Anastasia (The Bolton Series Book 1)

by Heaven Lyanne Flores

  When he came back down he held a box about three feet long. The coven symbols were imprinted on the top going straight down the middle. He placed it in front of my sitting body.

  “What’s this?”

  “Open it,” he commanded.

  I carefully lifted the lid to reveal its contents. Yelson and I both gasped in shock. The sword of Ustrina lay inside. It looked just like the painting Simon had showed me just over a month ago. I had to press my palms to my thighs to prevent me from touching it.

  “I thought the king had it.” Yelson couldn’t take his eyes off the beautiful piece of metal. I couldn’t blame him I was having a hard time as well.

  “He left it to me. When I felt Anastasia was ready for it I was to give it to her.” He lifted the sword from its velvet bed and held it out for me. “I believe that you are ready. You have it in you to save this planet. You may not see or believe it now but you soon will. You are the oracle.”

  Everything in me screamed that he was right, no matter how hard I tried to convince myself I couldn’t do it. It was a lie. It was in my blood to kill Daruka. But I wasn’t sure if that was me talking or my mind just telling me to grab the sword.

  My hands wrapped around the hilt as I brought it towards me. A surge of power rushed through my body when I touched the cool leather. Blue flames erupted from my hands and traveled up the blade. I didn’t flinch away at its heat, it seemed natural to me. This was supposed to happen.

  Each symbol on the blade glowed blue as the fire retracted back to my hands. I smiled at the power I felt. It went through me as if it was a part of my blood running through my veins, fueling my body’s every need.

  “Annie?” Yelson whispered next to me. His gray eyes full of worry as he stared at me.

  “It’s okay,” I told him as I held the sword tighter in my grip. “It feels amazing.”

  “That is the power of the covens. It is entering your body to give you strength. I warn you Anastasia; do not let it consume you.”

  “I won’t.” Sadly, I placed the sword back on its velvet bedding. The blue that lit up the coven symbols disappeared as soon as my touch left it. I could feel traces of its power still in me

  but it was weaker than it was just seconds ago. “Do I get to keep it?”

  “Yes, but you must practice with a weapon first. I have only taught you hand to hand combat.” I eagerly nodded my head as I anticipated those lessons. “For now put the sword away. You must remember people do not know it exists. You cannot tell anyone but Yelson, Cabel, and Kenelm.”

  “I can’t tell Simon?” I wanted to tell him all about it. I wanted to prove to him that it did in fact exist and he was wrong.

  “I am sorry but you cannot.” A sigh of defeat escaped me. I guess my bragging to my brother would have to wait.

  “I understand,” I whispered as I placed the top back on the box. “Thank you Master, for having such faith in me.”

  “I always have Anastasia.”

  Yelson and I bowed to him before we left to go back to the palace. He gently carried the box for me. I found my hands moving towards it more than once and I had to intertwine them behind my back.

  He put the box down on my bed and we just stared at it.

  “So what’s going to happen?” I asked him. “We now know where Daruka is and I have the sword. How long do you think it would take before Cabel convinces Kenelm to send me out?”

  “He won’t. Kenelm loves you Annie. He knows just as much as I do what this would do to you.” He pulled me into a hug. I smiled as his warmth enveloped my body for the second time that day. “I won’t let you do it.”

  “Yelson.” I pulled away from his embrace and looked at him. His gray eyes looked sad as they traced mine. “I have to do this.”

  “Annie.”

  “No, listen to me,” I cut him off. “No matter what alternate way you come up with, if it doesn’t involve me, it won’t work. You will just get more innocent people killed. I don’t want anyone else to die because of me. I have already lost my dad and Weldon because of Daruka and he still has my mom. I need to end this before I lose even more people that I love.”

  “I will be right there with you.”

  “No you won’t.”

  “I’m your guard. You can’t stop me from following you.” The sternness in his voice told me he was done talking about it. Nothing I say would change the fact that he wanted to be with me when I went to stop Daruka.

  I found a smile on my face. I didn’t want to face him alone so I didn’t fight Yelson as much as I thought I would. I needed my protector to go with me.

  *~*

  The plastic sword cut through the air as I attempted to attack Yelson. He was able to block my lame attack and hit me on my left side with his sword. Again.

  “Ow,” I yelled when the plastic hit me. It was the same spot as the last three times and there was already a bruise.

  “Come on Annie, you haven’t even gotten me once. This is getting a little boring.” Yelson moved his sword to hit my right side. I quickly blocked it with my own.

  He moved in a circle around me, assessing my greatest weakness. I tried my best to anticipate his next move. This would have been the perfect time for my mind reading to come in handy but of course it didn’t want to work when I asked.

  I swiftly jabbed my sword toward Yelson’s right shoulder but he was quick and moved out of the way while hitting my right hip.

  “Seriously? I had you,” I pouted as I rubbed my hip. We may have been using plastic but it hurt like heck.

  “Not even close,” he smirked. He got back into stance, never taking his eyes off me.

  I held the plastic sword tighter in my right hand. Yelson and I moved around each other to our own rhythm, trying to guess what the other person would do first.

  The muscles in Yelson’s right arm constrict. The moment Yelson lifted his arm my sword collided with his stopping his blow. A small flicker of shock flashed across his eyes before it disappeared. He quickly brought down his sword and with more

  speed than I thought possible and moved to hit my midsection again.

  I fell to the mat clutching my side. That had to be the worst hit yet.

  “Master I think Annie has had enough for the day.”

  Master Kai sat on the farthest corner of the mat assessing our every move. He slightly nodded letting us know we were dismissed. “First thing tomorrow morning you will resume. Anastasia still needs much work.”

  “Yes Master.” We said in unison.

  Yelson helped me up from the ground. “Sorry about that.”

  “It’s fine. I need the tough love right now. It’s not like we have much time left for me to train.”

  Yelson’s face fell at my words. He knew it was only a matter of days before I would be sent to end Daruka.

  We said our goodbye to Master Kai before we walked out the door.

  As soon as I was in my room I grabbed my pj’s and ran to the bathroom before Yelson could get in the shower. The cold water helped to calm my stressed body.

  This was the second day I practiced with the swords. I was nowhere near being decent with the weapon. I needed some sort of miracle to happen, some hidden power that made me a professional with the sword. That, however, would never happen. It was something I had to practice with. I would learn it sooner or later, preferably sooner.

  I turned off the water and got dressed as quickly as my sore body would let me. I knew Yelson was waiting by the door, I could hear his thoughts of today’s practice. He was wondering what to do to get me to learn it faster.

  “All yours,” I said as I passed him to get to my room.

  “Thanks.”

  I locked my door behind me. I didn’t want Yelson to enter.

  I knelt down next to my bed and pulled out the box my sword was in. I could still feel it in my blood but it just asked for more. It’s as if it was a drug and I needed my fix.

  My fingers traced the symbols on the box. I lingered on the bandra
oi’s crest. I had finally understood what Simon had said about the blue crystal. We didn’t carry it around because it was us. It was our blue eyes that let the world know who we were.

  After a minute I lifted the lid. Lying were I had put it was my sword. Its silver metal gleamed in the light begging to be lifted off its velvet bedding.

  Giving in to its temptation I picked it up. Blue flames once again exploded from my hands and traveled up the blade before returning. The coven symbols perfectly glowed blue.

  I smiled as the power surged through me. I had never felt anything like it before. It was as if nothing could touch me, I was indestructible.

  “Daruka doesn’t know what’s coming for him,” I smiled before putting my sword back.

  Chapter Twelve

  After breakfast the next morning Yelson and I went to practice. He taught me more about proper technique and this time I listened the every word as closely as I could. I had to understand this as quickly as possible.

  I was happy when my sword made contact with Yelson’s midsection. It meant I was doing something right. He didn’t give me time to celebrate before he was attacking me again. I made contact with his shoulder one more time before he hit me six times in a row.

  When I couldn’t lift my arm from the hits Master Kai dismissed us. It wasn’t even dinner time yet.

  I took a quick shower before I met Emilie in the kitchen. She stirred a big pot of noodle soup. I laughed as she had to stand on a stool to reach the top of it.

  “Hey you, how was practice today?”

  “Good. I can’t feel my arm though.”

  “I have to have a word with Yelson then. He is supposed to be teaching you not hurting you to the point where you have a big ugly bruise on you.” She pointed to the golf ball sized bruise on my upper arm.

  “It’s okay Em, really. I need the push.”

  “Not that much. I know that he goes too far sometimes and I know you won’t say anything to him about it so I must. Now do you want to eat?”

  Emilie served me a bowl of soup when Yelson came in carrying Arabella on his shoulders. She squealed as he put her down on her chair.

  “Hi Annie.”

  “Hey Arabella,” I smiled at her. It was days since I had last seen her. Her blue dress matched her hair perfectly. “Want to go with me to brush Mary after dinner?”

  “Yes,” she beamed at me. She was always happy to do things with me. Now I knew why. I was the princess. The thought made me shiver.

  We quickly ate our meal and ran out to the barn. Yelson being the protective body guard followed us.

  Mary was happy to see us. She let Arabella brush her while I fed her a sugar cube. Arabella loved the horses. Her face always lit up when she was around them.

  “Annie, can I talk to you?” Yelson asked when he saw Arabella preoccupied.

  “Sure,” I said as I exited the stall. We moved as far as we could from the stall but were still able to have the young girl in our sights. “What’s up?”

  “Kenelm wants to know if you will see him tomorrow.”

  “What?” I hadn’t seen him since the day he gave me the book. He left the palace after I ran to Ulma’s. I didn’t know where he went when he wasn’t at the palace and I never asked.

  “He is your father Annie. He just wants the chance to talk with you.”

  “And what if I don’t want to talk with him? Do I have a choice?”

  “Of course you do, you always do. That is why he asked me to ask you. He doesn’t want you to do something you don’t want to. He just wants you to be happy Annie.”

  “I just don’t know if I’m ready for that. My whole life growing up was a lie because of him.”

  “Maybe he could answer those questions. I know you are wondering why he never tried to get you back.”

  “I know why,” I said. Arabella stopped brushing Mary to give her a sugar cube. She giggled as Mary’s lips touched her

  palm. “Ulma said Amelia promised my parents not to come back. Kenelm would have respected that.”

  Yelson stared at me with a sense of humor. I looked back at him with a sense of confusion. That boy sure knew how to make my wheels spin. “What?”

  “You should talk to him.” Was all he said before he told Arabella it was time to go inside. I stayed with Mary to give me some time to think.

  I didn’t want to talk to that man. He let some other people take me and didn’t even try to get me back. If he did I knew my parents would have let him. They wouldn’t have wanted me to grow up like that. They would have wanted what was best for me and that would have been with Kenelm, my real father.

  He didn’t care that someone else had me, his daughter. He just continued living his life. That’s what I wanted to believe. It would make it that much easier for me not to like him. I didn’t want to like him anymore. But it was a lie that I was telling myself.

  Kenelm loved me even though he never knew me. He was just following what Amelia told me parents. He knew she would have never wanted me to come back because Daruka wouldn’t stop his search for me until I was dead and she was right.

  Maybe I should just talk with him for a few minutes. Yelson was right, I did want more answers even though I seemed to regret it when I got them.

  When I made my way back into the palace Yelson sat at the table waiting for me.

  “I’ll talk to him.”

  “Good,” he sighed. “He’ll come tomorrow at noon. Master Kai said you must go to practice afterward.”

  “Okay. Yelson?”

  “Yes?”

  “Can you come with me real quick? There is something I have been wondering since I got the sword.”

  “Okay.” He followed me to my room. I closed the door behind him and went to my bed. I kneeled down for the box that held the sword of Ustrina and brought it out. I patted the floor next to me, motioning for him to sit by me. He did as I asked.

  “Kenelm told me that he thought the sword would kill Daruka without me having to be the one holding it. He told me how you volunteered to do it. That, by the way, is a stupid idea.” Yelson laughed lightly at me. “But I remember Simon telling me that only a full blooded witch could activate its powers.”

  I opened the box to reveal the sword. I pressed my palmed to my thighs to keep me from touching it. This was something Yelson had to try.

  “You want me to touch it?” His accent had gotten deeper as he fought for the words to say.

  “Yes. I know you are half siren. I may not know the other half, and that’s okay, but maybe it would still work for you. If something were to happen to me before I could stop Daruka at least you would still be there. We would still have a chance.”

  “Nothing is going to happen to you Annie. Not as long as I breathe.”

  I smiled at him. He would really risk his life for me. I hoped and prayed that it never got to that point. “We have to think realistically Yelson. This isn’t some fairytale where you know the good guys will win. This is real life. Life where the bad guys have constantly won. There is always a chance one of us won’t make it.”

  “You can’t talk like that.”

  “I have too. Please Yelson.” I pushed the box towards him. He eyed it suspiciously before looking over to me.

  “This isn’t going to work you know.”

  “We have to try. I need to know that you all will still have a chance if something were to happen to me out there.”

  “It’s not going to work because I won’t ever have to use it.” Yelson touched his palm to my cheek. “As much as I wished you didn’t have to do this I know you can. It’s in you Annie, the power to bring peace back to this world. The bad guys will never have a chance against a good girl like you.” I laughed at him. He took his hand away from my face and turned back to the sword. “Don’t be disappointed if this doesn’t work. Okay?”

  I nodded my head. His hand moved slowly to the leather handle of the sword. He took one deep breath as I held mine before he grabbed it.

  There was no
flash of blue as there had been when I touched it. Yelson didn’t feel anything surge through him like I did.

  “No,” I whispered. It didn’t work. Now I truly was Bolton’s only hope. If something were to happen to me out there, if I were to die, both planets would be at the mercy of Daruka.

  “Annie I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I sort of knew it wouldn’t work. Now I just have to make sure not to die.”

  “Don’t talk like that. I told you nothing is going to happen to you.” I simply nodded. Yelson put the sword back into its box and put the cover on it. He pushed it back under the bed. He lifted me from the floor. “Come on. You have a big day tomorrow. Get some sleep.”

  I let him guide me to the bed. I didn’t bother to change into my night clothes I just moved the covers over me.

  “It is going to be okay Annie, as long as we are together. I promise you that.”

  “I know. Goodnight Yelson.”

  “Goodnight Annie.”

  *~*

  Yelson knocked on my bedroom door just before noon. When I opened it he was leaning against my doorframe. I smiled at the sight in front of me. Even in his blue jeans and plaid shirt he could take the breath out of me.

  “He’s here.”

  I nodded and backed away from the door. I stood in front of my mirror and braided my hair to the side. I was just procrastinating and Yelson knew it.

  “Hey,” he whispered by next to me. He saw the shakiness in my hands as I tied the elastic around my hair. “You have nothing to be scared of.”

  “I know. It’s just that this is going to be the first time I have talk to him since I found out the truth.” I grabbed the book he had given me off my dresser and opened to the painting of Amelia. “This is her, my mother.”

  Yelson took the book from me. He smiled as he looked it over. “She was very beautiful. You look just like her.”

  “Yea,” I sighed. “I wish I got to know her.”

  “It might be too late for you to know your mother but it is not too late to know your father.”