Hunted (Talented Saga # 3) (13 page)

“You’re the best,” I said.

Erik beamed and slid into his chair. “I aim to please.”

I dug into my breakfast, suddenly ravenous.
Erik and Cadence chatted about mutual friends and favorite city shops while I consumed everything on my plate.

When I was so full that I was grateful my pants had been purchased before my weight loss, I folded my white cloth napkin over the crumbles that remained on the china plate.
I swallowed the last dregs of my juice and declared I was ready to face the day.

We began our busy day of administering the tests with much less animosity than the previous one.
Cadence and I had reached an unspoken understanding at breakfast. She still disliked me, but she needed my help and if being civil was what it took, she was willing to do so. For my part, I was just thankful to be able to relax in her presence. Normally, I felt guarded and tense whenever she was around. But her attempts at politeness were going a long way towards putting me at ease. We’d never be friends, but the constant vigilance I’d been exercising around her was exhausting and I was grateful for the amnesty.

Back at the hotel, Erik and I parted ways with Cadence with the understanding that we’d meet back up after dinner.
Cadence was eager to hit the Hamilton’s underground gym, but I needed to take my medicine and Erik insisted that I rest my mental abilities first.

“It was really nice of you to agree to practice with her,”
Erik said as we lounged on my bed waiting for room service to deliver the bison meatloaf and onion strings we’d ordered.

“I figured if she could swallow her pride enough to ask, the least I could do was agree,”
I replied, moving my head so that I could hear the soothing sound of his heart beating against his ribs.

Erik laughed and I felt his stomach muscles ripple underneath me.
“The physical exercise will help you sleep better,”
he said.

“I’d sleep better with you holding me.
Maybe I’ll suggest that to Mac.”
I tapped a finger against my chin thoughtfully as though this was some brilliant new idea I’d just come up with. I was joking, of course. We both knew Mac would never agree to let Erik stay with me.

“Don’t,”
Erik warned, clearly not finding me funny.
“I don’t want to rock the boat, particularly right now.”
His mental voice was serious and disturbed. I hated the strain being involved with me caused.

Flipping over on to my stomach, I crawled up the length of his body and kissed him lightly on the lips.
At first, Erik didn’t reciprocate and I worried my joke had seriously upset him. I kissed him again and felt his mouth twitch against mine. I fed off the slight reaction and straddled his waist, kissing his neck until he couldn’t resist me any longer.

Erik grabbed my hips hard before slipping his hands underneath my tight shirt.
His fingers traced the scar tissue marring the skin above my left hip, sending an odd rush of sensation through me. I found his lips again and this time, he kissed me back with so much intensity that my tiny toes curled.

Electricity crackled between us as Erik’s hands ran up and down my sides, his thumbs passing lightly over my stomach, causing my abdominal muscles to clench.
My thighs tightened around his waist, sending his thoughts in to dangerously graphic territory. I saw the way I looked through Erik’s eyes; beautiful and strong, not at all like the tired and broken looking reflection that stared back at me in the mirror. I felt the rush of love and intense desire that burned inside of him; it overwhelmed me and I was overcome with the urge to cry tears of joy.

“Erik,” I whispered his name against his lips.
“I –” But I didn’t get to finish the sentence because just then, someone knocked on my door.

My shirt was askew and I could only imagine the disheveled state of my hair when I irritably greeted the immaculately dressed delivery boy.
His knowing smirk assured me that my flushed face and my hasty, breathless “Thank you” hadn’t gone unnoticed. The boy averted his hazel eyes as he wheeled the cart of food through the doorway.

“Thanks, man,” Erik called from the bed, unashamedly readjusting his own rumpled shirt and the crotch of his khakis.

After the waiter had left, I removed the shiny metal lids from the plethora of dishes that decorated the cart and set the table for our nightly meal. The rich smell of meat and spicy tomato sauce filled the room and I inhaled deeply as my stomach rumbled and my mouth watered.

The food tasted as good as it smelled, but my eyes kept shifting involuntarily towards the mussed golden comforter.
The meatloaf was satiating one hunger, but the more primal desire to touch and be touched was left unsatisfied.

“We have forever, Tal,”
Erik promised, covering my hand with his own.

“Forever,” I agreed, loving the way the word sounded when I said it aloud.

Chapter Twelve

I stood facing Cadence on the blue practice mat in the center of the Hamilton’s gym. A black blindfold obscured nearly half of her small face. She breathed evenly in and out through her mouth. Her tiny hands clenched and unclenched nervously at her sides as she mentally prepared for my attack.

“Concentrate on your hearing,” Erik instructed from his perch against the cinderblock wall.

Cadence nodded jerkily. I glanced at Erik and he gestured for me to begin. With reflexes born of years of training, I rushed her. She anticipated my impending assault, but underestimated my speed. I collided with her midsection. Air whooshed from Cadence’s lungs as her back slammed against the mats. She was no novice, though, and recovered quickly. She tucked her knees to her chest and then, with surprising force, struck out in my general direction. The blow landed on my mid-thigh and I stumbled backwards several paces, trying desperately not to lose my own footing.

The air around Cadence began to shimmer and her prone form faded into the ether before disappearing completely.
I stared at the spot where she’d just been, convinced I would hear her rise. I was wrong. Cadence materialized behind me and before I could even react, her foot made contact with my kidney. A jolt of pain shot up my back and down my legs, nearly sending me to my knees. I swore loudly.

I spun in a circle, all the while searching for some sign of movement from my invisible opponent.
When I couldn’t locate her physical form, I searched out her mind to pinpoint her location. I found it just in time to block a right jab. Cadence was relentless and kept coming at me without reservation. As far as combat skills, we were evenly matched. But thanks to my Talents, I was able to anticipate each move a split second before she executed. Still, fighting an attacker I couldn’t actually see was a first for me and I didn’t like it.

Cadence was only a mid-level Talent, so it was taking every ounce of her strength to remain concealed.
She wasn’t the only one quickly losing power; using my mental abilities to track her was taking its toll on me. I switched tactics, using my heightened sense of sight to make out the slight disturbance of molecules that marked her position.

Realizing that she’d lost her one advantage, Cadence dropped her invisibility and became corporeal before my eyes.
We continued to spar, trading blows easily. Sweat poured into my eyes and I tasted blood after her foot made contact with the side of my head. The only opponent I have ever failed to beat was Erik. I wasn’t going to add Cadence to that remarkably short list. I did the only thing I could think of. I took control of her mind.

Already devoid of one of her senses, Cadence quickly became disoriented.
She flailed her arms and spun in circles. Her punches no longer hit their target and her kicks became weak and powerless.

“You’re tired.
You want to give in,”
I sent, forcing the thoughts from my head to hers.

Ten seconds later, Cadence collapsed on to the mat in a heap of sweat-stained workout clothes.
Satisfied, I released my hold on her mind and fell to my knees on the mat beside her. Cadence fumbled with the blindfold, now plastered to her bright red face.

“Erik was right.
Sparring with you isn’t like anything I’ve ever experienced,” she gasped, her chest heaving in and out at an alarming pace.

“For your first time, you did really well,” I admitted grudgingly.
“Particularly considering you were blindfolded,” I added.

“You need to learn to block your mind,” Erik interrupted.
“You won’t encounter many, if any, other Talents that can do what Talia can, but in general, you aren’t focused enough. If you just let your natural urges carry you through the fight, you’ll be more effective.”

“Block my mind?” Cadence asked weakly.

“Yeah, keep your guard up and don’t think, just feel. You’re a really good technical fighter, but in tryouts, you’ll face five Hunters back to back. You’ll tire quickly unless you learn to get lost in the moment.”

“I can teach you to block your mind,” I offered, not sure that was actually such a good idea.
I’d conditioned Mac against mental invasions, but he’d forbid me doing the same for others. Both Donavon and Erik had learned to erect barriers and were in the unique position of being both the most vulnerable to my abilities and the most proficient at keeping me out. They were vulnerable because our connections were so strong from the continuous mental communication that their thoughts flowed freely into my mind. But they were also more adept at knowing when I was in their heads and pushing me out.

“Okay, thanks,” Cadence said, finally catching her breath enough to stand.

“Why don’t you watch me and Tal, and then you and I can have a go,” Erik suggested. Cadence nodded and switched places with Erik.

Erik and I began circling each other.
The serious expression on Erik’s face transformed to a broad smile as he mimicked Cadence’s light manipulation to turn invisible at the same time he launched himself towards me. I broke to my left and took the brunt of his attack on my right shoulder. Erik outweighed me by seventy pounds and the force of the blow sent me flying backwards on to the mat. I landed flat on my back, gasping for air. Erik didn’t give me time to recover, though. I felt, rather than saw, him charging towards me. I rolled to the left and pushed myself to my feet. My muscles ached and I had yet to recover all my strength from fighting Cadence. Since an opponent you can see was always easier to hit than one you can’t, I used my powers to force Erik back in to a corporeal form.

Erik materialized three steps to my right.
His arm shot out with lightning fast speed and I barely had time to deflect the blow. I felt the foot that struck the back of my knee at the same time an invisible arm squeezed my waist and dropped me back to the mat.

“Stay visible,”
I demanded, flinging my fist where I thought Erik’s stomach would be.

“Stay out of my head and I will stay visible,”
Erik shot back, trying to block my hands and keep me pinned at the same time.

Since Erik was the better fighter, I did the only thing I could think of.
I used my head, literally. Our foreheads collided with sickening force and Erik momentarily lost his concentration and became visible. Stars danced across my vision as I wiggled out from underneath him.

Sweat stung my eyes and my arms felt heavy.
Exhaustion was quickly setting in and I knew if I didn’t end this fight soon, I would lose. I remembered what Erik had told Cadence - don’t think, just feel. Taking his advice, I let the adrenaline pumping through my veins feed my stamina. I lost myself in the thrill of the fight, channeling my anger and frustration into my movements. My sight sharpened and even the slightest twitch of one of Erik’s muscles became perceptible. Even when he became invisible, I could make out the outline of his transparent form as it moved around the mat.

My nose filled with the smell of mine and Erik’s sweat mingling in the air and even when I couldn’t actually see him, I could pinpoint his exact location based on his unique scent.

Every time part of me made contact with part of him, the intensity of the interaction reverberated through every fiber of my being.

Mac subjected me to years of intense sensory training and long ago, I’d learned to focus my energy on each individual sense to heighten them in turn.
But now, I was able to direct my energy to all my senses at once and maintain them simultaneously in an expanded state.

Finally, I was able to trip Erik up and knock him to the ground.
I landed roughly on top of him, pinning him beneath my not so considerable weight. Erik’s chest heaved and his turquoise eyes were wide and shiny.

“I give,” he wheezed.

With those words, the fight went out of me and I collapsed next to him. My limbs trembled with fatigue. I hadn’t realized how labored my breathing was until the haze had lifted and I became aware of my surroundings.

Then the full impact of Erik’s statement hit me.
I’d never beaten Erik in a fight. We’d agreed to call it a draw before, but I’d never actually won. He must’ve sensed I was too tired to continue, even though the thought hadn’t consciously crossed my mind, and submitted for fear I’d have a seizure or something.

“Wow,” Cadence said in disbelief as she walked towards us.
“That was amazing. I knew you were good, Talia, but I didn’t actually believe it until now.”

“Thanks, I think,” I panted, working my way to my knees.

Sweat soaked my tank top making it stick to every inch of my skin. When I looked over at Erik, his dark hair clung to his forehead in clumps and sweat slicked his face and dripped down his neck. He rolled to his feet and pushed himself to a stand. Then he offered me a slippery hand and helped me to my feet.

“Just give me a minute to catch my breath and then we can go,” Erik said to Cadence.

“All that training with Kenly is really paying off,” he said to me. I beamed even though I knew that he was just being nice.

When Erik was ready, I leaned gratefully against the wall to observe their match.
By the time they were done, my lids sagged with exhaustion and the cold gray cinderblocks were the only thing keeping me upright. Cadence would have gone all night, but when Erik caught sight of me using the wall to support myself, he wouldn’t hear of it.

“We can do this again tomorrow,” Erik promised her, glancing wearily in my direction.
I must’ve looked pretty pathetic because Cadence didn’t press the issue.

Erik and I said goodnight to Cadence at the door to her room.
Erik had his arm wrapped fully around my waist, supporting most of my weight as he escorted me through my own doorway. I wasn’t sure that I could muster the energy to shower even though I was salty with dried sweat and smelled like a boy’s locker room. It was only Erik’s refusal to let me get under my covers in my present state that convinced me it was necessary.

I only stayed under the water’s hot, penetrating spray long enough to rinse the stench from my body.
I wrapped myself in a huge white robe that bore the hotel’s name on the lapel before exiting the bathroom. Erik sat in a chair he’d pulled next to my bed, lost in thought.

“Hey,” I called as the thick steam rolled into the bedroom from behind me.

“Hey,” he smiled. “Feel better?”

“I do,” I answered, grateful to be clean.
I glanced at the clock next to my bed and was shocked to realize it was well after midnight. No wonder I was exhausted. I crossed to where Erik sat and climbed in his lap. His hair was still damp from his own shower, and he smelled like the flowery soap in our bathrooms. He pulled me tight against him.

Erik slipped one hand inside my robe, just above the belt, and ran his fingers over my stomach.
The desire to pick up where we’d left off before the waiter had interrupted consumed me. But my inability to keep my eyes focused kept me from acting on my urges.

“Thanks for letting me win,” I slurred, sleepily.

Erik’s fingers stilled and I regretted speaking. The lazy rhythm of the circles he’d been tracing around my belly button felt pleasant.

“I didn’t let you win,
Tals. You beat me,” he said, sounding a little miffed. “I mean, you’re the only person who has ever even come close before, but today, you actually beat me fair and square.”

“No way,” I said drowsily, nudging his hand with my elbow so he would start making his circles again.

“I don’t know, Tal. You’re stronger than I remember. And there was something different about you when we fought,” he sounded slightly uneasy, but he started rubbing my stomach again, so I didn’t give his tone too much thought.

“Different?
Different how?” I mumbled. I nestled my head into the side of his neck, and he rubbed the side of his face against the top of my head.

“I don’t know.
I’m sure it’s nothing,” he mumbled, kissing the top of my wet head. “Probably all that rage you’ve been keeping bottled up inside.”

“Likely,” I whispered, finally letting my eyelids win the battle to plunge me into darkness.

I didn’t wake up when Erik placed me in my bed and pulled the covers snug around me. I wasn’t sure if I dreamed the feel of his soft lips on my forehead, but I muttered what was meant to be “I love you,” anyway.