The Claimed: Rashika's Resistance

Chapter 25: Take the Lead

After lunch, the team cleared the tables and propped crumbling racks of wooden swords in each corner of the cafeteria. The fighters of Rashika's Resistance each chose a sword and lined up in front of me and Izra.

Jek danced from foot to foot and rolled his shoulders. "Izra, how do we start?"

Izra strode to the end of the line and spun around to face me, glossy ponytail swaying. "Epsa, how do we start?"

Training exercises consumed the majority of my last eight years, but I always stood in line and awaited instruction. With all eyes on me, a bout of nerves tightened my chest. I had only just cut my own strings. How could I lead others when I was still learning how to lead myself?

I drew in a shaky breath, scanning the crew watching me. Emotions ranged from nervous to scornful. Plu and Navi both hunched their shoulders and scuffed their feet, while Jek folded his arms over his chest and tipped up his chin. The fingers of my free hand instinctively closed over my thigh. Then my eyes found Izra, and my hand slipped back to my side.

One of her hips cocked, and a strand of hair brushed her face. Otherwise, she formed a perfect, sleek statue. The hopeful vulnerability in her eyes the night before had been replaced by the pragmatic trust one places in an experienced professional.

I didn't expect that from a warrior.

"Show me what you can do," I told the crowd, "And I'll show you what you need to learn."

Izra broke the group into pairs to spar. For the next half hour, swords clacked, feet shuffled, and sweaty bodies heated the cafeteria. Izra, Janafir, Jek, and the twins wielded their swords with confidence, but Plu fell into the defensive and surrendered far too easily, and even Izra, the best of the five, slipped into postures my own trainer would reprimand.

The rest of Rashika's Resistance swung wildly, gripping swords like heaving boulders.

We had work to do.

I called an end to the sparring, and the group lined up before me once more, faces flushed and chests expanding with each breath.

"I need a volunteer for a demonstration," I said. "As a fair warning, you may come away with bruises."

Eyes dropped to the ground or flitted to the side. Plu visibly gulped and jerked back one step. Jek shook his head and huffed a scoff.

Izra stepped forward to face me. "I'll do it."

I hesitated, dropping my voice quiet enough to reach only Izra. "You really want me to knock you down in front of your followers — your admirers?"

Izra lifted her sword and widened her stance. "Don't you dare go easy on me."

The rest of the group formed a circle around the room to watch us, but they faded to a blur of colors as all of my attention zeroed in on my opponent. Izra watched me with the same intense concentration, and we circled each other with slow, steady steps.

Izra increased the speed of her footwork, and so did I. She thrust the sword tip toward me in a few experimental jabs I easily parried. When she reached farther and swung harder, I redirected her sword on the parry to send her off-balance. The moment her defensive stance collapsed, I twisted my sword around for a sharp attack and then swung a foot forward to catch her closer boot.

Izra's back smacked the ground, and I flicked my blade down to touch her chest before she could move. A gasp passed around the room. I caught Izra's gaze, and for a moment, I was transported to the secluded woods where I last defeated her in a sword fight. That day, I had pinned her wrists above her head and straddled her sharp hip bones while she glared up at me in defiance. Finish this!