Chapter Fifteen

Lyra's POV

I didn't know how long I trained for or how long Maria pushed me to the brink of learning how to fight without my powers, all I could remember was crashing on my bed exhausted, my fingers numb and my legs shaking like leaves in the wind.

I laid there unmoving, cheeks pressed into the fabric of the bed, I was parched but my body was too weak to even think about moving to get a drink of water, even blinking took an effort talk less of moving my arms.

Training wasn't supposed to feel like this, but then again, no one made any promises to go gentle. My muscles spasmed and I groaned softly turning my back to the bed as I stared up at the ceiling unfocused.

Jasper's voice echoed in my head, and Richard's gentle warning along with it.

Then my mother...

*If you pass out I'm not catching you*

I huffed a weak laugh.

“Noted” I whispered to myself.

My fingers twitched as I felt my magic at my finger tips, I wanted to try and use it but shook my head groaning...

Not today, not after everything that's happened.

The sweat on my skin felt cold as it slowly began to dry from the air blowing around.

I couldn't help but think back to the practice again. Every inch of me had been stretched to the limit, overused, pushed too far than what I thought I could give.

And that as the funny part.

I actually did.

It was as frightening as it was funny.

More than once I had thought I would blackout, give up or pass out but Maria's voice kept on pulling me back from the brink.

*Again Lyra*

*Again*

I gulped, my throat dry. If this was only the beginning I didn't know how I would survive the week then.

I turned my head towards the window. The Lancaster forest was dark and almost endless. The trees whispering in the wind as branches swayed and danced sideways to sideways.

“You're tired” I murmured to myself.

A dull cramp pulled at my lower belly, twisting. I frowned shifting slightly and froze as warmth pooled down between my legs again.

“Oh you have got to be kidding me”

I pushed myself up on trembling hands and sat there for a moment trembling and breathing through the discomfort of my period cramps that had stained my clothes again.

The timing was cruel, now when I was too weak to even move.

“Fantastic” I murmured, “Just perfect”

I slid off the end carefully, legs wobbling beneath me and moved towards the bathroom with slow determined steps. I pulled off my trousers and then my underwear, seeing the blood stained on it.

Just then the candle lights flickered violently as a gust of wind blew pass.

I sucked in a breath and instinctively lifted my head. I raised my palm closing my eyes trying to calm down as much as I could.

“Please work out... Please work out” I whispered, trying to calm down while Maria's voice echoed in my head about what my period blood does with my power

“Maybe I'll check my grimiore or moms own later to see if there's anything I can find about this” I mumbled as I carefully cleaned up while thinking about it. After taking a shower and changing into fresh clothes I climbed into the bed tiredly, curling on my side with my knees to my chest to hold onto the pain of cramps.

My eye lid fluttered slowly as sleep began to pull on them, just before I finally dozed off, I suddenly felt a presence in the room.

I instinctively reached for the nearest pillow and sent it straight in that direction as the person dodged while letting out a low chuckle.

“Not bad, not bad, looks like the training is paying off”

Caspian....

I laid back down tiredly, but bothering to wonder where this vampire had sneaked in from. “Enjoying the hospitality?“ he said again, stepping closer towards the bed with the pillow.

“Mm...“ I murmured, “Five star, would definitely recommend, especially the part where they try to break you”

There was a pause between us before I felt the pillow back on my bed.

“You pushed... Too hard”

I opened just one eye to look at his silhouette in the dim light of the room, “You sound disappointed”

“I'm observant” he corrected.

“Same thing” I mumbled closing back my eyes.

The bed dipped slightly as he leaned against the bed post.

“You should get some rest”

“I am resting”

“You're still awake”

“Unfortunately”

There was another longer pause between us this time.

“Your magic reacted” I opened my eyes fully this tone, staring at the ceiling as I replied back, “Yeah it does that”

“With blood” he added.

My jaw tightened, “You don't need to say it like that”

“I do...“ he responded calmly, “... Because it does matter”

Silence again...

“I'm not in danger” I said finally.

“That wasn't what I was thinking about”

I turned my head to the side to look at him, meeting his gaze. His eyes were dark... A bit too dark...

“Then…uh…what were you thinking then?“

“That you survived today...“ he said, “And tomorrow, they will try to take more from you, push you to see how far your limit is, physically and magically this time”

“Ahh! My bones already ache” I groaned into my pillow. For a moment something unreadable flashed through his eyes before he straightened up fully.

“Get some rest Lyra”

I didn't argue with that one because I definitely need it. By the time I closed my eyes and opened it again he was gone, vanished like he came. Exhaustion pulled my eyelid before I fell into a deep slumber.