It had been about a month since we got back inside the castle walls. In all of that time Sephiria worked on a schedule for me, training, school, etc. And it was by far anything from easy - I sometimes thought it was a punishment.
They had me training from the break of dawn, after school and in the late late evenings. Sven was bent on increasing my stamina, so we mostly did cardio and increased my strength. What was worse about all of this is that he even added on a 'punishment lesson', every time I skipped a class or was even late for a single class at the academy plus let any of my grades slip up even a little then Sven had us run 20KM. I admit I had this punishment once, and once was enough. It was brutal; an agonizing death - ordeal that not even the castle guards were put through. By the end of it I was too exhausted to even vomit.
And after this 'punishment' was barley endured we just went straight back to training. Passing out wasn't a free getaway, Sven simply threw ice cold water on my tired body and we did the drill over again.
"Five weeks of hard training Rins, we need you to be ready and be on the field."
Hard training was an understatement.
"Hard training? This is going to kill me, and sorry to break your bubble but I'm still human. I get pushed too far; I die."
Sven cocked his head to the side and gave me a funny look that told me he didn't think twice about my little speech.
"Fine, whatever," I sighed, rolling my eyes. Tonight was one of our evening sessions. Usually we worked inside but not at night. Sven made a good point that if I was to ever be ambushed it would happen mostly at night so I had to adjust to the change and adapt to less light.
It was extremely chilly tonight, I wrapped my arms around myself hoping that my strength training will warm me up. Thanks to all this training not only was I toning my muscles I was adding tough bulk to my small frame - vampires seeing me as a threat would be caught off guard.
"Talk to Kyoko since that day?" asked Sven, tonight he was wearing a tight black sleeveless shirt with a grey loose sweater half zipped up in the front and a pair of navy blue shorts. The shirt was low enough that it showed off his thick chest in a sinfully delightful way.
"No, not really." When we got back from our 'outing' we woke Kyo up downstairs in the castles 'secret' dungeons. Train and Sven did a very convincing job at the bad guys.
"Who are you working for?" Train was up in her face. They had her hands shingled over her head to the wall in thick, dark chains.
"I don't know what your talking about!" She was pretty good at holding her ground. She glared at him daringly, her body leaning towards his.
Train snapped. But only on the exterior – or so I hoped.
He pulled out a regular old dagger, held it up and sliced Kyos arm swiftly. It must have been spiked with poison or something because the wound started sizzling sickly. Kyoko screamed, it was high-pitched and echoed painfully throughout the whole basement. I cringed.
"Let me try this again. Who do you work for?"
We had kept that up for a good thirty minutes; Train only using the dagger when he felt she could give more details. As me and Sven watched; I somehow got the hint – she was innocent. I don't know how I could think that but her story just made sense.
She kept repeating how she was at the bar, I left and then she was going to ask for another drink before leaving then nadda, she's being strung up in a dungeon. They let her go after a day and I haven't really seen her since.
But when it came to Kyoko, I still couldn't help but feel betrayed. I was conflicted with how I was suppose to feel because of everything going on. It just seemed like I wasn't the one who was suppose to make the rules anymore - like it wasn't really my life. If only that was true.
"Heard from Train?" said Sven, his voice breaking my memory in half, like glass shattering it was all that fragile and meaningless compared to that one name.
"What? No, have you?" Peering up at him I caught his green eye glistering in the moonlight and by God did he ever look handsome.
Sven sighed and shook his head, "nope, nadda. It's just like Train though," he mused.
Since the moment we got back I hadn't really seen Train. I mean sure he stayed in the castle I saw him on the regular; but then I didn't. There had to be zero contact between us; he even turned off the bond. Now that he was working on getting into the counsel the last thing we needed was them catching the hint the he was bonded to me. According to Sephiria there were spies within the counsel.
With the bond shut off and Train never being around dare I say it, I got lonely. I knew part of it was because of the bond, but it was also because of my feelings towards him. Whenever I was alone I would try and open the bond; just to feel that tingling glow of passion sweep through me.
Sven had to keep me company, since pushing open the bond would possibly blow Trains cover. Sven sort of filled that hole inside of me. I always felt bad that I couldn't choose between the two of them, gazing up at Sven, all perfect and strong. Then I noticed a dangerous twinkle in his eye; all my nerves racing now.
He was fast, within seconds he had me standing, holding me by the waist with one arm and craning my neck to the side with the other. Both my arms pinned between us.
"Sven? What are you doing," I tried struggling but he held his grip tighter.
"Sven!" I felt his lips at my neck, I tried struggling again, "SVEN!"
My heart was racing. I don't know why I began to panic, or why my heart began racing. I was scared. Scared of what Sven might do. Scared of vampires. And I probably always would be.
His teeth hit my skin and then I moved. I thrusted my head into his, and his grip loosened giving me the chance to shove him away. And then just like that I lost sight of him. Shit.
I kept my guard up, trying to breath as slowly and lightly as possible so that I could hear him. Or at least try too.
Then I got tackled from behind before I had a chance to move. I hit the ground hard, but began trashing around so he couldn't get a good hold on me. Pulling my leg up, I kicked as hard as I could and then scrambled up when the pressure from on top of me ceased, in a poor attempt to follow through. Then I felt someone take out my left leg, and pinned again, my face in the dirt, arms twisted so far back I thought they would break. My breathing was ragged and I lashed out with all my strength; I was not getting beat here or now.
As painful as it was I rolled myself over; my holder now under me and I struck my elbow hard into him making him let go as I fumbled up; then somebody else grabbed me from behind, jerking me by my wrists. Just who else was out here? It was impossible for Sven to move that fast, wasn't it?
I spun around towards them, my back touching their chest and ripped my hands away from their hold then jabbed my elbow back. They doubled over as I spun around, side-stepping around them and taking out their legs. We both fell to the ground, I landed on top of my attacker, disabling their arms by lodging them so far back and holding them their with my body weight
Then for some reason something in side of me switched; my insides shivered and it felt like a cold scratch touched my spine. I felt a strange new, yet amazing rush of adrenaline flow through my veins. Then for a slight second everything became clearer; sharper; my hearing, my eye sight, everything. My skin tingled where I was touching my attacker. I felt their heart beat pounding against my sensitive skin.
And then almost instinctively I leaned down, my mouth at their throat. I could feel the rush of blood pumping through their artery. I licked my lips, because for some reason the thought of ripping open that rythmatic wall of tissue and tough muscle seemed to make my mouth water.
They shifted from under me, and I bared my teeth, "move and I'll rip your throat out," the threat didn't come from my mouth. It didn't sound like me, it sounded different. Menacing.
"That's enough now Rins," the voice from under me sounded shaky, but it had that husky and rubbed against my skin like silk. Only one voice could fill my insides into melting gold. Train.
"What are you doing here?" I accused instantly and scrambled up off of him.
"I wanted to see my princess in action," He chuckled, he was standing in front of me; his arm sliding around my shoulder.
"What do you mean? What happened to Sven?"
"How do you think she did you guys?" Train yelled out and then lanterns lit up in front of us.
I saw Sephiria first, Sven and then Eve.
"What's going on?" I glanced back up at Train.
"This was a test to see weather or not you are progressing and not wasting anymore time," said Sephiria in her most excellent soothing voice.
"Gee thanks," I mimicked her exact voice, "did I pass?" Svens grin almost answered my question.
"Well you need more specific training; if Sven and Train attacked you with all their power you would have been dead. Your still too slow to keep up with a hybrid; let alone other types of Night World creatures. But, given the benefit of the doubt, you have defiantly improved considering the little time you have had to train and the fact that your human." there was a hint of approval in Sephirias voice that I smiled at.
Train let go of my shoulders and led me towards Eve, "What did you think little princess?"
"She has gotten a lot more stronger and faster on her feet; she still needs to be taught proper defences and attacks though," Eve mused and I took in all the criticism, mentally noting every bit.
"So all in all princess,"
"You passed the first part of training," Sven finished Trains sentence.
"And now on to the weapons?" I asked excitedly, both Train and Sven nodded in reply. I bit my lip to stop me from doing something stupid; like how I really wanted to jump up and down and hug everyone. Instead I simply smiled to myself- no body ever said it was bad to be proud of ones accomplishments
"Keep training hard," were Sephirias final words before she walked back towards the castle.
"Yeah we should start heading back too Rins," said Sven.
"Actually, I was going to talk with Rinslet for a while," Train looked over at Sven and he nodded, "Sure, Eve, let me walk you to the castle doors."
Train turned and looked at me once he thought Sven was out of ear shot, "I didn't remember Sven telling me about that last little attack," Train touched his neck.
"Wait, you didn't tell me to do that?" I asked confused, and Train shook his head, "tell you to act like a vampire through the bond? No Rins, why would I do that?" he asked me and a lump caught in my throat, but shrugged it off.
I had been so sure it was because of the bond. Just the feeling of pure rush felt so similar to our bond.
"So I did pretty good tonight, huh?"
Train grinned down at me, and words weren't needed for a translation. I suddenly felt like I was walking on air.
"So what did you want to talk about?"
"I'm sorry we haven't spoken to each other Rins," his smiled faded and he stepped closer to me.
"Oh, that? It's okay, totally understandable. I mean, your busy, and I am too, so it's really fine," I lied. It wasn't fine.
"Yeah, I suppose," he mused.
It got quiet after that; as if we were waiting who would confess they missed each other first. Or so I had hoped that's what the silence was for, because I wasn't going to tell if he wasn't. Fair game in love and war.
"Lets go for a run."
"You must be joking, I'm exhausted," I stuffed my hands in my baggy sweat pant pockets, "plus, not all of us can see in the dark."
I watched his grin widen, "then I guess you gotta keep up."
"Don't you dare Train, you leave and I'm going -"
Two things happened in that second. One, I felt the bond open, it felt incredible. Like when you shake up a full pop bottle, and open it, all that carbonated sweetness bursting up and forward, taking over everything. I let it all seep through me, like standing under a waterfall. Then, through the bond, he said one simple command and I felt my body lurch forward.
Run.
"T-Train I can't see, I felt him take my hand in his own and guide me. We headed for the forest.
"Rins close your eyes!"
"Are you crazy!" I huffed, and noticed we were heading towards the forest in the back, "what happens if I don't?"
Just think about me Rins.
I always am, I confessed, and close my eyes, trusting him.
Then I saw what he was seeing, through a some sort of bond trance, I was in his head. Seeing the night around us from his eyes. It took my breath away. Everything was lit in a soft golden hue being cast from the moonlight. Long shadows being casted along the forest ground.
Open your eyes Rins, Trains voice chuckled soothingly in my mind.
On command I did it, blinked and gasped. The way Train saw night was the way I was looking at everything right now. The way Train did. I shook my head confused and then slowed to a stop.
"How am I doing this?" I asked astonished. Train stood in front of me, grabbing my hand and bringing it to his chest, where his heart would be. I felt it thundering in his chest.
We're in this together Rins. A team.
"But how?" I asked again.
"Through the bond of course Rins. Your soul can see what I see; get into my head," he chuckled.
"But you had said we couldn't read each others minds."
Train took my hand and cupped his face with it, "I had just assumed it was a normal soul bond. Both of us didn't know what we were in for."
He left my hand there for a moment and then he turned away from me and began walking again.
"Right, aren't we sort of, uh, like shadow kissed, or death tied?"
"Those names give it a menacing title. We usually call them soul ties or red ties."
"Why? That doesn't make any sense, and isn't this a sort of menacing bond?"
"Red ties suit's the name. Legend has it that at one point all the bonds were symbolized by colors or auras; so witches could classify them. They only used the four distinct colors, which now represent the elements. White was tied to the guiding spirit; Yellow was tied to the god spirit; Black, or now commonly referenced as Blue, was the tied to the soul spirit; and finally Red was tied to the bonded spirit." Train paused for a moment and let me absorb everything.
"This is a history lesson isn't it?" I smirked.
Train smiled, "Do you know why Red ties are connected to the dead? Why you and me can go between realms?" he was asking me questions I asked myself every day.
"Uh, because their spirit tied to the living, which means they are spirit tied to those who are Red tied, because we are bonded to the spirit world, right?"
I heard him laugh then, "you catch on fast Rins."
"But I still don't understand. How can I see and talk to Andrew and Saya?"
"Because they haven't made the cross yet. And, like you already stated, your part of that world. And your energy makes them angry," he explained and something clicked.
"Angry as in, they want what I got?" I remembered my first nightmare of Andrew and Saya.
"They want exactly that Rins, and that's why you need to try as hard as you can to keep them away from you. Spirits attracted to your soul can do bad things to you," Train warned. I felt a ping of sadness for some reason. I felt like I would some how betray my brother and my best friend.
"Is that what you did?"
"All vampires can turn it off, their emotions. Not just me. But it's just this big lie, there's no way to turn it off," Train began to ramble and I detected a hint of regret in his voice. Regret for ever trying to 'turn off' his emotions off.
"Where are we going?" I asked as a topic distraction.
"You'll see," said Train as he turned around to face me, then in a blink of an eye he was behind me; his hands cupping my eyes. Then I felt his mouth at my ear.
He walked me like that, one hand across my eyes, his mouth at my ear and his other hand protectively around my hip.
I heard the sound of rushing water, it sounded like a little stream. Then he took his hands away from my eyes.
"OhmyGod," I breathed. There was a small back flow of a rushing creek nestled between the trees. Large rocks where placed randomly throughout the water that shimmered a gorgeous blue, almost sapphire.
"Train, this is beautiful," I turned to him, he had let go of me and was now standing beside me.
"I'm glad your fond of it princess," he turned his head to the side to look at me as well.
I smiled and looked away; anywhere but his eyes that were so gold and intense they made me shiver. I began to walk to the end of the creek and sat down. He followed and did the same.
We didn't say anything to anyone. Instead we just looked out across the small area of water. The moment was perfect. So perfect a part of me wanted and felt like I could finally admit to myself that I needed him, that even though I despised what he was. I loved him. A part of me loved him, and it was taking over the part that hated him for what he was.
Stupidly, I risked a glance. I just had to look at him in that moment. Train lifted his hand at that moment and my heart fluttered. He stroked my jaw line soothingly. Then he began to lean closer towards me, his head just barley resting on my forehead. I could feel him breath in and out, feeling each frustrated breath; I was well aware that I was the hardest temptation for him.
"Thank you for bringing me here," I said.
"Of course."
There was this moment between us then, the moment where we could just stare at each other, holding each others gazes. My breath quickened. If I leaned my head an inch towards his we would be kissing, I knew I should have move away, but I couldn't. This moment between us felt like a spell; and I didn't want to break it.
"Your still as beautiful as ever." A strange, but familiar voice echoed through the air. I held my breath, my body alert. That moment between Train and I, fragile and tenuous, was broken. Snapped in half and then vanished as if it were never there to begin with.
I glanced around the lit back water, and found a silhouette of a man standing just on the edge of the water nearly 20 feet away from us.
Train was up within a heart beat. And with movements just as fast as his, the man moved, now he was in front of us. I could make out what he was wearing just slightly. It was some kind of black suit, a dark shirt under the blazer. His hair was semi long, up to his neck in length.
"No need to play mean," he chuckled and I gulped wishing I could take away my hearing.
"Who are you?" Trains voice filled the air around us.
"Jenos Hazard," I whispered but Trains sensitive hearing could pick it up.
"Princess, I'm tickled with joy to be in your presence again," he bowed and I could pick up his features now. His dark eyes and pale skin.
"What do you want here?" Train asked.
"I just came to see the buzz going around about my girl," he chuckled, looked at me and winked.
"Your girl?" Train mused and glanced back at me. I shook my head.
"What are you doing here Jenos, no more games," I stood up and walked towards Train, standing beside him, arms crossed.
It was quiet for a moment and then Jenos laughed again.
"You didn't tell her?" he glanced at Train.
"Didn't tell me what?" I dropped my hands and glanced back and forth from Train and Jenos, "What is he talking about Train?"
With each passing silence, my heart dropped.
"Well, this whole situation is nothing but a game my dear," Jenos smiled.
"A game of poker. Luck. Who has the best game face. Train won this round though," Jenos began rambling.
"What are you talking about?" I growled.
Jenos smiled. "I'm talking about you, Rinslet."
"You don't have to die here," Trains cold voice cut through the air. And then in a moment he was behind him, Jenos being thrown to the ground without a mere hint of effort. Train already un sheathed his trusted gun, pointing it in between Jenos's shoulder blades.
"No!" I scrambled to the two men. "I want to hear what he has to say," I pleaded, touching Trains arm, "Please Train."
Trains eyes were in slits; and they were also so dark I couldn't make out their color anymore.
"What are you hiding from me?" I asked him and then he lowered his gun and stepped over Jenos, standing on the other side of him.
"What a naughty boy you are, not telling your bond mate of such big secrets," Jenos stood up.
"Shut up, tell me what the hell your talking about," I grabbed him hard by the collar of his shirt. He just laughed.
"Shut up and tell me, damnit."
"You're a sacrifice, Rins."
The voice wasn't Jenos's, it was Trains.
I let go of Jenos to turn and face Train.
"What did you just say?" My voice broke to a whisper.
"You wanted to know your part in this war, and that's is Rinslet. You're the perfect result of death meddling. Your exactly what Creed is looking for. He needs to drink every ounce of blood from your body and then rip apart your soul to become the Night Worlds first complete Hybrid."
I wish I could have said something. Instead I continued to stare at Train, hoping and praying this wasn't true. But there was nothing written on Trains face to confirm this.
I shook my head slowly, backing away slightly. My breathing started to get hard, ragged.
"No," my voice was barley a whisper.
"Rinslet," Train's voice was soft, silky and sounded so close. But it also sounded so far away too.
I shook my head harder, my cheeks stinging, my lungs aching. My legs began getting weak before they collapsed on me, landing on my knees in the soil. Train was instantly by my side, his arms wrapping around my shoulders, his voice cracking as he said, "Rinslet, I'm so sorry."
I almost thought he was crying; but I couldn't hear anything after that. I didn't want to hear anything anymore.
You're a sacrifice Rins.
You're a sacrifice.
Sacrifice.
The world around me spun black.
Authors Notes:
There we have it! The reason For Rinslet role in our war! This chapter took forever to write, I wasn't sure where to stop and how much information to give. I really wanted Jenos to be in this chapter. I just think it brings on a new intensity!
For next chapter, look forward to; Rinslets reaction, how come the yearning to rip open peoples throats has suddenly increased? Who is on their side or not? And finally, will Creed show himself and make the first move?
All this next month!
Thank you all for staying with this series, the ending is soon coming, and chapters will be getting longer. You are all such troopers! And I really wouldn't be updating if it wasn't for all the fantasitic people who push me forward on here. You are all the best!
Until next time guys!