My father was looking at me like I had gone crazy, the words tumbling out of my mouth. He looked older than he was his responsibilities weighing on him. "You think that Finnick or his father is trying to keep the peace treaty from happening?" He asks slowly still trying to understand.
Anxiety and frustration course through me and I feel jittery. "Yes! He's up to something, I just heard him threatening one of the Leaders of Khaos." My voice is rising to a yell. "He was saying how it would ruin his plans- something about the wedding."
His green eyes narrow slightly. "Lizabeth....do not tell me you're trying to back out of this engagement now."
That only enrages me more, my father was not listening to me. I was no longer going to fight the marriage. I had agreed to it weeks ago. Yet here my father was still thinking I wasn't ready to live up to this responsibility. I clench my fists and yell. "Dammit, Dad! I don't care about the wedding. I care about what he has planned. He made it seem-"
With enough force to shake the objects off his desk, my father slams his hands down. "ENOUGH! I had thought you were mature enough to deal with this responsibly but here you are making excuses trying to get out of it at the last minute!"
Rage is boiling my blood, his words fueling my anger. He won't even listen, so I scoff and leave the room slamming the door behind me.
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Sweat rolls off my body and my arms scream in agony from the constant swinging of my longsword. The hits vibrating up my arms with each strike. The poor practice dummy I chose was now nothing more than splinters and dust coating the floor. I step back breathing heavy, my body was tired but the anger I felt gave me the motivation to keep training. Half a bottle of whiskey sat next to my duffel bag and It began calling my name once again.
"Damn idiots," I grumble to myself and grab the bottle taking a large swig.
Myrrh and citrus enter the room and fill my senses. I stiffen knowing exactly who just entered the training room. Aurora leaned up against the door looking around at the destroyed dummies and empty bottles strewn across the floor. The distaste was clear in her marrow eyes but I try not to let it get to me.
With arms crossed over her chest, Aurora meets my eyes, the distant look still there. "Looks like you've got a lot on your mind." Her voice quiet but I can hear the disapproval.
I shrug and lift the bottle to my lips again. "What's it to you? Haven't you been ignoring me for days?"
Aurora openly flinches at that and I immediately wish I could take it back. Before I can Aurora steps further into the training room looking around at the destruction I have caused in the past two hours. She kicks a bottle with the toe of her boot. "You are a quick learner I've taught you all I can, soon you won't need me around. I figured it'd be easier for you if I just separated myself until you are fully mature."
Leaning on the butt of my sword I glare at her. "That's bullshit and you know it." I throw the bottle, it makes a satisfying breaking noise against the wall. Oooo I love breaking noises.
Aurora stays silent staring at the broken shards across the room with hooded eyes. Her hair fell in strands across her face, highlighting her strong jaw and high cheekbones. Her eyes were the most lovely color red, it made me dizzy. Or maybe it was the booze? Whatever it was it I couldn't shake it off - not as long as I kept ogling her. Gods, she was beautiful and I missed her like crazy. What I wouldn't do to see her smile at me again. The fact that she was avoiding me on purpose and lying about her reasons made me angry. So angry I wanted to fight her. To show her how much I felt for her. Even if at this very moment it was frustration and rage. Stalking over to the weapons rack I pick up a dagger twirling it between my fingers before I tightly grip the handle. It flies through the air barely missing my sire's face. The loud thunk it makes as it finds a home in the wooden door is satisfying as hell. The dagger is lodged in the door behind Aurora who is finally looking at me with wide red eyes. She hadn't moved but just stared at me in quiet shock. I point my sword at her getting into an offensive stance, a low growl coming from me. That's new.
"Fight me."
My sire blinks shock still painted on her face. "What?" She blanches.
"Don't make me repeat myself pet." I sneer.
Red eyes flash with anger and her mouth curls up in a snarl. "Don't be ridiculous Lizabeth." Aurora snaps.
Aw, you don't like it when the roles are reversed do you? Let's see how much you'll like this. I lunge throwing my head back with an angry scream, swinging down low with my weapon. The vampire is still too shocked to react in time as my sword's blunted side slams into her gut. With a gasp of air, Aurora stumbles and falls to the ground. Again, I raise my sword now level with her chin.
"Fight. Me." I growl.
Moving faster than I could follow Aurora jumps to her feet and picks up a discarded staff. The anger in her eyes is kindling to my raging fire inside. "If that's what you want." She says deadly calm.
We both glare at each other with low angry growls coming from us both. Tension hung heavy in the room Aurora and I both in defensive mode, ready for an attack.
"What I want is for you to tell me the truth." My tone matching hers. "And quit acting like a coward."
The insult hits home getting the reaction I want from her, the vampire lashes out staff swinging over her head and coming down under my feet. The world flips as I fall, the impact rocking me. I let out a yell before I clamber to my feet. I attack her with my long sword slashing down on her shoulder, Aurora staggers but remains standing.
Just like that something changes in the air; a violent thrumming in the space around us. My sire looks deadly, the bloodlust shining in her exotic slanted eyes was enough to sober me up. One heavy boot collides with my chest sending me flying backward. I gasp for air only to have it knocked back out of me when Aurora punches me in the side. Forcing myself to focus I lift my weapon in time to block the oncoming swing of her staff.
If I wasn't the one she was attacking I would have thought her fighting style was beautiful, a perfect match for Aurora; quick, deadly, and all too exquisite. The female vampire doesn't relent, the blows keep coming as she spins her deadly dance. Barely able to deflect her attacks I'm left stumbling back into the wall. Shit, this was not a good idea. Aurora is so much more powerful than I thought in my drunken stupor.
I keep up as best I can though, desperate to show her what I am feeling right now. I use my left foot to push myself off the wall and sail right towards my sire. With my sword up high at my chest, I try to jab it into her shoulder. Aurora easily dodges but doesn't have time to recover as I sweep my sword down low. My blunt sword whacks her hard in the shins and she jumps back. I rush forward swinging wildly at this point, tears threatening to break through.
"I want you to stop hiding from me." I cry swinging at her again with a high arc of my weapon.
She swipes my attack away with a flick of her staff. Her eyes are hard but I can see them shimmer in the light. She did like seeing me like this I could tell. The look almost made me stop attacking if it weren't for her next words. " All you want is someone to occupy your bed. And I was a good fit at the time. Nothing more."
Anger boils up and pours over inside me. I scream as I surge forward with another barrage of attacks. I push her back and Aurora stumbles over my empty bottles. My sire manages to stay upright but fails to stop my blow from hitting her. I swing my sword back and brought it forward in a horizontal arch right in her gut.
"I care about you, you awful b*tch! I don't care about anyone else. I was done with all of that as soon as I met you. I don't even want to marry Finnick! I want you Aurora." Tears spill down my cheeks now as I stare at her.
With a growl, Aurora straightens and leaps at me. I don't have time to react when she sweeps her staff out. I fall flat with a gasp and stumble to my feet. Aurora is there in my face in an instant forcing me against the wall. Giving me no space to attack or flee. She presses her staff against my throat, not choking me but holding me there. Her free hand yanks the sword away from my limp grasp, the steel weapon sliding across the padded floor. My breath was coming out in fast pants and my heart pounded in my chest. My sire looks at me for a long while and I watch as all her anger dissolves from her exotic eyes. Dropping her staff with a curse Aurora looks away from me all anger in her eyes replaced by guilt. Taking a step away from me she drags her fingers through her hair, muttering in a foreign language I didn't know.
I stay still and lean my head against the cold wall, it was helping me calm down and soothed my burning skin. I watch quietly as Aurora paces in front of me still muttering. I felt ashamed for my actions suddenly, a moment of clarity helping me see my mistakes. She had gotten the better of me and I threw a tantrum like a 3-year-old. I will just blame it on the booze. I wipe away tears from my chin and take a deep breath.
My sire glares at me and sighs calming down slightly even though her hands shook. "Dammit, Lizabeth."
"Stop calling me that." I snap at her wrapping arms around myself. I suddenly felt alone and vulnerable, I didn't like it.
I still felt ashamed and embarrassed about what just happened and I couldn't look at her anymore. Instead, I look over at the mutilated practice dummies and try to think about anything other than the woman a few feet away. This was all so new to me and I was not dealing with it gracefully. What I felt for her was so different from anything I knew, that feeling of freedom I have chased since I was little came so easily when I am with her. A chilling air surrounds me along with that familiar citrus scent that makes me weak. Aurora had come up to me hands placed on either side of my body, trapping me between her and the wall. Her towering height didn't make it any easier to not cower.
Her breath is cold on my face when she looks down at me. My heart jumping out of my chest at the look in her eyes, no longer the cold distant look. Her gaze was intense and filled with longing unlike the fire in Aurora's gaze her cool fingers grasp my chin, lifting my face to hers.
"You can't even begin to know how hard it is to stay away from you." Her voice is weak and shaky but her fingers tighten their grip painfully. "And you....you can't leave well enough alone."
My heart is thumping hard in my chest all of my anger gone as soon as she touched me. "Why do you need to stay away?" I whisper.
Aurora huffs out a bitter laugh against my neck. "Do not be naive, you know why. I can't have you."
Even though she says this Aurora makes no effort to pull away from me, the tip of her nose tracing the length of my neck. It sends shivers up me and I clutch her shirt pulling her closer on instinct. I needed to feel her weight, to feel her cool body against me. A groan escapes her lips and she drops her arms to wrap them around my waist. Aurora buries her face in the crook of my neck and kisses me lightly. Gods, she feels amazing I hadn't realized how much I missed her. Want rolls through me in shivers and heat builds up in my abdomen.
"Rory-"
Lips so icy they burn clash into mine stealing the words from my mouth. I gasp against her and lean into the kiss, my body was on fire. Aurora pushes me harder against the wall and I'm thankful my knees don't give out. My hands leave her shirt to tangle themselves in her thick black hair, nails scratching her scalp and coaxing another moan from her. That sound enough to make me fall to my knees. When one cold hand slips over my thigh I gasp in pleasure her fingers tickling me. I wrap that leg around hers to keep her close and the vampire grinds against me. The grip she had on me tightens and I groan loving the pleasurable pain it gives me. The kisses become heated, Aurora opening her mouth and allowing me entrance that I don't second guess. She tasted just like she smelt, like oranges.
I can't help the moan that escapes me as I explore her mouth, tasting her delicious taste. She fights me for dominance of the kiss and she wins. I give myself to her willingly eager for more. Her tongue searches my mouth as if she trying to learn every part of me inside and out. I shiver against her lips when Aurora kisses me deeply. My sire pulls back just enough to nip at my lip before trailing kisses down my jaw and along my neck. Every kiss was followed by a bite. It has me writhing against her as that feeling of desire builds in my abdomen. Aurora lays one last soft kiss on my forehead. Then gently my sire pulls away like she doesn't want to hurt me, she bumps her forehead to mine breathing heavily. "I can't Iz, as much as I want you." The restraint clear in her voice and body. "We cannot do this."
The words stab me in the heart but I do understand what she means. We can't do this. I nod stiffly and slowly detangle myself from her letting her step back. Unsaid words hang in the air, neither one of us wanting to say it. Aurora reaches down and pushes my hair over my shoulder then cups my cheek. I lean into her touch relishing it while it lasts.
"Goodbye, Lizabeth."