Personal Warriors

by Rachel A. Collett

  Unsure I could be trusted to speak, I waved off his concern.

  “Then, if there is a winner, they will be in the lead for the position of second-in-command until someone can beat them,” Darius answered. He pinned Roman with a look. “No physical weapons. Hand to hand combat. The first to yield loses.”

  “I accept,” Roman said without hesitation. He flipped off his shoes and jumped in place, loosening his neck muscles.

  I glared at Darius but rounded on Roman. I crouched low in the sand. “You could’ve just asked me. Your answer would’ve been the same as the butt-whooping I’m about to give you.”

  Roman sucked in between his teeth. “Harsh.” But then he jumped. Almost straight into the air he rotated, yielding a powerful spinning wheel kick straight at my head. I straightened, stumbling back to avoid his assault... and I realized my mistake.

  Quicker than he looked, he charged me, throwing his arms around my waist. I managed an ineffective elbow to his spine just before we tumbled to the sand.

  6

  When to Yield

  Noise broke out all around me as the others in the group called instructions. My mind raced. His first attack was a ploy to throw me off his real plan. Get me where I was the weakest: the ground. I tried to scramble back, but he was too quick and leaped over me, straddling my hips. Cursing aloud, I thrashed and kicked beneath his weight. He seized my wrists, slamming them hard into the sand above my head.

  A groan sounded in my ear over the shouted encouragements of Darius.

  What have I told you, my love? You cannot use rage to fuel your power. You must use your gifts as a Defender. Jonathan’s words cut through like a knife. If he was talking to me, did that mean he had chosen to stay with me?

  Roman’s hips pressed down against mine. His smug face close, but not close enough. “Do you yield, Defend—”

  I shifted my body to the side. Twisting, I rammed my knee in his ribs. A satisfying grunt told me I had hit my mark. His grip loosened. I wrenched, breaking his hold, but before I could roll on top, he flipped me back over, my head landing hard into the sand.

  My backside screamed in pain as dirt dug into my skin. I managed to wrap my legs around his waist. I snaked my arms over his neck, pulling his head into a lock, but he was too strong. He snapped his hands upward and broke my hold. Seizing my wrists, he folded them against each other and hard-pressed them into my chest bone so I couldn’t breathe.

  Darius called out additional instruction, but I could no longer hear him. Red glazed my vision as I gathered my strength, but Roman only smiled. An invitation.

  I grinned, exposing my teeth. I wouldn’t kill him, but he wouldn’t be smiling for long.

  I released enough power to send him flying—only Roman didn’t fly. The pressure ebbed and his head tipped back as he absorbed the force, but before I could move, his attention snapped back. His eyes devoured me, turning the same color of my angry energy. Entranced, I watched his alarming reaction. My body trembled beneath his control.

  You’re not listening to me, Jonathan warned. Roman was once a Fallen’s pawn. He knows anger. He knows fear.

  And then... I understood.

  Ragged breathing shook Roman’s body. Tears stung my eyes as I felt his internal battle waging inside him.

  The surge of power she had given him would be enough to win. But it wasn’t his. He wanted... needed to be in control. He was strong enough without stealing it.

  The fire in Roman’s eyes disappeared and his smile returned. Using every ounce of remaining strength, he pressed down against my wrists. Flashes of light invaded my vision.

  He brought he face inches from mine. “Do you yield to me?”

  “That’s enough!” Darius raged. And I knew what he was about to do, but he didn’t have to. I did yield, but not to Roman. Warmth and compassion enveloped me and for a moment, I savored it. Then I unleashed it.

  Darius grabbed Roman’s shoulder at the same time my power exploded and they were both blasted away, but the energy cocooned them, slowing their descent and insulating their impact to the ground. Darius landed in a low crouch, but Roman rolled and sprang to his feet.

  I held up my hand, stopping Darius.

  I called out. “I’m fine. Let us finish this.”

  Roman smiled, then ran the few yards that separated us.

  Now very familiar with his incredible grappling skills, I needed to keep him at a distance and upright. I held up my hands, palms forward and pressed out with my powers. Roman’s charge slowed, his face working against the energy drawing from his speed. I released it and twisted away from his assault. He spun and glared at me, his soul cracking open to reveal more of what brewed beneath.

  And I realized why Darius had done what he had done. Roman fought the desire for power. It ate at him. Watching me grow stronger every day, surpassing him in strides—the residual demons inside worked on him more and more. He was a strong man but needed this reminder that he couldn’t always have what he wanted, and that included me. Whether he wanted me for who I was, or the power he could bear attached to the calling he would inherit, I didn’t know, but Roman needed to discover his limits.

  With a loud growl, he rushed me again. This time I stopped him with a frontal kick to the stomach. He doubled over. I shuffled in, landing a solid uppercut to his gut and then chin, adding a little extra umph to the last one. Roman toppled back.

  My heart twisted with compassion, but when he leaped to his feet my resolve solidified. He had to know what I was capable of.

  The fight dragged on. Frustration and anger poured from his spirit. With every block and kick, more energy drained from his body, but energy infused mine. After a while, Jonathan’s connection withdrew from mine—either he realized I didn’t need his help anymore, or he got bored.

  Roman threw a sloppy cross and I deflected it, countered with a backhand across his face. I cocked my leg and set him flying with a side sick into his ribs.

  He crawled to his knees, then spat. I stood at the ready to receive his next assault, but Darius interrupted.

  “That’s enough,” he said, his voice calm. “I’ve called for the trucks.”

  “I haven’t yielded yet,” Roman answered with a smirk. Blood coated his teeth.

  Darius lifted a brow. “Yes, you have. She’s no longer trying, Roman. You know that right?” And I wasn’t. I had stopped minutes before, but I didn’t have it in my heart to end it. I didn’t want to hurt him. Roman looked worn and battered. I, on the other hand, felt amazing. Energy vibrated every inch of my body.

  Roman spat again. “But I almost had her.”

  Noah yelled from where he sat. “She kicked your butt, dude.”

  “You caught her off-guard, but she learned from your tricks.” Darius patted him on the back. “It was a good lesson for her to learn.”

  I agreed, reaching out my hand. An offering. “You had me worried for a moment. I’ve never encountered a better grappler, Roman. Thank you.”

  He skirted from Darius’s side, ignoring my outstretched arm, and marched away, muttering curses beneath his breath.

  Darius called out to him. “I’ve asked for the trucks to—”

  “I’ll walk,” he said over a shoulder.

  Darius sighed, then grabbed Roman’s forgotten shirt and tossed it to his men. Noah caught it with a swipe of his hand.

  Darius absently tapped my arm with a knuckle. “Obviously, we need to focus on your grappling skills next.” He watched Roman’s retreating form. Frustration tugged at his brow and I fought the desire to smooth the creases in his skin. He glanced at me and smiled, but the worry didn’t leave his eyes. “Zane is on the way with the truck. Grab your shoes.”

  But before he could walk away, I put out a hand to stop him. “Now, wait a minute,” I said. My fingers pressed into the muscles of his chest. I gulped suppressing a strange sensation that crept into my already swollen heart. “What about you?”

  “What about me?” he asked.

  I smiled a
crooked grin, baiting him. “Do you just believe you’re worthy to date me without testing your own offer?”

  His head twitched. “Worthy?”

  “What makes you think you could take me?” I asked, flicking a piece of dirt from my shoulder. “After all, I’ve bested you more than once.”

  Noah outright laughed, but Hector covered his reaction with a large hand, glancing away from the scene I was creating. Violet nodded her approval.

  Darius watched their reactions, then leaned over, bringing his lips to my ear. He whispered low so the others wouldn’t overhear. “What makes you think I didn’t let you best me? You were incredibly vulnerable, and I am first and foremost a gentleman, sweetheart.”

  I turned my face into him, allowing my lips to graze the lobe of his ear. “While I appreciate the noble gesture, I’m a big girl,” I said, loving when his body shuddered at my touch. “I can handle the disappointment.”

  Noah howled from the gaping crowd. “Oh, come on, Darius. Show us your skills, oh great leader. Or maybe you should put Ava in charge of finding a new Guardian and first-in-command.”

  “You’re poking the bear, dude,” Hector said, but he grinned at the taunt.

  Darius took a deep breath. “Just remember,” he said, pulling back, but only far enough to study my face. His amber eyes enveloped me, nearly stealing my breath away. “I warned you.”

  Giddiness rose within me. I waited for him to attack, but he did the same, watching me with a slight angle to his head. I shuffled forward, but he stayed where he was. I shuffled again with a jab, but he smacked it away. I retaliated with a backhand, but he grabbed it and rotated, launching me over his back.

  Twisting in the air, I landed on the balls of my feet into a low crouch, but he was already there. I shot up and shoved my shoulder into his solar plexus, but it was like hitting steel. Pain laced my arm.

  He grabbed me, pulling me into him. His arm snaked around, and tightened against my neck, but not enough to cut off my airway.

  “I don’t want to do this anymore,” he said.

  “Too bad.”

  I managed to turn my head. Energy pulsed in my palms and I hit up, braking his hold. I dropped to the ground, and rotated on the spot, intending to swipe his legs out from under him, but he leaped over my maneuver. I straightened and spun in a high kick.

  He caught my leg and shoved it away. The strength of his thrust sent me to the ground. With a laugh, I sprang to my feet, barely in time to block a punch to the face. I pulled my energy, but then froze—and not because I wanted to.

  Darius’s eyes blazed like liquid glass. “Do you yield?” he asked.

  Power unlike anything I had yet encountered overcame me, paralyzing my movements. Fear seized my heart, but only for a moment before Darius’s voice entered my mind.

  I don’t want to fight you anymore, Ava. Please. Please don’t be mad at me.

  He released his power and I stumbled to the ground. As he stalked toward me, I staggered backward, trying to distance myself from his attack.

  He paused, then squatted in front of me. He tilted his head to the side.

  My hands flashed out and I blasted him onto his back. I landed above him, straddling his waist, but he clamped down on my legs and rolled me over.

  “Why would I be mad at you?” I asked, coughing through a lungful of dust. “And what was that? That was amazing. How did you do that?”

  Breathing heavily, he leaned in, bringing his mouth only inches from my own. He sighed, pressing his nose against my cheek. His hot breath tickled my skin as he whispered my name.

  “Because it is new to you, you telegraph your energy. If I know what’s coming, I can manipulate my opponent’s power. Would you like me to show you?”

  I nodded, enthusiastically, the back of my head rubbing into the dirt beneath it.

  “Never doubted you for a moment, my man,” Noah said, drawing our attention. He groaned, getting to his feet, and sauntered to the waiting truck.

  Zane watched with his arms folded across his chest. A smile lit his face. “Get a room,” he said before sliding into the driver’s side.

  Hector offered a hand to Violet, who took it with a delicate touch. She wiped the dirt from the back of her shorts. “Very well done, darling. Your mother would be impressed,” she said.

  I shifted beneath Darius’s weight, my forehead creased in confusion. But I lost.

  Did you really? She asked, connecting to my thoughts.

  “So, what do you say?” Darius leaned his body into mine. I smiled despite the discomfort of his heavier weight.

  “What are you talking about?”

  He heaved a heavy laugh. “Am I worthy to date the great Defender?”

  “Well, you see... that’s what really confused me about today.”

  “What are you talking about”?

  My forehead creased and my insides warred, but I was already committed. I thought about all the times I had fought Darius, all the times I had made him wait for my decision, but when he had opened the chance to someone else, that’s when I realized—there was no one more worthy than him.

  And I was more than okay with that.

  I squirmed beneath his weight but adjusted my body so I was looking straight into his beautiful eyes. “I thought we already were.”

  Shock infused his features. “But I thought—”

  The truck horn blasted twice. Darius pressed his forehead against mine. “This conversation is far from over.” He lifted off me, then grabbed my arm and yanked me to my feet. He didn’t let go of my hand as we hurried to the truck. Elation rose within me, and I almost smiled until something else caught my attention.

  They stood among the trees at the other end of the lake, so still that they blended with the landscape surrounding them. Two women I had never seen watched us take our leave. I squinted hard. A breeze blew against the first one’s long brown hair, and her emerald green, ankle-length skirt. A white tank top was tied at her waist, exposing a tanned stomach. The second woman was larger, dressed in a long black gown, her dark hair cropped short to her head. I yanked at Darius’s hand, stopping him.

  “What?” he asked, but I could only point at the statuesque females.

  Darius stiffened at my side when the first woman raised a single arm in salute. He cursed beneath his breath.

  “Who are they?” I asked.

  “Gayle and Roslyn.” He sighed and proceeded to pull me toward the truck. “The witches have returned.”

  “Witches?” But he only nodded. “Do we need to go get them? Are they lost?”

  “Hardly.”

  “But—”

  He hushed me as he opened my door. “They tend to freak out some of the compound inmates. Just let me handle it. I’ll call Fiona and let her know. I won’t be able to answer your questions like she can, but I assume they’re here for the birth of Madelyn’s baby.”

  Questions flew through my mind at light speed, but I clamped my mouth closed and slid in nearer to Zane. Darius followed.

  I watched the women at the lake until they blended into the distance. Zane’s eyes shifted to the rear-view mirror and I wondered if he saw them too, but no. Violet leaned against Hector in the bed of the truck, examining the scenery. She never got too close to Zane—Charlotte’s old boyfriend. Even though he understood the situation, the wound was still too fresh for him.

  By the time ten o’clock finally rolled around, we still hadn’t located Gayle, Roslyn, or any other witch within the sanctuary. Most members were already in bed. Darius had warned Fiona, whose only instruction was to act as if nothing was different. More easily said than done.

  Meanwhile, Darius and I made our way back to the edge of the sanctuary and into the alleyway. A single lantern lit the dark and narrow passage. We crept from the shadows, searching for any sign of movement, but still nothing. Frustration ground my stomach into sand.

  “Why aren’t they here?” I snapped my blade closed and shoved it into my pocket.

  “Come
on,” Darius said, taking me by the hand. Already the frigid night temperatures drew heat from my fingers. They felt like icicles within his warm grip. “Earbuds in.”

  I growled my displeasure but pulled the earpiece and mic from my pocket. I inhaled a breath of relief as the passage opened to the shops and well-lit streets. As we strolled down the walk headed toward the park, we made our presence known to the others.

  “Welcome back, you two,” Laith said over the coms. “Things have been pretty quiet here. Elisa and I have commandeered a vehicle and are set up on the other side of the park.”

  The muscles in my forehead contracted. “Commandeered? You mean stole?”

  “We never steal,” Elisa corrected. “We are borrowing it.”

  “If anything goes wrong tonight, we need to ensure the handlers don’t come looking for the mortal at home,” Laith said. “If they’re lesser demons, you should be able to take care of this on your own, but just in case, Fiona, Cedric, rendezvous with the Defenders as soon as you can.”

  “Roger that,” Cedric said, and then the coms went silent.

  I watched a couple cross the street. Huddled within their jackets, their breath blew thick upon the wet England air. The woman smiled as she clung to the man’s arm, her pixie pink-tipped hair swept across her face by the wind. She was happy to finally be spending time with her new boyfriend. She never thought she would be able to snare his attention...

  Darius tugged at my ear. “No reading souls unless they’re open to you, remember?”

  I waved him off, watching as the couple disappeared into the park. I wondered if I could be so free as to take Darius by the arm, but then I suppressed the thought and turned away. “I’m not really searching through their thoughts... at least, at first I wasn’t. They just kind of come the more I watch them. I was searching for the demons. Do you think we can help them?”

  He grimaced. “Generally, if a mortal is that far gone to allow a lesser demon to penetrate, even for a small amount of time, they’re not looking to be saved anymore. But it is a possibility.”