Page 54 of King Foretold
“What did you do wrong?” She’s not even out of breath.
“I made my upper body vulnerableandtook my eyes off my opponent,” I grit out.
“And?”
“And what?” I throw my hands up.
“And you were too slow,” she says evenly. “At the very least, you should’ve been able to avoid being kneed in the face.”
“The blow to my stomach took the wind out of me.” My pride hurts more than anything. “I wasn’t prepared for you to plant your extraordinarily knobby knee in my nose. It’s like having one giant brass knuckle plowed into my face.”
“Thatis your biggest problem.” She punctuates her sentence by poking at the air in front of her. “You don’t anticipate your opponent’s next moves.”
“Are you saying I should learn how toread minds?” I channel Draco’s teenage scorn.
“I’msayingthat you have a decent brain. Use it.” A flush spreads across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. I’ve never seen the captain this close to losing her temper. It’s actually a refreshing change from her icy aloofness. “I’ve seen you let your mind recede and have your body take over during sparring matches. I’m not denying that you’re a skilled fighter. But if you rely solely on your speed and technique, it makes you reactive, and you’ll end up dancing to your opponent’s tune. You need tothink. Be three steps ahead of your opponent, consider multiple scenarios and outcomes, and never be caught unawares.”
“Like I said, mind reading.” I understand what she’s saying, but I can’t resist the urge to nudge her over the edge.
“No,notmind reading.” To my disappointment, she takes a calming breath. “Think of it more like choreography. You determine the flow of the fight from your very first move.”
“What if my opponent”—I flick a hand toward her—“makes the first move?”
“The same rules apply. Defend yourself in a way that will let you set up your next attack three moves down. Be patient. Take back control.”
“Okay,” I concede with a shit-eating grin. “Why didn’t you say so in the first place?”
A vein pulses in her forehead before she kicks out at me. And I’m ready. I block her kick with my forearms and crouch to sweep her other leg out from under her before she gets both feet back on the ground.
Captain Seo breaks her fall by rolling into it, then lightly jumps to her feet. I think she’ll be pissed, but a corner of her lips curls into a smirk. “Not bad, Cadet Cho. That head of yours is more than a decoration, after all.”
My middle finger twitches, but I don’t push my luck. She’s the head instructor of the suhoshin cadets, and whether I like it or not, I am a cadet. And like it or not, the captain deserves my respect.
“The whole thinking thing ...” I trail off, then try again. “I used to plan, strategize, andreplan every minuscule aspect of my life. I couldn’t let anything take me by surprise and risk being found by the Shingae. But when everything blew up in my face, I ... stopped thinking.
“The last few months, all I’ve done isreactto one thing after another. I forgot tothinkbecause I was too busy panicking. I flailed around, trying to deal with everything, but it only got harder and harder to stay afloat.
“Just because I’m done running doesn’t mean I can’t choosehowI face my problems,” I say quietly. “It’s time I stop to think again. Plan, strategize, and replan. I need to take back control of myownfucking life.”
“I didn’t think this lesson would be this easy,” Captain Seo murmurs.
“All I needed was a refresher.” I grin at her, feeling lighter than I have in months. Nothing has changed—except me. My problems are still there, but I won’t be taking wild swings in the dark anymore. “So what’s next?”
“I’m not sure.” The captain purses her lips in a bemused expression. “I didn’t plan any other lessons for today.”
“What do you say we work on sword fighting? As you know, the last sword practice was cut short due to ... unfortunate circumstances. I don’t want my technique to get rusty in case I need to wield the swordof light—as a backup plan if the Yeoiju decides not to cooperate.” I tap a finger to my temple. “Thinking ahead, you see.”
“Thinking ahead? Or chickening out?” She arches an eyebrow. “Still intimidated by the Yeoiju, are you?”
“Fuck you.” Respect only goes so far. I won’t let her call me a chicken, whether or not it’s true.
Her only reaction is to raise her eyebrow a millimeter higher. “Do you know how long the sword of light is? How heavy it is?”
“No,” I grumble. “Have you forgotten? There is no sword of light. Jaeseok and Draco are close, but they haven’t forged it yet.”
“You raise a good point.” Captain Seo nods slowly, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Yes, I do.” I nod as well. “But just to make sure I knowyou’rethinking whatI’mthinking, maybe you should tell me what that point is.”
