The Fire Within (The Fire of The Soul Series)

by Racquel Kechagias

  I look up into Sadar's eyes, there is nothing within them, however the lines on his face tell me much more. I open my mouth to speak, but he shakes his head softly, and taps his forehead. "No-one can know that I am here, if they found out I was here they would use me, trapped I am powerless to stop them. Swear to me that you will not utter a word about my presence, or what you have seen here." There is no time to say anything as the footfalls are coming even faster as if whoever was making them were running down the stairs.

  I get on my feet quickly, and make my way back out into the wine cellar, and at the bottom of the steps is Meg, the only human friend I have, my sister in all matters but blood. How could I have forgotten her? How could I have allowed this world - and all of its wonders and problems - to let her slip from my mind?

  "Meg?" I whisper, my voice suddenly lost due to my shame. She smiles softly at me, as her hair hangs in her eyes.

  "Anna, I'm so sorry," Meg repeats over and over again, stumbling over her mantra. She's trembling ferociously, as if she had caught a fever in the past few months.

  "Meg, what are you talking about?" I ask gently, she refuses to answer though; she only shakes her head from left to right repeatedly. This is when I take her appearance in, her cheeks are blotchy red and shining wet from shed tears, her pallor is a sickly green, her forehead wet with sweat, her hair hanging in her eyes. There is a dead look in her eyes as if she had seen a ghost. I don't think, I only move toward her, wrapping her up in my arms, letting her rest her head against my shoulder.

  "Meg, you need to tell me what is wrong?" I say again softly, no more than a whisper, but I know that she hears me as she buries her head further into my shoulder.

  "Anna, the worst has happened. They are here! They have come seeking refuge." The words are a broken cry, as our worst fears have come true. My parents are here, within Victor's castle, within my sanctuary. I am trembling now as well, I have feared this the moment I decided to run away. I had only begun to think that I was safe from the monster that terrorized me throughout my entire life. The monster that tried to push the demon - who he believed possessed me - out. The monster that not only tortured me but killed my best friend as well.

  I pull Meg along with me, as we run up the stairs. I had to see the monster with my own eyes, deliver his punishment with my own hands, and condemn him with my own words. I only have a moment to look over my shoulder, look for the fallen immortal, whose imprisonment here is unjust. To see the face of the man who - forced or not - made me what I was. I only had a moment, not knowing if I was going to see him again.

  It's easier, finding my way back out. Now that my feet have already transverse the path, I would have been able to travel through the dim, narrow corridors, without any guidance, without any light. I pause for a moment, outside of the study, not knowing which way to go.

  "They're in the main entrance, Anna." Meg shouts from behind me, and I start up my run again, Meg slipping from my mind again, my thoughts focused on my father, the monster that I despise. I run through the halls of Victor's castle, up flights of stairs and once or twice knocking into people, servants on my way up. There is no time to stop and apologize, or to wait for Meg to catch up. There is no time to waste, not when the possibility of my father staying as a guest is ultimately real. I round the corner from the last steps, and run down through another corridor, I can hear the shouting of voices beyond, and I quicken my pace, racing through the open doors and toward the scuffle.

  "I demand you release me at once, you filthy demons. I have a right to see my daughter." My heart slams into my ribs at the sound of my father’s voice. So it's true, he's actually here and there is nothing that we can do to change that. I look down onto the scuffle, Baron has a firm grip on my father’s arms, making him incapable to move, Augustus holds a dagger to his heart, and the tip just pressed firmly enough to pierce the skin, from the small trickle of blood that runs down my father's white shirt. Astoria is in the same position as her husband, a dagger in hand pressed firmly enough against my mothers heart, where you can see a small trickle of blood running down from her breast underneath her sapphire dress.

  "Why do you want to see her? After all that you've done to her, do you truly believe I would allow you to see her?" Augustus sneers at Rupert, and for a moment I feel the weight of Augustus' fatherly love.

  "I no longer need your permission, demon. My Daughter stands before me, in all her beauty and grace, yet she is stained with your master’s demonic mark." Rupert sneers, I can see the sneer turn into a smirk as his gaze moves from Augustus to me. Everyone else’s eyes travel to me as well, I do not dare to tremble underneath my fathers gaze, and I hold my head high, as I make my way down the stairs. I feel as if I am going to tumble down the stairs a few times, my soul and mind and body are in such conflict with each other that my hand is shaking upon the railing.

  "You no longer need to seek me out father, I have come to you. To deliver my own justice, to condemn you and to sentence you for all that you have done against me. There will be no escape for you or for my mother; you have brought this onto the both of you." My voice is commanding and I am surprised at how steady I sound, how sure I am in myself, and in my words. I hold out my hand for Augustus' dagger and he places the handle within my palm. In a flash of movement, I am holding the dagger against my father’s throat.

  "You would harm your own flesh and blood daughter? There is no difference between you and I, child. I killed your own grandfather, in cold blood." There is a wicked curve to his lips, as if he is smiling about his own actions.

  "There is a difference between you and I father, you killed your father out of greed, and I will kill you to have justice, to make right all that you have done wrong to me. I promise you that it will be slow and painful, you will rot in the pits of hell until you are begging for death, and even then I will hold the dagger, just firmly above your heart, enough to give you hope, but not enough to deliver the blow." I move the dagger in just a little bit, enough to make my father squirm within Baron's arms. Slowly I move the dagger down, drawing blood from the vain the dagger traces. His blood oozes out, trickling down his neck slowly, as if an artist was taking their time to trace a black line upon a piece of paper. There is a physical shift in the atmosphere with the present vampires at the scent of flowing blood.

  The look in my fathers eyes are pure hatred, it is almost as if he didn't care that every vampire present was focused on his blood - that was trickling down his neck - in a thick black ooze. "You may think that this is the end, that you've solved your problems and that you have justice, but as long as I am alive I promise you that justice will elude you, that peace and restoration will elude you. I will bring down the walls; I will burn down the world to make you remember that I am the one in charge. I will murder the ones you love Anna, I will burn down your world. Everyone you have ever gotten close to will no longer be safe; each and every one of them will fall. This I vow to you Anna." His voice is spiteful and loathing, and looking past my father, I can see Baron. His eyes are dark and sorrowful; as if he understands the words my father is speaking clearly. As Baron's eyes meet mine, I can see that he understands what I need, that I need my father gone and he makes his grip tighter, as I step away.

  "Please take him away, to where you think is best Lord Baron." I say taking the dagger and handing it back to Augustus.

  "You'll regret this Anna, you will regret this always!" He screams out as he gets dragged away, I don't pay any attention to him or my mother, who has remained silent through all of this; I don't pay any attention to anybody. I walk away before I can be stopped. I don't know where I'm going at first, or what I'm planning to do when I get there, I simply let my feet carry me, and before I realize it I'm in the gardens, kneeling before the Midnight Bloom, my fingers gently brushing the black petals. There is only one face that comes to mind at the sight of the flower, the face of the person I miss most of all; Victor.

  "Although they appear to be unbreakable like the night, they
are as delicate as the morning sun." There is a husky chuckle from a man getting down on his knees besides me. When I turn my gaze from the Midnight Bloom to the person besides me I find that it is Kayden, his lips pulled into a frown.

  "And how would you know?" I ask, wiping the tears away from my eyes with the sleeve of my dress. He smiles brokenly for a moment, as he reaches out to touch the flower as well.

  "Because I created them Anna," Kayden says, another chuckle slipping from his lips. His eyes turn toward me, our gazes interlocking for a moment before I look away again.

  "But I never thought that you..." I say before my words slip short, not knowing how to continue that sentence.

  "Everyone needs a hobby Anna. I heard the end of your scuffle with your father, and I'm sorry to say that I brought him here. I did not realize that you feel so strongly against him, if I had I doubt that I would have brought him here. I don't know what he's done to you, or what he truly deserves but you do, and if you believe that he deserves to rot then I will not object. I believe that you have a major role in the future of this world Anna, and I will stand behind you as long as you fight for the good of this world." His eyes are focused intently on me, making my skin burn. I can't help but look in his eyes.

  "What they did to me was monstrous, Kayden. Their actions have caused me to be less of the person that I could have been, that I was born to be. I don't even deserve him Kayden, I can't be everything he needs. I'd fail him again and again. How could he love me?" The tears are flowing again, my words are the thoughts of my heart, echoing with all of my heartache but Kayden simply sighs and places a hand on top of mine.

  "In all my years, out of all the people that I have met, I have only ever come across three type of people. There are those who are born into a privileged life, whom receive everything that they want when they want it, they do not know of suffering and thus when it comes their way they cannot cope under the pressure. Then there are the mediocre people, who just barely go through life, having something’s but not a lot, they know somewhat of suffering and as with life, just barely survive it. Last but not least there are those who are born into suffering, or whom were born to suffer - like you and I Anna - they suffer through out their lives, but they are the people who are the strongest, the bravest, they are the type of people that legends are made of. Those who are born to suffer are the people that the privileged and the mediocre turn to in times of war, in times when they need a hero. Anna, you are of the later, you are a hero, you are the one that the underworld will turn to, will look to in this time of war. You'll have me and you'll have Victor. You won't ever be alone in this." There is compassion and understanding in his voice, there is wisdom that comes with old age, and hearing his words I realize how long Victor and Kayden have lived, I truly recognize the extent of their lives, their immortality.

  "What happens if Victor dies? What if we lose this war? I don't know if I'd be able to go on living if I let everyone down." My voice is a broken whisper as my doubts flowed from my lips. I cannot bear to move my eyes away from the lily-rose, from the Midnight Bloom.

  "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.

  Chapter 19 – Our Darkest Secrets

  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 an
d 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.