Chapter 23
Scarlet tapped impatiently against the wall. It had been three hours since Jacob had given his answer, and over forty minutes since Corazon had been forced to leave her side. She had continued the watch for General Violet and General Constantine alone. Corazon had said he would return as soon as he had taken care of some duties. He hadn’t expected the generals to take so long to arrive. Neither had she. She was beginning to wonder if they were ever going to show up.
She hoped they would.
She had put on her best uniform and fixed her appearance because she would be a part of the greeting party. She wanted to look her best when she greeted General Violet and General Constantine. The last time she had seen General Violet, she had been painfully aware of how beautiful she was and how plain she had looked in comparison. This time, she wanted the general to see just how pretty she was and that Corazon was hers.
It wasn’t just that which had made her change into her finest clothes. After seeing Jacob, she had thought about how cruelly he had tortured her and the things he had told her. For some reason, washing and changing into her best uniform had made her feel a lot better. It had also garnered her a lot more attention from Corazon.
He had let her use his quarters to wash in and had shown no sign of leaving her while she bathed. She had used the time to talk about everything that was on her mind, but Corazon hadn’t heard half of what she’d had to say. He had spent most of the time staring at her and the wooden tub, even though she had made sure that the soapy bubbles had hidden her body. She had done it out of shyness and a desire to get his attention away from her nudity. In the end, it had only made him stare even more. Perhaps he had been desperate for a glimpse, so hungry to see her body that he would willingly wait until every bubble disappeared. She had flashed her bare back at him when she had stepped out of the tub. It had earned her kisses that had made her heart burn with fire and it was only when she had reminded him that he was on duty that he had finally released her.
Now she stood on the East Wall, staring at the forest below, waiting.
The moon was nowhere to be seen tonight. The weather was getting warmer and drier every day. She was glad the snow was gone. Now when she was assigned to the wall, she wouldn’t freeze.
She tugged her cloak closed around her and sighed into the darkness.
“Any sign of them,” Corazon said close to her elbow.
Scarlet looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. He looked handsome tonight, more so than usual. He was wearing his best dress uniform and the fine black material and cut of it emphasised his figure and how tall he was. She noticed that he’d had his hair cut and stepped towards him. Her fingers brushed down the newly cut sides and back of his hair, delighting in how soft it felt beneath them.
A slight smile bowed his mouth.
“No sign at all,” she said and trailed her fingers down his neck. Her eyes fell to the marks there. Her marks. They were still prominent. The collar of his jacket did nothing to hide them. “Do you think they’ll arrive soon?”
His brow rose and he took hold of her hand, bringing it away from his neck and to his lips. He pressed a kiss to it and then lowered it towards his chest.
“Patience, Scarlet,” he said and then tilted his head to one side. “Someone is coming.”
Scarlet frowned and closed her eyes, shutting everything out so she could focus on her hearing and try to pick up what Corazon had heard. She couldn’t hear anything. She was still too young to have senses as keen as his were and her focus kept slipping to her hand and his fingers that were locked around it. It felt so comforting to have him holding her hand, to be so close to him at last. It made her feel as though everything she had endured had been worth it. No price was too great if it meant she had Corazon and he loved her.
“You are not paying attention,” he said with an air of impatience.
She opened her eyes and stared at their hands. “It’s a little hard when...”
A horse neighed in the distance.
Scarlet raised her eyes to meet Corazon’s. There was no anger in them. There was only affection and understanding. He squeezed her hand and then drew her towards him.
“I know only too well how difficult it is to concentrate sometimes, especially when you are nearby,” he whispered into her ear.
Scarlet lowered her head, tilting it away from him and closing her eyes.
It was still strange to have him speak so intimately with her and tell her his feelings. She didn’t think that she would ever get used to it. In her mind, she would always expect him to be the composed and steadfast captain she had always known. These outbursts of emotion were always going to affect her deeply.
She breathed in slowly when he kissed her neck, his lips brushing her skin and making it tingle.
“You’re on duty,” she whispered and he groaned at the reminder.
She didn’t want him to stop, but she knew how important his duty was to him. He would never forgive himself if something happened when he wasn’t paying attention or was breaking the rules. She ran her hand down his right arm and slipped her fingers into his palm. Raising it towards her, she pushed the sleeve back a little to reveal the marks that ended just above his wrist. Her fingertips traced them.
He had sought out a witch in order to get these marks. He had gone to great lengths to ensure that he would always be able to protect those he loved. It was because of these marks that he had been able to protect her, though she had no doubt in her mind that he would have been able to protect her without them too. These marks were a symbol of his dedication to his friends and comrades. They were a sign of his dedication to his duty. That dedication was something she had always admired in him. She wished she could be as strong as he was and as brave. The battle that lay ahead of them petrified her. She feared for her own safety. She feared for his.
He caught her hand and held it, tight enough that she looked at him.
She stared into his eyes, not hiding her turbulent feelings. He touched her cheek and smiled at her, a small reassuring one that spoke of his feelings for her. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her. He was back now. He would protect her.
The gate on the North Wall opened.
Her eyes didn’t leave his, not when the sound of horses’ hooves on the hard garrison floor came to her ears or when the gate closed again.
“The generals are here,” she said, still staring into his eyes.
“Come then,” he said, voice husky and low. His hand slipped into hers, holding it tight, and he led her towards the steps. She followed him down them and across the courtyard to where the generals had dismounted.
Scarlet stepped out from behind Corazon and looked at the generals when Corazon’s hand left hers. She came up beside him and straightened. General Violet looked at her, a smile curving her lips as she removed her black and silver helmet. Her long blonde hair came tumbling down around her shoulders. She ran her fingers through it until the soft waves curled around each other. She was as beautiful as Scarlet remembered.
She had never seen General Constantine before, but had heard great things about him. He was one of the strongest soldiers they had and a great strategist. Corazon was second to only him in that department. Her eyes took General Constantine in when he stepped away from his black horse, removing his equally as black helmet and tucking it under his arm. He was far younger than she had expected. He looked barely older than twenty but felt older than Corazon. The wavy tendrils of his black hair were tousled on top of his head, some grazing his forehead. The sides of his hair were cut short, as close cropped as Corazon’s. In fact, she could see a lot of Corazon in this man.
Corazon cleared his throat.
She remembered what she was supposed to be doing and stepped forwards.
“General Constantine, General Violet,” she said with a small bow in each of their directions, “it is an honour to have you here at fourth garrison. The seventh company welcomes you.”
Nerves ate her stomach up as she met their eyes. They both stared at her, their expressions emotionless. General Violet lowered her head slightly in return, a smile gracing her lips.
General Constantine stepped forwards and looked down at her. For a moment, she thought he was going to speak. Instead, he bowed low and then straightened, staring at her again.
“Your name, soldier.”
She saluted him and desperately tried to keep her hand from trembling. She didn’t want him to know that she was nervous. She wanted him to see a strong soldier.
“Corporal Scarlet of Seventh Company, lead archer, sir.”
He smiled, exposing perfect white teeth. She got the startling impression she amused him. His dark eyes never left hers.
“Corazon,” he said in a commanding tone. She held the frown at bay. He hadn’t given Corazon his title.
“Yes, my sire.” There was submission in Corazon’s voice.
She looked at him, seeing it in his eyes also. This man was Corazon’s sire?
“I was most disappointed when you turned down the position,” General Constantine said and she could see the emotion he spoke of in the hard planes of his face. “I had been pleased that one of my children were worthy of such a position... you disappointed me and—”
“With good reason, Constantine... remember that.” General Violet cut him off, her hand coming to rest lightly on General Constantine’s arm.
He looked at her, a frown creasing his brows and a look in his eyes that said he didn’t know what she was talking about. A second later, his eyes slid to Scarlet and he ran them over her. Scarlet kept still under his scrutiny. She was definitely missing something.
Corazon stepped closer to her. She looked up at him. There was fire in his eyes again. What position had he turned down and why? Was it because of her?
“Where is your child, Corazon?” General Constantine said.
“Troy is off duty tonight.”
“Your child is off duty and rather than bring him, you bring a young corporal? This is no way to greet me. A corporal? I expected more from you Corazon. You disappoint me at every turn. A corporal? She may as well be a private. A corporal has no right to speak to me. You have no right to fall for—”
Scarlet frowned and stepped forwards. “Forgive my impertinence, General Constantine, but I volunteered to greet you and General Violet.”
“Corporal Scarlet is a fine soldier, one worthy of great things.” General Violet touched Constantine’s shoulder again. “You will see in time and come to respect her. She may be young, but she was born a soldier.”
“Is that so?” The darkness in General Constantine’s voice made Scarlet frown harder.
Corazon stepped up to be beside her, closer now, so his hand was brushing hers. It gave her some comfort and strength. She hadn’t expected to be greeted by General Constantine like this. Did he know what was happening between her and his child? Did he disapprove of her as he disapproved of Corazon’s decision to refuse a promotion?
“Corporal Scarlet is the finest archer in all of Seventh Company and has endured much these past months in the name of our cause. She withstood torture by the humans along with First Lieutenant Troy. Do not judge her by her age or appearance, but by the things she does, sire.” There was venom in that last word. Wasn’t Corazon pleased to see his sire?
Scarlet stared at the floor, remembering what Corazon had said once.
He had no desire to see his family again.
“Your quarters have been arranged,” Scarlet said, trying to fill the heavy silence as the two men stared at each other. “I am sure the journey must have left you tired.”
Neither of them seemed to hear her. She looked at General Violet. The general shook her head and shrugged.
“I have duties to attend to. If you will excuse me.” Corazon bowed and walked away.
Scarlet didn’t know what to say now. She could feel General Constantine looking at her.
“Your quarters have been arranged,” she said again.
“I know that! I heard you the first time.” General Constantine looked down at her, his eyes darker than ever. She didn’t like the look in them. They reproached her when she had done nothing wrong. Did he blame her for Corazon’s decision to refuse whatever position they had offered him?
“General Constantine is tired. Forgive his rudeness, Corporal Scarlet. It has been a long and taxing journey,” General Violet said, moving so she was between them.
Scarlet was grateful for her support.
“We know the way to the guest quarters. I believe you may have other matters to attend to, more important than pandering to our needs.” General Violet grabbed Constantine’s arm and led him away.
She watched them go, and then turned towards Corazon’s quarters. She did have more important matters to attend to. She needed to find Corazon and speak with him about what just happened. He needed her support now.
He wasn’t in his quarters so she tried the wall. She walked all around it until she reached the East Wall. It was fast becoming their section.
Walking along it, Scarlet approached him slowly. He was leaning forwards against the wall, staring into the distance at the mountains and the fifth and second garrisons.
She leaned against the wall beside him, close enough that their hips were touching. Her hand covered his, offering silent support. He would speak when he was ready. She could wait all night for him.
His other hand covered hers where she held his. His thumb brushed the back of her hand, softly and tenderly. She could sense the barest thread of his feelings. He wasn’t happy.
“He had no right to say those things about you,” Corazon said, his eyes never leaving the far mountains.
“He is a general. I believe he can think what he likes of me,” Scarlet said and looked at Corazon, her eyes tracing his profile. He was upset. It touched her heart that he had defended her, especially so because he had defended her against not only a general but his sire.
“I could have been one too.” He sighed and then frowned. “He would not have dared speak of you that way if I had taken that promotion.”
“To a general?” she said and he looked at her. He nodded. In his eyes was the answer to the next question, but she wanted to hear him say it. “Why didn’t you?”
His hand squeezed hers. “I was ready to, until the day I met you.”
“You turned it down because of me? That’s insane...”
“Is it?” He raised her hand and held it close to his chest. “You must understand. If I had taken the position, I would have been posted far away from you, in leadership of a different set of companies. We never would have seen each other again.”
Her shoulders sagged with the thought of that. He had turned down an opportunity to become a general because it would have torn them apart. She never would have seen him again. They never would have known what it was to be with each other. Tears filled her eyes at that thought and the memories that came back to her. So many times they had almost been torn apart, whether by death or by duty. Before she could even look at Corazon, he had pulled her into his arms and was holding her.
“I will never leave you, Scarlet. Of that, you can be sure. As long as being a general means being taken from you, I will always turn it down. I am happiest here, by your side, as your captain and your lover.”
Scarlet buried her face into his neck and held him tight, closing her eyes. She didn’t want him to leave either. She was glad that he hadn’t taken the general’s position, but knew it must have hurt him to turn it down. He had sacrificed it for her. She couldn’t find the words to thank him.
She sighed against his throat.
“I’m sorry I disappoint your sire,” she whispered.
Corazon pulled back and cupped her cheek, his frown intense as he looked at her. His eyes searched hers and he gave her a tender smile.
“Do not worry about him. I do not care what he thinks, and neither should you.”
“Is he the reason you didn’t want to take leave?” she said and his frown returned. He looked confused. “You said that you didn’t want to see your family again.”
His fingers slipped from her cheek and his look turned distant.
“My sire demands that his children prove themselves. Many have died attempting to please him. I refused to. When it became clear what he expected of me, I chose to follow my own path and keep my distance from him.” He pressed his palms against the cold stone of the wall and looked away from her at the mountains. “I followed my heart and became a captain. I gave no thought to how my rank might please him, or how my turning down the opportunity to become a general would have displeased him. I thought only of myself.”
“It must be hard to have a sire who expects so much of you,” she said and leaned forwards against the wall, resting her chin on her crossed arms. “But at the same time it must be nice to know they care about their children.”
He said nothing but she could sense him watching her. She stifled her tears and held them back.
“I wish you were my sire,” she whispered into the night.
He placed a hand lightly on her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“You don’t know who turned you?”
She shook her head.
“It wasn’t consensual then?” His voice was soft and comforting. Could he feel the pain it caused her to remember her turning? It tore her up inside to think about it, to recall that dark night when she had strayed too far from the village and had met her end.
“I woke up in the villages,” she said, holding back her tears. “I don’t know who turned me. I just remember waking up there and someone telling me what had happened and that they’d found me in the forest. The vampires there were very kind to me. They taught me everything I needed to know, as though I was one of their own.”
“Is that why you chose to join the army?” he said. She was glad he wasn’t pushing her in any way. She had never spoken about this to anyone and she just needed to say it all and get it out into the open. Maybe then, she could start to heal her past and come to terms with it.
“Yes.” She nodded and straightened up, turning to face him. “The people were so kind to me and when I was given the chance to join the army, I realised I had a chance to protect those people and repay them.”
“Very noble,” he said with a small smile. “We both want to protect those who have been kind to us.”
“Only I’m not as strong as you, and I don’t have a tattoo that will give me that strength. Where did you get it again?” She smiled sweetly, wondering if he would tell her.
He laughed. “I am not about to let you go venturing off into the wilderness in search of the witch that gave me this.”
He held his hand up and drew his sleeve back to reveal the marks.
“Is that an order from my captain?”
“In part, yes.”
“And the rest?” Scarlet stepped up to him until she had to look up in order to see his eyes.
He placed his hands on her waist. “The rest comes from your lover.”
She smiled at the way he had said that. He was her lover. It was something she had never imagined happening, but it was something that made her feel warm inside and happy. It lessened the pain of her past.
When she looked into his eyes, she could still see a trace of his own pain there. She slowly raised her hand and skimmed her fingers down his cheek. The torchlight was warm against his features, softening them but heightening the contrast of them at the same time. His eyes were black in the low light, his hair so dark that it melted into the night sky. The dress uniform he wore made him fade into the night too. She brought her hands down and placed them over his, holding them against her waist. He needed to talk, but she got the impression that if she didn’t anchor him here, he would run away the moment she spoke.
“Why do you hate General Constantine and your family?”
Corazon frowned and leaned back, away from her, as though trying to evade that question. He tried to take his hands back but she held him firm. Her thumbs caressed his in an attempt to comfort him and reassure him that he could speak to her. She wanted to hear about his past. She wanted to understand him and help him heal too.
She swallowed. Her next question became stuck in her throat and she didn’t think she had the strength to voice it. It demanded to be said though. Her heart begged her to say it.
“Was she his child too?”
He snatched his hands back and she frowned at the sudden cold and empty feeling that filled her. His look was dark and menacing, all sign of affection wiped from it by her question. She stepped towards him but he backed off, into the wall. He glared at her. She moved back a step, giving him the space he clearly needed. She wouldn’t push him. When he had mentioned his past love in the cave that night, she had heard all the pain in his voice and felt it inside him. She knew that it hurt him to think about the woman he had lost. She was grasping at straws with her question, but it was the only logical conclusion that she had drawn. There had to be a reason he hated his sire and his family and his lost love fitted the bill perfectly.
He turned and walked away. Convinced that he would leave, she was relieved when he turned back around and paced towards her. He looked at her as he stopped in front of her, close but still too far away for her to feel comforted. She wanted him close again, wanted to feel his hands against her and see his love for her in his eyes. She needed the reassurance that she hadn’t upset him and pushed him away.
“She was his child... his favourite,” he whispered and ran his fingers over his hair. “She did everything to please him. We were turned at almost the same time, I barely a year before her. I witnessed her ceaseless desire to please her master and it sickened me. I wanted her for my own. I wanted to free us both.”
He paced a short distance away and then came back again. When he did, all anger was gone from his eyes. There was only sadness and pain in them now. She could sense those feelings in him.
“What happened?” she said, gently encouraging him to speak. She wasn’t going to rush him. He needed her support right now, not her pushing him.
He leaned his back against the wall, resting his elbows on it and staring down into the courtyard of the garrison.
Her eyes remained locked on his face.
“When the war began, he demanded his children join the army and distinguish themselves. He was immediately enlisted as a captain. She was in the same company as me and thankfully it wasn’t his. We were posted a long way from him, at the third garrison. It was Hell, and she wasn’t strong enough to be there. She was too young.” He glanced at her and she got the impression he thought she was too young as well.
“I’m strong,” she whispered with a smile. “I can handle myself.”
“I know, but the similarities are there. I did everything in my power to protect her, and over time, she became stronger, but still not strong enough. I excelled and Constantine’s attention was turned to me. I refused to do as he bid. I was free now and was going to follow my heart. Gradually her feelings for me grew to match my own and we...”
She frowned at the way he looked at her, with regret and fear in his eyes.
“Became lovers,” she said for him, showing him that the thought of him loving another no longer hurt her. He loved her now. His heart was wholly hers. “It was a long time ago, Corazon. I can handle it.”
“You can handle a lot apparently, but it does not mean that you do not get hurt.”
There was truth in his words. She had handled being turned, Corazon’s apparent death and being tortured by the humans, but all had wounded her deeply, leaving scars on her heart that would always remain.
“Why do you hate him?” she said.
“Because he made her the way she was, always looking to distinguish herself and please him, regardless of the danger it placed her in. I hold him partly responsible for her death.”
It was understandable. Her desire to prove her worth to Constantine had probably driven her to try to do things beyond her capability. Corazon had said that his old love had grown stronger but still not strong enough. Did he think that she was still weak too? Was she strong enough in his eyes?
He hadn’t told her to remain at the garrison when the army left to fight the vampires from the next territory. Did that mean that he thought she was strong enough to be a soldier now?
“This night seems long,” she whispered up at the sky and then brought her eyes down to meet Corazon’s, “because I fear tomorrow.”
He intimated for her to come closer and she settled against his side, her stomach pressing into his hip. Her arms snaked around his waist as his came to settle around her shoulders. He pressed a kiss to her hair.
“There is nothing to fear, Scarlet,” he whispered so quiet that she barely heard him. “When tomorrow comes I will be there at your side. I will not let anything happen to you and neither will Troy. We will see to it that you come through this battle to see the dawn of a new age.”
She closed her eyes and settled her cheek against his chest.
“Corazon?”
“Yes?” he said and she looked up at him.
“Aren’t you afraid that you’ll lose control if I’m there and something happens to me?” she said, testing the waters. “Wouldn’t you prefer me to remain here where it will be safe?”
He smiled down at her. “Do not take me for a fool, Scarlet. I would have you miles away from battle if I thought it wouldn’t hurt you and we didn’t need you. You are a strong fighter and skilled too but that does not mean I don’t desire to protect you. I need you in this battle but that does not mean I will put you at risk. I will not cage you and lock you away. I will not stifle your desire to fight and be at my side. It would only hurt you. Instead, I will keep you close to me and keep you safe. I will not take my eyes off you until this is over and we have the peace we so thoroughly deserve.”
She closed her eyes when he kissed her forehead.
“Do not fear tomorrow,” he whispered against it and she leaned into his touch, seeking its comfort and reassurance. “I will not let anything happen to you.”
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