24. Between a Rock and Hard Muscle #3
In a photo snap, the glow vanishes, leaving me standing in Rebirth’s attire. Shouting praises to myself, I see Alex turn. “Check it out. Full school uniform.” Giving him a little spin, I show no mistakes down to the pants.
“Well done.” He smiles, and it vanishes in an instant. “Now, again. This time, give me something that’s not in your closet. You’re a creation fay–Create.” His squinting leer reveals his determination for me.
“What do you have in mind?”
He pauses before answering, a cautious observation. “Anything you create will look amazing. I’m not opposed.” Ohhhh, is this him flirting?
I take a moment and ponder, going over mental outfits like I’m swiping through ‘Pinterest’ and envisioning something worth his acclaim. Then it hits, and warm energy courses around me, molding and brightening with my signature color before dimming and revealing the surprise.
A complete replica of Alex’s outfit but instead of his tough boots, I’m wearing heels, matching the thin leather gloves over my knuckles. His lips part as he scans me with dilated pupils and a complimentary stare.
“You look amazing–I mean, you did amazing.” Clearing his throat, he continues, “I’m impressed.” I smirk at his bashfulness and view the pink skin around his neck flushed with blood. My aura rotates and thrums with the mellow caress of his own, trailing over my arms like a job-well-done.
He takes a second, admiring the female version of his wardrobe, noting everything down to my heels. These jeans emphasize my thighs and are perhaps a little too tight. “What’s next?” I ask, feeling like there is nothing I can’t create, beaming with glee.
“Now our practice becomes…more advanced.”
He calls upon his ability, and our matching outfits are no more, depleting my smile.
Glitters of dark power twine through Alex’s fingers, guiding the redacted light and bending it to his will. It vanishes, and he stands with his broad shoulders locked. He now wears a fitted workout shirt, black gloves, and charcoal color sweats to match his shoes.
He instructs me to do the same and watches as my aura layers over my Hawaiian Roll skin. Crimson light sparkles and vanishes in a blink, leaving a full set of workout gear in its place, a sweatshirt and tights, with no sign of my House’s emblem.
“Once again, good job.” He claps. “If you haven’t noticed, your magic went from surrounding you, to covering just your skin. Remember this sensation when creating more precise objects.”
“Understood.” I relish in his admiration.
“Practice more in your room, and for now, we’ll start the next step,” he says behind a dark expression.
“You’ll need more than knowing how to change your appearance if you plan on surviving.
There’re enemies lurking around Rebirth with your name written as a death wish. So, we fight and hone your skills.”
My pulse shoots for the stars as I take in his logic. I can’t argue. It makes sense, but Ethan beat me up and down this floor. What does he expect me to do against him? And I’m still unaware of his House or the scale of his abilities.
Basing it off the one encounter against Gina, I know I’ll be seeing Elizabeth in my near future.
“Can we start slow?”
“No.” That single word births an extreme amount of unease.
The confidence I once had shatters at viewing him stretching his head from side to side as nerves cause my hands to shake.
“You’ll learn offensive and defensive magic in tandem.
Forget your lessons and focus on creating.
I’ll attack, you defend and try countering. ”
Alex draws close, dark magic pouring from the twitch of his fingers.
“Wait, wait–wait. Wouldn’t it be better to learn one first?” My throat bobs against the vein in my neck.
“Ideally, yes, but we don’t have time. You need to learn the bare minimum of both and practice until it’s second nature. Do you need a demonstra–”
“Yes.” Responding in haste, I try to be honest, but I’m tangled with dread. “I’m a visual learner.” Widening my eyes, I attempt using innocence to sway his answer. He leers a bit longer and huffs.
“Very well.” Yes. “Whenever you’re ready, attack me with your strongest magic. I can take it.”
He grins, taking up a defensive position, one hand behind his back and eyes alert to my every movement. I’ve never used magic for attacking and botched it in Yasmine’s class, so this will be a first.
Alex readies himself, yelling for me to concentrate, to feel my creation and transition it from my mind. I remember other students using their magic as weapons, but I don’t want to recreate their abilities. If it’s even possible.
I’m without any of their traditional magic. All four flames were extinguished by my aura, so we’re trespassing into unknown territory. But he insists I won’t hurt him, and as the fay of creation, who better to practice on than a fay strong enough to take it?
When conjuring an ability, light surrounds us as though it’s an extension of ourselves. What if I can somehow sculpt it into a weapon, chiseling away to construct the perfect tool? An idea lands, and my aura expands at the image reflecting my thoughts.
A bright flash of surging energy flows out of me, casting four ruby, crescent blades of pure light, and I gasp at my own creation, feeling their energy pulse as they hover, surrounding me with protection.
I look for Alex’s response, snaring him with a prideful stare, when my blades fly towards him at an alarming speed. Covering the distance in under a second, they detonate on impact, not giving him a chance to defend.
“Alex!” My lungs burn from an exaggerated gasp, and I race his way before the smoke clears. Pleading with whatever God will listen, I beg I haven’t killed him. “Can you hear me?” I search frantically as hysteria takes root. “Alex!”
“What…Did I say about yelling?” His velvety tone slides past a cloud of smoke, subduing my excited heart from turning into a full-on panic attack. He steps beyond the soot, smirking. “I’m fine.”
The sight of him soothes my pulse yet sparks a rage of fury within me. “Why did you take so long to answer me?” Pushing against his chest, I yell, “Don’t play like that. I was worried!” I don’t apologize for caring if he lived or not.
“You’re still yelling, Kyra.” He straightens the wrinkles from his shirt and exhales, eyeing where my hands landed.
“What an impressive and explosive attack.” Turning around, he gestures a flick, and lightning sparks.
A slit opens, ciphering the smoke, and it closes once it rids the room of any traces from my attack.
So that’s what happened to Gina’s clone? More questions with zero answers. At least not yet.
“Which means, you can only use this attack when planning to destroy your opponent. Unless…” Alex faces me, his lips shifting into a mischievous grin. “You meant to destroy me.”
I squint at his audacity, boring a hole through those argentine eyes. “Shut up. You told me to come up with an attack, so I did. I didn’t know it would explode.” Feeling traces of his magic dance along my skin, I shiver, raising the hairs along my arm, and vibrations shoot down my spine.
“True, but it took one of my largest and strongest shields to defend against it. I sensed how much aura you pushed out, and luckily for me, I’m not a weak fay, bringing back the reasons why you can’t use this attack on anyone outside a thousand-point ranking.
You’ll kill them on top of not having control over how much aura you use.
I’m sure you felt the tug from your creation draining your energy. ”
I shudder. My intentions were never to kill anyone. Not again. There must be another way to win battles without becoming a…murderer. But I nod, agreeing my stamina drained from one attack and to not using the large crescent blades.
Alex returns my motion, waving a hand and replacing his stainless shirt for another. Right, he hates being touched. I plan on apologizing later. “Good, you understand. Now, try again. This time, bring it down a notch.” He chuckles.
“You seem impressed. One point for House Death.” Grinning, I reinitiate the spirited atmosphere.
Afterall, he makes it easy. “Okay, let me know when you’re ready.
” Flexing my fingers and resisting a smirk that forms anyway, I ready myself, still proud I created something new, even if it almost killed him. A surprise I’ll save for you know who.
“You’re impressive. Amazing even.” He tilts an invisible hat. “And I’m ready. Show me.”
Taking his compliment as fuel, I think about my plan. If my last attack was too powerful, what can I create to save energy? A dagger? Remembering how Ethan treated my body like a punching bag, I wish to end him and am pleased when an idea sparks .
I jog back to my spot and turn. “Okay, I’m attacking now.”
“Don’t announce it, just attack,” he instructs.
Without another word, thoughts of twelve-inch daggers set my palms ablaze, tickling with crimson hues, and a dozen of them spawn forth.
They surround me with the same red glow.
My beautiful creations glint as I reach out to touch one and watch as it ripples with humming energy.
Cute and deadly. I note only a fraction of my aura is used.
“Do it.” Alex growls. His excitement breathes life into my own.
On his command, my babies fly, one after the other in an onslaught of attacks. I watch Alex summon a group of miniature, jet-black sigils in front of him. An anticipated thrill blooms within my chest.
He smiles, and excitement beams off his features when my daggers collide into his sigils, reflecting each one back, returning them at a much greater speed. “Shit!” I squeal. Feeling the wind of one shave past my cheek, I hit the floor, shielding my head.
As they clash into the back wall, a chain of explosions detonates, and strong arms wrap me in a protective cocoon, deflecting chunks of marble soaring across the training room.
“What the fuck!” I shout over the echo of chaos. Dust plumes, and I hold my breath, awaiting its end. How could I have been so reckless?
Time lapses until the rubble and wreckage subside. My chest pounds out of fright and nearly meeting my doom as a breeze flutters the air, and those embracing arms disengage.
“Stand up, Kyra. Without yelling,” Alex orders, and I peek through my arms. He stands with his folded, peering down with an inquiring declaration. The dust is no longer in sight.
“Are you insane? I could’ve been hurt,” I scold, erecting my posture and assessing the damage. My veins palpitate. Drowning out this excessive ringing, I gawk at the destruction. “Noo, Rebecca’s going to kill me when she sees this.”
“It’s fine.” Alex chuckles, and on command, the walls begin patching themselves, filling the holes and becoming anew like nothing happened. “Now, let’s continue and stop yelling,” he says, turning away and placing distance between us.
A sigh of relief washes past, and I try putting this mishap behind me since he rushed to my aid and shielded me, which is crazy because he was all the way over there.
“Are you ready?” he asks, pulling my attention.
“Yeah, but what’s your verdict on my latest move?”
“It’s good. Powerful without overusing your aura.
Try creating one dagger at a time and staggering them when you fire.
Keep one by your side for a delay or counterattack.
Perfect this technique, and the handling of your magic will increase.
But for now, you’ll defend. Create a shield and maintain it while I attack. ”
Damn, Alex gives great advice unlike Ethan’s stupid ass. “Perhaps I overestimated your abilities.” Shut up. I roll my eyes.
“Kyra, sometime while the moon has its glow?”
“Right-Right. One second.” I stomp out all traces of Ethan’s voice.
I’m defending, but Yasmine’s class was a mystery when it came to shields. A fluke which I’m not inclined to repeat. So, what’s strong enough to guard me from anything? A cement or marble wall? A knight’s shield or circular dome?
My brows furrow, mentally swiping through ideas like a ‘Tinder’ profile, until one presents itself worth trying. I grin.
Power tugs from my aura, encompassing me, and a dragon’s wing materializes, made of thick, translucent crystals, ruby red and sparkling light. Curving around me, it protects my front.
“Yes.” Sensing a strain on my aura, I recognize it isn’t nearly what the crescent blades cost. I can maintain it despite my muscles cramping from fatigue. It’s doable.
Alex claps once more. “Let’s test it, shall we?”
“Don’t announce, just attack.” I regift his words with one hell of a simper. He smirks, channeling his magic, and multiple dark clouds appear. They are no bigger than my body and occupy the space between us.
Uhhh what the fuck is this? Now I question my shield’s integrity.
I fortify my dragon’s wing with more magic as blasts of lightning expel from his summons. A galaxy of blacks, purples, blues, and greens head for my shield, slamming into it with enough force to push me back.
“What is he a baby Zeus?” I grunt against the pressure.
“Focus, Kyra. This is a test of will,” he projects over the sounds of crackling magic. “If you’re pulling too much from your aura, use the momentum and counter.” A great plan, but hard to accomplish against his strength.
Another blast hits, and cracks slither from the impact, weakening my shield and causing me to buckle. “Damn, already? This isn’t good.” How am I supposed to counter when I’m caught up in protecting myself, avoiding whips of lighting?
Alex flicks a hand, and once more, a direct hit drives me back and spawns more fractures. Setting my fatigued muscles ablaze, I know the effects of overuse are coming into play, and I wince. He is relentless, pounding away and not giving a chance for me to respond.
Another flash of purple hurdles towards a running crack, and my shield shatters, breaking into glitters of crimson light and tossing me on my ass. “Fuck,” I cry. Pain runs with the heat of my boiling blood. I failed, yet again.
“You’re dead,” he voices, towering above with a disapproving expression.
I huff, letting gravity pull me backwards and not bothering with a response.
How’d he get over here so fast again anyway?
Asshole. “Regardless, you did amazing, but we’llkeep going until you feel confident.
” He strolls off, leaving my pride wounded.
“Oh, and Kyra, that’s one point for House Death. ”
“Wait what!” Shooting up, I meet his smirk.