TimeLess (Time Tells, #2) (ON-GOING)

Chapter Fifteen

As promised, the cover for Timeless that was made by the very talented @Tragically_Sarcastic!

Happy reading!

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I can't take it anymore.

I've been doing this for hours this whole week. I lose focus when wax drips into my hand, my fingers spasm, pain travelling up my hand and the candle falls out of my grip.

My heart lurches because I'm wearing a skirt today but the candle pauses in mid air, shadows swirling around it and it lifts back up for me to take.

I stare at it for a mutinous second.

I look at Kri, standing at the edge of the room, arms crossed, feet apart with a look of intense concentration on his face.

"What's the point of this?" The words rip out of me feeling like a spark, and then like I'm made of wood, I catch fire. "We've been at this for a week! Hours together! What are we trying to achieve?"

I don't know what to expect, but I don't expect shadows to take away the books, the long beam in balancing over my shoulder and the candle and water away. I roll my shoulders and stretch, spreading my legs as he walks toward me.

He stands before me and gestures with his hand.

"Push me."

I blink for a minute. What?

Snapping out of it, I use all my strength, pent up frustration and pain and thrust my hands against his chest. He allows himself to be pushed by me and I still as I notice how he moves. He remains balanced through the push.

"Again."

I go at an angle this time, putting pressure on his shoulder. He moves back, never tilting in the way I would've expected him to, but keeping this body at the same balanced posture as before even as he allows the push to move him. I try again, keeping my eyes on the line of his form. His torso never moves separately from the lower half of him. He moves his whole side or not at all. He doesn't bend awkwardly at the hip or let himself be thrown off.

"I get it." I say. I need my body to do this naturally, to keep balance and with the books and the balance beams and the candle and glass of water, my mind and body do it subconsciously without direction. It'll then bleed into my muscle memory.

I let out a breath, "It makes sense now."

Resolution takes the place of frustration and I reach out for the books that remain floating in the air—

"Why didn't you just ask?" Kri asks me.

I blink and look at him, "Isn't there a whole trust-your-master-blindly rule?"

He stares at me for a second before snorting.

"You watch too many movies." He says.

I choose not to react. Best not tell him that it's because I read too many books.

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It's another day, I'm standing in tracks and a sports bra, perspiration dotting my skin. Kri has had me do a bunch of stretches, warm ups, push ups, mountain climbers and I can feel my general core strength having grown. My muscles on the other hand are mush.

Now, for the first time, Kri stands before me at the centre of the room instead of asking me to walk again. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not.

"What're the vulnerable areas of attack?" He asks.

"Eyes. Ears. Nose. Throat. Chest. Knees. Ankles. Groin" I barely have to think it.