Beyond the Darkness (Book #1)

Chapter 22- My Student

Blue had a long sleepless night. She'd been up hours before the Sun started showing signs of rising. She hadn't cried herself to sleep like she expected. She felt like she needed a good cry, but the tears wouldn't threaten her vision. Every time she came close to falling under the comforting spell of the dreams, her fears would rip her back to reality. She was exhausted and it would be blatantly clear to anyone who saw her. She wasn't going to do anything today. Not after what happened to her yesterday.

She figured her luck had failed her when Julius walked in just as the sky turned a rosy pink. Blue pulled her thin blanket over her head and buried face deep into her feather pillow. She heard him cross the room only to end up standing right next to her. She hoped he'd just leave her alone.

She heard a sharp click of his tongue as she felt herself being shaken. "Get up. You don't have time to be lazing about."

"Go away." She mumbled loud enough for him to hear. She held a firm grip on the covers so they wouldn't be ripped away. She knew she was acting like a child, but she couldn't take it any longer. She couldn't even tell what was right and wrong anymore.

"Blue." He whispered close to her ear. "I'm not going to force you to come with me."

Those were probably the best words she had ever heard. She relax her tense muscles while exhaling a relieved sigh. Her face was still squished in the pillow when she snapped. "Good. Because I have no desire to go with you. Now go away!"

Julius sighed in defeat although he didn't try all the hard. His footsteps retreated to the door and Blue ears perked up in suspicion. He wouldn't have walked away that easily if didn't have something in mind. She didn't dare move even though her body screamed to run.

Blue felt with each passing minute her mind slipping into a false calm. Perhaps Julius had expected this from her and decided to leave her alone. She rather liked the thought. For once Julius wasn't forcing her to do something she didn't want to do. Perhaps he knew what happened yesterday. He didn't want to push her any further.

Her false comforting shattered at the sound of her bedroom door opening. His footsteps pounded much more harshly than before. What could have made him so mad in such a short amount of time? She curled her knees in to make herself look as small as possible. She turned her head to let her flushed face breathe and barked. "I said to go away, Julius. What the hell are you doing back?"

There was no response when the pounding of boots ended right next to her. Arms snaked around her waist, pinning her arms to her side. Blue started to panic, her instincts roared through her veins. She struggled with all of her might, but she couldn't do anything with her blanket smothering her. She resorted to kicking and screaming. "Let go of me! I swear once I get myself free I'll have your head! I'll put it on stake for all of Aniellia to see! I swear it! You won't get away with this! Do you hear me?!"

He pressed her back closer to his toned chest after her enraged outburst. She was still in this strangers arm as he stalked to her closest. With a fierce kick his black boot broke the lock. She flinched when it hit the wall next to her. He pushed through before the door could swing back and hit her in the face. Once they stepped into the shadows he threw her to the ground.

Blue landed in a crouch a little unsure of what to do next. She had some weapons in here, but it would call for some serious digging. Why would this stranger put her in a closet? She'd rather not find out. She was about to turn and go down swinging, but her capture spoke. "Rise and shine, apprentice!"

She swallowed the suffocating ball in her throat. She swiveled on her toes still ready to attack if the situation called for it. Her eye befell on a pair black boots. The kind that helped you scale a wall with ease. Slowly she lifted her head to stare at a certain prince. A corner of his lips was tugged up and his arms crossed over his black tunic. His black clothing hugged him like a second skin. "Felix?" She tilted her head while still prepared to pounce.