Page 65 of Us Dark Few

“Noooo!!” she screamed, kicking the air, reaching for her lifeless parents. He ignored her cries and carried her further and further away.

“Mommy!!!” she wailed.

Khalani quickly blinked the memory away, trying to prevent any tears from forming. She shook her head at him.

“Don’t…just don’t. It’s not a problem for me anymore, Takeshi.” The lie spilled off her tongue, ready to be forgotten.

She tried to pull away, but he wasn’t having it.

“Stop it, Kanes,” he snapped. “Stoplying.”

She lifted her gaze to the heavens, praying for one of the painted angels on the ceiling to fly down and take her away. The moment was so absurd that she started laughing and held her hands up at her side.

“What difference does it make? You said it yourself. There is no room for weakness in Braderhelm.” She leveled him with a vicious glare. “Why should I open myself up to you? You hate me. Is this your way of getting my guard down, only to kick me to the ground? Are you trying to expose me to be as weak as you think I am?!” By the end, she was screaming, and her words echoed across the murals.

The more her defenses weakened around Takeshi, the harder she clung to any semblance of security against him. He was too smart and read right through her.

Around him, she felt cracked down the middle, exposed to the world.

Her pulse quickened as he leaned closer until only a couple inches separated them. “I want a lot of things, Kanes. But you thinking that you’re weak isn’t one of them. I push you so hard because I know you can handle it.”

“And what doyouwant?” she dared to ask.

He hesitated, gazing down at her with uncertainty. Khalani held her breath, waiting for him to cut her deep. She wanted to hear the answer so bad that she almost wished he wouldn’t speak. She was revealing too much. Opening her soul to a bigger world of hurt.

But time couldn’t flow backward. The present was all that remained.

Without thinking, she leaned closer to him, surrendering to Takeshi’s magnetism. He paused, exhaling deeply, and met her vulnerable gaze. She didn’t know what he recognized in her expression, but in the next second he pulled back.

The moment disappeared. Like it never existed in the first place.

“I want us to continue your training. You’re too feeble right now to defeat anyone.” His tone hardened to steel, and Takeshi marched toward the opposite end of the enclosed arena.

Khalani stood in silent shock. She didn’t understand what was happening. Didn’t know why a surge of disappointment ran through her.

He was the Captain of Braderhelm.

Her sworn enemy.

And her heart was racing like she’d just run a marathon. She wanted the confusing emotions to stop. Wanted to feel normal.

Takeshi swallowed and cleared his throat. Even he seemed on edge as he didn’t quite make eye contact with her either.

Good.

He shouldn’t have said those things. He shouldn’t be nice.

She was just fine with them hating each other.

“Are you ready to fight?” He turned to her, clenching his fists at his sides.

Oh, yeah. She’d never been more ready to beat a man up.

Anger surged behind her like a fiery cape. Unable to trust her voice, she raised her fists and nodded.

Beware the woman scorned. She was more dangerous than any nuclear bomb.

18

---