Ultimate Fireheart Fantasy Collection, page 21
After their date, Alessandria wanted to be with him. That night was perfect. She could be a real person for once. Not a member of the Nobility or a Dominicus Procurator. Just a girl with an attractive man.
But as much as she longed for Nemesio, there was something stopping her. She just didn't know what.
An odd gentle draft made Alessandria turn to her left to see her beautiful brother Daniel sitting there spinning his dull blade so fast it was creating a bit of a breeze.
Alessandria bit her lip slightly. She had heard about Daniel's fight with the Head of the Military. That wasn't a problem in the slightest, the Family Business would hardly suffer. But it was what he said that concerned her.
The woman working for the Head of the Military had come to her after what happened. She hated to hear that people still thought the world was better off if Daniel was dead.
Of course these people didn't know how many times Daniel had saved Ordericous from its enemies.
Looking at her brother in his typical black leather trench coat and trousers. Alessandria paused and looked at his right sleeve. It was turned back revealing some of Daniel's arm and the deep red scars from all those years ago.
He never showed even a piece of his arms in public.
Alessandria wanted to point it out to him but the sight of a minor fresh cut caught her eye.
A wave of pure... protectiveness washed over her. She wanted to lovingly talk to Daniel to make sure he was okay. She needed to support him. Alessandria wasn't going to let Daniel be alone and let him hurt himself this time.
He must have saw Alessandria looking at his sleeve as he unrolled it, covering up the exposed flesh, and smiled a little.
“I cut my arm on that foolish Head of the Military earlier. But thank you for being concerned. I do appreciate it,” Daniel said.
Alessandria nodded. She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. Alessandria really, really loved her brother.
The sound of massive heavy wooden doors screamed out and Kinaaz Fireheart walked through.
Alessandria smiled as she saw her mother walk in. Wearing her posh black silk robe with her thin golden armour underneath with her well-aged features glowing with renewed power and youth.
Alessandria and the other two shot up to greet her.
“Mother,” Daniel said.
“Oh Daniel. It’s wonderful to see you. and Alessandria you look so tall and grown up,”
“Mother, you’ve been gone a month, not years,” Alessandria said.
“Alessandria always so picky on the details,” Kinaaz said as she walked round to the other side of the table and picked up a bright red sugary pastry.
“I presume it is safe to say you enjoyed yourself,”
“Alessandria it was amazing. If I had known rehab would be like that. I would have gone years ago. It was wonderful. So many people to scheme against and take their secrets and money. Wow,”
Alessandria rolled her eyes at her mother. She was meant to be getting help for her drinking, not scheming against innocent people.
Nemesio looked at Alessandria and pointed towards a plate of tartlets.
She waved her hand dismissively at him.
He grabbed a few.
“Mother, what do you know about the Seeker?” Alessandria asked.
“Oh now that is a wonderful story. Well, I was playing poker against this terminally ill man. He’s worth a fortune I tell you,”
Alessandria grabbed an iced finger. The sticky icing feeling strange on her fingers.
“And this ill man lost to me. But he wanted to keep playing. So I said to him if you want to keep playing then I want to know a secret that he was taking to the grave. He had mentioned it in passing,”
Daniel leaned forward.
Alessandria followed.
“So as always he lost to me. Silly man. Then he told me his secret. He knew a witch that went by the name Seeker up in the woods,”
Alessandria’s eyes narrowed.
“We need to speak with this man,” Nemesio said.
Kinaaz laughed. “Don’t be silly. He died the day after and now all his money is mine,”
Alessandria rolled her eyes. Her Mother was scheming. She’ll give her that.
“Did he tell you where he lives?” Daniel asked, as he grabbed his first pastry.
“Yes, it’s near Old Dead Annie,”
“Isn’t that that massive dead oak, ten miles away?” Nemesio asked.
Kinaaz nodded as she elegantly licked her fingers.
Whilst Alessandria wanted to stay and catch up with her mother, and maybe give her a lesson in morality, she knew she had bigger problems. She had to find the Seeker and learn about the Triad.
Standing up Alessandria gestured to Nemesio to go but he stared at the sweet pastries with wide eyes.
She rolled her eyes.
“Take some with you. It’s 9am. That should last you til dinner,” Alessandria said, walking off.
As her and Nemesio walked away, Alessandria heard Daniel asked why she was staring at me. Then she was a little concerned by Kinaaz’s answer.
“Because Daniel, I’ve got a scheme to complete!”
CHAPTER 4
My eyes were fixed on the door as it slammed shut as Alessandria and Nemesio left the chamber, no doubt going to the stables to prepare the horses for the ten mile ride. Leaving me, Daniel Fireheart, here alone with my scheming mother.
Turning my head and judging the ugly grey stone walls and the even uglier grey polished floor. I looked back at the delicious brown oak table of pastries in front of me. Unlike my sister, I wasn't the biggest fan of all these unhealthy pastries but these were great.
Their sweet, fruity smell was brilliant and very refreshing. It was far better than that disgusting damp smell from that corridor with the Head of the Military.
My fingers still itched for a blade to kill him with. He was a horrid human and... I tried to force those thoughts out of my head. As much as I knew they were unhealthy, they were correct.
But an extremely rare wave of emotion washed over me as I thought about what Alessandria had thought. I didn't know she cared that much about me. She didn't know it but I saw the look on her face when she saw that cut, and she wanted to protect me.
Now that was the sister I loved.
Feeling my dull blade spin slowly in my hand, I looked at mother smiling at me as she ate another bright green tartlet. It did look good. My mouth felt as if it was already tasting the sour green berries in it.
I really did want one but I forced myself to focus on mother. What was she scheming? Or more importantly, why did she need my help?
It was probably just because I'm dating Harrison and she wanted access to the Queen's Engineering department. I really wish Harrison was here. I would love to see his beautiful youthful face and that stunning blond hair parted so perfectly to the left.
The sound of mother licking her fingers drew my attention back to her.
“What scheme are you planning?” Daniel asked.
“Daniel, we haven’t seen each other in over a month. I hear there’s lots to talk about,”
“We never just talk,”
“Yes we do. I’ve always spoken to you. You always helped me scheming,”
“Yes, scheming Mother. Not just talking. Not just seeing how I am,” I said, unrolling up a piece of my sleeve. Revealing a few centimetres of my deep cuts.
She looked at my arm quickly then... it was like something changed in her. Mother looked around and when presumably she knew we were alone. Her face changed to be calmer, gentler but more loving.
Mother reached across the table to grab my hand.
I didn’t take it.
“We suffered a lot because of Justin, didn’t we?” Mother said.
I couldn’t disagree with her. My thankfully dead brother Justin was far, far worse than any criminal Alessandria had ever dealt with. The memories of him beating me almost to death danced across my mind. Then the memories of seeing him beat Mother to stop him from hurting Alessandria also showed up.
“Daniel, I do love you. Which is why I’m scheming,”
Now she had my attention.
“I think that’s the first time you’ve said that,”
Her eyes dropped to the floor for a moment.
“It is true. I am sorry I wasn’t around for the past few years. There’s a lot I keep from you and Alessandria. People want us destroyed,”
“Hence the scheming?” I asked.
“It keeps us alive. It stops people from acting on their threats,”
“Why did you choose the rehab facility you did? I suggested some better places for you,”
“I know Daniel but they didn’t have a former Inquisitorial Servant,”
My dull blade spun faster.
As we were clearly going to be talking about that horrific organisation, I definitely needed a pastry. I reached over and picked up a delicious cream filled choux bun that felt soft in my hand.
I bit into it. My mouth exploding with delicious sweet creamy flavours.
“Why do you want to talk to a former Servant?” I asked.
“Because he knew things about a certain Order of the Inquisition that we need,”
“Wait, you’re going to help me and Alessandria convince the Nobility and Inquisition to change the law?”
She quickly nodded.
Part of me couldn’t believe it. Especially when she said that changing the law to allow gays to be Lord of Noble Houses was ridiculous. What changed her mind?
“Your progress surprised me. I obviously raised two great children. It’s a defeat getting all but one Noble House so far pledged to your cause,”
I know she meant it as a compliment but concern grew in me. Mainly at the thought of still having four Inquisitorial Orders, the House of Blueheart and the Church to convince. So many vital pieces still left.
“How are you going to help?”
“Daniel, the Servant told me he kept tabs on the Order of the Blessed Earth and there’s a target proving elusive to them,”
I really hoped she wasn’t thinking what I think she was.
Mother reached for another bright red tartlet.
“So, we’re going to catch him for them,”
And she was.
As much as I admired my Mother’s courage, did she really think an Order of the Inquisition would take it well that some Nobles captured a prisoner were they failed?
Also the Order of the Blessed Earth weren’t exactly known for their kindness towards the Nobility. Especially, as they blame the nobility for attacking the ground and ripping out its organs. (I presume it’s talking about the minerals and jewels, but who knows with these Inquisitors)
“You aren’t convinced?” Mother asked.
“Well Harrison’s working so I haven’t got anything better to do,”
“Excellent, I’ll order my personal war gear to be prepared. This will be great. Fighting side by side with my son!”
A part of me really felt as if I was going to regret this!
CHAPTER 5
With boiling heat in the stables made Alessandria wipe the sweat off her forehead. This was not her idea of fun. Preparing horses inside this little brown wooden stable with four horse pens was ridiculous. It was basically a greenhouse.
Stretching her neck slightly, Alessandria almost gagged as she looked around the stables and smelt the horses and brown organic material in the pens. This is definitely why stable boys prepare the horses.
Alessandria could even feel the heat from the ground seep into her boots. This was the last time she was going to let Nemesio choose what they did next.
She had wanted to go to the library to pick up a little book she knew on magic users. But Nemesio had decided against that and that time was of the essence. She agreed, but time was useless if they were killed by a magic fireball!
Looking over at Nemesio, she had to admire his smooth elegant movements as he stroked his massive horse and prepared it for the journey ahead. Then Alessandria couldn't help herself by admiring the way his hair looked smooth and lifeful despite the heat.
She really wished her hair looked like that.
The sound of her horse sneezing reminded Alessandria that her horse was already and wanting to go.
She couldn't blame the horse. It was ridiculously hot. Normally, all the Royal and Fireheart horses would be moved up to the fields in the daytime. But these two had been given gallons of cold water in their pens in case they were needed. Thankfully they were needed.
Alessandria hated the idea of these beautiful horses being stuck in a pen all day just in case. Maybe she should get that changed somehow.
As she was done Alessandria simply stood there gently stroking the mane of her handsome horse. The horse hair feeling wiry between her fingers. And she focused on Nemesio who was still doing god knows what with his horse.
Casting her mind back she knew it had been a month since their date and she loved it. For the first time (probably ever) she had been able to relax, be herself and just talk about whatever. Instead of always having to think before she spoke in public or it might reflect badly on her House.
Then Nemesio had told her about his life and what he had had to do for the Inquisition just to survive. It... It troubled her.
She didn't know why but there was something else that stopped her from getting too close to Nemesio. She just needed to find out what.
She watched him as he stretched his beautiful back highlighting his muscles and Nemesio wandered over to Alessandria with his horse.
“Are you ready to go?” he said.
“I’m the one who was waiting for you,”
Nemesio nodded. “Do you know about this massive old oak?”
Alessandria smiled for a moment as she remembered playing on the branches and jumping off them as a child with some friends.
“Not a lot. It’s largely an old folk tale. A massive tree with so-called powers and magical creatures living inside it,” Alessandria said.
“Nonsense?”
“Nemesio, I can’t believe a former Inquisitor hasn’t encountered magical beings before,”
“True but we’re Inquisitors. We kill all those who oppose us,”
Alessandria knew he was being honest and tried to say it as a joke. Yet a memory of their date came into her mind. The time when Nemesio had told her of when he had slaughtered an entire village of innocent witches for opposing a possible threat to the former King.
The Inquisition and the Queen’s father were ridiculous in their fearful behaviour. Something Alessandria was not going to let other people do. Hence, the need to keep the righteous Queen on the throne, no matter the cost.
Whilst Nemesio jumped on his horse, Alessandria saw him look at something behind her. Turning around Alessandria smiled a little as she saw Harrison’s rather pleasing slightly muscular frame and his pleasantly thick blond hair. She knew Harrison was dating her brother, but a woman could dream. And in all honesty she was happy for Daniel to find such a beautiful man.
Then a part of her felt immense guilt for even remotely admiring Harrison, but she really wanted to look at Nemesio. Alessandria needed to sort out these feelings but she had a much more important job to do first.
“Alexis, can I talk to you for a moment?” Harrison asked.
“Ride ahead Nemesio. I’ll catch up,”
“Really? I’m too quick for you,”
“Go. I’m riding a Fireheart horse. Very fast. Now go. I must talk to Harrison,”
Seeing Nemesio and his horse thunder off out of the stable, Alessandria turned back to Harrison.
“Have you seen Daniel at all?” Harrison asked.
“No, not really. I saw him earlier in passing. Why?”
Harrison paused.
“Harrison, Daniel loves you and you are basically family. You can talk to me,”
“It’s just that Danny hasn’t been home for about a week and it feels like he’s been avoiding me,”
Alessandria cocked her head.
Now it wasn’t that she didn’t believe Harrison but Daniel was devoted to Harrison. The idea of Daniel avoiding Harrison seemed farfetched at best.
“I saw Daniel the other day. Maybe five days ago and he was talking about you constantly. Saying how great you were,” Alessandria said.
Harrison smiled at that.
“I know he’s been busy preparing a project and to meet the new Head of the Military. Maybe it’s that. Just remember that Daniel loves you more than anything,”
Harrison nodded.
“If I see him, I’ll tell him you want to see him. I think we both know autism can make people a little fixated on a project,” Alessandria said.
“Thank you. I know I’m probably being silly but thank you,” Harrison said before walking away.
Alessandria knew her horse made a sound but she just stood there for a moment. This wasn’t right. She hadn’t lied when she said Daniel was devoted to Harrison. Yet Daniel would never avoid Harrison. Not after what happened to them, and the years together they missed out on.
Whatever was going on, Alessandria would find out. That was a promise. This time she would protect her brother.
CHAPTER 6
Well, when dear Mother told me, Daniel Fireheart, we were going to a village on the outskirts of Ordericous, I wasn't quite expecting this place.
It was impossible not to judge this place as I tied up my horse to a large wooden pole at the entrance of the village.
Looking around I saw thick mud covering the ground and the twenty wooden round huts with their domed thatch roofs littered the village with a chaotic pattern. It was almost like someone decided to throw up huts and see where they landed.
It was hardly attractive so I suppose there was no better hideout for a target of the Inquisition.
Multiple men and women covered in muddy clothes walked about chatting and doing their daily business. Well, I say walking- they were strolling about pointlessly. I hate it when people do that. Either you walk with purpose or you don't walk at all. Or that's just the autism in me talking. I love structure and purpose.
