A Dance With Shadows

Chapter One

A/N:

I'm sorry this chapter is late- life's been kind of all over the place, BUT here is Chapter One of A Dance With Shadows.

I hope you enjoy it. <3

====================

A Dance With Shadows
Chapter One

Keira Eldridge

I hesitantly walk toward my father's office. He had called me over half an hour ago and I hadn't answered. The weight dragging my feet grew incomprehensibly heavy as I neared the door. Lifting my arm slowly, I place two soft knocks on the door, hearing a grunt in response. I open the door slowly, my dad looks up from his mahogany desk, papers scattered across the dark surface.

"Ah, hija, [...daughter]," he sighs, pulling a stack of paper from the edge of his desk, he waves me over to him. "Here is your next assignment."

I approach his desk, seeing 'TRAINEE' written in a deep red script. Do I have to go to training? After all this time, he chooses now? "What's this, padre [...father]?"

He looks up slowly from his paperwork, signing a document before giving me his attention. "Training."

"Yes, Pa, I see that, but why?"

"Well, you've refused to marry into the Alva family-"

"Why would I marry into a rival clan when we are the most powerful clan?"

He clears his throat, "As I was saying, you've refused to marry Maddox, and so  you will go through training."

"Why?"

"Because you need more training."

"Pa-"

"Enough, Keira. You begin training tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Where?"

"Yes. Tomorrow, hija. You will be training at the clan facilities."

I sigh, accepting the stack of paper from my father. I exit the room, pulling the door shut behind me with a silent click. Continuing through the hall, I let my arm hang with the papers. Why did I even accept them in the first place? I've had so much training, why should I need more?

I push the door open at the end of the dark hallway, feeling a rush of air from the air conditioning. Slowly, I pick up my pace, eventually jogging down the spiraling staircase. I see movement from the large window above me, looking up, I see cardinals, chirping and flying together. How pretty. The air is stolen from my lungs suddenly. What just happened?

I look up from my new position on the ground, "Holy shit- sorry, I didn't see you coming." A dark-haired man says rapidly, concern dripping from his rich voice.

I shake my head slowly, trying to clear the stars that were probably circling my head. "No- no, you're fine, I should've been paying attention, I'm sorry." The man reaches his hand out for me to grab. I take it, standing up slowly. "Who- who are you?"

He clears his throat, smirking slightly. "Maddox Alva." Wait. I just ran into the guy whose marriage proposal I rejected a week ago. Fuck, this is awkward. "And you are?"

"Ah, Keira, Keira Eldridge." My face flushed when I saw the shock wash over his face, clearly not expecting to see me.

"Oh, so you're the one who rejected my father's proposal?"