He ran a hand over his head, his expression turning serious. “How is it going with Elena?”
I sighed inwardly. “She’s a Rubicon, she’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, there are some rumors spreading about a first claim. You should warn your other team member.”
“You shitting me, who?”
“So she’s not there yet. Need to get her in better shape, Blake. Maybe a few laps should do the trick.”
“Fuck off,” I said. “Tell me who it is.”
“I don’t know. I just saw the request. Master Longwei hid who filled it in.”
I gave a slight shake of my head. “She’ll be ready. Believe me, whoever it is, they’ll regret ever laying eyes on a Rubicon.”
He laughed. “I have no doubt about that.”
I chuckled and slapped him on the back.
“Good luck.”
“Fuck off,” I muttered with a smile.
I rested my arms on the railing and watched Greg run to the other side of the arena.
Elena wasn’t ready for a claim. And it would only be a matter of days before Master Longwei made the announcement.
I’d have to train her faster.
I massaged my temples to ease the sudden ache of frustration. So much for distance.
The whistle blew, dragging my attention back to the field, and I watched my team file out in their ridiculous red and white uniforms.
They looked like circus monkeys.
I kept my eyes on George and Becky. Becky was practically a natural on her raider, and George seemed to be at her side to assist her the moment danger was near.
They were like two magnets, constantly drawn to each other.
It must be a Dent thing.
I still hated the idea of it.
Becky scored and the crowd erupted in cheers.
Becky looked at me with a victorious grin, but I just shook my head. I didn’t want her to get ahead of herself. The game had just started.
Her nostrils flared as she glared at me, and I felt the corner of my mouth curving up slightly.
The whistle blew again.
“C’mon, Damon!” I yelled. “Push, push, push.”
I flipped Stan off for one of his comments.
Then the brothers scored.
I inhaled deeply, but I wasn’t as agitated as I’d thought I’d be. Elena was close by.
When they scored again, my competitive edge kicked in.
By the third score, Edmond, one of the brothers, almost knocked Damon off his board with a foul thunderbolt.
George hit Edmond behind the head and the ref blew the whistle at George.
“Seriously, open your fucking eyes if you’re going to referee!”
The ref sent George to the time-out box.
I threw the ref a sign and he blew his whistle at me again.
The brothers scored three more times just to piss me off.
“I thought you were joking when you said he wasn’t fond of losing,” I heard Elena say.
“I feel sorry for Becky and them if they don’t get back on track.”
Elena laughed. She wouldn’t be laughing when Master Longwei announced that she was going to get claimed.
At half time, I headed down to the team to speak to them. I needed to remind them what they had to do if they wanted to kick the brothers’ asses. It was all about defense.
“Blake, stop giving the ref shit, otherwise you are going to sit in that box,” George snapped.
“When in my life was I ever scared of the box? I dare him to put me there. He needs a new fucking pair of eyes,” I growled, eliciting laughter from the team.
“Just defend. I told you guys the brothers are great when it comes to attacking, but they suck at defense. You can turn the game around if you use the strategy we discussed at practice. Let me worry about the blind fucking bat.”
Greg tried to rub it in that his team was kicking our asses. Boy, did he have a surprise waiting for him. Greg headed over to where I had been standing during the first half. We switched sides as our team switched for the second half. The only thing that sucked about this side of the arena was that Elena was now far away.
The game started and my Maggots finally followed my strategy. Becky scored and the fight continued.
The other team had such a clear foul, but the lousy ref didn’t blow the whistle.
“Seriously! Where the fuck are your eyes, old man? You want to borrow mine?” I screamed.
The ref blew the whistle and stopped the game. I was just about ready to stick that whistle up his ass.
“Blake, I saw no foul. If you don’t contain yourself, I’ll have you removed.”
“How much are they paying you?” I hissed at him.
“I’m not like that.”
“Then open your fucking eyes. If I’m going to lose another member because of Edmond or Jeffers, I am going to lose it.”
“I have two eyes, not four.”
“Then use your two fucking eyes.”
“Watch your language.” He walked away. “Last warning.”
I flipped him off behind his back as the game started back up.
Greg shook as he laughed, and I saw Elena trying to suppress her own laughter as Sammy spoke to her.
Greg smirked at me and shook his head at my behavior.
Oh, I would give anything to wipe that smirk off his face.
The guys pushed again, and Edmond attacked George for no reason.
This time, the ref saw it, and I applauded loudly.
I looked at Greg, one eyebrow raised. He was teaching them to play like fucking idiots.
Edmond got two minutes time out.
“Use this time, Damon, c’mon!” I yelled.
Damon pushed through and found an opening. With some effort, he managed to score.
I cheered.
Becky scored again, and I could kiss her.
They tried to go for another score, but Caitlyn missed just as the whistle blew again, signaling the end of the game.
“Fuck.”
I headed to Greg, and he clapped when I got to him.
“Not good enough,” I grunted.
“Blake, they played their fucking hearts out. Don’t give them grief tonight. Know when to congratulate and when to train. Something tells me that we’ll finally have to defend the title.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Just stop pissing off the ref.”
“Well, he needs to use his fucking eyes. Your team plays dirty,” I muttered as I picked up my bag and walked to the exit.
I felt better when I saw Elena, though her back was turned to me.
“You’re a sore loser, Blake!” Greg yelled.
I flipped him off without turning around, and his laughter followed me as I left the arena.
When Monday rolled around, Master Longwei announced Elena’s claiming, and I burst out laughing when I heard who the contender would be.
Lucian’s dimwitted cousin.
Elena definitely stood a chance.
Nicole was a first year, and man, her hopes were high if she thought she could claim a Rubicon.
Nevertheless, Elena would have to scare the crap out of Nicole so she wouldn’t face her again.
Elena was already waiting for me on the mountain when I arrived.
I landed, shifted, and pulled on my robe as quickly as I could. Elena looked so distressed.
“Are you okay?”
She got up and started to pace, waving her hands in the air.
“How could she do that? How did they even let her?”
“Elena, calm down.”
She ignored me. “I don’t understand. I can’t face her, I’m not ready.”
I grabbed both her arms and turned her around to face me.
“Stop freaking out.”
Her green eyes found mine and I felt her relax against me.
“The ring isn’t your enemy, it’s theirs.”
“I don’t know how to do this.”
/>
“Then I suggest we get started. Shift, as you will face her in your dragon form,” I ordered.
As usual, she walked to the trees, and when she came back out, I was surprised by how much she had grown in the last couple weeks.
“Your biggest asset is changing the ring into what you want Nicole to see.”
She laughed. “What is the worst place you’ve ever imagined?”
“I once imagined a place filled with scorpions, snakes and spiders when Arianna tried to claim me.” I was lying, but I had to paint a clear picture of things she needed to imagine instead of telling her to take things away from someone because they were vain. “Let’s just say it was over before we even started.”
“Would I see the same as she does?”
“Elena, you control it, you have to imagine it, otherwise she won’t see it.”
“So, yes.”
I chuckled.
“Spiders and scorpions are so not going to work,” she murmured.
“Even if it’s Nicole’s worst fear?” I asked.
“I don’t even know what her fear is.”
“If you ask me super nicely, I can find out for you.”
“Will you?”
“Just don’t believe the rumors you hear.”
“Easy tiger,” she said.
“What?”
“Nothing, I wasn’t talking to you.”
She was so odd, but this wasn’t the time to think about that. We had to focus on the claim.
“Let’s practice. Imagine a volcano and that everything around you is covered with lava.”
Her entire form heaved with a sigh as she closed her eyes.
The mountains in the distance changed into a volcano. My eyes widened. She was good. The lava spilled over and it ran down in three separate rivers. It seemed so real that I had to remind myself it was fake.
She had a strong imagination.
“Amazing,” I said in awe and she opened her eyes. “Put a bit of heat, Elena, to make it seem more real.”
Heat started to scorch my skin. I stepped back, covering my face. “A bit too much.”
“You think this might work with Nicole?”
“I told you, leave it to me. She isn’t afraid of combat; you need to attack her worst fear otherwise you will face her again real soon.”
“Okay.” She still sounded petrified.
“Remember the ring is your friend.”
“Yeah, like the thunder is my friend, too.” She sounded sarcastic.
“You still struggling with your thunder?”
She nodded.
“If it’s of any consolation, that one took a long time for me to get used to as well,” I lied. She had to get rid of that fear fast otherwise she was going to be Nicole’s bitch. And Nicole wasn’t worthy of claiming a Rubicon.
“Really?”
I nodded.
“Okay, we can do this,” she muttered under her breath.
It was still weird that she spoke out loud with herself in someone else’s presence.
She conjured more horrible scenes and Elena was either an artist or had a secret talent for this.
She was going to be terrifying when I was done with her.
Images of me and her together flashed in my head and I push them back. I couldn’t be thinking about that right now. Or ever.
“I think it’s enough for today.” I looked at my watch, more out of habit than anything else.
“See you tomorrow?” It was more of a question than a statement.
“Yeah, you are going to need all the help you are going to get.”
The next day, I focused on combat, and trained her to how to fight in the air—how to move away quickly, when to strike, and when to lay low.
I’d already started sweet talking Nicole this morning to find out her fear.
Her heart had been pounding like a trapped bird in a cage when I just said hi. She was going to sing like a lark.
I didn’t sleep with her, but I made her believe we did.
She got drunk, which made the compulsion so much easier.
“So what is your biggest fear?” I asked her softly. Her eyes glowed bright green with the compulsion.
“Patsies, I hate patsies.”
“Patsies.” Pathetic. “What else?”
“You,” she said flirtatiously.
I laughed. She was afraid of me, yet she was going after Elena. She saw Elena as weak.
“The desert. I don’t like the heat. Oh, and vines, especially ones that strangle you. Oh, and the creepers.”
I pretended to kiss her again, moaning and letting my breath come out in harsh pants since she was under the impression that I was inside her.
“Oh, you are so worthy of your name.” She gasped and I had to suppress my laughter.
“What else?” The Blake she was seeing grunted in her neck as he kissed her skin.
“Ugly, I’m so scared of being ugly.”
“You’re far from ugly. If you were you wouldn’t be here.”
She laughed and I imagined planting my mouth on hers again. She broke away after a few seconds. “Please don’t be a jerk after this.”
“Me? Never. I’m completely and utterly in love with you, Nicole.” I laughed softly at the moans she made and took a sip of my beer.
She snuck out later that night.
The next morning, Tabitha made a huge scene about it. I don’t know how she found out that Nicole had been in my room but she slapped Nicole’s face and called her names.
“Tabitha, enough!” I pulled her away.
Nicole laughed at her.
“Fly away to mamma, Snow Dragon.”
I gave Nicole a look and she shot daggers my way. Arianna must have gotten to her. She’d probably told Nicole what an idiot she was for spilling the beans about her fears.
She was nothing like her cousin.
“What is wrong with you?” Tabitha cried out and pushed me away.
I followed after her. “Please speak to me.”
“Why did you screw her?”
I pulled her around the corner. “I didn’t sleep with her. I compelled her to make her think I did. Fuck Tabitha, I have standards.”
“Why did you compel her?”
“I’m doing someone a favor.”
The muscles in her jaw twitched.
I raked a hand through my hair. “Forget it. I don’t have to explain everything I do to you.”
By lunch, the rumors had spread like wildfire.
I didn’t give a shit about my reputation. I’d done worse in the past. All that mattered now was getting Elena ready for her claim tomorrow.
I had only been on the mountain for a few minutes when Elena landed.
She walked straight to the forest without greeting me and I was sure she’d heard and believed the rumors.
“You slept with her?” she asked when she emerged from the forest. I could see she thought it was funny, but she arched her eyebrows in a disapproving way.
I burst out laughing. “I told you not to believe the rumors.”
“Blake, I didn’t mean you should sleep with the girl in order to find her fear.”
“It’s the only way women spill their deepest secrets.” It wasn’t like Elena would believe the truth anyway.
“You know what, I don’t want to know.” She started to laugh. “Just tell me what’s she afraid of.”
I smirked. “It really is pathetic.”
“Tell me.”
“She’s got a couple. One is vines that strangle you. Specifically the creepers. Then she’s scared of patsies.”
She gasped. “What’s a patsy?”
“You don’t know what a patsy is?” I asked with a grin.
“No, my father used to say it all the time, but he never told me what a patsy was.”
“It’s a small gecko that has a poisonous tongue. One lick will kill you, but that’s a small piece of info that wasn’t shared with them, so instead of just licking their prey, they roll over and
pretend to be dead. Some even kill themselves.”
“Are you serious?”
I nodded.
“She has others?”
“She doesn’t like the desert, something about the heat, and she has a thing for being ugly. I suggest you play with that one. Make her look ugly with boils and burns. My other suggestion is to give her hell, and she will never try to claim you again.”
Elena pursed her lips. “It’s funny you say that. It was Cara’s first thought.”
I burst out laughing again. “You’ve got a funny way of dealing with things.”
“So I’ve been told,” she said.
I showed her what a patsy looked like. The one I made was quite big, and had all sorts of blues and yellows over its body. It shimmered in the sun.
I let it lick its eyeballs every few seconds, and when it saw Elena, it started to bite himself.
“Okay, enough! You didn’t have to show me the gruesome killing themselves part. You could just let him fall over and pretend to be dead!”
I chuckled.
“Why on earth people are scared of them, I don’t know.”
A few more patsies joined the dead one on the rock.
Elena loved them.
She took over and made them play with each other.
“Don’t let them play, Elena. Make them vicious.”
“I don’t know how.”
“Let me.” I gave them teeth and the ability to stretch, toying with her to make her think that they could reach us.
She quickly backed away from them.
“They’re not real, but I’m sure you get the picture. If you add them to the pit of hell, she will run for the hills.”
“I hope she doesn’t go insane.”
“It should teach her to never even consider going after a Rubicon again.”
“Can she reverse it, you know back to what is real?”
“If she’s good and not afraid, yes.”
“Could she create a world where I would forget that it’s only a spell?”
“She’s not a dragon, and she’s only in her first year. Besides, spells don’t work on dragons.”
“So she could only make me see what is real?”
I nodded.
“Just as long as I don’t end up being her bitch.”
I laughed.
“Is this how you felt every time Lucian tried to claim you?”
“It was different with him. A part of me really wished that he would succeed, but the dark in me wouldn’t let him. I’m just glad that I didn’t end up killing him. That last time when he didn’t get up, and I just wanted to keep on fighting…” I stroked my face hard at that memory. “No one will ever be as brave as him.”
Darkbeam Part II Page 22