Miracle

Pt. 50

And so, over the next few day's the relentless training began. Bill, the banished demon, took on the arduous task of forging Lily into a weapon against her own father. The first, and arguably most crucial, lesson was controlling her volatile anger—a notorious trait among hybrids, a gaping weakness Alistair would surely exploit.
"Stop hitting yourself! Stop hitting yourself!" Max chortled, perched like a smug gargoyle on a smooth, grey boulder at the edge of their makeshift training ground.

His control over Lily's movements was absolute, a tormenting puppetry that forced her hand to repeatedly slap her own face with jarring force. Each sharp, echoing smack made Alexander wince. Alex had arrived only a few days ago, his face alight with incredible, almost miraculous news: he had literally met God himself. He was now free, unbound by heavenly strictures, able to be around Lily without any harmful side effects. A normal relationship, a real future, was within their grasp once this nightmare was over. It was all he longed for—a quiet, relaxing life with her—but first, she had to become strong enough to defeat her father. It was the only way to reclaim their peace.

Alex's jaw tightened, a muscle jumping in his cheek as he glared at the side of Max's head. Without a word, he balled his hand into a fist and punched Max hard in the arm. "Do you really have to make her hit herself so hard?" he ground out.

Max rubbed his arm, pouting dramatically, while Jinx let out a short, sharp laugh at his expense, a rare sound. "Yes, he does," Bill interjected, his voice deep and unyielding. His arms were crossed over his broad chest, his golden gaze fixed on Lily. "The first thing Lily needs to learn is to control that anger. It's a known weakness with being a hybrid. Her father would use that against her in a fight, turn her own power against her, twisting her own fury into her downfall."
Lily stood a short distance away, her chest heaving, the red imprint of her palm stark on her cheek.

She rubbed it gingerly, the redness spreading across her skin like a rash, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. "Continue," Bill commanded, his voice firm, leaving no room for argument or rest.

Max, with a theatrical sigh, continued to make her strike herself. Alexander understood it was a necessary evil, a harsh lesson, a baptism by self-inflicted pain. But the brutality of it gnawed at him. Why did she have to hit herself so hard?

Lily's next slap was a jarring blow that sent her stumbling, her legs giving out, finally toppling her onto the soft green grass. She lay there for a moment, chest heaving, digging her nails into the cool earth, raw anger and frustrated tears rolling freely down her cheeks. She let out a guttural, wounded sigh, a sound of pure exhaustion and fury. The grass beneath her hands quickly withered, turning black and burning to ashes, a testament to her uncontrolled power.

She pushed herself up, dusting off her clothes, her eyes still burning with unshed tears, but a flicker of resolve hardening her gaze "You got this, Lily! Just breathe through it!" River called out encouragingly from where she sat cross-legged on the grass beside Jinx, her voice a soothing balm. River softly nudged Jinx with her shoulder, wanting her to also offer Lily words of encouragement, a shared moment of solidarity.

Jinx rolled her eyes with an audible sigh, a typical reaction. But then, to River's surprise, she looked over at Lily. She offered an awkward, almost imperceptible smile, followed by a clumsy thumbs-up, her usual swagger briefly forgotten. Lily let out a light, almost hysterical laugh at the sight, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly, a glimmer of her usual humor returning.

"And Slap!" Max yelled gleefully, his voice cutting through the air like a whip, and Lily's hand snapped up, connecting with her face once more. Lily groaned, a low, weary sound of pure exhaustion. This was going to be an impossibly long day.

****

The regimen shifted. After conquering her raw anger, Bill moved on to direct combat, teaching her to fight and defend herself with her full range of abilities.
"When I punch here," Bill explained, throwing a slow, fake punch towards her head, demonstrating the crucial opening in his guard, "you could easily land a shot right here on my side."
Jinx, leaning against a rough-barked oak tree, her arms crossed, called out, "But that also leaves her vulnerable for attacks from behind her back!" She sauntered over. "If you think he's gonna fight her clean, or without his minions, or using dirty tactics, then think again," she added, full of sass, her lips curving into a cocky smile as she idly picked at her nails, an air of nonchalant superiority about her.