Chapter 10
The following day, Rumi waited for me in our living quarters.
I was back under the ever-watchful eye of my original shadow.
Lily’s words on Rumi sounded. “Rumi sees everything. Knows everything. If she ever asks anything of you, know that she has considered every other feasible option and probably failed, so do it.”
After breakfast, the rest of Unit Seven had broken up for a day off.
Hayes had taken off on patrol, the rest making their way to some of the doors off the Gym near the tunnel I had yet to venture into.
Patrick had returned to our sleeping quarters, dark smudges under his eyes from the witching hour shift.
Instead of escorting me to Formation, Rumi led me to the mats, where Ingrid stood before a line of cadets.
Before slinking away, Rumi said, “Ingrid is overseeing the bores sparring today. You’re to participate. I’ll be back. Stay with Ingrid.”
“Cadets, pair off,” Ingrid said. “Don’t fucking hurt anyone, or I’ll hurt you. I don’t want the paperwork. Got it?” No one moved. “Get on with it,” she barked.
I sparred several times; the cadets were sloppy, but still, I let the matches end with me getting pinned or tapping out.
It seemed to bolster my opponent’s confidence, which was fine with me; I just needed to get off the mats.
Ingrid continually smirked. My last opponent easily handled me.
Each time I was pinned, the beast ravaged my insides.
It seemed to become more intense—the screaming need to fight. I silenced it again.
I sat on the mat, catching my breath. No hand was extended to help me up. Ingrid called an end to the session, then left. I dusted myself off as the rest of the cadets headed toward the lockers. I relished the moment alone until the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.
Not even a breath later, someone crashed into me, slamming my face into the mats. Pain exploded in my cheek. The attacker was bigger than me, giving them an advantage. He flipped me onto my back.
“I thought they’d never leave you alone.” A man chuckled, aiming an elbow for my face that would break my nose. All the fight I had choked down broke free. I barely blocked the intended blow, pain exploding in my forearm.
Danger, my body screamed. Real danger, not just sparring.
A familiar calm descended.
I scrambled for my knife and pistol, but the attacker took a fistful of my hair, yanking my head at an odd angle and flipping me to my stomach, his body pinning mine. My hand found the knife handle but was caught between the mat and my hips.
“It’s nothing personal, Death’s Angel,” the man said. “I’m gunning for the unit commander. She’ll promote the first person to make you bleed. Just a broken nose or black eye will do.”
Somewhere in the background, I heard shouts. He pulled my head back farther, my neck aching and scalp screaming. A small gasp left me. The man laughed.
“I’ve heard that sound from you in my sleeping quarters. Maybe I’ll make it up to you after this since you’ve grown tired of Jax. He said you like it rough.”
Someone in Jaxon’s unit had decided to attack me. My mind raced to find a way out of this. “The eyes.”
“What did you say?” The shouts were growing closer.
“I’ll take the black eye; I like my nose,” I sputtered, buying time. My hand wrapped around my knife.
“I’ll have to fuck you from behind either way, I guess, with a busted face,” the man said. I wiggled beneath him, fighting against the pressure there, like his words worried me. “Eager to begin, huh?”
Before I could respond, I felt myself being tossed onto my back. My legs tangled with his as I kicked fruitlessly. I had only seconds as a young face with blond hair appeared. I brought my knee up, colliding with his testicles.
He moaned, twisting slightly, sending him off-balance. I took advantage, throwing my weight forward while I locked my leg around his. In a whirl, I found myself straddling the man, knife held to his throat.
He cursed viciously, reaching for me, but he stilled at the realization of the knife I pressed into his skin. My other hand wrenched my pistol free, aiming it between his eyes.
“Murray, what the fuck?” I heard Jaxon call out.
“You don’t have the guts to do it,” Murray spat at me.
They were all the same. I flipped the safety off and smiled as his face paled.
I stole a glance at the audience we had. Unit Seven stood at the edge of the mats, Levi at the front, his arm out, keeping the others back. Damien, Rumi, Ingrid, and Isla looked on. Everyone in the Gym from Unit Seven had come.
I leaned down, increasing the pressure of the blade, not enough to slice him but enough to make him squirm. “What do you think Burdon will give the first person to get their ass handed to them by Death’s Angel?”
The man snarled a vile threat at me.
“Think about it, Murray, and you’ll have me to deal with,” Levi threatened, a vicious promise there. Murray stilled. I replaced my pistol, making sure the safety was on, and held on to my knife just in case. I pushed myself up and backed away.
“You don’t belong here, Expansion slut,” Murray snarled. “That job should have been one of our own.”
I flicked my wrist. With a solid thud, my knife rested in the mat an inch from his face.
Murray blanched, his fear palpable. I felt bodies shift around me, followed by soft muttering.
“It’s my spot,” I said coldly, masking the tremor in my voice.
“I never miss on purpose twice. Come at me again, and I’ll bury that knife in you. ”
Ingrid moved on Murray, capturing his arm in an iron grip.
“Sasha, shit, are you okay?” Jaxon asked.
I tensed. I hadn’t seen him since I had thrown a grenade at whatever was going on between us and went to the closet. Jaxon gaped at me like he had never truly seen me before.
Levi remained nearby. I tried to hide the shake that was setting in from the attack. It always did. Sometimes, my body shook so badly that my teeth clattered together. I fisted my hands against it, attempting to rein it in. Jaxon moved closer, but Levi blocked his path.
“Fuck off, Williams,” Jaxon spat. “I’m not going to attack her.”
“Someone from your unit just did,” Levi said, not moving an inch. “Not that Cadell needs protecting. If she could take on Murray, she’d wipe the floor with you.”
Damien wrenched my knife from the mat before handing it to me. I couldn’t hide the shake in my hands as I put it away. I felt my legs begin to tremble, the adrenaline disappearing completely.
Jaxon glared. “Clearly, Murray underestimated her. Now fuck off, all of you.”
“Seems like a common mistake in your unit,” Levi said. The others circled me in a protective shield. I didn’t know whether it was to conceal my trembling form or provide a unified unit. I didn’t care as I gave in to the shake momentarily, working through the worst of the adrenaline leaving my body.
“Is he the reason you ran off, Sasha?” Jaxon demanded. “Now that you’re in the Force, you think you can do better?”
Levi chuckled, facing him down, when heavy, sure footsteps approached. I half expected to see Tristian striding our way. It wasn’t. A formidable man stood before me—a block of muscles, covered in tats, held together by a domineering arrogance.
“Kaleo, you’re interrupting,” Levi said.
“It’s Unit Commander Kaleo. I came to say hello.
” Kaleo extended his hand as he peered into the unit huddled around me.
Slowly, the rest of the unit moved out of his way.
I took his hand quickly. “Unit Commander Kaleo.” I went to drop his hand, but Kaleo held on as he dragged his scrutinizing gaze up my body.
I fought the shake but failed. “This frail, frightened little thing is the infamous Death’s Angel?
I can’t fathom why Hayes worked so hard for you.
You seem”—he paused; tension bracketed Levi’s mouth, but he kept it firmly closed; Kaleo grinned—“unremarkable. I see why Commander Burdon was against this for so long. You don’t deserve to be here.
A good thing, seeing as your time in the Force is probably up. ”
Rumi shifted beside me, but Levi spoke. “Explain, Kaleo.”
“Commander Burdon wants to see your little Angel. Something about pulling a weapon on the mat in the middle of sparring. Tsk, tsk. Hayes’s unruly misfits causing problems again.
” Kaleo dropped my hand at last, his arrogance suffocating.
“And it’s Unit Commander, Williams. Forget again, and I’ll get you on the witching hour shift. ”
Rumi broke her position, her cheeks flushed. “How did Burdon get the information so quickly, Kaleo?”
Kaleo looked Rumi over, like he was sizing up his next meal. “Mystery to me,” Kaleo claimed with a shrug. But he didn’t correct her use of just his surname. “With me, Angel. I won’t bite.” He flashed his teeth, a stark contrast to his golden skin and midnight-black hair.
“Go, and don’t do anything rash,” Levi said. “We’ll figure it out, Sasha.”
“Trying to train the misfit. Admirable, Williams.” His eyes slid to the rest of Unit Seven. “You always did love a hopeless case.” Kaleo chuckled as he walked away, and I followed, glancing to see Unit Seven already scattering.
By the time we arrived, the worst of the shaking had subsided. I realized Kaleo had led me to the door that Burdon and the unit commanders always exited before Formation.
“Come on. Burdon hates being made to wait,” Kaleo said.
I silently followed him into the room, where a round table sat before a large board displaying a weather report from above and unit assignments.
“You’ve been quite the attraction this moon,” Kaleo said, close enough that his breath ghosted across my neck.
I stiffened and he chuckled. “Truly is sad to lose such entertainment, but Hayes doesn’t deserve a leg up.
” Kaleo brushed my tangled hairs away; a chill ran down my spine. “I doubt he could handle you anyway.”