Remember

Chapter 32: And The World Turned Upside Down

One foot in front of the other. That's how I got through it. I just put one foot in front of the other, not concentrating on where I was going. Instead my focus was on each foot, and making it one more step.

To say I was exhausted would be an understatement. I was drained. I was drained of all the energy in my body, of my will to fight, of my desire to live, of everything. My world had been turned on its head once more. And this time, I had no idea where up was.

I let out a breath, thankful that the hallways were deserted. I no longer had to keep up the appearance of an unflappable alpha with her devil may care attitude. In truth, I probably cared too much. I always put everyone else ahead of my myself, regardless the consequences.

The beatings my uncle had given me flashed through my head. Those that I remembered to say the least.

Somehow, while I was lost in my mental ramblings, I had arrived at Avia's door. I shook my wayward thoughts out of my head and felt my mask slide into place. No one could know the truth.

When I opened the door I was greeted with a sword careening towards me. I reacted as if it were instinct, sliding to the side, hand reaching out to grab the hilt. I twirled I around my hand with ease, the weight was strikingly familiar.

I had hoped for an easy chat with Avia before drifting off to sleep, hopefully. It seemed that I would not be that lucky.

I allowed my beast to approach the surface, combining our skills to increase the odds. My eye adjusted to the dark, pupils widening, scanning my surroundings for any sight of her. My ears tensed, listening for her heart beat. My nose flared as I sifted through the yeas of scents to catch her unique one.

And whenever I located her, I waited, allowing her to make the first move.

I didn't have to wait to long. She jumped out from behind a set of boxes with a beastly grace. I flicked my wrist bringing my sword up to block hers.

A feral grin graced her lips. "The Hunters taught you to use weapons I see." Her tone appraising.

A scowl broke out across my face. "They did not teach me." I swore. A few fragments had come flooding back to me when the sword had come flying towards me. They had forced me to fight with their weapons, as entertainment. "It was learn or die."

She laughed again. It was a disconcerting sound among the clash of swords. "Isn't that how everything is taught? You either learn it, or you die."

Her words dug under my skin. I though of my parents, who had taught me with patience and kindness. Their lessons were the ones that had stayed with me, not the ones I learned while racing death.

My blood was boiling. My heart racing. Adrenaline was pumping. My exhaustion remained though. There was no denying that my movements were more sluggish than hers. My offensive's were few and far between.

Her taunts continued. Never ending descriptions of everything that was wrong with me. I felt the fight slowly drain out of me. I could never beat her. She was older, faster, wiser than I was.

A sharp sting of pain came from my arm. Her sword cut into my right forearm.

It was as if a switch went off in my head. I couldn't lose. She couldn't beat me.

I tossed my sword from my right hand to my left, grateful for the fact that I was ambidextrous. My move caught her off guard, giving me a split second to disarm her.

The tables were turned, now my blade was the one at her throat. 

Her eyes twinkled, but in rage instead of pride. The look was gone in an instant though.