Broken, but Not Defeated

Chapter 28 (Wesley)

Anya could shapeshift. I stand from my chair. I don't take my eyes off her.

"Wesley." She says softly. I walk past her and head for my room. I hear someone behind me. "Wesley, wait. Please." I just walk faster. She finally catches up with me. "Wesley, would you please stop?"

"Why?"

"Because I was scared."

"So, you are a shapeshifter. If we weren't going to war...When did you plan on telling me?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "I don't know."

"Never!" I say backing her into the wall. "How could you, Anya? I was beginning to trust you."

She locks eyes with me. "We are not in your father's castle, you don't get to tell me what to do!" She pushed against my shoulders. I stumble back, hitting the opposite wall. Anya has tears in her eyes. "Don't talk to me, unless you are ready to apologize." She storms off. I shake my head and head for a door that looks like it would lead outside, and it does. It leads to a balcony, the moon rising high above me. I don't know how long I stood there.

"I remember the first time I found out Sienna had magic." I turn around to see Caldina leaning against the door. "I wanted to kill her for keeping it from me. So I challenged her to a duel. I had seen it as betrayal; she had not told me in the beginning."

"I'm guessing you won?" I ask.

"We never fought, my aunt had a quest for me. A quest to kill a water witch: Esta."

"You didn't though. You let her live, why?"

"Because she was only thirteen. When she turned fifteen I asked her to join my group of assassins."

"And she did."

"Yes, on one condition; no one gets to know why I was sent to kill her."

"Why were you sent to kill her?"

"Ask her yourself." She walks toward me and leans on the rail. "Don't be mad at me, Wesley. Juliana deserves to fight for the ones she loves. Just like you and me."

I sigh and brace both my arms on the rail. "I just don't want to lose her." Caldina puts a hand on my back. "The Thirteen are like my sisters. Every day we face things no one else wants to face. I hate making them go to battle. I'm scared I could lose one of them. That scaredness will never go away. Wesley, Juliana knows what she is doing, but I promise, if we enter into war I will lock her into a cage if I have to."

I feel something in my chest loosen, like a great burden of stress. "Caldina, how old were you again when mother left you?"

"Three. She would visit though sometimes. Only for an afternoon though. The last I saw of her was the day she died. I watched them stab her. Be glad you weren't there." She stands up to walk back inside. "Get some rest, we have a long day tomorrow." She stops in the door and turns back to me, "Wesley, hold on to Juliana as long as you can. Don't leave her." Caldina disappears.

I look up at the moon. 'Please Mother show me the way, show me what to do.'