~ The Unworthy Title ~

~ Chapter 5 ~

~ Bryce ~

I was standing next to a tree when it happened. They were fighting. Testing techniques to each other, trying to find an opening so they could attack. And then I heard it. It was as fast as the wind. One second she was standing facing him and the other... she was on the ground. Bleeding. I rushed to her. And knelt. So much blood. Too much blood. What should I do? What do I do! I wasn't a healer and clearly neither was Emerson. What should I do? Emerson was also next to her trying to think of something. He looked at me and stood up.

   "Get her to Keir!" He told me while he was trying to calm down.

   "What, he- he can't help her. He's not a-"

   "Bryce now!" He shouted, his voice cracking.

   "You are fine, you are fine." I whispered to Crystal while taking her to my arms. I rushed to the castle. Where is his room? Where is he? I told Crystal the same words again and again.

   "You are fine. You are fine." I ran. Walking wasn't an option, my legs moved on their own. I ran to every corridor in every part of this cruel castle, trying to remember where his room was. I hadn't been there for years. I looked at Crystal. She was getting colder. I looked behind me at the floor. Her blood. Her blood was on the floor. I had to rush. I had to-

Left. I hadn't been to the left side of the castle for ages, that's where he was. I ran and ran and ran. Black door, a black door. Every common room had a brown door but his was black, I had to find a black door. A- there! I rushed to the door and knocked hard.

   "Keir! Open now!" I looked at Crystal again who was trying to keep her eyes open and her wound closed with her hand.

   "You are fine. It's fine, he will fix you he will-" Keir opened the door and looked at my hands.

   "Get her in now." He rushed to a library with boxes and books. I put her at his bed carefully.

   "Uh, take off her shirt and pull down her pants until I can see the wound." Keir said from behind while making some noise with the boxes and the things he was searching.

I took off her shirt, I pulled down her pants until I could fully see her wound. She had a big one right down her belly. But it wasn't the only wound. I took a step back trying to take a better look. Burns. She- she had burns everywhere near that space. I pulled down her pants. More burns, more, more. She was covered in burns. I heard Keir coming from behind and I pulled her pants back so only the wound could be seen. Keir looked at the wound closely.

   "Alright Crystal you know what we do, um Bryce keep her down and steady. Crys look at me, look at me." Crystal took her eyes from the wall and looked at Keir, she was tired. Of course she was, she was... No, she was fine. She could do this.

   "Crystal, um you might wanna bite something so take this." Keir took a small piece of cloth and put it in her mouth. I put my one hand to her shoulder and the other to her legs to keep her down. I didn't like that, no. I hated that, but there was no healer and Keir was our best choice. Keir looked at me and then at Crystal.

   "Ready ?" Keir asked with his hands close to his body. Crystal nodded, closing her eyes. I didn't want to watch her like this I-

Before I could think anything else Keir forced two flames from his hands and in an instant his hands were on Crystal's wound. Crystal screamed, you could hear her screams and cries through the cloth. She tried to move her hands and her feet but I kept them down trying to help Keir finish that madness faster.

After some seconds that felt like a cruel hour. Keir stopped. Crystal eased. I took out the cloth from her mouth so she could breathe. She took some deep breaths and closed her eyes trying to calm. Trying to realize she was alive. Keir went to the corner next to his door and gave me a signal to follow him. He didn't look at me, he pulled the door and went outside so Crystal couldn't hear us, I followed. Keir looked down. He was serious, no he was mad.

   "How did this happen?" Asked Keir as he lifted his head to face me with those brown eyes of his.

   "It was- It was your father he- It was an accident."

   "I know what it was. I'm not asking you that. Where were you when it happened?" I couldn't understand. Why was he asking me that?

   "I was with them outside but she practiced with Emerson."

   "And why didn't you practice with her instead of my father?" That's when it hit me. Her wounds. When did she get so many wounds?

  "Keir, her body is covered with wounds, why?"

   "Because for the past two weeks you haven't practiced with her, she had to practice with him!" Keir said with a louder voice than he wanted to.

   "But why is he hurting her like that ?"

   "He doesn't do it on purpose. He tries something that she can't dodge and this happens." He pointed at his room while taking a big breath. He had been burning her wounds ever since to save her from bleeding to death. I wanted to cry. I left her with him and that was what I caused. I did this. I-

   "Why have you been avoiding him? Give me a reason, a good one." I looked down. He was going to hate me. She was going to hate me. No, she already hated me.

   "The last time we practiced with swords I burned her."

   "What do you mean you burned her?"

   "I lost control. I burned her but it wasn't my hair it was my hand. My hand was so warm and then the warmth went to the sword and when she tried to show me something, she touched my sword and I burned her. I mean it didn't leave a scar but what would happen if I lost control and I actually burned her ?" I took a big breath looking down. I looked at Keir. He was trying to find something to say. I know it was a stupid reason but I didn't like losing control, last time it didn't go well...

   "Bryce people get hurt at practice. It's alright that's why you practice so you won't get hurt in real battle."

   "I know I just- If I lose control I won't forgive myself." Keir just sighed and nodded. He knew how much I practiced with my powers so I wouldn't lose control. I looked at Crystal lying in Keir's bed. She was sleeping. Fine, I told myself. She was fine.

   "You should get some sleep, go to your room." Keir told me with a calm voice. He was right. I didn't know how much time we had spent there.

   "Will she- will see be alright ?" I asked him, trying not to cry.

   "Yes but she can't practice with him again. Promise me you will look after her."

   "I will, don't worry."

   " I mean it Bryce. Protect her, she doesn't understand how strong she is and sometimes she can lose control." I will protect her until I can't move any inch of my body. I will go anywhere for her. When I lost everything she found me. She did. When I told her what happened she didn't say anything to comfort me, nothing fake just to say it, she took my hand and told me about her mom. She told me she would help me, when her mom learned what happened she taught me how to control my powers. I found a mother the day I lost mine. I looked at Keir and left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ Crystal ~

I opened my eyes. That wasn't my room. Where was I? I took a better look at the room. It was Keir's room, I was in his room. I tried to get up but the pain I felt reminded me of what happened last night. I got wounded again. I looked around the room, Keir wasn't there. He must have been in the kitchen or somewhere else telling Aiden what happened last night. I put my weight to my hands and pushed my body to stand up. My legs felt like rocks. I walked around the room trying to feel my legs better.

I noticed a mirror and went in front of it looking at my reflection. I pulled down my pants to see the scars on my body. Most of my wounds were on my legs and around my stomach. Suddenly I heard footsteps. I pulled up my pants, and sat on the desk chair next to me. The door opened and Keir got in with a plate in his hand. When he noticed me he made a curious face.

   "I'm relieved to see you well." he said with a playful voice.

   "I woke up and didn't feel my legs so I did some walking around ur room." Keir made a face as he was trying not to laugh. "

   " Not weird at all." I hit him on his legs and he started laughing.

   "Shut up." I said through my laughter. When he finished laughing he sat on his bed and looked at me.

   "How are you ? "

   "Good. Thank you for last night."

   " You know you don't have to thank me, you are my sister. I will always help you when I can." I smiled at that. Although he wasn't fully my blood he still cared for me.

   "Crystal you can't practice with him again, you have to avoid him." Keir said with a serious voice.
 
   "Don't worry I can handle him." He nodded and stood up. He went to the door and pulled it.

   "Keir." He turned and looked at me.

   "I'll miss you." I told him with a smile. I would really miss him at the academy.
 
   "Me too." He went outside and closed the door behind him.