Page 50 of Kingmakers, Year One

The gym echoes with the force of the boy hitting the ground, the air knocked out of him despite the cushioning mats.

“I’m sure you’ve all heard the expression, ‘the bigger they are, the harder they fall,’ ” the professor says dryly. “Beware a smaller opponent with a lower center of mass.”

He helps the chastened Bodashka up from the ground, then uses him to demonstrate several basic blocks.

Once we all seem to understand the lesson, he splits up into pairs to practice.

“You wanna have a go?” Leo asks.

It’s not the first time we’ve fought. I’ve been wrestling and boxing Leo since we were old enough to stand.

I grin at him. “Why not?”

We face off, waiting for the professor’s signal to begin.

I wait for Leo to make the first move.

He takes a playful jab at me, and I slip it easily, knowing that’s not even close to his top speed. He’s got those damn long arms, so I have to either dance way outside his reach, or rush inside to hit him before he can get me.

Leo takes another playful swing, and as I try to duck it, he goes for my leg exactly like the professor did. Even though I seeit coming, he’s so damn fast that he still manages to knock my right leg out from under me. I recover by rolling between his legs, jumping up and popping him in the kidney from behind.

“You little asshole,” Leo says, seizing me by the wrist and twisting my arm up behind my back.

I try to wrench my wrist out of his grasp before he can get me in a hold, but it’s impossible. Faster than I can think, he’s got my arm pinned behind my back, and his other arm wrapped around my waist, the weight of his whole body bearing down.

“Submit,” he growls in my ear.

“Fucking never,” I hiss back at him.

“Don’t make me break your arm on the first day of school…” I can hear him grinning without seeing his face.

I stomp hard on his foot, forcing him to release me right as the professor calls time.

Leo backs off, chuckling. But someone is watching us.

Dean stares, his glinting eyes the only sign of life in his stiff, pale face.

Leo follows my gaze.

“See something you like?” he says, aggressively.

“I already saw it this morning,” Dean replies in his low, cold voice.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, she didn’t tell you?” Dean smirks. “Your girlfriend and I had an intimate encounter this morning.”

“Oh yeah?” Leo laughs. “How early? Sounds like you were still asleep and dreaming in your bed.”

But when he glances back at me, he can see my cheeks burning.

“What’s he talking about?” Leo mutters, brows drawing together.

“Nothing.” I shake my head.

“What did?—”

We’re interrupted by the professor asking for another volunteer. Scared off by the fate of the last volunteer, nobody raises their hand. Only Dean steps forward.

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