Chapter 55 #2
I sat down beside him once I finished healing his muscle. I could feel Zion watching us from across the room as a shadow fell over my feet.
“Who’s going to be your familiar for the Lúmiran festival?” Aish asked, changing the subject.
“Mine’s my grandmother,” Hiro replied. “She’s always been the familiar for all her grandkids—couldn’t be any different for me.”
“Mine’s unfortunately going to be my mother,” Breno muttered with a grimace. “I don’t even know how that’s going to work, but she insisted on taking the spot.”
After what Breno had told me about the agreement with the nation, even I felt a wave of disgust toward Natali. I took his hand, knowing how much his mother’s history weighed on him—it was something that cut him deep.
“My mother’s going to be my familiar too,” Aish said with a smile, tossing her braids over her shoulder. “She’s been waiting for this since I joined the academy—amperianas and their pride in their children.”
All three turned to me, waiting for me to say something.
“My familiar’s going to be Zion,” I whispered so he wouldn’t hear. All three stared at me in surprise—I could practically see the questions forming in their heads.
“So, have you two done the deed yet?” Hiro asked. I gaped at his bluntness while all three of them looked at me and cackled like hyenas.
“Such delicacy. No, it hasn’t happened yet, but we’re getting there.”
“For the love of the gods, zoozi. I’ve already slept with six people since we kissed, and you’re still a virgin.”
Hiro and I stared at her like we couldn’t process what she’d just said. Hiro was frozen, only his chest moving as he swallowed down the surprise and pain written all over his face.
Naoki and Ethan’s fight ended—Ethan won—and the four of us applauded automatically.
“Aish and Hiro,” Zion called out, snapping the big guy out of his daze. “Get on the mat.”
I wanted to smack Zion for pairing them up again—the timing couldn’t have been worse—but from the look in his eyes, I realized this might be a test to see if Hiro would hesitate.
Zion never chose opponents at random; every match was carefully weighted toward what he thought would teach them the most. But this wasn’t a good moment.
The two stared at each other. No smiles, no jokes.
Hiro was still trying to pull himself together—it looked like someone had shot an arrow straight through his heart.
They climbed onto the mat in silence and took their positions, trying to focus on the fight.
“Begin,” Zion ordered.
Aish attacked first, quick as a snake, and Hiro blocked.
She moved around him like a blur of motion—punches, kicks, elbows.
Aish had an entire arsenal of strikes, some I'd never seen before.
It was the Amperian style of fighting: speed-based attacks directed at the body's vital points.
They liked to wear down their opponent by hitting sensitive spots until an opening appeared for the final blow, but Hiro blocked perfectly and the strikes didn't even faze him.
They might as well have been nothing. He was focused but wasn't attacking.
This went on for a few minutes, and I stood up to get a better view.
I noticed when Aish started to pant and realized what Hiro was doing.
He was turning her own trick against her—his blocks weren't hard because his sheer strength gave him the advantage.
Aish would have to attack relentlessly to tire him out.
Soon she caught on too and started putting more force into her punches to break through his defense.
To do that, she had to slow down. Hiro saw the opening and grabbed her arm with such ease that even I was surprised.
She landed kicks and punches on his body, but he absorbed the impacts with his powerful muscles.
In one swift motion, he threw her to the floor face-down, grabbing her neck and sitting on her backside while twisting her arm behind her back and pressing his massive body against her as she lay pinned beneath him.
He could break her arm or choke her if he wanted, but even so, the care he took was obvious.
“Surrender.” I heard him lean in and whisper against her neck.
Aish still writhed, refusing to admit defeat. She'd never lost a fight all semester. She was the only undefeated student.
Was.
I noticed that the more she moved, the more he pressed himself against her. It was a fight, but from a certain angle, it looked... erotic.
“Surrender.” Hiro pressed his body against hers.
There was no way out of this—he outweighed her by about a hundred and thirty pounds. I pressed myself against the protective railing, focused on what was happening. Then I heard Hiro murmur something in her ear, but I couldn't make out the words.
Nothing about that situation made sense, and it made even less when I caught the faint scent of arousal from both of them. At that moment, Zion stepped in, declaring Hiro the winner and shooting an inquisitive look at the two of them as they stormed off the mat.
Δ
When all the fights were finished, Zion called for the class's attention. The students quickly lined up in rows to hear him speak.
“As you know, this is the last class of the semester.
That means next week you'll take the test.” He met the eyes of each student present.
“I want to wish you good luck and tell you I'm certain you'll all pass, because you're capable and you're good.
I'd be proud to have any of you in my squadrons.”
The students whistled, and I smiled at Zion as he tried—and failed—not to look sentimental in front of the class.
That semester, everyone had come to see Zion not as a general but as a coach who genuinely cared about teaching his students well.
Even though the training demanded ridiculous things, no one ever complained to the director.
In fact, the students seemed to love the challenges.
“Use this week off to think about your strategies and to train. Don't forget it'll be three days without food or water, so make sure you know how to hunt and prepare your catch.”
The students nodded, looking a bit worried. I felt relieved—I already knew how to prepare game. When I was little, Joan had taught me how to bleed, clean, and dress an animal. So I didn't need to worry about that.
“I'll see you before the test,” he said, thumping his fist against his chest. “Give it your all. Good luck to everyone!”
We thumped our fists against our chests too, not just in acknowledgment but in gratitude.
We smiled at Zion, and for the first time, he let himself smile back at the class.
A full smile, nothing like the restrained half-smiles he'd give us on some days.
This one was genuinely warm and made some of the girls gasp.
I didn't let myself feel jealous—I couldn't blame them, could I?
Then we were dismissed, and I saw Aish hurrying into the locker room.
Zion started putting away some equipment, and I walked over to him as the students dispersed.
“Hey, General,” I called, tucking my cold hands into my hoodie pocket. His eyes lifted to mine, bright and happy. I watched him lift the weights, and even under his warm layers, I could see his muscles flexing. “Can I ask you something?”
“As long as it's not a kiss, you can ask me anything, sunshine,” he joked, trying to hold back a smile as he carried the training gear to the equipment room. The butterflies in my stomach fluttered their little wings, testing their flight.
“I want to talk to Aish for a bit. It's the last day, you know, and I won't be seeing her as often. Can you pick me up later?”
“Of course. I need to discuss some adjustments to the test with the director, and then I'll come get you.”
“More modifications?” He shot me a sidelong glance.
“Apparently the director wants my opinion on the vials—something about colors and scoring—but I can't talk about it. He asked me to keep it under wraps until the day of the test.”
I nodded, getting ready to leave. But I stopped at the door of the little room, unable to take my eyes off his body.
I took in every inch of Zion, especially that ass that drove me crazy.
Today he wore a dark blue hoodie, and the color made his eyes and hair stand out even more.
With his back to me, he bent down to set the weights on the floor.
On the day of the funeral, I'd touched a good part of his abs and arms, but I was eager to explore more.
I wanted to discover everything—with my hands, mouth, and tongue.
I got so lost in my inappropriate thoughts that I didn't notice him turning toward me.
Now he was staring at me with a crooked smile.
“Like what you see?” he purred. I blinked a few times, snapping out of the trance I'd fallen into.
“I'd like it better with fewer clothes. Definitely not a fan of the cold.”
He slipped his hands into his pockets and approached slowly. When he moved like that, he reminded me of the striped tigers that inhabited the Vinturis canal.
“If there were fewer clothes, what exactly would you do?” Zion stopped inches from my face, making my toes curl as I caught the lust in his gaze.
“I'd probably remove the rest,” I whispered mischievously in his ear.
He bit his lip, trying to hold back a roguish smile. His lashes were black and full, and when he looked at me that way, his eyes went dark and hooded, making things even more interesting.
“You're so naughty, Kyller. Have I mentioned I like that?” His voice sent wild sensations through my body while his scent of sandalwood and night enveloped my mind. “And then what would you do?”
I bit my lip, thinking. Some of my self-confidence wavered. It wasn't like I knew exactly what to do, since I'd never done it before. I figured I'd follow his lead by instinct.
“I'm hoping you'll teach me.” For the first time in our exchange, I felt my cheeks flush, and Zion seemed to like that even more.