To Claim A Crown Book Two: The Winter Harbinger (Complete)

Chapter Fourteen: Weight

Naomi hunches over with her hands on her sides. Her breathing is short and shallow. Her hands feel swollen and her mouth dry. Her hair is sticking to her forehead and neck. Beside her Raurlin is stretching casually as if the cardio Jackson has just put them through is a regular day. Perhaps it is for him, she reasons.

Naomi pushes hair out her face as she lifts her arms over her head inhaling and exhaling deeply. Raurlin presses a hand against her back and she can feel the sweat on her skin pressing on her back. His hand is radiating warmth, sticky warmth.

"Inhale...and exhale..." he instructs in a series of breaths that are soft and calming and Naomi finds herself listening to him and her breathing settles.

Jackson walks from the far side of the room where he has set up a series of weight lifting stations, from dumb bells to a power rack. Naomi tilts her head to one side, licking her lips. Jackson faces her with an amused smile.

"Onto the real workout, your grace," Jackson teases.

Naomi walks to where he is standing and she bends forward, reaching for a dumb bell. It's medium in size in comparison to the others and she lifts one in each hand. They are surprisingly light in her hands. Naomi shrugs and she lifts each a few times.

"These seem fine," she states with a glance at Raurlin and Jackson.

Raurlin chuckles somewhere between pleased and amused. Jackson shakes his head, swallowing down a smile. He steps forward and takes the weights from Naomi. He lifts the next weight in size and hands it to Naomi, then the next and the next. Behind them Raurlin is laughing.

Jackson runs Naomi through a series of weight lifting tasks. He explains that initially they are directed at testing her limits, seeing what she is capable of doing and where her difficulties lie. He soon realises that there is no cap or difficulty to her strength. Naomi runs through each task, following his instructions perfectly. Jackson is unable to hide his amazement. Naomi is settled, calm and completely in her element.

She is able to perform every task with ease and efficiency. Jackson offers a few glances at Raurlin who is watching her with amazement. Jackson feels an unexpected tinge in his chest. Something inside him that all at once and unexpectedly longs for his aeturnum. He helps Naomi up from where she is lying down with a weight bar above her.

"Okay, Naomi, you're doing incredible. Lastly, I'd love to run through some sparring with you."

Naomi grins. "Now that sounds more up my alley."

Jackson shakes his head again, allowing himself to smile. "I won't be taking it easy on you." Jackson looks at Raurlin with a raised eyebrow and Raurlin nods his agreement, standing up himself.

Naomi holds her hands up with open palms on either side of her face, just as Benedict had taught her. She drops her legs slightly and straightens her feet on the ground. With a flick of her hair over her shoulder she urges Jackson forward.

What ensues is a messy fight that bangs across the room with both Jackson and Naomi dominating the fight at certain points. The sheer noise of the fight is enough to bring Stellan, Sarah and Horatio rushing into the room. With a hand around her throat Jackson slams Naomi onto the mat pressing a knee to her chest. The two remain in position with heavy breathing. Naomi smiles.

In a swift but solid movement Naomi punches into Jackson's knee. The force of the punch sends Jackson sliding across the mat. Naomi pushes herself up to her feet as does Jackson. She raises her hands again and Jackson lifts his hands into fists. Jackson opens his mouth to speak but before he is able to Naomi pushes herself off her heels. In a movement that is almost too fast for her to track she slams her open palm into his chest.

Jackson is sent crashing against the wall, causing the wall itself to vibrate. Before he is able to recover Naomi pushes her left forearm against his neck with her right fist aiming directly at his groin. Jackson holds his hands up signalling his surrender and Naomi steps back with a chuckle. She raises her hands over her head again with her chest rising and falling heavily. Naomi turns to face Raurlin, Stellan, Sarah and Horatio who are all watching on in complete wide-eyed silence.

"What?" Naomi demands with a sinking feeling in her stomach.

Sarah steps forward with her hands folded tightly. "Your eyes are glowing like Raurlin's before the awakening."

Naomi frowns and she turns to face Raurlin. He says nothing but he looks at Jackson. The action alone is enough to anger Naomi. Her anger is hot under her skin. Naomi drags her legs from the room to the large sliding doors. She tugs at one and it's locked. There is talking behind her but it dulls into a single ringing sound. Naomi pulls at the door again and it slides open. She steps outside into the garden for the first time.

Naomi walks out into the large yard. Snow is falling and she isn't aware that she is cold until her teeth are chattering. Behind her she can hear footsteps walking into the snow. It's Raurlin, she knows it is. He comes to a stop next to her. He drapes his coat around her shoulders.

"I owe you an explanation."

"I want to hate you. I can't but I want you to know that right now I want to."

Silence.

Naomi wipes at the tears in her eyes. She doesn't know why she is crying, but she is. Raurlin tugs Naomi against him and she rests against him sobbing silently.

"I owe you an explanation. I know that I do but you've just...died, Naomi. I want to make sure you're okay and I want to protect you. But we need to talk about everything and before we do I need to know that you can take it."

"I can't feed, I can't sleep, I'm unshakably cold. I'm dead. How am I supposed to come to terms with the fact that I am dead, Raurlin?"

Naomi leans forward feeling lightheaded. Raurlin scoops her up gently. She rests against him as he carries her inside the house. The house is quiet. Naomi squeezes her eyes shut, feeling embarrassed all at once. Raurlin carries her upstairs. He nudges their bedroom door open. Their new bedroom.

Raurlin eases Naomi onto the bed. She keeps her fluttering eyes shut. Raurlin pulls her shoes off and he pulls a thick blanket up covering her shoulders with it. It's a fluffy fleece on the underside and a thick grey fleece on the top side. Raurlin's weight dips the bed beside her. He shimmies under the blanket, pulling Naomi against him.