Cahira

Chapter 19 - Haladie

The rain hitting the windows wakes me up. Opening my eyes, slowly, I narrow my eyes at the grey clouds outside that makes the whole forest that surrounds the castle seem dark and sad. As if to match the sad weather, the water droplets run down the wet windows, making the look like they are crying. What an oppressive, sorrowful mood for a morning.

  And then I feel his touch, his cold fingers caressing my cheek. "Why are you so angry this early in the morning, amour de ma vie?"

  I focus on him instead of the rainy morning that woke me up. He is staring back at me, his golden eyes observing me with a mix of amusement, worry and something I am not sure about, his lips slightly parted, his hair messed, some strands in front of his eyes.

  "I hate the rain." I hate rainy days. I hate the grey clouds, the sad days, the absence of the sun. I hate being unable to see its warm rays that caress my face and make me so happy.

  "It is not that bad, you know?"

  "It makes days lifeless, sad and dark."

  He chuckles. "Lifeless? I don't think so. You couldn't have all the trees and plants around us without rain, they would have died before they had even the opportunity of growing, the soil to dry to support them. The lakes and rivers couldn't fill up again and all the animals that need that water to live would die. But more than that, without a rainy day, Kiara, you wouldn't be able to truly appreciate a sunny one. They would be all the same, they would be boring. And that would be lifeless. To live you need diversity."

  I smile slightly, giving up. Too soon in the morning to discuss philosophy. I stretch and then get closer to him, too lazy to get up, letting him place his arm around me and push me to his chest.

  I look at him. "What did that mean?"

  "What?" he asks, pretending to have no clue about what I am talking about. But the smirk tells me he knows that fully well.

  "What you called me. Was it French?"

   He catches my lips with his, kissing me softly. "Oui, madam. It means love of my life."

  I smile at him, enjoying our closeness, enjoying the sensation of having no shadow, no doubt between us, making me insecure about my feelings, about him. "I love you too," I whisper.

  "Of course you do. I am lovely," he playfully replies.

  I laugh, my hand exploring his chest feeling the hard muscles beneath the shirt. "Will you teach me to fight?" I ask. I still want to learn, I still want to know how to protect myself if I have no one else with me, I still want revenge. Mainly, I want revenge. And I can't have it without learning to fight.

  He sighs, frowning. "You haven't forgot it, huh?"

  I tilt my head. "Was I supposed to forget?"

  "Well, I was hoping you did. It seems that I have no luck."

  "Then you'll teach me?"

  "I think I told you I would, so yeah. I will." But he makes no effort to get up, continuing to look at me instead.

  I roll to the side, putting some space between us. And then stretch again and get up, a little sad for leaving behind the warm bed and Dominic. But one can't have everything. And I want my revenge, more than many things.