Avril was my secret favorite of the bunch, mainly because of the foot-in-mouth syndrome she often displayed during social gatherings and dinner parties—she was my kindred spirit, so to speak. She’d come to The Shade with Marion, and Lucas had adopted her, raising her like his own. She had opted into vampirism at the age of eighteen, and even that didn’t stop her dad from being super-protective. But Avril was always quick to stop him from being overbearing (when she was around). Her medium height didn’t make her any less of a worthy opponent, and her beautiful face was often a distraction for our male recruits during training. Her oval face with heart-shaped lips and pert nose, complemented by her hazel eyes and long light brown hair with blond highlights was a recipe for heartbreak, and her hourglass figure didn’t help either. What made her truly intimidating to some, however, was her sense of smell—hence the “Hound Dog” nickname. Avril was an expert tracker—almost as good as if she were a werewolf. She’d learned how to smell the chemical changes in any creature, thus being able to detect fear and other intense emotions. She could read some of us like open books.
As for Scarlett, she was a phenomenon all on her own, given her incredible speed. She’d also been turned at the age of eighteen and was Avril’s niece by marriage, technically speaking, but they got along more like sisters. She had warm brown hair, which she often combed straight into a ponytail to “help with aerodynamics”, she’d say, and Jeramiah’s sky-blue eyes. She was as tall as me, with an athletic physique, ample curves, and long legs that she used to their maximum capacity.
“Okay, girls, I’m going to take turns with you,” I announced, addressing Avril, Scarlett, and Fiona. “We’ll focus on physical combat for now because I want to assess your offense and defense skills.”
The three vampires nodded firmly, each clad in her black training suit and sneakers. I’d advised them to wear some fingerless gloves, at least, because I had a hard head, and it wouldn’t have been the first time they’d ended up grazing their knuckles while trying to punch me.
“Well, I see you didn’t bother to take my advice.” I nodded at Fiona, who put her bare hands up with a smirk. As usual, that made my skin crawl. That girl could beat me six ways from Sunday, and, judging by the look on her face, she was hell-bent on making it seven ways from Sunday.
“I don’t need them,” she replied politely.
“Of course you don’t.” I pinched the bridge of my nose and took a deep breath. Anjani’s chuckle drew my attention. “What are you so giggly about, my love?”
“Oh, nothing. I’m just looking at you, surrounded by three ladies, about to get whipped,” my future bride replied. Her emerald eyes glimmered with droplets of pure gold, their mesmerizing effect amplified by her rich black hair flowing down her back and over her shoulders in generous curls. I loved the way she looked in her training outfit, her athletic curves hugged by black leather, quietly inviting me to lose myself in her.
“Good to know I’m lucky to have such a supportive fiancée,” I quipped, pursing my lips.
“Shut up and get to work, wolf-boy,” Hansa barked with a half-smile. “These girls are not here for your smooches and coos!”
Anjani lit up with a silvery blush, while I felt my cheeks heat. I blinked several times, then glanced at Fiona, Scarlett, and Avril. All three stood there, watching and waiting patiently. I glanced back at Hansa and Anjani, and decided to keep them busy, too. If I was going to get my ass handed to me by Fiona (again), the least I could do was make sure the others got some action as well.
“How about you, Serena, Vita, and my future wife take on Harper and Caia?” I suggested to Hansa with a smirk. “I’m thinking you’d be of more use to GASP if you trained with our young recruits, instead of standing on the side and being all judgy about how I communicate with my fiancée?”
“That’s perfectly fine with me,” Hansa shot back. “But I will still laugh when Fiona splatters you all over this plateau.”
I chuckled, then gave Harper a stern look, pointing a finger at her like a regular drill sergeant.
“You’d better show this succubus not to mess with us Novaks, you hear me?”
Harper raised an eyebrow, her hands resting on her hips. “Need help defending your ego then, cousin Jovi?”
“You’re not helping,” I muttered, unable to stifle a laugh. The others giggled as well, before I clapped once to regain their attention. “Okay, here’s how we’ll do this. One-on-one sessions, in rotation, each with a minimum of three five-minute rounds. Hansa, Serena, and Anjani can take on Harper. Caia can work with Vita, and I will deal with Avril, Scarlett, and Fiona.”
Harper frowned at me. “I get three opponents and Caia only gets one?”
“It’s actually very fair.” I grinned. “First, because you sold me out just now, and second, because you’re one hell of a fighter and you need to up your game. You’re already comfortable with two opponents, so giving you three is like upping you one level. I’m fighting three vampires here, after all. Proficiency does not reside in the number of opponents, but in what you do with your body and skills. And third, Caia and Vita train best together because they both focus on their fire abilities, which can be crucial to any mission we undertake.”
Silence fell over the group. Anjani beamed with pride, and Hansa couldn’t help but give me an appreciative nod.
“Good thinking,” the former Red Tribe chief said. “I’m impressed.”
“Didn’t think I had it in me, huh?” My lips stretched into a grin.
“On the contrary, I think you’re one of the most impressive and relentless fighters I’ve ever had the pleasure to go to war with,” Hansa replied in a serious tone, then grinned. “You just need a kick in the butt, once in a while, to get you back on track, because you are so. Easily. Distracted.”
“What do you mean—” I didn’t get to finish my question. Scarlett came at me with only a fraction of her speed, but still fast enough to hit me with a side-kick that knocked the air out of my lungs. I doubled over, then immediately jumped a couple of feet back, my senses ignited. I took on a defensive position and glared at her. “What the hell?”
“Less talking, more training,” Scarlett said, resuming her fighting stance. “I call dibs on the first five minutes.”
Hansa laughed as she, Anjani, and Serena took on Harper, and Caia moved farther away with Vita so they could practice their fireballs. The farther away they got, the better, as far as I was concerned. I nearly got fried the last time I was near them during fire training.
I engaged Scarlett in light combat first, blocking her kicks and punches and sending some back to disorient her. One of the rules in physical training with me was that both Scarlett and Fiona would reign in their special abilities, in order to perfect their techniques and not rely solely on supersonic speed or titanic strength. It worked well—the girls improved their hits and gradually strengthened their defenses, too.
I briefly glanced over at Harper between fighting sessions, admiring her speed and composure in the way she dealt with three powerful opponents. Neither Serena, Hansa, nor Anjani held back, either, making the fight an absolute pleasure to watch. Harper dodged hits, moved like flowing water, and made liberal use of strategic punches and kicks to weaken her opponents. She got a few jabs to her face and sides, though, enough to remind me that she still had a couple more months to go before she could take on four strong supernaturals at once without using her sentry abilities. Nevertheless, she was impressive and potentially deadly. I would definitely nominate her for a mission on Tenebris with Avril, Fiona, and Scarlett.
Heron and Jax were sparring on the other side, with Patrik fighting Phoenix and Draven at the same time. Heron was skilled and quick on his feet, while Patrik’s stamina allowed him to hold his own against two opponents, his punches heavy enough to throw Phoenix back and knock the air out of Draven’s lungs. I noticed Derek, Ben, and Cameron standing by the doorway leading back inside the base, watching as Bijarki, Benedict, and Bastien took turns with
four other recruits.
By the time I was through with Fiona and Avril, while Scarlett was getting in position for another round against me and I was thankful to not have gotten my teeth kicked out by Fiona just yet, I noticed Blaze was taking a break, his gaze fixed on Caia. Nobody else noticed it, but I knew that look well. For a fire dragon under a celibacy oath, Blaze was going to have a lot of trouble working on the same team as the fire fae. A grin bloomed on my face as I wondered what it would be like to nominate him along with Caia for Tenebris… After all, the greatest warriors blossom in the middle of adversity. I chuckled, mostly to myself.
Scarlett’s right hook came fast, but I was able to block it with my forearms. I launched a quick succession of punches to push her back. She was strong, not just quick on her feet; I had to give the girl credit, as she could definitely take a punch or twenty.
“Jovi, try not to get yourself maimed before our wedding day,” Anjani quipped as she dodged one of Harper’s kicks with a confident smirk.
“I could say the same for you, my love,” I breathed out, and darted to Scarlett’s left side, turned with a leg out, and swept her off her feet. She hit the ground with a thud and a grunt. Another point for me.
I offered her a hand and helped her up, nodding at Fiona. My skin crawled, as I knew she’d put in a bit more strength in the second round. Fiona was very protective of and attached to both Scarlett and Avril, and I could tell from the look on her face that she didn’t like the way I’d brought her cousin down.
“Mind if I join you, dear ladies?” Heron grinned as he approached, his jade eyes fixed deliberately on me.
In any other circumstances, I would’ve taken him down for that, just to wipe the arrogant look off his face. I cared a lot for both him and Jax, but this boy needed a kick once in a while—and I instantly glanced at my trainees, wondering which one would be happy to put him in his place. It wouldn’t have the same impact if I kicked his ass. This had to be done by a Novak lady.
“By all means.” I nodded, the corner of my mouth twitching, then took a couple of steps to the side, waiting for either Scarlett, Fiona, or Avril to say something.
“My brother sent me over here, said I could learn a few tricks from you all.” Heron shrugged. “As if. But anyway, who wants to go first?”
I could see the girls’ eyes burning. They all wanted to feed him a slice of humble pie. Avril, however, was the one to step forward with her chin high.
“Let’s go, wise ass.” She raised an eyebrow, arms crossed over her chest. “Show me what you’re made of, and I’ll show you what you can learn from us.”
She had picked up a delicate French accent from her mother. It made everything she said sound softer than it actually was, often prompting others to underestimate her fierceness and strength because she sounded so “cute”.
Heron chuckled and took his position. Avril assumed her fighting stance, fists balled and blocking her face, her hazel gaze locked on his. The two vampires stood like that for a second longer than I would’ve expected—then Heron threw the first punch, and Avril dodged it.
He tried again, but she was fast. They went on like that for about a minute, with Heron trying different angles—not necessarily to hit her, but rather to get a feel for her defensive moves. Smart, I thought, but Avril wasn’t even trying at that point.
“Are you going to keep dodging me for much longer, honey?” Heron smirked.
“Are you going to keep throwing punches like a six-year-old?” Avril shot back, her shoulders tense as they moved around each other.
Heron chuckled, then threw a heavier left hook, followed by a series of punches and knee-kicks that Avril blocked with her arms, until he immediately switched and knocked her in the ribs. She coughed, and he took a step back, satisfaction spreading a smile on his face.
“I don’t know why you’re smiling,” Avril said, regaining her breath. “This is far from over.”
“Not that far, honey. I’ve seen your moves by now. I know what to expect.”
“Oh, okay!” Avril feigned enlightenment. “Then it’s time to teach you a lesson!”
She didn’t wait for his reply. She launched a flurry of punches, which the Eritopian vamp found harder to block, given the increasing speed with which she delivered them. Avril had been holding a lot back, to get him to relax and slip up. She dodged one of his punches and shot up with a surprise uppercut. I heard his teeth clank together as his head fell back.
Avril didn’t stop. She used her knees and shins to weaken his legs before she swiftly moved around him and jumped high enough to wrap her legs around his left shoulder, over his back, and pull him down with her weight and a little help from physics. They both landed heavily on the ground, with Avril twisting Heron’s left arm around, close to breaking it loose from the shoulder. Her legs straightened and put enough pressure on his upper back to stuff his face in the short red grass.
I could hear him grunting below, and I bent forward and watched with delight. Avril had him in a tight hold, keeping his arm at a painful angle. She beamed at me, then looked at Heron.
“And the lesson is…” She exhaled sharply. “That you should never ever underestimate a Novak, Heron.”
My heart swelled with pride as Heron caved in and slapped the ground three times to yield.
“That’s my girl!” Cameron shouted, watching from the sidelines across the Plateau.
Avril released him and jumped to her feet. I gave her an appreciative pat on the shoulder, then helped Heron get back up. He dusted himself off, befuddled as he grimaced from his sore shoulder.
“Oh, you’ll heal fast. You’re a Mara!” I chuckled.
He glared at me for a second, then switched his focus to Avril, who stood tall by my side, a defiant smile drawn from ear to ear. Heron then surprised me by giving her a curt nod, his jade eyes locked on hers.
“Nice one,” he said in genuine appreciation. “This was my first time fighting a female GASP recruit. Thank you for making it memorable.”
Avril didn’t seem like she’d expected his concession either. She only nodded in response. I had a feeling she was having a hard time finding her words, and, given the way her cheeks flushed slightly whenever she looked at him, I could guess why. Avril was not indifferent to the Mara’s charms, but she was good at keeping it to herself, for the most part.
“It’s not over, though,” Heron added, his pride bleeding all over the place. “I’ll find your weak spots, and I will take you down.”
“I look forward to laughing in your face as you try, sure,” Avril shot back.
My mischievous nature took over my recruit selection process, and I figured why the hell not—I could suggest throwing a young and cheeky Mara into the Tenebris team, for good measure! While I wasn’t the one making the final decisions, the other senior GASP officers were always open to my suggestions, given my combat skills and Eritopian experience.
“Okay, okay,” I intervened, cutting through the sizzling tension riding between them, and nodded at Fiona. “You want to go again? Scarlett can keep Heron busy for a while.”
Fiona nodded, Heron and Scarlett took their positions, and Avril waited patiently for another round with me. I glanced over to the other girls. Harper was getting tired, so Hansa had taken a step back, letting the vampire sentry focus on just Anjani and Serena. I watched as Hansa’s gaze wandered across the Plateau, settling on Jax on the other side.
The Lord of Maras was busy sparring with one of the incubus recruits. He noticed her looking at him, then came down hard on his opponent with several hits that eventually knocked the young incubus on his back. The tension between Jax and Hansa was gradually increasing, to the point where even her attention made him more aggressive.
I wondered whether it would be a good idea to talk to Jax about this, but I figured it would be better to have Anjani try speaking to her sister first, and tackle the problem from both sides. They were our friends, our family and allies. Whatever was going on between them, they nee
ded to sort it out before it got worse.
Vita
I loved spending time with Caia, mostly because she had a way of making me want to always improve my fire fae abilities. I’d already come a long way in the span of a few months, but watching my sister take out her customized lighters and get into a fighting stance was always exciting.
She’d given me a personalized set of my own as a wedding gift, and I brought them out. I had them with me at all times—not just because I was comfortable with having a permanent fire source, but also because they reminded me of Caia, the best sister I could possibly ask for. Her lighters were rectangular and plated with smooth, stainless steel engravings of fire dragons. She’d been fascinated with the species ever since she was a kid, from what she’d told me. Mine, on the other hand, were oval, with ancient Eritopian runes etched into their silver casings. Caia had worked with Viola and Bijarki to get them done, and I’d nearly cried on my wedding day when she handed them over. The runes were a message to me, inspiring and powerful words that I’d already internalized.
“I’m gonna show you a new trick now.” Caia smiled, raising her arms. “I’m not sure you know, but some fire fae can fashion solid objects out of fire.”
“Seriously?” I’d had no idea, and I certainly had never thought I’d be able to do such a thing.
Caia had been playing with fire from the age of four and was much more advanced than me, but she was also an excellent teacher—patient, encouraging, and a fan of positive reinforcement. I loved her to bits because she brought out the best in me, and I often wished I’d been there while she was growing up. She was the best thing to come out of that Eritopian time lapse, in my book.
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