Chapter Seven
The warm light of dawn was streaming onto my face when I opened my eyes at last. My head was drowsy, my mind numb with the weight of exhaustion. With a heavy sigh, I rolled over onto my side and pulled the thick blankets around me like a cocoon. I let the silence of early morning engulf me, as I was still in the hazy clutches of sleep. Then, I slowly opened my eyes.
The beautiful blue and green stained glass window of my room shone brightly back at me. I shuddered, and my heart began to pound. A feeling of dread filled the bottom of my stomach as I tucked my body into a ball. So, none of this had been a dream. Instead of freaking out, I squeezed my eyes shut as tight as I could, and tried not to let the images of last night overpower me.
Chase…He had tried to kill me.
At this thought, I swept one of my hands along my arm and up to my neck, expecting to feel multiple bruises and cuts. Instead, there was nothing; just smooth, unbroken skin. With a jolt, I sat straight up in the bed, my eyes wide as I examined my body. My skin showed no signs of a battle, no indication that I had been slammed into a window and almost strangled to death. I felt my heart begin to pound faster as I realized Chase had healed me.
A sudden shadow out of the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I jerked my head up. Then, I nearly had a heart attack as I realized Chase was standing there, watching me. With a soft gasp, I tried to scramble out of the bed and put as much distance between us as possible. Yet as he stepped into the gentle light streaming through the window, I hesitated.
He wasn't wearing his armor, just a set of plain black robes. For some reason, this comforted me. It made me feel as if he weren't going to attack me again. I had never known Chase to go anywhere without his armor on. Showing me his vulnerability was…comforting?
My heart must have been pounding hard enough for him to hear, and slowly, Chase began to walk towards me. "Good morning," he said softly. I felt as if he was trying not to frighten me, treating me as if I was a small child. I didn't respond, and merely pressed my back into the headboard and curled my legs into my chest.
As he continued forwards, I put out a hand to stop him, but he ignored me. Chase grabbed a plain wooden chair by my dresser and dragged it over to the side of my bed, then sat down. He was only inches away from me, and I winced.
"How long were you standing there?" I asked cautiously. Chase looked directly at me, showing no signs of the monster he had become last night.
"All night," he replied in the same soft voice. My shoulders stiffened and I tried to scoot to the opposite side of the bed, but he put his hand on my arm. Although his grip was strong, he was still surprisingly gentle with me, and his palm was warm. My body tensed even more, and Chase continued on. "You were…hurt. I see you've noticed that I healed you. I stayed to make sure you would be alright."
My body relaxed slightly, but my wary features did not change. I was so confused. He had mercilessly dragged me from the Temple and the safety of my friends twice, making no attempts to be gentle with me. He had almost killed both Master Fung and Raimundo…and he had almost strangled me. So why was he suddenly so nice now? It was not like Chase to feel regret, or any emotion for that matter. And yet, here he was, watching over me while I slept and caring for the wounds he had inflicted.
I couldn't take it any longer. No longer timid in his presence, I raised my head firmly and looked directly into his golden eyes. My voice was suddenly expressionless, my face serious and cold.
"Why am I here?"
Although I could tell he had expected me to ask this, Chase looked away to the stained glass window. I couldn't read his expression as he watched the colored light sway on the floor, and I tightened my grip around my legs. At last, he turned back to me, and slowly glided his hand down my arm to my wrist.
"When I first returned," he started slowly, seeming as if he was struggling for words, "I watched you for some time. As the Xiaolin Dragon of Fire, I knew you had much potential…and I needed your power. It was a shame, of course, that you weren't of a Heylin nature, but I knew I could work around it. Your power was too important to give up."
"So you kidnapped me and forced me to help you take over the world," I interrupted, my voice slightly impatient. "Chase, I know that. I'm asking why I'm here n-"
I stopped abruptly as his fingers pried my arm away from my legs, and he slowly ran them down the underside of my arm to where the symbol on my wrist was glowing brightly. With a frown, I realized that it no longer burned or hurt me in any way. Chase pressed his thumb over the mark, and I jumped as a rush of warmth flowed into my body. My eyes widened in surprise and I raised them back to his, even more confused now.
"I took you, not because I wanted to take over the world, but because I needed your power. I needed your essence within me. I needed to train you, and help you, for when the moment finally came that I would need your help." Chase slowly rose to his feet and released my arm, then paced over to the window. He stared out of it for a long moment, holding his arms behind his back. He seemed lost in thought, while I impatiently waited behind.
"Chase, I don't understand-"
"Kimiko, there are evils in this world greater than you have ever imagined. Evils that can kill thousands of people without remorse, that can destroy an entire world in mere seconds. You are young, and have seen nothing, while I have lived in evil for my entire life." Chase whirled on his feet so that he was suddenly facing me, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of desperation in his eyes. Then, it disappeared, and he was looking at me intently. This time, I did not flinch as he bore straight into my eyes, almost as if he were searching inside of me for something.
"Chase," I tried again, trying not to let the confusion in my voice show. "I-"
"We're both made of fire, did you know that, Kimiko?" he interrupted me again. Chase was suddenly by my bedside, and he slowly grasped both my arms to pull me from the bed. I didn't resist as my feet touched the cool stone floor, my eyes fixated on his face. He wrapped one of his arms around me and pulled my body closer to his, while he used his other hand to lay one of my palms against his bare chest. My heart was fluttering madly now, as I struggled to comprehend what he was doing.
Instead of jerking out of his grasp, I quieted my frantic thoughts and let him do what he wanted. Chase moved my palm until it was lying over his heart. "Can you feel it?" he asked me, his voice reverting to the firm, warrior-like tone that I was used to. With a jolt of surprise, I felt intense heat radiating from his skin, as if a fire was burning right beneath my hand. It was the same warmth I often felt from my body when I used my element. Slowly, I nodded and looked up into his face.
"Although I cannot summon it like you can, the same fire that burns within you lives within me. It is what keeps me in this state, I suppose. I haven't changed in over a thousand years."
I had never been this close to him willingly before. Chase was always pinning me, or pulling me away when he was this close to my body. Now, I took the chance to sweep my gaze over his features. If I didn't know who he was, I would have thought that he was only a few years older than I. Chase kept my hand over his bare skin, and didn't move. I let my hand grow hot against his chest, unwilling to try to pull away just yet.
"You don't have a heartbeat."
Chase smirked and shook his head lightly. "After 1500 years of immortality, you find that a heart is no longer necessary."
At this comment, I took a sharp intake of breath and stepped back, finally breaking our connection. Chase let me go and turned back to the window, his face growing unexpectedly cold.
"I don't understand what any of this means," I said quietly. Chase was silent for the moment until he turned to face me.
"There's evil surrounding me," he said, placing his hands back behind his back. "I took you three years ago to prepare you to face it. And now, it is time."
I felt a shiver run down my spine as he advanced on me again, though he stopped a few feet away. "What is it?" I asked, my voice now barely a whisper. His features instantly hardened, and he looked away.
"I cannot tell you. To do so would mean my own demise."
"What?" I snapped back. "You've kidnapped me three times now, and you won't even tell me what you need me for? Chase, this is unfair! I don't care what you need, I want to go home. I can't take this." Entirely frustrated and angry now, I started to storm past him towards the door. Yet before I was even halfway there, Chase grabbed onto my wrist and pulled me back to him.
His eyes were suddenly darker, and I let out a soft gasp as I realized he was starting to change again. His grip on my arm was uncomfortably tight, and I squirmed in his grasp. Chase flipped my arm over so that his mark was in plain sight, and I winced.
"Do you see this?" he asked me, rubbing his thumb over the dragon mark. "This means I have claimed you for my own. I can take your powers and your essence as I see fit, but I can also give you more. There's so much I could show you…And you are mine. If you doubt it, I can let you feel unfathomable pain." I gasped again as the mark began to burn, and Chase's eyes began to change into slits. He towered over me as pain filled my arm, and I tried to jerk away. He held onto me tightly, and I could go nowhere.
"Chase, what do you want with me?"
The pain instantly stopped, and I was left wondering again if I had imagined Chase's transformation. His lips curved into a smirk as he gently released my wrist and stepped backwards. "Let's make a deal, Kimiko," he said slyly. I frowned; this was definitely the Chase Young I knew.
"There's nothing I want from you besides my freedom."
"Then I'll give it to you in time. Agree to stay here with me until your task is completed, and I will let you go. But as long as you stay, you will be under my control. You will do what I want, let me train you, wear the clothes I request you to. You will have no contact with the Xiaolin Temple, and you will not try to escape. If you violate any of my conditions, I will simply keep you here forever."
I felt my body suddenly go cold and I stared at him in incredulity. "You expect me to stay with you willingly?"
"Yes. I will allow you to leave freely only after you help me." Chase began to circle me as I stared at him, confusion written clearly across my face.
"And if I refuse your offer?" I asked suspiciously. The last time I had made a deal with him, things had ended badly…as in plunging the world into darkness and attacking my friends. I didn't want to go there again.
Chase merely shrugged and looked away. "Then I force you to do what I want anyways, and never let you go. Remember, I have claim over you now through that mark. No one else will challenge it."
I stared at him in disgust, my body filling with dread. From what I knew of Chase, I knew there was no option other than to accept his offer. Otherwise, I knew he had enough ways to keep me imprisoned here forever…and I had no doubt that he would stick to his word. With a scowl, I looked at him straight in the eye.
"If I agree to your deal, I want my own conditions met," I said firmly. He chuckled and turned back to me, one eyebrow raised.
"And those would be?"
"You agree not to use me to take over the world while I'm here. You don't force me to fight anyone I don't want to, and you won't make me fight my friends. Plus, the Xiaolin Temple will be off limits while I'm here. No attacking them, no using any of my friends for leverage- nothing. And, you'll let me contact them just once before I have to stay here…Just so they know not to come after me."
He paused for a moment, as if he were considering my side of the deal. "Agreed," he finally muttered reluctantly. I could tell he was already searching for loopholes in my terms, but I didn't care. I had already found several in his. "So, will you stay with me?"
With a final sigh, I raised my eyes back to his and nodded. I knew this was a bad idea, but what other choice did I have? There were worse things in the world then spending another week alone with Chase Young. I knew my friends would resent me for it, but at least I had secured their safety this time. Plus, I was older now, and more experienced. I was not the naïve little girl Chase had tricked last time. I knew how to handle him now, even if I couldn't defeat him. "Yes," I said softly. "I'll…stay."
His lips curved back into a smirk and he nodded sharply. "Then we'll begin your training again right away." Chase turned his back on me and walked to the door, expecting me to follow. I stayed right where I was, my lips set in a straight line.
"No."
Chase slowly turned back around, and I could see a hint of anger in his eyes at my defiance. "Dragon of Fire-"
"You said you'd let me contact my friends," I interrupted him stubbornly, my feet firmly planted on the floor. His eyes narrowed slightly, and I was pleased to see a flicker of annoyance run through them. I was still intending to make this experience as much as a living hell as I could for him.
"Fine," he hissed back. Chase stalked out of my bedroom door, leaving me wondering what exactly was wrong with him. But, I didn't have much time for thinking now. Reluctantly, I let my shoulders drop, and I followed him into the cold stone corridors.
A few minutes later, I arrived in the empty garden of the Xiaolin Temple, clutching onto Chase's arm as he transported us from his lair in the mountains. My heart instantly panged with grief as I saw that many of the statues were broken and the pathways were littered with broken weapons, remnants of the battle I had caused. The entire grounds were deserted, and I bit my lip in uncertainty. Chase let go of me and nudged me forward. "Remember, you are only to tell them that you are staying with me. Nothing of our deal is to be revealed. I will be watching you." With a scowl, I nodded sharply.
"I understand, Chase. I'll be right back."
I stormed away from him towards the main building, where I planned to stop by my room. Chase had already made me change into his own black robes, but I wanted some of my own clothes with me. I didn't know how long I was going to be with him, and it didn't hurt to be prepared. My room looked exactly like how I had left it a few nights before, with the shattered vase still spread across the floor. A pang of homesickness hit me, and I winced. Grabbing a bag from my closet, I began to throw as many clothes and toiletries as I could in, neglecting to take any of my cell phones or video games. Chase would destroy them if he found them. I didn't want to take the chance.
Once I was done, I slung the bag over my shoulder and began to look around the Temple. It was eerily quiet and empty, and I immediately felt unnerved. Where is everyone? With a moment of realization, I quickly turned my wanderings towards the infirmary, and practically ran there. If anyone was hurt from the battle, I knew they would have to be there.
As I reached its doors, I heard no sounds from within, and I hesitantly waited just outside. Then, I thought better of it and quietly slipped through. The lights were dimmed, and as my eyes adjusted to its blank walls, I saw three figures in the corner. Two were slumped over in chairs, while the third was sprawled in a medical cot. I let out a sigh of relief, and tried to compose my features. I didn't have much time left.
The door closed behind me with a click, and the boy in the bed instantly snapped his attentions towards me, his eyes wary. But as he saw it was me standing there, his features instantly softened, and his lips parted in shock. "K-Kimiko?" he whispered, simply staring at me.
I rushed to his side and wrapped my arms around him, nearly on the verge of tears. "Oh god, Raimundo," I whispered, burying my face into his chest. He winced at my tight embrace, and I hurriedly backed up to see his condition for the very first time.
Raimundo would have been bare-chested, despite the bandages wrapped around his entire torso, and looped over one shoulder. I could see dried blood staining his sides, and my hand flew to my mouth. A dark purple, mottled bruise had formed across his neck, and I felt my lips start to tremble. "Oh, god Raimundo…He didn't do this to you, did he? Rai, I'm so sorry!"
He shook his head like it was nothing and reached out for my hands, drawing me closer. "Master Fung is a lot worse off than me…the other monks are taking care of him in his room. But it's not important, Kim," he said firmly. My gaze wandered over to Omi and Clay, who were sleeping peacefully in the chairs by his side. I longed to wake them up, but I didn't have much time. "Kim, how did you escape? We were going to come after you, but with Master Fung and all-"
I quickly shushed him, my eyes downcast. "Raimundo…I didn't escape," I said slowly. His hands tightened around mine, and I could see worry crease his features.
"Then how-"
"I…had to make a deal with him," I said softly. "Rai, he promised to let me go if I did something for him. So, I have to stay with him for a while, and-"
"No!" he exclaimed desperately, searching my eyes for any indication that I was lying. "God no, Kim! Don't you remember what happened last time? Kim, I'm not letting you go back to him! He can't do this!"
"I have to!" I whispered back, my voice choked. "Raimundo, it's the only way. I didn't swear anything to him, I just made a bargain! I'll be back soon enough, but for now I have to stay with him."
"No," he said firmly, his eyes narrowed. "No, Kimiko-"
"Listen," I interrupted, careful to keep my voice low. "He let me come here so that I could talk to you one last time, and let you know that I'm okay. I won't be able to talk to you after this…He won't let me. But you can't come after me! I need you to stay here and protect the Temple. Don't worry about me. I'll be okay."
"Kimiko," he continued to plead, his eyes desperate for me to stay. "Kimiko, we can fight him off. Please, let us help you. I'm not going to let you go off with him. He's pure evil, Kim! Do you have any idea what he could make you do?"
As I opened my mouth to respond, a sudden sharp pain ran through my wrist, and I gasped loudly. I doubled over as I clutched the burning mark with my hand, and Raimundo looked startled next to me. "Kim-"
"It's time to go."
I looked up wearily as I saw Chase step out of the shadows of the infirmary, a frown on his face. He leaned against the wall and stared at me, his eyes dark. Unwillingly, I pried myself away from Raimundo and looked down regretfully at him.
"I have to go, Rai," I whispered. I adjusted the bag on my shoulder and turned my back to him, then began to slowly walk towards Chase.
"KIMIKO! NO!" he shouted behind me, his voice breaking. I heard the scraping of chairs as Clay and Omi jolted awake at the sound of his voice.
"Kim! What in tarnation-"
"Kimiko! What are you doing?"
I kept my eyes focused on Chase as I tried to block their anguished calls from my mind. His eyes met mine, and his lips curved back into a smirk as he watched me walk away from good, and into the clutches of evil. There were running footsteps behind me, and I knew Clay and Omi were trying to catch up to me.
"KIMIKO! PLEASE!"
Chase wrapped his arm around my waist and I looked back at them one last time, unable to bear the pain on their faces. "Let's go," I whispered.
Suddenly, there was a jerk on my body, and I was soon fading into oblivion, watching the desperate expressions on my friend's faces as their reaching hands fell short. I closed my eyes and huddled against Chase's chest, unable to rid their betrayed looks from my mind.
What had I done?
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