Chapter 10 Thayla
Thayla
I try to control my racing heart, but it continues to pick up speed as I glare at Creed’s toned arms crossed over his chest and the two wooden swords strapped to one side of his back.
His stare checks me over just as thoroughly, but there’s no telling what he’s searching for.
“I didn’t. You weren’t paying attention. Let’s go.”
He stomps past me, bowing and laying his forehead against Seismet’s as he goes. “Go where?”
“Training.”
“We train in the mornings.”
“As a group. From now on, you’ll also be training with me in the afternoons. You fucked off too much with your friends the past two mornings.”
“I did not, and I don’t need to train twice a day. That’s ridiculous.”
“Too bad.”
“Too bad my ass. I’m going to the house.”
I spin on my heels, but in two steps, I’m lifted off the ground.
My shriek cuts through the trees and their green blurs by as I’m spun around midair. The bellow falling from me morphs into an oomph as my stomach slams into his shoulder.
Another scream rips from me when I tilt forward far too fast and I grab two handfuls of his ass to steady myself. I swear to the Valories I’m tempted to either bite the shit out of his left cheek or snatch one of the swords from across his other shoulder and stab him.
It doesn’t matter that it’s only made of wood. I could cause some damage.
“Put me down now,” I demand as I try to fight my way out of his grip.
An outraged gasp slips through my lips, but it takes my mind and body a minute to truly register the sting spreading across my ass.
“Did you just spank me?”
That was supposed to sound deadly. Not husky.
“I did. And I’ll do it this entire walk if you keep this shit up. You’re training. End of story.”
I shiver.
Damn it. That’s supposed to piss me off. Not do whatever it’s doing to me.
“You both have betrayed me. Do something about this. Save me.”
Seismet chuffs out a laugh as V ruffles his feathers. I’m trying not to chuckle because the predicament I’m in is the furthest thing from funny, but watching V in his small form sit on top of Seismet’s head is hilarious.
This is a sight to be seen.
The grumpiest god I’ve ever met has me slung over his shoulder as he stomps through the forest. While my two revered companions trail behind us, all nonchalant and shit.
“You don’t need saving. You’re in good hands.”
My groan transforms into a painful grunt as I hit the ground.
“Well, you were.”
“Not funny, Seismet.”
My shout echoes around us and my eyes widen as they fall to the sacred hot spring to my right. I get to my knees and rub my poor throbbing ass as I stare at that beautiful, small but powerful pool of water.
What resembles a snort sounds to my left and I whip my head in that direction, only to find Creed’s face set in stone like he’d never dare let that slip of a noise come out of him.
“You’ve got some nerve. Did you bring me here so I can soak after getting my ass handed to me?”
“Yeah, yeah. Get up and get in position.”
He tosses the wooden sword on the ground a few feet away from me, and I sneer at it, then at him. “No. Not until you learn some manners.”
“Have it your way then.”
I scramble to get to the sword, but I’m too slow.
My muscles’ first reaction is to tense, but I force them to relax as Creed’s massive body plows into mine.
My heart gets stuck in my throat as fear wars with surprised adrenaline. I swallow that down and go with the momentum of his force, allowing my back to hit the ground.
Before he can squash me completely, I thrust my hips, push on his chest, and roll us.
My fist draws back and comes down in a single second, crashing into the grass beside his ear as he moves out of the way just as fast.
“Good, Thayla, but I’m bigger than you, stronger than you.” His hands grip my hips and with fucking core strength that proves his words to be true, he sits us up and slings me backward. My legs wrap around his waist and my arms around his neck as he flips our positions.
“You can’t let me get on top of you. This puts me at an advantage. What are you going to do to get free?”
I do the first thing that comes to mind.
I punch him in his throat.
He grips his neck and wheezes as I bring my knees to my chest, then throttle him to the side.
Despite his struggle to breathe, he gets to his feet as fast as I do.
My fists shake as I bring them up, preparing for whatever he’s going to surprise me with next. My vision blurs on the sides as darkness creeps in, and I can’t get my breathing under control.
He steps toward me, and I step back.
“Thayla,” he says low, holding his hand out. My head jerks at the sound of his voice and I blink through the black haze attempting to take over my mind.
My breath falls from my lips in heavy pants as he lays his palms on top of my painfully clenched fists until I lower them. They instantly go to my knees as I bend over and force air into my lungs.
“Why did you do that?”
“I needed to see what your response would be. Fight, flight, or freeze.”
“A fucking warning would’ve been nice. You said you were training me, not attacking me.”
“I am training you. Do you think an Oblirian, Dark God, half-dead god, or any other fucker in between who wants to hurt you is going to warn you? Head-to-head, sword-to-sword, I don’t doubt your capabilities to hold your own, but we aren’t always going to be in controlled situations.”
I close my eyes and tilt my head toward the sky as I get the slight panic still rushing through my blood under control. Part of me knew the entire time he wasn’t trying to hurt me, but his actions caught me off guard.
My brain and body just reacted.
“Is your throat okay?”
He scoffs, but I swear I catch his lip twitch. “Don’t worry about me. Get your sword and get in position.”
I plan on bitching and moaning about this the entire time. His grumpy ass deserves my attitude, even though I secretly agree, extra training isn’t a bad thing.
I’m very proud of the small progress everyone else has made over the last two mornings, but at the same time…
they have a long way to go. I’ll never say anything that would discourage any of them, but if Creed is going to push me a little harder and that provides me with the ability to protect Lambrit, Yemi, Rose, and Havar in any kind of way, I’ll do what he says.
I stomp the few feet over to where the sword I never got to is lying, sparing V and Seismet a teasing but stern glance as they watch us.
I can’t believe neither of them bothered to give me any sort of warning about his attack.
Traitors.
Seismet neighs loudly and I roll my eyes, smirking as I bend over to retrieve my sword.
My still trembling fingers wrap around the hilt, then I freeze.
Creed doesn’t make a sound, but I sense the shift. I’ve never felt his power directed right at me, but there’s no mistaking that’s what’s crawling all over my body. The hair on the back of my neck stands.
He gives off an undeniable energy even without calling his power forward that I think a lot of people fear.
To them, it’s too dark. Too unknown.
It’s dangerous.
I’ve never pretended he wasn’t dangerous. I’ve known it since the second we locked eyes in the healing villa, but I’ve learned he’s only a threat to those who threaten him.
The few times I’ve been up close and personal with him, I paid attention to what happens beneath that energy.
The pain in his eyes spoke loudly when he found me in the Court tied to a post. They shattered even more when he saw me in the healing villas.
His heartbeat pounded against my chest, in sync with my own, as he carried me around when I couldn’t walk.
It wasn’t just sheer strength I sensed anytime his hands touched me.
It’s a protectiveness that he tries to hide behind his cold, uncaring demeanor.
This feels the same.
His power cocoons me in a dangerous armor that’s not harming me, not trapping me, but protecting me. There’s a small bite to it, but for the most part, its warmth is both soothing and electrifying.
Instead of life being breathed into me, it’s igniting, rapidly firing from one cell to the next.
The sensation is so distinct, so…pure, it’s hard to describe other than just identifying it as Creed.
It’s all him.
My soul hums like a happy little songbird in my chest.
“Might want to pay attention, Thayla girl.” V’s warning snaps me back to reality and I spin around, raising my sword.
His blazing white eyes collide with my wide ones and my breathing hitches. We stay locked like that for several seconds as I fall into their depths.
“You sensed me.”
“Can’t really miss it.”
He shoves away and nods. “Good. You need to know how to sense power in any situation. Anyone who’s weaker than you, you’ll never notice or feel because their power can’t hurt you.
They’d have to catch you completely off guard.
Beings that are on the same level or stronger than you, you’re going to sense, and those are the ones you’ve got to learn how to fight off, while also physically fighting them.
You have to split your focus. That’s what I’m going to teach you. Now get in position.”
The circle he walks around me constricts my airways. I struggle to think, much less breathe as his power continues to surround me. A small gasp slips through my lips when he taps the inside of my thigh, correcting my stance. It takes everything in me not to squeeze my legs together.
“Perfect, Thayla.”
Shit.
“They don’t care about form, posture, structure, anything. An Oblirian wanting to kill you will do whatever they have to. They’re unpredictable. You have to be as well.”
He explodes toward me with a range of strikes that my eyes barely track. After a brutal moment, he falls into the same pattern he uses when we warm up in the mornings. My mind plays tricks on me.
One second, I believe I’ve got him. The next, I’m convincing myself he’s tricking me.
Every thought I have, I question. It’s all fuzzy as his delicious power overwhelms me.