Sienna Stone

It's been an entire week training with Caspian. How can put this into words.

It's boring and time consuming to say the least. All he has been having me do is breathing training and motion combats with contact with a stupid wooden knife.

And also I'm pretty duped about not getting that puppy. His excuse was that I shouldn't be selfish to bring a pup into the beginning of this fight we are making ourselves with the Galeons.

Right he is, but still dupes me into a bad mood.

That's not what really bother me though honestly. What has been bothering me is the fact Caspian keeps deflecting my questions about Nicolai. Everytime I ask, he steers me away with some stupid exercise.

I wonder what training exercise we are doing today? Everyone has been busy or away. My husband hasn't been to bed for this entire week. The twins have been taking turns sleeping next to me but during the day, they are gone.

I worry about Nico, he has been in his office for wvery hour of the day, till the day breaks dawn--until he leaves his office and leaves into a car and goes for an entire night.

It's suspicious and making me anxious.

I only know this because I've been spying a little. I feel guilty about it, don't get me wrong, but still--what is he up to?

I asked the twins and they both responded with that he probably is making sure this plan works out.

In my heart, I knew that was just them talking out of their ass for a response. Seeing in their expressions that they have no clue either. Which startles me to think that the twins really don't know what their boss is doing...

Trust that I will get to the bottom of this some how...

"Sienna." I hear Caspian from behind me. I turn around and see that he isn't in his training fit today. And here I am in a full get up of gym shorts and a grey hoodie, with my long hair up in a tie.

I raise a brow, "what's up?"

Caspian takes his phone out and types something on it before replying, "today's training will be different than usual. Your breathing techniques have improved and combat skills need more work but that can continue tomorrow. Today we will bring in someone who will teach you to shoot."

To shoot...."Ah? Shoot what?" Please don't say a gun. Please.

"A gun."

I frown feeling my nose blush, "no thanks--"

"Not an option."

Damn.

I place my hands to my hips and stomp my foot, "do you really believe I need to use a gun--"

Caspian cuts me off, eyes narrowing, "we need you prepared for every outcome. So stop with the temper tantrum and follow me."

Huffing, "yeah, yeah." I wave my hand in a sarcastic manner, "fine."

I swore to myself to never hold a gun. Edmond had me shoot guns for practice long ago. I was only eleven and whenever my finger pulls a trigger, it pulls a trigger within me.

The feeling of terror of being the cause of anything that happens from the pulling of a trigger terrifies me.

Even shooting bottles from afar was most detrimental for me. Edmond kept shouting at me everytime I missed and said to me in words that traumatized me.

He told me if someone were that bottle I'd be dead and after that told me what a waste I was if I can't even hit one target.

So...my attitude toward Caspian is fully justified!

Following him I wonder where the heck we will be actually shooting bullets around here...then my question was answered when we walk out side and head over to the backgrounds of the mansion--which is unfamiliar territory for me. I haven't really ventured out because this place is so huge.

And we kept walking and walking and walking.

Until we get to a dug out little area is when I see a field of just dirt and bullet every where laying upon the ground. I suit my eyes to see through the sunshine that their is all sorts of obstacles out there.

All the sudden I feel this nervousness. There is barrels with bullseye targets, mannequins with black targets on the head, arms, knees, and chests.

And I'm sure there are some beyond the ones I see. By the sun gleaming sharp onto the earth I see glints of glass bottles from afar set up in a line.

"Bout damn time you both showed up." I hear a familiar voice ahead of use, coming out of the dug out.

Julian.

I haven't seen him in a second, "wait...you are the one training me today?" This brat of all people!

I whirl around about to leave but Caspian stops me, "he is the best unfortunately in this department. Use him well, Sienna."

I cross my arms over my chest, peeved, "if he so much as speak of my husband in ill manner I will crush him."

Caspian smirks, "I know. See you later." With that he goes away leaving behind, leaving me frustrated to be alone with Julian.

Julian chuckles, "what's with that face? Come on let's get started." He turns around with his back facing me, "though this is beneath me for teaching underlings." He comments chickly.

Brat.

When we get into the dug out where there is shade, my eyes widen at the table full of guns and ammunition. But what really caught my attention was this weird looking contraption that is U-shaped and has a black string attached to it, "what's that?" I point it out.

Julian stops what he was doing, "huh?" Then he sees what I'm talking about, "oh, that's my sling shot."

Sling shot.

What would a sling shot do to an enemy?

"Alright, let's see what you got. Here, let's start small." He grabs a little pistol and hands it my way.

But my hand never reaches it when he offers it. Julian corks an eyebrow at me in question and sighs, "well?" He coexes.

I bite my bottom lip, feeling my neck heat up in embarrassment for myself. I look away from his gaze and look else where. My fingers shake from this intense feeling of terror--thinking about my past experience.

Utterly a waste indeed. I know I can't shoot worth crap. Might as well tell him---

"Sienna..." Julian mutters my name, "that's your name...right? Look at me."

My eyes slowly look up to his, stunned on how soft they look. Just a matter of seconds ago he was glaring at me but now...

He genuinely looks like he sees me right now, "you know how I rid fears of anything that puts me down?" He says, "by taking it head on."

My eyes stay on his, ones that are almost as similar as my husbands, but has grey flecks in them.

Swallowing my nerves I slowly take the small pistol from his hand. Feeling the weight of it wasn't as bad but still, "I-I don't have good experiences with guns."

"That's okay. It's not like I'm asking you to shoot something right now. We are taking it easy today." Julian says, voice alight.

I nod feeling relieved, "then what are we doing today?"

Julian smirks, "you are to watch me until you feel ready..."

Huh? "That...that sounds boring!" I sputter, "how is this training?" Seriously?

He laughed, "believe me, you will see."

Gah, now he sounds cocky as hell. "Fine."

For a brief moment, just a flicker, his eyes sharpened and then it went back to normal. I stay still when he leans closer to me and puts his hand on the pistol in my hand, "when shooting a target, it's not all about the aim per say, but about the way you feel. Like instincts or intuition. Blah blah, that stuff as Hexa my mentor once told me. It's about your mindset. "

I'm not following in the slightest but nod anyway.

Julian take the pistol out of my hand, "simply let's just say....with a clear mind you can see perfectly." With that, in a second.

It was just a blink of my eyes!

The sound of a pistol had gone off.

But Julian kept his eyes on me the entire time. I follow to where his arm had stretched out, smoke comes out of the barrel then further away I see it.

H-how? That's...impossible!

He shot right through the mannequins head, point blank in the middle.

My mouth drops when I look back to him standing beside him, "you...didn't even look at it." I say, shocked.

"I did look at it." He shrugs a shoulder, a shit eating grin on his face.

Lie.

"You were looking at me the whole time! Don't make it sound like I'm the one delusional!" I pout, "what just happened?"

He twirls the pistol in his large hand and places it back on the table in front of us, "look behind you." He mentions.

I furrow my eyebrows confused but did as he told me. And low beholden, a small mirror--to small to actually see a damn thing stares back at me. It looks like a broken mirror from a bathroom just laying about.

But still, he made a precise shot and didn't mention that he still looked me in the eyes. I didn't even see him look behind me to the mirror either.

"If you want to see a no sight no shot from me then I'll show you." He says from behind me, "you will watch me until you feel comfortable around guns. Deal?"

Looking back to him, "deal."

I take a seat in a chair as I watch Julian get ready. I watch as he meticulously chooses his choice of weapon. This time he picks two similar hand guns with a silver handle. He gets into position spreading his feet from each other. He lifts the guns up with both hands in front of him.

Noticing his chest is barely heaving, he sucks in a breath into a silent intake. The wind blows his hair and the sheer look of focus plasters his features. There, again I see his eyes sharpen before they turn back to normal.

Then he blew my mind again.

Looking over to the targets and hearing the sound of his guns go off one by one. Each target gets hit multiple times, all hitting the same spot multiple times.

Not missing once.

This brat is unreal.

After that he picks up that sling shot and a silver looking bullet as big as my thumb being placed in the middle of the string, "the thing about instincts and your own mindset..." he trails off before pulling back the string while holding the bullet in there together, his other hand holding the sling shot itself, "is to forget about everything all together and make your shot."

He pulls back and angles his body before releasing his hold of the string, it snaps forward so fast I barely made out what was right in front of me. Before seeing a mannequins head get blown off it's fake shoulders.

Julian Masters is a monster.

He looks down at me with a sinister smile, eyes glinting, "the only fear I see from you is you not wanting blood on your hands. By the look you gave that pistol I handed you. But I'm here to train you that it doesn't hurt to have a little blood on your hands."

"I don't want to shoot anyone..."

Julian nods, "of course not. But if someone orders you to die or tries to kill you? What would you do?"

Something crawls up my spine at the thought of those words, at the possible thought that--that would happen...

I look away from his daunting gaze, "I don't want to die--"

"Nobody does, Sienna. But if the opportunity happens. You would have to choose to either pull the trigger or not. It's that simple."

After an hour of watching Julian shoot perfect shots and mind blowing me behind repair he takes a break, sitting next to me while drinking from a bottle of water. He is sweating like a typhoon but he looks even more restless--like he was ready to go at it again. A monster indeed.

Which has me an opportunity to ask him many questions, "what did it mean when you gotten bored and quit from your jobs? And what about saying those words to your mentor, that sex worker? And when you told Nico and them you were bored anyway?"

Julian places the cap back on the bottle before looking my way, "it means exactly what I meant. I tend to get bored easily..."

"But...why?"

He sighs as if this question is nerve wrecking as is, "well when you are very good at what you do--over time it gets pretty lame and boring. Don't get me wrong, at the time I once had a thrill doing what I did before but then got really good at it. Days past and then realize at some point of 'what is the point' runs through my mind...especially when its same Ole same Ole shit."

I kind of get what he means, "hopefully you won't get bored of this job." I say that with honest words. I was kind of liking the brat after all.

Until he open his mouth again, "who said I wasn't already?"

Damn kid.

He laughs at my expression, "kidding. But seriously never knew Nicolai Stone of all people chose me for this mission."

Frowning, "Nico asked you if you were here to kill him...why would he ask that?"

Julian rubs the back of his neck and shakes his head, "he had a right too. At first, I was but then realized my hatred for him was useless and to be fairly honest he wasn't worth wasting my bullets to."

I give him a dirty look, "you are a prick, you know that?"

He shrugs a shoulder before leaning back in his chair, man spreading, "I wasn't done talking. I realized that he wasn't at fault in the family for the death of my mother--his Aunt. It was his father's doing."

Nicolais' father killed his own sister! "That's awful." I whisper.

"Up until then I thought my uncle knew but turns out he didn't. So I guess you could say we are in a truce...for now." He says cooly.

Le sigh, "I'm glad."

Julian straightens in his seat and leans over the table, his eyes searching my own, "hey, it's my turn for a question."

I nod giving him the go ahead, it's only fair.

"Do you think this plan of Nicolais' sounds too...easy? I mean I've heard he is the best at sorts but I'm a little put off. And I'm no damn oaf when it comes to missions. But still..."

His question puts me off as well. "I don't know what you mean?"

His eyes stare intensely into mine for a long moment before he looks away, "nothing. Forget about it, yeah? Let's train more...er well you keep watching."

I nod but his question lingers in mind.

"Let me know when your ready to pull the trigger." He says before picking up a shot gun and starts shooting.

Every target obliterated.