The next day, I woke up with a fucking mission. I was going to clear my mind of Aeliana, once and for all. There was no way in hell I'd let myself be distracted by some human girl. Not today, not ever.
The second my eyes opened, I could feel the resolve settle in my bones. I threw off the covers and got dressed in record time, practically yanking my boots on as I stormed out of my room. I needed to get rid of this shit swirling in my head, and there was only one way to do it training.
I headed straight for the training grounds, my boots stomping on the stone floor, each step a reminder that I wasn't going to let Aeliana get the best of me. The training grounds were already buzzing with activity demon soldiers sharpening their skills, sparring, and getting ready for whatever fight awaited them next.
But as I walked in, the place quieted down, every eye turning to me. Good. They knew better than to mess with me when I was in this kind of mood.
"Line up!" I barked, my voice cutting through the silence like a knife. The soldiers scrambled into position, their faces a mix of fear and anticipation. They knew I wasn't one to go easy, and today was going to be no different. Hell, it was going to be worse. I was pissed off, and they were about to pay the price.
"Today's going to be a long fucking day," I said, pacing in front of them like a predator. "We're going to push harder, fight longer, and if any of you slack off for even a second, I'll make sure you regret it. Got it?"
"Yes, ma'am!" they shouted in unison, but I could see the hesitation in some of their eyes.
"Good," I snapped, my eyes narrowing. "Now let's see if any of you are worth a damn."
I didn't wait for a response before diving into the drills. I led by example, pushing myself harder than I had in weeks.
I moved with the speed and precision that only a demon could muster, my fists connecting with targets, my feet dancing across the ground, each movement fueled by the fire burning in my chest.
Aeliana's face kept popping up in my mind, and every time it did, I hit harder, pushed myself further. I wasn't going to let her fucking distract me. I wasn't going to let her have that kind of control over me. I fought against the images of her, my mind a battlefield where every blow I landed was a way to exorcise her from my thoughts.
But it didn't work. No matter how hard I trained, no matter how many times I struck the target or how many times I knocked a soldier on his ass, her face remained, stubborn as hell. It pissed me off to no end. By midday, I was drenched in sweat, my muscles screaming, but I didn't care. I pushed on, determined to beat this out of my system.
"Again!" I shouted at the soldiers, my voice rough from barking orders. They looked exhausted, some of them barely able to stand, but I didn't give a shit. If I had to suffer through this, so did they.
One of the soldiers, a young demon with more guts than brains, stepped forward, trying to keep his voice steady. "Ma'am, maybe we should take a break? We've been at it for hours."
I shot him a glare that could have melted steel. "You want a break? You think the enemy's going to give you a fucking break when they come at you with everything they've got?"
"No, ma'am," he stammered, his face paling.
"Then shut the fuck up and keep going," I snarled, turning my back on him as I resumed my assault on the training dummies.
By the time the afternoon sun started to dip, casting long shadows across the training grounds, I was finally starting to feel the effects of the hours of nonstop fighting. My body was on the brink of collapse, but I wasn't about to give in. Not yet.
I needed to go until I physically couldn't anymore. Maybe then, maybe when I was completely fucking spent, I'd be free of her.
"Ciara," one of the higher-ranking demons called out, breaking me out of my focus. I didn't stop, didn't even look at him as I continued to beat the ever-living shit out of the practice dummy.
"What?" I snapped, my breath coming in ragged gasps.
"The soldiers need to rest," he said, his tone cautious. He knew better than to challenge me outright. "They've reached their limit."
"Have they?" I growled, delivering a final, brutal blow to the dummy, splintering it in half. The wood shattered, pieces flying across the ground as I stood there, panting.
"Fine," I muttered, wiping the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand. "They can go. But if I see any of them slacking off tomorrow, they'll wish they were dead."
The soldiers practically bolted, eager to escape my wrath. I watched them go, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. Training hadn't worked. If anything, I was more wound up now than I was this morning.
Fuck this.
I needed something else, something that would take my mind off of her once and for all. I stalked over to the meditation area, a place I usually avoided like the plague. Sitting still and trying to find inner peace? Not exactly my style. But maybe, just maybe, if I focused hard enough, I could burn her out of my thoughts.
I dropped to the ground, crossing my legs and closing my eyes. I concentrated on the flames within me, the purple fire that danced at my command.
It was usually a source of comfort, a reminder of my power, my control. But as I stared into the darkness behind my eyelids, all I could see was Aeliana's face, the way she looked at me, challenging me, daring me to let her in.
With a frustrated snarl, I lashed out, sending a burst of purple flames into the ground around me. The earth scorched, smoke rising as I opened my eyes, glaring at the damage I'd done. This was fucking ridiculous. How could a human girl get under my skin like this? How could she make me feel like this?
As the day wore on, my frustration grew. Every little thing set me off the servants who approached me cautiously, the worried looks they gave me when I snapped at them. It only deepened my irritation, my anger at how I'd let Aeliana get to me. I was better than this. I was fucking Ciara. I didn't let anyone, especially a human, mess with my head like this.
By evening, I was ready to do anything to get out of this place, away from the castle, away from my thoughts. I needed a mission, something to distract me. I was in the middle of preparing to leave, my sword strapped to my back, when Leora appeared, her face serious, her presence demanding attention.
"Ciara," she said, her voice low, urgent. "We've received word about Aeliana and Nathaniel."
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, my heart skipping a beat despite myself. "What about them?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady, unaffected.
"They're in grave danger," Leora said, her eyes locking onto mine. She handed me a piece of parchment, a map marked with a location far from the castle, deep into enemy territory. "This is where they were last seen. They need help, but it'll take at least a day to get there by car."
I stared at the map, my mind racing, my heart pounding in my chest. Despite everything I'd tried to convince myself of, the thought of Aeliana in danger sent a wave of fear crashing over me, stronger than anything I'd felt before.
I cursed under my breath, hating how much I cared, hating that I couldn't just walk away, pretend like it didn't matter. But it did matter. She mattered.
Without a second thought, I grabbed the map from Leora's hands, already turning toward the door. "I'm going," I said, my voice hard, determined.
Leora nodded, her expression unreadable. "Be careful, Ciara. This isn't just any mission."
"I know," I muttered, my jaw clenched as I stalked out of the room, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. Aeliana needed me, and that was all that mattered. I'd figure out the rest later.
As I made my way to the car, I couldn't stop the torrent of emotions raging inside me. Anger, fear, frustration all mixed together in a storm that threatened to consume me. But at the center of it all was one undeniable truth: I couldn't let Aeliana die. Not now, not like this.
I slammed the car door shut, the engine roaring to life as I sped off, the map clutched tightly in my hand. The road stretched out before me, dark and winding, but I didn't care. I had a destination, a purpose, and nothing was going to stop me.
As I drove, my mind kept returning to Aeliana, the thought of her in danger, hurt, or worse sending my blood boiling. I cursed under my breath, trying to push the fear aside, but it clung to me like a fucking leech. I hated this, hated how much she had gotten under my skin, how much I cared about her. But there was no denying it now.
As the car sped through the night, the miles disappearing beneath the tires, I knew one thing for sure: I was going to save her, no matter what it took. And when I did, maybe then I'd finally be able to figure out what the hell this all meant.