36. Limits
Chapter thirty-six
Limits
I wipe the sweat from my brow, rolling my shoulders as I take a steadying breath. The air is crisp, but the exertion has already warmed my skin.
Across from me, Zander and Ash stand waiting with matching grins on their faces, grins that promise they are about to make me regret showing up today.
“You’re getting cocky,” Ash says, tossing a dagger from one hand to the other. “Might be time to knock you down a few pegs.”
Zander chuckles, stretching his arms over his head. “Or maybe we should take it easy on her today. She’s had a rough week.”
I narrow my eyes, stepping onto the worn dirt of our makeshift training ground. “Don’t insult me. If either of you goes easy, I’ll make you regret it.”
Ash whistles. “Feisty.”
Zander cracks his knuckles. “Alright, then. No holding back.”
I barely have time to react before Ash lunges, faster than I anticipate.
I twist away, but his blade is already coming for me, only to be intercepted by the clang of my own dagger.
The force of it vibrates up my arm, and I don’t hesitate.
I shove forward, breaking his stance just as Zander sweeps in from my other side.
I drop low, narrowly dodging a strike aimed at my ribs, before spinning to face them both.
Their grins widen.
Ash barely gives me time to reset before he comes at me again, his dagger flashing as he aims for my shoulder. I block with my own, twisting my wrist to redirect the force of his strike, before I can counter, Zander is there, quick and unrelenting. He aims low, sweeping my legs out from under me.
I barely manage to catch myself before hitting the ground, rolling with the momentum, and springing back to my feet.
My breath comes faster now, my muscles burning from the effort.
They aren’t holding back. Good.
Ash smirks. “Still standing?”
“Still kicking,” I reply.
Zander doesn’t wait for me to catch my breath. He lunges, closing the distance between us in a blink. I anticipate his strike, raising my blade, but at the last second, he feints left and slams his forearm against mine, forcing my weapon from my grip—the dagger clatters against the dirt.
“Shit,” I mutter.
Zander’s victory is short-lived. I twist into his hold, using my smaller size to slip under his arm, then drive my elbow into his ribs. He grunts, stumbling back just enough for me to drop low and kick his legs out from under him.
He hits the ground hard, and before I can savor the moment, Ash is on me. He grabs my wrist, twisting it behind my back as he yanks me flush against him. “Not bad,” he murmurs against my ear. “But you’re down a weapon. And now you’re caught.”
I snarl, shifting my weight before slamming my heel down on his foot. He hisses in pain, his grip loosening just enough for me to wrench free. I turn sharply, my fist already swinging. He barely dodges, but I still catch his jaw with a glancing blow.
Zander is back on his feet now, rubbing his ribs with an amused glint in his eyes. “Alright, no more playing around.”
He and Ash circle me, their movements slow and calculated.
I flex my hands, my breath coming in steady pulls. The smart thing would be to back off, to create distance, and strategize.
But I’m not feeling smart. I am feeling reckless.
So I charge first. I go for Zander, feigning high before dropping low and ramming my shoulder into his core.
He isn’t expecting it, I feel the second of unbalance before he rights himself, catching my waist and flipping me clean off my feet. I hit the ground hard, the wind momentarily knocked from my lungs.
Ash is there in an instant, dropping onto me and pinning my wrists above my head. “Yield?” he asks, grinning down at me.
I grit my teeth, twisting beneath him, but his grip is solid. “Never,” I hiss.
His grin widens. “Good answer.”
Then Zander drops down beside us, shaking his head with a smirk. “You’re getting better, but you still let your emotions lead you.”
I huff a breath, feeling the strain in my muscles. “And yet, neither of you had an easy time taking me down.”
Ash chuckles, finally releasing my wrists and standing. He offers me a hand, which I take grudgingly. “Fair enough.”
Zander claps me on the back once I am on my feet. “You keep this up, and you might actually survive this war.”
I roll my eyes. “Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.”
But despite the ache in my limbs and the dirt clinging to my skin, a slow satisfaction settles in my chest. I am getting stronger.
I am learning.
“Come on, sunshine,” Ash grins. “Just you and me.”
Zander steps back, giving us space, but not without a knowing smirk. He crosses his arms over his chest, his blue eyes glinting with anticipation as they flick between Ash and me. “This should be fun,” he muses.
Ash cracks his neck, rolling his shoulders before settling into a fighting stance. “No distractions this time. Just you and me. Power against power.”
I meet his gaze, determination flaring in my chest. “Hope you're ready to eat dirt.”
He smirks. “Make me.”
Then, without warning, the ground beneath my feet shifts, no, not shifts, pulls. My stomach lurches as gravity twists under Ash’s command, dragging me forward as if an invisible hand has grabbed me. I barely manage to plant my feet against the relentless force, dragging me faster than I can react.
I have no choice, I let the pull take me, waiting until the last second before using it to my advantage.
With a sharp twist of my body, I turn the momentum into a spin, sweeping my leg at Ash’s.
But he is ready. The gravity around him reverses just as my kick should have landed, sending him airborne for a fraction of a second before he comes down hard, twisting midair to avoid my attack.
I barely have a second to think before he throws his hand out again, doubling the pressure. My knees buckle, my body feeling like lead as the weight of his magic threatens to slam me into the ground.
I’m not done yet.
I take a sharp breath and release a pulse of sound, focused and controlled. The air around me trembles as I direct the vibration at the ground beneath us. The earth cracks, the sudden shockwave disrupting Ash’s hold for just a moment.
It is all I need.
I push forward, closing the distance between us with a burst of speed. Ash barely has time to raise his hands before I send another soundwave directly at him. It isn’t enough to harm, just enough to rattle.
He stumbles back, shaking his head as if trying to clear it. “Damn,” he mutters, blinking. “That’s a nasty trick.”
I grin. “You’re just mad it worked.”
His smirk returns, sharp and predatory. “Oh, I’m not mad.”
Then the ground beneath me disappears.
A yelp tears from my throat as the gravity around my feet suddenly reverses, sending me up instead of down. I flail, trying to reorient myself midair, but before I can react, the force shifts again, slamming me back down toward the dirt.
At the last second, I let out another soundwave, cushioning my fall just enough that I roll with the impact instead of crashing into the ground. I am on my feet again in seconds, panting, my pulse racing with exhilaration.
Ash grins, eyes alight with a challenge. “Again?”
I wipe the sweat from my brow and smirk. “Oh, you know I’m not done yet.”
Zander chuckles from the sidelines, arms still crossed. “You two are going to destroy this whole damn clearing.”
“Maybe,” Ash admits, tossing a glance my way. “If she can keep up.”
I don’t even hesitate.
I let out another blast of sound, aiming straight for his chest. It is pressure, a focused wave of vibration I can shape with every bit of concentration I have. The fight isn’t over yet. And this time, I am ready.
I can feel the resonance in my bones as the blast shoots out, the frequency of it building as I focus on directing it.
When I release it, the force of it slams into him with enough power to rattle the ground beneath us.
The feedback echoes in my mind, but I’ve learned to control it, bending it to my will.
The sound is my extension, my shield, and my weapon all at once, an invisible force that can disorient, incapacitate, or devastate.
Ash barely manages to regain himself before my soundwave hits again, forcing him to dig his heels into the dirt.
The air between us vibrates, and for a moment, I think I have the upper hand.
But then he twists his fingers in a subtle motion, and suddenly, I am yanked sideways as gravity shifts again.
I grit my teeth, adjusting as quickly as I can. I have learned that fighting Ash isn’t about resisting his power. It’s about adapting to it. The moment I let myself move with it instead of against it, I find my balance again.
We clash in the center of the clearing, exchanging blows between bursts of power. I send sharp pulses of vibration through the air, trying to throw him off, while he uses gravity to make every step heavier, every motion harder to execute. My muscles burn with exertion, but I’m not backing down.
Ash’s next move sends me flying back. I barely twist in time to land on my feet, skidding across the dirt. I am breathing hard, sweat dripping down my temple, but I am ready for another round.
And then Zander steps forward. “Alright, alright,” he drawls, rolling his shoulders. “You two have had your fun. My turn.”
Ash and I both turn to him, our chests rising and falling in uneven gasps. I narrow my eyes, wiping my forehead. “You sure you wanna get in the middle of this?”
He smirks. “What, afraid I’ll embarrass you?”
I snort. “More like the other way around.”
Zander just shrugs, stepping into the space between us like he has all the time in the world. “Let’s see what you’ve got, then.”
Ash and I exchange a glance before we both launch at him at the same time, no hesitation, no warning. He has been standing on the sidelines, running his mouth. He deserves to be put on his ass.