Chapter 9
Seph
When I opened the door to the training room, Sable was already there.
And so was Jess.
I paused at the entrance.
The two women were sparring on a large blue mat in the middle of the room.
“Keep your arms up. Protect your face!” Sable snapped, lunging at Jess, who caught the blow to her elbow.
I slipped into the room quietly, moving along the wall.
Sable moved with a lithe grace I had never seen before. She was fast, like lightning. She was dressed in black from head to toe, wraps on her fingers. Her long blonde hair was pulled back tight.
I had never seen her move like that before.
Jess, on the other hand was slower. She was dressed in a simple black tank top and pants.
And she was smiling.
Beside me, Ash and Dev stood. Kieran followed after a pause. We watched as Sable dodged one of Jess’ moves and flipped her on to her back.
She finished her off with an elbow to the chest. “Do you yield?” Sable demanded.
“Oof.” Jess said, trying to catch her breath.
“I said do you yield? Tap out!” Sable ordered.
Tap, tap.
Sable rolled to her feet and offered Jess a hand.
Jess took it without hesitation.
“Good,” Sable said. “You’re learning.”
Jess laughed breathlessly. “Feels like it.”
She glanced toward us then — and when her eyes met mine, there was something new there.
Freedom.
“Hey,” Jess grinned wolfishly. “What do you think? Badass or what?”
I stepped forward. “Nice moves. Both of you.” I looked at Sable, who glanced at me and smiled.
“Well, I’ve been doing it for years.” Sable said.
My chest twinged. “Have you?”
Instinctively I wanted to look down. But I held.
Jess moved to the side to check her face in the mirror. When she saw the blood dripping from her nose, she wiped it away with the back of her hand, still smiling like it didn’t matter.
“I didn’t realise you were training today too Jess.”
“We all want to be useful, I guess. Besides. It’s a good way to burn some energy.”
At her comment, Sable and Jess caught eyes. Something unreadable flicked between them, like a private joke. I watched Jess head to the changing rooms, feeling uneasy.
I swallowed quietly.
Sable stepped up and threw me a bag of clothes. “Here put this on, then come back. You’re next.”
I looked in the bag. Inside was a long-sleeved shirt and long pants, leather gloves and a face covering. I paused, looking at Sable.
She just met my eyes. “It pays to be careful.”
But I didn’t miss the flick of a glance she sent to the guys. Like she was reminding them.
Don’t touch her skin.
My fingers closed around the bag. “Fine.” I muttered.
Ash stepped forward, his eyes concerned. “Seph? Are you okay?”
I gave him a quick smile that didn’t quite hold. “I’ll just be a minute.”
I ducked into the changing room and pulled on all the clothes. She’d even given me socks with grips.
I stared at them in my clenched fist. Then I pulled them on.
When I was dressed, I tied my long hair back in a tight braid.
But I didn’t cover my face.
Instead, I walked out, defiant. Sable was talking with Kieran in the corner. When she saw me, she frowned.
Sable’s gaze flicked from my uncovered face to the gloves, the long sleeves.
Her expression smoothed.
“Ready?” she asked.
I stepped on to the mat and shifted my feet. I raised my chin.
“Yes.”
Whatever she’d intended to prove to them —
I knew exactly what I was proving to myself.
“You and I will fight,” Sable said. “K and Dev need to see where you’re at.”
“I don’t know how to fight, Sable. You know that.”
Ash shook his head. “That’s not true. I saw you in Darkmoor, Seph. You can do more than you think. If they’d let me, I could show you—”
“Ash, back off,” Kieran snapped—sharp, sudden.
Dev rolled his eyes. Kieran didn’t look away.
Sable just clapped her hands. “Enough. Eyes on me Seph. Now – hit me.”
I circled her carefully. She stood still, waiting for me.
I swung up my fist, but she was gone in an instant, pushing me from behind. I swung again.
“This is ridiculous,” I muttered.
“Then stop thinking,” Sable replied coolly. “Move.”
I stepped in and threw an awkward punch that went wide.
She wasn’t there.
My fist cut through empty air as she slid aside, barely moving her feet. She nudged my shoulder as I passed, just enough to throw me off balance.
I recovered and swung again.
She blocked it with her forearm, effortless, redirecting my momentum like I weighed nothing. My boots skidded on the mat.
My cheeks burned with humiliation.
I tried a kick — clumsy, poorly timed.
She caught my leg and shoved me back. I stumbled, barely staying upright.
Behind me, someone sucked in a breath.
Sable didn’t even look winded.
“Too slow,” she said. “Again.”
My jaw clenched.
I rushed her — badly. My hands flew without strategy, without skill. Every strike missed or was turned aside. She stepped around me, through me, tapping my ribs, my shoulder, my hip — not strikes. Corrections.
I swung again, wild now.
She ducked.
I spun, off balance, and before I could stop myself, I threw one last punch — not aimed, not planned —
My knuckles connected with her face in a solid punch.
The impact jolted up my arm. I clutched my wrist to my chest, staring at her.
The room went silent.
For half a second, Sable didn’t move.
Her eyes dropped to where I’d hit her.
Then they lifted to mine.
Something sharp flashed there — fast and furious. Gone just as quickly.
“Well,” she said lightly, straightening. “That was unexpected.”
She smiled.
It was wrong on her face.
Before I could breathe, she moved.
Her hand clamped around my wrist and twisted hard. Pain ripped through my arm as she stepped in and drove her shoulder into my chest. The world tilted. Then the mat slammed into my back.
Hard.
The breath tore from my lungs in a broken gasp. Pain flared along my ribs, bright and blinding. I tried to curl — couldn’t.
Sable’s knee pinned my sternum. Not crushing.
For a split second, something dark surfaced in the depths of her china-blue eyes — sharp, furious, unguarded.
She was hurting me.
On purpose.
“Sable!” Kieran barked.
The sound snapped something into place.
Her jaw tightened — just once — before the darkness vanished behind smooth control.
She stood and stepped back as if she’d merely completed a drill.
I scrambled away, chest burning.
Dev and Ash were at my side immediately.
“You okay?” Dev asked, his jaw tight, every word restrained.
I nodded once, though it felt like a lie.
I couldn’t stop staring at Sable.
She looked… unsettled.
Her gaze flicked briefly to the men, then back to me.
“I’m fine,” I said quietly.
A beat.
Then Sable straightened, composure locking back into place.
“You need a lot of work,” she said calmly. “Upper body strength. Core stability. Endurance.”
Her eyes didn’t leave mine.
“And running.”
The words landed like a verdict — efficient, dismissive, final.
“Ooh, I like running!” Ash said brightly, sliding an arm around me and hauling me upright. “Where can we go?”
“There’s a track,” Kieran said. “Lower level. Built into the rock.”
Sable gave a single nod.
“Good,” she said. “She’ll start there.”
She turned away then, as if the moment — and I — were already finished.