Anything For Rachel – Episode 27

#EPISODE_27

 

Calvin P•O•V ✔

 

 

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I rushed to level one and wound into the back corridors, down below where the old blood banks used to be kept before they were moved to a safer place. These rooms are abandoned now, which makes for a perfect meeting place for my secret unit to work.

 

I knocked quietly on the door and waited for Major Renard to let me in.

 

“So sorry I’m late.” I apologized as I joined the men at the round wooden table in the center of the dark room. The only light coming from the few candles lit on the table around the territory maps that were displayed.

 

“Not a problem, you highness.” He bowed. “We have good news actually.”

 

“I’d love to hear some good news right now.” I sighed and he patted me on the shoulder with one of his ungodly large hands before pointing down to one of the maps of Britain.

 

“You see this sector here of Cast de Leporta.” He said, grinning through his thick red beard. “We’ve gotten some good tips from a buddy who resides here that they have seen the same group of ten meeting here for a few weeks now.” He told me.

 

Willam nodded his head, rubbing his square jaw. “That, plus we’ve been tapping the lines of the council and we heard from Maggie that they are watching this same group, meaning that it is a definite disturbance here.”

 

“How do we know they aren’t just a group of disgruntled rebels?” I asked. “What proof do we have that they are the ones we’re looking for?”

 

Major Renard strummed his fingers on the table, then looked at me carefully. “The buddy I mentioned,” He said. “He’s got a, lets call her a friend…A friend of the whore variety, and when my pal noticed that one of the men had taken an interest in her, he pushed her to cozy up with him, get him a little drunk, and get him talking.” He told me. “Well, he talked.”

 

I tried to keep on a cool front although I was buzzing on the inside. “What did he say?”

 

“Without the details of it, he mentioned that he and his buddies were up to something big. Something that would change what everyone thinks of you.” He explained. “He didn’t admit specifically his knowledge of the princess, but he said they were planning to hold the key to everything soon.”

 

“So you think these are the ones?” I asked wanting to be done with this. I needed to know that Rose was safe so that I could tell Rachel the good news. Renard and the other men nodded. “Yeah, I think so.” He said.

 

“Our information matches what Maggie’s crew has come up with, but we know what they are after.” He told me. “We’re going to take the fuckers down.”

 

 

I smiled down at the map. “How soon?”

 

Renard smiled, clearly happy they’d be getting to go on a mission finally. “The boys and I have to be up top for a meeting with the guard leaders, but it shouldn’t last more than an hour. We can meet you back here then and plan. My guess would be two, maybe three days.”

 

“An hour then.” I nodded, then went for the door.

 

Rachel will be so happy when I tell her about this. I can imagine her relief that this might be over sooner rather than later. I don’t want to get her hopes up, but I promised no secrets this time, and that I’d keep her informed. If I can cancel out the threat to Rose, then she and Rachel could be reunited within three weeks, totally safe.

 

I pulled out my phone once I was on the elevator and dialed my informant, Quincy.

 

Like always, he answered on the first ring.

 

“Majesty.”

 

“Hello, where is she now?” I asked.

 

“The library, Sir.” He answered quickly.

 

The library. I should have guessed that on my own. I have one hour with her before I have to get back. We could do a lot with an hour. The library could be interesting, right on my favorite red velvet couch…

 

“She didn’t go alone, did she?” I asked.

 

“No, Cromley escorted her there, and Miss Lexton is with her.”

 

Shit!

 

“Lexton?” I repeated, hoping I’d misheard him.

 

“Yes.”

 

I stopped the elevator and pressed level five, willing it to move faster.

 

There is no damnpossible way that this could be anything but bad.

 

 

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RACHEL P•O•V ✔

 

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I sat my book aside on the couch and sat up straighter. “Ok,” I said warily. “What do you want to talk about, Lexton?”

 

She fidgeted with her hands in front of her and then finally took a deep breath and put her hands at her sides. “We need to talk about this competition.” She said. “I’m not interested in being a part of whatever little thing you and Calvin have planned.” “I don’t know what you mean.” I said softly, my heart rate picking up just a little.

 

“Why are we doing it again?” She snapped. “I don’t like being on the TV and I hate all the attention it gets me, and I don’t want to be around Calvin anymore. It is too hard.” She sighed, not making eye contact with me. “It’s ridiculous to be forcing us back into this.”

 

I chewed the inside of my cheek and tried to think what to say to her. “I know this is frustrating, Lexton.” I told her. “I don’t want to do this anymore than you do, but it’s not our choice.”

 

“That’s the point!” She said. “It’s never my choice. I’m always being forced into these things I want nothing to do with.”

 

“I understa-.”

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“No!” She yelled. “You don’t.” She said looking into my eyes. “You have no idea what it is like to be the one on the outside. Everything here was so different for you. You were his favorite from the start and none of us ever stood a chance

 

 

against you, just like now. You had it easy. Everyone fawning over you, and all the special privileges you got. I had to give blood every single day. I was always exhausted and feeling weak from the amount and then on top of that I had to be paraded around on competition nights and have a man I admire pretend to give a care in the world about me and a couple of the other girls who also meant nothing to him.”

 

I was struck by her words, pretty sure I’d never heard her say so much all at one time, or at all.

 

“If it hadn’t been for you, Calvin and I might have had a future.” She said coldly. “We were friends first, and then I thought we might could be more, but then you decided you wanted him, and you took him.” She accused. “You could have used his favor to keep you safe without having to steal him away from me. We were good together, could have been great, but not when the better than everyone Rachel decided to give him a try.”

 

I was getting pissed, but I decided to try to be the bigger person and keep my cool. “It wasn’t like that, Lexton.” I said evenly, but it only made her face turn slightly red.

 

“That’s exactly how it was!” She spat. “He told me he was interested in me, and I mentioned my suspicion that he had something going on with you already. I didn’t want to get my heartbroken, and he assured me that he wouldn’t be choosing you. He even kissed me, but then not long after, he suddenly had a change of heart and before I knew it the competition was called quits early, you were married to him, and I was heartbroken anyway.” I stood up and tried to leave the room, but she blocked the door. “As if that wasn’t bad enough on its own, we also had a special connection otherwise…as I am sure he told you. I wasn’t enough to make him want me, but I was enough to want my blood.” She shook her head. “I thought maybe we’d somehow grow closer over time since he was so obsessed with my blood. I thought maybe he’d tire of you and find love with me, but I should have known I could never compare to Rachel. ” She sneered. “When everything happened the night that you supposedly died, it was Calvin who had saved my life. I let myself believe that your death was my luck finally kicking in. I thought with you out of the picture we’d finally be together, but instead he cut me out altogether.” She said

 

 

with tears in her eyes. “I love him, but even a dead you was better than a live me to Calvin.”

 

“Lexton, please just stop.” I said. “I don’t want to hear anymore.”

 

She drew her brows together and took a step towards me. “Oh, I’m sorry.” She said. “Is this uncomfortable for you? Hearing these things from me? Because you know what I found uncomfortable?” She said coldly. “Being fed on.” She whispered. “That hurts, and hurts even more when you’re tossed to the side right after.” She told me. “Know what else kind of sucks, Rachel? Finding out after two years of trying to win him over that it had been his idea to send you away in the first place, and he still didn’t want me. He loves you so much it is overwhelming to think about. There is nothing he wouldn’t do for you. Call off the competition, Rachel. I don’t want to go through this again.”

 

“I can’t.” I snapped, my blood bubbling beneath the surface of my skin, but my logic pointing out how awful it must really be to be her.

 

“Yes, you can.” She said. “You have no idea what it has been like for me here. After you were gone Calvin said I could leave too, but where would I go? I have no family, no friends, no life to go running back to. I have nothing, so I stayed. But staying was just as bad. I’m ridiculed all the time by the people around here. They call me a blood whore. They call me the leech. They make fun of me for always being second best, and now you and Calvin want me to go through that all over again. Why?” She asked. “What is the point of this? Just call it off, and be married and happy, just leave me out of it.”

 

I turned away from her and paced the other side of the room, anything to keep me from slapping her to get her out of my way.

 

“It isn’t going to be like last time, and I’m not going to be married to Calvin.” I told her.

 

“What?” She said, obviously confused.

 

I stopped walking and nodded my head at her, annoyed. “He’s going to pick you, Lexton.”

 

 

“No.” She muttered under her breath. “No, not now.” She brought her hand to her mouth. “I don’t understand. You both love each other…”

 

“Yeah, we do, but that isn’t the point.” I told her. “I can’t stay here. I have a reason I can’t.”

 

“A small reason?” She asked in a hushed voice.

 

My heart skidded to a stop. “You know?” I gasped.

 

“I do now.” She said shaking her head with wide eyes. “I always suspected…but….”

 

“You can’t say anything to anyone Lexton.” I told her, coming closer again. “She wouldn’t be safe, and as much as I’m sure you hate me, I would hope you do love Calvin enough that you wouldn’t want to put him through the kind of pain that he would be in if something were to happen to her.”

 

Lexton was white as a ghost and her eyes were like big saucers in her face. She really looked like she might be sick any second as she looked up at me slowly. “Why didn’t either of you tell me?” She asked. “Don’t I at least deserve to be a part of a plan that involves me and my feelings like this? Didn’t either of you even consider what this would do to me?”

 

The doors opened slowly and Calvin walked in, his eyes apologetic as he looked between the two of us. “I’m sorry, Lexton.” He said. “I was going to tell you, I just honestly hadn’t had the time to yet.”

 

“You didn’t have time to pull me aside and let me know that you plan to marry me in three weeks?” She asked him, her voice still sounding extremely hurt, then she turned to me. “You aren’t going to let me have him.” She accused. “This might be your plan for right now, but I guarantee, neither of you will stand being away from each other again.”

 

“That’s where you’re wrong.” I told her. “I have a reason to let him go, and I can.”

 

 

She shook her head and looked at Calvin again. “You plan to marry me?” She asked him. “You really think you’ll do it? Take another wife, share your room, your bed, your heart?”

 

It was my turn to feel sick to my stomach, but Calvin stepped forward, putting a hand on Lexton’s shoulder. “I told you before, I will never love another woman.” He said softly. “There will be a wedding, but you will be taking Rachel’s room, not sharing mine, and I will never share my bed, or my heart.” He told her. “You’ll be my wife only in title, but you know that I think highly of you. I would hope that we could get back to our friendship we had before, but that’s all it will ever be.”

 

Lexton’s eyes were filled with tears. “I’m just a piece in the big game.” She said. “It is just like the games you looked down on your father for. You’re no better than him. I don’t want to marry you, especially not like this. I want to be able to marry someone who will love me, not use me.”

 

“Lexton, Calvin and I didn’t do this to hurt you, and I can’t imagine how terrible it is to ask you to do this for us, but…my reason is in trouble. Some bad people know about her and they want to steal her away from me, and I can’t let that happen, and that means I am sacrificing my love for Calvin to save the one I love more than anything.” I tried to explain. “I’m sorry you’ve been brought into this, but I’m begging you. Please just go along with it.”

 

Lexton looked back and forth between the two of us, and I truly did feel her pain. I wish she had been wrong, but she had been entirely right when she said we hadn’t thought about her while making this plan. I’d been so worried about Rose and myself, that I let other people’s feelings go. Lexton’s tears were about to roll over and out of her eyes as she ducked her head and ran for the door.

 

Calvin turned to stop her, but I caught him by the shirt sleeve.

 

“Let her go.” I told him. “Give her some space.”

 

“But she knows abo-.”

 

“She said she always suspected it, so it isn’t like it is really all that new to her.” I told him. “She’ll never come around if we corner her into it. Just give her some time to think and process, then one of us can talk to her again.”

 

 

Calvin sighed, looking at the door, but he turned back to me.

 

“Ok.” He said, then he shook his head as he looked at me with his brows furrowed. “What did Lexton want when she cornered you here?”

 

I backed up and sat down on the couch and Calvin sat beside me, resting his arm on the back of the couch behind me and turning his body towards mine. “She wanted me to call off the competition.” I told him. “She tried to guilt me into by telling me how bad things have been for her.”

 

“They have been.” He agreed, his eyes showing sadness there.

 

“I feel so bad, but at the same time…I can’t help but be rubbed the wrong way by her too because of her feelings for you.”

 

“They are unrequited feelings.” He assured me.

 

“I believe you, it just still isn’t fun hearing about it.” I admitted. “She really does care about you, and in a way I can understand her kind of, we were both in the same place, and we both love you.” I was frustrated trying to put into words how I was feeling.

 

“It’s like on the one hand I feel a little grateful maybe that she loves you, and that you will have someone to rule beside you that I know would support you and have your back, but then on the other hand I hate that you’ll be marrying someone who has real feelings for you.”

 

“I understand what you mean.” He said. “When I first saw you arrive back here, I will be honest, I wanted to rip the esophagus off of that boy, but I also saw how he did truly care about you, and it made me unable to entirely hate him. I understand him, because I love you too.”

 

“Exactly.” I nodded.

 

He rubbed his jaw and glanced at the door again. “Don’t you think we should talk about Lexton now?” He asked.

 

 

“No.” I replied simply. “I don’t want to hear anymore, especially today.” I told him. “Remember our deal?”

 

“How are you handling all this so well?”

 

“I have a reason.” I whispered to him.

 

He grinned at me, reaching out to hold my hand and squeezing it tightly. “I have some news about that.” He said carefully. “We think we’ve found the rebels with the information.” He whispered. “We’ve got their location and in a few minutes I’ll be meeting with my men to plan the route of attack. I don’t want you to be too hopeful, just in case it isn’t them, but if it is, you should know, they are a very small faction.”

 

My heart felt like it couldn’t handle the amount of hope that was growing within it.

 

“You really think you’ve found them?” I asked.

 

“I think so.” He smiled. “She could be out of danger by next week.” He speculated and I couldn’t help but to grab him by the perfect face and plant a huge kiss on him.

 

“Thank you!” I exclaimed. “Oh, I pray that it is them, and this will mean that I will see her soon.”

 

“I hope so too, Rachel.” Calvin chuckled. “Nothing would make me happier than to come to you in a couple of days to tell you that she is safe.”

 

“A couple of days?” I gasped.

 

“Hopefully.” He nodded. “My men said they think they could be ready for the mission within two days.”

 

I wanted to clap my hands and jump up and down, but I didn’t want to celebrate too soon. I needed to know for sure before I’d really celebrate. “You said you need to go meet with them soon?” I asked, leaning into him.

 

He raised one eyebrow and I bit my lip, giving him a smile. “I did.” He replied. “I have about thirty minutes.” He said.

 

 

I gave him a flirty look and pointed my chin over to the door.

 

“Better hurry and go lock that then.” I winked.

 

Before I could even blink he was gone, then back, pulling me into his lap with a light musical laugh.

 

I wanted to make every single second count, because I knew that tomorrow, the competition begins.

 

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Story_Continues