Refinement: A War of Europe

Chapter Forty-Seven: East: Broken, and Destroyed

Anya~ East (Russia)                        

"Lauren!" I screamed happily.

I grabbed Jace's wrist and pulled him with me towards her. Once I reached her I dropped his hand and put my arms around Lauren. I smiled as she laughed quietly.

"So nice to see you two again. I've missed you, Anya. A-and during my time sort of alone... I had some time to think. I love you Anya, as a friend I do. Nobody's ever authentically cared for me before, and I felt like I was suffocating without it. So- thank you, and never leave me for so long again," Lauren said quietly into my ear.

I pulled away from her curly black hair. I glanced at the ceiling. I took her hands in mine.

"I won't if I can help it. You're a dear friend. I'm glad I've got you all to myself," I replied airily. I thaned Lecyna in my mind. She made this possible. If she hadn't taken over that day then I would have been the one dead; not her. She gave me the gift of a longer life.

Jace snorted and crossed his arms. "Do I not exist in either of your minds anymore?"

"'Course you do, Jace. If you want we can exchange deep feelings too," I commented smugly.

"Yeah," he said sarcastically. "That'd be lovely."

"Just keep out of stuff you don't want to get into," Lauren sighed.

Jace smirked, and turned his eyes to the ground. He looked distant; his face was stolen by shadows. He clearly had a short attention span.

"Why don't we go do something?" I suggested.

Jace perked up. He bit down on his lip in thought. "Food?" he asked.

"Why not dungeon?" I came back.

A grin crept over Lauren's face. "Oh yeah."

"Dungeon? What'd you mean by that?" Jace asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The prison. We want to go see the captives," I answered; my feet were anxious to move.

"Okay."

"Mmm. Prison. That sound quite the pleasant trip. I'm in," said Eryn- whom I totally hadn't notice show up.

"Come on then," Jace sighed. There was an air of tolerance to his tone.

As we started walking I started to imagine what the prisoners must look like. The result was gory. "Do you think anyone there will have bullet wounds?" I asked uselessly. I already knew the answer.

"Of course there will be, Anya. Why are you asking such obvious questions?" Eryn replied.

"Because I was just hoping I'd get a different answer," I answered, upset.

"What's it matter to you if a prisoner has or doesn't have bullet wounds?" Lauren questioned me curiously.

"That's how one of my friends died... she was shot. Right before everyone was picked to go to Refinement," I said.

"Wh-what'd she look like?" Eryn asked. His voice cracked as if under pressure. His lips were wound, and his eyes pierced the ground.

"You really shouldn't ask her that, Eryn. Doesn't that seem cruel?" Jace spoke, bewildered.

"It's fine," I told Jace. "She had lovely red hair. Her skin was more white than mine is. She always looked sick, yet she was beautiful. Probably an inch taller than I am, and her eyes were blue," I said with a slight smile.

"Do you know who killed her?" Lauren asked. Her voice was melodically hopeful.

"No," I sighed. "I just don't know how I'm supposed to figure it out either," I said admittedly.

"You all go on ahead, I need to speak with Anya alone," Eryn murmured.

"What? Uh- Okay. You'll be fine, Anya?" Lauren answered uneasily.

"Yeah. It's just Eryn," I laughed.

"No, actually, I have to talk with Anya. You go on with Lauren, Eryn," Jace objected sternly. He walked swiftly up to Eryn and whispered something in his ear.

Eryn opened his mouth to speak, but Jace interjected, "Just keep your mouth shut, Eryn. Go on now. We'll talk later."

Eryn left gaping, and quickly too. Lauren followed him after casting me one last worried look. I was confused. I felt like I was breathing in the pressure of the whole world. What was going on?

"Jace," I said frantically, "What's this all about?" His expression was starting to worry me.

I tilted my head to the side as my eyes started to sting from their wideness. "Are you alright? Is something... wrong?" I asked with caution.

Jace sighed and shook his head. His wavy brown hair was still short from our first Ceremony. He looked better this way, yet it made him look stronger, more fierce, and more dangerous.

His face transformed into a crazed, and desperate gaze. He started for me, his eyes connected with mine. He didn't shift his gaze, he stared straight into mine. Not backing down. Fearless.

I looked up and down the hallway. It was deserted and we were alone. I took a step back. He took another forward. His steps didn't stop until we were so close that if I shifted even to breath we would be touching.

His hands grabbed just below my shoulders and he pushed me back to the wall. I gasped at his force. My confidence left me stranded.

"Like I said. I've got to tell you something," Jace said, his was voice deep, and barely audible.

"Go on, then," I muttered.

He put his forehead to mine and then moved his lips beside my ear. His hands found the wall, and I felt trapped between the two.

His voice whispered with a bored ring to his words, yet a trembling pain of knowledge sung among them, "It was an accident, but. I was the murderer of Lecyna. Here I am. You've found me now. I never meant to shoot her, but sometimes guns seem to have a mind of their own. It was a misfire. Your search can be put to rest."

My eyes widened in shock. My heart felt betrayed and broken. My expression spoke for my words, but nothing could speak for my unexecuted actions.

"I'm sorry, Anya... To put off a future we could have had," Jace said with a mindless shrug.

"What future!?" I screamed back angrily. The heat of the conversation overwhelmed me. I couldn't think straight.

Couldn't he have told me this from the start of our friendship? I could understand the accidental perspective, but I was more hurt that he waited to tell me about killing somebody after I'd given him my faith.

What happened to him? What in the world happened to Jace? He still looked his innocent self, and the words from his mouth seemed impossible to be his own.

Jace snorted as a hateful air came to his eyes. Half of a hysteric smile rose on his face. "You know the one," he muttered knowingly. His hands lightly grabbed the sides my head, and his lips came down on mine softly. Completely skipping the patient entrance. Going straight to the wishful force. A desolated elation.

My heart burst into millions of fluttering feelings. Jace pulled away from me and cocked his head. "If you decide to try explaining what this was really about, invite me. I'd love to see you try," he said tauntingly.

A whisper of a scream escaped my mouth. What was happening to me? I ran down into the prison behind Jace. My face was a burning red blush. Not really from my anger. I knew that wasn't it. It was something that had a deeper meaning. The kiss that stabbed into my heart like a knife. 

I walked into the captive's cell, and could barely hear Lauren's startled cry, frantically asking if I was okay whilst wearing a horrified expression of her own. It was because of what I saw. I realized I was crying. My feet were so weak. My bones seemed to turn to dust. I knew I wouldn't hold up much  longer. I fell to my knees, my hands were planted on the cold concrete.

Standing before me in shackles was a boy identical to Jace, the girl- Eloise, another girl whom I didn't know, and a person who meant the world to me. Brown haired, handsome, and tall. A mimicking face. My head was a cavern of pain.

My throat burned like acid as I forced out the name, "Grayson."