Page 16 of Rising from the Ashes

Recognizing the old dialect, I ask, surprised, “The Silent Guardians?”

“You catch on quick,” she says, as our sticks begin to slap together. The vibrations moving from the stick up my hands and arms.

“So, why not stay with them?” I meet her sticks with mine as we move into a rhythm. The sounds of the strong wood smacking together echoes through the room.

“My mission didn’t align with their views.”

I could see that. They’re like Edinburgh’s guardian angels.

“Mission?”

She drops the sticks at her side and she exhales breathlessly, “Oh come on, your research didn’t tell you who my father is?”

“I didn’t delve that deep,” I lie. “I just wanted to see who I was getting in bed with.” I grin.

Throwing the sticks to the floor, she assumes the fighting stance. Her feet are wide and set apart, lining up with her shoulders.

“Oh, that makes you want to kick my ass?”

Rolling her eyes, she relaxes, “I am trying to see what all I need to train you in before I throw an arrow in your hand.”

Resuming her stance, she orders, “Fight me.”

“I’m not fighting you, Calista.”

She lurches forward and throws a right punch, connecting with the center of my chest, quickly turning and side kicking me in the stomach.

Leaning forward, I gasp for breath.

Damn. She’s quick.

“I said fight me, asshole.”

Straightening my posture, I engage with her. Recognizing her tactics at Wing Chun and Jeet Kune Do. Both fighting styles are different from the Izinduna Zikalushi’s normal training, so I know she has been training elsewhere. I highly doubt her father taught her any form of self defense. He thrives around weak women.

Right as I am about to attempt to pin her down to the mat, she surprises me by swiping her leg under my feet, causing me to fall to the mat with a loud grunt. My back slaps the ground, the sound echoing throughout the bunker.

Leaning over me, her hair and sweat falling in my face, she taunts, “You just got your ass handed to you by a girl.”

Swiftly grabbing her, I roll her onto her back, pinning her down under the weight of my body, “Don’t think for a second I didn’t go easy on you.”

Our chests are heaving against each other, as we gasp for air. “I never said take it easy on me.” Calista smirks.

I grind my hips against her as a reminder of last night, “Next time, I won’t.”

Standing up, I hold my hand out to her. She accepts and I help her back to her feet.

“You need to know your opponent well and anticipate their next move, before I can just throw a bow and arrow in your hand and you go around and start shooting people.” She sighs, “We have a lot of work to do.”

“I’m ready for your wisdom, Yoda,” I say, bowing to her.

“You’re an idiot.” She wipes the towel across her face, but not before I catch a faint smile playing across her lips.

“Come with me.” She says, as she braids her hair to the side and throws her leather jacket over her black sports bra. Kicking off her tennis shoes, she replaces them with her combat boots.

“Where are we going?” I throw on my white shirt and follow her curiously up the steps, thoroughly enjoying her ass shaking in front of me in her tight black leggings.

The way I imagine how tight her ass would feel around my cock is sending me reeling. Clearing my throat, I adjust myself in my gym shorts, which leaves nothing to the imagination.

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