Chapter Thirty-One
A tall build takes up the size of the door frame. I feel the colour drain from my cheeks and I can’t help but gasp. It’s Alex.
“What are you doing here?” I edge slowly away from him, creating more space between us.
He takes a menacing step forward, bridging the gap with hunger in his eyes. In a fiery rage, he flips the sofa, making me flinch. This isn’t good.
“I followed you here. Think I haven’t noticed you sneaking around?” he snarls with bitterness, and his eyes eat away at my soul.
I gasp when his hand ignites with a white-hot flame.
“I seem to be the only one who sees you for what you are.” His jaw clenches tight. “A freak.” His words cut deep. I am a freak.
“Look… I don’t want any trouble,” I say, shuffling backwards, away from his towering frame. I could just portal out of here, but then I’d be putting another target on my back.
“I think it’s time someone puts you in your place…Asha Calloway.”
I can see the rage in his eyes, the same rage that bubbled when he was fighting Abel. The same rage that pummelled the life out of him and left him bloodied in the sand, but this time, he has his Gifts, and he does not look afraid to use them.
“Calm down, Alex, you don’t want to do something you might regret.” I try to reason with him. My light worker Gifts are no match for his. His orbs are twice the size of mine, and I know he can hold them for longer than I can.
“I won’t calm down until you get what’s coming to you.”
He smiles a menacing smile and throws his orb in my direction. It launches towards me like a bullet and knocks me off balance. It singes a few strands of my hair and crashes into the brick wall beside me.
“I want a rematch. No cheating with the sand this time and no teachers to break up the party.” His voice rumbles with anger as I pull myself up and wipe the dust off my clothes.
“I’m not going to fight you, Alex.” I avoid eye contact with him and begin walking towards the door. I do not have time for this.
“Not so fast.”
Alex moves quickly and reaches the door before me.
He spins around, and I hear the lock click.
He’s got me trapped. His cold hands push at my chest with force, and I tumble back down to the floor again.
My blood begins to boil; my eyes harden as I look up at his smug face.
I hate him. I hate him so fucking much. My skin feels hot, like it is going to sizzle and peel off, and I fight the urge to erupt.
I have to stifle my anger. I can already feel the pot bubbling over, and I know my portal is trying to manifest. I swallow the feeling down and try to take the moral high road.
“Let me go, Alex,” I groan as I push myself off the cold ground and take to my feet again. I refuse to fight him right now. I can’t risk letting him see my Star Gifts.
“Fight me, and I’ll let you go.”
He pushes me again, and my arms confront him. I’ve had enough of this.
“You really want me to fight you? Were two visits to the healing quarters not enough?” I torment through gritted teeth.
He growls and salivates like a rabid dog torpedoeing another ball of fire towards me. I duck out the way, dodging it only by an inch. I hear it crash and burn a hole into the bookcase behind me. I chuckle at his poor aim, knowing I am getting under his skin.
“You think this is funny?” He laughs loudly. “You won’t be laughing when I’m done with you.”
Another orb launches my way, and I struggle to move out of the way in time.
I wince in pain as it singes my forearm.
The skin sizzles and blisters. I console my arm and create more space between us.
Now I’m really angry. I channel my hate for him into an orb of my own, and I scream as I propel the rage-filled ball of fire his way, and I swear I see him smile.
His hand reaches up and cradles my orb in his palm like it is nothing.
I look down, embarrassed at my feeble attempt to burn him.
He has had his Gifts for longer than me, and it shows.
“You’re weak, Asha.”
He cradles my orb in his hand, and it dances for him. I fire another at him, but he catches it again. Now, both of my orbs float iridescently in his palms at his command. He chuckles menacingly as they increase in size. I look around frantically, trying to plan my next move.
“Any last words?”
My eyes meet with the burgundy sofa he flipped earlier; it may just be strong enough to shelter me from the strike.
I make a run for it, but his eyes trace mine and map out my exact moves.
My ribs cry out as I crash behind the shelter of the sofa with a thump, and a searing pain pierces my thigh.
I look down and examine the burnt hole in my grey tracksuit bottoms, revealing my pink and blistered skin underneath.
The orbs made contact. Residual flames dance around the perimeter of the hole in the fabric, and I have to use my hand to hastily pat the fire out.
I can’t help but wince every time I make contact with my wound.
My body stings, and the pain eats away at me.
It hurts so bad I could scream, but I stop myself by placing my hand over my mouth.
I don’t want to give him the satisfaction.
“Give up yet?” he taunts.
I have to come up with a reason to stop him from using his Gifts; otherwise, I don’t stand a chance.
“My Gifts are weaker than yours. Big deal. You’ve had them longer. I could still beat you with my bare hands.” I throw out some bait and wait patiently for him to hook.
“Wanna test that theory?” he bites.
“I thought you would never ask.”
I grit my teeth as I rise to my feet and stifle the pain, stumbling a little because of the damage to my leg. This shouldn’t be too hard; I beat him before. I position myself and wait for his predictable charge, but he doesn’t move; he just smiles.
“Don’t be shy. Come closer.” He beckons me with his finger, and I get nervous. I step around the sofa leg and give in to his taunts. If he wants a fight, I will give him one.
“Don’t you have better things to do, Alex?” I say as I approach him in a fight stance. My ribs are tender, and I really hope he doesn’t land a punch there.
“What? Better than this? I don’t think so.”
With force, he swings for me, and I duck, avoiding the hit before landing one on his rib cage and backing off. He doubles over briefly and then straightens his posture, returning to a fighter stance.
“That was just a lucky hit.”
I give him a wink, which infuriates him.
Adrenaline dulls the pain as I approach him again. We are circling each other in the office, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Be smart about this, Asha. If he gets ahold of you, he will not stop.
‘Think with your head, not your fists.’ My father’s words affirm in my mind again.
I mirror his feet to try to predict what his next attack is going to be.
He lunges again with all his force, his face more furious than I have ever seen.
I think he does a memorised move because he pulls it off so well; one quick jab with his left fist, one with his right and then a much harder jab from his left again.
I manage to avoid the first, but the second two connect with my stomach and my jaw, making my head swing round and my body fall to the floor.
I taste iron in my mouth and wince as I touch my bloodied lip.
The mixture of adrenaline and anger is like morphine.
I will not let the pain get to me. Using the back of my hand, I wipe the excess blood from the corner of my mouth.
Alex is leisurely taking his time walking over to me, his footsteps heavy and fierce.
I turn onto my back to face him as he towers over me.
“Turns out little Asha is not as big and bad as she thinks,” he taunts as he grabs me by my ankle and pulls me into the centre of the room. I kick out at him, but he is too strong. He lets go and entices me onto my feet again.
“Come on, it’s not gonna be over that easily.”
I shakily rise to my feet and assume a fighter stance again.
My jaw throbs from his last hit. I definitely underestimated Alex.
Part of me just wants to suck him up into Astra Nova and lock him away forever, but I stop myself.
I can do this. I hold my stomach with my head bowed, checking for any significant injuries.
When I realise there are no broken bones, I charge at him as fast as my feet will carry me.
He changes his stance to welcome me, probably expecting me to throw a punch, but I don’t.
I spook him with a phantom jab from my right fist, making him dodge to the left.
Exactly as I predicted he would. I turn my run into a slide and kick his right ankle during his move, resulting in him collapsing to the floor.
He hits the floor with a bang, and a groan escapes his mouth.
Before he can register his fall, I jump on top of him, fuelled by anger and resentment, and throw punch after punch in his direction.
A few punches stick and snap his head into the concrete, but he is stronger than me and gets a hold of my wrists, throwing me off and forcing me to slide on the hard floor.
My back and head hit the cold wall with force.
I grunt at the pressure of his push as the pain vibrates down my neck and spine.
My vision blurs slightly from the blunt force trauma to the back of my head.
My body feels weak, and I can’t see this ending well.
Alex rises and walks over to me. In my state, I see three of him. I try to make out which is the real him, but I fear it’s impossible. His movements make me feel sick, and saliva wells in my mouth. I hear him laughing at me, tormenting me. His voice rings like needles in my ears.
“You put up a good fight, Calloway, I must say.”
He towers over me, but I am too weak to respond. Now is the part where I would use my portal, but I don’t feel strong enough to wield it.
“Shame it will be your last.” With a snide grin, he launches a kick to my chest. My torso curls into his attack, and I hear my bones crunch on impact.
I cough and splutter as the wind is knocked out of me.
The adrenaline is gone now; all I feel is pain.
My body aches with defeat, and the iron taste in my mouth is overpowering.
With the last remaining energy I have, I work at crawling away from him, but he just follows me and intimidates me with his presence.
I cannot beat him. I am slowly losing consciousness.
I lay cowardly in a fetal position, trying to shield my body from any more of his fierce attacks.
He crouches down beside me and runs his finger around the side of my face.
“You are so beautiful, you know, shame about your personality.”
His boot connects with my stomach, and I cry out in agony.
I manage to mumble a small “fuck you” as I make out through the blur, a bright orange ball of light cradled in his hand.
“A-Alex we said no Gifts,” I stutter, the pain in my head drowning out my own voice.
“No, you said no Gifts.”
The glow increases, and I bury my head in my hands.
“You’ve won, so you can leave this now,” I plead with him, but the fury in his eyes is still present.
“You burnt me alive, Asha, now you’re going to suffer just how I suffered… Only no one will find you down here.”
I try to conjure my Gifts, any one of them…but in my weakened state, nothing is working. This is it. Defeated by Alex Rotherman.