The next morning, the brothers let Alex and Rile sleep in, and Cale even left sweet rolls for them.
Rile enjoyed the luxurious warmth of sleeping with Alex and stroked her hair while she slowly woke up.
The easy awakening eased her usually awakening panic and she even giggled when he tore off bits of sweet roll and fed them to her. She returned the favor and they laughed together.
Once they finished, Rile said, "Time for lessons with Rake. Do you feel up to it? I'll tell him no. He doesn't scare me."
Alex gingerly buttoned her blouse instead of putting on her tunic. It hurt less to put on the blouse. "The old chauvinist doesn't scare me either."
Alex picked up her wooden practice sword and also brought her Guardian sword as a reminder to the hateful reptile. "I need the lessons."
Alex preferred lessons with Rake to discussing what had happened with the injured Agama.
They walked in silence to Rake's practice arena of sand surrounded by marker logs. He was waiting in the middle of the ring, wooden practice sword in his hand.
"Blade up," Rake ordered Alex.
Alex handed Rile her Guardian sword, brought up her wooden practice sword obediently, entered the ring and waited for Rake's attack.
She was best at defense and hoped to hold her own for a decent amount of time.
Gabe, Rile, and Cale sat on the logs and watched. They always practiced after Alex's lesson because Rake made sure he was at his freshest to spar with Alex.
Jerk, I should have known a chauvinist pig was a cheater.
Rake bore down on her and forced her back step by step. Her heel hit the marker log and she went down. Rake's wooden blade crossed hers and he pushed forward. Seeing it was hopeless, Alex let go.
Rake lurched forward and put his hand out reflexively to steady himself. His hand slipped forward on Alex's chest, popping open the buttons on her blouse as it slid under.
He was blown backwards into the sand with a brilliant flash. Alex snatched one of the regular swords lying next to her and ran to him. She placed the tip on his throat as he lay face up.
"You can beat me black and blue with a wooden practice blade, you can cut me with a sword until the sand turns red with my blood, you can even demean me by calling me 'female' instead of my name, but you will never touch me again."
"So, female, you've got limits."
"I've got limits. Care to test them further?" Alex tossed the sword onto his chest. "You'll face me with all my powers. I do not submit to molesters or rapists because they have a hate on for females."
When Gabe looked like he was going to protest, Rile shook his head at him.
"Rapists?" Rake asked in a shocked tone and his gaze turned to the old wounds crossing Alex's chest. They disappeared under the flapping edge of the shirt, torn open by his hand.
"I'm no rapist. My students are trained to never surrender until I tell them and you released the tension on our blades. But those are no battle scars."
"Fire truck straight." Alex buttoned her blouse. "Give the hateful Agama a point. Do you feel more confident seeing my scars, arrogant male? Think I'm an even weaker female now because some male tortured me and left me with them? Why don't we find out? Males like you need a lesson and I'm the master now with my powers."
She held out her hand for her Guardian sword and Rile placed it there.
"Teach the old misogynist a lesson," he told her.
YOU ARE READING
Back Home - Book 4 of the Guardians Sage
Fantasía#1 empowerment, #9 superwoman- highest rank. Alex and the dragon brothers are reunited on their home world. But death stalks their every step. Can they defeat The Adversary himself when war breaks out?
