‘I get it. I understand what happened to Deonti and I get why you don’t want me to fight.’ Gabriel’s stiffened at his wife’s name and I quickly continued, hoping that I wasn’t just making him angrier. ‘But I’m not planning on being a warrior or fight in any wars. I just need to know how to take care of myself. I promise not to go looking for trouble.’ I smiled at him. ‘And if it comes looking for me, I’ll run as fast as I can in the other direction, I promise.’
‘You mean as you did the day you met Maria?’
I winced.
‘What about if I promise not to do that again?’
‘Is that a promise you could keep?’ Remembering what happened with Ron, I wanted to say yes. ‘It’s not, is it?’ he said in response to my silence. ‘I know you and you would not be able to walk away.’
‘Fine, I wouldn’t. But whether I know how to fight or not wouldn’t change that, it would only increase my chances of not getting hurt.’ His body stiffened and he tried to pull away. I clung to him even tighter. ‘Please Gabriel, I am going to do this either way, but I would really like it to be you that teaches me.’
‘Never,’ he said flatly, prising my arms from around him. ‘If you insist on doing this, you will have to enlist Adam’s help. I will not be a part of it.’
He stared frostily at me for a moment, before storming out of the house, leaving me to sigh with regret that I couldn’t do what he wanted, if only to make him happy.
Stood in front of Adam I couldn’t help feel a bit afraid. Gabriel had always been gentle, ensuring that I was never hurt. I had a feeling that Adam was not going to be that way.
‘Relax, Ana. I will not do anything you cannot handle…yet.’
‘I’ll be the judge of that,’ I muttered. ‘Do you think you could start a little slower though? It doesn’t matter how much I learn, I don’t think I could keep up with the Siis speed.’ I knew I would never be able to keep up. The speed of the Siis reminded me of the old Bruce Lee films my ex used to watch, though I was sure Adam was just a little bit faster.
He nodded and briefly smirked. He was definitely happier than normal, though I wasn’t sure whether it was to do with teaching me to fight, or the prospect of hurting me. As I really did want to learn, I decided to not worry about it.
‘Do not tense,’ he said. ‘Do not try to predict the move your attacker will make, only react to it when they do.’
I had no idea how do that. I didn’t like being caught off guard, so much so, that I often spent time planning every possible scenario when I needed to talk to someone like Carl. The concept of letting something come to me, giving up that sense of control, was quite daunting.
When he lifted his right arm a fraction, I couldn’t help myself and I moved to try and block him. As my attention was diverted, I didn’t see his left hand heading towards my ribs until it was too late. The sharp ends of his fingers hit and I grunted and doubled over. He definitely wasn’t going to be gentle like Gabriel. I had to remind myself that I had asked for this, and I had too much pride to admit that I didn’t really want to play anymore.
‘Had enough?’ he asked with a grin.
I stuck out my chin. ‘How about we stop when my discomfort outweighs your pleasure?’
His chuckle seemed to rise slowly from his chest as if it was an engine coming into ear shot. ‘As you wish, he said, dipping his head slightly. ‘The skill is allowing your opponent to open themselves up for attack. You need to learn to recognise the weak areas and use them to your advantage.’
The training commenced.
To my surprise he was a very good teacher, probably better than Gabriel, patiently showing me how to execute the moves, never getting angry when I couldn’t grasp it, but somehow finding a different method of teaching me. He pushed me a lot harder than Gabriel and there were many occasions that I did fall down, but I was never really badly hurt and I found the added pressure more of a motivator than a hindrance.
When I got into bed at the end of the day, I groaned with the aches and pains in my stiff muscles. Gabriel was still sulking when he slipped in beside me, though it didn’t stop him from slipping his arms around me to brush my breast.
‘You’ve got no hope unless you heal me,’ I said as I awkwardly turned towards him.
He pulled away and sat himself up, his eyes dark and lips pressed together. ‘I will not heal you when you insist on indulging in this ridiculous notion of learning to fight.’
I groaned loudly, partly from the discomfort of my bruises, but mostly from irritation.
‘Fine,’ I said a little sulkily myself. ‘Doesn’t look like you will be getting any for a while then.’
I wanted to jump out of bed to demonstrate my defiance, but I only managed to roll out as my muscles didn’t want to work properly. My legs quivered as I shuffled my way to the bathroom with the hope that a hot bath would ease my stiffness.
As soon as I immersed myself fully, I sighed with relief. The muscles instantly began to relax and I rolled my head around in order to help. There was a good chance it would only last while in the steaming water, but even if it only gave me half an hour of relief; I was willing to take it.
I had no idea what Gabriel hoped to achieve by refusing to heal me, but if he thought I was going to stop he was sadly mistaken. I studied the bruises that decorated my arms and even my hips. They didn’t worry me as I had always bruised easily, yet looking at them, I supposed I could understand a little bit of what he was feeling. He had taken it upon himself to be my protector and it must be difficult for him to see me covered in the purple marks.
‘Well he should make them better.’ I muttered to myself in argument.
Laying my head back against the enamel, I closed my eyes and thought about Adam. Over the day I had been given a new insight into him. As much as I thought that he did get some pleasure out of seeing me fall on my backside, he seemed to enjoy teaching, even if it was someone as useless as me.
He still irritated me quite a bit and there was no question that he was still very much suspicious of me, yet I reckoned that over time, I could come to like the moody man, if only a little bit. If not like, I would at least learn to respect him, which was something I had to begrudgingly admit that I was already starting to feel.
The door opened and Gabriel entered. I didn’t open my eyes as I was still sulking. He muttered something in a language I had never heard before as he took in the bruises. It wouldn’t do him any harm.
‘You are so stubborn,’ he said with a tinge of annoyance as he knelt on the floor beside the bath.
I raised my eyebrows. He was one to talk. He reached his hands into the water and laid them on my skin. It was only a moment before I could feel the tingle of him healing me.
‘Thank you,’ I told him once he had finished.
‘You won’t stop, will you?’
Even though he knew the answer, I voiced it anyway, ‘No.’
‘It is my job to protect you.’
‘How about when you’re there, I act like the defenceless woman who needs her man?’ I grinned at him and he gave me a strained smile in return.
‘How about you stay out of trouble full stop?’
I was willing to agree to that deal. It wasn’t like I went looking for trouble; it just had a habit of finding me.
Disaster averted, I got out the bath and joined him in bed. I still ached terribly, but I no longer hurt and was now in the mood to be persuaded when he pulled my body close to his.
When time wasn’t filled with work or Uni reading (although I had now finished my exams, I was reading up in the hope of having the added edge in year two), it was taken up with learning to fight. When the weather was good we practiced in the garden, if not we moved the sofas around to create a small area in the lounge.
After a time Gabriel began to watch us work. His stiff posture and folded arms, coupled with his continual muttering, made it quite clear that he still wasn’t happy, but at least he had accepted it. Now and then I was sure that
I detected a small smile of satisfaction for my growing ability, though he would never admit it. He even involved himself on a few occasions, though these were few and far between.
Maria joined us for some lessons, though her heart wasn’t in it, saying she would rather depend on her magic to prevent a situation occurring. When I wryly pointed out that it hadn’t helped in the past, she just shrugged it off, choosing to watch instead.
It had been raining for three days straight leaving the garden looking like a marsh, and was showing no sign of letting up. We had pushed the lounge furniture aside in order to practice. Maria was laughing at me as Adam continually knocked me on my backside.
‘Use your anger Ana,’ Adam’s tone was low as he stood across from me. ‘And do not forget to do the unexpected.’
How was that possible when he had taught me everything I knew?
‘I am,’ I panted, getting ready for the next attack. We had progressed past rubber knives to a long wooden stick, which unfortunately hurt so much more when it made contact.
‘No you are not,’ he growled. ‘You are weak and you will never survive unless you manage to harness the anger I know you have.’
‘So just think of you then,’ I muttered.
The corner of his mouth twitched, causing a shadow of a smile. ‘If that works for you use it.’
He swung the stick towards me and although I managed to block him a couple of times, it wasn’t long before I landed on my back once again. I jumped straight back up, determined not to let him beat me.
‘You need more anger. Remember how the gun felt against you.’ His voice was hypnotic, drawing me into my memories. ‘Remember the Fae who attacked you and killed your friend. Find that anger, harness it, use it.’
Tears pricked at my eyes and I blinked them back, allowing the rage to build in me instead of releasing it. I stood motionless as I focused on Adam’s face, picturing the Fae there instead. He swung the stick towards my shoulder. So many times I had tried to block such a move, and so many times I had failed.
I ducked and planted my stick on the floor as I swung up my leg to kick him in the stomach. The stick slipped and I stumbled forwards, under his raised arm.
‘What’s all this?’ a silvery voice interrupted. I turned to see Eris stood in the doorway, but I was still unbalanced and fell backwards into the high book shelf, filled to the rim with Uni and fictional books.
‘She is demonstrating how she will get herself killed in the future,’ Adam said as the bookcase groaned against my weight. As he dipped his head to greet Eris, the wooden structure swayed before toppling forwards. I quickly rolled to the side, barely missing the side as it collapsed to the ground, but Adam didn’t see it coming and it landed on top of him.
Eris burst into laughter as I struggled to my feet. The bookcase rose up before I had a chance to reach Adam, who was apparently unharmed.
‘You could have stopped that,’ he grumbled to Eris as the unit returned to its place against the wall, guided by an invisible force. The scattered books on the floor also rose and returned to their place on the shelves. I had seen so much and was well accustomed to the abilities of the Siis, but still, the sight of the books travelling through the air as one was enough for the breath to catch in my throat.
‘Where would the fun have been in that,’ Eris laughed.
Maria started chuckling. ‘I reckon Ana wins that round,’ she said causing me to grin.
In a month of training with him there hadn’t been one occasion in which I had managed to land a blow and even though it had been quite by accident, I was willing to take anything as a victory. The rage had dissipated and excitement bubbled up to take its place. I laughed, and much to Adam’s disapproval, performed a little victory dance.
‘And who are you?’ Eris said, turning to Maria.
Maria just stared with her mouth open and could only wonder at what she could see. ‘This is Maria, Maria this is Eris.’
‘Wow!’ was all Maria could say.
‘So you’re from the Weich family?’ Eris asked her.
‘That was my great grandmother’s surname,’ Maria answered with wide eyed surprise. ‘How did you know?’
‘I knew her, a very powerful witch. You have the same natural power, though I can see that you haven’t delved into it fully yet.’
‘Really? You knew her? What was she like?’ Maria asked in awe.
‘She never liked me much. She just didn’t get my humour.’ Eris shook her head in feigned sadness, before smiling brightly at Maria. ‘But I never claimed to be to everyone’s taste.’
‘Will you stay for dinner?’ I asked.
‘I can. Where is Gabriel though?’
‘He’ll be back soon.’ I grinned, while beckoning her into the house.
Things had really improved. There had been no more trouble. Maria and I were becoming close; it was lovely to have someone I could talk to about everything. Even Adam and I had formed some sort of peace. I didn’t think that he actually liked me, but not looking like he wanted to kill me was a start, and I was willing to take what I could get. If only I could smooth the way between Gabriel and Eris, things would be perfect.
Maria followed me into the kitchen to help makes drinks for everyone.
‘She is something,’ Maria whispered. ‘If only you could see her aura, it’s nothing like the men have.’
Although I could see that she shone a little brighter and sort of sparkled, I was unable to see it in the detail Maria could.
‘Why? What’s different?’ I whispered back as I poured water into the mugs.
‘The colours are amazing. I mean everyone has colours in their aura, but I have never seen anything like it.’
Feeling slightly disgruntled that I couldn’t see it, I told her about how Eris was a priestess. Her genuine awe made me realise that since meeting Gabriel I had found it easy to accept the things that came with his race, the wonder of it all escaping me. I reached out with my mind and embraced her feeling of respect for the Siis, relishing the childlike joy that came with it.
As we returned to the lounge, I caught the tail end of what Eris was telling Adam. ‘…leave it alone, I’ll keep an eye on it.’
‘Eye on what?’ I asked.
Eris smiled dazzlingly at me. ‘Nothing, I was just telling Adam how I managed to hunt down a colony of the Fae.’
A lump of panic formed in my throat. ‘Please tell me you didn’t do it alone? You could have been harmed.’
‘Ana, were you not paying attention on the night they were here?’ I blanched at the memory and nodded. ‘Did you not wonder why they were so afraid of me? That’s one of the things I do, I hunt down the Fae.’
‘But why?’
‘It’s fun,’ she said, causing a shiver to travel up my spine. When she spoke like that, I had to wonder if I was wrong about her having a sensitive side. ‘What do you have planned for dinner?’ she asked, changing the subject. She smiled brightly and I couldn’t help but reciprocate in kind. ‘I hope it’s not going to be anything like those awful sandwiches you made the first time we met.’
I grimaced at her. ‘I’m sure I can find something that will be to your usual standard.’ Not having any idea if that was the case, I excused myself to hunt through the cupboards.
Gabriel slipped his arms around me and I snuggled against him, relishing the feel of his firm body against mine, and his warm breath as it sent shivers down my spine.
‘Don’t do that,’ I groaned as I turned to kiss him. ‘We have guests and it makes me want to throw them all out so that I can ravish you.’
He chuckled as he run the tip of his tongue down my neck. My legs turned to jelly and I melted in his embrace. To my disappointment and relief, he pulled away, laughing slightly at my response. ‘I’ve still got it then?’
‘Too damn much,’ I growled trying to squish down the warm feeling rising in me, urging me to forget everyone there and drag him to bed. Still laughing, he moved away, allowing me to finish dishing dinne
r up.
‘I see Eris finally responded to my message.’
Studying him, I could tell that although the anger towards her seemed to be gone, it had been replaced with irritation.
‘Play nice please,’ I warned him. ‘I happen to like her and she is a guest in my house.’
He stared at me intently. ‘Why is that?’
‘Who knows?’ I laughed as I brushed past him to set the table. ‘Now leave me in peace and go say hello.’ He groaned and brushed his lips across my forehead, before leaving me to figure out how to fit five place settings around my small table.
If it hadn’t been for the presence of Maria, dinner would have been disastrous. Even though Gabriel wasn’t openly rude to Eris, each time she tried to engage him in conversation he replied with stilted, one worded answers. I repeatedly gave him sharp looks, which he pointedly refused to acknowledge. In the end, I gave up, conceding that it was an improvement on recent behaviour, even if it did cause an atmosphere at times.
For once, Adam was the chattier of the two men, though his speech was still guarded. I even caught him giving Maria the narrow eyed stare I knew so well, not that she paid any attention. Maybe he just didn’t like women in general.
Maria was full of questions for Eris about what becoming a priestess involved, and much to my annoyance, about the Fae, which were not a topic I wanted to discuss during dinner. I was pleased to see that the two women hit it off and how Maria’s face lit up as Eris recounted past events involving Maria’s great grandmother.
We left the men to clean and entertain themselves, and retired to the lounge with a few bottles of wine to keep us company. Gabriel occasionally poked his head around the door at the sound of our hysterics as we all recounted tales from our past, theirs definitely more entertaining than mine.
I was feeling fuzzy from the effects of the alcohol when Maria declared, ‘Why don’t I show you what I can do?’
Eris clapped her hands with joy at the prospect and I had to marvel at how after thousands of years of life, she still found pleasure in every experience.
Maria moved her glass into the middle of the table. She closed her eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply, before focusing on the wine in front of her. A strange buzz vibrated from her and my jaw dropped as the wine rose from the glass as a mini tornado. It jumped out and spun across the table, leaving flicks of wine in its wake. I watched with wide eyes as it trailed around, heading back to the wine glass where is continued to spin on the spot before promptly losing form. The wine flooded out across the table, but I was so stunned, it took a moment to realise that I was going to have wine on the carpet. Dragging my gaze away from the table, I jumped up to retrieve a towel.
Night of the Fae (Ana Martin series) Page 17