Cahira

Chapter 22 - Fighting Katherine

It's been a month since Danton showed me that bloody memory. A month since my desire of revenge got stronger and stronger, feed not only by what he did to me but also by what Danton showed and told me he did to other people.

I look at me in the mirrors, at my most recent wound. A thin but long red line in my forearm. It was made by a sword during the train. Dominic said it may leave a scar. I don't really care if it leaves one or not. It would be just one more to add to the amount of scares and bruises I won in this last month. One more prove of what I'm becoming: a warrior.

I make a little smile. I'm becoming a warrior. By now, I'm already an expert shooting guns, with the bow and arrow and throwing daggers - even if it is not a big deal since it is not the most difficult thing in the world, it's just necessary aim and some train. And I am already very decent fighting with daggers, one-hand swords and stakes. With some more train I'll become excellent. And then I will be good enough to kill Dominic, to do what Danton couldn't do.

Danton... I don't see him since he showed me his memories. He didn't return to the castle since then. It's not as if I miss him, he is scary with his lack of emotions, but... he knows the truth. He is the only person with who I could talk about it. About what I'm doing, what I'm becoming, what I want to become. And maybe, just maybe, he had the information I want. The information about the golden tattoos. What they are, what they mean.

I hear a slight creak. Other advantage of my train that also includes a sharpen of my senses with the objective of make life harder on someone who wants to surprise me. I know it is not Dominic. I made myself very clear the day after Danton showed me his memories: I don't want him inside my room anymore. I feel my body tenses and my hand immediately flies to the stake that I now have always with me.

The clickety-clacking of high-heels shoes on the marble floor, without any concern in muffle the sound makes me realise who entered in my room and sigh in relief. But even if I already know, my body just relax and my hand just leaves the stake when I listen her voice:

"Kiara, are you here?" That sweet, broken voice. My only friend in an entire castle.

"Where else would I be, Beckie?" I ask, getting out of the closet, with a small smile.

She visited me everyday, always bringing with her the phone she borrowed me but I never used it again. I m concerned with Emma and what happened with her but she's alive and that's the most important thing. Whatever happened did not end with her death and that's enough. I left her alone and if she's happy - and even if she was irritated when she spoke with me, I could say she was happy before, I could listen to the smile in her voice when she said hello the first time - nothing else is important.

She's wearing black leather pants, a red top with three silver strips - by now I already understood the strips have some meaning but I didn't find the courage to ask her the meaning yet - and red high-heels shoes. She blushes and I let my smile grows a little, to assure her that it was a joke. Even blushing, she is pale, fear shinning in her eyes. She's always like it whenever she visits me. And when I ask her why she mumbles one name - Katherine - or other - Dominic - and changes the subject. I respect her decision, I need to. I'll not oblige her to talk with me. She'll do it when she wants, if she wants. She twitches, uncomfortable under my gaze.

I look around, trying to make her more comfortable. She also looks around but not for too long. As always, her eyes rest on the stake stuck in my waist and her lips form a thin line while she closes her eyes. I wonder what would be her reaction if she saw the dagger inside my boot.

"Do... do you want to train?" She asks, her voice low and insecure. My eyes wide in surprise. Is that the reason because she always stared at my stake? She wanted to train? But she...