Anger

I dressed in light clothing, the sun was hot, the air was dry and humid even inside the house. The black cotton t-shirt hid the dark wrap that was keepingmy breasts as flat as possible. I looked down at myself and frowned. It was uncomfortable and didn’t disguise me as much as it use to I removed the black shirt and wrapped my stomach over and over tillmy body looked even, flat and masculine. I put the shirt back on, it looked like I had gained a bit of weight but still not really noticeable…or so I hoped.
I grabbed my black pants from the dresser and pulled them on, my period finally over, my mother was working her magic on the herbs, in essence I would take them before my next period and it would make sure it didn’t happen. Of course if the herbs weren’t powerful enough it could just stall it, and make it come up with out warning, or my body might reject it all together.
I brushed my hair, it gleamed in the light of the new morning, I pulled it into a ponytail and walked out of my room, getting to the door my mother came out of her room as she typically did, “how are you feeling today Evan?”
“Fine,” I responded as I grabbed my left boot and pulled it on pulling the laces tight, mother stayed silent which was odd, I turned and looked at her, worry was in here eyes, her hands were fidgeting a nervous habit. “Mom what is wrong?”
“That… Nikolai” she spat his name like a curse word, “what if he gets the battle he wants? It is all I can think about, I couldn’t sleep last night.”
I pulled my other boot on with haste, and tied it quickly, I got to my feet my mother wouldn’t meet my eyes. “If Nikolai gets his battle, I will fight him for my rightful spot.”
“You don’t have to!” My mother started crying, “you can choose to just give up your spot with Viktor, come home!”
“I can’t… I won’t,” I responded staying away from my mother, I wished to comfort her but I lacked the knowledge of how, besides it would only make me upset, and I needed to get to Viktor’s side, I would already be late. “Don’t worry mother, it will all work out.”
I walked out into the early morning, my mother had never responded, she didn’t even say goodbye. I didn’t either though, my mind was like my mothers, I too was worried of the battle that could be. I climbed the stairs before the castle. There were new people guarding the door, I frowned, so many had died in the attack. I went up the spiral stair case and walked the same way I had every other day of my life, directly to Viktor’s room.
Griever was the first I saw he was frowning, he looked at me then turned his attention to the prince silently answering my question of where he was, over in the corner of his room that was stocked full with books he and Nikolai started laughing. “That kid is very annoying.”
“So is the prince,” I said coolly, “they seem to be getting along well.
“He better not become his Daylight Guardian,” Griever said his eyes flickered from a cool black to a dark red, “I couldn’t take working with him and its rather hard to commit suicide as a Night Child.”
“He couldn’t be that bad.”
Griever raised an eyebrow, “you spend a day with him then, he hasn’t left the prince since you became sick… by the way feeling better?”
My teeth grinded together, Nikolai was really gunning for my spot, even making friends with the prince so quickly, “I am just wonderful.”
“Good, because the King made his decision last night… the castle has been buzzing.” I looked at him with curiosity, “he granted Nikolai his wish, you two battle tonight, at midnight.”
“Lovely.”
“Ah Evan!” Nikolai said a sadistic smile upon his face, “feeling better… rather weak to suddenly come down with something. Not very good. Can’t be trusted to be here at all times.” My nose wrinkled in disgust with having him even speak my name, calling me weak! How dare he. I would be more than happy to fight him tonight. He wasn’t difficult to hate. He laughed lightly, “pathetic.”
Viktor didn’t defend me, I was surprised that Griever did, “at least he fought in the last great battle with the Moon Children. You guarded petty humans, not even aristocrats! He guarded the Prince!”
“And had to be saved by the prince.”
“Took a few hits for the Prince,” Griever and Nikolai were in each others faces now, even though Griever was about a foot taller than Nikolai. “Fought with a broken arm for the Prince.”
“Heat of battle,” Nikolai said.
I was furious, the battle couldn’t wait, I reached out to grab his arm but Griever grabbed my wrist never taking his eyes of Nikolai, “I wouldn’t do that Evan, He will win the battle if you attack him before midnight, he is just trying to annoy you.” Griever dropped my wrist and my arm swung to my side.
“Well for today at least I am his Daylight Guardian, I see you unfit to be in the chambers of the Prince and ask for your immediate removal.”
I couldn’t touch Nikolai, but Griever could, when Nikolai didn’t move Griever grabbed him by the back of his shirt and dragged him out the door throwing him out and shutting the door behind him. “Seriously my Liege, I don’t know why you didn’t step in.”
“You two at each others throats, so comical” Viktor said leaning back in his chair.
“Not what I meant,” Griever continued, “I mean about the battle, you could have forbid it. You could have made it so that Evan wouldn’t have to fight to defend his spot.”
“Evan will be fine, so will Nikolai, if I dismissed it he would go after him again and again. Its easier this way. Less paperwork,” he said with a cheeky smile, I wanted to smack him.
“Yeah the broken arm he got defending you is going to be a real good asset,” sarcasm coated the words.
“He’s right handed anyways.”
“You are an asshole!” I shouted angrily before covering my mouth surprised the outburst came from me. Viktor looked over his shoulder, his dark coal eyes were outlined in red, he was hungry. How did I know? I had been with him, I held him when he sobbed as his fangs took a full day to come in. I didn’t move. Didn’t go to the washroom, didn’t go to eat, didn’t go to training. Never left his side. His frown was full, it meant he was really upset, occasionally he only half frowned, that was when he was faking it and his half smile was a smirk filled with mischief. How did I know? I HAD ALWAYS BEEN THERE WITH HIM. ALWAYS.
“Harsh.”
“Truth hurts,” I said callously. Griever sat in the corner, his eyes closed, his breathing steady. He was trying to calm himself down. I looked back to Viktor. “I just hope you can live with the consequences of your actions.”
“What do you mean! I can handle anything, I’m next to rule in case you’ve forgotten,” He shouted back standing up from his chair and crossing the room getting into my personal space, I glared up at him.
“You seem to get along well with Nikolai, what if this does become a heated death match. Can you handle it if he dies, what if my sword rips through your new friend?” I yelled at him, I hadn’t yelled at him so sternly since I told him when we were young to keep the Blood Brigade away from me, in my teen years he forgot the promise. “And what if I have not healed enough, and I can’t defend with my left as I use to? Hmm? How will you feel if his sword rips through my throat and I’m reduced to nothing but a damned bloody corpse?” I shoved him, he wasn’t expecting it, it was the only reason he took a single step back to regain his balance. His face was shocked, shocked into a silence. I turned away from him my voice softened to sadness, “will you throw my body into a mass grave too?”
I noticed Griever had taken his leave. I hadn’t even heard him- then again I had been much too busy yelling at my Prince. The one I had sworn to protect. “You are destined, born to be my savoir,” he said, “you won’t die, and Nikolai is a fighter, but if he is about to die he will surrender.”
“Whatever.” I responded callously walking away from him and to the other side of the room, “do you have any appointments to deal with today?”
“No.”
Silence fell upon the room, I felt a little twinge of guilt that I had yelled at him, I didn’t regret it though, after all my life could be over that very night. Life could be over, I nearly cried, I could die, never have lived as a woman, never seen much outside the walls. I took refuge in the thought they would just throw me in a mass grave, that way they would never know I was female. My parents could continue living never fretting about me, or the lie our lives had been since the night I was born.
I sat in the opposite corner of the room, Viktor sat in his corner with books, but looked at none of them, he was staring at me intently. I looked away from him. I had to be with him at all times, I didn’t have to like it, I didn’t have to be friendly, I didn’t have to make conversation. He shuffled his feet. I crossed my arms over my chest. He coughed, I shifted in my seat. “I’m hungry,” he said, I looked at him for the first time in over two hours, the red was crowding his black pupils.
“I don’t care,” I replied grumpily, “you can stay hungry for a while.”
“No I can’t,” he replied grumpily, “your human, I can’t stay hungry with a human.”
“Yes you can,” my voice was rough with anger, “you can damn-” my words were cut off as Viktor’s face was in mine, his teeth snapped twice, his arms on either side of me, dents in the stone wall. My adrenaline had kicked up, my hear beating ten times faster than it should my eyes bulging with surprise, after a few seconds of slowing my breathing, “you can damned well wait, cranky. You could be sending me to my death tonight so I do NOT give a damned if you have a bit of hunger pains.” He growled, a deep frightening noise that came from his throat. I flipped him off and he stalked over to his chair. I don’t know why he didn’t just leave, I would have to follow him. It was my duty.
“I’m not sending you to the guillotine,” he said after ten minutes of silence, “you won’t die.”
“I’m injured Viktor,” I said wearily, “and he is probably sleeping right now, getting rested, or practicing. I am here. I will be exhausted, I will not have warmed up-” A scream came from the yard inside the gate. “What the fuck?” I stood making sure that Viktor was in the darkest corner of the room I pulled on one of the planks that was on a hinge so I could look out occasionally. Moon Children were tearing the village apart. “Mom!” I shouted as one went into my home, my stomach tightened felt nauseous. I closed and locked the panel and opened the chest with the Daylight Guardian symbol on it, I was dressed and had the door to Viktor’s room boarded when I heard a rap on the door.
“Lemme in!” It was Griever. I took off the boards and locks as quickly as my trembling hands allowed. Griever slipped in and we quickly put back up all the locks. “This was unexpected!”
“They want to destroy us before I mate. If I am to have the heir then they are screwed and will be stuck waiting a many more years before they have a chance to screw with our hierarchy.” Viktor said, “this is bad.”
Last time we fought them was less than a month previous, they were relentless, last time four people had been protecting Viktor, and now there were two, the survivors of the previous time with still healing bodies. The village was under attack and I knew there was nothing I could do about my mother but pray she wasn’t home. The front door to the castle broke open, more blood to stain the floors.
“Hey Viktor,” I said slowly drawing out the words, my stomach clenched in fear as something bashed against the door.
“Yeah.”
“Sorry for everything.”
The door flew open.