“I do what I should have been doing from the start, training you. You have to learn to conceal your emotions from them. You can’t let them know they have hurt you and don’t give them the satisfaction of seeing you cry, because that will only serve to fuel their enjoyment and make things worse for the both of us.”
That night, nestled in the security of Jarod’s embrace, Maya swore to herself that she would never again fall for another one of their ploys. She would remain strong, never revealing her weaknesses, and would never, ever give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry again. The following morning her training began. And while there was an occasional lesson in knife throwing and self-defense, the majority of his lessons revolved around mental tactics. He taught her how to respond to their questions without actually giving them an answer, how to twist their words back at them, to use flattery to distract them, and the most important of all, how to control her emotions and remain stoic when in their presence.
***
And it was these skills she was putting into practice as Kai continued to move his body in closer to hers. Keeping her eyes locked on the target ahead, Maya took a slow, deep breath trying to calm and relax her body. Carefully Kai placed the knife in her hand as he wrapped his over the top of hers, then took a moment to once again glance over his shoulder at Jarod. Seemingly satisfied by whatever reaction he thought he saw in Jarod’s rigid presence, he turned his attention back to her and actually began to instruct her.
“What our always impatient Enforcer is trying to say, and failing miserably at, is that you have to stay relaxed. If you’re too tense your knife will stray to one side or the other.” He leaned in, breathing heavily into her ear. “So loosen up a bit, I won’t bite you,” his voice dropped two octaves, “unless you want me to.”
She would like to say she stayed composed after he said that, but instead she turned and gave him a “go to hell” look that made both the male Shadows burst into a fit of laughter.
“I know that look,” Aziel laughed, leaning against the wall and watching the scene play out. “Gaia gives me that look often.”
“As I should, you often deserve it. Neither of you know how to treat a lady,” Gaia snapped. She strolled across the room and looped her arm into Jarod’s and glared at her still laughing partners. “I bet he would treat the lady he loves with more respect than this.”
Maya had her eyes locked back on the target as Kai huffed, leaned back into her, and whispered, “Like hell, too much anger in that one to know anything about love.” The words struck a chord, and Maya inadvertently tensed. Kai, noticing her reaction, swiftly added, “Don’t worry, sweetheart, anger may not be much use in love, but it sure as hell makes for great sex.”
She did her best to ignore the statement and relax while Aziel, obviously unaware of what Kai was saying, continued to banter with his wife. “Really? Him?” Gaia lifted her head in confident defiance as her husband approached with a stride so smooth he could make a snake jealous. Stopping a few feet away, he continued, “The giant with the temper of a rabid animal, that is who you think can treat a lady better than me?” Although his tone and exaggerated movements were playful, there was an underlying resentment that made Jarod more than slightly nervous about the situation. Yet he remained silent with his eyes cast downward, knowing his best defense was going to be letting the two of them hash this out on their own.
“Yes,” Gaia snapped.
“Give me one good reason why,” Aziel challenged.
“You two beat the whore,” Gaia countered confidently, “and not once since his arrival to the Tower has he beaten her or that girl there. As a matter of fact, even his female prisoners arrive here without so much as a mark on them.”
Since it was apparent there wasn’t going to be a knife throwing lesson, Kai released his hold on Maya and together the both of them turned to watch as the husband and wife continued to stare each other down. Jarod kept his sight locked on the floor in front of him, trying to avoid the anger emanating his direction from Aziel. The silence that fell over the room was deafening as Aziel gave some consideration to what his wife had said.
Suddenly Aziel’s eyes narrowed in a way that told Jarod that this dispute was not going to end pleasantly, at least not for him. Focusing his attention solely on his wife, Aziel dropped into a low bow, while bringing one of his hands up and behind him. “My lady, forgive me if I have in anyway offended you. If you would be so kind as to allow me the honor of making it up to you, I will prove my worth by dueling for the right to win back your hand.”
Gaia’s face beamed as she released Jarod’s arm and dropped into a deep curtsy. “Oh my lord, I would be honored, it has been so long since I have seen a duel and to have one in my honor would make me most happy.”
“Oh this will be good,” Kai said with an evil grin. He grabbed Maya by the arm and dragged her onto a raised platform across from the dueling arena, shoving her down into a seat. Aziel offered his arm to Gaia, which she happily took, and lead her over to sit down beside them. Once his wife was settled, Aziel turned back to Jarod.
“Rules?”
“No, my lord.”
“Perfect, swords are the weapons and we go until one of us can’t continue.”
Maya’s heart sank; Aziel was going to run him through and he would be down for months. But she kept quiet, her face flat and emotionless just as Jarod had spent these last few months training her to do. She would make him proud, even if he was injured she would keep her face straight, she would not run to him like a lost puppy to its master, she would not grovel and beg them for mercy in his name, and most importantly she would not give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
She watched as Aziel and Jarod pulled off their coats and hung them on the pegs located at opposite sides of the arena. Neither one of them were ever without their jackets although their reasons couldn’t be more different. While Jarod wore his to cover his scars and make himself appear more menacing, Aziel wore his for flair. Much like his wife, Aziel enjoyed the finer things in life and took great pride in his appearance. He was never seen when he wasn’t put together and decked out in suits made of the finest material, trimmed in lace, and embroidered with extravagant designs. “Shirt too, big guy,” Aziel called across to Jarod, who turned and glared at Aziel’s back. “Let’s give the ladies something to look at, shall we? Besides, I think the tailor is getting tired of repairing all the ones you destroy.”
Silently Jarod removed his gloves before unbuttoning the front of his shirt and carefully hanging it on the hook beside his coat. Despite having seen all the scarring many times in the last few months that she had spent cleaning and bandaging his wounds, Maya still struggled not to stare at all lines that criss-crossed his entire body. Not wanting to cause either of them any more problems she instead turned her attention to Aziel, whose pale, flawless skin gleamed in the bright lights of the room.
They took turns choosing swords from a display wall where they were carefully hung to showcase the varied shapes and sizes of the blades, as well as the length. Once they had chosen their respective blades, they silently strolled together into the center of the arena. Maya had never seen two more opposite looking people in all her life. Jarod—massive and wide, his olive skin riddled with the scars, a blaring testament to his hard life in the Tower—stood towering over Aziel, who though he was long and lean, still only stood three quarters the height of Jarod. His muscles appeared chiseled into his flawless porcelain skin, proudly showcasing his privileged, pain free life.
Standing in the center of the arena they bowed to their seated on-lookers then turned, faced one another, and bowed again. Kai reached his arm around to rest it comfortably behind Maya. “Have you ever seen a Full-blood duel before?” he asked, leaning in uncomfortably close.
“No, my lord, I can’t say that I have.”
“Well, you’re definitely going to see a hell of one now. They used to do this all the time, but it’s been at least a decade since the last one. Did you
know Aziel is the one who trained him to fight to begin with?”
“No, my lord,” Maya answered truthfully as she watched the two men head to different sides of the arena.
“Ready?” Aziel called to Jarod.
Jarod raised his sword and bowed. “Whenever my lord is.”
In a flash Aziel charged across the arena, as did Jarod. With a clash of brute force and metal, the pair locked onto each other with everything they had. They moved in a blur of anger and ferocity that was unlike anything Maya had ever witnessed, and though she was concerned for Jarod’s safety, she couldn’t help but be fascinated by their quickness and power. And while the majority of the time it seemed they were evenly matched, occasionally one of them would get the upper hand and land a blow that knocked the other one off his feet. But without fail, each and every time the downfallen would recover and instantly jump right back into the fray.
The sounds of the clashing metal attracted the attention of a few passing guards looking for a show, but when they realized who was fighting, they quickly turned to leave. “Come back in and watch if you like,” Kai called, waving them back in.
About that time Jarod landed a right hook to Aziel’s head and sent him crashing into one of the columns. Aziel smiled, blood shining across his clean, white teeth as he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, then without a word he flew back at Jarod. Thankfully Jarod managed to block the attack. With the curiosity of the guards now peaked, they trickled back into the room to continue watching the bout.
Nearly a half an hour had passed and the sparring room now held as many people as it possibly could while still giving the two men room to fight. Both Jarod and Aziel were bruised, cut, and bleeding from the various blows the other had managed to land. But while Aziel looked as fresh as when they had started, Jarod was starting to show signs of exhaustion. Maya knew he couldn’t last much longer at this rate, and prayed that whatever Aziel had in mind for him would be quick.
Ten more minutes passed before the inevitable occurred; exhausted and bleeding, Jarod made a poorly aimed swing at Aziel which caused him to lose his balance for a fraction of a second. It was the window Aziel had been waiting for. Taking advantage of the slip, Aziel brought his sword around and sliced the back of Jarod’s knee bringing him to the ground. Down and unable to stand it should have been over, but Aziel wasn’t about to stop. Maya watched horrified as he raised the sword high above his head making it clear he intended to cut Jarod’s head clean from his shoulders. Panic filled her core, stealing her breath. Knowing she needed to regain control, Maya did as Jarod taught her. Forcing herself to take a deep breath, she filled her lungs with air until it felt as if they were going to explode, then slowly released it, relaxing her body as she exhaled; all the while keeping her face flat and emotionless. It took every ounce of restraint she had to remain in her seat as the sword came flying down toward Jarod’s neck, but to her utter shock and delight, Aziel stopped the blade barely an inch from its intended target.
“You’re learning after all,” a voice whispered into her ear.
Barely registering what the voice had said, she turned in its direction and found herself face-to-face with Kai, their noses nearly touching. Her breath hitched and he smiled victoriously as he leaned back into his seat, arm still slung across the back of her chair. During all the chaos and mayhem she had managed to completely forget about his presence beside her. After taking a moment to process what it was he said, Maya turned her attention back to the room and became suddenly very aware that everyone was watching her.
“She still has room for improvement,” Aziel commented before turning on the gawking crowd. “As far as the rest of you are concerned, don’t you all have something you are supposed to be doing or did someone else want to give it a go?”
The room cleared in seconds with people stampeding over one another to get out. Once they were all gone, Aziel dropped his sword to his side and offered Jarod a hand. “She needs more work before she can be sent outside.”
“Of course, my lord,” Jarod answered, pulling himself unsteadily onto his feet.
Maya watched them, confusion marring her face. Suddenly it dawned on her, this duel had been nothing more than another one of their damned mind games, a test to see whether or not she could maintain control over her emotions. Still feeling slightly perplexed, not to mention angry, she clenched her teeth and watched as Aziel helped Jarod balance very shakily on one leg.
“So, my love, have I earned back your hand?”
Gaia beamed. “That you did, my dear. I don’t think I have ever seen such an exciting duel. Now let us go to our chambers and you can claim your prize.”
Aziel’s mouth curled into a wicked grin. “Brother, think you can handle the rest of this alone?”
“Go ahead and have your fun,” Kai said, waving his free hand dismissively “I will finish up here.”
Aziel wasted no time, he passed his sword to Jarod, who used it as a crutch to prop his weight upon, then made his way to the sitting area. He bowed low, offering up a hand to his wife as she descended down from the stand. Then together the two of them strolled away hand in hand.
“Well, that was fun wasn’t it?” Kai said, clapping his hands together and standing. “Do you have any red formula with you?”
“No, my lord, I’m not permitted to have any according to the physician.”
“Oh, yes that tantrum several months ago.” Kai moved down the stairs and pulled a black vial from his pocket. “Take this one and I will relay the message to the doctor that you have earned your way back into our good graces.”
“Thank you, my lord,” Jarod answered, bowing as best as he could on one leg before taking the vial. Kai then turned and looked over his shoulder at Maya and smiled. “Just keep working with her, she’s still a little too jumpy.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Having finished with his duties, Kai winked at Maya and strolled toward the door. “I am off to find another form of entertainment, feel free to stop by my room if you get bored.”
Maya bit her lip to keep from saying something that would land them in trouble, while Jarod glared daggers into his back. He watched him all the way to the door, and once he was sure he had indeed left, Jarod popped the top on the vial and drank the entire contents down in one gulp.
“Are you supposed to drink the whole thing?” Maya asked, finding the downing of an entire vial of red formula strange. But the words had barely left her tongue when Jarod’s eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed into a lifeless heap.
“Ja—” she began, but stopped before she finished knowing better than call his real name aloud. Instead she rushed to his side and found him unconscious and barely breathing. “Wake up! Wake up!” she pleaded, hitting his chest and face, desperate to arouse him. But no matter how hard she tried she could not awaken him. Frightened and unsure of what to do she sat on the floor beside him and tried to keep herself as calm as possible.
Hours passed and there were still no signs of him waking. She used the time to search his body, looking for any injury severe enough to cause him to go down so quick. But other than some bruising and a few cuts, he seemed pretty much unscathed considering the battle he had just fought.
Frightened and alone, Maya sat down on the floor beside him with her knees drawn into her chest, willing herself not to cry as she tried to figure out what to do next. Going for help wasn’t an option, there were very few people here she knew and Jarod had emphasized on many occasions that she was to trust no one. She knew enough about the lay out of the Tower to navigate her way back to the room, but there was no way she could move Jarod, much less carry him up the stairs, and she wasn’t about to leave him here alone. Unable to come up with any decent ideas, Maya had pretty much resigned herself to spending the night on the floor next to Jarod, when the sound of the door opening behind her caught her attention. Turning to the source of the sound, Maya groaned as her gaze fell upon Jade quietly watching her from the doorway.
“What do you want?” Maya snapped at the woman. “As you can see he isn’t in need of your services at the moment.”
Of all the people to wander in it had to be her. Jade, ‘the whore’ to which Gaia had referred, had become a thorn in her side during these last few months living in the Tower. She appeared for the first time knocking on their apartment door about a week after the lashing, right after Maya had finished cleaning and dressing Jarod’s wounds. Expecting a guard had come to deliver them a message, Maya was astonished to find the fair-haired Full-blood waiting on the other side of the door wearing a blood red dress that left very little to the imagination. The woman was drop dead gorgeous and stood smiling down on Maya from a pair of the longest legs she had ever seen. Legs which were nicely accentuated by a slit in the side of the dress that ran far enough up past her hip for Maya to clearly see there wasn’t anything else underneath.
Dumbfounded by the sight of her, Maya said nothing when the woman pushed her way into their apartment without saying so much as a word to her. Instead she headed straight to Jarod, clinging and carrying on over him incessantly, infuriating Maya. But being new to the Tower and how things worked she remained silent, even when Jarod asked her to leave the two of them alone for a while, she remained silent. And for the last few months the pattern had continued. It seemed like every time she was beginning to feel somewhat comfortable with Jarod, Jade would reappear and Maya would be sent away.
“I went to his room looking for him and he wasn’t there,” she said, walking slowly into the room. “Then I heard a few guards talking about him dueling with Aziel. And with no one seeing either of you since the duel, I put two and two together.”
“So now you know where he is,” Maya said, standing. She clenched her fists at her sides, daring the woman to come any closer. “Like I said, he isn’t going to be needing you tonight so go away!”
Linked (The Shadow Chronicles Book 2) Page 5
