Anastasia (The Bolton Series Book 1) (12 page)

wasn’t sure why I did it, I barely knew her, but I felt safe with her. “We have been waiting for you, young lady, for a long time.”

“Weldon told me you would tell me everything. I have no idea what he was talking about but I had to see you.” I gripped the book still in my hands tighter to my body. Ulma saw and her smile grew wider.

“Well it seems to me like you know something now.”

“Is it true? Is he my father, my real father?” I wasn’t sure if she would be able to hear me as my voice was a trembling whisper.

“Yes darling, it is.” My body could not take it any longer and I fell to the floor. I couldn’t control the tears that freely fell as I grasped the book. To hear someone confirm my suspicions broke my heart.

The family I grew up knowing wasn’t mine.

“Help me put her in the chair Mari.” Before I knew it I was lifted onto the blue armchair Ulma had just occupied.

“I’ll get some water.” I heard Mari walk out of the room, her footsteps echoing off the hardwood floor.

“Now, what do you want to know?” Ulma asked me as she lifted my chin to look at her. Her eyes held sympathy for me.

“Everything,” I croaked. She nodded and sat in a matching blue chair across from me. Mari came back and handed me a cup of water before she sat down on the floor next to me.

“It all started when your parents married.”

“The king appointed your mothers brother as his spokesperson after they had wed. He would travel Bolton and speak in the name of the king and queen both in this kingdom and others.”

“Daruka is my mother’s brother.” I gasped. I remembered Cabel saying the same thing when I asked him about this man. Only he told me that I was related to him.

“He is.” A sad smile spread across her face before she continued. “When your mother got pregnant with you everyone was so happy. However, Daruka was not. He was furious at your mother. He started talking about overthrowing the crown. After a month, he gained many followers. They started attacking innocent villagers, killing them for no reason at all other than to anger the King. The King attempted many times to sign a truce with Daruka. He wanted the violence to end before his daughter was born.

“On the day you were born Daruka agreed to a ceasefire. After a few days, the King left the village to meet with Daruka. He left his family behind, you and your mother. He thought you were safe. But he was wrong.

“Daruka’s men waited outside the village lines until the King had left and then they attacked. They killed half the village population before they were able to reach the castle. Before they could break in, though, your mother and grandmother gave you to Alder and Celesta Miller. They made them promise to take you to earth and raise you as their own and never to bring you back.

“Once they were safely out of the palace your mother tried her hardest to stop her brother’s army. She was successful until Daruka himself stopped her. He killed her and his mother and searched the entire castle for you.”

“He wanted me dead as well. That way the prophecy wouldn’t come true.” I clutched the book to me. It was the only connection I had to the woman who gave her life for me, my mother.

“He still does Anastasia. Unless you stop him first,” she whispered to me as if she was afraid I would break.

“My name is Annie,” I stated. “I know who you all want me to be but I’m not her. No matter how hard I try I will never be able to kill him.”

“That is not true. It is in your blood to do it. Only you can.”

“No. Kenelm said that the sword of Ustrina could kill him. It doesn’t have to be me.” I couldn’t be me.

“Yes it can but only when you yield it.”

Her words hit me like a train. There was no way out of this. No matter what solutions Kenelm could come up with none would work. Not unless they involved me.

I looked over to Mari. She seemed sorry for me. She knew I couldn’t do this from the way I acted at the cabin yesterday. It would only be a matter of time before I finally broke down.

“Darling, I know it is not what you want to hear but you must understand you are the only living person who can kill him.”

~*~

I paced back and forth across Ulma’s small living area. Mari watched me silently. Her lips pursed a little as she thought about something. Ulma had made her way to the back of the cabin. The smell of something cooking soon found its way to my senses.

I knew what Ulma had been telling me, what a lot of people had told me in the month I had been here. I had to kill Daruka. There was no way around it.

As much as Kenelm was trying to find a different way, it just wasn’t possible. My stomach twisted at the thought of taking a life. Even if that life was the truest of all evils like the prophecy said.

I wanted to go to my room and hide under the covers forever never to be bothered again.

“Here you go dear.” Ulma handed me a small cup filled with a dark green liquid.

“What is this?” I asked as I grabbed it. It didn’t smell bad but it looked horrible. It reminded me of medicine.

“A special drink. I am a spiritual leader and know what people need. This will help to calm your nerves and open your mind more to the idea of fulfilling the prophecy.”

“And if I don’t drink it?”

“Darling, I’m not forcing you too. It is your choice.” She held out her hand for the cup but I held it tight in mine.

I needed to drink this. Without it, I would never get the courage to become what they wanted me to. But was it something I wanted? I knew if I were to stay who I am I would never be able to kill Daruka. I needed to change I just didn’t want to change into the person they all wished for me to be.

I wasn’t Anastasia Rosewell I was Annie Miller. A nineteen year old girl who just wanted her whole family back. To live peacefully in our little cabin never to be bothered by the outside world again.

I pressed the cup to my lips and drank it all at once. It tasted like apples but it was overly sweet. I gave the cup back to Ulma who quickly made her way back to the kitchen.

Within seconds my body sighed with relief. I felt like one hundred pounds were lifted off my shoulders. I sat down with an oomph and closed my eyes.

My whole body felt like it was tingly. The kind that happens after your legs fall asleep. I didn’t dare breathe as it hurt. Ulma didn’t tell me about this. I could hear someone yelling but couldn’t make out who it was. Someone touched my face and tried whispering something into my ear before I lost consciousness.

~*~

I woke to the sound of a door closing. My head felt like I had been hit by a bus, not that I would know what that felt like. I slowly opened my eyes thankful that whoever came in didn’t turn on the lights or open the blinds. I blinked several times before my vision was clear enough to make out the shape leaning over the bed.

Yelson stood beside me. He stared at me with a look of relief to see me awake. He sat down on the edge of the bed and placed a hand to my forehead. I was confused at first but then realized he was checking for a temperature.

“What happened?” I meant to say it but when I opened my mouth, nothing came out but a squeak.

“Ulma gave you something she shouldn’t have. What she told you it does were true but it also boost’s your power.” He must have seen the confused look on my face because he continued. “Annie, you are a Bandraoi. You are one of the most powerful creatures to roam this planet. By giving you that she has unlocked all the powers within you.”

I cleared my throat before I spoke but it was just a whisper. “Why didn’t she tell me that?”

“She wants you to unlock your powers. Once you do you are just one step closer to killing Daruka.”

“Is that all anyone wants me to do?” I croaked as I looked away from him. 

“No, that isn’t true. Kenelm, Emilie, Simon and I don’t.” He gave me a sad smile as he grabbed my hand. His warm skin helped to calm me a little but I was still on edge.

“Where is my brother?” I refused to call him anything else. No matter what Ulma and Kenelm told me he was my family, the only family I had at the moment.

“Sleeping. I don’t think he has slept in days,” he said as he moved his thumb over my knuckles. I couldn’t help but smile at the small gesture. He had no idea what he was doing to me.

“What about Mari?”

His whole body tensed at the mention of his sister. “She stayed at Ulma’s.”

“Why?” I asked.

“She knew I would be mad at her for taking you there and she was right. She never should have done it.”

“Weldon told me to go, not Mari.” Now it was his turn to look confused. I sighed and explained to him what happened after he left me in the cabin. “When you left me in the cabin the day Weldon died. He came back, as a ghost or something. I’m still a little fuzzy on how that happened but he told me to ask Mari to take me to Ulma. He said she could explain everything and I wanted the answers but now I’m not so sure.”

He sighed as his hand pulled me towards him into a hug. I smiled as I wrapped my arms around his midsection. He still smelled like woods and I knew he had been outside recently. “I’m so sorry Annie. None of us wanted you to find out like that.”

I simply nodded against his chest. I knew he had known about my family. I’m sure everyone did but me. I pulled away from him and smiled. “It’s okay Yelson. It doesn’t change anything for me. They are still my family. I may have my brother back but I still need to find my parents. Daruka still has them.”

“I know,” he nodded. He pushed back some hair that had fallen onto my face. “We will find them.”

I smiled at him. He meant what he said just like he always did. That was something I could always count on with him.

“Do you want to see if he is awake? Maybe he knows where they are.”

“Yea.” I got up from the bed and look down at the zebra print pajamas I was wearing. “Who changed me?”

“Emilie. She didn’t want you uncomfortable. I’ll meet you in the hallway so you can change.”

“Thanks,” I said as he walked out the door.

I quickly grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from one of my drawers and put them on. I sighed as I passed my reflection in the vanity. My blonde hair was in a mess around my head. Grabbing a brush I ran it threw my hair before I put it into a high ponytail.

Yelson was right were he said he would be. He leaned against the wall directly across from my door. A small smile spread across his lips as he looked at me.

“What?”

“I think I like you better in pj’s,” he laughed.

And I think I like you better without a shir
t
, I thought. His smile grew wider making me wonder if I said it out loud. “Come on lets go.”

He held his hand out allowing me to move in front of him. I walked down the hallway before I realized I had no idea where we were going. Yelson moved in front of me when he saw me stop in the living room to the hall across from ours. It was a smaller one with only three doors on each side. He went to the closest one on the right and knocked.

“Come in,” a muffled voice said from inside. My smile grew as I bust through the door and ran into my brothers open arms. “Oh, Annie.” He whispered against the top of my head.

“Simon. I still can’t believe you are really here,” I sighed as I let him go. He cupped my cheek.

“I never thought I would see you again,” he whispered. His eyes moved behind me to look at Yelson. “Thank you for taking care of her.”

“You never have to thank me for that.” He smiled at me before he left the room to give me and my brother some much needed sibling time.

Simon’s room looked much like mine but his had a small circle table with two chairs and a bookshelf behind it. It screamed Simon to me and I smiled. He motioned for me to sit at the table with him.

I was happy to see him looking like the Simon I remembered. He was cleanly shaven with new clothing. The color had come back to his face and he didn’t look as fragile as he did the day we rescued him.

“So,” he started. “I’m sorry we never told you the truth. We thought we were protecting you.”

“Simon its okay,” I said as I patted his hand. “I know why you never told me. Amelia told our parents to promise not to tell me anything.”

“Annie,” he sighed. “You do not have to talk like that anymore. Amelia and Kenelm are your parents.”

“You three will always be my family. That is not going to change,” I whispered. He let out a sigh of relief at what I said. He was worried that as soon as I found out the truth I would never want anything to do with them. “You’re my brother. No matter what.”

He nodded causing a small tear to fall from his eye. He laughed as he looked up at me. “I’m so proud of you.”

“For what?” 

“For handling all this very well. The Annie I knew would have been having a panic attack all night long.”

“You can thank Master Kai for that,” I smiled as I relaxed into the chair.  “He toughened me up fast.”

Wow. I can’t believe she has changed so much.

“What?”

“I didn’t say anything Annie.” He tilted his head at me as he searched my face.

“Sorry, I must still be woozy from yesterday.” I put my head into my hands as if to justify what I said. I felt fine, better than normal. But I heard a voice. It felt like when Weldon was talking to me in the cabin.

I searched the room for my friend. My heart jumped at the thought that he was back however no one but Simon was in the room with me. I sighed in frustration as I tried to hear the voice again.

“Annie?
”
What is she doing
?

“I’m not doing anything,” I sighed frustrated as I looked up to see his face. His eyes grew wide as he stared at me.

“What?”

“You have your powers?” He asked quietly.

“I don’t know. What’s happening? What are you talking about?” I asked him quickly.

“Annie,” he said gently when my breaths quicken. He grabbed my hand and rubbed my knuckles with his thumb just as Yelson had earlier. “I haven’t told you everything about the Bandraoi.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Bandraoi were the first coven of witches. That is why they have all the power from each coven because they stemmed off them. However, the Bandraoi also have their own power. It has to do with the mind. They can see what others are thinking, have visions and can see the dead. They don’t gain those powers, however, until they turn twenty. You still have three months to go.”