"Well don't just stand there like a stupid child, go and meet with your father Anna," She says, batting me away with her paper fan, once I start walking the invisible line she struts after me, making sure that I make it directly to my father and to my doom. It is time for me to find out who my father has chosen, and whom I am doomed to "belong" to from this moment on.
I see my father standing at the front of the crowd with Christian, and four other men are standing with him. One of those other four I recognize as the man from no less than a few minutes ago; Victor Menédez. He looks pale in comparison to the other men, and yet somehow he also seems more glorious.
"Ah there is my little Anna now." My father croons to me in front of the other men. I try my hardest to hold back the bile in my mouth. My father is anything but a sweet man, especially when it comes to me.
"Now two of you have tied for the honour of my daughters hand, the rest of you I'm sorry but you haven't made the cut, and ultimately there can be only one winner," My father says, smiling from ear to ear. I feel like saying to these men that I am not a prize to be won, but I keep my words to myself, in hope to spare Meg and Simon from any more pain.
"Please Mr Sitzman and King Menédez stay where you are. Lord Bolton, and Duke of Kensington please leave." At this the two older men leave and then there is only my father, Christian, Victor and I. My father turns to the two men in question, and I feel chills go down my spine; here comes the bad part I think to myself. Victor's eyes shift to me, they hold a question in them, almost as if he is asking what I mean but that is ridiculous, it's impossible that he can read my thoughts.
"As for you boys, here comes the tricky part. I am allowing Anna to choose whom she will marry, but you boys must convince her whom to choose by winning her heart," My father says, a cocky grin pulling at his thin lips. So this is his bargaining chip, me. Since there is no way either boy can win my heart, especially not after the stunt that they pulled tonight, I don't know how this is going to turn out. It would be fair to warn them that what my father has just given them an impossible task, though why should I be fair when no-one else is playing that way?
"But be warned my daughter is as stubborn as a mule." My father jokes and Christian and Victor laugh along with him. I give them all a glare. How dare they make fun of me like that!
I storm off back outside, I feel freer when I am outside rather than inside, and I need all the freedom that I can get. Because for now it looks like my fate is sealed either way. I am going to be married to Christian or Victor, and I have no idea who is worse, the creepy sadistic gentleman that I met this morning, who is more like my father than a lover, or the man that I met in the Labyrinth, who saved me from Christian, the man whose eyes are red as blood, the man whom has a devil-may-care attitude and a split personality. As far as I am concerned, I am going to burn because of this.
Chapter 4 – An Ancient Dance
Anna's P.O.V
It has been a couple of days since my father had decided to split the four suitors down to two, and unfortunately they have been the worst, and the youngest though that was a solitary plus, of the group. I have been trying to avoid Christian and Victor. However no matter how much I try, I always manage to end up seeing them by the end of the day.
Fortunately, neither of them appears to be game enough to attempt to win my heart. I have not had any encounters with Victor - such as the one I had experience out on the balcony, and in the Labyrinth - and I have not had any encounters with Christian either, though I can feel his eyes constantly watching me, as if I am some kind of prey to him.
My obvious hatred towards the two boys, has my father fuming and my mother repressed, though she would never know what repression was even if it slapped her in the face. However, through all this mess there is one solitary plus that has me smiling to myself. My father hasn't dared to threaten or harm me since before the ball, which is more than unbelievable! Unfortunately, I have a feeling that the phase isn't going to last long. Thus this is what I am thinking, when I walked out here earlier, into the gardens, with my sketch pad and pencils in hand.
I have been idly drawing a set of eyes in a face that has been haunting my dreams of late; a face that is hiding somewhere inside of my hone. I have to admit that it is a bit embarrassing to look up into the same man's eyes and know that I have drawn his profile perfectly.
"Hello Anna." His voice is thick and husky, and absolutely tempting but I push these thoughts aside. I cannot allow myself to be drawn to him. I cannot allow myself to be drawn to either one of them.
"Hello Victor," I say as I close my sketch pad. I also cannot let him to see that I have subconsciously drawn him.
"I saw you sitting out here by yourself, I've wanted to speak to you for a while now, I wanted to apologize for my behaviour when we first met." He gives a small tentative smile, though how I can use the word tentative to describe Victor is beyond me. From what I have seen and heard from him, he is anything but tentative. I have to admit though, I am not only surprise by the fact that he is apologizing to me, but that he is actually speaking to me at all.
"What "first" meeting are we talking about here? The one in the Labyrinth or the one on the Balcony," I say sarcastically and I can sense him bristle at my words. Victor takes a seat beside me and looks down at the water in the shallow fountain pool.
"You're right, both times I guess. I haven't exactly been cordial to you since my arrival. I had not been expecting to see Mr Sitzman here and when I did, well it made me lose control. His family and my own have a long negative history, something that I won't bore you with but I guess our loathing for each other is genetic. However, that aside, I really am sorry for my behaviour," Victor says, his eyes drifting back to me. There is a look of sincerity within those crimson eyes, and I wonder how it's possible for him to have that kind of colouring.
"I suppose I can forgive you. After all if what you say is true, you can't really behave yourself around Mr Sitzman. Besides my behaviour wasn't exactly friendly either," I say. It isn't exactly a lie; my behaviour had been more than friendly though under the circumstances, it should have been understandable why I had wanted to thank him. He smiles at my words though, and it makes me wonder what exactly he could be thinking.
"I doubt you will be getting an apology from Christian. An apology that you deserve more than my own," Victor says. His smile leaves his face as quickly as it comes. I can see that his skin is becoming quite red as if he is getting roasted with a really bad sun burn.
"Are you alright Victor? You're skin, it's like you're burning up," I say softly, reaching out to touch the skin on his face so that I may examine it better. He gets back up onto his feet and moves away from me. I quickly grab his wrist. His motions completely stop and I don't know what has come over me.
"Don't go," I say and quickly chide myself for saying such a thing. Hadn't I been thinking before he arrived that I mustn't allow myself to fall for either of them? An apology shouldn't have changed my thinking.
"I mean you don't have to go if you don't want to," I say instantly closing my big stupid mouth before I can say anything else. I see his shoulders drop but he doesn't move to sit back down. He refuses to look at me as well.
"I'm sorry Anna but I cannot," He says before he walks away, leaving me in the still bright sunset. I think I hear sorrow and brokenness in his voice, though I cannot be sure of what I hear. I wait for a while outside, until Meg finally comes out looking for me.
"There you are Anna; I've been looking all over for you." I don't get a chance to say hello to her, before she starts ushering me inside. "What are you doing out there anyway?" She asks, her eyes studying me, trying to guess the answer before I can say what has happened.
"I was outside drawing and then Victor came up saying he wanted to talk to me, but he didn't really have much to say." I say, for once in my life trying to hide the truth from Meg.
"Oh my, he actually sought you out!" Meg says, though it sounds like a question I know what she mean
s. I nod in agreement.
"Never the less your mother is furious that you are late for dinner. At least you are not in a mess. You know how she would react to that," Meg says before a giggle escapes our lips in union. In a joking matter, we say together what my mother would have said if she was here "Anna, how dare you be late. Must I tell your father about this?" And we both know what 'father' would have said if mother ever went to him. That quiets our humorous mood.
"Alright Meg, I guess I should join them in the dining room," I say reluctantly, before making my way to my destination, Meg trailing along beside me. Meg goes off in a different direction when I arrive at the door. I stare at it for a moment as I take in a deep breath before I enter the room. When I enter the room I find everyone in their usual seating, my father at the head of the table, and my mother on his right hand side. Victor and Christian sit at the end of the table across from each other. The heat of their hatred as they stare each other down, makes the hairs on the back of my neck prickle. I sit in my seat at the end of the table in between Christian and Victor.
"It is so good that you can join us Anna, our guest refused to eat until you arrived," My mother says, I can see the accusing look in her eyes, and I swear I hear the rumbling thunder of my father's stomach.
"Alright let's eat," My father announces, digging into his dinner with all the grace of a peasant at a feast. My mother sits there nibbling on her food; though I know she will go to the kitchen later to gorge herself.
"How has your day been, Anna?" Christian asks, starting his round of questions for the night.
"It was fine, thank you," I say sticking to as little words as possible. "And how was your day?" I ask, keeping my eyes on my plate.
"It was wonderful; I found the lair of the sleeping beast," Christian sneers and I can no longer feel his eyes on me, when I look up I find out why; his eyes has strayed over to Victor, whose face is cast into darkness, his crimson eyes burning brightly within that darkness.
"You ought to be careful of whom you call a beast Christian," Victor sneers, the hatred between the two men more evident then ever.
"Besides that I had a little someone on my mind," He purrs, his attention turning back to me now that he has raised Victor up. His hand seizes my leg. I more so feel than see Victor become tense at the very second that Christian's hand lands on my leg.
"So this is how it's going to be every night!" I want to scream at him to get his hand off of my leg, but I don't want my parents to hear what is going on. At the moment they are out of hearing range, and I prefer that it stays this way. "Get your hand off of my leg," I say, my voice icy cold. He refuses to get his hand off of me. I am about to slap him so hard that it will leave a bruise. Then Victor speaks up "The princess asked you to do something. You ought to do as she asked or you'll have to deal with me." His voice is harsh, a heavy threat - that he would make him do as I asked - as the undercurrent of his words.
"Jealous?" Christian sneers, obviously trying to get Victor to snap.
"Of what? A dirty little animal?" Victor rises and offers out his hand to me.
"Come with me?" He asks, his voice becoming thick and heavy again, his crimson eyes staring deeply into my own. I take his hand and rise to my feet. I don't look back as we leave the room. If I had, I would have seen the concern evident on my father's face. We walk in silence towards my room, but the usually long trip towards my room, is too short in his presence. Before I know it we are in the corridor that contains the door to my room.
"That's twice now," I say, a smile on my lips. His own lips curve up into a small smile as well.
"Let's not go for three times," He says, his eyes burning brightly. He leans in towards me then rocks back on his feet, as if he suddenly realizes what he is about to do. My heart twinges with the pain of his physical rejection. Why does it hurt so badly, that he refuses to be close to me?
"Never the less I owe you my gratitude," I say, my body - without my permission - decides itself how I am going to show him my gratitude by throwing my arms around his neck, and quickly giving him a peck on the cheek. I quickly draw away but not before I see the absolute awe and surprise on his face.
"Thank you," I whisper, my cheeks inflaming with the heat of my blush.
"You're welcome," He whispers back. His emotions have gone back into hiding under his mask, but they are still clear in his eyes. It is obvious that none of us had expected what I had just done.
"Goodnight Anna," He whispers before he disappears into the dark.
"Goodnight Victor," I whisper though I know that he cannot hear me. I move quietly into my room, following my usual routine before I go to bed. As sleep captures me, my mind replays the image of an awed and surprised face that smiles back to me.
Victor's P.O.V
I have to get out of here.
I have to release the beast.
I need to feel the heat of the hunt.
I need to feel their blood on my lips.
I need to feel Anna's lips on mine.
NO! I will not think of that, I refuse to think of it! It is too soon, she has seen too much. However she hasn't said anything, my mind whispers to me but I know she hasn't said anything because she doesn't understand what she has seen. My mind tries to reason with me that there are ways to keep Anna close, without letting the beast starve as well. However, I know the beast won’t stop with just a taste, that the beast inside of me isn't the only problem. I, myself want her blood as well. I have wanted it from the first moment I smelled her within that Labyrinth, and then on the balcony when she had tried to thank me. It was a miracle that I had been able to resist that night, which I had been able to walk away. The only thought that had me holding on is that I knew I needed her to stay alive, so that my plans will not have been in vain. If I had killed her that night, there was no chance to do this all over again.
Tonight was a little bit easier, for I have become more accustomed to her scent, but it doesn't help when our bodies are that close! I hate the effect that she has on me, but not as much as I hate him. When he called me jealous at dinner, he had been correct. He knows that I cannot touch her, that I cannot allow myself to be close to her and so he uses it against me.
He is a Skin-walker, the worse kind of Shape-shifters there are. I know that he has the power to take on any shape, size or form. His kind would even be able to become vampires; it is only because of their hatred for us so many of them refuse to look into the possibility.
However I can see the cold calculation in his eyes. He will do anything to get close to her, to take her innocence. The worse thing is that he is royalty too, a king of those nasty Skin-walkers, and the one person he has his aim on is Anna. His ultimate aim is me though and Anna is only another way for him to attack me.
None of them can see him for what he truly is for they all believe that he is human; even Rupert whom has already dealt with the supernatural. I have to admit I am a little surprised about that. I thought he would have noticed the difference between Christian and I, compared to his wife and child, but if he does he doesn't show it. I know his mind would repress the memory until I showed up in his life again, but perhaps I was wrong and the memory has been repressed forever.
My thoughts retrieve when I hear the rowdy laughter coming out of the village that I am passing through, the same village that I had passed through once before, a long time ago. I can hear the rowdy laughter becoming louder as I get closer to the middle of the village, and the main attraction there, a brothel house. It is the perfect place to pick up a late night snack, after some late night fun. The women there are easy and will do whatever you ask, as long as you pay them a hefty price, or at least that is what they say.
Averting my eyes away from the monstrosity, I move on from the brothel, though the temptation has a tight hold of me. It will be so easy to walk in and do what must be done to calm the beast. However, I cannot do that anymore, if I am to be worthy of Anna. My search for blood is drawing near, and I take pity on a dying child on the st
reet; I decide that she will do. To ease her passing I will not harm her, instead her last moments will be replaced with something pleasant, something to make her pitiful life less so. It is the least that I can do for her, when there is almost nothing to be done.
Anna's P.O.V
I open my eyes to a dreary grey morning, it had begun raining a few hours after Victor had left me in my room, and it has carried on throughout the night. It seems as if the rain is crying for someone but that cannot be right, can it? Well if it is or isn't, I know it is only my imagination and thus it could not matter.
He has been in my dreams again. His cold crimson eyes and his blood red lips curving up into a twisted smile. He is horrifying in my dreams, and yet in life - though I hardly know a thing about him - he doesn't seem to be the same man. I only once glimpsed a hint of a split personality from him, and it only last for seconds before it ended so quickly, that I could have possibly been imagining it. In my mind I know that I am only trying to scare myself away from him and yet in my heart of hearts, in my soul I know that there is something much more to it, than what my mind is trying to pass it off as, a horrid nightmare dreamed in the darkness of night. What I feel in my soul towards Victor is scary; it is if I am already bound to him. As if my soul belongs to him. I cannot explain it, and I don't dare think upon it. Not only because it is impossible but because it completely and utterly terrifies me. And what of Christian, my mind asks. He is nothing, a thorn in my side, a pain that will not go away. I cannot get rid of him; my only hope is that he will back off when my choice is made. And if he doesn't? What will I do if Christian never lets me go? No, somehow I know that it is going to be alright even though I don't know how.
The Fire Within (The Fire of The Soul Series) Page 4