“I’m sure he’s harmless,” I said, trying to reassure her. “There’s probably a really great guy in there somewhere. He’s just hidden.”
“Yeah and only intense therapy is going to get him out,” she giggled.
“I’m just saying there’s a lot about him we don’t know. Maybe something happened to him that made him this way and he just needs some friends to get him through it.”
I was trying to convince myself more than I was Shaylee. I didn’t really care what her opinion of Aaron was, but I’d been spending so much time with him, I’d almost forgotten who he was. He still hadn’t told me what he needed me for. He could either be a powerful ally or a dangerous enemy and I wasn’t entirely sure which way it was going to end up.
***
Aaron and I circled each other, both waiting for the other to make a move. My newest strategy had initially been to wait for him instead of being the one to attack first. Now that I was actually facing him, I had to force myself not to be impatient.
To distract myself from the desire to attack, I focused on the little details. I saw the slight perspiration on his brow and heard his elevated heartbeat. As I studied him, my world began to slow.
I saw the muscles in his leg contract before he ever stepped. I was ready and waiting when he took a step to throw a punch and easily blocked it. Over and over again I seemed to be able to anticipate his moves, as he appeared to move so slowly to me.
I sidestepped yet another blow and grabbed his arm. I looked into his eyes and saw that they were dilated, a sign that adrenaline was now pumping though his system. It was the first time I’d ever seen him so engaged in the fight.
I pulled his arm with one hand and pushed him in the chest with the other. He flew backward and landed on the floor. I expected him to spring up and continue, but instead he stayed down gasping for air.
All at once the world started moving again. I knelt beside him, aware that I could have severely injured him and the ramifications I could face if I had.
“Are you alright?” I asked.
“Fine,” he replied. “You knocked the wind out of me, that’s all.”
I offered him my hand and pulled him back to his feet.
“It seems that you’ve finally found your inner Warrior,” he said. “My work here is done.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, confused.
“I have nothing left to teach you.”
“So, what now?”
“Keep up with the running and strength training. On top of that you need to practice tapping into your heightened senses and other abilities so that you can control them, not the other way around,” he explained.
“And that’s it? I’m ready?”
“As ready as I can make you,” he said. “The rest will have to come from you.”
“Will you tell me everything now?” I asked.
A throat cleared and we both jumped. I spun around and made a mental note to practice tapping into my heightened sense. A man dressed in a black suit was standing just inside the gym door. He was tall and well built. He was clearly a Warrior.
“Stay here,” Aaron said, his voice darker than I’d heard it in a while.
He walked over to the man while I stayed put. I watched as they appeared to have a heated exchange. When Aaron finally came back over to me, he looked angrier than I’d ever seen him. The other man turned and left.
“Who was that?” I asked, pretty sure I wasn’t going to get an answer.
“A complication,” he replied. “A Council Warrior sent to check up on me.”
“Why are they worried about you?”
“It unusual for me to remain on assignment for so long. When I check in I give vague information. It’s making them nervous that my loyalty isn’t what they thought it was.”
“Don’t they work for you?” I asked.
“No. Not for a long time now.”
“Oh,” I said, suddenly understanding. “So, you’re like their pet Mage. If the world sees you standing with them, they follow.”
Aaron’s gaze darkened.
“I’m no one’s pet anything,” he growled. “But yes. The Council believes their rule is viewed as legitimate as long as I stand with them. They’ll do anything to make sure I don’t join the Resistance and cause trouble for them, including checking in to make sure I haven’t gotten any funny ideas.”
“There’s a resistance?”
“Yes,” he replied. “And I suspect once all of this is over, we’ll both be with them.”
Chapter 7
Shaylee
The day I’d spent all week dreading had finally arrived. It was the day the partnerships for the rest of the semester were decided. Every year I hated these assignments and every year seemed to be worse than the last. I had a feeling I wouldn’t even be able to enjoy my birthday this year. It was only a week away and I had the sinking suspicion that this project would be more miserable than even a cupcake from Andrew could fix.
I sat and listened to Andrew lecture for the majority of the class, wondering when he would stop and the torture would begin. When there was only fifteen minutes left, I began to hope that somehow he would forget or had changed his mind about the assignment, but when he sat his notes down on his desk, I knew that wouldn’t be the case.
“Alright, everyone,” he began. “As we discussed earlier this week, it’s time to select your partners for the remainder of the semester. A lot of this work will be done out of the classroom. Please do not abuse this privilege or I will be forced to resume regular classes, which just aren’t as much fun for any of us. You all know how this works. Take the rest
