Anastasia (The Bolton Series Book 1) (13 page)

“Ulma gave me some sort of drink yesterday. Yelson said it would help to unlock my powers but I didn’t know what he meant.”

“He was right,” he said as he let my hand go.

“But I saw Weldon that day in the cabin. He was the one who told me to go to Ulma.”

“After you saved me?”

I nodded my head. I could feel the lump in the throat grow as I remembered that day.

“Don’t cry Annie.” He moved across the table and brushed a tear off my cheek. “It’s going to be okay, we’ll get through this like we always do.”

“You’re right,” I sighed. “I just need to breathe through everything. I’m glad you’re here Simon.”

“Me too, sis. Me to,” he whispered as he pressed his hand to my cheek.

I had missed my brother so much this past month. He was my best friend, the only person I could tell anything too. I needed him in my life more than I ever thought I would need someone. Even more than my parents.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” he said as he took back his hand.

“What happened to mom and dad?” I needed to know if anything bad happened to my parents. They weren’t with Simon so Daruka must have taken them somewhere else before we got there.

Simon’s face fell as he looked at his hands. “Last time I saw mom she was fine, not a scratch on her.”

I placed my hand on top of his and gave him an encouraging squeeze. I knew what he was going to say next but I wasn’t ready for it.

“On the sixth day they burned dad to death. They made us watch as he turned to ash.”

I covered my mouth to hide my gasp. My thoughts went back to the first night I spent here. I had a dream where my father turned to ash in front of my eyes. It felt so real at the time. I choked back a sob as I realized it was a vision of what was to come. He hadn’t died yet but I had seen it happen.

“I could have stopped it,” I whispered as I stared blankly at Simon.

“What do you mean? Of course, you couldn’t have. You had no idea where we were held or what they were planning on doing.”

“Simon, I saw it happen in a dream days before it did. If I had just told Yelson when he woke me that night we could have found you all and stopped it from happening.” I mentally kicked myself for not telling my guard. He would have known what it was and told Cabel. I know Cabel would have tried his hardest to find my family after that.

“Annie,” he yelled at me. “It was not your fault. There was nothing, you hear me, nothing you could have done to stop it. And what the hell was Yelson doing in your room that night?”

I shook my head ignoring his last question. I refused to believe him. Deep down, I knew that I could have done something instead of moping around the palace for days just waiting for something to happen.

Yelson busted through the door searching around for some unknown enemy. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” Simon said as he stood up from the chair. “I think Annie still needs to rest. I need to talk with Cabel and Kenelm in the meanwhile.”

Yelson simply nodded his head and helped me up. My legs didn’t want to move on my command so Yelson simply lifted me into his arms and carried me to my room. I started to protest. I felt like a child and wanted to walk but Yelson quickly shushed me.

Once in the room Yelson gently laid me on the bed. He looked worried as he went to close the door.

“Please stay with me.” I didn’t want to be alone anymore. I needed someone with me. He nodded and took a seat on the only chair in the room next to my vanity.

I lay down and covered my head with my pillow before screaming into it. I screamed until my throat hurt. Finally, I pulled the pillow of my face and looked to Yelson.

“My dad is dead. He burned to death and I had a vision of it that first night here.”

He gave me a sympathetic look before moving to lie on the bed next to me. His face was inches from mine. His hand moved up and down my arm in a soothing gesture. I sighed as his touch calmed me.

He moved his hand to cup my face. “You shouldn’t blame yourself for it. I can see it in your eyes.”

“I can’t help it. I feel like if I had said something when I had the vision then he would be alive right now.”

He sighed as he moved his hand back to my arm. “You didn’t know it was a vision.”

I shook my head. I knew it had meant something. I never had a nightmare like that before I should have felt that it was something different, a warning of some kind.

“Annie, don’t blame yourself. It is just going to make things worse for you.” He pulled me into a hug. I laid my head on his chest and listened to his breathing.

“I wish none of this happened. All I want is my family back. I wish we were still at our cabin with our horses without a worry in the world.”

“I’m sorry Annie. This is too much to put on you. I wish I could help take the load off you somehow.”

“There isn’t,” I whispered against him. His warm arms tightened around me trying their hardest to protect me from the outside world. I could feel the protectiveness roll off him in waves.

“I will find a way somehow.”

We stayed like that, me wrapped him his arms on my bed, till a light knock came from my door, before we could move Emilie walked in.

“Oh my,” she said shocked as she cover her eyes.

“Em its okay. We were just talking,” Yelson said to her as he moved to stand up. I felt sad as I felt his heat leave me.

Emilie peaked through her fingers to see if we were decent before she completely removed her hand. “Oh well I was just wondering if Annie was hungry. I saw that no one cooked anything yet. So I am making eggs and yes I fried yours already Yelson but the hash browns are still cooking.”

I smiled at her. She always knew how to make me feel better by just being herself and without even know it. “That sounds great thanks.”

“Okay,” she quickly chirped before she left the room and closed the door behind her.

She has the worst timing.

I looked over at Yelson as his voice echoed in my head. He was rubbing his chin with his hand as he thought.

I’m never going to be able to tell her anything.

“Tell me what?” I asked as I sat up.

“What?” he asked shocked. “Crap, I forgot you could do that now.”

“Sorry, I don’t know how to control it. I just kind of get what comes to me.”

“It’s nothing that can’t wait, I promise. Those fried eggs are screaming my name right now.” He swiftly made his way to the door to wait for me.

When we entered the living room, one of the guards from out trip to the cabin sat on the couch.

“Dario what are you doing here?” Yelson asked him. He seemed shocked to see him.

“I was sent to tell you Master Kai is back. He is expecting you both at noon.” Before another word could be said, Dario walked out the front door.

              That was weird. But Master Kai was back from his trip so we could finally start practice again.

Yelson guided me to the kitchen were Emilie stood over the stove. She served us some amazing fried eggs and hash browns. I couldn’t help but think of how much Weldon would have been eating. He loved her food.

“Do you think it is a good think Master Kai wants to see us today?” I looked over to Yelson as I ate a spoon full of eggs.

“Probably wants to start training again since he has been gone so long.”

“Yeah, what was that about?”

Yelson shrugged his shoulders in response. I could see that he thought it was weird that Master Kai had lefts for a week. As long as he had been here Master Kai never left the village.

Simon walked into the dining area. He didn’t look at me before he walked into Cabel’s office without knocking. What was wrong with him? He decided to start ignoring me once I get him back. I knew that being held prisoner would change him in some way, it was expected, but I felt like he wasn’t happy that I found him since our talk. Maybe he was still a little mad at what I said to him about dad. I didn’t let him calm me down and I knew he wanted me too.

When we finished eating, we decided to make our way to Master Kai’s.

He was sitting in the middle of the mat. With his eyes closed I could see the scar on his face more clearly. It was a thin jagged line that must have sliced his eyelid in half at one point. I wondered what happened to him. It had to be a really bad injury.

Yelson and I automatically sat down, cross-legged, next to him. He smiled as he felt our weight touch the mat.

“I see you are both well.” His eyes were closed but his hand moved to pick up a paper that lay next to him. He held it out for me to take. It was a map of Bolton. A small circle was at the top left corner.

“What is this?” I asked as I handed the paper over to Yelson.

“That,” he said pointing to the circle. “Is where Daruka is.”

“How do you know this?” Yelson asked him as he finally took the paper from my hands. His eyes traced the entire thing.

“I have ways.”

“Why haven’t you given this to the king?” I asked him. I couldn’t understand why he would tell us this. This was a matter for Cabel and Kenelm.

“Because they are not who can kill him.”

There it was the last straw. “Why does everyone keep saying that? It’s as if you all think I don’t know. That has been all anyone has told me since I got to this palace. It’s as if I don’t have a choice.”

Yelson looked away from me. I could hear how conflicted he was. He didn’t want me to kill Daruka, or anyone for that matter. That was why he volunteered to do it himself. He wanted to protect me but he knew he couldn’t.

Master Kai’s mind was blank. He looked directly at me with a small smile on his lips. It was as if he was amused at my little outburst. He gracefully stood up and moved up the stairs. We didn’t follow.

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