“Lyla!” The shout caught my attention as I took out my earphones.
Ashley, my trainer, stood by the gym entrance. The old community centre had been shut down, so he’d taken it over, offering free sessions to local kids. I’d been one of them.
The brick was deteriorating, the paintwork old and dingy, but his smile was big enough to welcome me. Posters about upcoming sessions and competitions tried to cover the worst of the dilapidation. It didn’t really work.
“Long time, no see!” he greeted when I threw my arms around him.
He was twice my age and only slightly taller than me. A world champion in his time, he had a lot of skill and a loud shouty personality. He’d trained me well.
“I’ve been having a crazy time.” Pausing, I coughed, stopping myself from blurting out all the weird insane goings on that had unfolded in the last few weeks. “But, I’m ready to kick some arse.”
His shaved head bobbed as he went inside, me following along beside him. The corridor was short, leading to an open room with two boxing rings and several sparring mats around the edge. A couple of men were fighting in the corner, their concentration fully on each other.
“I love that smell,” I said, laughing when Ashley raised his eyebrows.
Shrugging, I threw my bag on the floor and dug out my red hand-wraps. “You know what I mean. Sweat, exhaustion and pride. All rolled into one.”
Ashley’s chuckle made me smile. He had been a firm teacher, always there when I needed to vent frustration. He knew that I’d come from a poor background with a mother who was unable to feel anything.
A pang squeezed my chest. The recent revelation about her had confused the hell out of me. One minute, I wanted to cry, the next, I wanted to forget she even existed. Why had she never trusted me enough to tell me her secret? And why did we live in poverty when she clearly had a well-paying job?
“It’s nice to see you haven’t changed.”
It was my turn to bark a laugh. He had no idea how much had changed within such a short space of time. A whole world that didn’t exist had been unveiled to me. One that he would know absolutely nothing about. One that I craved to know more about, despite my better judgement.
Strapping on my foot pads, I stood to put on my gloves. Ashley was getting ready to spar with me, which made a smile come to my face. It was incredible to see that my old friend was still prepared to help me let off steam, even if I had been paying my way since starting work at the coffee shop.
“Tell me what’s been happening,” he said when we both stepped into the ring.
Without replying, I bowed to him as he did me, and then hopped to the right, keeping light on my toes. The feel of the springy mat beneath my feet made me grin. He shook his head, waiting for my onslaught. Blocking my roundhouse kick, he spun away from me. He had always kept me on my toes, making me work hard. I kept with him, flicking my foot towards him three times.
“Come on,” he said, turning again. “What’s been going on?”
Shoving out a breath, I spun and blasted a side kick into his leg. “Nothing much. Just weird people telling me all sorts of shit about my past.”
Jumping out of the way, Ashley frowned as I came again, trying to sweep his legs out from under him. “Weird shit? Like what?”
As he came to a stop, I got down low, pushed my leg out and swung in a circle. My shin crashed into his calves, bringing him down to his knees.
Holding his hands up in surrender, he took off his helmet as I sprung up from the ground and paused. Why wasn’t he sparing at the same time as talking? He usually did.
“I’m very intrigued.” His words were puffed through his mouth as he regained his footing.
Wait, Ashley was struggling, what was going on? He was usually extremely fit, giving me a proper workout.
“It’s nothing,” I said, realising that I should’ve kept my mouth shut. Silly woman.
“Is it another of your delusions?”
Huh?
Going to the side of the ring, Ashley picked up a bottle of water, taking a long slow deep gulp. I stared at him, my insides suddenly quivering. How had my trainer known about my fear of being delusional? I hadn’t seen him since before the accidental head smash.
“You know,” he went on as he put the bottle back down. “You’ve struggled a bit, haven’t you?”
His gaze slipped to something across the gym. I followed it, licking my lips when I saw three men standing by the door, each watching us closely.
Why did spidey-tingles suddenly emerge all over my skin? Ashley had always been a friend, why was he staring at me as if I had six boobs and three heads?
“I… I should go.”
Turning, I headed towards the edge of the ring. The imaginary butterflies in my tummy flicked all over the place. I was kickass. Surely, I would be able to take down four men with a few kicks of my leg? Great, they were brutes, each pulling up to their full height as they stood in the way of the entrance.
“What’s going on, Ashley?” Looking over my shoulder, I swallowed hard.
He stood with his hands on his hips and a sad expression on his face. It was as if he had no choice but to – what? Kill me?
If the men who were slowly coming forward were going to attack at the same time, I had no doubt they would crush me.
“You have wandered into dangerous territory. We can’t allow you to keep going on this path.”
My friend was closing in on me, his face blank as he brought his hands up to his sides. He was getting ready to kick the bejesus out of little ol’ me.
Without waiting for him to reach me, I ducked out of the ring, cursing when my foot caught the rope and almost tripped me. Amateur move, Lyla, amateur.
“There’s no point in running.” Ashley’s creepy voice made me shudder as the three men in front of me approached.
It was almost like they were on autopilot, their seriousness devoid of any emotion. I didn’t even recognise any of them, so why would they be after me? And how the hell was I going to survive this?
Instinct took over when one man threw himself forward, his arms extended. I ducked low and kicked his ribs, wincing when he groaned. The force behind my attack was minimal, I was weak. Kickboxing, although good for sport, wasn’t meant to take down huge bulky meatheads. However, I would use all my skill to defend myself.
“Come on, guys,” I called. “Give a lady a chance!”
Okay, so pulling the female card was a little outdated. Still, it was worth a try.
Panic seized my muscles as the other two men lunged for me, growls escaping their contorted lips. I managed to dodge one as the other’s fist ploughed into my cheek. Gulping air, I skipped out of the way, ignoring the blast of pain that shot through my head.
Using all of my weight, I pulled back my fist and sent it flying up under his ribs. No playing fair in this match, it was completely uneven odds. He howled when a crack resounded in the air, leaving me with all kinds of satisfied tingles. Although, I didn’t have time to bask in my short lived victory.
An arm wrapped around me from behind, trapping me against the first man’s chest. I elbowed him, grunting when my bony-arse limb rebounded off the chunk that lined his belly. Bloody hell, I was never going to win this fight.
My energy, which was running off adrenaline, was slowly fading. I knew that I would never win against four men. Ashley hadn’t even reached me yet, and he was an incredible fighter. He had taught me everything I knew.
Tears popped into my eyes as a surge of heat, propelled by anger, blasted through my veins. I would never give up, they would have to kill me first.
The man holding me suddenly dropped his hand, hissing in my ear as he stepped back. How dare the bastards do this to me? I had never done anything wrong in my life. I didn’t deserve to be attacked in the place I had called my second home.
Ashley frowned as he jumped through the ropes of the ring, ready to come for me himself. No, not my friend, surely. He wouldn’t hurt me, would he?
As the fury grew, I spun, my leg kicking out in a roundhouse circle. One of the men hopped back when I kicked him straight in the arse, knocking him off his feet.
The thud of Ashley’s running footsteps and the sound of the oncoming men made fear lance through me before anger took over, blasting hot through me again. Now motionless, I opened my mouth and screamed, the sound vibrating throughout the building around me.
My eyes were closed, waiting for fists to pound into me, for legs to take me out, for pain to explode before the life drained from me.
Darkness filled my vision as I opened my arms, ready for the onslaught. And yet, as I braced myself, nothing came. My screams still echoed long after I’d let them out, the air tightening around me. Silence pooled as my own voice finally drifted away.
Cracking open an eye, I searched the area, half expecting to feel pain at any moment. But no… Smoke rose up, engulfing the whole room. There was no smell to it, although a slight tinge of burnt hair tickled my nose. What had happened?
Breathing hard, I stepped back, pausing when the heel of my boot hit something. As the smoke cleared, a hunched figured appeared on the floor. Then another. The man’s arms were outstretched, burnt to a crisp. What the actual fuckity fuck?
Looking behind me, I undid my gloves, shoved them off and swallowed hard, fighting the cramping of my stomach. Ashley, or what had previously been my friend, was slouched against the edge of the ring. His skin had melted, his clothes singed and stuck tight to his body. Yes, body. The whites of his eyes showed where his eyelids had been… when he was alive.
Bending over, I heaved, bringing up my breakfast. Tears popped into my eyes as I reached for my phone, which was zipped into my pocket. Dropping it when my hands shook so much, I struggled to get it in my grasp. My whole body shook as I picked it up. At least it hadn’t fallen into my vomit. Jeez, what was wrong with me?
Stumbling to my bag, I grabbed it as I dialled Tinniel – thank goodness he’d magicked his number into my phone.
It was silent in the gym, all the men who had previously threatened me on the ground, no longer able to harm me.
“Lyla?” The question in his tone made me sob.
As the sound escaped, his breathing quickened. “What’s the matter? Where are you?”
My legs were running, out the exit and into the street. Fresh air slammed into me as I kept going, pushing my shaky knees on, forcing myself to get out of there.
“I’m going home. I… I…”
His cough calmed me slightly, which was stupid. I had no idea what had just happened, but for some reason, I had wanted to hear Tinniel’s voice. There was something very disturbing about me. Most people would call the police, not some sorcerer stranger.
“It’s Lyla,” I heard him say to someone in the background. “She needs us. Track her.”
I licked my lips as I ran past two friends who were laughing between themselves. When I accidently bashed into one, they frowned at me. “Are you okay?”
Ignoring their shout of concern, which was unusual for a British person, I had to admit, I ducked down a side street. The muscles in my legs were burning – oops, sore subject – but I kept going.
“What happened?” Tinniel said, his voice sharp and demanding.
Tears blinded my vision as I swung into Jamie’s street. Our front door was just ahead; so was safety. Although, those men wouldn’t be running after me. Not now.
“I think…” Huffing hard, I put a hand against my chest, feeling the pounding thud of my heart. “I just killed everyone.”
Chapter Six
“What’s wrong?” Jamie asked when I burst through the door.
He was on his laptop, browsing ebay for bargains. Not that I had any idea where he had the money to buy anything, considering we had to go to the food bank for food.
Shaking my head, I ran a hand through my windswept hair, frowning when my fingers got stuck in the blonde curls. “Nothing. I ran home for exercise.”
Yeah, it was a weak lie. Luckily, he quickly bought it, especially when I left him alone. My little cubby room was cold, the heating non-existent.
My shuddering almost took over as I plonked on the mattress on the floor, my legs finally giving way. Tinniel had said that he was coming over, even though I had insisted he stay away. I didn’t need a handsome freak man turning up on the doorstep, not when Jamie was here.
Burying my head into the pillow, I breathed several times, trying to render some control over my thoughts, which were racing like greyhounds.
A thud on the front door made me jump. My legs scrambled under me as I tried to get off the bed, getting tied up in my blanket. So I could kill a bunch of tough men, but I couldn’t even get to my feet? True Lyla Ford style.
Jostling the blankets out of the way, I surged up and forced my way into the hallway just as Jamie opened the front door.
A small gasp of breath escaped my flatmate. It was no wonder. Tinniel, muscles and all, stood with his arms folded across his chest, his military jacket bulging in places it shouldn’t.
“C…Can I help you?” Jamie stammered.
Coughing, I tried to move past Jamie. “It’s fine, he’s here for me.”
Both pairs of eyebrows shot up. This was not the time for questions or answers or anything to make any sense.
“Please,” I said, grabbing Tinniel’s arm and yanking him inside. “Come in.”
The tall man smiled politely to Jamie as I pushed and heaved him into my small room. “Sorry,” he said, holding his arms up. “She always gets like this when she sees me.”
A frustrated grunt escaped me as my arms dropped away from him. Wait, did he just tell a Naz joke? I might have only known them for five minutes, but his brother was usually the cocky one, not him.
“Excuse us.” Catching sight of Jamie’s shocked expression as I slammed the door behind me, I cringed.
“What happened?”
Tinniel’s seriousness returned, the tiny glimpse of humour he’d shown, vanished. I would’ve taken it personally, but I didn’t even know the guy, so I had to get over myself.
Wringing my hands in front of me as he glanced around the room, I tried to articulate what had happened. “Something went down at my gym. They attacked. I… well, I did some kicks… you know, tried to defend myself. It didn’t work. And they ended up dead.”
“You need to take me there.”
Had he understood what I’d said? Men had died. Burnt. And it seemed like it might have been my fault.
A memory of the night I had first gone to the club came into my mind. The man who had been harassing a woman. I’d burnt his head. My hands had blistered.
“Something’s wrong with me,” I blurted. “I knew it. Why else would my mother turn cold against me?”
Tinniel’s heavy hand landed on my shoulder, shutting me up. He looked down at me, his bright eyes blinking slowly. “Take me to your gym.”
“That’s almost as bad as saying ‘take me to your leader’.”
My tiny giggle fell completely flat. So flat, the silence echoed loudly. My hesitation was short lived. Call me a damsel in distress, but bloody hell, I wanted someone to take care of the mess I’d made. I hadn’t had any problems with anyone until the twin bounty hunters had appeared in my life, so… a woman had to do what any self-respecting woman would do. Get the handsome hero to deal with her crap.
“Can I stay here?” I asked.
What? I might have been a little kickass, however, I was now on a whole different playing field. How I missed the days when life was mundane.
Looking down at me, Tinniel froze when our gaze met. His spine straightened as he watched me, his green eyes tracing the lines of my face. “No. You’ll be safer with me.”
Releasing my hands from where they wrung in front of me, I blinked. A s
low fuzzy feeling expanded in my chest. Did the strapping man want to protect me? Or did he feel obliged, considering he was the one who had brought me into this freaky world?
I was staring, I couldn’t help it. He compelled me somehow. And no, it wasn’t just because he was a warrior type with moody tendencies, he was… more.
“Let’s go.”
Marching from my room, he almost knocked Jamie over. My flatmate had been standing in the hallway, no doubt listening in to our conversation. His gaping mouth stayed open as I waved goodbye, following my knight in dark armour out of our living abode.
“I don’t understand what went down,” I muttered, skipping alongside him to try to keep up.
“Your powers are uncontrolled right now. You’ll need to learn how to use them properly.”
Sudden heavy footsteps made me look over my shoulder.
Naz winked at me, a little grin crossing his face. How had he known where to find us?
“You don’t need me as a tracker,” I commented as he tucked his hands in his jacket pockets. “You can just pop into existence from nowhere.”
Tinniel glanced over his shoulder, frowning at his brother. “I told you to meet us there.”
“Just because you want a little alone time with our friend, doesn’t mean I’m going to stop working.”
Catching up with Tinniel, I tried to stifle the small glow that emanated from me. The moody hunk wanted alone time with me?
“Don’t get too excited,” Naz chimed in as we rounded the corner, heading for the gym. “He’s sworn to protect your bloodline. Not only that…” Tapping my head, he winked again. “…This mission is worth a pretty penny.”
My gaze traced the building ahead, the memory of what had just happened pushing out Naz’s words. Fingers shaking, I ran them through my hair, tugging quite forcefully. The image of Ashley’s burnt body wasn’t something I wanted to relive.
“You really need to take the job as a tracker,” Tinniel said. “It’ll help your living situation.”
The Witch & the Bounty Hunter (Federation of Magic Book 1) Page 6
