Eternal

“Because I realised this whole thing could have been orchestrated by Him, and I wasn’t willing to risk my life on a pointless endeavour.”

“That is a pity, obviously your will is not strong enough to set the necessary pieces into motion. But you did show and I am a creature of my word, if you really wish for this to happen then you need only take my hand. But I warn you, where we must go, there will be no coming back until She wishes it. You will be nothing more than a well-treated prisoner.”

I measured his words carefully but knew I could not turn back now before I shifted next to his prone form, where I placed my palm into his outstretched hand. And just like that we were gone and my world was filled with darkness.

Chapter Forty

Unya

I was given a bed for the night before my training resumed at five o’clock the next morning.

I was not much of a morning person, but I accepted if I needed their help then I would have to follow their rules.

The same miserable sod was waiting for me when I made my way to the training area, he seemed even more displeased then before, which I had not believed possible.

He threw the sword at me, which I only just managed to catch, then was belittled for catching the blade instead of the handle.

I knew Marcus and Nyakesh were once again watching me, not that they were making themselves known.

I quickly adjusted my grip when the brute slammed the blade of his sword down upon my wrist, sending my own to the floor and pain reverberating up my arm.

This continued for the next few hours, with me barely able to stop him, the one time I did,

he quickly rectified it by slamming the hilt of his sword into my face and I felt the crunch of bone and tasted iron as it streamed out.

He then drove the hilt into my stomach which had me doubling over with the force of it, the next thing I felt was his arm crashing into my back as I was sent face down into the dirt. I just managed to roll onto my back in time to see him brandishing a dagger that was certainly not designed for the purpose of training as he tried to drive it down into my throat.

A second before he could make contact, he was thrown high into the air as Marcus held him suspended by using the wind to hold him in place. The next second the fire nymph from the day before arrived in a ball of flames as she held a flaming chain in her grip and a look of murder in her glowing eyes.

Nyakesh came running out to us and helped me get to my feet, before turning her attention to Jaxon.

“What the hell was you thinking? That is not how we train new comers,” She stated, clearly in a state of shock brought on by his actions.

“Give it a break Nya, obviously he was trying to kill the poor girl,” Stated the fire nymph as she swung the chain into the air, brandishing fire across his bare chest and making his skin sizzle with the heat.

“Ishira stop, he is one of us,” Stated Nyakesh, which was one of the most foolish things I had ever heard, if the last few minutes was anything to go by, he was obviously following someone else’s rules.

“She has to die Nyakesh, how can you not see that we are just training her to one day kill us. Open your eyes to the danger that lover boy has brought down on us,” he replied as blood poured from his mouth as Ishira continued to hit him repeatedly with the red-hot chain.

Nyakesh turned away from Jaxon as she nodded only once to Marcus, I had no idea what she was condoning, but it all became clear a second later.

Marcus sent him hurtling up into the air and then bought him crashing back down as his spine slammed into the ground and he screamed out in agony as the bone shattered under the impact.

Ishira strolled over to his crippled form and then wrapped the flaming chain around his neck as the hold grew tighter and tighter until his head was severed from his body and he disintegrated into a pile of ash.

Marcus came to my side and wrapped an arm around my waist as he repeatedly begged me to forgive him for bringing him here.

“That isn’t necessary Marcus, you are no more to blame for his actions then you are for that lovely Erinyes you chose to love. This girl still needs to be trained, but after this I do not believe we can really trust anyone who is not a part of our inner circle. That being said I have decided to take it upon myself to train her instead. She has clearly been favoured by the flame if yesterday was any indication and I am the best one suited to show her how to control it.”

That was all said by Ishira as she looked at me, with what I could only hope were kind eyes, Marcus looked a little frazzled by the reference to Kat and Nyakesh visibly flinched. Which seemed to me, indicated that she was not over my dear friend, like he was with her.

“I did not choose to love her Ishira, it just happened. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to stop her from ending it with me though was it. She is on a dark path and I have no idea how to help her,” He replied, sounding truly defeated.

Nyakesh placed her hand upon his shoulder, before giving her acceptance to Ishira and her plan to train me. I realised I was not being offered the luxury of choice and was soon following her into the woods.

I couldn’t understand why she would want to train me with so many combustible items around, but I had to put unwarranted faith into the strange being, and just hoped she knew what she was doing.

Z