a slight miscalculation

Chapter 15: Book Two: Chapter 6

"The idea is simple," Jennie said from across the training mat. "Chi runs through our bodies in set paths. Cut off the pathway, no more bending. Chi blocking can also cause pain, and even paralyze muscles. The goal is to disable your opponent before they know what's happening. If you do it right, you won't get a scratch."

Lisa paid close attention, watching Jennie's face warily. She was always confident in her abilities, but she had already made the mistake of underestimating the omega once before. She was reluctant to do so again. "If chi-blocking techniques are so effective, why aren't they more widely practiced? I've never faced anything like it before in combat."

"Just because it's effective doesn't mean it's easy, or safe. When you fight another bender, how close do you usually get?" Jennie stepped forward onto the mat, shortening the space between them. "Close enough to touch?"

Never one to resist a challenge, Lisa stepped forward as well. "Sometimes. When I decide to toy with someone."

Jennie seemed to stare straight through her. "To block someone's chi, you need to get close every time. You have to put yourself within arm's reach of the person trying to kill you, and you have to do it fast." She gave Lisa a slow up and down. "If I told you I was going to paralyze you the same way I did before, do you think you could stop me?"

Lisa thought about her answer. Chi blocking is a clever trick, but it has a weakness. If you know it's coming, you can't be taken by surprise. "Of course. I'm expecting it this time."

"All right." Jennie made a circle, coming to a stop behind her. Lisa remained facing forward, but she trembled as Jennie's fingertips trailed down her spine. "I'm going to hit you right here." They pressed in near the middle of her back, indicating the spot. A moment later, warm lips grazed the base of her throat, right where it ran into her shoulder. "When I come at you, try to block me," Jennie whispered against her skin.

Lisa shuddered. "You aren't going to start from behind me, are you? That wouldn't be fair."

"If you cared about a fair fight, you wouldn't be here." Jennie removed her hands and lips, returning to her previous position on the other side of the room. "Okay. Do whatever you can to protect yourself. That includes using your bending."

A wrinkle formed in the middle of Lisa's brow. She gave her all when someone invited her to spar, and except for a few fights where Rosé had gotten lucky, she always won. Somehow, sparring with Jennie felt different. She didn't normally care about her opponents, but the prospect of injuring her pregnant lover was more unsettling than she had expected. "Fine," she snapped, annoyed by her own hesitance. She could feel the ghost of Jennie's lips against her shoulder as she dropped into a defensive stance, and she didn't like it. "I'm ready."

Jennie threw herself into a handspring, moving so fast that Lisa could barely track her. She stared in awe before remembering what she was supposed to be doing. She summoned her chi, feeling it burn as it coursed through her arm and extended out from her fingertips. But though her form was perfect, the effort behind it was half-hearted. A weak stream of fire shot in the right general direction, but it only took a hard thrust of Jennie's legs for her to outpace it.

Lisa narrowed her eyes. She didn't want to hurt Jennie, but she didn't want to make a fool of herself either. The next blast was much stronger. She put more force behind it, but fear got the better of her. Fire singed the floor where Jennie's feet had been, a split second too slow. Before she could correct her timing, Jennie launched into the air. Her body twisted and arched, and Lisa felt a stab of fear. She realized with sickening certainty that she was about to be paralyzed, either because she couldn't hit Jennie, or didn't want to. Both prospects were strangely terrifying, and her stance faltered.