"Aleksia was able to do it. I'm sure you can do anything she did," Riley said.
I rolled my eyes. "Are you sure she really existed?"
She nodded. "Absolutely. She's practically a Saint in our culture."
"But there's one thing she had that I didn't."
"What's that?" Felix asked.
"She grew up in this culture. She had all the training I don't have time for. She had a complete understanding of this world. I don't. I don't know if I ever will."
Felix and Riley glanced at each other uncertainly. "Actually..." Riley started.
"Aleksia was the last recorded Lovac to be born into a human world and be raised human. Her situation was almost exactly like yours. I can’t believe I forgot about her. For all I know, you could be her reincarnation," Rema said.
"Is that possible?" I asked. I shifted uncomfortably. I believed in past lives but I wasn’t sure I liked the idea of knowing who I could’ve been, especially since something awful happened to her.
Carson stood up and patted my shoulder. "Like I said, anything is possible. Now, if you'll please excuse Rema and me, we have a council meeting we have to be to shortly."
We all stood up to take our leave but we weren't finished quite yet.
"What do we do next?" I asked, hopefully for the last time.
"I'm going to start looking for a job for you and Felix to go on together. In the meantime, continue training. Go back to the gym and try to learn to control your power. Felix," Rema turned to him, "start teaching Avery the basics of taking down a Zhulik and proper procedures for most jobs. I will let you know when I have something for you."
"I'm going to find Axel and then we'll meet you in the gym," Riley said when we had left the room. "I want to see how well her power works when going up against multiple people."
Felix agreed it would be good to test that out so we headed back to the gym. I faintly remembered who Axel was from my first day here but I hadn’t spoken to him since. I had seen him around but he always kept his distance. I had a feeling that someone had warned him to stay away from me.
Chapter 15
Felix and I sat in awkward silence when we were back in the gym. We sat on the bleachers, a few feet apart, waiting for Riley and Axel to meet us. The tension between us had disappeared with all of the excitement of my power but it was back tenfold.
When the silence was too much for me, I blurted out the one thing that was on my mind. "Why did you kiss me, Felix?"
I saw him purse his lips in frustration. I know he was hoping I wouldn’t bring it up, but I had to know. "I shouldn’t have done that. For some reason, I have a hard time controlling myself around you."
"Why?"
In an instant he was kneeling in front of me. "I can’t help it. Ever since I first met you, you’re the only thing on my mind. I’ve been attracted to other Lovac before and even some Nesmyr girl’s but I’ve always been able to control myself. I knew there was no point in starting anything with them if we’d just have to end it the second one of us found a Dimidium. Except, Riley has basically guaranteed you find a Dimidium yet you’re the only girl I can’t control myself around."
He leaned in closer and ran a hand through my hair, rubbing a strand between his fingers. "I don’t know if it’s because you’re a Lovac I didn’t grow up with or because you’re so unique. Or maybe it’s the cute way you giggle when you’re nervous or your determination. There’s just something about you that draws me to you and I can’t control my emotions."
I took a nervous gulp. The look in Felix’s eyes was as sexy as it was terrifying. He looked like he was on the edge of sanity, and as a Lovac, that worried me. I didn’t want to be the one to push him over the edge but I couldn’t stop myself running my hand through his hair.
His eyes closed in bliss and he placed his hands gently on my shoulders. It was my turn to take control and as much as I loved the desperate passionate kisses, I knew we would be interrupted soon. I leaned in and placed one gentle kiss on Felix’s soft, warm lips and hesitated only a moment before pulling away.
His eyes were still closed and I could see he was trying to control himself. Finally, he sighed and opened his eyes. He held my gaze for a second before the gym doors opened and he pulled himself away from me. I still had no idea what was going on between us, but now wasn’t the time to worry about it.
"Sorry," Axel muttered, as he entered the gym with Riley. "We got caught up watching an upper class Nesmyr yelling at a group of young Lovac. They used their powers on him to make him do some pretty funny things."
"Remember when we used to get in so much trouble for doing stuff like that?" Riley asked Felix.
He gave a huge smile. "Those were the days. When we were young and had no real worries. It was so much fun to mess with the stuck up Nesmyr."
Hearing them laugh about their childhood made me sad and jealous. They grew up with friends and family. I had very few friends and never for very long and I only had my mom. I loved my mom but I always wished I had more. I almost wish my mom had let me be taken away from her. Maybe she would still be alive if she had. And Felix and I would just be friends, instead of dealing with pent up emotions about each other.
"Avery?" I jumped as I heard my name. I looked up to see all three of them staring at me with concerned looks.
"What?" I asked.
"I asked if you were ready to train," Felix said.
"Oh. Sorry, I was lost in thought. Yeah, I'm ready."
Felix gave Riley a confused look but she just shrugged and he let it go.
"I think we should start simple, with only one person attacking and then increase it until all three of us are. Maybe even add some of Axel's flame balls if you can handle it," Riley said.
"Flame balls?" My eyes were wide and for the first time since coming here I was afraid for my life.
Axel laughed and said, "It’s part of my power. I can manifest any of the four elements and control them. Fire’s my favorite but don’t worry, I’ll be careful with them. I wouldn’t want to ruin a pretty face like yours." He winked at me and a sneer formed on Felix’s face. Axel was flirting with me and Felix was actually jealous. Felix had probably been the one to warn Axel to stay away from me. Riley just rolled her eyes.
"Wait," Felix said, his voice coming out with a hint of a growl in it. Axel didn’t seem to notice and continued to glance at me from the corner of his eyes. "I think we should make a plan of attack that she doesn't know about and see how well she handles it."
"Good idea," Axel said. "Let's go to the supply closet and have a talk."
"I'll just sit here and wait for you." I sat crossed-legged in the middle of the floor.
"Good," Felix laughed. "We'll be back in a few minutes."
My heart jumped a little bit at the smile he gave me before entering the supply closet. Once he was out of sight I felt almost depressed. My feelings for Felix were inappropriate but I couldn’t stop myself from wanting more of him and the signs he gave me indicated he felt the same.
He doesn’t really like you, I heard the voice in my head say. I knew it was the darkness speaking and I tried to ignore it. I shook my head, hoping that would clear my mind.
He’s just messing with your mind. He’s jealous that you’ll find your Dimidium, so he wants to drive you crazy before you can. You have to kill him before he hurts you. Kill him. Kill him. KILL HIM.
I almost screamed in frustration but I didn’t want anyone to come running. I didn’t want to be dragged into Carson’s office again for counseling. I didn’t want anyone to think the darkness already had a hold of me.
I concentrated on blocking the darkness out of my mind and focused on the attack that was about to happen. I knew the fight was practically staged but I wanted to see how far my power could be pushed. I wanted to give it my best effort.
Just as I finished blocking the darkness out, I felt that familiar burning in my gut. I glanced up and saw Riley had come sprinting out of the supply closet. She reminded me o
f a cheetah, in both speed and fierceness. She had a look in her eyes that meant harm. It actually frightened me but my body was on its' feet in no time, preparing to fight back.
When Riley was almost on top of me I lunged at her, trying to take her down to the ground. Somehow, she saw it coming and did an amazing front flip over me as I attacked. I spun around to try to take her down again but she was already throwing a fist at me. I managed to stop her fist in midair but she was stronger than me and quickly broke free. She tried to kick my feet out from under me but I was faster and hopped up to dodge it. I came back down with my fists flying and hit her hard in the shoulder. Her face grimaced but she didn't make a noise and kept going.
She was incredibly fast. If I didn't already know what her power was I would think she had the ability to sense what was coming next. She dodged a majority of my hits but I still got her good in a few places. I don't know how I knew but after a few minutes of this I realized I was going easy on her. My power meant to keep me safe but not take down another opponent. Unless I told it to.
While still concentrating on Riley's moves, I concentrated on my power, too. I actually paid attention to what I was doing and what I needed to do next instead of letting my power do all of the work. When I had been fighting Felix earlier, I was so frustrated with him that I was able to make my power take him to the ground so he would stop. This time I was prepared for the attacks and not really frustrated with them, so I was just going along with my power. Now, I was going to learn how to actually fight back.
I blocked a punch, hit Riley in the stomach, lunged at her when she stumbled and dragged her down to the ground. She tried to force herself on top but I had tired her out and she wasn't as strong as she was a few moments earlier. It wasn't easy but I pinned her to the ground, accidentally causing her head to slam on it. The blow caused her to pause for a minute and her eyes spun in her head.
"Riley? Are you okay?" I asked, still holding her down.
She blinked a few times then focused on my face. Her breathing was heavy. "Yes. I think. Just a little dizzy. I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to actually fight back. That was amazing."
"Can I let you go now or are you still attacking?"
"You can let me go. I need to breathe for a minute before the next round starts."
I groaned a little and let Riley free. I stood up and helped her to her feet. She was still a little dizzy but kept swearing she would be okay. She said worse had happened to her.
I felt almost guilty. She was bruised and tired from the fight but I was perfectly okay. I hadn't been hit once and even though I was a little out of breath I wasn’t nearly as bad as Riley. She had used her full force on me the entire fight and I only used a small portion of my energy on her.
Riley sat down on one of the benches in the gym to catch her breath and recover. I tried to convince her that she didn't need to try to fight anymore but she ignored me. She had a plan and she was going to see it through to the end. I kept glancing at the supply room door, waiting for one of the boys to come running out at any minute. My guard was up now and I wanted the next fight to go quickly and smoothly.
The burning in my gut returned and I looked at the supply room but no one had come out of it. I spun around to the main gym doors just in time to duck to the ground when Felix's fist came flying at me. During my fight with Riley, he had managed to sneak out of the supply room and go to the front of the gym. Either that or there was a back door to the gym he snuck out of.
My goal had been to make this fight short, sweet and to the point but I knew that wasn't going to happen when Riley joined back in. She and Felix were attacking me from both sides and even though I was fully concentrating on using my power, it was tough to land any hits. I managed to dodge a hit from Riley and in the process spin around and knock Felix's feet out from underneath him. While he was down I punched Riley in the middle of the face, which made her stagger back. I punched her again in the chest, knocking her to the ground. Deep down, I felt bad for beating up people I now considered my friends but I knew it was what they wanted.
Felix had managed to get back up but before I could go after him a loud whistle erupted from the corner of the gym. My head shot up and I saw Axel standing by the supply room with a smug look on his face. It was just enough distraction to allow Felix to punch the side of my face.
I remembered Carson saying my power wouldn't work if I was suddenly distracted and I would be vulnerable. Well, he was right. Felix had punched me so hard I almost fell to the ground. I didn't have much time to complain about the pain in my face though because my senses kicked into over-drive.
Now that it had been tested if distractions would cause me to hesitate, Axel was joining the fight. All three of them were surrounding me and I was ready to try to take them down. I went after Riley first, who was the weakest at the moment. She was already tired from the first fight and it was easy to knock her out. I was hit a few times by Felix and Axel in the process but I did my best to ignore the pain.
While I was trying to take Felix down, Axel started using his power on me. I could feel heat rushing by me but I was able to dodge everything he threw at me. I wasn't sure if he was really aiming for me but I did not want be on fire.
By the time I managed to get Felix to stay down, I could feel my energy dwindling. I was panting now and I could feel my body throbbing in parts that had been hit. Axel looked nearly as tired as I was but we both continued to fight hard. Even though it was only one on one this time, he still managed to land some hits on me. I was mentally exhausted as well as physically and that was weakening my power.
I still had some juice left in me though. Just when I thought he was going to take me down first, I used one final burst of energy and threw him against a wall. He hit it hard enough to cause him to slide to the floor and stay there. I felt the burning in my gut fade away and I looked around the gym.
Riley, Felix and Axel were all slumped on the ground. For a moment I thought they weren't breathing and I had somehow managed to kill them but when I got close to them I could see them all breathing. They were just passed out at the moment.
After I reassured myself that they were all alive I fell to the ground, too. Every inch of my body and mind were tired. Sweat was dripping down my face and burning my eyes. My lungs burned from panting and all I wanted to do was sleep. I closed my eyes, wondering how I managed to do everything I just had, before I drifted off into unconsciousness.
Chapter 16
The fighting had exhausted me so much that I hadn't been able to put up a mental block in my mind before passing out. I could tell the darkness was excited to enter my mind and send me torturous nightmares. It decided to use what had just happened against me.
In my nightmare, my vision was blurred by a dark haze. I could see dark shadows all around me but I couldn't tell exactly what they were. My gut was burning and I prepared for the threat. Then, a weird feeling washed over me. I was excited to attack what was threatening me. I wanted to take them down. I had some kind of weapon in my hand and I used it to go after the shadows.
Adrenaline was pumping through me and with every shadow I took down, my satisfaction grew. I took them all down without hesitation and without effort. When all of them were gone, the haze in my vision started to clear. That menacing laugh that often accompanied my dreams started. I blinked a few times and my excitement was replaced by fear.
I was in a once completely white room that was now drenched in blood stains. I looked at my hands and saw blood splattered all over them. I took a deep breath and looked at the bodies on the floor.
"No," I cried and fell to my knees. "No, no, no."
All of the people I considered to be good friends or allies were lying in front of me. They were torn apart and bloody and their blank stares were all pointed at me. I had just brutally murdered a good portion of Lovac.
I knelt on the ground in the middle of them all and started crying. I was a monster. I was just as bad as the demon an
d Zhulik. If I used my power it would take over and I would kill anyone I ever cared about.
Then I heard movement. The dead bodies around me were reaching towards me and trying to take me down with them. They kept repeating my name, over and over again, in a dead voice. Felix's body was the first to grab me and I started to scream and fight my way out of his grip. Riley and Axel were the next to get a hold of me. My screaming and thrashing intensified until I finally woke up.
I was staring into Felix's eyes. Eyes that were full of life and concern for me. I stopped thrashing and looked around. I was back in the gym. Felix, Riley and Axel were all surrounding me on the ground. They had been trying to wake me up. To their surprise, I hugged them all.
"Thank God," I muttered. "I thought I had killed all of you."
"You were just having a nightmare," Felix told me gently. He took hold of my hand to comfort me.
"Yeah, we're all still alive. Just a little bruised," Axel said, rubbing the back of his head where he hit the wall. He was smiling though, which sent some relief through me.
"How long have we been passed out?" I asked. It felt like I had been lying there for days.
"Only a few minutes," Riley said. "You really got us good but I think you took the most beatings. We were going to let you sleep longer until you started twitching. We didn't want you to be stuck in the nightmare you were having."
I sat up fully and felt my head spin a little. I was still tired and my body hurt even worse now that it wasn't distracted by the fighting.
"How did I do?" I finally asked.
"Amazing," a voice said from behind Felix. Rema stepped into view with the group of council members trailing behind her. I recognized the Lovac council members but the Nesmyr ones were with her as well, including Gladys.
Avenging Amethyst (Immortal Eyes) Page 10
