Page 35 of Ava's Love of the Dragons
Her stomach clenched painfully at the mere prospect of him leaving. But it was right. He had to go, because she wasn't capable of moving even one more meter away from him. "What are you going to do?"
His face glowed darkly, his eyes narrowed. For the first time, she understood why he was the leader of the dragon fighters. He looked dangerous, ruthless, and inscrutable. "You focus on your training, leave the rest to me!"
He left.
He left and Ava remained alone. But that was good. She couldn't bear another kiss. She didn't want closeness that she couldn't have anyway. And she needed to focus on her combat training and not be distracted by a handsome dragon fighter—who was promised to another and had to save the world.
She closed the gate behind her and entered the dark grounds. No one could be heard, nothing could be seen. Not even Magg was still training. Ava listened within herself and reached out to Draco.
"Where are you?"
"I'm sleeping at Lilly's."
A smile flitted across her lips. How wonderful that the two got along."Excellent idea. Sleep well."
"You made it, Ava, right? You'll start training tomorrow?"Although his words were meant to sound encouraging, there was an undercurrent of concern. That wasn't surprising—after all, he felt what she felt, and right now there was a big hole in her chest. It seemed Kilian had taken her heart with him.
"Yes, I start training tomorrow."
That was what mattered. That was what it was all about. And the prospect satisfied her. Draco noticed it, because he made his typical"Mhmmmmm,"which could only mean he was falling asleep.
One last time, her gaze wandered over her shoulder back to the gate. Kilian was no longer there. Still, she stared at the spot where she had been standing with him just moments ago. She could feel his hands on her arms, on her cheeks, as if his touch had burned into her skin.
After a deep breath, she turned around and headed for her room. Although she wasn't tired, staying outside and pining after a man who shouldn't possess her heart would only drain her newly gained strength. So she focused her thoughts on Lilly and Draco, who were sleeping peacefully, and on her training the next day, which she could finally begin. And thinking about these important reasons she had to be optimistic, she made her way to her room.
Chapter 17
Ava entered the arena before sunrise. Of course, Magg was already there, pounding away at a punching bag with her bandaged fists.
"What are you doing here?" As usual, she managed to deliver her biting remarks without taking a pause in her training.
"Good morning to you too. Did you have sweet dreams?" Ava waved at her calmly, unwilling to abandon her good mood so easily, and looked around. Master Clark wasn't there yet, so she decided to do a few laps. Not just to warm up. Somehow, running had become second nature to her and gave her a sense of satisfaction.
Magg snorted and mercilessly worked the punching bag as if Ava's face was pinned to it. She couldn't help but admire her boundless determination.
"I told you not to stare at me!"
Did she have eyes in the back of her head? Ava shook her head with a smirk and kept running. She increased her speed until she was running as fast as she could. As her pulse shot up, her body awakened and was flooded with happiness hormones. Who would have thought she'd ever consider sports the perfect start to her day?
As she started her tenth lap, Master Clark entered the arena. Leaning on his cane, he walked leisurely over to Magg and spoke quietly with her, which was why Ava finished the lap before running over to them.
Magg glared at her angrily but held back her commentary. Master Clark, on the other hand, nodded his head kindly. "You two will fight each other today until I say you can stop."
Ava's jaw dropped. She was going to get her butt kicked. But before she could voice an objection, she closed her mouth again. The master surely knew what he was doing. And didn't you improve fastest when facing strong opponents?
She had definitely improved in terms of motivation since she'd come to the training facility.
Still, she looked uneasily from Magg, who carried two daggers and a sword at her side, to Master Clark and cleared her throat to dispel her discomfort. "What are we fighting with?"
"With your strengths."
Heavens, couldn't he speak clearly just once?
Magg smiled contentedly. "Can we start?"
Uh, no! Nervously, Ava looked down at herself. She had no weapon—and, to be honest, running was her new strength. Did that mean she should run away all day? "I don't have a sword or dagger."
The master studied her attentively. "Do you think you need such aids?"
