The Fire Within (The Fire of The Soul Series)

by Racquel Kechagias

  "Yea, she is." Simon whispers back and we move away quietly. "Anna why did you come here? You have more important things to do on your last day of freedom than to be in a stable." Simon says, his eyes full of worry and concern for me.

  "I came to warn you of my father. He threatened me with you and Meg's safety. I wanted to make sure that you knew to stay away from him. I didn't want to see you get hurt." I say to him, worried for my friend. It has always been that way though, he has protected me and I protected him. We protect each other from the cruelties of this world.

  "I will stay away from him, for your peace of mind Anna. Just promise me that you will try to do the same." Simon says and I promise him. I part from him and make my way towards the gardens at the side of the castle.

  The garden is filled with beautiful flowers, roses and lilies, orchards and lavender and all sorts of other wild flowers. However, in the middle of the garden is the labyrinth, which Meg, Simon and I use to play in as children. It was in the Labyrinth that I usually found sanctuary from my mother and most of all, my father. It was there that my imagination grew and I began to love the things that go bump in the night. It was there that Simon, Meg and I told ancient stories, with monsters and heroes, princesses and damsels in distress. It was there that I not only learned who I was but found myself when I would get lost time and time again.

  Perhaps it could give me another night of sanctuary? Perhaps if I allowed myself to fall deep into the stories they may swallow me whole. Perhaps in the Labyrinth I could find myself once more?

  I begin to walk towards it as if I was being pulled towards the centre point by gravity itself. Now, as the sun is getting higher, the high stonewalls of the Labyrinth cast the narrow rows into darkness and the darkness gives the labyrinth the feeling of the unknown, when it should remain known and cherished within my heart.

  I lose both myself and time within the Labyrinths walls; there seem to be something lurking within the Labyrinth, something dark and evil.

  "Is anyone here?" I call as a strange sense that I am no longer alone pulls those words from my lips, but no-one answers my call. I can feel eyes upon me, watching me with an intensity that I cannot begin to describe and it makes me want to run back out again, but I cannot, the gravitational pull will not let me go.

  I'm not far from the centre now and I can now see that I am no longer alone. It is clear from the tall figures angular shape that he is a man, though I cannot see his face.

  "Who are you? And what are you doing in my Labyrinth?" I ask the tall cloaked figure.

  "Your Labyrinth? What claim do you have over it? Did you build it? Did you design it? Did you dream the very idea of a Labyrinth?" The cloaked figure asks, his voice silky and seductive. I do not have an answer for him, as I never built it nor designed it, it has always been here and it has always been my sanctuary.

  "That's what I thought. In case if you were wondering, I was the one to create this Labyrinth. I designed it for someone very special to me. So that they may find some kind of joy in these walls, when they found none within the castle." His voice drifts off, and for a moment I wonder if he has forgotten that I am even here.

  "If you don't mind I would like a moment to myself before I walk you out." The stranger says to me.

  I go to say that it is alright, that I can show myself out. However something about the man stops me, stops my words from leaving my lips. I get this sense that he feels lost, alone even though I am here with him. He turns towards me and stands before me.

  "You should probably make your way back into the castle. It's starting to get dark." The stranger says, and I begin to walk back the way I came in. I cannot feel the stranger behind me, and I turn to look behind me and I can no longer see the stranger behind me either. I wonder where he's gone to but it doesn't really concern me so I think no further upon the matter.

  When I exit the Labyrinth I can see that it has gotten dark. The only light to identify my location dances across the sky, it must have been radiating from out of the castle because none of the light entered into the stone walls. I could hear music and soft laughter emanating from the castle. The ball must have already begun and I was clearly missing it. I wanted to dance underneath the shimmering lights, I wanted the music to sweep me away whilst I danced endlessly for the night, yet with all of these longings for love, life and happiness there is an undercurrent of fear and misery. I make my way towards the castle, covering a lot of the ground quickly. I enter into the castle through the servant doors near the stables. I know Meg will be down here if my mother is entertaining guests. I find her quicker than I expect too.

  "Where have you been Anna? Everyone has been looking for you," She asks, wide eyed and out of breath. I realize that she has been worried about me, her concern evident in her wide-eyes. The words wouldn't come out and before I know it she is pulling me along to my bedroom.

  "Meg wait, I can't do this. I can't go through with this." I whisper, and I can hear the desperation in my own voice and I think that is what makes her stop - after she had pulled me into my bedroom. I sit down on my bed and I try my hardest not to cry.

  "Anna look at me," Meg says sitting beside me on the bed. I look at her, my vision blurring up from the tears threatening to fall. "If anyone can do this it's you Anna, you're strong, smart and cunning. No matter whom your fiancé will be you'll pull through, you will overcome it and you'll be happy because even if he's abusive you will always have me." She says, quelling all my fears and helping me to be strong, being my strength in my weakness. She smiles at me and gives me a small hug before she runs off towards my wardrobe searching for something extravagant for the ball. She emerges quickly with something that is indeed extravagant.

  It is a red dress that blazes like wild fire in the candlelight. There is nothing added to it besides the corset, it is just a simple red dress that flows like water but is as bright as fire. My parents would not have approved and that alone makes me take the dress from Meg. A sudden thought pops into my mind; I wonder what people would this of their princess showing up in this? Would they consider me daring or just plain reckless to attempt to anger my parents?

  "What do you think Anna?" Meg asks me, waiting for my comments, my approval. I almost start jumping in my excitement.

  "What do I think? Meg, it's perfect! How did you get something so beautiful on such short notice?" I ask rushing in front of the mirror, desperately wanting to get the dress on.

  "It was no big deal," She says with a hint of a smile before she helps me get out of my dress from before. Once that is off, Meg helps me with getting the red dress on. It slips on so easily, without any trouble from Meg or me. It hugs me in all the right places, and it shows a fair amount of my cleavage which makes me feel uncomfortable, but Meg reassures me that the dress looks perfect on me. She helps me to rearrange my hair, and then all that is left is to slip on a pair of black heels to go with it, and a single silver necklace that has a silver half mask pendant hanging off of the thin chain.

  "They're all in masks down there, so I think this one in particular would suit you perfectly." Meg says as she delicately hands me a mask. It is black but it is adorned with silver swirls and spirals, twists and turns and thus is as extravagant as the dress. I slip it on carefully, gently and then once it too is in place looked at myself in the mirror. The mask is in contrast to the dress but instead of taking away beauty from each other they compliment each other.

  No-one would know who I am in this dress, in this costume and that is how I want it, just for one night, for no-one to know who I am, to look at me and to like me without knowing that I am their ruling princess, that I could order the guards to arrest them and deliver their heads on silver platters if I requested it.

  I wanted just for one night to be unknown and I know that Meg knows that, that that is why she has chosen for me this costume so that I can live for just one night in my entire life as an unknown person to these people below, to the guest that had supposedly chosen to come tonight to cel
ebrate my birthday and dare I say it engagement party. I meet Meg's eyes in the mirror, for what could possibly be the last time.

  "Come with me Anna, I will show you a secret passage to the ball room." She says, her eyes wet from tears threatening to fall. I have no words to say, no words that would dare escape my lips, in fear that my own tears will fall and so I simply nod my head once in understanding. Tonight I wouldn't only lose my freedom; I would also lose my best friends. That knowledge is the last thing I see in Meg's eyes before she turns away from me and the mirror. She opens up a secret servants passage to the lower levels and most importantly to the room which holds the gateway to my future. I leave my bedroom for what is possibly the last time and make my way down to the ball and to whatever horrors lay in waiting there for me.

  Chapter 3 – The Choice is Mine

  The Stranger's P.O.V

  It is dark and it is even darker to anyone else but I could see clearly, almost as if it were day and not the other way around. I stand in the shadows of the columns, waiting till everyone is gone. The castle - that I did not have the chance to explore this afternoon - is nothing like my own home which had been built eons ago.

  Rupert's home had been acquired in cold blood, blood which I had spilled on his behalf. I wonder if he is ready to hand over all his possessions, all his earthly treasures. He won't have to, not as long as he keeps his end of our deal but I have heard that he is considering several other men for his daughter where he should really have no choice at all.

  Losing my track in thought I go back to considering his "home". His home almost has a modern touch; where my castle went up in spirals and spikes, his went out with enormous floors to ceiling French windows, and cream marbled floors. It is different, I would give him that, but perhaps my home would be too much of a change for her. I have no doubt that I will be the champion tonight; I have no doubt simply because of the deal that was done between Rupert and I. The thought that anyone would dare challenge the fates and try to take my bride-to-be away from me, well let's just say that I have my own resources to take care of such a man.

  I feel my lips pull into a smile, imagining my arms wrapped around the girl, my lips pressed against the crook in her neck, my mouth filling with... I force these thoughts away as I push away the ecstasy that these types of thoughts bring. I cannot afford to lose my control tonight. I have to remain calm and in control. Otherwise I could have another massacre on my hands and the waste of all that blood pained me every time such a thing happens.

  I slip on my red mask, true it is plain but it becomes striking against my pale skin, my blood filled eyes shining brightly from within the holes. I have never tried to blend in with the type of people that gather at these kind of events because I have always been proud to boast whom I am and my place among my kind but for her sake, I have to appear, dare I say it, human. I walk up to the front doors, and make my way through the castle to meet my awaiting fate, whether good or bad, I am not leaving without the girl.

  Anna's P.O.V

  I exit the secret passage, and come out onto the foyer outside of the ballroom. The passage had been cold and dark, and I now understood why Meg has never used the passage before. I turn back around to find that the secret passage and Meg are gone. We have already said our goodbyes, and we both know that we would both cry if another word was said between us. I enter into the ballroom and no-one glances my way, I want to scream in joy but I keep my happiness within, for just one night my only wish has come true. I make my way into the room, skirting around the edges trying to avoid my parents, and make my way onto the outside foyer. It is dark and cold out here, but at least there is no-one else. The stars are out tonight, and the moon is full, its light sets an ethereal glow upon the sea beyond the foyer. It is almost unearthly in all its beauty. I feel a sudden chill go down my spine before I hear the voice, and I realize that I am no longer alone.

  "Good evening Miss VanDyken," Mr Sitzman's voice sounds behind me, I can feel his breath on my neck and it sends a sudden chill down my spine.

  "Good evening Mr Sitzman." I respond in turn, turning to the man behind me. Mr Sitzman's platinum hair is even more striking against his black mask. His blue eyes are cold and hard, and I wonder what he is thinking right now.

  "You may call me Christian," He says, before he moves to lean against the balcony itself.

  "Alright Christian," I say, testing out the name on my tongue. "You may call me Anna," I say and I lean against the stone balcony next to him.

  "I know you don't want to go through with this tonight. It should be your choice after all but it's going to happen whether you like it or not." He says, his voice is harsh and I move away from him.

  "Are you alright Christian?" I ask, quickly retreating from the man whom follows after me, and backs me up into the wall.

  "I'm quite fine Anna; though what you saw earlier this morning was only a facade. What you see before you is real." He says, and his voice is filled with venom. His hand comes up to my face to brush away some hair that has come to hang in my eyes. His other hand trails down my arm and stays firmly in place on my waist.

  "I would advise you Christian, to keep your hands off of me until you know for certain whom my father will choose. In fact, keep your hands off of me altogether." But I know my words have fallen on deaf ears and so I wriggle out of my captors grasp. It is hard, but I eventually manage to get out of his grasp, and when I do I realize that I am not as successful as I had hoped to be. Because up against the wall is Christian, and his neck is pinned in another man's hands.

  "If you ever touch her again, I will kill you." I hear the other man say to Christian threateningly. The threat is real. I know this with full certainty, but who is the man that has made the threat, and what does he want with me?

  "Why should I King Menédez? Why should I bow down to you, when my family has never, ever bowed down to yours before?" Christian spits at the man who has a tight grasp on his throat.

  "Because if you don't, I'll just kill you now. It'll be a lot easier, than having to go through with what our father's before us went through." King Menédez spits, his grasp tightening on Christian's throat. The two men stare at each other for a long time, and I can feel the heat of their hatred for each other.

  Finally after a long silence King Menédez releases Christian, and let's him go. As soon as Christian is released he scampers back inside to the crowd, vanishing as quickly as the other man had come. Speaking of the other man, I realize that he has his back turned to me. I can easily see that he is a strong man, although he is not overly buffed, he is more angular than rounded. It is that display alone that shows his strength, his mental and physical strength. I stay away from the man, although every instinct within me tells me to approach him. I stay away, because I am unsure of what his response to me will be.

  "You're the man from before, in the Labyrinth," I say as realization dawns upon me. He turns to me then and smiles softly at me.

  "And thus you must be the girl from before. However you're not just any girl are you? You're Annabelle VanDyken. The one that this charade is all for," King Menédez says, his smile telling me that he is not saying this to be harsh.

  "Yes I suppose so though none of this was my choice," I say with a sigh, speaking truthfully to a man that I don't even know.

  "True, none of this is your choice. Nor will you have a choice in your husband. Though you do have a choice to fall for him," He says and I smile sadly. He adds as an after thought "By the way the name is Victor."

  "Thank you for saving me back there. I thought Mr Sitzman was someone worth trusting. Obviously I had been incorrect." I say solemnly, turning away from Victor, and staring back at the full moon in the sky.

  "Don't thank me just yet," He says his voice is soft like a whisper.

  I turn back around, startled by his words. His scarlet eyes stand out strikingly upon his pale skin, his ruby red lips just as unbelievable and I cannot understand why I did not notice this before. I reach out to touch him
but his gloved hand catches mine before I can, stopping me from touching his skin.

  "I said don't." His tone is threatening, and my mind quickly matches it to the same tone he just used on Christian. When he thrusts my hand away, I quickly pull it to my chest and cradle it there. Is he insane? All that I want to do is say thank you.

  I want to object to the way that he is treating me, but the look in his eyes warn me not to say anything, it is quite an impossible feat, but I manage to keep my mouth shut. I march off into the ball room with saying another word. I still don't have the answers I want, but I don't know if they are worth the trouble of getting. With one more look outside I'm startled to find that Victor has disappeared.

  I suddenly question myself if it had all been my imagination but there is no way to explain the tingling in my wrist from where he has touched me if I had imagined it. Plus there is no way that I can forget the way he looked at me, or the way he had defended me by threatening Christian. The man is real; no doubt of it, no matter how much he is a mystery. Without realizing it, I have walked into a much more slender, and feminine body. She turns around quicker than I can apologize, and when I see her face my apology gets caught in my throat. Without realizing it I have run into my mother.

  "There you are Anna; your father and I have been looking all over for you, it's almost time for the... Oh my goodness, what are you wearing?" I can see the panic in her eyes at what I am wearing and of what other people will think about my choice of "outfit". She especially doesn't look happy about it, but what do I care, it is my last night of freedom and I am going to do what I want to do.