His hands fisted into my shirt above my hips, squeezing before one of them slid down over my butt. I broke away from the kiss, a noise escaping my swollen lips and it didn't take me too long to understand I'd just moaned loudly enough to give away our location, say there were enemies lurking on the green hill neighboring us. I saw him grin in satisfaction before he leaned in and let his mouth pay attention to my jaw, neck and that spot that connects your throat and shoulder.
Opening my eyes, I vaguely noticed a change.
"Datura." I panted out.
"Hmm?"
"I'm seeing grey."
He chuckled. "I promise we're safe."
"Then why?"
His grin grew wider. "It's because you're turned on. Your control isn't as focused and so it turns on and off."
"How traitorous." I commented absently.
"You sound very upset about it." He laughed. I had never seen him this way before, as though he didn't have a worry on his mind. It suited him.
Letting my fingers toy with his braid, I asked. "When did you start having feelings for me?" Out of all the memories I'd retrieved, there wasn't one that had shown he'd told me about this. So I deduced that he hadn't.
"When we met again on the second floor." He smiled. "It might be best that our once upon a time friendship morphed into something different. I wouldn't have wanted to compete with Solenum."
"You don't have too." I said softly. "I have space for both of you in my heart." He surprised me by pulling me into a tight hug, his face pressed into my neck.
"There were times I was tempted to use the Sunken Tree's memory dust on myself." He confessed.
"Let’s just be grateful for the Seer in me that allowed its effects to be reversible." I murmured, wishing that I could somehow understand how he had felt all those years. Solenum and I hadn't been apart that long yet; Datura might have been forced to give up on my return at some point. I couldn't even grasp the idea of it.
"Is it confusing?" He asked, pulling away from me and giving me a smile when he mutely gestured we walk. Wanting to be near him after all that time not being able to, I stepped close to his side and breathed out happily when he placed an arm around my shoulders, holding me loosely against him as we walked.
"It isn't, actually. After everything returned to me I just felt really tired and like a painful head ache was about to come along. But when I woke up this morning, it felt like..." I ducked my head shyly down when I caught him staring. "Like how Altors feel after the trigger."
His finger touched my cheek, making me feel less timid. "Complete."
I nodded. "And my feelings for you," My heart beat faster and my chest tightened in a good way. "I thought it was this intense attraction, but it's more than that. It grew larger when I could remember you as my friend." I slipped my hand into his back pocket, returning the slightly uncomfortable embrace as we wandered aimlessly around the green hills.
"You seem so at peace." He sounded a bit surprised.
I laughed. "It's because I am. I really don't know how to explain it, and believe me when I say it weirds me out as much as you, but the feeling is just," I shrugged, "so amazing, I don't want to deny myself." I smiled when he kissed the side of my head.
"Welcome back, Cali." He murmured.
* * * *
"So Isa and Iso were abandoned by their parents at the Coliseum before they ran off to pledge their loyalty to the Regius?" I asked, tugging the bag properly over my shoulder when it started to slip. We'd returned to the crack in the earth to pick up the sleeping bags and mats before making our way back on foot to the Coliseum.
"Yes. Then Isa turned Ranger while Ivy was being kept by Xen Reinhardt."
I frowned. "Why did he turn Ranger?"
Datura's smile was stiff. "What do you think? Ivy is a beautiful woman and she was a pretty girl back then. Iso and Isa were both head over heels with her and unfortunately, they aren't exactly the smartest in the lot and tossed a coin over her. Isa moved in on Ivy and Iso backed off as the coin demanded him to."
"Ivy dated Isa before Iso?" That must have been awkward.
"Well, she always had liked Iso more than Isa, but she didn't know about the coin toss, so she believed Iso wasn't interested and Isa was being so-"
"Pushy? Obnoxious? Over the top?" I supplied dully. It couldn't be helped; he'd held a gun to my head.
Datura shook his head, his smile turning soft again. "He wasn't always like that. He and I used to be friends."
"Yet you stabbed him."
"Because he threatened to kill you."
I sighed. "Did he know about me?"
Datura nodded. "I've told him about you, but I don't think he realized you were you when he wanted to blow your brains out."
"That's a nice way of putting it." I said sarcastically.
"Ivy and Iso really hurt him. They went behind his back. Instead of breaking things off with Isa and then dating Iso, she cheated on Isa. And Iso did as well since he never asked his twin if it was alright."
"Don't try and make me feel bad for the guy." I smirked at Datura. "That's not fair."
He laughed. "I'm not. I'm just telling you why he left."
I nodded. "A broken heart." I did feel bad for Isa and could understand why he'd run. "I don't think I'll look at Ivy and Iso the same way now."
"Everyone has flaws, Cali." Datura murmured. "I am not saying you have to like them for it, but I can assure you that they hate themselves enough on their own." I guess I didn't need to add to it. It's not like I was in a position to do so; I wasn't particularly close to them. Their personal lives shouldn't affect my view on their skills in battle or their status as Altor soldiers.
I moved on to the next question I had. "Where is Jan?"
Datura's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Nobody told you?" I shook my head, giving him a look that said, ‘Was there time for an explanation throughout all the sickness, shooting and calling upon dead guardian ghosts?’
"Right." He rolled his eyes. "Like you remember, Pieris took charge of you since Jan was going to marry Iris. Iris was being taught by Rose Saxton, an Elder, how to become an Altor trainer in the Coliseum. Jan worked with the archives and researched. He had skills on the field, but first and foremost, his job took place in a room filled with books. There are a lot of facts that went missing throughout the centuries, and Jan tried to retrieve them so he could enlighten certain things about the war and the races."
"So it was easier for him to move into the Coliseum since his office could be there just as much as on the farm in the meadows." I deduced. "Is he Anemone's father? Is his lack of presence the reason she's mute?"
Datura nodded. "Yes to all of that. Some believe he's dead, others think he's still alive somewhere."
"But you haven't guided him to peace, right?" He had to be alive then.
"I haven't. But not all Altors pass through the Valley." He shrugged. "Of course I don't believe he could die peacefully knowing he was leaving a daughter and wife behind with the war still ongoing. It was definitely not his time, and he'd be aware of this." Datura believed Jan to be alive. "Iris told me that Jan had figured something out in his research, something so extraordinary it required him to go out in the field to confirm." He sighed. "Jan never returned."
"Another person lost in Immortalis Silva?" I guessed.
"Which some say is being as good as dead."
We kept walking and didn't speak again until the Coliseum came into view. I stopped him before we would make our way in.
"What about you?"
Datura tilted his head curiously. "What about me?"
"You never spoke of your parents back when we lived in the boarding house and while I'm not sure why it never occurred to me to ask then, I'm asking now." When his smile slipped away, I knew I didn't need the warning sent through a Seer's body to tell me that the story wasn't a happy one.
"Nobody knows who my parents are." When I opened my mouth to suggest something, he added. "Seers included." He shrugged. "Ve
rvaine has tried. But because I am the Keeper, I am connected to the Altor souls in the Valley. When she took my hand in hopes it would give her a vision of my past, what happened is that she was knocked unconscious due to being assaulted by visions of every single soul in the Valley at that time, with the exception of me." He winced uncomfortably. "When she woke, it became apparent just how much her powers damage her."
"How?"
"It cost Vervaine her easy smiles." Datura started walking again. "It was as flagrant a change as when Anemone went mute when she learned her father was to never return."
* * * *
Although the change in my relationship with Datura could be the thing that made this day intense, I was sorely reminded that the day wasn't over yet when we arrived at the Coliseum. When we walked through the large arch opening that led onto the circular training platform there, Iris held Anemone's hand over by the small pool, her eyes fixed on the scene before her while her daughter was trying to dip her foot in the water. Dandelion and Jatrop were sitting over by the kitchen, as though what was happening was interrupting their quiet breakfast. Vervaine, Ivy and Iso stood in the center on top of the sand patch where the soldiers trained for wrestling, next a woman that I hadn't seen before. Caltha stood opposite of them, looking tense while Ilex supported him silently with his arms crossed beside him.
Looking over at Datura, I saw him slowing in his steps when he noticed that something was wrong with the picture they all made. I was allowed a small moment to take in the rest of the place, realizing that the entire Coliseum was fashioned to support the training of the soldiers, rather than a luxurious place to live in.
The kitchen's wall must have gotten destroyed sometime during a raid, but they hadn't bothered to repair it, simply leaving it as it was and dragging the dinner table outside, creating a make shift terrace. Beside it was a room with a large door that had a red medicine bottle painted on it, telling me that was the infirmary. Throughout the entire open space were many stone pillars that framed each different type of training ground: a pool and wrestling sand box, a running track, a shooting range over on the left, and a boxing ring neighboring it. In between each living space, nestled in the circular shaped wall of the Coliseum, was a room that served the soldiers in their jobs: an armory, a research lab, a conference room and a security base. Not all living quarters could be in use, since there weren't enough of us to occupy them.
The color grey was most dominant due to its stone walls, and clearly Iris wasn't one for cozy decorating. Everything was very clean and clearly had to be useful to them as soldiers in one way or another.
Caltha was talking animatedly at the woman I hadn't met before, and it was obvious that it was a tense conversation as they all sported looks of doom. Although I'd never seen her before, I knew she was Galaxi, Pallium heir and Ivy's cousin. They looked a lot like one another, but where Ivy had short hair, Galaxi had it very long. She also looked tougher than Ivy did, like what I'd imagine an heir would look like.
As Datura and I came closer, we could hear what it is they were arguing about.
"How could you have lost the Prince?!" Caltha growled.
"I did not lose him. I just momentarily misplaced him." She snapped. "He's not a dog I can keep on a leash, Altor; he is a breathing human being. He has a mind of his own." She was definitely not as soft spoken as Ivy either. "And when he is determined to make something happen, believe me, not even your tall and broad ass could stop that boy. Do I have to remind you that he is bred to become a king? You don't tell that type of person what to do. They tell you what you should do!"
"Everyone just stop being so defensive." Ilex interrupted. "Let's just say it is nobody's fault that he's gone and go from there." He suggested. "Datura, welcome back." Everyone looked in our direction, noticing our presence. Galaxi seemed particularly interested as she ignored Caltha further and walked straight up to Datura, looking right through me.
"Ullus contactus?" My eyebrows shot up as I heard the foreign language, but the surprise didn't end there when Datura actually replied.
"Nullus." While I didn't understand what he meant, his words seem to relieve Galaxi.
"English, now." Caltha growled. "You." He pointed a finger at me. "Get out of here. You're not privy to any of this."
"He remembers everything." Datura interjected.
"What?!" I cringed when Ilex marched up to me and grabbed my collar to shake it for what felt like unnecessary reasons to me. "How?!" This he directed at Datura, who looked over at Vervaine, who gulped and look the other way.
"My brother is missing!" Galaxi shrieked, her hand over her heart and her eyes wide, the concern sparking off of her. "Delivering custom cars isn't my job. I'm not here to hand over the keys and wish you a good day. Flux asked me to drive it up here so I could inform you of the situation."
Ilex let go of my collar so he could rub his temples. "We'll deal with this later." He meant me.
"Thank you." Galaxi sneered, starting to pace, and clearly not the happiest person on the planet right now. "We can't risk delivering the news of the missing Regius heir through port phones or mail. You know protocol; this is a code ten, everything needs to be done in person. I can't go to Iodin City and inform Reed because I'll stand out like a sore thumb."
Ilex nodded at that. "Vervaine will go." Because she looked like a Regius. Crossing my arms over my chest, I felt a frown form on my face as I watched the people before me hard at work.
"Conium is going through the desert and the border that separates Altor territory from Regius. But he has to be careful not to raise suspicion, so I need your help in spreading the word to the right people." The Pallium explained.
"I will go to Reed." Vervaine obeyed.
"And Iso and I will help you look everywhere else." Ivy said softly, wrapping an arm around her cousin's waist and trying to offer her comfort that way.
"I need Iso to find his brother." Galaxi dared Iso to protest when it looked like he was going to. "Juglan isn't answering Flux's summons. It means the truce has been tainted and he may have turned on us. The only person Isa may not kill instantly is Iso. And Isa is our best bet since he's Juglan's first."
"I'm sorry to remind you that my relationship with Isa is not a stable one." Iso cursed then. "I can try." Kicking the sand beneath his foot, he turned and started walking away. "But you fucking owe me, Galaxi!" Everyone cringed when he slammed the door to his quarters loudly.
"Thank you for pissing off my students." Iris handed Anemone over to Caltha, who seemed to relax instantly when he held the child. "With current circumstances, that is exactly what I needed." Sarcasm was an interesting color on Iris.
"Forgive me for lacking tact." Galaxi responded. "But of all people, I thought you'd understand what it feels like when you lose someone but know they aren't yet forsaken."
My mouth parted and my eyes widened comically in shock when suddenly Ilex was forced to jump forward and hold Iris back from punching Galaxi.
"You did not just go there, Pallium." Ilex gritted out, mutely gesturing for Caltha to take Iris and Anemone elsewhere. He waited for them to be out of sight to continue. "You'll get our help because we are as concerned as you are, but hold your emotions in check, Galaxi, or you'll lose friends in the process."
I saw her jaw tighten before she nodded reluctantly. "Very well. Tell Iris to move Anemone to Iron Island. It's the only region that isn't labeled a hot zone." Galaxi walked away, Ivy and Vervaine following her and my eyes trailed after them. I saw that Dandelion and Jatrop had decided to pretend none of this was happening and continued on peacefully with their breakfast.
"I will tell her you care." Ilex rolled his eyes after Galaxi before turning and followed his partner. "Don't you think you're going to get away with this. The moment Vervaine comes back from her mission, we are going to dissect the problem that is-" He grimaced, waving a flippant hand at me entirely. "You." He walked off this time and Datura and I allowed some silence to drag out before we looked around us. Ever
yone with the exception of the Jansen's had gone to handle the issue of the missing Prince.
"What happened?" I asked, feeling utterly dumbfounded.
Datura shrugged. "Another boring day at the Coliseum." Reaching over, he took my hand in his. "Come on, let’s hide in a room until everyone that has to go, has gone."
* * * *
Chapter 6
Galax Kaminski
Raising an eyebrow, Galax gazed over at the domineering presence of the Coliseum in the moonlit meadows, the stone building so tall, its shadows covered him and Isa even at the distance they were located. Altors always had this annoying need to overcompensate. They were like arrogant children that took on more responsibility than they could handle. Everything they did was supposedly for the greater good and nobody could argue because the only people who dared were the Regius, and the Regius, in the Altors eyes, suffered from a God complex. When would either race see that neither of them are what Zinc needs?
The Regius would rob this land of its riches in a matter of years, killing it without flourish, offering up the people before they were affected by their own wrong doings. It was as though their DNA didn't allow them to make good decisions. But the Altors... They were engineered lap dogs and instead of admitting this and acting like the guards they were meant to be, they thought themselves to be wiser than the Civilians and thus allowed to make decisions in their stead. If only the Civilians knew their fate lay in the hands of those that were supposed to protect and serve them! But those who angered Galax most were the Palliums. They were about as delusional as the Regius and Altors, but were too scared to use their superiority to take their land back. How contradicting.
Regius Page 5
