The Phoenix Summoner (ON HOLD)

42

That night Anya walked out of the barn as Inej walked away from Kaz, leaving him alone to ponder his thoughts. Kaz, hearing light footsteps approaching from behind him look over his shoulder to face Anya. She smiled sitting down on the log beside him. They sat in silence until Anya's gaze fell to the newly fixed cane grasped him his hand.

"It's looks good." Anya said nodding to the cane. "I'm glad Jesper was able to fix it." Kaz nods examining the head of his cane. A look of realization appears on his face and his eyes snap to Anya, a panic expression overtaking.

"It's okay." She smiled. "I won't say anything. After all, that's his story to tell. Not mine." Anya looks away catching a glimpse of Inej in the distance.

"How's Inej?"

"You're the one who sewed her up, shouldn't you know?" He smirked teasingly causing Anya to chuckle. Kaz's heart flipped at the sweet sound.

"But you know her better." Anya stated. The small smile on Kaz's face dropped as he thought about the conversation he just had with Inej no more than 10 minutes ago. Kaz gazed into the fire, never once breaking it.

"She's leaving." He stated plainly.

"As she should." Kaz snapped his head to look at the girl beside him. He was absolutely astonish by her statement. He knew she was a perceptive girl and he could tell her cared more about his crows than he let on.

"Kaz, you've given her something that not many people have the ability to do?"

"And what is that?" He raising his head to meet her gaze, a look of curiosity embedded in his grey eyes.

"A chance to take control of her life. From what she's told me, there has always been someone telling her what to do without her being able to say anything. I know what that's like, I know how much it would mean to me if I had that chance." He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"What do you mean 'you know what that's like'? You're a Grisha, and not even that you were the Generals second in command, you had everything handed to you on a silver platter!" Yes, he was still a tad bit upset at Anya. It made his blood boil to hear her say she understood.

Anya scoffed "Of course you would think that!"

"What's that suppose to mean?" He spat. Anya stands up and looks down at him a furious look glinting in her eyes.

"You don't know what it's like being a Grisha! While it may not seem like it to an outsider we are indentures. Yes, we have nice things. Yes, we live in palace, but that doesn't change the fact that we are always living in constant fear. Fear, that the king may turn on us again like he did when Morozova was still alive. Fear, that the Fjerdans could attack the Little Palace any minute and kill us all. We mean nothing to the King. Not to mention, that I am a half-Shu and was living in the palace. I may have been the Generals Second, but I still lived in constant fear everyday because I look like the enemy. You're the Bastard of the Barrel. You don't fear anyone because people respect you and are too scared to say otherwise. Let me make one thing clear to you. You will never understand what it is to be Grisha until you are one."

Anya spun on her heel ready to storm away from Kaz, when he did something that surprised even the both of them. He had physically grabbed her arm holding her in her place. Jesper had told Anya about his discomfort when it came to physical contact, which was why she found it so surprising when he let her hold onto him when they faced Aleksander.

Kaz didn't understand what had come over him. Before, the idea of physical contact with anyone made his skin crawl. In fact he was still waiting for that nauseating feeling, but to his surprise it never came. Not with her. He was an idiot, accusing her of living the life of luxury in the Little Palace. As he looked into her eyes he knew he had made the biggest mistake of his life.

He stood up slowly never once breaking his gaze from her. Anya gulped as his grey eyes bored into soft brown ones. He was so lost in her eyes he didn't even notice raising his leather clad hand until his fingers where brushing against her cheek lightly. Once again, there was no sickening feeling in his stomach. He only snapped out of his daze when Anya reached up grasping her hand gently around his. His brain yelled at him, screaming for him to break away and never get close to him again. His heart though was telling him to pull her into his embrace and never let her go.

Realizing what she was doing, Anya quickly dropped his hand backing away ever so slightly. In her head she crossed the line, but in Kaz's he wished she never let go. Kaz opened his mouth to say something, but was soon interrupted when Anya clutched her temple letting out a gasp of pain.

"Anya!" Kaz said steadying her. A loud voice penetrates Anya's head.

"Anya. Help!" The voice cried. Anya didn't need to guess to know it was Alina. A scene flashes in front of Anya's eyes. She sees Alina kneeling over a wounded Stag with a large dome of light over her for protection. She sees another man on the ground bleeding and Aleksander standing menacingly over her.

"Do not worry. She too will be in my grasp." Aleksander look in the direction of Anya almost as if he could see. She wakes up from her vision, or whatever it was with a gasp. Kaz kneels over her, a worried look on his face.

"Anya! What happened?" He said brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

"Alina." She gasped. "Alina's in trouble."

~

I know, I know. I'm killing you guys with this Anya and Kaz moments but don't worry their time is coming *wink wink*.