The Huntress : The Alterealm Series Book 1

Chapter 51

Chase had warned me that I may not like him very much when he taught me how to fight in Alterealm. He had been right. The moves he made me do over and over and over again were starting to get on my nerves.

The secret was, or so he kept telling me, to do it so many times that it become reflex almost turning into a habit. I always thought habits were annoying.

He more or less said nothing other than one word each time I went through the series of moves, again. Saying it in every possible tone and volume didn’t make it any better to hear, and it was the only response to any comment I had to make.

I understood the reasons behind the repetition but once I reached the stage where I didn’t fall on my face or trip over those imaginary bumps in the floor, I was ready to move on.

I completed the sequence of steps, flips and lunges once more and then huffed out a breath and stood trying to catch it before he told me again. When he walked in my direction with a bottle of water I hoped it meant we were moving on to the next phase in this training. Not wanting to sound ungrateful, I say nothing as he came towards me. I mean seriously, how many people had the chance to learn how to fight from someone that had been doing it for two hundred years?

“I can’t quite decide whether the emotions I’m feeling from you are good for me or bad for me.” With a teasing glint in his eyes he handed me the bottle.

Uncapping it, I took a few small sips before answering. “That depends on how many more times you’re going to make me do the same thing.”

Reaching over, he brushed the hair back from my face. “I’m not making you do anything.”

I shrugged. “You know what I mean.” Wiping the sweat off my forehead, I took another sip and studied him. I didn’t know if it was the adrenalin pumping or his blood in my system, but he looked good enough to lick right about now. When he grinned, baring all of his teeth, I knew he’d picked up on the direction my mind was wandering.

“How’s your side doing?”

Bonus points for him by letting that slide by without comment. I stretched a little in both directions, side to side. “A little achy, nothing serious.”

He nodded. “Do you want to continue or call it a day?”

“That depends on whether we’re going to do the same thing or move on.”

His hazel eyes skimmed over me from the floor up to my eyes, but he didn’t say anything just turned around and walked over to the wall. Taking two flashy Sais off the wall he sent me an amused look. “Both.” Coming back over, he stopped a few feet in front of me and flipped the Sais from a forward motion to resting along his forearm. With the flick of his wrist, he turned the handle in his palms again. “Same moves with an added motion.” Tucking the weapons to his forearms again he looked from them to me. “When you’re rolling, or flipping they stay at a resting position.” He lunged forward, stepping with one long leg and moved the metal he held to a forward position. “When you stop, or change the flow of your direction, they are battle ready.”

I nodded and took them from him when he held them out.

“Tomorrow we’ll add a few more strenuous moves into the mix, but for today just work in feeling comfortable with them.”

I flicked them much like he’d done, only without dozens of decades to practice it wasn’t nearly as smooth.

“They should be used like an extension of your own arm, not in addition to it.” His phone rang. With an annoyed look, he pulled it from his pocket and looked at it. “I have to go deal with some business. Do you want to practice some more?”

I stopped. “I wouldn’t mind.”

Tucking the phone back in his pocket, he came over and grasped my chin lightly. “Don’t overdo it.” His eyes caressed over my face, pausing more than once on my mouth. I thought he was going to kiss me, but he released my face and walked to the door. “I’ll have Tim stay with you.”

“Thanks.” I said quickly before he was gone.

Without waiting for the guard, I turned around and walked to the other end of the mat once again. If I could pull this off, I may yet look graceful while doing it. Not that something like that matter in a fight, but I didn’t like to be outdone by a bunch of aged men, so I had some catching up to do.

Chase didn’t come back so I stayed there and performed the routine over and over with the odd applause from Tim when I managed to do it without dropping one or both Sais to the floor.

When just about every muscle in my body ached, I decided to call it a day. Tim walked me to my own room where I left a trail of sweaty clothes leading to the bathroom to soak in the tub.