Beyond His Evil

THIRTEEN.

"Where are we going, please?" I asked, my voice laced with irritation.

We had been walking for what felt like hours, and the silence between us was starting to wear on me.

Devon didn't even glance back. "We're almost there. Consider this your first lesson."

I groaned.

Today marked the beginning of my training with Devon, and while I'd been excited at first, the unease simmering in the back of my mind had only grown. Everything about him felt off and despite my epiphany yesterday, I still didn't trust him.

We finally stopped, and I glanced around.

Before us was a large clearing, surrounded by towering trees whose thick branches cast long shadows across the open space. I hesitated on the edge, reluctant to step into the clearing.

"Are you ready?" he asked, his gaze steady.

I forced a smile, clenching my fists. "I am."

His lips twitched as if suppressing a grin. Before I could blink, my legs were swept out from under me, and I hit the ground hard.

Pain shot up my spine as I sat up, glaring at him. "What was that for?"

"Lesson two: always be aware of your surroundings."

"Does humiliating me help emphasize that point in some way?"

He shrugged, his smirk infuriatingly smug. "It was entertaining."

Son of a-

"I think I already know the answer to this, but just to confirm," he said, folding his arms. His tone shifted, and his expression grew more serious. "Did your mother ever teach you any form of combat?"

I dusted myself off and stood. "No."

"Why not?"

His question struck a nerve.

Why hadn't my mother ever taught me to defend myself? She'd always shielded me, always fought for me.

The pause stretched. Devon arched an impatient brow.

"I don't know," I admitted finally. "Maybe because I don't have powers?"

My answer sounded dumb even to my ears.

He tilted his head, studying me like I was a puzzle he couldn't quite solve. "Tell me something about your childhood. What do you remember?"

I frowned. "What does that have to do with training?"

"If this," he gestured between us, "is going to work, I need to know things about you."

I hesitated. "Well, when I was ten-"

"Not ten. Younger."

His interruption sent a chill down my spine. Why was he so insistent? I searched my memories, but the harder I tried, the emptier my mind felt.

Nothing.

Why couldn't I remember anything before ten?

Devon's gaze darkened, his eyes boring into mine.

"I know everything about you, Kira." His words from when I had woken up in safe land echoed in my mind, making my stomach twist.

"Do you know something I don't?" I asked, my voice shaky.

"I know a lot of things you don't." His tone was casual, but the glint in his eyes wasn't. "You'll need to be more specific."

"That day-"