Evanescent (23 page)

“Here.” Troy took my thumbs, twisted them the other side of the rounded hilt and explained, “Let the handle rest in there.” He pointed to the soft, thin muscle between the thumb and pointing finger. “Let it glide, rest that part.”

I tried it, the blade swirled quickly in and around into my palm.

“Yeah.” I nodded, and did it again and again.

“Little things make all the difference,” he stated, staring at me.

I looked up, thinking he was also talking about something else.

“Didn’t think you liked weapons very much,” Troy teased.

“It’s kind of fun,” I said, absorbed on the extension of my arm, the swift flick-back and the sleek arc outward.

“Until you kill someone with it,” Tatos groaned.

“I have kil…” I stopped mid-sentence, almost dropping my sais as the words left me with a twisting guilt. He wanted me to admit I had killed before.

“Apparently, not so successfully,” he grunted, obviously implying Enoch. “If your intentions are impure, it always comes back to you.” He kept his glare on the path ahead.

“Thank you, Dr. Tatos, I will keep that in mind next time I want to off something trying to end us.”

“There is wisdom and truth in those words,” Troy agreed, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I closed my eyes, soaking up his touch. First the exploding pins and needles, then a dull ache followed by heat, and then a sweet release.

We came to a standstill on a hill overlooking the village. I stood for a while, noticing the spot the old, stone throne used to stand, now a forgotten memorial garden. Flashes of wooden stakes and skulls touched my memory with harsh intent. The dark fire of death wafted at my nose, reminding me that the hole inside of me was large and might never be filled. Troy took my elbow, leading me away from the scarred land of evil’s touch. His silent caress forced air back into my lungs, and as silently and deadly as the flashes had come, they dissipated without a trace. My eyes shifted over the charred, black trees growing out between green vines, trees that had yet to heal, or might never heal – only time would be the revealer. The scarred land surrounded by yellow, grain fields was almost a circle of poisoned land; a beacon, a reminder of a past that would never be uttered by the villagers again. My feet remained bound to the spot – I would not let myself forget, it had to be a reminder of who I didn’t want to be. Anger clung to my lungs with a bitter taste, and through the bristle of the wind’s delicate fingers, the ocean of yellow grasslands roared and bent as it swooped past and over the Zulu land, the sun glinting off waxy stems. His voice pulled me back to the real.

“You need to forget.”

I nodded, turning into his arms. I wasn’t sure how I could forget the one mistake that would haunt me for all of my beastly existence.

“Just think how far it would have spread if we didn’t stop it.”

I swallowed hard, fire burning behind my eyes. “It should never have been.” I walked away, eager to start my training, shoving the pain down with a wall of ice logged in my chest. Attempting to clear my mind, I took on the fresh, crisp scent of forest, and the mix of ocean air blowing up from just beyond a hill. On the hill, we stood at a vantage point, able to hear anything move through the thick of the forest and from the hill on the other side, we would see anyone approach through pale, yellow grasslands. Gray clouds still hovered, the wind twisted and cut through the grass, leaving a faint shimmer in its wake. The smell of the bushveld and grain twirled around me, gently tugging at my bangs.

“Are you ready now?” Troy called to me. The gravity of that moment made me feel alive, more than in any moment before. It was a moment that had not been forced, it just was. I smiled into his eyes. That is what it felt like to be Ava. I felt free for just that moment as his hand touched me, it all came to a singularity. I was just about ready to lean in and kiss him, when he spanked my butt with a sheepish grin.

“Snap out of it, we have work to do.”

Urgh, he is such a tease!
Tilting my chin to the sky, I took in the smell of fallen rain. The seasons were finally returning to our planet after many silent cycles and from the storms, the wind, the heat and sudden cold, it seemed like they were coming all at once. Clearing his throat, Tatos pulled his bow, then his arrow from its sheath and placed them at his feet, this was followed by grabbing his braids and tying his hair away from his face.

“Hey, I can see you.” I laughed, but found myself staring at his neatly shaped features instead. Turquoise eyes caught mine. “It is rude to stare, you know,” he said to me, while tugging on the string, releasing some tension in the bow. But the long, stick bow was still strapped to his back, blue feathers twisting in the wind.

“Really? Well, it’s rude to keep reading my mind!” I snapped back.

“It is for your own good,” he mocked.

Rolling my eyes, I said with a grimace, “So you keep saying.”

“So, you keep doubting our intentions.” He stared back, tone more clipped this time.

“Okay you two, enough.” Troy placed a navy bag full of weapons on the floor beside us. The clutter and clang rang throughout the quiet surroundings. By then, a light drizzle had begun to fall as dark clouds slipped through the high branches of gigantic silverwood trees. As I placed my bag inside Troy’s bag to protect the contents from the rain, Tatos moved closer to me. From beside me, Troy pulled off his shirt and threw it into the open zip of the bag. I am sure they both saw me smile at the sight of naked torsos just before I shifted my gaze to the floor.

“Your turn,” Troy bantered.

“What?” My arms automatically closed up over my chest.

When his lips twisted into a cheeky grin, I punched him in the gut to which he pretended to double over in pain.

“You punch like a girl!” Tatos mocked.

“And you look like one.” I flashed a smile.

He snorted.

“Ready?” Troy beamed, shaking out cold muscles in his arms and legs.

Pulling my sleeves up to my elbows I released the sais from my harness, spun them into my palms, and then tucked them in under my arms so only the hilt protruded from my hands.

“Okay, you’re just showing off now.” Troy snickered. “So, when you are about to attack someone…” he said but stopped, lifted his eyebrows and stared at me. “Because we all know that is
your
first line of defense.”

“Then we need to start with defense,” Tatos cut in.

“Don’t mock my methods,” I stated.

“Hmm.” Tatos’ expression turned somber.

“The way you are holding them now, you are opening yourself up. You might strike, but a quick blow might sneak up and hit you right in the chest,” Troy said, and moving swiftly he tapped my chest right between my breasts. I lifted my brows at him.

His lopsided grin left my knees weak. “See?”

“Look at my feet, use your entire body, not just your arms, you’ll break your wrists like that.” His hands left my wrists and settled on my hips, turning my frame to face his. I was aware of where his hands were, and where they were not.

He moved away. “Now attack, and I’ll show you that by the way I am standing now, I am always guarded.”

I did. It felt unnatural the way my body was twisted, the blades heavy in my weak wrists. It struck me as odd, because my gymnastic training should have given me strong wrists. I moved forward, flicking the sais out, but Troy intercepted with little effort.

“You attack like a girl. You’re not to slap someone with that thing, you are meant to stab with it,” said Tatos, rubbing his face in an irritated gesture.

I groaned and tried again and with each move, I could suddenly feel my untrained muscles pull and burn awkwardly.

“Now when I have a weapon, those sais can be a very good shield if used correctly.” As Troy moved back to his bag to retrieve something, I kept practicing the moves and stance I had been taught, but soon enough I found my eyes lingering over his impeccably carved eight-pack. His athletic build, lean and strong, sent sizzling quivers into my core, and melted my thoughts to a liquid mess as a wave of muscles moved in his back and shoulders while he bent to unpack more weapons.

Tatos gave a soft chuckle.

“What?” I am sure my cheeks were flushing.

“Just something Kronan said.” He smiled.

“About me?” My tone peaked.

“He said you had trouble enduring the mental power of focus.” He chuckled again. “He just didn’t know how to grab your attention.”

My eyes shot to Troy, he was already giving me a devilish smirk.

“Well, now that everyone is amused…”

“Firstly,” Troy interrupted, “you need to learn how to use these. They are your shields and your weapons.”

He moved closer, pulled my wrists to him and clicked the runic silver gauntlets into place over each wrist. My reflection stared back at me from the sleek surface and as I twisted my wrists, I noticed the twirling patterns and symbols etched around the edges.

“Wow,” I said. They were the broad, silver bracelets I had seen in the crate before.

The weight of the gauntlets added to the burden of carrying heavy weapons.

“Yeah, you should have tested them first before getting all grabby.” He motioned to the sais.

“With the gauntlets, you can impede a strike by lifting your arm, and then you wedge your forked blade over your attackers’ blade and twist.” He demonstrated, handed back the sais and adjusted my grasp on the hilt.

Flaring nostrils at my insinuated incompetence, I shared sarcastically, “I think I know how to hold a blade.”

Tatos shook his head, moving closer, chest flexing.

“Okay, big girl,” Troy said on a grin, “let’s see it then. Stab him.” He cocked his head toward Tatos.

“What?” I spat, eyes wide.

Tatos gave a mocking smile, flashing white teeth.

“If you can.” Tatos lifted his eyebrows.

I smiled with the sudden confidence in my abilities.

Tatos stood before me, legs bent into a slight crouch.

“Keep your feet apart, check your balance,” Troy said from the sideline.

But instead of keeping my eyes on Tatos, my gaze drank Troy in. I drew in a heavy breath, almost tasting him on my lips.

“Ava.” He grinned at me.

My pulse raced.

“Focus.” His eyebrows shot up.

Tatos was suddenly before me, imitating a blow to my head.

“Are you scared?” Tatos asked.

“Are you?” I smiled.

He chuckled, stepping away as Troy adjusted my stance by repositioning my hips. As he pulled away, he let Tatos take his position before me again.

I hadn’t seen Tatos so animated before, he was actually enjoying himself a little too much, I thought. I took a step forward and suddenly there was a dark flash, a crack in my vision, followed by white noise, and just as swiftly Tatos’ arms crushed around me. His clasp so tight, I dropped the daggers to the ground.

My heart raced, mind reeling to figure out what had just happened.

“Focus!” Troy yelled.

His eyes were dark on mine as he stood cross-armed, drops of rain trickling down his jaw.

“F-o-c-u-s,” he spelled out with his lips.

“I got you, now you die!” Tatos yelled, and gave his version of an evil cackle.

“Come on guys!” Troy yelled. “We don’t have much time.”

For just one second, there was a gap in his grip as his arms shifted. The dark flash hit me again, but more subtle this time, leaving a metal taste in my mouth. Panicked and burning with desperation to get away, I twisted out of his grasp, simultaneously elbowed him in the stomach and kicked down with a crushing stomp to his foot, and then my head hit his hard as he came down. The flashes were a warning – something was coming for me. My time was up here. The thought was mechanical and resonated with a hot, chill into my bones.

“She’s a slick one!” Troy boasted.

“Again.” Tatos jumped to his feet.

It all happened so fast.

“Weapons!” Troy yelled.

I felt threatened suddenly, turning as Tatos came at me, but all I could see was an empty face. As the dark flash and white noise came at me again, I sliced the amethyst pendant from my wrist, the purple glow slowly fading as I turned back to face him, kicking the pendant into the grass. The figure was upon me when I sliced its arm, but he spun and hit me with the long bow in my knee, forcing my leg to give way to the brutal force. Before I fell, I twisted over the ground and kicked him in the groin, my other leg twisting over and taking him down with me, the sharp, silver blade piercing the soft flesh of his neck.