War of Shadows

Aye, Aye, Captain

Chapter 14

After I locked myself into my room, I had shuffled through the dressers, desk, and storage baskets and managed to pull together a mostly blank notebook and a pen. So far everything here seems to be like home. Daine, Dasia, and Caziel spoke the same language as me though with a thick accent, and nothing seemed drastically different besides the old-school architecture.

Oh, what I would kill just to be able to call Lauren right now. I can just imagine the appalled shrieking on the other end, promising that she’s on her way to get me. I wonder if she and Carter even know what happened, or if Eli decided to keep them in the dark. Would they blame Eli? Maybe I’ll be able to get my hands on a phone or a computer, anything to help me reach out to them.

A knock raps on the other side of the door, whisking me out of my thoughts. “Stel? Did you still want to come watch the training?”

Honestly, I don’t want to even get up right now but I don’t want to sit alone and give in to the madness feathering at the edges of my subconscious.

“Yeah, let me change!” I call out to my mother, shifting the pillows to climb out of my makeshift cocoon of fluffed pillows.

I walk to the elongated dresser and rifle through the drawers until I find a pair of thick pants, a wool long-sleeved shirt, and a jacket, then manage to find a pair of boots in the closet that fit just perfectly.

My mom gives me a once over when I open the door before jerking her head down the hall where Caziel broods against the wall. “Just me and the Captain with you today, Daine and Dasia are already on the field.”

“What she means is we’re late. Let’s go.” Caziel pushes his large form off the wall and I make a face at his back, earning a playful poke from my mother.

“He’s always miserable,” she whispers

“Oh good, I thought it was just me.”

“It is.” Caziel doesn’t even turn to look me in the eye as he says it, and I feel the irritation already building in me.

“Aye, aye, captain,” I mock under my breath.

Caziel spins to face me, anger etching his features. “Listen here, princess,” he spits with an eery calm. “That field is not a cute field trip, and it’s not a playground. Those are my soldiers, training for a war. The same soldiers that may fight to put that pretty little crown on that pretty little head of yours. On that field, you will show nothing but respect for me and my soldiers. Am I clear?”

My teeth creak under my clenched jaw. “Yes.”

“Yes what?”

“Yes…”

The metal tips of the leather whip bites my skin and I grit my teeth as the warmth of my blood rolls down my back, my bare chest pressed painfully against the wall.

“Yes what?” He growls.

“Yes, sir!” I sob as the leather rips through my flesh again, my body jerking away from the impact.

“Yes what?” He shouts over my pained sobs.

“Yes, sir!” I focus my attention on the pool of blood beneath my feet, anything besides the ripping of the skin off my back.

“Honey?” I’m ripped back into reality by a gentle hand on my arm. “Honey, you’re shaking.”

I jerk away from the touch and look Caziel in the eye, not bothering to mask my hatred. “Yes sir, ”I bite back viscously.

He turns on his heel without another word and leads us away.

I mentally tuck everything back up and lock it away.

****************

My mom is ruthless. Even against bigger soldiers, she hardly breaks a sweat in taking them down, sometimes drawing out for some sadistic sort of entertainment. Daine and Dasia disappeared to work on fighting against multiple opponents on the far side of the field, and I’ve lost track of them a while ago. All of the soldiers are draped in thick leathers and metals that look more inconvenient than necessary, but Caziel had said it helps them adjust to the weight of their armor while they spar.

Smart, but I wouldn’t tell him that. One thing I find very bizarre is that they still use swords and such for weapons instead of firearms. Are they not accessible here?

I didn’t think Caziel was the captain, but I was wrong. When he walked on the field, a heavy tension hung in the air and playful sparring had ended, replaced with the brutal attacking of strictly trained warriors wanting to prove themselves. The look of raw respect and admiration in their eyes when they landed on Caziel, hoping he noticed them was enough to understand why he had been harsh on me earlier. It wasn’t because he just wanted to be an asshole, it was because I would make myself look like a fool to his soldiers by lashing out at him.

He also just likes being an asshole though.

As if on cue, Caziel saunters to stand next to the edge of the bleachers I’m sitting on, a watchful eye raking across the field at the fighters. I didn’t realize how tall he was, about the same height as Eli, and his brown cotton shirt shifts over the thick muscle of his arms.

His are different than Eli’s. While Eli’s build is sharp and cut from his training, Caziel was built like a powerhouse. Not bulky, but the kind of strength that you build from years of throwing trained men and women around, not lifting weights in a gym.

My heart twists at the thought of Eli. Why hasn’t my mate found me yet?

“You and I start training after dinner.” Caziel’s eyes never leave the field.

“Why?”

He side-eyes me as if to say ‘don’t ask stupid questions’, but settles for “you need to learn how to fight.”

I don’t want to admit it, but he’s right. Maybe if I had learned to fight earlier….

I shove it back down.

“Now.”

Caziel glances away again. “What?”

“Why not start right now? Everyone else is training,” I offer, gesturing to the field of soldiers grunting under the impact of their partners. The thought of learning from Caziel makes my skin crawl but he’s the best of the best, you don’t make it to the top by being subpar.

Caziel turns to me, the orange hues of the dipping sun casting warm amber shadows in his eyes and highlighting fiery auburn strands in his curly hair. He studies me with his arms crossed for a moment.

“If you want to start now, then take 4 laps around the field.”

“In boots?”

Caziel’s shrug is the only response before stalking back onto the field to critique his soldiers.

***************

By the end of the third lap, sweat trickles down my face and tickles its way down my back. My thighs have gone numb, and I don’t have the energy to care about my limbs lazily flailing around. The bottom of my throat burns with every gasp of air, the coppery taste of blood coating my cottonmouth.

I’ve never exercised and god, do I wish I had.

I work my body until the burn of my muscles turn the visions of Red Beard into ash. It’s a strange thing, pain. The same thing that’s caused me so much damage now seems to solidify my anger into a pain that’s in my own control. This pain chases away the pain inflicted by other people. So, I chase this new and controlled pain as if it were my anchor to keep me tethered to reality.

That being said, as I round the bleachers to begin my last lap I sag in relief that this torture is going to end soon. It’s short lived, however, as Caziel falls into place beside me.

“Control your breathing”

Fuck you

I can’t fathom the thought of conjuring up the words to spit at him, and it’s clear he enjoys my subdued demeanor in comparison to my usually haughty self.

“Focus on your breathing, or I’m adding laps until you learn to do so.”

I want to scream at the ease in which he’s casually jogging next to me while I’m gaping like a fish out of water.

“Slow it down, breathe deeper from your chest, and time your breathing with the timing of your feet hitting the ground.”

After much effort and nearly half a lap of failed attempts, I manage to even out my breathing, letting my lungs fill to capacity and deflate. Breathing becomes easier by the time we’re three-quarters of the way done, and I slowly begin to feel the haze lift from my mind and replace it with a sharper clarity.

“Now control your body, you’re moving like a soggy noodle.”

I’m going to kill him.

“If you want to kill me, you’ll have to be able to chase me first. Which by the looks of it, doesn’t seem very likely.”

I feel my face flush, not only from the run. A kernel of anger ignites in my gut but I school my arms and legs into a cleaner, repetitive movement against their agonizing protest.

As we near the bleachers, I nearly moan at the idea that I can collapse onto the ground and rest. So close, I just need to go a little further.

“Take another.”

I stop dead in my tracks and fight the urge to double over.

“What?” Choke out.

Caziel stops in front of me with an even breath, as if we were on a simple walk. I hate that.

“One more lap, and if you don’t control your breathing and form the entire time I’m making you run another.”

“Why?” I hear the frustration web into my voice.

“You can ask questions later. Go.” He jerks his head and waits for me to lead the way.