The Key (#1 of Anna Kippling Series) Paranormal romance by A.D. Duling (7 page)

“Hello!” Corrine called out to them, “I’ve
brought you two a picnic!”

Anna went to go join her, but Hayden grabbed
her arm. “Just a couple more times Anna and then we can break for
lunch.” He persuaded.

“But my fingers hurt, Hayden!” she
whined.

His face tensed a little, “Fine. Then how
about we practice a little with the swords then?” he suggested and
walked over to his bag to get them.

“
Oh come on Hayden! I’m
hungry! Let’s have lunch first and then we can practice the
swords!” she yelled to him.

He pulled out the swords and carried them
back.

“Did you hear me?” she asked him.

He nodded, “I did.”

He handed her one of the swords and she
reluctantly took it. “Now grip the handle tightly in your hands
like this.” He showed her.

She glanced over to where Corrine was
setting up their lunch. He grabbed her chin and turned her face
towards him, “Lunch can wait a little while longer Anna, now spread
your legs like this to better balance yourself.” She looked down at
his feet and did exactly the same, moaning in protest.

“
Quit acting like a baby
Anna!” he shot at her.

Her head shot up and she glared at him. He
ignored her and backed a few feet away from her. He raised his
sword, “Now I want you to try to hit me!”

She raised her sword up.

“Keep your wrist straight and hold it
steady, you’re shaking it all over the place!” He yelled to
her.

She gripped the handle tighter. “I’m
trying!” she yelled back.

He moved towards her and smacked his sword
against hers; sending it flying out of her hands and landing a few
feet away. She gave him a nasty look and fetched it.

“This sword is heavy, can I have a lighter
one?” she asked him.

“There is no lighter one, you have to build
up your strength to use any sword!” he answered.

“Ok then take it easy on me until I do!” she
complained.

“Doing exactly this will build up your
strength Anna!” he stressed. “Now let’s try it again!”

She raised her sword up and swung at him; he
quickly responded and stopped hers with his own. She swung it
around and came at him again; he knocked it out of her hands. She
stormed over to where it fell and picked it up. She raised it up
and charged at him. Once again he knocked it from her hands. She
stomped over to where it fell this time and grabbed it.

“Keep trying, Anna!” he tried to encourage
her.

“I am!” She yelled back and stormed back
over. “You’re just being unfair!” she spat.

“Nothing is fair in battle, Anna!” he
pointed out.

She raised her sword and swung it down on
his, the clashing of steel rang in the air. She swung it around and
hit it again. He responded by hitting her back even harder, almost
knocking it out of her grasp! She gripped her handle tighter and
brought hers back down against his. He pushed his blade against
hers and sent her stumbling back a little. He then smacked his
sword against repeatedly until finally she could not hold on to it
anymore and the sword went flying out of her hands once again! He
then pointed the tip of the blade of his sword at her face and
spoke the words, “Your dead.”

She slapped the side of it with her hand and
rushed at him; knocking him hard against the chest and sending him
landing back flat onto his butt! He looked up at her, surprised.
She glared down at him.

“
What was that for?” he
asked her.

“Like you don’t know, you arrogant jerk!”
She kicked at him, but he caught her foot and pushed her back. She
stumbled back and he stood up.

“Oh…so now I’m an arrogant jerk!” He walked
up to her and got in her face, “Well then you are a whiney little
brat!” He spat out. Instantly she screamed and jumped on him,
tackling him to the ground. They rolled around on the ground for a
while, wrestling like children until Anna kneed him in the groin;
instantly bringing the match to an end. He moaned and turned to his
side. She stood up and brushed the loose strands of her hair out of
her face. From the corner of his eye he could see her debating over
guilt and anger for a moment, but then she stormed away and it was
safe to assume the anger had won.

A moment later, he heard his mother walked
up to him. “Do you need any help, Hayden?” She asked him. He shook
his head and lay there a little longer. She patiently waited.
Finally he sat up and looked around for Anna. “She’s over by the
trees.” She pointed out and sat down next to him. He looked over
and found her sitting under one. “Do you want to talk about what
just happened?” she asked him. He could hear her trying to stifle a
laugh.

“It’s not funny, mother.” He replied to
it.

She reached up and rubbed his shoulder, “Yes
dear...it was.” She said so calmly and he couldn’t help but
chuckle.

“Not too loud…or you will hurt her
feelings.” She added.

He shook his head, “You’re hopeless!”

“Do you love this girl?” she asked.

He didn’t say anything.

“You don’t have to answer that.”

“Yes, I do love her.” he confessed.

“Have you told her this?” she asked.

He shook his head, “She’s not ready to
know.” He turned and looked at her, “When I rescued her, we had to
hide from the Chancellor’s men. And while we hid out, I kissed her
and not just once. I don’t even know why I did! It just felt …
right.” he shared with her.

She smiled. “Love always catches us in
unexpected ways.” she assured him.

“I suppose, but why her?”

She laughed. “I have seen
girl after girl try to catch your attention my son and one after
the other; could not. The reason
why
was because none of them was the
one.” She looked over at where Anna sat, “She’s the
one.”

Anna wiped at the fresh
tears that stung her eyes, trying hard not to cry anymore. She
wanted to hate him, but at the same time she couldn’t. She at least
deserved to feel angry at him right now and went with that. She
rested her elbows on her knees and stared out into the
distance.
Why did this have to happen to
her?
She thought. The question made her
think of her book and she pulled it out. it. She opened it and
asked the question.

It’s your destiny.
It answered.

“What am I destined to do then?” she asked
it.

Save the Empress and defeat the
Chancellor.

“How do I do that?”

By using your
strength, your
wit
and your sacrifice
…

“Wow that really explained a lot!” She
complained. “What is my sacrifice?”

Your life for his…
it wrote. This startled her!

“I came here to die?” she asked it.

“Why and for whom?”

…
to save Hayden….
followed.

“Save him from what?” She asked
it
.

…
Save him from death
.
It answered her.

“
Let me get this right, I
have to die so he doesn’t!” she summed it up.

Yes
. It
answered.

“Anna, are you alright?” Corrine’s voice
interrupted, startling her.

Anna quickly slammed her book and stuffed it
into her pocket.She stood up and wiped her eyes before she turned
around.

“Yes, I’m alright,” she assured her.

Corrine stared at her quietly for a moment
and then nodded. “Good, now how about some lunch!”

Anna nodded and walked with her back over to
the blanket.

Chapter 10

A
nna was very quiet all through lunch. It was very apparent
that she was in deep thought. What she was thinking about, was the
question he kept asking himself. She sat on the other side of the
blanket, keeping the distance between them. After lunch they went
back to practicing with the swords. At first he could tell she was
still angry; her aggressiveness stressed that completely! But soon
the shield came down and she even started to smile
again.

After another defeat, she crumbled to the
ground, “Can we call it quits?” He nodded and stood there staring
at her, she laughed.

“
What are you laughing
at?” he asked her.

She laughed again, “It’s just that you look
like a little lost boy standing there.”

“
I am lost, I’m not sure
what to do around you Anna,” he replied.

Her smile faded. He walked over and held his
hand out, she took it and he pulled her up to her feet.

“Anna I’m in love with you!” he blurted out.
“I don’t expect anything in return. I’m just letting you know,
that’s it! How you choose to respond to that, I’ll respect either
way.”

She shook her head, “How do you know that
you’re in love Hayden?” she asked him, “How do you know it’s not
just an infatuation, brought on by hormones.”

He gave her a confused look, “What are
hormones?”

Her eyes shot to his groin area and back
up.

“Oh,” he said and understood. “Anna, I do
have hormones for you! Any normal man would, but what I also feel
for you is love!” He urged.

“I admit I get butterflies in my stomach
every time you kiss me, but that does not mean its love!” she
argued.

“Anna, that’s exactly what love is! It
starts with little things like that and grows into more!” he
emphasized.

“How do you know these things? Have you ever
been in love before Hayden?”

He shook his head, “No, I admit I have not,”
he answered her.

“Well then, I’ve made my point!” She picked
up her sword and started to walk away, but he grabbed her arm.

“
Now wait just a minute
Anna, what I feel for you is real! And I believe a little part of
you feels the same for me! Admit it!”

She shook her head, “I’m not talking about
this anymore Hayden.” And tugged at her arm, but he held on.

“I want you to look me square in the eyes
and tell me that you don’t love me, not even a little!”

She looked straight into his eyes, “I don’t
love you… not even a little.” He let go of her arm.

He was also silent during the whole ride
back. His father had left the barn door open for him and he guided
the horse inside. They climbed off and he led Thunder over to his
stall.

“
So you’re just going to
ignore me now?” she spoke behind him.

He grabbed a nearby pail and filled the
horse’s feed sack with oats; the horse dug into his meal with great
enthusiasm. While he ate, Hayden unsaddled him. She leaned against
the stall and watched him, “I thought you said you would respect my
response, no matter what it was?”

He finished his task and looked over at her,
“Well, I lied.” And he walked out.

“Fine then, be a big baby about it!” she
yelled after him.

She walked over to the horse and rubbed his
head, “You still like me, right?” The horse nudged her hip gently
with his muzzle in response. She gave his head another rub and left
him to finish eating his meal. She pushed the barn door shut and
latched it before she started for the house. As she was walking
towards the front, she heard a noise off to her right and looked
over to see what it was.

She caught a glimpse of a dark figure on a
horse charging for her, swinging a rope above his head. She
instinctively raised her hands up to protect herself and screamed!
The rope came down over her head and around her neck. She grabbed
at it, just as the figure kicked his horse and the animal sped up
jerking her onto her back! Cinching the rope tight around her neck,
with her fingers caught in between!

Her fingers throbbed from the tightness, but
thankfully they also kept a big enough gap for her to breath! The
ground tore at her clothes, scratching the exposed skin. The rocks
beat hard against her flesh and the bones beneath it. Tears
streamed down her face from the pain and her head throbbed from the
pressure, she knew if she didn’t get free quickly, this would kill
her!

She remembered her dagger and worked on
wiggling free a hand. The rope cut into her fingers and burned
every inch of the way! Finally she freed them and reached down to
her belt and pulled it out.She reached up above her head to cut the
rope, but couldn’t see it!She would have to flip to cut it! Anna
jerked her body as hard as she could to one side and flipped
herself over onto her front.

Unfortunately the flip caused the rope to
tighten even more around her neck and it cut off her oxygen. Trying
not to panic, she reached up and desperately started cutting at the
rope as quickly as she could! The ground was just as vicious to her
front, but she kept on cutting! Her lungs started to scream for the
air it was being deprived of and just as she was about to black
out, the rope snapped and she slumped to a stop. She inhaled the
precious air into her lungs as she shakily loosened the rope and
pulled it off.

Behind her, she could hear the figure coming
back and she unsteadily got to her feet and tried to run away! She
stumbled just after a few short steps and tried to get up again,
but her body failed her and she fell to her stomach. A few feet
away she heard a thump and found her predator lying on the ground
lifeless with an arrow in his chest; his horse ran by her. She then
heard clattering of other hooves hitting the ground and knew it was
Hayden. She tried to turn over, but couldn’t and lay where she
fell.

“Anna!” she now heard his voice and then saw
his boots in front of her. A pair of gentle hands turned her over
and a blanket was laid across her tattered body.

“It’s going to be ok Anna….”Hayden’s voice
soothed her. She was then carefully picked up, but she whimpered
from the pain.