A War Can Change Everything Chapter 4

Her breath caught in her throat, “You think I’m beautiful?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” asked Alex “You are, aren’t you? Maybe I’m just not used to being around girls who aren’t my sister.”

“Maybe so” She pulled away slightly " so they weren’t as close “I need to unpack.”

“I-” he sighed slightly “Of course. Need any help?”

“I can manage alone, thank you.” Aubrée climbed out of the pool “It was nice meeting you” she said before she left.

Was it? Alex sighed and climbed out; he ran a hand through his hair, thinking about what had almost happened. I almost kissed her, a vampire, that was a death wish.

They didn’t meet again until the next training session.

___________________________________________________________________________

Katherina stood outside practicing her water talent.

“I’m going to be honest” Said Will, he was standing behind her.

She jumped slightly " not realising he had been there - and turned around “About what exactly?”

“The arranged marriage, I really wasn’t happy with it " nothing personal”
Katherina shrugged. “Don’t worry about it; I tried to kill the messenger boy who brought the news.”

“Tried?” Will asked with a smirk.

“My parents made the guards restrain me. Apparently I’m not allowed to kill people who live in the Kingdoms we want truce’s with,”

“Ahh, yes, I’ve heard that too,” Will said, in an understanding tone, “I’m still a little confused about it,”

“Confused about what exactly?” She was still concentrating on the ball of water she held.

“The whole killing someone who you’re in a truce with thing,” He joked, watching her intently. “My mum would have loved it here,” He then murmured softly, without realising he had spoken it aloud.

When Katherina had first found out about the arranged marriage, she had researched Wills’ background " as well as his Kingdom. Because of that, she knew that he had lost his mother at a young age. “Do you miss her?” She got rid of the ball of water, and her voice was soft. “I know I would have missed mine”

Will’s eyes hardened and he shook his head. “What do you think?” He said a bit more harshly than he had intended.

“I think that maybe you should wake up sometimes instead of pausing situatuation's you don’t like, instead of relying on things such as time and actually take pride and adore what you have today. I’m training, if you don’t mind.” She was slightly hurt that he had been harsh with her, although she understood it. She began to make it rain, turning away from him and practicing her gift.

Will smiled slightly at the rain, water was vital for plants "and as he could control a small portion of the Earth element, he naturally loved the rain. He frowned slightly though, realising that Katherina was causing it. He then decided to form a shelter out of plants and ivy over both of their heads.

Katherina frowned and turned to look at him “Are you doing that just so I can’t practice? We’re supposed to work together, to be allies.”

“I just would have preferred not getting wet” He replied, frowning slightly.

“Well as I said, we have to work as allies okay? I’ve read that you find your Earth gift unreliable, can I help you make it reliable?”

“I don’t need your help” he said stubbornly but realistically, he wanted it.

“Well since we’re going into war together, I’d rather not die via your unreliability so I’m helping you Will. Come here” Reluctantly Will walked over. “When you use your element, you don’t just use it. You work with it, make a connection with it. Close your eyes and concentrate, in your heart, you can feel that light, it starts off small, but the more you concentrate on it the bigger it gets. That’s your element. It should be something beautiful, a friend, not a weapon. Find that feeling Time Boy.”

Will sighed, taking a deep breath. He closed his eyes and reached with an invisible third hand into his heart. He felt the spark and jumped at it, causing the soil at their feet to rise, and causing their shelter to fall, completely enveloping them both with soil.

Katherina squealed slightly then spat soil out of her mouth “Okay, I know what you need.” She took his hand without question and pulled him into the kitchen. She then filled a pan with water and put it on the stove, before adding Rosemary petals to it.

Will tried not to laugh, but found it hard “And what might that be?” He asked grinning.

“I drink this, to help me concentrate. You obviously need some concentration”

“You’re the one that said we should work together,” He reminded her with a grin as he watched her.

“I didn’t realise how unreliable you actually were.”

“Maybe you should check up on something like that before you go invite me to practice with you”

“Silly me, but unlike you, Time Boy, I don’t have a lot of time on my hands free for research”
“What did you say you were doing?” He asked, watching her mix the rosemary.

“I thought you knew everything” She teased “I’m making you a concentration helping drink”

“You really don’t need to do that” He protested softly.

Katherina swallowed slightly, and her hands shook as she prepared it. “I don’t want to die in battle.” She said quietly “So yes, I do.” She had an older brother, Dominic, who had once died in battle a couple of years ago. She had never truly accepted that death.

“You won’t die. I won’t let you.” Will said firmly, “I’m relying on my time travel not my Earth gift, that’s just my back-up”

“Never, never rely on time.” She poured the contents of the pan into a mug and put it into his hands “We need every gift we’ve got, including Earth.”

Will put the mug onto the counter and put his hands on Katherina’s arms. “Nothing will happen to you. “He had read about her brother on his own research he had conducted on her. “I promise.”

“What makes you think it’s me I’m worried about Will? Drink the drink, please.”

“I’m sorry about your brother Katie.”

She was silent for a moment “It’s not your fault that he died. Just don’t rely on time.”

“It’s the one thing I can rely on” Will protested “It’s who I am. I would never tell you to not rely on water.”

“You can’t change the past Will, no matter how hard you try”

“I only need one minute to save someone’s life and that’s what I’ve got.” He insisted.

“I’ve heard that before and it was wrong.”

“Well, whoever told you it before wasn’t a Time Turner were they?” Will groaned and turned around “Please don’t talk like that, like we have no hope. Time is my essence; it’s what’s in my core. It feels as though you’re insulting me and I don’t take that well.”

“Then what are you going to do about it? The idea of changing time is a joke. Are you going to hit me for saying that? Well?”

Will growled, pausing time. He pulled a knife out of his pocket and walked up to Katherina. He put the knife up to her heart, barely touching her fabric and un-paused time “Not such a joke now, huh?” He growled slightly.

Her eyes hardened “Then stab me. Or do you not have the guts for that?”

“You’re an ally it would be pointless” He replied quickly.

She moved the knife to her stomach. “I won’t die. But you need the guts to kill someone. Stab me.”

He lifted the knife back to her heart “If I have anything, its guts.” He stabbed her, in her heart, before quickly rewinding time until he was back in his original position and there was not even a tear in Katherina’s fabric. They both had the memory of what had just happened but, technically, it had never even happened.

“That’s cheating” She said after a moment. “Do it again. No cheating.”

"What? Are you suicidal?!" Will finally outburst, having lost his tether with her.

Her eyes shone for a moment, only a moment, but it was enough that Will saw it. His expression softened "Kat-" But it was too late, she pushed past him and ran to her room.
Will kicked at the ground. His eyes had turned black from anger, "Well done Will, you f*****g scared off the only Kingdom we actually need peace with" He growled to himself.

Katherina cried, and looked at the photo of her brother, before going to her bath tub, and beginning to run a bath as she cried - baths always relaxed her.

Will walked into the living room and began to talk to a girl Aaliyah.
"You’re worried aren’t you? About that girl - Katherina?" Asked Aaliyah, she was a small girl with pale blonde hair.

"How would you know that?" Asked Will.

Aaliyah blushed "Oh...I um...yeah my Telepathy" She told him "It uh goes a little um crazy when I'm nervous."

"Ah. Why are you so nervous?"

She blushed even more "I don't know - new people I guess.

“So, what do you know about Katherina?"

"That you two - have an arranged marriage, and that she has a brother"

"Had an arranged marriage," He corrected her, quickly, "It's not happening now that there's a war."

"Oh - are you two together? Or was it just your parents’ force?"

"We're definitely not together, the only reason we were going to get married was to make a truce between the Kingdoms" Will said, again replying quickly.

"Ah...I guess you both didn’t take it well?"

Katherina froze slightly, she could hear Will's voice - the walls were thin, and her eyes hardened.

"You could say that" Will say with a grin.

Aaliyah nodded slightly "That must really suck"

"It does - did. We'd be an awful match anyway, I can't stand her. She tries to help and doesn’t realise how much she can hinder a person-"

"-What the hell is your problem Will?!" Katherina was stood beside him, and out of anger, she began to make his blood slowly leave his body.

He froze, his back arched, gasping for breath.

Eric was stood watching from the wall, he had a gift of moving shadows, and froze Katherina - stopping her from further hurting Will "Allies, remember?"

“Let go of me!”

But she didn’t stop. Locked completely on concentration, her gift began to work quicker " fuelling on her anger.

"KATHERINA!" It was Alex, her brother; he had felt the change in the liquid from where he was and grabbed hold of her arms, making her look at him. This lost the concentration she had, causing the blood flow to stop. "You know we do not fight our own allies."

"But-"

"-No buts Katherina!" Will slumped, drained from the blood loss. He looked up sadly at Katherina but, said nothing.

Katherina froze when she saw Will, her eyes shone she crumbled into her brother and cried into his chest. "Dude remove the shadow. Now." He told Eric, "shh it’s okay Kathy, shh. It’s not like last time, I promise it’s not.”

In the past, bad things had happened. Most elementalists could only control the fundamentals of their elements, but Katherina was different. At a young age she realised that she could control the blood inside of a person’s body, and once, without meaning to, a man died because of it. Which is why she never used that part of her gift " except when she was angry or upset, because then, then it was out of her control completely.

"Last time?" Will asked, his voice was weak, but he managed to stand " almost stand " his weight completely on Aaliyah.

Alex glared at Will “That is none of your business.” He said “So leave my sister alone.” He was holding his sister up, and stroking her hair as she soaked his shirt with her sobs.

Will glared back at Alex, “You really shouldn’t be so controlling, you should let your sister do what she wants”

“Says the guy she just almost killed.”

“I don’t want to be near him Alex I don’t I don’t” She whispered into his chest.

“And right now, she doesn’t want to be near you, so back off.” Alex told Will.

Will took a step closer, challenging, threatening almost. “I’m not leaving her crying like that, I’m not that kind of guy.”

“You left her crying before.” He said, “Just because the situations changed, doesn’t mean anything”

Eric moved in front of Will at his Vampire speed. Which was unusual " it was as if he was protecting Katherina, and that wasn’t something Vampires normally did. “Stay away from her.” He said, a defensive tone in his voice.

Will paused time to move past Eric and to go to Katherina’s side, before unpausing it. “I’m sorry about before, I didn’t mean to offend you, and I was a d****e” He pleaded, ignoring that other people were in the room.

But Katherina flinched away, and clung to her brother. Alex sighed “If you want to speak to her, find her in an hour " she’ll have calmed down by then.  But until then, leave her alone” his tone was resigned.

Will sighed defeated and left the room. He slumped against the wall outside her room, his head in his hands.

Alex took his sister to her room, and comforted her for 45minutes. Eventually he stepped out, only to be faced with Will. “How is she?” He asked Alex immediately.

“She’s finally stopped crying" He said "She’s running herself one of those herbal baths, so if you want to talk to her, I'd do it now. Hurt her again and I'll kill you where you stand."

“It won’t happen.” Will pushed past him and walked into Katherina’s room.

Katherina however, didn’t hear him enter " she assumed the door closing had been her brother leaving. She was knelt beside her bath " the water was running " and she was adding Lavender, Rosemary, Thyme and Sage to the water.

Will coughed, “Katherina?” His voice showed his uncertainty.

There was a noticeable tense in Katherina’s shoulders when Will spoke, causing Will to take an uncertain step closer to her. “What do you want Will?”

“I’m sorry” He blurted out, sighing and sitting beside her “I didn’t mean to hurt you Katie, I really didn’t. I was being an unthoughtful idiot, and for that I apologize greatly.

Katherina swallowed slightly “I don’t know you. So I shouldn’t be hut when you’re an unthoughtful idiot, but for some reason, I was hurt a lot Will”

“I didn’t want to stab you, I think that’s justified” Will protested.

“And that isn’t the only thing that upset me.” She protested back “What you said about suicide was mean and inconsiderate. That wasn’t justified, and neither were your actions. Nor the memories you remind me of with every step take” Her voice was quiet, and she added more sage to the water.

“Memories?” He asked “What do you mean?” Wills voice softened, and he hesitantly put a hand over hers “Katherina, you can tell me anything " we have to trust our future partner’s after all don’t we?”

"This morning you reminded me of my brother and just now...I've only done that blood thing in one other person before" She whispered "And it killed them. It isn’t reliable and I don’t use it but sometimes I do it without meaning to" She rested her forehead against the rim of the bath.

“We all have powers like that, uncontrollable. It’s why we’re here.”

“Why were you so ecstatic that the war means we are most likely no longer engaged?” She blurted.

"I don't want to get married at 18, it's not that crazy and I didn't even know you," Will said, "Why? Do-do you want to be engaged?"

"No! I just didn’t think you should have been insulting me to that girl"

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise I was," He had moved closer to her "I would never insult you,"

"Well you did insult me, and it was mean." She reached to turn the tap off "I apologize for injuring you"

"I'm completely fine and I don't deserve an apology, I was the d****e here,"

“I really want my bath, but I don’t want to end this conversation…”

“I don’t know why you don’t just have a shower”

“Because baths are oh so much better.”

“Hardly, you’re just sitting in your own filth.”

“I’ll prove it. Close your eyes.” Once Will shut her eyes she changed into her bikini. “Now change into your underwear, and get in this bath.” She climbed in after lighting Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue and Purple candles, in that order.

He rose an eyebrow, having not changed yet. “Nice bath” The water was the colour of Aqueomisity.

"Rosemary in this case is for confidence, Thyme is for creativity and strength in your own convictions, Lavender is for refreshment and Sage is for love, cleanliness, dispelling infections and stimulations. There all in the bath, and the colour - it’s the true colour of water, not blue like everyone believes. The candles however, were because I wanted to Refresh my Chakras. Red is the base, orange is the intestinal, yellow is the solar plexus, green is the heart, blue is the throat, purple is the third eye and the flames are the crowns. I do this every night, and it’s what - nineish now? I needed to relax."

He laughed “Still, I think showers are best.”

“Oh just change already” She smiled slightly.

Will shrugged and did so, "Just to be clear, I'm not forcing you to do this,"

Katherina rolled her eyes “Just get in Will, you’ll never want a shower instead of a bath again”

Will couldn't help but, smirk as he climbed into the bath, "Nice bikini,"

She laughed slightly “Thanks, now don’t you agree with me?”

"You weren't lying," Will admitted, leaning back, "It is pretty refreshing,"

"The amount of times I've fallen asleep in a bath" she smiled slightly "good thing I'm a water elementalist, I make my baths so no one drowns"

It's gonna be pretty hard for me to go back to normal showers," Will laughed.

She laughed "I told you, my baths are amazing" she had her eyes shut as she spoke.

Will closed his eyes too, following her example, "Amazing," He repeated under his breath.

"I'll have to teach you some time what the different herbs in the bath do" She murmured

“Mhmm…” They both drifted asleep.

 

 

Author's Note

Sorry if it's a bit hetic!