Anastasia (The Bolton Series Book 1) Read online

  About a hundred of elves, fairies, goblins, centaurs and some I didn’t know surrounded us. Most of them smiled at us when we passed by and bowed their heads slightly. Others looked as if they would like nothing better than to see my head on a stick in their yards.

  A male centaur came out of the crowd and walked beside me and a female flanked the opposite side of Cabel as if they were escorting us. The man looked straight ahead making sure everyone was out of our way while the female seemed to be doing the same but her brown eyes would occasionally twitch to where I rode. I could tell that she was ordered to only escort us into town and nothing more.

  The farther we got into the village the more the shacks disappeared to be replaced with cabins much like my home. Different creatures appeared the closer we got to the center. These were the more human looking creatures so I could not really tell what they were. Maybe werewolves or even witches, it was hard to tell.

  The center of the village was one huge marketplace. Everyone had become silent as we walked though. Almost everyone bowed to us. It must have been because of Cabel. He had to be an important man.

  We rode on our horses until we reached the other end on the village. Before us stood the biggest building I had yet to see on Bolton. It stood three stories high was just as wide. It looked like something out of a fairy tale.

  Blue vines crawled their way up the walls nearly covering some of the windows. Each corner of what I assumed to be the palace had a small circler tower giving it a medieval look. Two heavy looking wooden doors marked the entrance to the magnificent building.

  The centaurs escorted our horses away, hopefully to a barn, while Cabel took me inside. I didn’t know what I was expecting but it was not what I saw. It was as if we were back on Earth. Modern day furniture decorated the living area we entered and continued into the dining room and kitchen. There were halls everywhere. I would definitely be getting lost going through some of those.

  Off the kitchen in the back was a study. Bookcases lined two walls and I could not help but think that Simon would have loved this room. A dark wood desk lay in the middle with two gray chairs in front of it.

  “Please sit, Anastasia.” Cabel walked around the desk and sat on the huge black chair. I took off my bag and placed it at my feet. “I know there are questions you wish to ask but I must establish some ground rules first. One, you will not leave this building without your guard.”

  He could not be serious. They could not just keep me locked up in this place forever. And what is this about a guard? I shouldn’t need a guard if this place was as safe as he made it out to be.

  “Two,” he continued. “You will listen to anything either I or Master Kai asks of you. Three, you are only allowed on the main and second floor. If you are ever caught in the basement or third floor I will have no choice but to have your guard with you at all times. Do you understand?” He asked looking straight at me. His voice went from soft to hard in seconds. The man who saved me from the basement no longer seemed to be around. The one who replaced him was the boss. He obviously wanted to make sure I knew that.

  “Yes,” I nodded.

  “Great.” Cabel pressed a button on the far corner of the desk. A minute later, there was a knock on the door. “Come in.”

  A man entered the door. He was a few years older than me. His clothes were pretty plain, contrasting deeply with his face. He was lean and perhaps well built under the heavy coat he wore. His gray eyes caught mine, piquing with sudden interest. He gave me the most heart melting smile before he looked to Cabel.

  “Anastasia, I would like you to meet Yelson. He will be your guard until I say otherwise.”

  “Why do I need a body guard? Won’t I be safe here?” Yelson’s smile faltered at my question as if he was hurt by it. I did not understand why he would be. As I looked into his eyes again, they held a hint of something I couldn't quite place; protectiveness? A dark past maybe?

  “Of course you are but we can never be too safe.” Cabel’s smile seemed forced, different from the one worn by Yelson just seconds ago.

  “Calhoun is expecting you, sir.” His deep voice traveled across the room causing goose bumps on my arms.

  “Can you show Anastasia to her room please?” Cabel did not wait for an answer before he walked out of the study.

  Yelson chuckled; obviously, he was used to this action. I felt a smile spread across my face as well. It was the first laugh I have heard for what seemed like days. I could listen to that sound for hours. I could feel the blood rush to my cheeks when I saw him looking at me. Yelson’s eyes glistened in the dim light of the room.

  He held out his hand for me. I looked over it. His tanned skin looked rough from a life of tough work but when I held it, it was a smooth as could be. His strong hand pulled me up from the chair within inches from him. My head reached the top his muscular chest. His musky scent filled my lungs and my senses causing my head to spin.

  “Ready?” He whispered. I looked up into his gray eyes and nodded. Yelson squeezed my hand before letting it go and grabbed my pack. He motioned for me to follow him. My mind was still trying to figure out what happened that I did not notice the three people in the kitchen.

  “Oh,” a young girl gasped and jumped out of her seat. Her light blue hair was pulled into a tight ponytail. Her eyes were the same color as her hair and glistened in the fading sunlight. She absently moved her hands to flatten her white dress.

  A girl about my age was already standing next to her. Long purple hair flowed down her back in perfect curls. I couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped my mouth when she turned toward me. Her purple eyes caused my heart to soar. She was a Strega, just like my family.

  There was also someone grabbing something from the fridge all I could see was his or her hand. The black painted fingernails lead me to believe it was a woman.

  “Guy’s, I want you to meet Anastasia Miller.” To my surprise, a man poked his head out of the fridge at the sound of Yelson’s voice to look at me. His brown eyes and boyish face smiled at me before biting into an apple.

  “Please call me Annie. I really don’t like it when people call me Anastasia,” I smiled at everyone.

  “My name is Arabella,” the young girl exclaimed as she sat back into her chair. Her eyes stayed focused on me causing me to fidget with the hem of my shirt. I wasn’t use to people staring at me.

  “Emilie and he,” Emilie said pointing to the man who was still staring at me with the apple in his hand. “Is Weldon.”

  Weldon nodded in acknowledgment as his eyes traveled over my body. I wanted to hide behind a wall at his stare. I was not used to such looks. It was surreal. No guy had ever looked at me like that. I was always the quiet, plain girl. There was never anything special about me other than my eyes. Their extra blue tint always got compliments.

  “Are you hungry?” Yelson asked as he walked around me. I could feel the heat that radiated off him like a furnace.

  “No, thank you. I am just a bit tired. We didn’t really get a restful night’s sleep.” My mind went back to the night before, to sleeping in a thin, cold, sleeping bag on top of hard weeds and dirt.

  “I can show you to your room.” Weldon replied from across the kitchen. His eye’s still held that glint in them and his face still wore that hungry smile.

  “That’s alright Weldon, I can do it.” The edge in Yelson’s voice got Weldon to back down from his offer. I could see Emilie smirk at the exchange before she smiled at me. Arabella still stared at me in awe.

  I said my goodbyes and followed Yelson back to the living area and into the hallway off the left side of the room by one of the staircases.

  There were four doors lining the right side and three on the left. Yelson walked to the second to last door on the right and opened it. A four-poster bed with light blue bedding was in the middle of the room, an antique dresser was on the right, and a matching vanity was on the left. It was plain and I oddly liked it, it wasn’t as if I would be staying there long.


  “The bathroom is across the hall. My room is next door at the end of the hall so if you need anything just let me know.”

  “Thank you Yelson.” I grabbed my pack from him and closed the door when he walked away.

  I stared at the room. This is where I would be living until I find my family, and I would find them. Tomorrow I will talk to Cabel about it. Ask him about Daruka and why he wants me dead. Tomorrow I would get my answers.

  I grabbed the book Simon had packed for me. It was about zombies, of course. Simon could not get enough of those books. I spent the rest of the day reading until my body called for sleep. However, that sleep did not come easily.

  “Dad?” My father looked up at my voice. I gasped in horror when I saw his eyes. They were all white, lifeless, yet dark. His once smiling face crumbled in ashes before my eyes. The invisible fire ate away at his body, leaving nothing in its wake.

  “Annie, run.” Simon’s voice bounded within my head. I searched for my brother around the endless black room but he was nowhere in sight. “Just run!”

  My body started moving without my consent. Almost as if someone else was commanding it.

  I ran farther away from the smoldering ashes of my father. I ran into the nothingness before me, not knowing where I would be running too. I trusted my brother enough to know he would not send me to my death. He was saving me, even if I could not see who or what he was saving me from.

  A small light appeared to my right. I followed it until it grew into a giant orb floating in front of me. The mist that glided inside looked to be searching for a way out. Slowly it found its way through the top. It moved over to envelope me in its embrace. My body froze as it tightened around me as a boa constrictor would with its prey. It tightened itself until I was gasping for breath. My lungs burned for air but I still could not move.

  “Just let it happen, Annie.” Simon? Was he doing this? Was he trying to end my life? “You can be with us if you just let it happen.”

  I shook my head back and forth. No, this is not real. Simon would never tell me to end my own life.

  Someone shook me awake from my nightmare. I shot up and looked around at the unfamiliar room until my eyes landed on Yelson. A look of worry was plaster all over his face.

  “What are you doing here?” I croaked barely getting a sound out as my throat was dry and sore.

  “You were screaming. I wasn’t sure what was happening so I woke you.” He looked me over. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, it was just a nightmare.” I replied quickly falling back into the bed. I took a few deep breaths to help calm my racing heart.

  What had I just seen? I had never had a dream like that before. It scared the living right out of me.

  “A pretty bad one I’m guessing,” he whispered. I looked over at him. His eyes concentrated on a space just above my head.

  “I’m just not used to having them,” I replied. I never really had a bad dream before. At least nothing as bad as that. My arm wiped away the sweat from my forehead.Gross.

  “Neither was I when they first started coming.” I looked at him in shock. Yelson did not seem like the one to have nightmares. He seemed as if nothing could scare him.

  “How did you get over it?” I whispered still under the covers of the bed.

  “I haven’t,” he whispered. His eyes closed as he took a deep, shaky, breath. “I probably never will.”

  I stared at him in silence. A strong man that I barely knew seemed to be sharing something with me that he never shared with anyone else. The thought scared me. I have never been good with making people feel better. All I really do is listen to them. Simon told me that sometimes that was what people needed, just someone to listen to them.

  “I’ll leave you alone now that I know you’re okay.” He started to move towards the door but I stopped him. I grabbed his wrist and tried to pull him back but my weak arms could barely move him.

  “Could you stay with me? Just for a little longer,” I pleaded with him when I let go of his wrist. “I don’t want to be alone right now.”

  “Of course.” He sat down at the chair that went with my mirror. His eyes wondered the room never settling on one thing for more than a few seconds.

  I wondered what species he was. He could be a warlock but I had never heard of one with gray eyes like his. He could be Conriocht, werewolf, but they were nomads and only like to be with their own kind. If he was a wolf he would go crazy living here. Yelson finally looked at me and did not at all seem weird out that I was staring at him.

  “I thought you were going to go to sleep.” His smooth voice traveled over my body helping me to forget my nightmare.

  “I can’t,” I admitted and bunched up the covers closer to my body. It seemed like I had just realized I was in my pajamas and Yelson could see. There wasn’t much to see as my zebra print pants and tank covered most of my body.

  “Is there anything I can do to help?” His eyes search my face. I found myself blushing again. I did not get why I was, he was just looking at me but there was something different about him. He seemed to affect me more than any other man had before. I didn’t know why but I just knew it couldn’t lead to anything. I had to focus on getting my family back not on some guy.

  “Not unless you can control my dreams,” I sighed closing my eyes. The dream began to replay behind my closed lids so I quickly opened them back up. There was no way I was going to go back to sleep anytime soon.

  “Not my area of expertise.” I figured. “But I could help distract you.”

  “How?” I asked sitting up from the bed.

  “I’m not sure,” he lightly laughed. The sound brought happiness to me and I found myself smiling. It caused his smile to grow even more.

  “How old are you?” I decided to ask. A few questions should help my mind forget about the dream. Also I would be able to learn more about this man who was my guard.

  “Twenty four.”

  “Favorite food?”

  “Anything fried.”

  “Ah my brother too. His favorite was fried green tomatoes.” I smiled of a memory of Simon making the tomatoes. He would always let me help him fry them but I always burnt them. I could feel the tears return but quickly choked them down.

  “What are you?” I decided to ask Yelson to keep me distracted. His laughing eyes suddenly grew dark as they looked away from me.

  “You should really try to get some sleep.” He said dismissing my question.

  “Yelson, I want to know what you are. You’re my guard, how can I walk around everywhere with you and not know who is protecting me.”

  “You don’t need to know that. All you need to know is that I would do anything for you no matter what I am.” Yelson stood up from the chair and started to walk to the door.

  “You don’t even know me. Why would you want to protect me?” He looked at me as if I was missing some huge picture.

  “I do know you, Anastasia.” He whispered, so low I almost missed it, before he turned around and left my room.

  Chapter Five

  He could not possible know me I had just met him a few hours ago. He seemed so sure of it though. The way his jaw tensed up before he said those five words. Even though he was looking at the floor I was able to see that his gray eyes grew hard. It was easy to tell he meant what he was saying. Even if I did not believe it myself.

  I decided to grab my pack off the floor where I left it and took out my spell book. I turned to the page after the binding spell I had memorized just days before. The next spell was a defensive one.

  The description that was hand written underneath it said that this spell would cast a force field around whomever I direct it towards, even myself. It was a simple incantation, not nearly as long as the spell before it. I knew I would have it memorized in a short time period.

  I put my book into the top drawer closest to the bed. I placed my small amount of clothing on top of it to hide it from view. I did not want anyone to know I had it even if I could trust these p
eople.

  I grabbed the hairbrush and toothbrush out of the bag, as well as a change of clothing when I finally noticed I was still in my pajamas from the night before and made my way to the bathroom across the hall. From the hall window, I was able to see the sun was starting to rise.

  The claw-footed tub was the first thing I noticed when I entered the bathroom. It reminded me of the one my family had when we lived in Las Vegas when I was seven. Mom would fill it with water always at the right temperature and would add bubbles just for me. I smiled as the memory passed.

  I missed my mom. I missed my family. The tears forced their way down my cheeks, warping my vision until everything was just a blurry mess. I grabbed onto the sink as I cried to keep me from falling.

  Why couldn’t they just let those men take me? I was all they wanted, they wouldn’t have hurt them. I wasn’t worth all three of their lives, heck I wasn’t even worth one. I just needed my family to be safe. Even if that meant I would be gone.

  “Are you okay in there?” A woman asked through the door at the sound of my crying. It was Emilie.

  I cleared my throat before I replied. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  “It doesn’t sound like you are.” I was half-tempted to open the door and tell her I was lying. I needed someone’s shoulder to cry on, for someone to comfort me. However, I could not let her see me like this.

  My reflection showed the bags underneath my eyes that had deepened the past couple of days. My eyes were puffy and red from my crying, my blond hair was in a matted mess and my cheeks were stained with my tears. No, I could not let her see me like this.

  “My room is the first one in the hallway if you want to talk about it, or even if you just don’t want to be alone. All you gotta do is knock.”

  “Thank you, Emilie.” I said through the door.

  “No problem. I just want you to feel at home.” But this was not my home. It never could be. This place was just a reminder that my family was gone. Her footsteps echoed down the hall until a door opened and closed.