The Fire Within (The Fire of The Soul Series) (16 page)

"I'm doing what I must to protect the people I
love and my kingdom. That's something I know my Father would have understood,
and I know he would have been proud of me for doing what I must to protect my
people, rather than running away like a coward. Besides, I didn't tell you
Augustus, because I knew you would have wanted – that you still want – to join
me, and I knew that I would have had to deny you. I need you to be safe and sound,
to protect Anna and make sure nothing touches her, and because if something
were to happen to me, I would need you to take my place, as king. My father
would have wanted it so, and so do I," Victor says rising up to meet the
challenge in Augustus's eyes. They stare into each other's eyes, seeking out
each other's truths and bluffs, and after a long time Augustus steps back, his
chin still raised high but the challenge, the defiance that had been spelled
out in all of his features is gone.

"Good, at least I know that you will take
responsibility for your actions. I still believe that your making a rash
decision, but not with the mind of a child. You obviously know what you're
getting yourself into," Augustus says, plopping back down into his chair.

"How can you just let him go through with this
Augustus? He could get hurt or worse killed!" Astoria begs of her husband,
her eyes wet with tears.

"Astoria I no longer have that right, we no
longer have that right. Perhaps when he was a child we did, but that was simply
because he needed parental guidance. He's no longer a child Astoria, he's a
man. He is also Phillip's son, and thus just like his father, his mind cannot
and will not be changed by what I have to say," Augustus says and there is
defeat in his voice.

Astoria starts yelling at Augustus again and that
causes a chain reaction with the other occupants of the room. Soon everyone is
yelling, shouting and bickering and it brings that same sick feeling to my
stomach. It is then that I realized it isn't because I had kissed Christian -
disguised as William - that I had started to feel sick, it was because I had
been getting upset, and then angry, in a very short procession of time. Anger
must be the trigger, I think and so I try to control how I am feeling but I
cannot. I am angry that Victor has not told me of his plans, I am angry because
he is running away from me and the promise he has made me, I am angry because
he can die at Christian's hands. I can feel my blood bubbling and boiling
underneath my skin, I can feel the dryness in my mouth and as I rise to my
feet, a scream of sheer anger and pain rips from my mouth.

"Shut up; Shut up; Shut up," I scream,
there is a collective gasp of shock and then screams of pain echo around me. I
stare in horror at the scene unfolding before me. Those who were standing fall
to their knees, and those who had been seated topple out of their chairs. Each
of them has a mask of pain upon their faces. I wish that I had the power to
stop, that I had the power to stop the anger from taking over my senses, but I
cannot stop it and no matter how much I wish it, my prays are not answered.
There is only one who is still standing and it shocks me to see that they are
unaffected. Meg is the only one who is not affected by my curse. Perhaps only
the supernatural were affected by my affliction.

Meg slowly makes her way across the room to me and
she becomes more affected the closer she gets towards me, but she ignores the
pain, the agony and wraps me in her arms. I push Meg away, I don't want her
pity and I don't need her to comfort me, not in this.

I make my way to the door, but before I leave I turn
and look Victor in the eyes, "The next time you plan on leaving, I would
rather you tell me about it, rather than proposing and making promises that you
cannot keep," I say, loathing filling my voice before slamming the door
behind me.

Victor's P.O.V

She has my curse, not the full curse per-say but
still close enough to cause self-loathing. She was never meant to inherit it
when my soul slipped into her, passed down by her father, but that wasn't the
biggest concern of mine. My biggest concern is what she meant by her last
comment. I would have remembered if I had asked her to marry me, I would have
remembered her answer, and yet I have no memory of doing such a thing. The last
thing I remember is sitting on Anna's bed in the infirmary. The next thing I
remember after that was being in here telling my friends and family that I was
leaving. Between those moments was nothing but a blur, as if I had blanked out
between those events. The only thing I have to blame that on is shock and
horror and confusion.

Then again, Anna could have been with someone else
last night, someone else who had proposed to her, and although the idea makes
me furious it is a little bit more easier to accept. The only thing that could
have passed being disguised as me though is a Skin-walker, and none would know
the location of my castle, let alone the fact that Anna is living within it.
However, even that shouldn't be a problem. Skin-walkers as far as I know are
scared of Vampires, afraid enough to not dare changing into one of us. I cannot
dare to think what would happen if they had gotten over their fear, enough to
change into my kind. It would be disastrous, to say the least. I look up as a
hand is thrust into my face, to find Kayden offering me a hand up. Everyone has
already gotten up from Anna's attack, as I sit on the floor, my thoughts
swarming within my mind.

"What was that?" Kayden asks, pulling my
attention back to him and away from the thoughts that plague me.

"It was my curse, manifested inside of Anna. I
think... I think I may have passed it onto her when my soul took place in her.
It was never meant to be passed onto her, that thing I showed you the other day
promised me that my curse wouldn't be passed along," I reply, my voice
thick with the fear that Anna can kill with the curse manifesting inside of
her, if she didn't get it under control soon.

"So she could kill someone?" Kayden asks again,
taking hold of my shoulders and staring deeply into my eyes, searching for the
answers he requires within them.

"I don't know. I hope not. She's only caused
intense pain so far but I have no idea what else she could do if given the
incentive," I say, answering my brother's questions. Kayden releases me
from his hold and I take a step back, as my doubts and fear with people being
themselves fill my mind.

"Astoria," I call, moving away from
Kayden. Astoria is by my side in no time.

"What is it?" She asks her irritation from
before still deep within her eyes.

"While I'm gone, you and Augustus will have to
help Anna as you've helped me, in the sense of trying to control the curse.
She's probably frightened, if not terrified. She'll need you Astoria, more than
anything. Please promise me that you'll help her?" I ask of the woman who
has been the mother figure in my life ever since my parents' deaths.

"Of course Victor, I promise I'll help her but
that doesn't mean that I'll like the fact that your gone, or that you've passed
on the curse to that poor girl," Astoria says, there is a hint of a smile
on her lips and a twinkle in her eyes, and it causes a chuckle to bubble up
inside of me even in the magnitude of the situation. I kiss Astoria on the
cheek before pulling away. I have to find Anna before she hurts anyone else.

Anna's P.O.V

I have made myself disappear for the afternoon,
hiding out in a little alcove in one of the many spiked towers of Victor's
castle. I wanted to be alone, to think over the events of yesterday, and what
had happened this morning. To think on how it was possible for me to cause
others pain, to cause others unbearable agony. I wanted to be alone to think,
to relax, and to rest in peace because I couldn't afford to think of why I had this
unknown ability, or how I had gotten it, or what I would be capable of if I
lost control over myself and my emotions.

Last night was the first night Victor had willingly
touch me as he did, was the first night that he had let go completely, and just
simply loved me without anything holding him back. It had been beautiful,
magical, but it brought doubt to my mind. I've been living under his roof,
sleeping in his bed, and only last night did he start to express his love
through his physical touch. It makes me wonder what had happened for that to
change in one night, was it simply that he couldn't continue to resist me or
because of my near death experience, or because he was leaving? Worse case
scenario was that I had dreamed it all up, in a blaze of my exhaustion. But
God, it was beautiful.

I start to drift into a pleasured haze, as I think
back onto what had happened, in reality or in my mind. They way his soft but
firm lips whispered my name, as if it were a pray. They way his hands had
caressed me; as if he pressed or squeezed too hard I would break. The way his
eyes stared at me, as if I were a masterpiece put on display. He had loved me
to extremes I never knew existed, and it had been beautiful, heavenly.

Now, his voice manifests in the room, calling my
name and it makes the vision all so much more real. I am drowning in the joy
and pleasure of the vision, of the love that had taken place last night, of his
love for me.

"Anna," Victor calls and I open my eyes to
find him standing before me. The light hitting from behind him makes him look
like a dark angel, rising up to meet heaven's challenge.

"Victor," I whisper. As I sit up, he sits
down beside me and pulls me into his arms, embracing me with all the warmth of
a lover. "Bite me," I whisper, and as I looked up into his eyes I am
surprised to find shock there.

"What did you say?" He asks and I'm
confused as to why he asks such a question, as I am sure he heard me perfectly.

"I said Bite Me," I whisper again as I
lean in and kiss his lips. Victor doesn't kiss me back, and I move away to look
back up into his eyes. There is a look of pure anger on his face, and I feel my
heart stop due to his reaction.

"Are you stupid? I could kill you Anna if I
lost control. Do you have a death wish?" Victor hisses. He gets up and
moves away from me.

"I don't know why you're getting so upset about
this, it's not like this is the first time," I hiss back in reply, getting
up from my seat as well. This stops him dead in his track that he is pacing
through out the room.

"What do you mean that this isn't the first
time? I have no recollection of ever biting you Anna," Victor says,
turning around to look at me. I stop in my tracks as well.

"You don't remember this morning? We were in
the infirmary; I was resting in there after the attack I made on Christian
yesterday, with whatever that thing I did this morning. We were fooling around
and you bit me, and we were both enjoying the sensations we were feeling from
the bite," I say, becoming wary of the confusion in Victor's crimson eyes.

"I don't remember any of it," Victor
whispers, his crimson eyes dark as they meet mine again.

"You don't remember proposing to me?" I
can barely whisper the question; my throat is so clogged up that I can barely
speak.

"I wish I could but I don't remember it, I
wouldn't have made a promise that I wasn't sure that I could keep Anna. Not one
that meant that much anyways." He whispers in reply.

"Oh God, then what happened? I'm sure I didn't
dream it, I couldn't possible have dreamed it?" I whisper brokenly, I can
feel the tears threatening to break over, but I try to hold them back, refusing
to cry in front of Victor.

"I don't know what happened, but when this war
is over, we will figure it out together," Victor says, wrapping his arms
around me. I let out a single sob as a tear falls down my cheek. "I came
here to tell you that I'm leaving when the sun begins to set, and to say... to
say goodbye." I simply nod my head against his chest in understanding. Victor
pulls back from me, only far enough so that he could lift up my head by my
chin, high enough so that he can look into my teary eyes. "Meg, Astoria
and Augustus will be here. They will look after you, and be there for you no
matter what you need. I've asked Astoria and Augustus to help you figure out
and control the curse, and before you know it I will be back. Just be wary if
you think you see me wondering around the castle. I fear that the Skin-walkers
are staring to shift into vampires."

"How will I know if it's you then?" I ask,
so that I can be on the safe side if a Skin-walker takes on Victor's form.

"I will tell you my biggest, darkest secret;
the one of my soul," He says, answering my question with a crooked smile.
I lean in once more and place my lips against his, in a sweet kiss. He kisses
me back and I am overwhelmed by the sensation of his lips against mine, the
warmth and the sweetness to them, like sugared honey. Soon the kiss becomes
heated, and Victor has me pinned between the cold stonewall, and his warm body.
As his warm, wet lips start travelling down my neck I moan in joy as I realize
that he is obliging my request from before.

"Victor, please, bite me," I moan and soon
he's giving into my request for his fangs puncture my neck. I can feel the
blood being drawn out of me as he sucks on my neck, his warm, wet lips turning
my skin into goose-flesh.

I love you Anna
,
I hear him think as he continues to drink from me. I cannot form a reply as the
ecstasy of the bite enfolds me, in a warm cocoon. However, it's over all too
quickly, for when I open my eyes we are standing in the middle of the room, his
arms around my waist, and my head against his chest. He kisses me once more,
but the kiss isn't lingering and it's over too soon. I shake the day dream from
my mind and look up into Victor's eyes.