Page 61 of The Vampire Oracle

I moved away from her, back to her, as I fixed my arm and the programmed skin.

Something bellowed behind me, and I stepped to the side as she reached for me again. Twisting to her, I dropped my lower body to the side, leg coming up and kneeing her right into the sternum, not too hard but enough to make her have to stop pursuing.

“Cocky, aren’t we?” Theron asked, standing.

I shrugged. “She needed to be humble. Don’t talk shit and underestimate your target.”

He nodded, entering the ring. “I agree. She deserved it… But let’s humble you now.”

My throat dried as he stood before me. We both waited until Miren crawled off the matt before Theron was on me like white on rice.

I worked fast, blocking his attacks. He was quicker yet very calm.

I had no control.

My body dropped as he kicked out for me. I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop his leg from hitting me.

“I thought you weren’t going to kick my ass!” I snapped.

“Changed my mind, Spectre. Keep up and show me what magic you can do.”

The moment I was on my feet, he was attacking. I worked hard to dodge and try to strike back, but he was blocking me so easily.

“Weapon,” he ordered, and in a flash, my metal arm reached and pulled it from the air. My scythe was long. I slammed the handle into his chin before jumping back to create distance. “Without the spell and two hands?”

I nodded, chest heavily.

“How?” he asked.

“Been training all my life, Theron.”

“Father Theron,” he corrected.

I rolled my eyes. “And when you have one arm you adapt.”

“We will talk more about it later,” he answered. “Show me what you can do with that thing.”

18

Sal

Theron humbled me very quickly. I hissed when Cain pressed the ice to my bruised cheek.

“Calm down,” Cain muttered.

“You calm down,” I fired back. “Where’s your boyfriend? He’s nicer and can heal me.”

He chuckled, and I looked up at him. His dreads were pulled back in a ponytail with a dread tying it together instead of a hair tie. He looked a lot like Abel, just wider and more toned.

“Are you and Abel close?” I asked.

He nodded, reaching over to sip the coffee that he had for lunch. I saw him in the cafeteria when I came in with a million ice packs. “We were closer as kids, but still close now. We just are two different people sometimes. Like, he likes you. I like Jinn.”

I smirked.

“He’s a momma boy.”

“Oh no!” I groaned.

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