Page 260 of Midnights
“She’s here for you,” he says, laughing. “I'm just observing.”
“Oh, so you’re afraid I'll hurt you?” I cross my arms, knowing damn well he could kick my ass if he wanted to. I'm suddenly feeling a little nervous.
Elle giggles, clapping her hands together. “I absolutelyloveher.
Cam rolls his eyes, but there’s the ghost of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “No,Raven.” His voice dips into a warning. “I'm afraidI'mgoing to hurtyou.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “Sure. Whatever you say.”
I turn back to Elle, about to say something, but before I can get a word out, shelungesright for me.
Thank God my body reacts on instinct, because my brain sure as hell didn't. I twist out of the way at the last second, her strike missing me by inches.
What thefuck?
She watches me, circling with calculated steps, with a grin on. her face. “Something you should know,” her eyes lock onto mine like a predator sizing up her prey. “Things are different here. You have magic. If you haven’t picked up on that already, you should keep that in mind. Always.”
She tilts her head slightly. “Your senses are sharper. Your reflexes are faster. But don’t expect that to save you on its own.”
Then her tone shifts, like a blade pressing against my skin. “And I'mnotgoing to go easy on you. If someone genuinely wants to kill you, theywill. They’re not going to wait until you’re ready.”
I don’t even have time to respond before she’s lunging at me again.
Fuck. She’sfast.
I throw myself back, but I’m off balance. I stumble, and the second I do, her knee slams into my stomach.
Pain explodes through my ribs, ripping the air from my lungs. I double over, gasping, clutching my stomach as the burn spreads like fire.
Shit.
“Move.” Elle commands. Her voice cuts through the fog and she's circling me again. “Get up.”
I force myself to straighten, wincing through the ache. “Ow,” I mutter, breathless, letting out a laugh.
What the hell am I thinking? My grandfather never went easy on me either.Why would this be any different?Not to mention, I don't know these people, not really. I need to be on my toes here.
I roll my shoulders, planting my feet like I actually know what I'm doing. My grandpa always said 'Your body’s a weapon,'so here goes nothing.
Fuck it.
Elle doesn’t give me another second. She moves again, a blur of power and precision. But this time, I’m ready.
I dodge, twisting on instinct. I go left, and she sidesteps, but not fast enough. My elbow connects with her ribs, but not as hard as I was hoping. It's enough to make herfeelit, though.
It was also enough to make her grin.
“Don’t hesitate.” Her tone is all fire as she throws another hit my way. “Trust your instincts. They’ll keep you alive.”
And then she’s on me again. We spar for what feels like hours, moving seamlessly through the halls, like we’ve done this forever. At some point, we make it outside, leaving amassivemess in our wake. But now, it’s just the two of us in a dance of movement and violence.
I land hits.Goodones. A hook to her ribs. A sharp jab to her cheek. A well-placed kick that sends her back a few steps.
But Elle isn’t pulling her punches either. My lip is split, and the metallic tang of blood is sharp on my tongue. My brow throbs, and I know that’s bleeding too. I can feel it dripping down my face. My ribs ache, my arms burn, and I know I’ll have a black eye by morning. And yet, I feel amazing. I feel alive in a way I haven’t felt in years.
I forgot what this feels like, to just run on instinct and skill, letting my body do what I was trained to do. Turns out, all those years weren’t wasted.
I shake out my arms, still buzzing with adrenaline, and look over to see Cam standing there watching me. He's been in and out all day. Right now his arms are crossed, and his expression is unreadable. He's not wearing his usual smirk, or that cocky amusement I’ve come to expect. No, this is different. His gaze lingers, sharp and assessing, like he’sactuallyseeing me for the first time.
