Blood & Power [Book One of The City of Eternity Series] [✔]

1.3: Pugilism

"I'm going downstairs, Kara," I whispered, slipping out of her line of sight. Regret washed over me the moment the words left my mouth. In an instant, she darted from her spot, reappearing in front of me.

I barely had time to react before Kara's head snapped to the right. A bottle hurtled toward us, her face twisting into a hostile grimace as she caught it deftly with her left hand. Hastily, she dropped the bottle to the ground, and I was surprised it didn't shatter on impact. Her eyes were wild with intensity as she grabbed onto my arms. Before she could respond to the group, I shuffled us aside, letting the drunken revellers stagger past.

"For what?" she asked quietly, her voice tight as she held onto my arms. I straightened cautiously, clearing my throat. My gaze was drawn to the staircase where Adrienne was muttering to someone out of view. Kara, impatient, grabbed my hair and pulled my head down, her expression demanding an answer.

"To spar. It's a great time; everyone's eaten recently. I've wanted a good fight for a while," I admitted honestly. I didn't spend much time in the skyscraper; there were books to read, people to talk to, clubs to attend, and humans to taunt. While sparring had never fully captured my interest, it was a skill I had honed over the years as a vampire. There were very few in this building, or even others, who could successfully take me in a fight.

The room's ambience shifted as Kara's expression softened slightly, though her grip remained firm. Her concern was palpable, her eyes searching mine for any hint of hesitation. I couldn't deny the thrill of a good spar, the way it sharpened my senses and kept me grounded in our reality. The thought of facing an opponent, testing my strength and skill, was intoxicating in its own right.

Kara's lips parted as if to protest, but she hesitated, recognizing the resolve in my gaze. I placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. "Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it," I said, my voice steady and reassuring.

She finally released her grip, though her eyes never left mine. With a final nod, I turned toward the staircase, feeling anticipation build within me. The faint murmurs of Adrienne's conversation faded into the background as I descended.

"Can you teach me now?" Kara's words burst out, her head snapping toward the staircase and then back to me. Her eagerness was palpable, her body practically bouncing with excitement despite the many failures she'd faced before. I must have frowned because she immediately pouted and added, "I promise I can hold my own this time!"

I couldn't help but recall the last time she had tried. She'd been knocked down repeatedly by several different vampires, her head slamming into the concrete each time. Often, she just lay there, cursing at the ceiling in frustration. Eventually, she would shoot up and start another fight, only for the cycle to repeat: a kick to the chest or a punch to the spine, and she'd be down again. Some had simply placed their hands on either side of her and thrown her across the room.

This wasn't quite the interaction I'd expected when I decided to spar today. Kara wasn't on the same level as other vampires; she was stronger than most humans but lacked the control to harness that strength effectively and at the right times. Her punches, now able to make contact, did little more than inconvenience me and her kicks and blocks fared no better.