I took the lead since he was caught off guard. Someone had too.
“Shall we?” I walked to the slingshot, readied, and fired without counting. I turned to look and he hadn’t moved yet. Wow! He was stunned.
I blinked back a thought. Stunned. Calum. I helplessly thought of the electricity. Calum was pure pain. What am I doing here? And why do I feel the need to keep asking myself this same question?
Ultimately, he tugged his black army boots over to the slingshot and pulled off the same shot leaving my own damage with a larger hole carved around it.
“Swords!”
He wasn’t speaking much now. Did I mess up? I was joking with you, Cas. I didn’t mean to scare you. And to boot, I was talking directly to him in my mind. It was intriguing but I still wanted the ring back. He ignored me. Seems to be his specialty. Guess I was off the mark in thinking you were a nice guy.
He clicked back to himself suddenly. He smirked and rolled his black sleeve up on the shoulder. I saw a scar peeking out on the opposite side of the scar he’d told me I’d left when we rescued Szar.
That was courtesy of you also.
“Me?” He was talking again. Kind of.
Later.
“No, you promised me answers today,” I demanded fuming faster than I meant too.
He chuckled, the hair falling in one eye. “Your eyes darken when you’re mad.”
And you’re the authority on me now? You seem to know my face better than me.
He shrugged. “Swords and we talk. Deal?”
I will get all the answers. I have ways of making people talk.
He raised his eyes at me. I should be embarrassed, but I really was having fun with this. It was almost a freedom. Like I could finally be myself like I measured with Calum. The girl who gets what she wants. The only unfortunate quirk in my plan was that my insides were turning into a mushy goo. So much for BadA-Chic-A-Rella!
“Deal?” He was asking again.
“Deal!”
He took me to the mats much like the ones I had at home, not at the Hunter school. Gray, thick mats that fold up. The Hunter mats didn’t bounce like these.
Standing now with sparring armor and a ready stance, I faced a possible opponent that matched my every move in the weapons room. Of course, I am realizing he can read and predict my every move.
“Any chance I can have that ring before we start?”
I distinctly heard a laugh under his breath and peeked at his smile I knew was rising up on his bottom lip behind the mask. Guess not. Fine. “Begin!”
He was already there matching my every move. I could predict his as well, though. We went on for over an hour at least. Never had I given this much power to anyone in sparring. He was as strong as me. Even Calum. No one could give me this much freedom to unleash. It was amazing.
I know!
He had not spoken since we started except a few moves he hadn’t managed to block. It startled me.
I stepped out of bounds and he had my hands twisted behind me, bent over sideways with the sword in my neck. He had my backside twisted up against him. I lost, but I'd never been this close to winning.
“That is why you can’t have the ring.”
“Why?” I was offended but not willing to move just yet even if I’d lost.
“Because you match my every skill. If I can predict your move simply off your thoughts, and mine, you will never survive. I want you to know how to make you unpredictable.”
“And why would I want you to show me?”
“Because no one else can.”
“You cocky, sly…Arrogant, ever?” l huffed.
“Simply giving you “freedom to unleash” your awesomeness.”
“Compliments give me hives.”
“Remind me to refrain then. I wouldn’t want to cause you discomfort.”
Yes he would. “And what makes you think I will continue to go along with anything you have to say?”
“Your choice, always.”
I freaking know that and that’s what’s killing me. Gah! “When will I get to leave?” I fumed at my own want for answers.
“A few more days and your friends will be here.”
That was a relief. His face scrunched up so I kept him from him seeing me looking. I couldn’t stay here. I looked around the arena like room marveling the thought of it.
“Are we done? Can I clean up?”
He nodded and started to move things in place. Hmm! He cleaned after himself. I’d always watched Mary, my lady’s maid, clean up while I took my knives and left. That made me feel almost selfish.
Arrogance!
“How dare you? You kidnap me, force me to stay with you, make me show my supposed worth, and now judge me!” I couldn’t stop my anger.
“Anastacia, I did not kidnap you, I volunteered to house you. I am not forcing you, you could have left at any time. I know your worth, I do not need it proven. And you’ve judged me from the moment you laid eyes on me. If I offend you in any way, feel free to lock yourself in your room, flee if you have too, or realize that I have our best interest at heart in more ways than you will ever know. I will remain in your service until my last breath leaves my body.”
He wasn’t even breathing hard like I was. My eyes were wide with wonder. What the heck does that mean?
He turned and went up the stairs and disappeared leaving me standing on the stairs.
Stupefied by his sudden outrage, stupid me stayed standing there. The door whipped open, stopped, and he was there waiting. I didn’t look at him and I knew he wasn’t looking at me. Going straight to my room to shower, I checked the ring for privacy remembering he still had it. Though I’d had it so little and think of it so much. Why did he keep it and why was he insistent on hearing my every single thought? It was more than safety. I screamed in my head for the point of it.
I have no earthly idea why in this world gone crazy planet we live on that I decided to let traitor tears expel from my eyes, but at least it was in the shower and where I knew he wouldn’t hear me. Why they came anyway, I didn’t know. My brain reasoned it to be the unknown or newness factors where I seemed not in control anymore.
I dried myself for a long time hoping the day would pass by into night enjoying the rich scents that enveloped the room. It was better than any shower at home. I didn’t remember to block or that the ring was missing again as I reached for the rack on the wall to hang my towel. I hate the way he affects my judgment. Why would this Vampire boy affect me so? I don’t even know him or want to know him. He’s not Val. He’s not on my side.
I sobbed aloud once and made myself blow my traitor nose. This is when I remembered it. I was now left with the knowledge that he’d heard my blubbering and over-analytical thought processing about none other than him and his overactive excursion to where ever the heck I am.
I left the bathroom in search of clothes trying very hard not to care what he thought. I felt around in the drawer for something remotely comfortable and settled on a sundress unable to avoid the same shade of yellow no matter what drawer I opened.
I pulled it over my head hearing a knock on the door. Before it was down over my waist the door was opening and I was shooting towards the back of the chair for modesty. His head was down. He hadn’t seen anything.
“Don’t you know how to wait to be welcomed?”
“I’m sorry. I thought you were done,” he paused and I watched his every move. “Brunch will be served in thirty minutes.”
The door closed before I could yell my crazy loud thoughts of “Who the heck cares?” Instead my mind thought otherwise. I have no reason too.
My bathroom favorites were al there. Cherry lip gloss and a few stokes of mascara later, I was as good as could be. I left my hair wet to stifle the perspiration I’d incurred from my really steamed shower. Only five minutes had passed and I was restless. I pondered leaving entirely, i.e. climbing down the back wall, but I was really wanting a few more answers before I contemplated the idea of escape. And
I wasn’t too sure about where I was exactly. It wasn’t like I couldn’t escape. I’d gotten out of stickier situations.
Deciding to wander just to be difficult was my version of defiance/investigation. He said I was not bound so I could be assertive and venture showing my own control of what I do and say. Peeking outside the door seeing nada, I decided to explore the other closed doors down the corridor of rooms. I walked without noise marveled by the plain design of the architecture, yet the cream and gold tones of the wall accents made it look elegant. I did my best to think of nothing at all what so ever after that. No noise inside the head, no noise outside. Stealth was my other middle name.
The last door intrigued me most. Do I dare to open it? I told myself to stop thinking and do!
I opened it to find another obviously unused bedroom. Down the hallway, every room was empty. I had three more to go. The door across from mine and his room were left. I didn’t dare open his.
I reached for the doorknob and slowly opened it. My neck prickled, my body tingled, my brain slow to the needed reality that was about to hit me because there stood this mysterious Vampire boy right in front of me without a shirt on.
Chapter Six
…that I know will not hurt me.
I was paralyzed by what I saw. If I hadn’t been in the shock by my focused target four feet away from me, I’d have taken time to appreciate the way his body and arms made me melt like butter on toast.
Across his naval was an exploding sun that matched my own. I felt the dizziness forming and grabbed the side panel of the door for support. His absence of the constellation Orion was my second thought only because this was not for one second a freaking coincidence. I was more frightened than I ever thought I’d felt in my life. He was marked like me. And it looked just like mine. What does it mean? What does IT mean?
I did the only thing I could think of, I ran!
Bolting around the corners, heading left through the dining room area, through the kitchen off the main dining room, I stalled looking for new unknown territory exits. I paused too long. He was faster. I heard him yelling my name in my head the entire run. My lungs were closing, stopping, stilling. I couldn’t breathe. My ring obviously not under my dress.
Stop! Please! Stop!
I can’t!
He had me cornered in the kitchen now with my hands splayed across a counter with him on one side and me caged on the other.
I can’t do this. Who are you? Thorn, Cassius? Who are you?
His eyes closed in succession. I frantically watched him two feet away from his face with a barrier between us. We were face to face in the same position on opposite sides of a cold steel counter.
With amazing clarity, my mind went from clear and precise to a muddled gray mess. This isn’t right. Something’s wrong. Something is very wrong.
He didn’t move.
My one life rule—never give face time to anyone, no matter what. And I'd already given too much to Calum. How did this boy affect me in less than twenty-four hours and now this? Is anything in my life my own? Everyone and everything I've ever known was a dang lie.
I tried to grip the stainless steel I was glued to hoping pain would wake me up.
Forgetting my assailant was a Vampire I didn’t foresee the fact that he could round the corner and have me in his grip in under a second. So when he had his arms around me as if I was a ragdoll I fell into him without thinking. His shirtless warmth surrounded me completely. I was sobbing like a major insane lunatic.
I went on for several minutes until my tear ducks were emptied and reduced to dry sobs. I didn’t know why, but I was coherent enough now to fear looking at what my line of sight would reveal if I opened my eyes. My face digging into his chest looking down, I knew my hair was wet and matted to his skin causing him discomfort and I would have to move soon. I opened one eye to examine my theory.
The sun shined an inch away from my face. His stomach vibrated from his own fear throwing waves at me. How could this be?
Are you sure you want to know just yet? He didn’t move.
I don’t think I have a choice anymore. But you know, don’t you? I wrestled my mind to say no and yes and nothing in between to anything he might say.
There is always a choice, Anastacia.
“Why do you call me that?” I lashed out needlessly.
Why not?
“My father calls me that,” I clicked my tongue.
What do you want me to call you?
I didn’t think I wanted him to call me anything.
I moved back a little parting my tear stained wet hair resisting the urge to shake it free of my back where my sundress was slit on the shoulders and left a bare skin opening just large enough to make wet strands of hair tuck into the corners of my dress.
He, of course, heard my distress and was now pulling my hair free.
“Thank you.” No one else would have ever done that or known too. I looked up at his eyes to see if could read what his thoughts were leaving out. I never should have done that. The irony of what we define as a mistake can and will sometimes return to you as a redefined destiny that life sends your way without any of your own free will and choice in what happens. It just happens. Something in me changed in that one tell-tale moment. And for some strange reason, I knew there wasn’t a way of going back.
“You have the sun also?” It was a question that begged to be answered.
I nodded to him. He saw it yesterday.
Can I see it?
My body froze. I did this once already. I revealed this to someone who made me feel actually special rather than a rogue Valkyrie princess who spends her time reading and throwing knives at walls that never ever talk back to you. I showed my true nature giving more of myself than any other one person my world has known. Was I supposed to reveal those secrets elsewhere? Was I wrong to tell the first time or now? Is this why father kept me hidden from others? No, I vowed, Calum is still important to me.
I drew in a deep breath and held it feeling my lungs burning in my chest. I didn’t have the right answers. I don’t know what to do.
I knew he was listening to my quiet rage. I somehow found comfort in the fact that someone could know me that well, yet it burned me like crazy to know someone could predict my every failure that well also. My faults. My fears. I’m not sure I can handle it. I don’t know if I want to handle it.
He adjusted himself. I tried extremely hard not to press my fingers into his muscled arms anymore than I was. They were smooth to the touch and warm.
He was in his pocket struggling with something. The ring appeared and dangled before me. I grabbed it faster than I meant too, and had around my neck. It was cold and made me shiver, but it was already against my skin and I knew its magic was in place. A void where it was once tingly with his words in my mind now was quiet. I was shaking too bad to get it on. He reached for it and clasped it in place. I felt his breath on my neck and his fingers on the tender spots of my skin. I shivered again.
“Better?”
I nodded. Much! That was a sacrifice for him.
“You were born as a daughter of Anat. You are predestined to be more than what you think of yourself. You have the abilities you do like no one else. You have the skills of a Valkyrie, a Hunter, something otherworldly, and power you have yet to acquire that you siphon from others. You’ve doubled your numbers since yesterday alone stealing from me. You are special in more ways than you know.” He stopped, no doubt hoping to leak a little information at a time.
Why couldn’t I know this before? Why am I just finding this out if it’s all true? I believed some of it for the simple reason that I can read this guy’s mind. I almost won the sword fight, and I only just realized this morning that I could smell more than normal due to the shampoo bottle filling my nose before I even opened it. I’d tried it with the soap and toothpaste and even his cologne when he greeted me this morning. Thank goodness he couldn’t hear me now. I EAT DIRT! Nope, he was silent. Heck, yeah!
“My father knows all of this?”
He nodded.
“And how do you play out in all of this?” I sat on the counter as he remained shirtless on the counter across from me. My eyes darted helplessly to his stomach before I blinked them closed. I was sure by his eyes that he was making fast decisions on what he wanted to do next.
“Hold on.” He grabbed a towel and found a pencil from the kitchen wall menu white board and started writing. I watched his muscles twinge in his left arm as he wrote. When he finished he handed the paper towel to me.
Dear Son of Eos,
Son, I am only the pawn in this. Asked by Anat to comply with her orders, I give you my undying love and respect for what you must do in the following years. As goddess of the dawn, I foresee what actions you did and will take to have the human emotion love and to fulfill your destiny. Please use the powers you hold to complete these tasks. Do not let her go alone. As the son of Ra, you are bound by all orders of our kind and hers. When choosing another form, take care that you are taught properly. The ring will return and be of use to the both of you. Take care.
With Love.
I reread it three times. “Where is the original?”
“My room. I didn’t want to leave you alone.”
Where I’d reread the words about Orion again and again with Calum at the library, I reread the last two sentences that I’d not noticed before now wondering what other secrets it holds I’ve yet to understand. To me, it could be read two different ways.
Deciding to trust him wasn’t easy but I had to choose or leave without more answers. “Where do you fit in this?” I asked again not getting anything before but a letter sized reminder that I’m not in control of my own destiny.
“What do you think?”
“I’m asking what you think.” I wasn’t giving it up. He would tell.
Son of Ra Page 4
