At first I didn't believe that they don't have feelings, and that they don't move if they are not told to do so... but as I watched them fight the other people in the training, and I became horrified. If the attendant couldn't kill him, then the trainer didn't stop the mutant until the final blow. It was brutal.
Faylinn killed all of them with one or two blows, but not all of us were that practiced with the mutants.
There was a girl, who arrived at the training a week later than I did. She had long, curly brown hair that was down to her hips, and she had vibrant blue eyes. I couldn't tell what her race was, because I never saw her fighting. Mostly people just ignored her, and she seemed like she didn't really like that, even though most of the time she was reading a romance novel.
A mutant with the powers of a demon jumped me from behind, and I barely had time to pull the dagger out from my boots, and finish off the creature as fast as I could. I was already covered with wounds. They weren't deep, but hurt enough to make it hard to concentrate.
There was only four of them left, but I couldn't see them.
I was silently cursing Rider for insisting on doing this goddamn training before we could do the coronation and the removal of my people from this castle, and move into Nikolai's castle for a while. Obviously, he had his reasons for doing this: he knew who I really was; a weak half-human, raised by the human ways, unable to decide between two possibilities that included the life of innocent people. He knew that I was not fit for the position of inheriting the throne of my father, and he wanted to show that to the people who wanted to follow me. He wanted them to see me in combat, and that he was a much better leader than I could ever be.
That was a pretty good plan, but he didn't know that I was determined to end this war. I couldn't just sit back, and watch the creatures of this word fight until only a couple of us remain... these people needed justice, not war.
I knew that I needed to fight for what I believe in, there was no doubt, but unlike Rider, I wanted to do it with the least casualty as possible, mostly fight the war sitting around the table, and pierce with the sword of words instead of a sword of steel.
I spied a mutant above me. Wings spread out wide, it's skin glittering with a metallic glow. I slid my dagger back to my boots, and shot an arrow at the creature. With a sound like nails on the chalkboard, it fell from the sky, landing on it's head.
Suddenly all the remaining three mutants were around me. I was surrounded. I dropped my bow on the ground, and decided to use the only thing I was really good at: magic.
Golden flames burst from my fingertips, slowly creeping up my arms like a snake. As they jumped at me - at the same time, of course - I flicked my wrists, and the fire snakes that wrapped around my arms reacted like whips, and wrapped around the throat of two of the things that were coming towards me. I pulled them together, and they smashed at the third creature. It didn't respond, but the other two collapsed, and after a last twitch, they died - the whip burned trough the skin of their throat.
The most frightening thing about these mutants was that they didn't feel pain at all. If you kicked them, they fell, like a normal person would, but before you could put your leg down, they were back on their feet, attacking. They all had inhumanly blue eyes, vibrant, flaming. Their skin was like mercury, and when they got real close to you, you could feel cold radiating from them. I had a feeling that these things shouldn't exist.
I killed the last one with gripping it's face with my flaming hand. The skin sizzled, and slowly melted away from the skull. When it was all gone, and the creature could no longer move, I tightened my grip, and the skull crushed under my fingertips. Black demon blood covered my hands, and where it got into my wounds, it burned like hell. As soon as the corpse of the last mutant collapsed at my feet, the hill disappeared, and I was standing in the training hall again. These simulations were too real for my taste.
A nurse came up to me, and began treating my wounds. Rider entered the hall, slowly clapping his hands.
"WHAT a surprise!" - He said. - "I didn't expect you to finish the mutants off with such brutality."
"When in Rome, do as the Romans." - I said. He wanted me to feel bad for killing those creatures. For the record, I hated myself for it, but I would never confess that to someone who was playing a dirty game to destroy my chances in this war.
"Ohhh." - He folded his arms front of his muscular chest. The nurse cut the sleeves of the plain black, long sleeved t-shirt off, and cleaned my wounds. The mutants were programmed not to harm our vital organs, so I only had wounds on my legs, arms, shoulders, and cheeks. Even though they were nice to most of our body parts, my arms looked like I had been waltzing with Jack Scissorhands for the past two weeks. Thanks to the healing spells, I only had white scar tissue, but it was still pretty disgusting.
However I found it amusing to wear low-back tops, which showed off the large claw-marks on my back that I can thank to Rider. I never asked him how did he do that, but every time someone asked me when he was around about the scar, he interrupted saying that I was fighting a full fledged. Only three people know the honest truth about it: Morgen, Rider, and I.
I stripped off the remaining the top, and fixed the strap of my sports-bra. My skin was suntan for most part, thanks to the weather here, but my scars were in all kinds of colors from dark red to white. I picked up my bow from the ground.
"So what do you want?" - I asked. There had been a tension between us. I confess: I was the one, who always became arrogant and acted like a jerk in our conversations, but it was a natural defense... defense against him. When I looked at him, I could feel his soft lips on mine, the light touch of his rough hands on my hips, and I could almost taste him, and that was bad.
"I came because there is a small problem with your coronation." - He said.
"Oh, c'mon. What is it now?" - I could feel that he was happy to be able to delay it once more.
"The wedding." - He said with a malevolent smirk on his perfectly shaped, full lips.
"What wedding?" - My eyes widened, and I began praying deep inside that he was just joking.
"See, that's the problem. You need to be married to inherit the throne. No offense, but we both know that you won't marry anyone for the benefit of others. And since there is no wedding, there cannot be a coronation." - He playfully licked his lower lip, and then bit it. I was raging. I couldn't believe I had forgotten about the marriage. Trident had told me that there will be a time, when I have to make my choice.
"I knew about the wedding thing. I knew it, I just forgot." - I mumbled.
"So are you willing to marry just to be crowned as the next head of the family?" - he asked with a smile of disbelief playing at the corner of his mouth.
"I am considering." - I replied. I wanted this. I wanted to be the heir. I didn't want the wedding for sure, but what else could I do. - "Any ideas for the groom?" - I asked, and I could feel the wicked smile spread across my face.
I had a burning hate inside of me towards Rider for using me, and I knew that what I was doing hurt him, but at the moment, I didn't give a fuck. The smile didn't disappear from his lips, like I expected. I reached up to my hair to tie it in a pony tail, and seeing that my hands were occupied, he took a step closer, and creased the side of my torso with his hand. I rolled my eyes. - "Rider, I am covered with a fine layer of sweat, I stink of demon blood and burnt skin, and I hate you. Do you really wanna keep on doing this?"
"You can't possibly choose a better husband to be by your side, than me." - He said.
"Yes I can. If I marry Jophiel, I could convince him to do a parley, or if I marry Haniel, I can join forces with the Depth-Consilium." - I said, and took a step back, putting some distance between us. - "There are many great men around us, many who are way more useful to my purpose, than you."
"That might be, but none of them knows your body like I do." - He said obviously referring to that night in Seattle. Personally I couldn't understand his reasons for making such a big deal out of it.
"I'm afraid that's not true." - I heard another voice from the back. Joel stood at the double winged iron doors that lead into this practice room. He looked different than usual. The curly, coal black hair that usually had a chestnut light when the light fell upon him turned to this blueish gleam, and his skin was paler, smoother, more perfect. His face was freshly shaved, and there was absolutely no sign of stubble.
"What do you mean?" - Rider asked while he raised an eyebrow.
"Joel, no." - I breathed in horror. If Rider is told what had happened, shit will hit the fan. I knew I was wrong not to tell him what had happened, and I was cruel for letting him think that eventually I would come back to him, but what other choice did I have? If I would have told him that Joel and I came to know each other a little more than we would like to, then he would grow to hate both of us.
Which would cost a lot to my plans. Right at the moment, he let us stay in here while I got the answer from Haniel about the alliance. That was more than I could ask for. Even though Nikolai promised to shelter us in his castle, he was not exactly the person I would trust with my people. If Rider throws us out because of that one thing... that would be fatal for all of us.
"Why not?" - Joel asked. - "Rider is a friend of mine. He has the right to know that I too had the chance to fuck you."
I felt my eyes widen. One thing was for certain: Joel did have a tongue which was dangerously bold. I looked at rider, but he was staring at Joel with murderous eyes, while he clenched his jaw.
"When did you plan to tell me that?" - Rider asked me without taking his eyes off of Joel. - "Hoe many times did it happen?"
"You wouldn't understand my reasons about this." - I begun as I started to scrub off the silvery blood from my dagger. - "It didn't happen because we wanted to, it wasn't because I love him, nor because he loves me. It meant nothing of that sort."
Rider snatched the dagger from my hand, annoyed, then he threw it away. The blade chattered on the concrete floor. - "Then what the hell?" - The edge of his mouth twitched.
"It was the matter of life or death." - I mumbled, not daring to look at him.
"Yeah, sure... having him fuck you was surely the matter of life or death." - He said while rolling his eyes. I turned my attention towards Joel.
"What was this good for?" - I asked him, and pushed him aside when he tried to come up to me. - "I thought we agreed that it meant nothing, and that we would not speak of it."
"No, we agreed that we won't happen again." - He corrected me. I glanced at Rider, and for some reason, I felt awfully guilty for what I did. I knew that it had saved Joel, and gave me back my memories, and that he had lied to me many times, but it just seemed cruel of me.
"Still, I do not understand your reasons... what do you want to gain from telling Rider about something that was meaningless for both of us?" - That was true... I didn't see hi reasoning, but I sensed that something was fishy about the whole let's-tell-him business.
"What does it matter now?" - Rider asked, finally turning towards me. - "At least now I know how much of a whore you are. How many other men did you let into your bed? Morgen? Stephen? Maybe even Haniel had tasted the pleasures of the Princeps Heir?" - He said with a hurt voice, but his words pained me more than he thought they would. No doubt: his intentions were to hurt me.
"Besides Joel, only one man had been invited to my bed, but he turned out to be two-faced liar, who used me, then faked his death, letting me go almost insane when I believed he was dead. He was the only man who have ever meant anything to me. I haven't loved anyone like I loved him, but he clearly didn't worth my time." - I said, and I went after my dagger to pick it up.
I picked up the blade, and put it back in my boot. - "I know you had been trying very hard to make me believe that you did love me, even though I told you that we have no future like this..."
"Why the hell are you trying to explain this to him?" - Joel asked me - "You had some fun without him, you just overthink."
"That was not for fun, Joel." - I had enough. Joel wanted to gain something from this situation, and I was tired of feeling bad for others. I simply walked out, and slammed the door behind myself. I had way more than enough problems even eithout him fucking up everything that I had planned.
There was the training, this whole wedding problem, the removal of my people from here to keep them safe. There was the alliance proposal to Haniel, and the coronation. I should be negotiating with the Consilium, trying to make peace with them, come up with a solution wich statisfies all of us. The coronation, and I wanted to take back Skydown. That was the home of these people, who came following me, and that was the home of my father. He never had a proper funeral, and I just felt like he should have had one.
I hurried up to my room, wich was on the third floor by the Lord Chamber, which belonged to Rider. I told him that I want a room which is not so close, but he insisted. I bet that right now he regretted that decision.
The bathroom was small, and smelled of magnolias. I took a quick bath, washed off all the filth of my skin. The water felt like acid on my wounded arms, but I didn't care.
The scent of magnolias filled the air, and I got more and more relaxed, even though my stomach still felt like someone tied it in a knot. I didn't know how Rider will react to this sudden twist. Hell, I didn't know how should I react to this mess. I thought I can trust Joel, but after today, I feel like we wasn't on my side at all. But then who's side he's on?
Scrubbing my skin with the sweet scented soap, I had a really bad feeling... Darren was a member of the Depth-Consilium, serving Haniel and Jophiel. He was never fond of the consilium, he was the one who got me out of the LA institute on the first place, but now he was a member of the consilium itself.
So if he got the command to get me out of my hiding place, would he do it? Would Joel agree to it?
Wrapped my towel aroud me, and walked out to the room. I wasn't even surprised to find Rider sitting on my bed.
"If you want to send us away, don't worry: I get dressed, and then I will start gathering my people. We'll leave by dawn." - I murmured, and took a step to my drawyer which was right by my bed.
But instead of the reaction I expected (statisfiedly walk out) he gently pinced my towel, and pulled me towards him. Rider pulled me closer and closer until I knelt on the bed by him with my left leg. My right leg was between his legs.
"I don't want you to leave." - He said. - "Yes, it felt shitty to get to know that you had been fucking with Joel... but I don't want you to leave."
"Rider, I only had sex with Joel once... and that didn't meant anything to me." - I knew that it was a dangerous game to play, but I was relieved that he didn't turn against me.
"You know what surprises me the most?" - He asked, and brushed my face gently. - "That you sound guilty."
"I told you before... I loved you then, I still have feelings for you, and probably I will have those feelings for the rest of my life, but that doesn't mean I want to be with you... however the fact that I try to stay away from you doesn't mean I won't feel guilty for having intim moments with others." - I whispered, because the fact that he was so close to me with his hands around me made me weak at my knees.
"Think about how easier would it be, if you would just simply accept my proposal." - He whispered in my ear, while he reached under my towel. I gasped in surprise, but I didn't push away. - " You and I would change the world together. You wouldn't need to feel bad anymore.." - He pinched my chin between his index and thumbfinger. His proposal to be partners was reasonable to a certain level... but only to a certain level. I felt his hot breath on my lips, and the smell of winter was sensible on him. How does winter smell? Well, that is an undescribable smell that I grew to know in Skydown. It is a special scent with the smell of chilly sunlight, frost, snow, and cold skin.
"It is certainly a tempting proposal, but I doubt it would be the best choice for you, or for me." - I said, and leaned a little closer, and our lips were only a half inch away. It wasn't just the proposal that was tempting: his touch, his aquamarine eyes, his golden hair, his deep voice that was like molten dark chocolate, the scent of his cologne, and the smell of winter in his breath. All that pulled me in like a black hole. I tried to fight it as much as I could but it was not an easy task.
"Even if you're not my best choice, nor I am your best..." - He looked down, and took a deep breath when he looked up again, in his hand, he was holding a small object. - "I don't wanna see you with anyone else. I can't." - He reached his hand towards me, and a ring was in his hand."Rider... I can't.." - I looked at him, and pushed a lock of hair out of his face. - "You know I can't choose just like that..."
"At least thing about this." - He said, and dug his hand into my hair as he slid the ring into my palm with his other hand. - "Please." - Our lips touched, and the soft kiss devoured all my power to fight his touch. His scent embraced me, and I felt this fase feeling of safety all over again. Suddenly a feeling ran through me that I was making a terrible mistake. I might still have feelings for Rider, but there are so many cons when I run through the pros-and-cons-list in my head. Why do I need to mess up everything.
I withdrew from his arms, and backed away until my back was against the wall. - "Can you leave me alone for a little?"
"Sure." - I saw disappointment in his eyes, and I felt ashamed. As the door closed behind him, I slid down to the floor, staring at the ring. Another jewelry that will be there to remind me of him, another piece of metal and crystal to drive me mad when I feel it on myself.
I quickly stood up, and shoved the ring into a small box, and shut it. I can't marry him. I can't put the faith of my people in his hands. I can't risk the lives of innocent people.
I needed to talk to Joel. To know why did he came in the training room today, and why.
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