This Blood that Bonds Us (This Blood that Binds Us #4)

37. Thirty-Seven

Thirty-Seven

Aaron

I fell on my ass again, but this time, I was prepared. I leveraged my body weight in just enough time to send Felix careening into the mat.

“You’re getting good,” Dom said, barely loud enough to hear.

Felix tackled me from behind as I tried to get up. “Not good enough.”

He pinned me to the ground with his forearm. “Don’t turn your back on an opponent.”

“How is that even possible?” I grunted as I maneuvered his arm from my neck and used his weight to push him off balance. My body was slower with the lack of blood. Every day we trained in Kilian’s basement, I got more used to the feeling. It was all defensive maneuvers—keeping away from hands and not giving anyone the chance to bite me.

“You need eyes in the back of your head. Use your senses,” Dom said while I struggled under the weight of Felix’s forearm.

I was glad Felix and I had buried the hatchet. Or he might have tried to kill me already.

In one fluid breath, I slid from under him and took him in a headlock. Slipping from the wetness of the blood, he struggled to pull me off.

“Good. Keep him down,” Dom said.

Felix stumbled to his feet, and I kept my grip locked around his neck. He attempted to sweep my leg, but I dodged it. Squeezing harder around his throat, I held him down and bit into his arm.

“Alright. Alright. I forfeit.”

Felix fell to the ground when I released him, and I reached out to help him up.

“I think I’m done,” he said.

“Wait, why?”

“Don’t you get tired, Calem? We’ve been going all day.”

Dom interjected. “Thirty-two hours.”

I still had energy left to burn. Every day that past, Ireland got closer. Like the island was physically moving toward me hour by hour. I needed to use every minute to its fullest. Whatever fate had waiting for me, I needed to be ready, and Dom and Felix were helping.

I must have looked deflated because Dom said, “I’ll spar with you. After your break.”

Our numbers had grown. Our once-sparse basement was flourishing with people. Most made no effort to talk to me. They liked Felix and Dom though. Everyone liked them. The Legion was made up of tiny little friend groups or families all merging for one purpose.

I settled my attention on one in particular. Kimberly had just started sparring. She was faster than me. I couldn’t help but smile watching her with Halina.

I caught the tail end of their conversation.

“Yeah, I like you way better as a vampire.” Halina helped get Kimberly off the ground.

Kimberly grabbed her hand and jumped to her feet. “Me too.”

She must have felt me watching her because her eyes met mine, and she blushed.

My heart kicked my ribs. I had to fight to keep my mind from wandering into places in which I’d pull her aside and do things with her that would deepen that flush.

It was addicting to flirt with her.

Lucky for me, the door opened and a commotion came from the outside hall. Everyone stilled as they entered. Kilian walked next to a woman with brown hair I’d never seen before.

And they were . . . laughing?

“Ah, Aaron. I’d like you to meet Anzola. She is one of my dearest friends. She sits on the council for The Legion. She’s the one who has graciously allowed us to use her home. Anzola has been alive since the first known queen was created. She’s come to train and explore our operation.”

Anzola flashed her teeth in a sultry smile directed at Kilian. Her jaw and cheekbones were sharp, and her olive skin was clear. Her body seemed to be close to Kilian’s in age.

“Never reveal a woman’s age, Kil. You should know better.” She winked at him.

I didn’t know what was weirder: Kilian smiling or them having nicknames.

“Aaron Calem.” Anzola smiled at me with pristine white teeth. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“The pleasure is mine.” I held out my hand, and she nearly took it off with the strength of her grip. I forced a smile despite the ache in my hand.

“Kilian here brought me to see the operation and get a good feel for things in his absence.”

“In case he dies,” Felix whispered, and I inched away from his breath on my ear.

“Do not worry. It’s only a precaution. Someone will need to take over his archives and carry on his work. Hopefully, it won’t be needed. The council wants to ensure preservation of his life’s work is in order.”

There was a gentle calm about the way she said it that made me feel like she wouldn’t care in the slightest if Kilian did meet that fate or if we all did, but maybe that’s how The Legion was. An old organization filled with people whose only real goal in life was to take down The Family, so friends and family came second. It wasn’t personal. Just strictly business.

Kimberly came up beside me. Her proximity allowed me to put my arm over her shoulder and hold her to me.

“Kimberly, it’s a pleasure.” Anzola opened her mouth like there was more to say. “Looking forward to speaking with you later about your endeavors with the dagger.”

“Oh . . . okay.” Kimberly shifted.

“Are you going to help fight?” I asked, partly joking.

“I came to stay for the foreseeable future, not just for cataloging old relics . . .”

With graceful elegance, Anzola removed her jacket, revealing tight overlapping leather underneath. The only thing I could equate it to was a video game character.

Kimberly and I shared a wide-eyed look. I wished Presley were here to break the silence. Kilian did the same but revealed his bare chest and lean and sharply carved muscle.

In my head, Kilian was a fragile older man. The only time I’d seen him move quickly was the night he pinned me up against the door in OBA. I reeled as my perception I’d built up over the months shifted in a matter of seconds.

“Kilian needs a sparring partner that can keep up.” Anzola’s eyes glistened as she stalked forward to face him.

The rest of us stepped out of the center mat, giving them room.

“So, you’re definitely fighting too, then?” I called to Kilian.

He smiled. “Did you think I was too old?”

I bit my cheek, saying nothing. Definitely.

I expected it to be quick. For Kilian to be slow and sloppy, but he wasn’t. Anzola was a great challenge. They first sparred clean at full power. Their full strength split the mats and cracked the concrete floor underneath. I couldn’t stop staring. Kilian wasn’t just good, he was great. It had to be the years of training, but all I’d ever seen him do was sit down and read. No wonder Akira left us that day in the forest.

If I had to guess, they were closely matched.

“Take your jaw off the floor, Calem.” Dom stood beside me.

“You knew?”

“Of course.”

The air in the room grew heavier when Anzola got a bite in on Kilian’s arm and blood littered the ground. There was something sinister about it and brutal in a way that made my stomach churn. I rubbed my chest thinking of Zach and Luke, and hoped they weren’t doing that very thing.

We had strong fighters, and that meant we were finally a match for The Guard.