Battle Wounds || Jasper Hale {2}

Chapter 21

Time was passing quickly. Much faster than Ellie realized it would. With her training with Guillermo, her ongoing sessions with Dawson, and having Harmon tailing her every second of the day, she found herself in the third and final month of her time at The Academy.

"You've learned how to fight with your hands and with your hearts. You've learned how to wield the weapon that has called you, but today, you must learn to go to battle with your minds."

Guillermo was currently in the middle of teaching the final lesson for this week, and Ellie was hoping that it wouldn't require too much physical exertion. Her body was already aching, and she had another lesson with Dawson on Sunday. She just needed to take a moment to get her body sorted out.

"Strategy is in integral part of winning any battle. You must study your opponent. You must get into their minds and anticipate their next action before it happens," Guillermo paced in front of them, his face stern as his eyes lighted on each of the emissaries in the room. "You must plan each step accordingly. Without a solid strategy, you will fail, and then you, or your supernatural elect, will most likely die."

Ellie furrowed her brows and waited for someone to say something. When no one did anything, she thrust her hand into the air, causing all eyes in the room to float to her. She could tell by the look in Guillermo's eyes that he was not pleased with her interruption.

"Yes, DuPree?" he drawled, his eyebrows raised. "Do you have something to add?"

"Sir, yes, Sir!" Ellie called, her expression stern. "Sir, in my experience, even the most well executed plan can go astray. There are always going to be enemies smarter than we anticipate, foes that know us better than we know ourselves—"

"And at that point, you must follow your instincts to the best of your ability," Guillermo finished, accepting her interruption. "You have been trained to face even the foulest of villains.  That is, if you have taken anything away from your time here."

No one else had anything to say, but Ellie could have swore she saw a smug smirk working its way across Harmon's lips. For a moment she wondered what he could be up to, but she let it slip and tuned back in to the lesson at hand.

"Now, I don't know how you feel," Guillermo started, stopping still in the middle of the six training emissaries, "but I want you to survive out there. So we're going to do a practice demonstration. You will be separated into two teams of three of my choosing. Within these teams, I expect you to study the opposite team. Learn their weaknesses, their go to defenses, their fighting style. Learn anything you can to defeat them."

"Teams are as follows: Reynolds, Evergreen, and Evans. Followed by: Carter, Morrow, and DuPree. Just a reminder, you will not want to be the losing team. You have one week to figure out how to defeat the other team. Good luck to you all. You're dismissed."

As Ellie was preparing to leave, Olivier and Zeke approached her.

"So," Zeke started, an easy going smile on his face. "When do you want to start on this project?"

Ellie glanced around at their opponents who were huddled in similar fashion and shook her head. "We should go somewhere more private to talk."

"Well," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "We share a room with them. That's going to be kinda difficult."

"No, it's not," Olivier chirped, a sly smile on her lips. "Ellie doesn't room with us. We could just meet there later."

Ellie shrugged, accepting Olivier's solution. "I can't promise my shadow won't spill our secrets, but I don't mind meeting in my room."

"Then it's settled," Olivier said, clapping her hands together. We'll meet in your room at—"

"Eight," Ellie nodded, checking her holster to make sure everything was still in place. "I'd like to get dinner and maybe a small break."

A toothy grin spread across Zeke's face, "I could get with that." He gave his stomach a pat. "I'm always hungry. I miss real food."

"I can understand that,"  Ellie gave a little grin. "Honestly, I really miss my usual order at the pizzeria in Forks. I can almost taste the—"

Olivier cut in before the two could get carried away. "As much as I understand your sorrow over the food from your homes, I really think we need to focus on our assignment."

Ellie shook her head to clear her thoughts. Olivier was right. They had work to do. "Right. My room at eight o'clock. We'll discuss what we know and set a plan in action."

As Olivier and Zeke went on their way, Harmon and Felicity made their way to the blonde, smiles lighting their faces as they discussed something Ellie couldn't hear, and for a moment, Ellie was thrown to another time.

The birds chirped, flitting about the early morning air, oblivious to the laughter tinkling from the limbs of an old evergreen sitting a short distance from Ellie's house. The sky was a rare perfect blue that day, and the air smelled of pine needles and fresh dirt. A few lingering rain drops dripped from the branches of the tree onto the two supernatural teenagers tangled in each others arms.

"Jasper!" Ellie giggled as the vampire brushed cold, feather light kisses from her collar bone to her ear.

He pulled away, a mischievous grin spread across his pale lips as he gazed into his favorite sea of green. "Yes, Darlin'?"

A contented sigh slipped past her lips, and as she swam in his amber pools of honey, a happy smile curled her lips. Raking a hand through his curls, she said, "I hope we always stay like this."

A serious look flashed through Jasper's eyes, leaving Ellie's breath to catch in her throat before he pulled her into a tender kiss, erasing any thoughts from her mind. "We will," he said, his eyes burning with a fire she had never witnessed before. "I'll always be right here by your side. I promise."

"...dinner?" Felicity's voice broke through Ellie's memory. "Ellie?"

"I...I'm sorry," she sighed, shaking her head. She pulled a hand through her hair. "I think I zoned out. What were you saying?"

Felicity furrowed her eyebrows, catching her friend's shift of mood. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said, forcing a smile onto her lips. "Never been better."

Felicity huffed and crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing in on her blonde friend. "You look like you've been crying."

"What?" Ellie touched her face, feeling the sticky wetness that can only come from tears. When had she started crying? Never mind that.

"I'm fine," she said, her eyes stern. "Seriously."

Felicity shared a look with Harmon, before turning back to Ellie. "I have an idea."

Ellie's brows knitted together as she looked at her friend in curiosity. "For?"

"Something to cheer you up. "

"But I'm not —"

"Nonsense!" she cut her off, shaking her head. "I know that look. You're not fine. So I'm going to help you."

Ellie looked at Harmon and raised an eyebrow.

"You know how she is," he shrugged, not helping Ellie in the slightest. "Once her mind is set, it's set."

"He's right," Felicity smiled, tilting her head in a knowing way. "Anyway, you'll love what I have in mind."

Ellie pulled her gaze back to Harmon as Felicity began to walk away. "Why do I feel like I'm going to regret whatever this is?"

"I ask myself that question every day," he said, turning to follow his tether.

"Are you coming, or what?!"