Ethereal - Part One

Chapter 7 - The Start of Training

I felt as though a rock had been dropped into my stomach. What did he just say? “What did you just say?” I asked, finding my voice. “Unless your mortal ears are not working – I think you heard me quite clearly”. “Don’t I get a choice?”. “No” Azriel said firmly.

I looked towards Zeir and Kazier. Zeir didn’t really have any expression on his face, but Kazier on the other hand just looked annoyed. “But I don’t want you to train me, I want…”.

The next words that I was about to convey were cut off by the mere shock of being rapidly transported into another room; again. I looked around me and saw that we were in the training room. The very room that I was strictly forbidden to not enter.

“You can’t just…you cannot keep doing that!” I exclaimed, the minute Azriel let go of me. “I can do whatever the hell I want” He sneered back and I uncontrollably rolled my eyes, thinking that he wasn’t paying attention to me. Except that he was. 

“Where did you get the audacity to roll your eyes at me?” He growled and I bit my tongue from answering back. But being the smart mouthed girl that I was, I just couldn’t keep my damn mouth shut.

“Probably from the same place you got that attitude from”. Instantly I was knocked flat onto the ground, with Azriel on top of me, my throat tightly enclosed in his fist.

“I do not want to hear another word from you, do you hear me? Know that the only reason that you are unharmed is because I promised Ryelen that I would keep my anger in check and not hurt you in any way. But you are now seriously pushing me into breaking a promise that I made to my leader”.

I hit my hand repeatedly against his shoulder to let him know that I could no longer breath comfortably. He shook his head with a sigh and then released me, slowly getting up from the ground. “Pathetic” He muttered in disgust.

I willed myself not to cry and glared at him as I sat up. How dare he? I wasn’t pathetic! Sure, I didn’t have the exact strength that he or his friends did, but, how could I? I was a mere mortal, wasn’t I?

I took in a deep breath and stood up with my head held high, while Azriel folded his arms across his chest and watched me. I wasn’t going to let this angel get to me like this.

“Fine, you can call me pathetic, but I would just like to remind you that I did not chose this life for myself”. Azriel’s expression didn’t change from his usual brooding, angered one. “Go to the back of the room, there is a locker with extra clothes. Change and meet me back here”.

I didn’t waste any time, knowing that he would have something to say about that as well. I chose a dark grey tights and tank top that most definitely belonged to Destry and when I was changed, went back to where he was waiting.

…………………………………

I had my arms folded across my chest while I waited for her to finish changing. After seeing the playful look on Kazier’s face, it was clear what I needed to do. Did I want to be the one to train her? No, but did I have a choice? Also no. I realised now, that none of my fallen brothers could be left alone with her for too long.

The risk was too much and she, too compelling. There was something about her, this mortal. Something that attracted my fallen brothers towards her, and somehow that managed to anger me even further that the fact that I had failed in taking out the entire line of females with the sight.

When Ryelen was talking to me about her in his study, he had a different look on his face. It was something between adoration and realisation, nothing compared to the emotions that would be displayed on his face whenever he would think or see Destry.

And that spoke volumes. Ryelen truly loved and adored Destry, it had been that way since the time we were still in heaven. If it had just been Kazier, then I would not have needed to be so concerned for my brothers. But just the fact that Ryelen was affected by the mortal’s presence was enough to make me think about the whole situation.

And that was why I was forced to spend my time with her here instead of finding and fighting off those demons that had escaped hell. Of course, Ryelen would not be happy with my decision of staying back, but he would just have to understand. I was the strongest, most efficient fighter of us brothers.

My thoughts were disturbed the minute she stepped into eye view. She was wearing Destry’s grey set of clothing, managing to pull it off better than the pale female angel. I frowned in surprise at my own thinking and then cleared my throat.

“Do not expect me to be lenient. I do not grant mercy”. The mortal, of course, cheeked me. “Don’t worry, I’m smart enough to not hold any expectations from someone like you”. I sighed heavily, but I decided to let this one slide.

If I had to respond to her comment, it would not stop there, and we would honestly just be wasting unnecessary time. “We will start with some stretching, follow me and keep up, if you can”.

I could see the mortal wanted to say something, but she just took in a deep breath to calm herself and then followed almost every move correctly that I was doing. After the stretching I taught her some basic defence and attack moves.

She was not completely horrible at it – not that I would let her hear that – and decided to increase the level of difficulty of moves. Just as I thought, she was starting to slack.

“Can you hold up? I need a break” She said and crouched over slightly, breathing heavily. “I did not say you could have a break. We go on one, two, three…”. We continued fighting against each other until she lost her footing and fell backwards onto the black mattress.

“Get up! I said get up!”. “Fucking hell, Azriel! I am not a machine, nor am I like you!”. “Well, that is the problem, now, is it not?” I said and lifted her up from the floor. “Just two minutes, Azriel!”. I growled out and pushed her against the wall, successfully capturing her wrists with one hand and pulling it up above her head.

She looked at me completely stunned, her mouth slightly agar and her chest rising and falling so quickly, I was certain she would go into cardiac arrest. “I warned you that I would not be lenient, did I not?”. She nodded her head slowly and licked her lips, her eyes fixated on my lips. Why?

“Use your words, Mira” I said softly – my voice mirroring a whisper. Her eyes snapped up to mine. That was the first time I had ever said her name. I frowned slightly. What was I doing?

“Yes, you…did” She answered hesitantly, her eyes falling back down to my lips. I looked down at her. Looked at the way strands of her hair had loosened from its position on top of her head and stuck to the sides of her face. The way her cheeks were flushed by our close contact, the tiny droplets of sweat cascading down her chest to her…

“I’m just…tired Azriel…” She murmured, looking away in defeat, and then looking back at me. I swiftly let go of her as if she burned to touch and put some much-needed distance between the two of us.

“Fine. Have some time off” I said sternly and went to the back of the room where the lockers were.