Chapter 51 Training Season
Training Season
Kit/Kat
The campus is bustling as Jasper walks Dottie and me across the quad to the arena.
I know he just came from here a while ago, and I appreciate him trying so hard to live up to the promises he made last night.
But his nervousness is brushing against mine as we enter the stadium; I have to take a few deep breaths to help myself calm as we head straight for the field.
My experiences on the pitch have not all been good by any stretch, and the thought of other people seeing me get decimated by the hulking prince isn’t my idea of a fun time.
But the place is empty, and even when I squint, I don’t see anyone hanging about in the stands.
Maybe this won’t be as humiliating as I anticipated.
“Set the rat down and stretch,” Jasper rumbles as he walks around the sideline looking at the racks of weapons thoughtfully. “Even if you were shifting, this is different, and I’m sure the doc would be mad if we showed up with any injury.”
“Dank won’t be mean and don’t call Dottie a rat.”
His snort echoes as I do what he said despite my retort.
Giving her a bag of treats to munch on, I put my kinkajou on the bench where she can watch.
Once she’s settled, I plop on the ground and start the sequence of stretches I’ve been taught one by one.
Jasper turns, giving me a pleased expression as he sees what I’m doing, and then goes back to eyeing the weaponry.
“I thought we were doing physical defense and stuff first,” I mutter as I work on my calves. “Why are you browsing knives and stuff?”
“Because you need to warm-up and also because we will alternate between hand-to-hand and various weapons as we train. It is important to provide well-rounded lessons if we want to get your knowledge base moving faster.”
Okay, that makes sense, and he didn’t even act like I’m a dumbass. Nice.
“Do you fight in human form often? I mean, if I were a dragon, I’d choose that over getting clocked in the face every day of the week.”
The prince laughs, the sound sharp as he growls, “Dragons, even half-shifts, do not fit in every situation, shrimp. Size is a factor in many situations, but also, they are an extremely difficult animal to master harmony with. Their instincts are to raze and destroy completely—mine is powerful enough that it’s often using…
What do your people say? Using a nuke to drive a nail? Yes, that’s it.”
I frown as I continue loosening my muscles. “They aren’t really my people, Jasper. You know that as well as I do. I’m part demon and part shifter; I was never human to begin with. If I have to come to terms with that, so do you.”
“True,” he replies absently. “I suppose you had no control over being left up there for a bunch of donut-eating dullards who obsess over the most trivial things possible. If you’d been abandoned in Hell, you might have at least gotten the basic knowledge of your real species and home before you reached college. ”
“Duh. That might not have been any easier than foster care up there, but I wouldn’t be so ‘fish out of water’ now.” I grunt as I work on my quads, moving to a squat before I mutter, “And maybe I wouldn’t be so fucking broken, who knows?”
His shadow suddenly looms over me as he says, “Trial by fire can produce the strongest materials and beings in every realm, shrimp. Perhaps the Fates needed to make you able to withstand the flames to do whatever your destiny is. It sucks, but it’s no less probable than thinking you were purposely screwed over. ”
I laugh, shaking my head as I look up from under my floppy hair. “Don’t tell me Jasper Eversore is an optimist. That would be weird as fuck.”
“Absolutely not. But I am a realist, and I understand that positive intent and negative intent have equal chances in the chaos that is the universe. That doesn’t mean I believe positive shit first; I simply recognize that it can’t be ruled out without more data.”
“Now you sound like Annie. He’s very data-centric.” I think about that for a moment and add, “It’s calming sometimes because he doesn’t freak out often. He looks at the facts dispassionately, and it balances X’s endless enthusiasm.”
Jasper watches me as I move to a standing position and do the stretches there.
“You’re a bit like both in your ability to see everything, but also communicate with everyone in their preferred style.
At least, I assume that because you wormed your way into all of my brothers’ good graces fairly quickly.
You’d have to adjust to their quirks without being patronizing. ”
I narrow my eyes on him. “Zavida told you that. No way you noticed it on your own, Prince Pricklypants. You’ve been too focused on how I’m going to ‘betray’ you to see the way I interact with people.”
His smile is sheepish as he shrugs. “Guilty. I listen to Zavvie when he is adamant about things, and he’s been quite vocal about my behavior regarding you for a while.
I suppose it took having to watch the beating our caliphate took for it to click that despite our immense power and experience, we could still be killed or defeated if we don’t… coalesce better.”
“Bzzzt! Wrong answer. Try again,” I sing-song as my arms and shoulders loosen up. “You’re giving the answer you should give, not the real one.”
Looking annoyed, he runs his hand through hair, tail whipping as he mutters, “Also, I needed support as this is pushing all the buttons I keep protected inside. Or something. Zav said that too, but he’s right, I guess.”
Man, Jasper really hates people knowing he’s not impenetrable—even more than me.
“Right… that’s it. Step into the strike with your weight thrusting forward…”
I pant as I mimic Jasper’s example, putting my weight behind the sword as I stab the dummy. “This thing weighs as much as I do, I swear to fuck. My arms are going to be noodles tomorrow.”
“You can lift it and swing it, shrimp. That means it’s viable for use, even if it’s only in a pinch.”
Groaning as I go back to the beginning stance, I wait for him to tell me to do it again.
The dragon demon has stripped off his shirt, revealing his gorgeous tattoos, and it’s been distracting me ever since.
I have no idea why he’s sweating more than me, but the scent is also making the colors inside me swirl around excitedly.
I’ve had to tamp that down while also telling my lady bits to fuck off so my brain can comprehend his damn words for almost an hour now.
My arms will not be the only things that are going to be mush by the time we get back.
“This time, I want you to stab, then deflect quickly, and get out of range. Your footwork must be light with and without a weapon, but it’s harder when your stamina is running low.”
Sighing, I grit my teeth as I force myself to continue, following the instructions as best as I can. I’m not too tired to continue, mind, or I would tell him, but I’m getting there. “This would be easier if I weren’t struggling to keep this damn thing aloft, you know.”
“Easy doesn’t save your life,” he replies firmly. “If you can do it on the difficult setting, you can do it when it doesn’t take as much energy.”
“Yes, taskmaster,” I mutter as I set the pose again and wait for him to nod.
The second time, I’m faster, and I growl under my breath when he’s right.
The repetition of each move helps me cement it in mind and body, while also building my strength.
His relentless demands aren’t to make me unable to hobble home as much as they are designed to challenge me.
That doesn’t mean I don’t want to punch him in the nuts right now, though.
“Water time,” I gasp after the next run. “Definitely and assuredly water time.”
With a sharp bob of his head, Jasper acquiesces as promised, and I drop the broadsword on the ground.
I walk over to my bag, pulling out a bottle to throw to him, and then grab my own.
My throw isn’t exactly screaming ‘this kid is ready for the majors’, but he doesn’t comment as he catches it.
Jasper has been weirdly detached since we started the session—not at all as open as he was before—and I swallow a huge gulp of the liquid as I consider that.
“You’re… trying really hard.” His jaw ticks as he dumps a little of the water on his head, and I have to bite the inside of my cheek not to make a sound as it sluices over him.
“Despite your lack of previous training and physical power, you’re putting every ounce of effort you have into this. That is impressive.”
I blink up at him, my mind warring between Jasper giving me a compliment and his ridiculous water show.
My entire brain is shorting out as my mouth hangs open, and I have to look like a goddamn trout sitting here.
Closing my eyes, I shake my head as if that will get all the conflicting shit out of it, then clear my throat.
“Um… thanks. And, uh, I appreciate you being patient. I’m not a slow study most of the time, but physical sports and such have never really been my forte. ”
He snorts, and I open my eyes to see him smirking at me, all tattoos and water droplets and low-slung joggers. “Gee, I never would have figured that out on my own, shrimp.”
Danger, danger, danger, Kat Camponella! Avert your fucking eyes!
Listening to my panicked brain, I dart my gaze to the ground as I chuckle nervously. “Yep, I hide my non-sports loving side pretty well. Luckily, the whole shifter thing is helping with that, right?”
I feel his stare on me as I find anything in the world to look at besides him.
My body is both exhausted and humming with excitement—two things that do not go together and won’t end well.
Having him watch me struggle isn’t helping, and I squirm in my seat as I try to figure out what the hell to do.
I take another drink of the water, praying it lowers the temperature a bit so I can finish this lesson without embarrassing the fuck out of myself.
“Shrimp, are you okay? You look like… well, you sort of look like you need to take a massive shit, and—”
“No!” I shout as my eyes widen and I look at him. “No, no. Not that. Don’t be gross. I’m just… uh, tired. But not too tired, so once I’m hydrated we can… continue.”
His expression goes from teasing to suspicious in a blink, so I knock back another drink from my bottle to cover myself. “Dude, having to poo isn’t a big deal. Is that something they shame you for up there? Fuck, humans are weird. It’s a bodily function.”
I don’t have an answer for that without giving myself away, so I just shrug as I set my bottle on the bench. “I didn’t want you to think we had to leave yet. We’ve got like…thirty more minutes before the others will get out of Intro to Fae. I figure we can squeeze a lot in during that time.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I plan to wring every second of energy out of you until you’re ready to collapse.” Jasper grins evilly, and my insides hum again. “Now put the sword on the rack and we’ll go back to hand-to-hand. You’re going to keep me from pinning you to the ground.”
Sweet Lucifer’s robes, I will not survive this without making a fool of myself, will I?