The Slowest Kiss (On Hold)

Temptation With A Kiss

   Sweat dripped down our faces as we lunged towards each other again with our swords making a large clang sound. I stumbled back trying to find my balance. I grinned.


"Wow Xenia, who knew someone as innocent as you knew how to use a weapon like this." I huffed. She grinned back at me.


  "Who knew someone as stubborn as you could learn how to use a weapon like this." She teased and I lowered my sword looking around the Arena. It was pretty empty since this was just a practice but you could almost hear and see the people cheering in the stands.


"Is this all we're doing today?" I asked. She put her two swords back on her side. "Why? Got a hot date or something?" She asked her shapely eyebrows raising.


I scoffed but I felt my face heat up. I promised I would call Luke so we can find a place to discuss more of my family. I wanted to know his background story too. Like if he was single for instance.


"You do! That's so cute." She cooed. I shook my head. "You know you surprise me everytime you speak." I admit. She blinked repetitively looking confused.


"What do you mean?"


"You look so innocent one second but then bad ass the next. You look bad ass now yet you sounded like a five-year-old."


She winked and put her arm around me. "I'm a woman of many talents." She said confidently.


"Oh I'm sure." I said with a laugh. I wondered what my dad would say in a situation like this. Would he be proud of what I had learned? Is it the same for my mom?


Xenia pulled out her swords again and started swinging them around hectic. She had the grace of a ballerina and the fierceness of a warrior. I wanted to be that. I wanted to reach that.


"What is next on the list?" I asked. She continued to switch between different stances with her weapons. "We're going to do the next big thing. Channel your power with your weapon." She stopped in front of me the knife inching towards my throat. I pushed it out the way and she put it back.


"Is this the point you're trying to make? See how far the knife can go?"


"First of all it is not a knife its a steele. I would be satisfied with a sword but a knife really? This isn't any ordinary butter knife." She threw her hand back and I shut my eyes expecting the sword to hit me but all I heard was the wind whipping it past my ear and finally another clang when it hit the wall.


"Ritorno." She murmured sticking her hand out and the sword as if being rewinded flew back in her hand. My jaw dropped. How is that even possible?


She smiled proudly. "What did you say?" I asked. "I said return in Italian." She answered. "Now back to the objective. Turn your fire on."


I nodded and closed my eyes reaching inside to find the budding flames. I sensed it and concentrated on my hand that had the sword in it. I opened my eyes when it reached it but didn't produce any flames like I had hoped. Just heat. Xenia nodded in approval.


"What now?"


"Feel the sword and the fire become one." She spoke like a monk and I bit my lip to keep from smiling. Serious time Aria, serious time


I brought the flame completely on my hand and gripped the sword. The sword became completely on fire minus the handle. I gasped but held my grip.


"Awesome!" She yelled happily. "Okay, so I'll make my sword have some type of element too and we'll duel with that." She said calmly already speaking in Italian.


Duel? But I don't want to fight her! What if I hurt her? I can talk all I want about knowing how to control my powers but I don't know how strong or weak they may be. They could fail me at the wrong time. Xenia scoffed. "Don't worry you can't hurt me. Not even if you tried." She said with a wink. I looked back at her surprised.


"I can read minds remember? And your like an open book. Expressions and all!" She exclaimed. I narrowed my eyes at her but smiled. Swinging my sword around. "Okay should we start this thing oh wise master?"


She grinned and said something in Italian I couldn't catch. And her swords grew larger and fully covered in ice. "Why not be similar in elements? Ice is a deadly weakness to fire if the fire controller allows it to be." She spoke professionally.


"What's my brothers weakness?" I asked suddenly curious. She blushed and shook her head. "I'm not telling you your brothers weakness. Its not fair." She said. I pouted. "Only because you have a crush on him." I said under my breath.


"I do not!" She retorted and held up her sword. "Moving on, you need to remember to be quick on your feet and remember what opponent your dealing with. If it's Skelos for example, you have to know he uses mind games to confuse you. He doesn't even use his power because thats to be expected. He used your personal life as a game throwing harsh words about your past and your current feelings against you." She explained through clenched teeth. She took a slow step towards me and I held my ground. I normally wasn't afraid of much or even Xenia but when she gets deadly like this even large bears would run away.


"Lift up your sword. Make smart moves. And try not to get whooped too much by me." She said with a smirk. I lifted up my sword and pointed it towards her.


She let out a large battle cry and lunged towards me. I dodged and she quickly began to strike again. I lifted my sword as a shield and the air steamed. The fire shook wildly and the ice remained solid with a couple missing fragments on its side.


I huffed and stepped against the wall to run properly on her. What was her next move was going to be? She grinned. I looked behind her and saw a good way to step away from her if she tries to strike. If I get high enough I can hit her in the right spot.


I bolted as fast as I could and charged the wall. She held her ground and I looked at her confused but didn't slow down. I jumped high in the air from her blind spot and she stopped me in the middle of the air with her sword swiped at me cutting my arm. I winced holding the small bloody wound.


How could she have known that? I wasn't even walking towards her!


I can read your mind silly. Remember know you opponents powers.


I cursed under my breathe. "Not fair." I said out loud. She continued to grin at me.


"I didn't say you couldn't use your power. You control fire and earth. Use them." She said running towards me again.


Use them. I pulled the flame and threw it on her.


"Use the fake flames." She whispered in my mind. "How do I do that?" I asked. Her hollow like voice. She was getting closer and I flung myself to the other side of her. She kept coming towards me.


I took a deep breath and thought hard. I know how to create real flames but fake ones? Using basic knowledge I'm assuming fake flames are an illusion of some kind. If I believe they aren't real then they will not be. But how can I make them real for someone else?


She flung her sword at me and I brought my sword up blocking her move. She huffed and went in the other direction. Getting ready to charge me again I assumed.


Think. Think. Think. If I just concentrate maybe I can make it happen.


I focused on the ground her and imagined a ring of fire, a mixture of blood red and orange, surrounding her. I made sure to think it was only fake flames so she would be convinced she was burning She stopped heading towards me once the ring began to appear and starting screaming. I almost shut it off but then I realized I was in battle. If I heard Skelos screaming in pain would I suddenly him go? I threw my sword towards her and it pinned her aganist the wall. I slowly walked up to her?


"Did I do good?" I asked and I abruptly stopped the fire.


"Not quite." She hit her heel against the wall and a blade shot out pinning me all the way across the wall.


I screamed through it all until I hit the wall with a thud. "Ow." I muttered and she started laughing. Which in turn caused me to laugh too. "This is a problem though." She shouted from across the room.


"How?" I asked.


"Well you are over there and I am over here... you do the math."


Shit. "Of all the things to do is be practice fighting in an arena. How did this place get here anyway? I don't remember it exactly being on the school website."


"I whipped something up and created this room. To non-magic believers its an ordinary gym. But it says closed on the door outside that's why no one has come in yet. And that's exactly why we are more screwed than we were before."


I creased my forehead. "Don't you have any spells to get us out of here?" She shook her head "I'm a witch in training. Its in blood so I can pull off the tricks but I wasn't raised from the book at first. I was a fighter all my life." Her voice was doleful and I felt ashamed for asking.


"I'm sorry Xenia." I said softly. "Its okay. You barely know. I've been focused on your life I never really talked about mine." She had a strained smile on her face. "Well since we have nowhere else to go this is the perfect chance to tell me everything." I said.


I did want to know about her. She's been helping me through so much and when I thought about it, I barely knew the girl.


She gave me a half smile and nodded. "Well, there isn't much to tell. I was born in Cristallno and I was basically raised by my crazy aunt after my parents were murdered. She taught me magic, she even owns a magic shop. It was pretty cool growing up." She admitted.


"But at the same time it was tough. Because between magic lessons and fighting lessons I had no real time to make friends or even get a boyfriend" she blushed then her cheeks tinting with pink. "Maybe that's why I'm so against liking your brother. He seems like a guy with experience and I definitely am not."


"You know how to kick ass pretty well though."


"Better then most hell yeah!" She yelled proudly and we both laughed. "What should I do about your brother Aria? I mean really..." She avoiding eye contact.


"Well. My brother is pretty simple. If he likes you, you'll know it." I started. "And I honestly think he likes you."


"Gabrielle and Molly like him also. Should I back off?"


"Hell no. Yeah the concept of anyone liking my brother makes me question people's sanity but if I had to choose anyone it'd be you. You can whip him into shape." I said truthfully.


She got a dreamy look in her eyes. "I'd like to whip him alright..."


"Xenia! Gross! I'd cover my ears if I could!" I said shaking my head. She laughed.


"Hello?" A voice said. Xenia and I stared at each other in silence.


That voice sounds like Luke, She whispered in my mind.


It is Luke! How did he find me here? I thought back. Luke came into view and ran to me first. Ripping the sword from my clothes. He pulled me to safe ground and his arms held on to me for a beat longer.


"What are you guys doing in here?" He asked heading towards Xenia to help her out.


I opened my mouth to answer but than Xenia cut me off. "Nothing! Just messing around with these things my uncle sent me. He's such an old man sometimes." She laughed. Her poker face was perfect and if Luke honestly had no idea of the magic world he would be clueless.


He raised an eyebrow at her and looked at me for a real answer. Shoot, I haven't told Xenia about Luke yet. Is it really my secret to tell?


"Its okay Xenia, he knows about the world already." I walked up the Luke who was yanking the swords out of Xenia's shirt.


"She was helping me learn how to battle. I suck so far and needed some new pointers." I admitted. Xenia's jaw dropped. "I can't believe you just told him that!"


Luke lifted up his shirt revealing a tattoo with a swirl of in a form of a wolf. Xenia gasped and reached out to touch it. "You have the mark... " She pulled up her shirt and leaned over revealing her same tattoo but a different pattern. Luke nodded admiringly at the mark. I stood there in awe.


"Where did those come from?"


"When you are born with certain magically abilities you get marked. He has the mark of the wolf and I have the mark of the witch. You have the mark too but differently. More special."


I looked at her like she was clueless. "What?" Luke saurted over to me and the corners of his mouth tugged into a tiny half smile. "Lift up your shirt."


Before I could blush and feel the fire with in me Xenia stepped in between us. "I would rather this room not catch on fire so why don't you let me do it." Se said Luke and he backed up still smirking.


Xenia lifted my long sleeved shirt to show my birthmark on the back of my shoulder. It never occurred to me that it was more than just an average birthmark. My fingers traced the pattern. It had the swirl that was wild and a large circle holding it together.


"My brother has one too?" She nodded and looked back at Luke. "I've heard that werewolves smell bad." She wrinkled his nose. "I heard witches have warts." He retorted. She glared at him but said "Touché."


My head was spinning. If anyone had told me I would have a thing for a werewolf and be best friends with a witch I'd look at them like they were the stupidest person in the world. Not to mention the powers that me and my brother somehow discovered. It was all so much.


"How did you find us?" Xenia said. "Well, Aria was suppose to call me and I was getting kind of worried. Mainly because another person disappeared on campus today. I went to her dorm but neither of you were there and Nathan had no clue either."


"Is Nathan here?" I asked a little worried.


"You bet I am!" He shouted from the entrance and ran towards us standing next to a blushing Xenia. He threw his arm around her suddenly. "Sorry, do you mind if I rest my arm here for a second? I'm really tired." His eyes danced with hers and she shook her head.


I rolled my eyes. I've seen this trick at least twenty times. "Who are the people that have gone missing?" I asked trying to bring this romantic setting to a close.


"A guy named Jason and his girlfriend Amanda. They were last seen at the commons."


"Have you gone to the dean?"


Nathan moved his arm away from Xenia who's face fell slightly but she quickly regained her cool. "We did. He said he's handling it, but to keep you guys safe."


I put my hands on my hips. "But if Jason and Amanda were taken they were oblivious magically gifted. How do we know who is and who isn't?" I exclaimed. How can we save everybody?


Luke rubbed the back of his neck. "Well I know a couple people who are. I can look out for them in the meantime."


Xenia stepped out of the circle that we created. "I know of a few people too. We need to sit down and figure out these names. Maybe we should hold a meeting and discuss this."


We all agreed on a set time and Xenia and I packed up our things. "Hey Xenia, do you need an escort back to your dorm?" Nathan asked Xenia with a smile.


"What am I chop liver?" I said grumpily. Xenia shot me a look and I clamped my mouth shut. She must really like my brother. "Sure thing. Only if you can keep up." She winked at him and stepped hastily in front of him. He gave me and Luke a thumbs up before dashing off after her.


Luke chuckled and grabbed my bag out of my hand. "Let me take that." He said. "I could've have taken it myself." I grumbled. He rolled his eyes but continued to smile.


I looked at him then as we walked out the areana. Did I like him? It was obvious I was attracted to him, his deep colored eyes and the way he looks at a person. Both electric and passionate no matter who the person. Normally back home, I was one of those girls in school who would run around kissing boys to find out if I liked them. Maybe I'm not so different now.


No, I can't do that. Am I seriously considering kisisng him right now?


He caught me looking at him and flashed me a sly grin. "Please, stop staring at me. Its making me feel subconscious." He said. I hit him hard in the arm. He showed no hint of pain and then I mentally cursed myself remembering he was a werewolf.


He laughed at the mixed expressions on my face. "I love your facial expressions. There is always a new one I have no seen." He admitted.


I narrowed my eyes at him and kicked a rock that was in front of my feet. "Well of course. All you've seen is annoyed." I said. He shook his head quickly. "Not true. I've seen you look at me like I was a piece of meat too."


I gasped and stopped walking. "I do not!"


He laughed and put his hands up in surrender. "I also like the way you blush. Its adorable on you, I just can't seem to help myself." He said flirtatiously. I forced my eyes to look at the ground.


"Why are you flirting with me?" I asked boldly. "I can't flirt with anyone?" He asked. I kept walking and he kept in step with me. "I didn't say that, I just want to know why. There are tons of girls that are constantly drooling over you."


"Are you one of those girls?"


I shook my head a little too quickly. "I'm not. Gabrielle and Molly are though."


He scrunched up his face and made an adorable pout. "But I don't like them." he said. I laughed and shook my head. The tension of the last couple of days seem to melt away when I was with him. I liked that. Maybe a part of me did like him. Thank god he didn't have Xenia's powers or my thoughts wouldn't be safe.


"I can also sense emotions remember? And through that its not that hard to figure out what someone is thinking." He admitted. I looked at him in shock trying my hardest to think of other things like my favorite song.


"For example." He stopped walking and took a step closer to me. If I moved an inch, just a little to the left, we would have been kissing. I slowed my breathing down. "You emotions are heightened right now. A lot of passion is running through your veins right now."


I stared into his eyes trying to read them. "And.. you know this for sure?" I managed to ask. He nodded and then somehow breaking the spell we had between us and backed up. He stuck his hands in his pockets. He smiled and continued to back up.


"Goodnight Aria Forrester." I watched him as he kept backing up not breaking eye contact with me and finally disappear around the corner.


I have no clue what I'm going to do with that boy.