The Fire Within (The Fire of The Soul Series) (27 page)

"We still have hope even if Victor does die,
and I do not believe that we will lose, not with the allies we have sought out.
Not with you and Victor still around." There is a bold smile on Kayden's
lips as if he knows a secret I did not, and I cannot help but smile as well,
not when his smile is like the radiant sun.

"What has you smiling Kay, what secrets are you
hiding from me?" I ask chidingly, the smile unable to hide from my lips.
There is a soft chuckle rumbling from Kayden, like the beginnings of thunder,
the soft growl before the storm.

"The very thing that you do not know. Even if
Victor does die, we still have hope. There is a redeeming feature in the fact
that Victor's soul lives within you. It ensures that Victor has a second chance
at life! That even if he is killed in the battle, he's soul will return to him,
and with it, it will bring new life." There is hope within Kayden, in his
posture, in his words, within his smile. How could I dare to bring that down,
revealing that I know all of Victors secrets and then, even as I am thinking
this, his smile falters until the hope is gone once again, a serious concerned
look on his face. "The only problem with all of this 'soul' business is
that if you die and Victor follows after you, there is no chance for him to
survive. If you die then we have no hope."

"Then there is only one answer to the
problem," I say waiting for Kayden to answer me but he doesn't, he just
looks at me with a curious look in his eyes, clearly wondering what the answer
I have come up with is. "You train me, in the art of self-defence or
whatever you want to call it. If I know how to protect myself, I won’t be such
an easy target. People will have less of a chance to kill me. It's the only
answer Kayden."

Kayden gets to his feet and pulling me up after him,
his broad smile finally making its second appearance. "You, my dear Anna,
are a genius! I can't believe that I didn't think of this before, some war
leader I am! We shall start in the morn, however tonight we celebrate! On my
safe return, and we drink to the safe return of our King, Victor!" Kayden
spins me around as if we are merrily dancing to a happy tune, one perhaps
played on a piano or by a string quartet. I hadn't had this much fun in a long
time, but it is carefree and joyful to dance with the man - who would be no
less than my brother-in-law in a couple of months - underneath the dimming sky,
the sunset ending and bringing with it the night.

Anna's P.O.V

We feasted all night, the party raged on into the
early hours. There was music, dancing and laughter, and afterwards the five of
us - Augustus, Astoria, Baron, Kayden and I - sat in the large study, where we
had relaxed after my first feast in the Underworld. I couldn't help, but stare
at the fireplace for the entire night, watching the flames rise and fall, as if
someone were breathing life into it. I couldn't help but think who laid in
waiting beyond the flames, within the very walls of this castle.

I must have fallen asleep watching the flames for
when my eyes open I'm looking into the dimming embers of the fire, wondering
why I had fallen asleep. I can feel warmth underneath my head and arms wrapped
around my waist, and I imagine for a moment that Victor has returned home, that
he had never left in the first place, that there was no war at all. However, my
heart knows the truth.

I pull myself out of the heavy arms that could
belong to no-one but a man, and turn to find that it is Kayden who had been
holding me, who had been keeping the nightmares at bay. I shake his shoulder
softly, in hopes to wake him, but he simply rolls over onto his side, I shake
him more roughly, and this time he wakes. His eyes open slowly, and reveal the
great vast of green that is his eyes.

"Anna?" He asks his voice is raw from lack
of use, his smile is starting to appear on his face, revealing dimples that any
girl would kill for. "Did we?" He asks, there is a subtle note to his
words, and with the cheeky smile that is appearing quite quickly I realize what
he is implying toward.

"Unlikely Shifter, you're not my type," I
reply teasingly, slapping him on the chest. He laughs vigorously, and sits up
giving me enough space to sit next to him on the couch.

"How unfortunate for me; as pretty girls
are
my type," He says back, the teasing tone in his words. I blush slightly
from his words, realizing that my brother-in-law to-be just called me pretty.
We sit in silence for a while, allowing our minds and bodies to wake up.

"Kay, I need to ask,
why
were you in
here? Holding me in my sleep? I know it's nothing more than platonic, but I
need to know" I say softly, there is no doubt in my mind that we are like
brothers and sisters, my heart after all belongs to Victor. However, I was
raised to believe that being held, as Kayden was holding me, by anyone who is
not your husband or your betrothed is scandalous and wrong. For a moment I
wonder what it would have been like being brought up here, where we are free
from cultural, unspoken laws and high class society.

"You fell asleep when we were all in here; we
decided to let you be. Later on in the night when I came to check up on you,
you were thrashing and screaming, it was obvious that you were having a
nightmare. So I came and held you, it seemed to help you relax and I ended up
falling asleep while I was holding you," Kayden says gently, his words
cautious although he had done nothing wrong.

"I vaguely remember the nightmare but now in
the light of day it all just seems to be a blur," I whisper quietly. I'm
grateful for Kayden in this moment, his kindness and caring heart, and his
strength as well. Kayden goes and awakens the fire again, bringing it back to
life. The warmth of the flames heats the room quickly, and I realize that I had
been shivering from the cold. There is a knock at the door, and after a moment
Meg enters into the room.

"Lady Astoria told me that you would be in here
Anna. She has asked me to collect you for breakfast," Meg says
courteously, her own up-bringing echoing in her words. I look at my apparel and
realize that I am in the same clothes that I was wearing last night. I am
afraid that I look indecent, but there seems to be an urgency in the way that
Meg is standing, an urgency in the undertone of her words.

"Alright Meg, please tell Astoria that I will
be down there in a little while." I wait until Meg has disappeared again,
before I turn to Kayden. He has been watching me this whole time, his back
facing the flames as he sits upon the floor.

"I believe that Astoria has intended for all of
us to be present this morning, but if you appear with me it would look quite
scandalous. What do you think we should do?" I ask, seeking his moss green
eyes out, needing reassurance in this very moment.

"We have done nothing wrong Anna, and we all
know that you are Victor’s bride. There is nothing that can change that,
whether we have spent the night together or not. You love him, and I cannot
love you as anything more than a sister. I will walk with you down to the dining
hall, and I will appear after you, to make it seem that we were not
together." His eyes are downcast as if he is upset about something, but I
cannot understand what exactly. I want to reach out to him, but I know that I
cannot, what comfort could I spare him in a matter that I could not begin to
comprehend?

I get up and put on my petticoat, in hopes that it
will aid me against the cold that I know is waiting outside of this room.
Kayden is up on his feet and opening the door for me before I can say a word.
We walk down in silence to the dining hall, I am lost in my own thoughts again,
wondering if Victor is okay, hoping to whatever God there is that he is still
alive. The journey seemed much shorter with Kayden, as if time wished to slip
away from us.

Breakfast passes quietly, it seems that Astoria only
wished to have us there for no particular matter at all. There is no
conversation, except for small chit chat and it isn't until after breakfast -
which consisted of bacon, eggs, English muffins and sausages - that Astoria
speaks up.

"This afternoon Anna, Augustus and I will begin
your training. We believe that it is essential that you learn how to control
the gift that is shared between the bond of Victor and your souls. This morning
however you are free to spend your time however you wish. Though may I suggest
you do something peaceful, you will need your strength for this
afternoon." That are the only real issue that is mentioned and there is
nothing that I can say against it. After I have eaten heartily of the meal that
has been prepared for us, I excused myself from the table, to seek Kayden out,
who had not joined us for breakfast.

I search high and low for him, I search every inch
and cranny of the castle, and I asked everyone that I pass if they knew where
Kayden had disappeared to, but no-one knew. I decided to continue my search
outside, however instead of going right toward the gardens I take a left down a
very long and narrow path, toward what seems to be the stables, in hopes that
this is where Kayden has disappeared to. As I approach the stables I am
gratified with an answer to my question, through the rough grunts of physical
exertion. I see him when I enter into the room, thrusting and jousting,
swinging the sword left and right, trying to strike down his mechanical
opponent. His shirt is carelessly tossed to the side, giving me a good look at
his naked torso which glistens with the sweat of his labour.

I stand there for some time, simply watching Kayden
delivering blow after blow on his mechanical opponent. It takes him a while to
realize that I'm standing here, watching him. There is a slight redness to his
cheeks when he sees me, though I cannot tell if this is from exhaustion, or
from embarrassment. I want to know what he's thinking at that moment when he
sees me, but before I can ask he says "There's a pile of clothes for you
to put on over there, and a stall further back where you can get changed. We
will begin as soon as you're ready." He waves his hand in the general
direction of the clothes, and I pick them up making my way toward the stall
that he mentioned.

It is unusual for me to be wearing men's clothes,
even though they do fit me. It feels unnatural to be dressed in the garments,
and I wish that I could take them off again, so that I may be in my dress, and
appear as a woman before Kayden, rather than this thing that is in between.
However with a blush on my cheeks, I go back out into the open area where
Kayden is waiting for me. He starts to grin when he sees me, as if a cheeky
thought just entered into his mind.

"Don't you dare say anything, these are what
you told me to wear," I say accusingly, blaming him for looking so
ridiculous.

"I was not going to say a word Anna, besides
you look beautiful." There is still a grin on his face when he says this,
and I try not to huff at his comment. How can he believe that I look beautiful,
whilst I am dressed like a man?

Kayden indicates a selection of weapons on the wall,
and looking at all the sharp objects it terrifies and yet excites me. There is
such power behind these weapons, a mighty object that can make grown men fall
to their knees. There is one object upon the wall that I am instantly drawn
toward when my eyes land upon it; a sword, the hilt is made of a white wood,
with bat like wings angling downward, the sword is thin and is sharp on both
sides, along the sword is the words 'Sanguine quasi aqua'. It is this sword
that I take down from the wall of weapons, holding it firmly within my hands.

"That is an excellent choice Anna; the sword -
as you can see - is very light and was specifically made for a woman with a
regular stature. This sword in particular was made for Queen Sinistra herself.
She used to love play-fighting with King Phillip." There is a subtle sad
note within his words as if he were remembering a distant memory, but he
quickly shakes it away and directs me to the mechanical dummy. "Today you
will be practicing on the dummy. I will show you a few simply jousts and
blocks, this should be enough technique for you to defeat the dummy at the
beginner’s level," Kayden says, before raising his own sword again. He
teaches me the correct method of how to lift the sword without creating risk of
injuring your arm, he teaches me how to lunge, thrust and block and somehow he
seems to make this violent 'pass-time' into beautiful art. It's fascinating
watching him going through the motions and techniques; it's unbelievable how
passionate he is about the sword and the art of self-defence and offence. I try
to mimic his actions and after long hours of doing it repetitively against the
mechanical dummy, Kayden finally allows me to practice on him. I'm worried at
first that I'm going to hurt him but he reassures me that I will do no harm
against him. It is challenging to figure how to attack a dummy, when you are
only new at all of this, but it is even more so against another living being,
against someone that can attack you back.

"Anna just remember what I've taught you, and
you will be fine," Kayden says again, his lips making a soft smirk as if all
of this is entertaining to him. "I will not be attacking you; I will only
be defending myself. You need to, however, make a fatal blow to win the round.
If you are able to get one in then we will call it a day." The smirk is
only growing as he talks and I lift my sword, gently as if the sword is an
extension of my arm, I thrust it out toward Kayden. He blocks me easily, and I
start to move around, dancing around the circle. Kayden just follows me with
his eyes and grins; he is starting to really get into this. I fake a lunge but
quickly make a second lunge after it, trying to confuse Kayden. However, he is
prepared for it. I do not want to get too close to his sword, for if he was a
real opponent he would not hesitate to stick his sword into me.