Chapter 17 - Nora
I stared at the target across from the training ground and tried to focus. I was trying to improve my aiming. The target already had black spots from my attempts. It was only a few feet away, and I was getting close to the center.
I sighed, my fingers curling into tight fists as I stared at the center. I was getting better, but not good enough.
“That was good.”
I jumped and turned, finding Kaleb standing behind me. He had a bag thrown over his shoulder and was wearing workout gear. I didn’t even realize he was here. I hadn’t even heard a car pull up. “What are you doing here?”
Kaleb threw his bag down. “I came to do some training and get a quick run in.” His eyes looked at the target. “You’re doing pretty good.”
I shrugged. “A little, but not really. I’m not getting anywhere.” The other day, I had been excited because I was still improving, but hand-to-hand combat was different than individually.
“Do you want help?”
“No,” I said, too quickly. I watched him slowly nod, not seeming fazed by my quick response.
“Well, I’m going to go for my run.” He walked away, tossing his bag on the ground near the sandpit a few yards away. I chewed on my cheek, hating the tug in my chest. I watched him take off and stared after him for a solid minute.
“Pay attention,” I said, pulling my eyes back to the target. “Focus.”
I continued working on my aim, but I didn’t get any better. I tried it repeatedly. The more I tried, the more frustrated I got. I wasn’t getting any closer to the center, and I felt my arms shake as I aimed, not even hitting the target this time.
I tried taking deep breaths and slowing down. I tried giving myself a minute to pause. Nothing seemed to help.
I threw another stream of electricity out and watched it shoot over the target. I screamed, kicking at the ground in anger. “God damn it!”
I turned around, running my hands over my hair as I started to pace. I felt my body seeming to drum with magic, and it only angered me more. I’d seen what Jade could do. Both worked so well together, so why the hell couldn’t I get it right by myself?
I spotted Kaleb coming back from his run, having the perfect running form. He stopped near his bag, pulled a water bottle out, and took a swig.
I crouched down onto the ground, planning to just give up.
Everyone had been throwing information at me for weeks.
I listened to Jade explain what she could do, but I couldn’t.
Jade could sense the darkness miles away.
She could throw a fireball a hundred yards away, while I couldn’t even go a few feet.
I had a hard enough time getting my magic to come out.
“You look frustrated.”
“That’s because I am,” I snapped. I looked up at Brandon. He was covered in sweat but didn’t look tired. In anything, he looked prepared for whatever the day was going to throw at him. “I’m not cut out for this.”
“You’re new at this, Nora.”
I pulled myself up. “Jade was able to go farther by this point in her training.”
“You’re not her,” he countered. “And everyone is different. No one has the same ability with magic. You guys don’t even possess the same gift.”
I pulled myself back up. I thought of the last time he had helped me. He had been right that I was thinking too much and that it was blocking my ability. Was I doing it again? Getting myself so worked up that I couldn’t focus?
“Would you like some help?” he asked, giving me a lazy smile. “I wouldn’t mind an ass kicking.”
I suppressed my smile. “Fine.”
We moved over to the sandpit, where Kaleb pulled out some boxing shields and placed them over his arms. He got into his stance. “These have some metal in them, so your magic should bounce off.”
“Should?” I asked.
He shrugged, still holding that lazy smile. “We’ll find out.”
I watched him get into a stance, and I took a deep breath and pulled my magic into my hands.
I felt that warm spread over my palms, and it spread over my fingertips.
I felt that cold spread over me like before, but basked in it now.
I threw a blue light at him, but Kaleb moved, dodging it.
I did it again, and he once more dodged.
I took a deep breath in and threw another.
Kaleb then charged at me, knocking me back. I stumbled, landing hard onto the ground. Kaleb didn’t stop, though; he brought his arm up, ready to hit me. I threw my legs up, kicking him in the knee. Kaleb fumbled, and I rolled out of the way as he fell.
I pulled my magic up, letting the feeling soaking over me, and threw it at him. Kaleb pulled his arm up and blocked the hit. I watched him smile, though. “Nicely done.”
We bounced around each other. I kept trying to attack, and Kaleb dodged. But the more we moved, the more relaxed I came. I was nervous about hitting Kaleb, but he was quick on his feet, moving out of the way each time.
I shoved my elbow back, connecting with the pad. I felt his other arm wrap around my middle, tugging me back against him. I used the momentum of my legs and knocked us both backward. I used my magic and threw my power into the fist, as I slammed it into the pad.
I heard Kaleb groan, and I looked back, realizing I had hit him instead of the pad. “Oh my god!”
Kaleb groaned as pain crossed his face. I quickly turned, pulling my hands free. “Oh shit! Are you okay!? Oh my god.”
He waved his hand. “Give me a second.” I watched him take a few deep breaths in as he rubbed at his stomach. “You definitely are magical.”
I frowned. “This is not the time to joke. Are you okay?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. It just took me by surprise.”
I sighed, relieved as he wiped at his stomach. “But damn, Nora. You are some power behind your magic.”
I blushed. “You think so?”
He nodded. “Yeah, knocked the air out of me.” He pulled myself up, starting to unstrap the pads from his arm. “And you are better than you think. Working on a frozen target isn’t going to work on you. You need movement.”
I felt my magic simmer beneath my skin, unable to deny his point.
“Thank you,” I said softly.
“It’s okay to ask for help, Nora. There is nothing wrong with it.” Kaleb pulled his shirt up, and I could see a red mark over his abs. “Damn, that might bruise.”
I couldn’t help but smirk. I was a little proud of it. It was the first time I felt like I was actually doing something right.
Brandon smiled. “I do have one question, though.”
“Yeah?”
“When were you going to tell me you adopted a dog?”
My stomach dipped, and I remembered that Mike had threatened to drop Charlie off this morning.
I cringed. “I was going to tell you. Please tell me Mike didn’t drop him off.”
“I will say I didn’t open the door to Mike holding a dog and saying happy adoption day.”
I hung my head and sighed. “Sorry. If you don’t want me to keep him, I can tell Mike.”
Kaleb frowned. “Why would you do that?”
“Because it’s your house and I was going to ask before I made the final decision.”
“Nora, it’s our house, and if you want a dog, you can have a dog. I don’t mind.”
My head snapped up. “Really?”
He nodded, throwing his bag over his shoulder. “Besides, he makes you happy. I couldn’t take that away from you.”
Kaleb helped me train every afternoon for the next few weeks. Kaleb was stricter the more he worked with me. He always corrected me when I made a mistake or offered advice on how to turn the match in my favor.
I was getting faster and managing to hit him with my magic more quickly.
I learned how to roll the electricity between my fingers and hold it in my hand.
Kaleb helped me learn to read my body and how to push myself.
The better I got, the more confident I became.
I practice alone in the mornings, working on my form and aim.
I used empty cans and hit them. Jade and I practiced together when we had time, but if not, Kaleb was always there as an extra hand that I didn’t know I wanted.
I lay down in the grass, feeling every muscle in my body screaming. “Do you need a minute?” Kaleb asked, standing above me with a smug grin.
I flicked him off. “Give me a moment to catch my breath.”
Kaleb laughed as he rolled his shoulders, looking in his element. I sat up and stared at him. I’d been watching his form every day, taking in each step and movement he took. “You’re very good.”
Kaleb paused, giving me a quizzical expression. “Thanks for the compliment?”
“No, I mean you’re really good. Are you like this because of the training you took for the special ops?”
Kaleb frowned, and I could see something cross his face for a moment. He shook his head. “No. I trained with my dad growing up. He was very strict. Wanted perfect form.”
I frowned. “You don’t train like him, though.” I heard enough about Jade and Brandon’s parents to know what they were like. Brandon and Kaleb were very different from their dads.
“That’s because I don’t like the way he trains.
” Kaleb sat down on the ground. “He would work me into the ground. He woke me up at five in the morning and had me start with a five-mile run. Then we did sparring, where he would beat me until I had no energy left. My muscles ached constantly, and I wanted to quit all the time. As if his training was enough, he would talk about how I needed to be better. How, if I wanted to be worthy, I had to prove it.”
I always knew Dale was an ass, but I never knew just how big of one he was.
“He had me doing training mentally as well. He would give me examples of situations and ask how I would handle them. Mothers in a burning building or saving your friend from a killer. Give me budgets and ask me where the money needs to be routed. The answers he wanted were always twisted. He viewed the men above women, and wanted to drill that into me.”
I chewed on my lip, hating the way his face changed when he spoke about his father. You could see there was little love in his eyes. “You’re not your father.”
He didn’t respond right away. He looked across the yard instead. “I have my days, Nora. Brandon has had to correct me plenty of times. When we left, I had a lot of relearning to do.”
I could see the pain in his eyes. “I work hard not to be like my father, but I’ve gone dark places. I’d done things that my father would smile at. Things that stir my stomach. I don’t want to settle down because I don’t want to turn into my father. I do it to protect others from me.”
“Kaleb, you’re not a horrible person.”
Kaleb offered me a gentle smile. “Aren’t I? If my father knew that I was using you like this, he would pat my back. Because in the end, there are some things you can’t unlearn.”
I stiffened, hating how deeply he was clearly hurting. I wanted to help fix it, help make him understand that he wasn’t what he thought he was. But how could I help him when I couldn’t even help myself?