Annia
The memory of her kiss was etched in my mind.
I was so surprised when her lips pressed against mine that for a tiny fraction of time I remained motionless.
My darkest instincts were reflected when I reciprocated and clung to her waist.
Separating us revealed our erratic breathing, mingling. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips swollen.
In that moment, clarity struck me. What we had done was wrong, and I let her know by having her bring the situation to the adrenaline rush of what had happened. That upset me somehow.
Once we arrived at Lucía's house, Heclares healed her, and she immediately wanted to go back home. We left her safe in the walls that had seen her grow up alongside her friend.
My fists savagely pounded the training dummies.
I was channeling all my anger into them, but I needed more. I needed to get rid of this tightness in my chest.
The rapturous sound of a sword falling beside me made me stop my attacks. Heclares was standing a few feet away with his sword, wearing only the shorts he wore when we came to train.
"Come on, brother, let me help you release some of that pent-up anger you've been holding in."
I picked up the sword and stood on guard. I didn't give him time to prepare; my attacks were accurate. He moved nimbly, dodging the cuts.
We knew our technique. But if anything was more dangerous, it was the anger I'd accumulated over so many years. The anger that was blinding me, the anger I'd one day unleash on the right person.
I spun around to avoid his sword, landing at his side. I raised my own to slam it into his body, but I didn't. Instead, I threw it angrily toward the road.
My brother's chest heaved with great gasps of air. He sat right there on the floor, bending his knees and burying his head between them.
I mimicked his action, facing him.
After a sigh, he fixed his gaze on me.
"What happened? The fact that he released the soul-eaters isn't the only problem."
I was sure she'd pop the question at any moment tonight. He wouldn't be able to hold it in.
"She kissed me."
His eyes widened.
"Do I kiss you?"
I nodded slightly.
"And you're angry about it?"
"No. I'm angry at myself for letting it come to that."
"You wouldn't have known I was going to do it." He licked his lips, searching for the right words. "The problem isn't that he kissed you, it's what it represents. We both know our paths are linked; very few have the mark in the same place. And when that happens, it's because they're meant to be."
"It's not all that pretty, Heclares." "Are you saying that because he's our father?"
"He's not my father," I roared, feeling my blood boil. "What do you think will happen when he finds out we come from the murderer of his parents?"
"Yes, a father who blindly entrusted his daughter to you even though he knew where we came from."
I fell silent, finishing lying down on the cold floor. My eyes focused on the stars.
"Our mother wouldn't want to see you grow darker every day."
"She's gone. He took her from us, and I won't rest until I get justice."
"And I'm with you. But you can't allow the shadows she tried so hard to distance herself from to consume you."
"I'm not like him."
"No, but you must be yourself again. Think calmly because we're no longer alone." He pointed out. "Now there are those girls. And although you've always been one of them's shadows, the other isn't to blame for what we've been through." Any false move we make could reflect on them.
What I said wasn't a lie; we had a lot of responsibility on our shoulders. And I've allowed my resentment to fester day after day, when my mother would have hated it.
From the moment she was murdered before our eyes, a part of me died, and a darker one awoke.
The reason we weren't as fortunate was thanks to King Mihar, who took pity on our situation when he went to complain to Yahar about the various attacks he was receiving and found himself confronted by that terrible scene.
From that moment on, my fidelity and loyalty turned to that family, making me their most trusted guard.
"I know you're not indifferent to her," her statement brought me back from my memories.
"I've seen how you look at her, how you joke, and you've even smiled at her on occasion. Do you know how long it's been since I've seen you smile? Years. I wouldn't miss the opportunity."
Heclares stood up and started walking home.
My mind kept repeating what he had last said. Once again, I realized he was right... I hadn't smiled since before Mom died. And I used to do it with her, even making fun of the situations she found herself in many times.
My legs took on a life of their own as I stood up, and instead of heading home, I headed to hers.
I wasn't going to introduce myself to her; I just wanted to see how she was after such a busy day, praying she'd left her balcony open.
When I arrived at her house, her bedroom light was on. I went upstairs quietly, staying in a corner where I couldn't be seen.
The room was just as I remembered it, except the TV was on. I could barely read from the angle they'd selected for diary of a passion, but there was no sign of it.
I waited a few minutes when the door to her room opened. The brunette was carrying a tray with various snacks, and Annia was carrying some drinks.
They arranged everything neatly in the center of the bed and each moved to one side to lie down.
She was calm, giving her friend a smile that didn't reach her ears. Something in her eyes told me she was hurt.
The movie had already started a long time ago, and I didn't know what I was still standing there. I turned around, determined to go home when a knock on the door made me turn around.
A tall, well-built man with dark hair walked in, wearing a big smile as he approached the bed.
As soon as he reached the edge, his arms opened wide, and Annia threw herself at him. He wrapped her around him, pressing her to his chest while placing small kisses on her hair.
Annia raised her head slightly, her chin on his chest, offering him a radiant smile.
Lucia and I were watching everything from different angles. The brunette's face reflected surprise, but she never rose from her position to greet him.
I was respecting the moment they were living, a moment that made me tense when he took her chin and placed a kiss very close to her mouth, making my blood flow so fast that it felt hotter when I saw that she didn't move away from him.
I decided I didn't want to watch any more. I stepped off his balcony and started walking home with hurried steps, my hands clenched at my sides and the stupid question in my head of who that boy is.