Back Home (Edited) Book 4 of the Guardians Saga

CH 2.2 Useless Hostage

As Rile and Alex climbed the stairs to their apartment, Rile said, "Why don't you want to talk about our mission? You did tolerable well."

Alex huffed in frustration. "Those religious zealots just drive me crazy. Let's just kick back, order some takeout, and watch TV."

Rile flipped the dagger in his hand as he spoke. "Not yet. We need to practice your dagger skills. When we get tossed into different worlds, there may not be any guns and your power runs out, so you'll have to rely on dagger and sword skills. Now watch carefully."

He executed a flurry of jabs and strikes with grace and agility, while his free hand moved in a distracting manner.

Alex complied with a dreamy expression on her face, chin cupped by her hands.

"Are you even watching?" Rile asked.

She replied in a breathy voice, "Oh yes...very carefully." She then slipped her arm around his waist and murmured, "Let's go to bed."

Rile tried to sound stern but could not mask his pleasure at Alex's obvious admiration of him. "Tomorrow we start lessons again–no more buttering me up."

Alex grinned mischievously and began glowing her hand before rubbing it against his back. "Ahh still falling for my teasing though...good."

***

The next morning, Rile arrived early to practice with Alex. He vowed to take it easy on her, but found that his competitive nature quickly flared up. Just as Rile was about to sweep Alex off the mat and gain the advantage, she suddenly tossed away her staff. Its loud clatter was enough of a distraction for Alex to leap up and throw her arms around his neck before he had time to react.

Rile felt like he was holding a small sun in his arms. All the warmth and light he could ever want filled him as he looked down at Alex. She lifted her hands to cup his face, so Rile bent his head to kiss her warm lips.

He could feel the power radiating from her fingertips as they ran down his muscular arms. Alex then cupped his face as he kissed her.

When Rile finally leaned back, Alex asked, "Couch or bed?"

"What do you want?"

"Clever dragon, asking me what I want. Human males never did."

"Fire truck them," Rile said.

"You'll be amply rewarded." Alex kissed him again and intensified her power.

"Give me a chance to carry you to the bedroom, or I'll collapse right here on the floor," Rile gasped.

Alex laughed and laid her head on his chest. "I'll allow being carried this once."

***

Rile lay on the bed, his hand gently stroking Alex's hair. He took a deep breath before he spoke. "Why don't you want to train anymore? We used to spar all the time, and you never complained. Didn't you ask me to spar more?"

"I didn't ask for more sparring now. I only made an observation that we didn't spar much anymore. Back then, you were always after me to spar and I was trying to win your acceptance. But what's the point now? You could train me to be the next action hero, and it wouldn't matter when Morgan shows up. Someone in a Batman comic once called Robin "The Boy Hostage". That's me: Alex, the useless Morgan hostage. My brain is fried when it comes to him. Purposefully and deliberately fried. By big machines. Big, illegal, experimental machines." Alex turned her head away from him, raising her arms above her head onto the pillow and staring at the ceiling as if looking for answers.

Rile started kissing her hand and traveled down her arm. Alex shifted her arms to her side, and he kissed her shoulder.

"We'll keep training until defense is automatic. Then it'll race past any blocks those machines placed in your brain."