by Todd, E. L.
Zyle rose from his chair and slammed his fists into the desk. “Don’t go there, Roxian! I volunteered to take the warriors to the island, but you denied my request, saying it was futile even though our entire kin is trapped and their souls are doomed for eternity.” Zyle walked away from the desk and faced the other wall. “Do not say I don’t care.” Roxian was silent for a moment, waiting for his moment of anger to pass. Zyle turned around. “Accacia is my soul mate, Roxian. There is nothing I can do about it. I am destined for her.”
“That means nothing.” She snapped. “You don’t even know the girl. She is still in love with someone else, Zyle—you weren’t her first choice. She ran away from you when she found out she was bound to you—the woman doesn’t want you. How can this woman be your soul mate? The woman is obviously a whore.”
Zyle glared at her with a look made of both fire and ice, a powerful blending of two opposing elements. He was about to blast her with an unforgivable vengeance. He strode over to her and stopped directly before her. “Don’t ever talk about Accacia, my life partner, that way ever again. You will regret it, I promise you.” He backed away from her, but the ferocity still shined in his eyes. “I don’t want you, Roxian. I never have, nor will I ever. I am done with you.” Zyle turned around and walked away.
Roxian grabbed him by the arm and held him back, but Zyle twisted away from her grasp, pulling himself away from her. The queen reached for him again and held him still, using her abilities as a warrior to hold him back.
Zyle controlled the anger flooding through his body. He wanted to kill her, stab her with a blade, but stopped himself. She was the Queen of the Asquithians. He would be executed if he moved against her. “Release me, Roxian. I do not belong to you.”
“You belong with me. Not her, Zyle. Together we could be the greatest sovereigns of our people. We would flourish together. Do not deny your attraction to me. I know you desire me.”
“You are insane.” Zyle pulled his hand away, but she wouldn’t release him. He felt like he wasn’t being faithful to Accacia just by letting her touch his palm. He was betraying his partner for allowing this maniac to touch what was exclusively hers. “I do not want to be the king, and if I did, I would only have one queen; Accacia. And yes, you are beautiful, that is obvious, Roxian. You have similar features to Cassandra, who I loved with my whole heart, but you aren’t her—you never will be. Now release me.”
“No,” she said as she pushed him against the wall. She pressed her body against his and grabbed his face, pressing her lips against his and felt the taste of his mouth. The cacophony of the situation confused Zyle. It happened so quickly. He pushed her off of him with a forceful shove, and she stumbled back. The green color of her eyes shined like the leaves of the forest, highlighting the intensity of her emotions.
“I already told you I don’t want you, Roxian. I will not change my mind. You would only have me against my will, which is absolutely pathetic. You don’t deserve to be our queen.”
Roxian kept her distance from him, standing a few feet away. Her blonde hair cascaded around her shoulders and contrasted against the sharp color of her eyes. If she was hurt by his rejection, she didn’t show it. “Now you know how Accacia feels.”
The ropes holding back the dam of his anger snapped under her words. Zyle never felt angrier than he did at that moment. Her words struck a nerve that could never be repaired. It was a permanent blow, shattering his control over his emotions. “You are lucky I didn’t bring my sword,” he said. “I want nothing more than to kill you.”
“You would never,” she said as she crossed her arms over her chest. She stepped closer to him and Zyle moved away, keeping his distance from her. He wanted to snap her neck in half, ripping it from her slender shoulders. Speaking of Accacia’s horrific past sent him to the brink. No one had any idea how much she suffered. Even Zyle couldn’t fathom it. “I am Cassandra’s sister, your family.”
“She would help me kill you if she could.” Roxian’s eyes narrowed at his words. Zyle finally struck a nerve. “You are not my family, Roxian. And I never want to speak to you again. I will confer with you in conference, but only then. Do not touch me. I belong to Accacia. I am hers.” Zyle moved closer to the doorway, ready to leave the presence of this despicable queen. “And you don’t love me, Roxian. You just want someone to secure your seat of power. Pick another. I refuse your request. Your beauty has no effect on me and it never has. I only desire Accacia in that way. Her beauty triumphs over yours. There is no comparison.” Zyle exited the study and walked through the Tower, practically running as he left the building, and ventured back to the city of Canu. Zyle decided not to tell Accacia about the transgression. There was nothing to tell anyway.
Roxian stood alone in the study, staring at the door that Zyle just walked through. The candles in the room burned with a calm glow and the light highlighted the blonde color of her hair, making her blend into the background of the room. Her arms were still crossed over her chest and she was lost in thought, unsure what to do about Zyle. It was obvious that she would never have him if Accacia existed. She had to be eliminated.
Battle Academy
35
Accacia tried to parry the blow, but she miscalculated the angle and dropped her sword to the floor.
Laura scowled at her clumsiness. “Pick it up!”
Accacia grabbed the sword from the ground and resumed the fight. She lost her footing and dropped the sword again, letting it fall to the floor. Accacia went to retrieve the blade for the second time, but Laura held her hand up. “Don’t touch the blade.”
Accacia flinched at the anger in her words and stepped back. Laura’s grimace deepened as she stared at Accacia then the sword at her feet. Accacia had been training with Laura for weeks and impressed her with her fighting abilities, but sometimes Accacia would falter in her advance and lose the sparring match. During those actions, Laura would stare at her with a look of anger, but it was nothing in comparison to her furious gaze now.
“You aren’t concentrating.” Laura grabbed the sword from the floor and tossed it to the other side of the dais. They were standing on top of the building, at the height of the canopy of the trees, sparring directly in the sunlight. The platform looked identical to the one in Zyle’s flashback, the academy on the original island. “You are wasting my time, Accacia. I never would have agreed to this training if I knew your heart was not in it.”
Accacia looked down. “I apologize, Lady Laura.”
“Don’t look down.” She snapped.
Accacia raised her chin and repeated the words, staring directly into Laura’s eyes.
Accacia was distracted during their entire training from the day she came. The events of Aleco’s Soul Catcher disturbed her greatly, kept her awake in the middle of the night with nightmares then confused her thoughts during the day. Lady Laura would make her run the length of the island. When she returned, she had to spar with her until she won. Then, Lady Laura forced her to run around the island again. The laborious days kept the nightmares away because she was too exhausted to dream. But the horrific thoughts still came to her when the sun rose.
Accacia threw herself into her training because it distracted her mind from her reoccurring thoughts; Aleco and Zyle. She loved Aleco, still swore she did, but the events of his past disgusted her. He warned her of his crimes, saying she wouldn’t have loved him if she had known beforehand, and she had to admit he was right. It changed everything. Accacia realized Aleco knew she would see these memories, so it was a testament to his faith in her. That she would still love him despite his despicable past.
When she wasn’t thinking about Aleco, she thought of Zyle. She admitted that she missed him, wished she could talk to him and tell him everything that happened. He had become the closest person to her, her best friend. She knew she desired him the way he desired her, but she couldn’t assuage the guilt she still held. There was still a vigil for Aleco in her heart. While she was disturbed by Aleco’s
past, she loved him as much as she always had. There was nothing he could do to shake her love for him. It was unconditional.
Laura stared at the forlorn features on her student’s face and realized she was truly troubled. She walked over to Accacia and told her to take a seat on the bench. Accacia did so with a look of bewilderment, but obeyed her command. “I’ll be right back,” Laura said as she left the platform. She returned with a tray of tea and pineapple tarts. She set them on the bench between them and smiled at her student. “Tell me about it, Accacia.”
Accacia didn’t know what to say. They had never shared a meal together, nor had they ever conversed about anything personal. Laura was always serious and focused on their tasks, only discussing topics that pertained to her training. She never expressed any personal interest in Accacia or seemed to care for her well-being. Accacia thought she didn’t like her at all.
Accacia looked away. “It’s nothing, Lady Laura.” Accacia turned her gaze back to her, remembering she was supposed to look at the person she was addressing, according to Asquithian manners. Laura laughed at her look of unease.
“Relax, Accacia,” she said. “We aren’t training at the moment. But don’t insult me by saying nothing is bothering you. I sincerely hope we didn’t stop your instruction for no reason.”
“Of course not, Lady Laura,” she said quickly.
“You may refer to me as Laura during our informal meetings,” she said after she chewed her tart. “Now tell me what troubles you.”
Accacia didn’t speak. She didn’t know what to say or where to begin.
Laura wiped her lips with a napkin. “Zyle is my good friend and colleague, and since he is not here to take care of you, his life partner, I will stand in his stead. He loves you, so I do as well.”
“I hope that isn’t the only reason.”
“No, it isn’t. You are an amazing student and amazing woman. I am honored to teach you.”
Accacia’s cheeks reddened at her words. “Thank you, Laura.”
“Now get on with it.”
Accacia sighed. “It is a very long story.”
“Well, we are practically immortal, so I think we have the time, Accacia. But the abridged version would be appreciated.”
“Is this conversation confidential?”
“As long as you are not hurting or betraying Zyle in any way,” she said. “If so, then I would tell him immediately.”
Accacia was taken aback by her loyalty to Zyle. She wondered what happened between them to make them so close. She felt a pain of jealousy at the thought. “You two are very close.”
“Yes, we are,” she said. “The man saved my life. But that story is for another time. Please continue.”
Accacia looked down at the crumbs of her pineapple tart. She ate it quickly, swallowing the whole pastry in one bite due to her hunger. The intense training sessions with Laura always made her especially famished. She licked her finger and wiped the last of the crumbs from her plate, sucking the particle on her finger. “I’m in love with someone else—someone from my past—but I can’t be with him. I can’t shake him from my mind or my heart, but I don’t want to anyway. I never want to forget about it and I never want to move on.”
“Does Zyle know this?”
Accacia nodded. “I’ve become very close with Zyle. I know that I love him.” Accacia paused for a moment. It was the first time she confessed her feelings for him out loud. “He is my best friend, the closest person to me, and I care about him deeply, but—”
“You don’t want to betray this other man?”
“Yes.”
“Can you ever be with this man again?”
“No.”
“Then there is nothing to betray, Accacia. You need to move on with your life. Obviously, you already have. You wouldn’t be life partners with someone else unless there was no doubt of your love for each other.”
Accacia dropped her face into her palms. “I never wanted to be life partners with him. We have only spent time together for a year and he is already my life partner—that is too soon.”
“No, it isn’t,” she said. “There is no record time for two people to come together. Everyone is different. Zyle was with Cassandra for fifty years before they were established.”
“Then why did it happen so quickly with us? He already had a life partner. How could he have another?”
“Accacia, you already know the answer to that question.”
Accacia stared at Laura for a moment, trying to gauge her meaning in her features, but she returned her look with a stoic countenance. Zyle told her it was very uncommon for anyone to have more than one life partner, and the only exception was if they were soul mates. Understanding flooded Accacia’s mind. She felt her heart race in her chest, beating against the skin of her body, ready to burst from the inside. “We are soul mates,” she whispered. The pain flooded her body. The revelation would crush Aleco. She couldn’t believe that she was destined for someone else when she loved Aleco with her whole heart. She never imagined spending her life with someone else that wasn’t Aleco, but the gods had other plans for her.
Laura nodded. “I admire your loyalty to this other man, Accacia. Your love for him numbed your heart and blinded you to your emotions. You’ve spent an entire year with your soul mate, but you never let yourself feel something for him, no matter how much you desired him. But now it’s time to drop the act, Accacia. It is your destiny to be with Zyle—accept it.”
“And forget about Aleco?”
Laura smiled. “You already have, dear.”
Orgoom Forest
36
Aleco pressed his hand against the stone wall and accessed his favorite memory from Accacia’s sanctuary. He had already seen the memory dozens of times, but he never grew tired of reliving it.
The fire roared in the hearth in the downstairs parlor and dispelled the chill from the winter night outside the cottage. It blanketed the room with a dim glow and made the sitting room appear cozy and warm. Accacia was preparing dinner in the kitchen. She set the potatoes in the pot, letting them boil. Then, she walked over to the couch where Aleco was sitting, sipping the brandy he always drank.
Accacia crawled into his lap and Aleco wrapped his arm around her, feeling the smoothness of her skin under her shirt. Accacia grabbed the glass in his hand, and before Aleco could snatch it back, she drank the entire contents. She wiped her mouth with her arm before she set the empty cup on the table.
Accacia made a disgusted face as she taste the bitterness of the liquid. “That’s horrible for you, Aleco.”
“Says who?” he asked as he poured himself another glass. The decanter was sitting next to him with the lid off. Aleco didn’t know why he bothered with a glass at all. Aleco raised the glass to his lips with a smile, but Accacia grabbed it and downed the contents.
She made another sour face. “Stop drinking this, Aleco. It doesn’t even taste good.”
“Then why do you keep drinking it?”
She glared at him. “So you won’t.”
“Well, that is a very ineffective method,” he said with a laugh. “But I don’t mind. I’ll take advantage of you while you are indisposed.”
“You wouldn’t.” She smiled at him.
“You don’t know me very well.”
“You’re a gentleman, Aleco.”
“Not when it comes to you,” he said as he pulled her closer to him. A strand of brown hair fell from behind her ear and tickled his neck. He leaned in and kissed her lips gently, enjoying the taste of the alcohol on her lips. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more aroused.” He licked his own lips and felt the burn of the poison. “I like a woman who can hold her liquor.”
Aleco glided his hand up her shirt but Accacia pulled it away. “I have to finish dinner first, Aleco,” she said as she rose to a stand.
Aleco pulled her back. “I lost my appetite.” He kissed her neck and trailed his lips to her ear, confessing his love for her in quiet whispers. The heat o
f the moment was taking its toll on Accacia, and Aleco knew she was becoming more aroused. She wanted him as she always did.
“I really need to finish,” she said in between breaths. He slid his fingers into her trousers and explored her body, making her moan as she felt him within her. She straddled his hips as she gripped his forearms with her nails. Aleco watched the flames in her eyes burst into an inferno of desire.
“You want me to stop? I will if you want me to.” His fingers slid further inside of her and she moaned his name into his ear. She grabbed his shirt and tore it from his body and Aleco smiled in victory, knowing she couldn’t resist him. “Do you want me to stop?” he repeated.
“No,” she said as she removed her own shirt. Aleco sucked on her nipples while she unbuttoned his pants. The pot was overflowing with boiling water, dripping onto the floor, but neither of them cared at the moment. Aleco pulled out his fingers and removed her pants and undergarment, overwhelmed with his desire for her. Before he could grab her and push himself inside of her, she lowered her body and inserted him within her, unable to wait for even a second longer.
Aleco moaned as he felt himself within her, stretching her insides with his girth. He had never felt more satisfied with a woman than he was with her. He stared at her for a moment as he moved inside of her, watching the love of his life grip his neck as she rode him, and wondered how he had gotten so lucky. He pushed himself deeper inside of her and she cried out his name as he pleased her. His lips sought hers and he kissed her passionately as he rocked her gently, showing the depth of his love for her with the movement of his lips. His heart ached as he made love to her, the overwhelming emotion of his soul exploding within him as he claimed her as his own. Her hands gripped him tighter as he brought her into a climax, and she cried his name as she experienced her state of euphoria. Aleco felt himself crumble underneath her yells of pleasure and he let himself release into her, filling her body with his essence.
Aleco leaned back into the chair, pulling her with him as he caught his breath. Her fingers glided through the strands of his hair as she laid her head onto his shoulder. Aleco closed his eyes at her touch and loved the feel of her hands on him. Aleco kissed her lips then looked at her. “Now you can finish dinner.”