Bright One | Empire of Blood and Swords Series

14. The Five

I followed Rubio to Sam's workshop in the courtyard. The courtyard was filled with sweaty guards training shirtless. Is this what Seth looks like when he trains? Sweat trailing down his neck, down to his stomach and—I shook that thought away. Not today, don't think of that today. In the corner of my eye, I can see Connie blushing while keeping her eyes on the ground.

Seth wasn't free today, he had prince duties, as Rubio said. I could only suck up that feeling inside of me and continued with my day, without him, again.

Rubio explained that the guards hear are trusted, so they won't breath a single word about me to anyone. Just that I'm this Achillea in the human world, and needs help catching up with the others.

Sam's workshop was in the corner of the courtyard. Tables laid neatly, his tools were hung on the rack next to a furnace. Two men were running the shop for him, sharpening swords on the grinder. He was wearing armor, for some reason, and he was sitting at the side while drinking tea. When he saw us, he smiled and waved.

"Welcome, peasants, to my famous workshop. The one and only in Kells!" Sam exclaimed.

"Shouldn't you be helping them?" Rubio asked, motioning to him sitting while the others work.

"I'm off to training in a bit," he replied and got up. He motioned for us to come forward. "Sister Saoirse told me about forging Odette a sword. But I heard she already has one."

I frowned, I have a sword? Then, I remembered. When I tried to get free of Saoirse's magical root powers, I had a sword that was on flames. I summoned it when I needed it. I nodded and Sam asked to see it. I reached out my hand and reached for the sword inside of me. I felt the power pouring out of my palm, it took in the shape I wanted and it fixed a shape before hardening. Connie stared at me with awe.

"Took you long enough," Sam said, teasingly. "Can I have a look?"

"Sure," I handed him my sword.

He examined it, his emerald green glistened in interest. Then, he put it on the table beside him.

"Interesting," he said. Then he frowned. "I have questions. For someone who lived in the human world for years, with no interactions with Achilleas, how are you able to summon one?"

"I just...did. I thought about it, and it just came out," I replied.

"No, I mean...How do I put this?" he looks at Rubio. "Our weapons are like seeds imbedded into our bodies, which is why we can summon them whenever we want. However, we must first create a seed to put into us. And we're only allowed to have our own weapons after 16."

Rubio caught up to him and his face pales.

"So that means..."

"Someone put the seed into me when I was a child," I said, catching up to both of them.

The both of them nodded slowly, their faces paler than the sky. Sam handed me the sword, but I backed away from it. If it wasn't for David, I would've used to by accident. I might've even hurt my teachers, or my mom. Sam noticed and when he put it down, it disappeared into thin air, puffing into tiny flames and white lights.

"Would you like me to remake it?" he asks, his green eyes showing empathy.

As I look into his eyes, it's hard to believe that he and Saoirse are related. Even though they have the same green eyes, Saoirse never showed me empathy, or at least I think she never did. She only needs me for the war, remember that.

"Can you?" I ask.

"Of course. I must retrieve the seed from you to remake it first."

"How do you do that?"