. Joyce

Prologue

 

“How did they find out?” Tovlin yelled through the trees.

Panting, Nuke pushed his legs harder and pumped his arms faster, ducking and dodging through the trees. The smell of fire filled his lungs, dredging up a long snarl from the monster that had awakened inside of him.

“I don’t know,” he murmured. “I don’t fuckin’ know.”

Another stream of fire rained down from the canopy above them, and he huffed in pain as the flames got too close and singed his skin.

He didn’t know how they’d found out what he and his brothers were, but someone had. Hiding in the colds of Siberia to silence the animals hadn’t protected them at all.

A roar rattled the earth and Nuke hunched and covered his ears. Nothing he and his brothers had been taught was true. They weren’t alone, and now this thing…this monster…was conjuring the darkness inside of him.

He gritted his teeth and tried to swallow the snarl down, but he couldn’t. It was so damn cold out here, but he still couldn’t control the fire in his veins. He threw his head back and answered with a roar that shook snow from the trees.

The woods were on fire, maybe for miles. Smoke hung heavy in the air, but he could still see Tovlin.

“It has to be you,” Tov called. He’d stopped running and looked defeated. His dark eyes were somber and held more sadness than one man should bear.

“No. No, no, no, we can outrun this,” Nuke said, slowing to wait for his brother.

Tov shook his head. “Mine is too small.” He pointed to the sky. “That one is ancient. It has to be you.”

Nuke looked back, and the dark sky was lit up with flames. Their home was burning. “Donathan! Lev!” He bellowed, to no answer.

“They’re gone and you know it,” Tov said.

Nuke’s heart sagged to the ground, and his body shook with despair. Why? Why was this happening? They’d controlled the animals. They hadn’t hurt anyone. They hadn’t done anything!

“If it’s me, everything will burn,” Nuke said softly.

Tov’s eyes were filled with ghosts as he said, “Everything already has.” He nodded. “It’s okay.”

And Nuke knew what he meant. God, he knew what he meant and it ripped his heart out.

It was okay that he would kill Tov.

But it wasn’t okay. Not to Nuke.

“Nuke,” Tov said, making his way toward him. “It all burns either way.” A spark of rage lit his face. “You aren’t like us. We were smaller. You were always the weapon. You were always Nuke. Kill this motherfucker, and live. Live for us.”

Another roar rattled the woods, and the beating of wings created swirls of snow around them. Another line of fire trailed between Nuke and Tov.

This thing had done a good job of splitting them all up. Smart. He couldn’t take five of them, but two? Maybe.

Tov gave an empty smile through the flames. His teeth were sharper.

“Tov, no,” Nuke said. Down to his soul, he was mourning. Already mourning.

“We’re not burning in these woods, Nuke.” He pointed to the sky. “I want to go out up there.”

“I won’t fucking do it!” Nuke yelled. “I won’t.” He jammed a finger down the mountain. “We’re going to run, and we’re going to live. Both of us.”

Tov’s smile got wider and he shook his head. “No, brother. No more running. We go with honor.” The grin faded from his face, and was replaced by wave of darkness. “Honor me.”

Tov’s body snapped and stretched and reformed into something ‘other.’ Something terrifying to anyone but Nuke. Tov was gone, and he’d done exactly what he’d intended—dredged Nuke’s monster from the deep.

He couldn’t stop the change now. There was something worthy to fight, and that’s all his monster existed for.

As the pain rippled through his body, Tov bunched his muscles and headed to war. He beat his wings against the air currents and felled trees as he crashed his way up into the sky.

The monster didn’t care that Tov was his brother. He didn’t care about anything but destruction.

Tov had called him a weapon, and that’s all Nuke had ever been.

If it’s me, everything will burn.

No.

If it was Nuke’s monster, everything would burn.

And burn, it did.