by Heather Karn
Avery grinned at me, biting his tongue and making me think of his lick yesterday, all the while his human features appearing more feline. The hairs on my arms rose and a shiver walked up and down my spine until my body quaked to release it. Gritting my teeth, I glared at the shifter before he smirked into his glass of milk, ignoring me.
“Luella, Shannon, can you two help me with something after breakfast?” I asked the women after swallowing my last piece of waffle.
“Of course.” Shannon wiped her mouth and smiled at me. “I hope it’s fun.”
“I guess it is.”
“Then I’m in too,” Luella called, rising from her place to begin clearing the table. “Give me a few minutes to change and I’ll meet you back here.”
“Actually, I’ll be out back,” I told her, washing my plate and handing it to Jackson to load in the dishwasher along with his.
He looked up at me with a cheeky grin. “Can I join you? Or is it girls only again?”
“Nope. The more the merrier.”
“Good.”
Twenty minutes later, I stood before two magic users and a very canine Jackson. He’d shed his clothes for fur and currently lay sprawled beside the large pool, which I’d yet to use, but planned to enjoy tonight. Luella had plans to be out for the evening, so there was no chance of her using her water magic against me while I swam.
“So, what’s the deal?” Luella’s grin grew as she lifted a ball of water from the pool the size of my head. It floated through the air until it hovered above Jackson. When it was in place, she released her hold on the water. Jackson yelped, flying into the air, throwing even more water all over as it flew from his fur. When the realization of what happened struck the wolf, he barred his teeth, snarling at the naiad.
“Oh, stop it,” I hissed back at him, stepping between the two. “I need your help.”
“With what?” Shannon asked, concern in her voice. Her eyebrows knit together as she searched my face. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I just want to make more progress with my fighting skills. Before my first blood, I knew what I could do. I couldn’t fight, but I knew how my mind and body reacted to every situation. Yesterday taught me I know nothing about how to handle a fight with my body’s changes. I forget I have teeth and venom as weapons now, and I’m apparently a lot stronger than I was before. In fact, I can throw Avery into the swimming pool.”
Jackson chuffed out a wolfie laugh, enjoying the thought of the cat going for an unwanted swim. The females ignored him, both contemplating my words with serious expressions. The witch was the first to speak up, nodding as she stared around the back yard.
“I think it’s a great idea. Raven can teach you how to do this too, but honestly, he’s so used to relying on his body to do what he knows it can, that I think he doesn’t understand how you think. Plus, you’ll need to practice defending yourself against more creatures than him and Avery. This’ll be good practice no matter how you look at it.”
“This is gonna be good.” Luella rubbed her hands together. “Okay, first thing to remember is that if you have to use your teeth, know who you’re fighting. I’m not sure if Raven warned you, but drinking from a magic user will likely kill you, so you’ll need to push your venom out as you bite to avoid much blood coming into your mouth, and keep pushing the venom until your teeth clear the skin. A little blood won’t hurt, but a few swallows could kill you. Half a mouthful will leave you sick, and in a battle, that’s as good as dead.”
Raven had told me about the magic users, but it was nice to hear a tactic in how to defend myself from blood death with them. Since I wasn’t going to attempt this scenario on my friends, I filed it away for future reference.
Shannon nodded her approval of Luella’s words, and before I could comprehend what was happening, I was wrapped up in a giant vine. It wasn’t until the thorns shoved through my clothes and into my skin and a blood red flower bloomed in front of my face that I realized it was the rose bush at the edge of the house that had my arms pinned to my side. That witch sure did like using vegetation to capture her prey. I needed to remember that from now on.
“You’re also stronger than you think you are,” Shannon murmured, tightening the grip of the bush that held me until it felt like my body was stuck in a vice that was growing steadily tighter. “You can break through the plant. Have faith in yourself and concentrate.”
Closing my eyes, I focused on the challenge at hand. Raven’s words from yesterday to follow my body’s instincts repeated over and over in my head until my racing heartbeat calmed. Letting my body take over, I wasn’t surprised when my teeth lengthened and my senses became more acute. Strength raced through my muscles like I’d touched a live wire, and without me telling my body what to do, it reacted.
Muscles bulged and pushed against the plant, and even though it wound so tight and the vine was thickening, it gave way under the pressure my body used against it. Pain was a thing of the past, even with the thorns digging into my flesh and scraping over the skin.
In a matter of seconds, the rose bush lay in tatters all over the ground. Any bits of it that dared to approach me were easily de-limbed. When I turned my attention back on the witch, I expected her to be disappointed in how long it had taken me to accomplish the job, but she was grinning ear to ear, as was Luella. Even Jackson smiled, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.
“Well, I’m impressed,” Shannon snickered. “Okay, let’s see if you have what it takes to complete the next challenge.”
Chapter 25
The last challenge and their reaction left me a bit cocky, but before I could tell Shannon to bring it on, a wall of ice smacked against my back, sending me flying forward. Instead of hitting the ground, my hands met another wall of ice. In seconds I was surrounded on all four sides and on top with chunks of ice. Horror stole my breath when the seams of each piece melded together into one large block encasing me.
“Luella,” I growled, unable to see anyone past the ice since it was so thick. My breath came out in a cloud as the cold from the ice surrounding me lowered the air temperature. If she thought this cage would hold me any longer than the rose bush, she was wrong.
Bringing my arm back, I fisted my hand and sent it flying at the wall. The thud of impact echoed inside the ice box, but the box itself barely had a dent in it. This ice was stronger than I’d first suspected. Well, it was made by magic, so why wouldn’t there be magic imbedded in it to make it physically stronger?
I dropped to my knees, attempting to slide my fingers under the box to lift it and throw it over me, but the box was frozen not only to the grass, but to the ground as well, like it was knit together with the soil. With that option also useless, I stood back up to assess the situation once again. Yeah, having a couple magic users on the team was convenient for training, but it was also a pain. Both were far more advanced and powerful than I’d thought they were, and I’d known they were strong.
“There’s no way out,” I growled, running my finger along the sealed seam of two of the ice block walls.
Shannon’s voice echoed around the enclosed area as I fought not to shiver from the cold penetrating my body to the bones. “You’re stronger than you think you are. Quit setting limits on what your body can do. I don’t think you quite understand the changes your body has gone through.”
“Then explain it to me.”
She giggled. “I will when you make it out of there. Just don’t limit yourself. Oh, and don’t get mad at us. You asked for our help, and this is us helping you.”
I was about to tell her I wouldn’t be mad at them for helping when the ground trembled and the ice walls shook. A deep grinding noise echoed in the cramped space and it took me a few heartbeats longer than it should have to notice the already tiny space was growing smaller as the walls in front of and behind me moved closer.
My heart squeezed in my chest as I set my palms on either wall and pushed with every ounce of strength that I had. If I was stronger t
han even I believed, I should be able to stop the walls’ progress.
Neither stopped.
They continued advancing inch by inch and no amount of force slowed them down. My elbows buckled under the pressure. Soon I wouldn’t have enough space to move let alone put up a fight.
Panic surged, but I pushed it down. Fear would only hinder me.
Taking a deep breath, I focused on my body’s defenses. My canines lengthened further until they pushed out of my mouth, their sharp points pushing into my lips. Fingernails hardened and reshaped to form mini claws. Heat raced across my skin, threatening to burn me alive. And my senses became far more sensitive.
Looking through the ice, I could now easily see Shannon and Luella staring at me. A heady sense of dominance overcame me, and I lifted my lips in a wicked, crooked grin. Luella’s answering smirk and Shannon’s nod were all the encouragement I needed to finish the job.
My fists balled as I took my hands from the ice walls. Something about them caught my attention, and I gasped at the sight of my purple hued skin. A smoky pattern crawled over the skin like a shield, and a subconscious part of my brain gave me one word to explain it: armor. My body was now fully protected by its own suit of armor as a shield.
But what for?
The grinding of the ice woke me from my contemplation. There wasn’t much space left to move, but there was enough. Bringing my arm back, I cried out as I sent my fist flying once again at the opposite wall, this time with so much force, the backlash from the impact shot up my arm. The pain, if there was any, was lost to me as the wall shattered into tiny bits of ice that looked more like glass shards than ice slivers.
My grin widened and the sense of dominance merged with my elation at accomplishing the task. Glancing over my shoulder, I found the other ice blocks of the box still in place. Curiosity got the best of me, and a roar left my lips as I smashed my elbow back against the other ice chunk, which disintegrated much as the first had done. Even the side walls and cover fell away.
A low, deep, wolf growl broke into my amazed brain and I turned to find Jackson standing feet from me, his legs bent, ready to attack. His lips were pulled back in a snarl that showed more teeth than I was aware the dog had in its mouth. Each one of them was sharp. Even his black and gray hair bristled, standing on end as he watched me.
So, it was his turn now.
A quick glimpse of my skin told me I was still emitting the smoky glow, but it was failing. I was also tiring. If I was to beat him with ease, I had to do it soon. Instead of taking the defensive route, I launched myself at the wolf. Even my speed surprised me. I’d never moved so fast in my life.
However, it didn’t faze the animal. He was gone before I was halfway to him, likely a result from training with Raven. Part of me wished Raven was here to see this, but now that I knew what my body was capable of, now that it had matured, I’d be able to show him again with ease. I just had to figure out how to do this without being backed into a corner, per say.
Jackson circled behind me, still snarling like he wanted to chew my leg off. Yeah, he wasn’t going to get the chance. He dove at me, but instead of skirting his attack like he had, I braced myself for impact.
The blow sent me flying backward, but I was already preparing my next attack. Before I could send my fist into his snout, Jackson’s teeth closed around my wrist. My watch defended my skin, like he’d aimed for it. He probably had. In his own way, he’d shown me where my defenses were lacking. That didn’t stop me from aiming a strike at his shoulder.
My muscles were fatigued and draining. If I didn’t end this quick, he’d win. Desperation sent my mind into overdrive, and the only thought I had was how to beat my opponent. Somehow, every time I tried to throw him off of me, he found a way to wiggle around so that he still had the advantage and I was on the defensive. The long fangs in my mouth made it impossible to clench my teeth right, so I settled for an aggravated hiss in his face.
That’s when I caught the opening. He’d finally messed up. In a heartbeat I sent him flying so that he landed on his back, and I flipped to my feet before he’d touched the ground. Diving for his throat, I prepared my teeth to sink into his flesh and release my venom.
Hands gripped my shoulders, stopping my progress. I hissed at their restraint until a man stuck his face in mine, a calm smile tugging at his lips. He moved his hands from my shoulders to my face, cupping it. The warmth woke me from my lust for the hunt, and his voice ended the dominance driving me.
“That’s a girl. I’m the good guy, remember? Don’t bite me.”
Realization hit me like an ice block to the head. This was Jackson. I’d almost bit Jackson.
“I’m so sorry,” I gasped, trying to get my brain to catch up with what was happening. When it did, I stiffened. I was lying on top of him since he’s shifted back in the middle of my leap and stopped me from biting him. “Are you naked?”
“Yup.” His wolfish grin grew, and humor filled his eyes. “Didn’t think you’d get to see that today, did you?”
“I don’t want to see it. Shift back.”
“Not until you promise not to bite me.”
My eyes narrowed on him, pinning him with my stare. “I promise that I will bite you if you don’t shift back this instant.”
Jackson’s belly laugh turned into a canine chuffing as he shifted. Now that a wolf lay under me, I relaxed and rolled away from him. The women stood a few feet away, neither bothering to hide their wide grins. Luella was even wiping a few tears from her eyes. At least I could give them some entertainment, with Jackson’s help.
“Feel better?” Shannon asked when I approached them. “Do you understand your abilities a bit better now?”
“Yeah, thanks. I honestly didn’t think I was that strong.”
“Like I said, Raven takes it for granted. He’s known his whole life what he’d be able to do once he drank blood. He forgets you were raised human and haven’t even seen him in a fight. We did what we thought would push you out of your comfort zone and force you to rely on your body’s defenses.”
“You see,” Luella cut in, her humorous mood sobering, “vamlure weren’t killed in the Blood War just because they drank blood. They pose a real threat to the rest of us if they ever decided to go to war for whatever reason. A fully trained vamlure, like Raven, could easily kill our whole team without so much as breaking a sweat.”
“Then how were so many of them killed? And why do they hide in fear?” I asked them, unsure why such a powerful race would hide if they could destroy their enemies like that.
Shannon set a hand on my shoulder and released a small sigh. “Because, for being blood drinkers, vamlure are a peaceful race. They don’t train for battle. Even after being attacked, they hid so they could continue to live in peace. Some call it stupid, but it’s their way of life.”
Shaking my head, I brought up the one flaw in her idea. “Raven is not peaceful. In fact, I’m pretty sure he’s the opposite of peaceful.”
“He’s also the exception. It’s always been his belief that the vamlure need to stop hiding and stand up for themselves, protect themselves. He’s made it his mission to prove to his people that their time of obscurity is over. They need to make their way back into the world.” She grinned at me. “And I think he’s hoping that you’ll be the one to convince them he’s right.”
“Why? Because I’m a female who fights?”
“And because you’re an orphan left to be raised by a human family when your parents were killed.”
This would take some time to process, and I needed to decide if I wanted to be Raven’s political statement to the rest of our kind. Heck, I was still trying to convince myself that I wasn’t human, although after yesterday and today’s trainings, I was needing less convincing.
“Hey, Koda, your phone’s ringing!” Jackson called from the sliding glass door at the back of the house. He stepped outside holding my personal cell phone in the air. I hadn’t cancelled its service yet because I hadn’t
wanted to give my work number out to my friends and I couldn’t see ending some of those friendships yet. Plus, Clara needed to let me know when my package arrived.
“It’s probably Clara,” I responded, bounding across the lawn to swipe my phone from his grasp. At least now he wore pants, though he was still missing a shirt.
I took the phone from him. Sure enough, Clara’s name came up as a missed call. Stepping inside, I returned her call. She confirmed my package had just arrived.
“I know my friends spooked you, so I thought I’d mention that they aren’t here right now. Actually, I have to confess, I spilled some of my perfume in your room when I put the package on your bed. The room smells great, but it’s so strong it reeks. I left your mom a voicemail about it and the girls are out renting a carpet cleaner. If you hurry over now, you should miss them.”
I wanted to hug her and roll my eyes at the same time. Clara loved her perfume and it wouldn’t be the first time she’d randomly sprayed some throughout the house. Most normal people used air fresheners, but she didn’t like their smell. Instead, we had the scent of pungent perfume to deal with.
“Okay, I’ll be over in a few minutes.”
“See you soon.”
Chapter 26
The dark basement greeted my eyes with blessed relief. It wasn’t like the sun burned them as it had yesterday before Raven’s lesson, I still didn’t like the light as much as I preferred the dark. That meant I would be wearing sunglasses to pick up my package…and because Clara didn’t know what I was, I hoped anyway.
My clothes were changed and I was cleaned up in under ten minutes. Grabbing my purse, I headed back toward the staircase and came up short. I’d been growing weak during the fight. Now that I’d had time to rest a bit, my strength was coming back, but it wasn’t like it had been. Remembering my eye color in the bathroom mirror, how it was still magenta but with less intensity and brightness, I turned back around to make a pit stop at the mini fridge.