“You what?” The queen shrieked, at the same time Julius yelled “I knew it!”
“I broached the King of the damned on our behalf and apologized.” She did not seem the slightest bit perturbed that her mother was looking at her, jaw unhinged. “James and Julius were out of line to make such demands and try to trade her life. Arich is a prideful man…he needed to know that we wouldn’t try to insult him any further.”
“Janna…” James didn’t seem to know what to say, beyond that. “That is…incredibly stupid.”
“No.” The king stirred his coffee, spoon clanking against mug. That was the only sound until he spoke again. “It was incredibly brave, and perhaps even misguided. But it was not stupid. We have an assurance of her life…despite her treachery, they will not disturb her while she is with us.”
“Those are the terms you negotiated?” Julius snorted. “You’ve clearly got your priorities mixed up.”
“You’re wrong, I’m afraid.” The king glanced at his daughter, willing her to explain further.
“James bit her. They are matched now, and if anything were to happen to her, there’s no saying what would happen to James.”
Calista pressed her temples between her hands, hard enough that I suspected she may be trying to telepathically communicate with Janna.
“The truth is,” The king looked at his wife, and then to me. “No one knows what lies in store for Lilith, but she has crossed James’ path, and that is good enough reason to keep her safe. I suspect there is more at play then the delicacies of war and politics.”
The queen pursed her pale lips together, and let her long lashes flutter closed a few times while trying to summon patience. “You’ll excuse me…I’ve a migraine.”
The look she gave me was rife with hatred, poorly concealed, and when she stood she did not offer anything more to her family before stalking out of the room. Somehow even that was a majestic movement.
“There’s no reason to believe that Lilith’s death will have any effect upon James at all.” Julius glanced at his father, as if for reassurance.
“There’s no reason to believe it won’t.” Janna countered. “And so, if Lilith will stay, we will protect her to the best of our capabilities.”
James, who had been more or less a spectator since he’d walked in with his brother and father, now ventured to speak. “There are no guarantees in life but death. However, Lilith is my responsibility, and I will protect her regardless. If the amended accord is violated again, for any reason, I won’t hesitate.”
The king nodded. “I would expect nothing less.”
Chapter Fifteen
The next dream I woke from, I had been chained to James, linked by a thick industrial steel that made it hard to move. Xian had a hold of me, though, and he pulled so roughly that it was as though I’d tear in two. When I fell to the ground it swallowed me whole, and I lay in a coffin, with James tethered to the shallow grave above me. Though he pulled and strained and beat the ground and took the Lord’s name in vain, he was unable to break free.
Guilt and confusion and anger chased away the disorientation of a deep sleep, leaving in its wake a whirlwind of emotion. It swirled within me, commanding me to action, but how was I to act upon it?
“You must be lost.” Julius graced me with a quick once-over, not bothering to hide the smirk on his face. His head poked out from behind the door frame, which he seemed to lean heavily on. “James’ room is on the second floor.”
“I wasn’t looking for James.” I craned my neck a little, trying to sneak a peek inside his room. Was he alone? God, I hoped so.
“The plot thickens.” He eyed me shrewdly, like he expected an attack. But when I stood still, he moved aside and bid me to enter.
I swallowed, hoping my fear wasn’t as obvious as his suspicion. Julius kicked the door shut and cocked an eyebrow, imploring me to explain my interruption. He crossed his arms, expectant, and I realized he was shirtless. Yeah, Of course.
“I…” I looked over his shoulder, hoping he didn’t realize how uncomfortable I was. “I need your help.”
“You think I’d honestly help you?” He laughed at the very idea of it.
“I do, actually. I think you might even find my proposition intriguing.”
He laughed again, crossing the room to a small fridge in the corner. Now that I looked around, my discomfort only seemed to grow. It’s not that his room was odd or distasteful, but the full implication of my being here suddenly seemed too cloying. I glanced at the unkempt bed, the silky sheets, and straightened.
He poured himself a glass of something dark, and then turned his gaze back on me. “And what makes you say that?”
“Because,” I shrugged. “I know you don’t like me, and I thought you’d appreciate the chance to kick my ass.”
“Oh? Tell me more.”
“I don’t know how to explain it to you. I think there’s a war on the horizon…I don’t think that the bargain your sister made with my father will hold any water. They’re going to come for me…and when they do, I want to be ready.”
“What makes you so certain? You were there that day your father told us to take you and disappear.”
“Yes, and you were there the day Xian said he’d never let me go. You were there today, when he told me it’s not over. You cannot understand the relationship we had, because even I don’t understand it, but you can help me learn to fend him off. I just…I need to do something physical.”
“There are other physical things we could do,” he quipped, nodding toward the bed.
I shook my head. “This was a mistake.” My fingers were already wrapped around the doorknob by the time he stopped me with a hand on my arm, much gentler than previous occasions when he’d shepherded me about.
“No, it’s not.” I looked up at him, uncertain. He seemed ready to confess to something, and it made my nerves only wilder. “I was there the day he kissed you under the stairs…the day he slapped you.”
I tried not to hold his gaze, because I didn’t think sympathy from him would sit well with me. But it wasn’t pity there in his obsidian eyes…it was understanding. “We’ll start tonight.”
An echo of my earlier thoughts played a continuous chorus in the back of my brain as I waited for Julius at the mouth of the maze: this is a mistake. I, of course, hadn’t really thought it out before I approached him with the idea, and now that I thought more and more about what I’d done, I realized it was a fool’s errand. But it was too late to run, because the door opened and Julius stepped into the brisk night.
He was dressed all in black, his sleeves rolled up to the elbow. He seemed better suited for a jewel heist than a sparring lesson. His eyes washed over me, followed by a grin. “You ready to have your night wrecked?”
I swallowed my fear. “I wouldn’t have asked you to help if I wasn’t ready.”
“We’ll see about that. Follow me.”
I did follow him, but not without asking myself why I was. Why had I gotten myself into this mess anyways? And why him?
The answer was obvious. I couldn’t let them fight my battles for me. They may have started their own feud with Xian by their misguided hostage attempt, but my feud with Xian went farther back…it cut deeper. I didn’t want to die, and I did not even want Xian to die. I just didn’t want to have to see him ever again.
But he’d as good as guaranteed that I would, and so this time, when he came for me, I was not going to go without a fight. I still didn’t know the nature of my relationship with James, but I knew that whatever it was or whatever it would become, it would never be this. Julius seemed to possess a raw hatred for me, but he was too good to act on it. He would put me through my paces, and I would hate him and he would hate me, and just maybe we would come off better for it.
“You’re late.”
“You’ll live.” Julius stepped aside as we entered into the vast expanse of lawn, where only the day before Xian had teased us with idle threats.
Delilah stood in the center of the lawn, her arms crossed, long hair swept back into a ponytail that swayed at her waist.
I shot Julius a look of accusation as it dawned on me why she was there. “She’d going to train me? Seriously?”
Julius laughed, rubbing an apple against his shirt. He didn’t seem the slightest bit affected by my irritation. “You didn’t truly think I’d hit a girl? My mother would wash my mouth with soap for even thinking of it…although, she’d probably make an exception for you.”
“Are you scared?” Delilah taunted. Her entire, pretty face was pulled into a sneer. She actually looked down the bridge of her nose at me, as she would something that disgusted her.
I blinked. “Of course not. But I don’t know why you’re here. You don’t even like me.”
“Nobody likes you,” She amended. “But we’re stuck with you, so we’ll share the burden. Julius asked me to help you. I’m here at his bequest.”
“Fine.” I squared my shoulders, lifted my chin, and took a few steps toward her.
She seemed barely able to contain her excitement, her mouth puckering around more bitter quips kept at bay. I wanted to knock the smile right off her face, but I only blinked, waiting.
“Werewolves are warriors. We are trained to fight…to win at any cost. You…you are not trained. You run because it is all you can do, and it’s not even very advantageous.”
“I’m not running.”
“You will be.”
The words had barely left her lips before she lunged at me. There was no time to really process what she was doing; I stepped to the side, causing her to miss. “Still running.” She straightened, flicking her hair off of her shoulder. “You can’t stay still and face me head on?”
I could. I had all the time, with Xian. But that had been to quell his fury…he always felt bad after over-reacting, and so he would hit me, and I would stay still and not blink and then it would be over. If I’d fought back, who knows how long we would have lasted? Delilah was different…I wouldn’t stay still just to let her hit me.
This time, when she darted at me, I grit my teeth and stayed motionless until the last moment when her fist was swinging at my face. I reached up and caught it with my hand. It stung, but it was arguably better than taking the same fist to the jaw, and Julius seemed mildly impressed by it anyways. Delilah did not. In fact, it only seemed to irritate her.
“Some people say that the best offense is a good defense.” She looked me over, assessing my strengths, looking for weaknesses. “Those people are wrong. You’re not going to do yourself any good if you get captured…which you’re prone to do, by not attacking your attackers. Chances are you will always be outmatched. There will always be somebody faster…smarter...” I stood my ground, watching her every footfall as she walked a tight circle around me, preparing for attack. “Stronger.” She made her move, a quick jab for the ribs. I doubled over, effectively blocking her. She was not pleased…I suspected she thought that agreeing to help Julius meant getting to use me as a punching bag. “Sometimes, you will be outnumbered.”
Julius came from nowhere. My attention had been so focused upon Delilah that I’d all but forgotten he was there. Until he looped his arms under mine, trapping me and offering Delilah the chance she needed to get her punch in. But before her fist could connect with my nose, Julius released me and his hand flew into the air, catching her punch. He knocked it effortlessly out of the air, leaving Delilah to look at him, bewildered.
“You aren’t here to exact vengeance.” The look she gave him told me she’d been lead to believe otherwise. “Besides, if you get her face, James will know we’re up to something.”
“And? James doesn’t scare me.”
I was catching my breath, still watching her warily, as though she may just decide to launch herself at me out of random. I’d not put it past her. But the opportunity was too sweet to miss. “No, I’d expect not. What about his disappointment? Does that scare you?”
“I’m not sure where you’re going with this…” Delilah’s voice held a warning, but no threat.
“I think you know what I’m implying. I’ve heard a whisper or two…about your thing for James? You’ve always held a candle for him, isn’t that right?”
She snarled…literally snarled at me. Her hand twitched at her side. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Maybe not.” There was, as far as I knew, nothing between James and myself. Unless you considered the fact that he’d bitten me, which was their version of a blood oath, and we were now inextricably tied together. But Delilah suspected there was, and that was enough to provoke her. She charged at me again, and this time Julius did not stop her. He actually stood with his arms crossed, smirking, far too entertained by our interaction.
I meant to side-step her again, to let her wear herself down and then maybe…just maybe…try and get in one good hit on her. But she was genuinely angry at my insinuations of her unrequited love…She faked left, I went right, and she followed. Her punch caught me in the ribs, and though it was enough to knock the air out of my lungs, it wasn’t as heavy as I had anticipated. Still, it gave her the chance to strike again, which she was more than happy to do…she followed it with a series of jabs, some making their mark and others misplaced. I danced out of her reach, ducking and taking cover, and throwing myself at her and feinting in her direction.
Julius let us carry on like that for a few moments, before finally stepping between us and shaking his head. “Nothing like a girl fight.” He winked at me. “I’m sure James would be honored to have you fighting over him, and as entertaining as this has been, you’ve been at it long enough. Give it a rest.”
Delilah crossed her arms. “You’re going to need your sleep.” She said. “That was only your warm up. We’ll pick back up where we left off, same time tomorrow.”
My days continued on like that, not entirely eventful. I would see them at breakfast. Sometimes Janna would linger so that we could talk, and other times she would hurry off without even telling me goodbye. James seemed even more stand-offish than before, presumably the result of realizing that no good came from my being here. We had spoken maybe five words to each other since the day Xian had come onto their property. At night, I met Julius and Delilah. I got my ass handed to me sometimes, and other times I managed to skate away, completely untouched. Those nights, Delilah hurried off.
“You can’t always run. You can’t always hide.” Delilah’s hawk-eyes were narrowed on me, her prey.
“I haven’t been.” I had run in the past. I had hid in the past. Not anymore. My hands were up, ready at my chest to catch hers should she try to turn them upon me.
“You haven’t been fighting. You’ve been defending.”
“That’s all I need.”
“No,” Delilah spat. “It’s not. Why am I wasting my time with you? What are you here for?”
I looked at Julius, sitting with his back against a tree trunk. He was reading a book…or at least, he was reading it in between glances. At the moment, his eyes peeked above it. I had no doubt he was smirking behind that cover. “I’m not going without a fight.”
“Going?” She frowned. “Going where?”
“With Xian.”
“Who?” Delilah let her stance drop, turning to Julius expectantly. “What is she talking about?”
“Xian? He’s nothing to worry about…” He set his book aside. “Unless you’re Lilith.”
Delilah looked between us. Her eyes probed Julius’ face for more, and then they sidled over to me. “Is there something I should know?”
“My life doesn’t concern you.” I crossed my arms.
“I thought I was teaching you to fight…I thought you were at least going to try to be productive around here. You’re telling me this has all been for nothing?” Julius was on the verge of receiving her wrath. She looked in danger of punching him.
“You’ve done well, Delilah. But she’s not as meek as she looks…or acts. I think
we’re done here.”
“What?” Delilah and I spoke the word in unison. Apparently, we did agree on something.
Julius shrugged. “Lilith wanted to learn to defend herself. She knew how to do that all along, it would seem. Your trainings haven’t taught her anything, but perhaps now she’ll be more ready to use them in the future.”
“We’ve been at this for four days…why? So she could feel better about herself?” Delilah’s voice was getting dangerously loud.
“It’s not really your concern,” Julius cocked his head, like he was trying to understand why she was so upset. “Move along.”
She set her jaw, but did as he suggested and left, spewing a stream of profanity along the way. I looked to Julius for answers, but he didn’t have much to offer. “Come with me.”
I followed him, though I didn’t know where. We’d been alone enough the last week that if he was going to kill me, he’d have done so by now. We went through the maze again, but did not take the usual turns that would direct us to the house. Instead, we seemed to plunge deeper and deeper into the heart of it, until finally it spit us out in front of the forest.
The maze was behind us now, the home at its center obscured from our vision by the rose-covered hedges. Julius made a beeline for a building in the distance, dark and almost unnoticeable against the trees. I hadn’t noticed it the first time I’d been out of their walls, and I probably wouldn’t have noticed it then if Julius hadn’t led us toward it.
As we drew closer, I realized why I had never noticed it…why probably nobody noticed it. The building was a wreck. It was just a square, concrete shack, nothing more. The windows were all boarded up, and the wood was painted with different signs and symbols, profanity and warnings to keep out. It looked like somewhere you’d go to exact torture on your victim. But I wasn’t about to turn around and look weak in front of Julius, so I fell into his pace and continued at his side as we walked around the back.
Here, Julius stopped and reached into his pocket. I half expected him to pull out a key, but he only produced a piece of folded up paper, which he set under a rock and then turned away. I stared at the rock a moment longer, wondering what he put under there and why he’d brought me along to do it. The back of the shack had one window, un-boarded, in what must have been an attic space. It may have been my imagination, but I saw movement in it, like the shadow of something within.
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