Page 109 of King of Knights

“I love you too. Now come so I can put you to bed.”

Memory Glitch

Istand in the training gym, blocking punch after punch. When it’s my turn to counter, I deliver with precision. A smile comes to my lips.

“That was good, Ray. Much better. You’re picking up speed too. Do you want to try with weapons this time?” Jewel asks.

“Yeah, I think I might be ready,” I say with a smile.

Training has been going well today. I can’t say what has changed, but I’m moving through sequences much faster and with more fluidity. I’m determined to form a weapon today.

“Venus, are you all right? Do you see this? I’m getting the hang of it,”I say excitedly.

She’s been so quiet all morning. I’m starting to worry about her. She doesn’t respond, causing me to really get concerned.

“Venus?”

“I’m here,”she says weakly.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. My head hurts and it’s like I keep seeing things from the past.”

“Like what?”

“It’s nothing. Focus. You’re doing so well. I’ll be fine.”

I want to talk more, but she’s right. I need to focus. Jewel backs me down and I see an opening to form a weapon and attack.

I go to do just that, but she knocks me on my butt before I can. I punch the floor in frustration. I don’t understand why I’m struggling so much.

“Again,” I growl and stand.

“Gah,” Venus cries out.

“Venus, what is it? What’s wrong?”

* * *

Venus

It feelslike I’m being split in two. Since Ray woke this morning, I’ve been flashing back to the past, then back so fast I feel like I have whiplash.

I want to call them visions, but I can feel when I leave Ray’s body and then when I return. It’s giving me vertigo. One minute, I’m here, and the next, I’m back in my time.

I think I’m going to be sick. I don’t want to bother Ray. She has enough on her plate. Besides, I don’t think she can help me.

I hear the panic in her voice, but I can’t respond. That feeling of being pulled through time comes back and my stomach rolls. I grasp my head and close my eyes.

“Venus, I just felt you put a wall up. He will sense this, you know?” Yanique scolds me as we approach my home.

“I’m tired, too tired to keep my guard up. I have to do this, just for tonight. I don’t want him to be able to search my aura,” I whisper.

“He will know. You have never hidden yourself from him. He will know what you’re doing.”

“Then I will tell him we were training and I forgot to bring the walls back down,” I say.

“Venus. I’m warning you. None of this will end well,” my sister says.

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