Salvation : Book 3

CHAPTER 27 : Fighter

"Come at me," she ordered and I did. 

  I lunged forward, swinging my arm at her. She blocked the attack, grabbed hold of my forearm, twisting it, forcing my elbow in an awkward bend before swinging her left leg and toppling me over. 

    "Ouch," I groaned as I rubbed my sore arm. 

    "Again," she shouted and I was back on my feet.

    I lunged, moving faster than I had last time, when she made a grab for my arm I ducked swinging my leg in a low kick. She jumped, avoiding my leg. She torqued her body, swinging her left leg for a high kick, I caught her leg, turning her own force against her. She laid sprawled out on the ground for a second. 

    "Good," she grunted before raising to her feet again. She reformed a defensive stance, with her knees bent in a crouch and her clenched fists on either side of her face. She gestured for to come at her again. 

     I lunged, pushing her back. She wrapped her arms around my waist using my momentum to launch me into the air, she flipped me over and I landed on the ground with a loud thwack. I groaned as I rubbed the back of my head. Dazed, feeling as if I had a couple broken ribs, I tried standing up. 

     "You good?" She asked. I took a second to survey my injuries. Nothing was broken, after all, just severely bruised. I nodded. "Again," she ordered. I cracked my knuckles before moving forward. 

      I lunged again, throwing my arms at her in a sequences of punches. She moved fast, using her wolf speed to dodge the blows. I wasn't as successful in dodging her punches. She landed a blow right in the gut and I stumbled back hunching over. My eyes tinted red as pain flooded through my body. I closed my eyes tightly for a second. I'm in control, I told myself as I forced the dark magic to subside.  

     I opened my eyes, my vision back to multicolor and returned my focus to Kai. I threw my arms at her again. Again she dodged my attacks expertly. She lunged forward, swinging her right fist first then her left. I ducked, narrowly dodging her attacks. She swung her left leg in a low strike. I swerved to my left and her foot was met with air. She gave me a small smile before coming at me again. She got her arm around my neck and held me in a chokehold. I struggled to escape her grip but it was too tight and I felt myself slipping. I couldn't breathe. I double tapped her arm conceding the match. She let go of me. 

      I was gasping for air for a minute. "That was good," she told me as she straighten herself up and headed for the bench. She grabbed her towel and water bottle. "I'm really impressed with your progress," she told me and I smiled at her. She dabbed the towel against her forehead, wiping off the sweat before draping it over her shoulder. She took a large gulp of water before settling down on the bench. 

      I had a couple of gulps of water from my own bottle before I sat next to her. I was still breathing heavily, every muscle in my body burning but I'd found I didn't mind the burn half as much as I used to. It hurt but it was a good hurt. It kept my mind distracted, and after what happened last week I needed my mind distracted. 

      After everything Adrian told me I couldn't stop worrying about him. I called fifteen times a day, when we were together I couldn't bare the idea of leaving him alone, so I basically followed him around. I knew it annoyed him because he kept insisting he was fine and he didn't need me fretting, but I couldn't help it.

      Though he did seem better, he was getting more sleep after Scarlet had made him the same talisman she'd made for me a couple of months ago. He'd told me the nightmares had stopped and as for the bruises, they'd all fade. He did appear to be fine but I knew he wasn't, not completely. He sometimes flinched when I reached to hold his hand. I'd catch him with his eyes glossed over as he stared into nothing his mind a million miles away. And when he thought I wasn't looking that smile he wore around everyone fluttered. He was better but he wasn't fine, and the worst about it was that he'd stopped talking to me again.