Disclaimer: I do not own any of Kiera Cass's books or characters.
Hey guys! For all you Americans, happy 4th of July! Here's the new chapter! I hope the last one wasn't too uneventful, but I made sure to include some Keadlyn!
Also, I decided that for now on I'm going to put the song that I think represents each chapter best.
This chapter's song is Warrior by Beth Crowley!
Thank you for all the support! Love you guys, happy reading! =)
Chapter Nine
It took me a while to process what Kile had said.
"All I can tell you is, that there was a reason I couldn't sleep."
I knew I had to call an emergency meeting with Erik and Kaden, but something was stopping me.
First, it is way to early in the morning to call a meeting, no matter how urgent. Second, I was embarrassed.
I'm Eadlyn Schreave, the most powerful person in the world. But right now I only feel insubstantial. Weak. Worthless. Incapable. Insignificant. It doesn't matter what word I use. They all mean the same thing.
All I can think of is that so many people I love are keeping something from me because they think I can't handle it. They need to know I can. I can't act like a child about this. No matter how frustrated.
I grit my teeth. There is a lump in my throat the size of a tennis ball and tears in my eyes. I can't express how much I want to just curl up in a ball and sob, but I don't want them to have the satisfaction of making me feel this way. I refuse to be powerless.
A sudden light in my head went off and all the emotions I was feeling before faded away. My whole body became numb to the core. I smiled wickedly. I had an idea. A brilliant idea.
I stood up, ready to take on the world. I stripped off my dress and hurried to my closet. I dug to the back and found my old exercise clothes from at least a year ago, during my "let's stay fit" faze. I put on the lavender tank top, and the tight black exercise pants. To my surprise, they still fit.
I put my hair back. Not in a pretty bun, or a braid, but in a slick pony tail. Then, I grab socks and tennis shoes which were also from a year ago. The tennis shoes were a little tight, but not tight enough to be uncomfortable.
I run out of my room to General Leger's room. I knock loudly and frantically on the door as sweet adrenaline runs through my veins.
He opens the door, neat as ever. He looks surprised and opens his mouth to talk, but I cut him off.
"Teach me how to fight," I say fiercely.
I could tell he knew I couldn't be swayed, so the confusion leaves his face and is replaced by equal fierceness.
"Then let's get started."
By the time I finish with General Leger, it is eight o'clock in the morning. I'm left panting and dragging my feet to my room. I didn't realize how out of shape and tired I was until I was a hallway away from my room and I bumped into someone. And of course, it was Kile.
"Watch where you're going," I say with a glare in his direction. He looks me up and down, surprised. I would be surprised too if I encountered a sweaty princess in "inappropriate" attire early in the morning. But I couldn't say I didn't like having a secret he didn't know about.
I asked General Leger if we could keep this between us, and he agreed. He can't tell Dad or Mom unless they actually ask about it, and I don't think they would. Even if Kile tells them. Hopefully they won't, that is.
"What have you been doing?" Kile asks me.
I shoot him a devious smile and raise my eyebrows. "I guess you'll never know." And, having a burst of energy, I strut away from him with newfound confidence.
When I make it back to my room, I'm very tempted to collapse on my bed and sleep until tomorrow morning. I don't give into the urge, and instead I call for Neena. She comes a minute or so later.
She wears the same expression Kile did when she first sees me, but I was grateful that she doesn't comment.
She helps me peel off my sweaty clothes and runs a bath for me. I sleepily walk into the bathroom and get into the bathtub.
"Thank you," I tell her drowsily. She nods and helps me get clean until I feel good as new, but still tired.
After my relaxing bath, Neena helps me get into my pink sleeping gown and crawl into my bed.
"Do you want me to make you more exercise-oriented clothes?" she asks me kindly.
I nod and thank her again. I hear the door close, signaling that she's left, and I give into my tiredness.
The pain is all I know as the gunshot rings around me. Echoing as I sink to the ground and press my hand against my chest. I pull it away and see that my hand drenched in my blood.
This is it, I thought sadly. I'm dying.
I look ahead at my attacker. He is blurry and transparent. Kile.
I feel the sting of tears trail down my cheek. I couldn't believe it. He shot me.
My breathing becomes ragged and shallow. I stare at Kile and notice that he is becoming bolder and bolder while the world around him is becoming blurrier and blurrier.
The realization hits me as the world around Kile is gone and it's only me and him. The pain is gone.
We're both dead.
A scream wakes me up from my dream. I frantically look around to try to see who was so frightened. That's when I realized that I was the one who screamed.
