It wasn’t dark for long, by the time Charlie had stepped over the threshold Ford had found the light string and illuminated the large basement. It wasn’t what she had expected at all. Her own basement was full to the brim of old junk; her mother’s furniture and clothes also resided in there, amongst all her childhood memories and whatever was left behind from the previous owners. Zane’s basement though had been converted into the best home gym she had ever seen. He had everything in here from a treadmill to a weight station, a rowing machine to exercise bikes. Along the far wall she could see something glinting but until she moved closer she couldn’t see what it was. She inched her way forward with interest, never taking her eyes off the slight glint that was throwing colors all over the roof and surrounding equipment. She was shocked to find when she was finally within distance to be able to see clearly that the wall was full of swords and not just swords either. Although the beautifully crafted steel weapons were the most predominantly featured, she could also see several bows and arrows, spears, maces, clubs, daggers and numerous other weapons proudly placed in their own small niches on the bright red wall.
Charlie suddenly realized what Zane had meant about training and unlike she had thought at the time, it had nothing to do with her newly acquired visions. The sight of the weapons on the wall lit a fire somewhere from deep inside her and thinking of her mom and Kara, she knew it was time to get ready for this fight. She didn’t have to turn around to know that it was Zane who was now standing behind her also admiring the shining weapons on the blood red wall. She felt the electricity type tingling under her skin and she knew that for some reason the death of Kara had connected them in some way that couldn’t be explained. She had felt it at her mom’s short funeral and when Zane had carried her out of the woods but she had tried to ignore it up until this point. Now though, she knew what she felt was right, it was supposed to be here and it couldn’t be ignored any longer. She whispered softly but knew he would hear her just as she knew her senses were heightening with every minute that passed and if he were to whisper she would also hear him as clear as if he had shouted.
“I’m ready.”
Chapter Eleven
The next two weeks passed in a blur of training, planning, eating and sleeping. There wasn’t much time for anything else. When Charlie had turned eighteen she had then had the right too her trust fund although she’d never had any reason to use it. Now though she was going to have to delve into the money that her mother had been putting aside for her for seventeen years. She quit work and pretty much trained around the clock. She found that – just like Kara had said it would - fighting came naturally to her and by the end of the first week she was winning against both Ford and Zane. She was certain that they were taking it easy on her but they assured her they weren’t. They wanting nothing but for her to be the best fighter she could and there was no way they would jeopardize that by being light handed with her. They both knew the only chance Charlie had of surviving the first wave of fighting that would be coming within the week was for her to learn as fast and as hard as possible.
Exhausted she sat on the training mat that was positioned directly in the middle of the dim basement. Everyone else had gone to bed, fatigued from the days training and leaving Charlie to her thoughts. She remembered back over the past two weeks, the fighting, the bumps and bruises, the cuts and slashes she had received when she just wasn’t quick enough. All of which were fading to nothing now that she hadn’t lost a fight in just under a week. Her eyes, though far from the brightness of Zane’s now shone brighter than they ever had and as she watched herself in the mirror on the back wall she remembered back to the night before when he had finally decided to tell Charlie what he had wanted to the day that they had found Eva in town hall.
They were sitting on the training mat, just as she was now, having just finished training for the night. Ford, El’ and Matt had given up around midnight and gone to bed but there were still a few moves that Charlie had wanted to master before she finished, Zane decided to stay and help and moved in to take over from Ford but not before Ford planted a deep - maybe just a little too personal for public kiss - on her lips, letting Zane know that Charlie was his and no one else’s.
“Sorry. About Ford I mean, he’s just protective.”
Zane as always when anything came up about the relationship between Ford and Charlie only smiled and looked away from her eyes. And as always when talking about their relationship, she felt that familiar pang of guilt associated with the choice she had made.
“I never got to tell you about your eyes. Remember when I said I would explain that day at town hall?”
“Oh yea, I just sort of take them for granted now, they’re here to stay I suppose?”
“I’m not sure whether you’re always going to have them now but I do know that they seem to be tied to your emotions. That day, you were so angry, so upset that they shone bright for hours after we found your mother and then they dimmed again. Kara had thought it was connected to your visions but after seeing you that day and over the last couple of weeks, I can almost certainly say that it’s your emotions that drive the Valguard blood in your system to the surface creating the glowing eyes.”
“What do you mean over the last couple of weeks? They never really stopped glowing after that day, only dimmed. And why are they purple, the glow in your eyes takes on the color of your eyes. Mine have changed completely.”
“Well yea, but that first night you came into the basement through the shelter, when you spoke to me even though you had no right to even know I was standing behind you, your eyes where brighter than ever, they dulled overnight but I can see the difference with your moods. When you’re angry they almost emit a blinding light, when you’re upset or worried they dim to almost normal and when you’re happy they are… Perfect. I can’t think of any other word to describe them. Like now, there isn’t too much glow, they aren’t too dim, they’re just… perfect. I can’t be sure why they are purple but I think it has something to do with your Valguard blood mixing with the human blood that created the deep blue color of your iris.”
It was at that moment that Charlie realized just how much attention Zane paid to her when she wasn’t looking. Looking at him that night, she could see the love that he held for her and the pain it caused him to watch her with Ford. She couldn’t think about it though with the battle about to begin she didn’t need the distraction. She thought instead about what he had told her about her eyes and recognized that what he said was true and now consciously knowing this fact and thinking back over her moods for those two weeks, she also realized that she was stronger when she was angry or happy. Just like the shine in her eyes got more intense, so did her strength. She would remember that, she would use it when she brought the Valguard to their knees for her mother’s death. For now though, she wanted to talk to Zane about something else.
“That first day down here, you noticed that I spoke to you when I couldn’t possibly have known you were there?”
“Of course I noticed. I’m as quiet as a mouse, there were no shadows on the walls and besides, I could have been Ford standing behind you, but you knew it was me. It’s not just you, you know. I can feel you too. It’s like your energy gets under my skin whenever you’re near, it feels like… like…”
“Like electricity flowing through your body.”
“Yea, exactly like that.”
Zane was whispering and so close that she could feel his breath on her face and for a moment she forgot about everything else except for the wonderful man in front of her. Her heart quickened when he placed his palm on her cheek and she pushed into it seeking comfort.
“Charlie… I.”
“Don’t, please don’t.”
Her words were barely audible as she turned her head away thinking about Ford. She had always loved him and she always would but she wasn’t sure how much longer she could deny the connection that she and Zane shared. For now though it would have to stay broken.
“Hey what are you doing down here still?”
It was Zane, and clothed in nothing but his boxer shorts Charlie turned away, not only to hide the blush that had crept into her cheeks but to hide the obvious tears and worry that was etched firmly on her face.
“Can’t sleep. You?”
“Me either.”
He wandered over to sit by Charlie and she knew she wouldn’t be able to hide the tears this close up.
“What’s wrong? Did you have a vision?”
“No. It’s nothing really. Go back to bed Zane, you have training with El’ in the morning and you know you’re going to need all the sleep you can get for that.”
They both laughed at Charlie’s attempt at a joke but it really wasn’t that funny. El’ hadn’t been doing so well with training. She had the heart and the spirit but she just didn’t hold the strength or coordination that the others did. As much as she tried she hadn’t won a single fight in the basement in two weeks.
“I’ll be fine. Do you think the Valguard know about Mayor Reynolds yet?”
“I’m certain they know.”
Zane knew in that moment that Charlie had been lying to him. That she’d had visions since that day at Town Hall and she was hiding it from him. She saw the recognition hit his face but he never said anything to her about it. Maybe things were better left unsaid after all; instead he brought her head to his chest and they stayed silent for a while before making their way to the bedrooms. Zane to the master bedroom by himself, Charlie to her own room where she knew Ford would be asleep already, snoring lightly and waiting for her to wrap his arms around. They had made the decision to stay at Zane’s while they were in training, needing to make every second count. This way they could use the equipment whenever they wanted without disturbing each other.
“Goodnight Charlie.”
“Night.”
Standing watch at the door to his room Zane made sure Charlie was safe in her own room before letting a single tear drop from his cheek as he climbed back into his own bed.
“I want to go and see Mikal.”
Everyone was sitting at the breakfast table and when Charlie blurted this out, they all looked up in shock. Matt’s spoon never making it into his mouth, El’s own spoon crashing back into her bowl and splashing milk everywhere. Zane closed his eyes knowing had been coming but hoping it wouldn’t be this soon. Ford just stared at her in disbelief.
“What? It’s not that bad. I want to go and see my father.”
“Not that bad? Charlie, your father is the head of the Valguard in this district, how could it ever be a good thing for you to go and see him?”
Ford was right, it probably wasn’t a great idea but what choice did she have? She needed to know what he knew. That is, if he actually knew anything at all and the only way she was going to find out was to speak to him.
“We need information right? So who better to go to? He’ll never suspect a thing. My bet is, he has no idea that mom is dead. I’ll use the excuse that I’ve been going through her stuff and found a letter or something with his name on it. It’ll be fine.”
Charlie wanted nothing more than to turn away from the angry faces in front of her but stood her ground firmly. Whether they wanted her to or not, she was going. They all seemed to realize this at the same time. El’ and Matt resumed eating their breakfast preferring to leave the speaking to Ford and Zane but she could tell by the looks on their faces that they were anything but indifferent on the subject.
“You’re not going!”
“You can’t tell me what to do Ford, I’m a big girl, I can make my own choices.”
“Not this one! I won’t let you go Charlie. End of story.”
The finality in his tone got under Charlie’s skin and brought her own anger forward. Standing a little too fast and hard from the table, she knocked her chair over with a resounding crash to the ground. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Along with a lot of crying and a lot of wishing to run away to anywhere but here. Her hatred for the weakness within her fueled the fire of her anger as she turned back on Ford.
“It’s not up to you! It’s up to me and I won’t let you dictate to me. I was already at the threshold and you just pushed me through the door. I’ll see you later.”
“Wait Char! Wait!”
She wasn’t going to though, if she let him stop her now, he would never understand that she was perfectly able to live her own life and make her own decisions. Slamming the front door on her way out, she cussed loudly when she realized she had forgotten her coat and umbrella and it was still raining out. She wondered briefly whether it was going to let up any time soon before she remembered with certainty that it would stop sooner rather than later and the day that the rain stopped would be the day the Valguard-Human war would officially start.
She let out a long breath before turning to head back inside to retrieve her coat and umbrella but didn’t have a chance to reach for the knob before Zane was standing in front of her holding them out in his hands.
“Thanks.”
Her voice was meek but she meant it, she really hadn’t wanted to go back and face Ford again. Her resolve already starting waver and have doubts about whether she should go and see her father or not.
“I told him I’d come with you.”
“You don’t have to. I can do this alone.”
“It’s ok, I’d feel better knowing that someone is with you as well.”
Charlie had nothing to come back with so just nodded her assent and moved away from the front porch, still angry with Ford but pushing it aside for the time being.
“Why do you really want to see Mikal?”
“I told you, we need the information.”
Zane scoffed and scuffed his feet along the pathway in amusement.
“You and I both know that you have all the information we need. So why are you really going to see Mikal?”
Giving up the ruse Charlie decided there was no need to lie to Zane anymore, he knew more than she gave him credit for.
“I want to know if he knows. That’s all, there’s no other hidden agenda. I just need to know whether he knows he’s about to go to wa
r against his own daughter.”
“Ok.”
They walked in silence after that, neither of them needing to say anything to the other just finding comfort in each other’s presence was enough.
The five minute walk to Mikal’s Coffee Shop felt like it took an eternity and once there Charlie wasn’t sure that she could go through with it. She stood at the doorway leading into the shop frozen with fear about what she would find out when Zane took her by the hand and led her in door. He whispered in her ear at that point, trying to reassure her, letting her know that no matter what, he had her back.
“Just be yourself. I’m right here.”
Amazed that Zane wasn’t repulsed by the sweat building up on her palms, she pushed forward into the shop trying to be as calm as possible.
Everything’s going to be ok… Just breathe!
“What can I get you Charlie?”
She was at the counter now, staring at Mikal as he asked the questioned and not seeming to be able to answer him.
“She’ll just have the usual Mike. Thanks.”
“Sure.”
He knew something was going on but she couldn’t tell if he knew what. There was only one way to find out but Charlie couldn’t make the words come out. As much as she tried, she was trapped by her nervousness. Zane gave her hand a slight squeeze letting her know that he was still here for her but she still couldn’t form the questions that she desperately wanted answers for. Realizing this, Zane took over the speaking part while she stood beside him, looking and feeling every bit like she was about to hurl. Mike came back with their coffee’s, placed them down on the counter and went to move away but was called back by Zane before he got two steps.
Destinata (Valguard) Page 12