Page 90 of Anomalies

And what if three pass? Then four? What if he doesn’t come back at all?

A wave of unexpected nausea hits me out of nowhere. “Why not just wait until the storm passes altogether before leaving Pirn? Why move the mission forward and not back?”

“Our people can’t wait any longer, Lucina.”

I stay quiet.

“Hey.” He pulls me off the path so others can walk by. I feel the heat of lingering stares as people pass, but that doesn’t stop him from brushing his thumb across my cheek. “Pax and Hunter are staying behind, and you are their only priority. I’d kill them both if anything were to happen to you. But I don’t want you to have to rely on them, which is why training today is going to be a little different. I want you to feel protected even if you’re alone.”

“Meaning?”

“Hit me.”

I scoff, “No.”

“Come on.” Callan beckons me to swing for the tenth time, folding his hands in and out at me. “I can take it.”

Self-defense. He wants to teach me self-defense. I tried to tell him that Ivy and I took a six-month course last year, and if I hit him, it would hurt, but all he said back was ‘prove it.’

And that’s led us here.

Pax and Hunter stand on the opposite side of the ring, leaning forward casually on the fence post. Callan wants them to watch so they can continue this training while he’s gone.

“Fine.” The Captain stalks forward when I keep my arms crossed over my chest. “I’ll make you hit me.”

His arm juts out and I swing. Hard. My knuckles split as I cut up and under his jaw and when his head snaps back, he’s grinning. “Atta girl.”

I curse when he rushes forward again.

“Please don’t make me hit you twice,” I grit out, managing to stay just out of his grasp, but he moves faster than anything I’ve ever seen.

“I dare you,” Callan taunts, each movement graceful and practiced. “We’ll stop when you break skin.” He thrusts forward, his fingers barely scraping my wrist before I jolt out of his grasp.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I snap, nearly tripping over my feet as I stumble backwards⁠—

Somehow, he’s there, and he doesn’t miss a beat before snatching my wrist and spinning me to face him. He drags me forward only an inch before my body slides into autopilot, running through motions that I’ve almost forgotten were second nature.

Distract and disrupt posture.

I slam my heel into the top of his boot, and he hitches forward ever so slightly. Then I pull against the hand that holds my wrist, using it as leverage to thrust my knee up and into his gut. He snatches my leg with his free hand, nearly knocking me off balance, but I plant myself in the dirt.

Hit whenever and wherever you can.

I don’t leave time to consider it as my balled fist hits the side of his face with such force that his head snaps to the side and a brutal hiss leaves his mouth.

Callan releases me, and his eyes are wild when they meet mine, his breathing ragged. “Oh, we’re going to have fun, you and I.”

My chest heaves as I wipe my face with the back of my hand. “You’re sick.”

“You’re stunning,” he fires back, stretching out his jaw, and I roll my eyes.

“Cal, I think she’s good on self-defense!” Pax shouts, and I whip around to face him. He’s wearing a thin navy undershirt, no vest, and a pair of jeans. I know he has twin knives in either pocket.

You certainly don’t want to be in front of Pax’s magic, but I promise being in front of his knives is deadlier. I’ve seen him slice through the center of five targets… blindfolded.

“Yeah,” Hunter agrees, his honey blonde hair golden in this light. “No need for us to be punching bags while you’re gone, Cap.” His blue eyes flick to mine, amusement shining there.

I smile, using the edge of my t-shirt to dab my bleeding knuckles, and when I turn back to face Callan, my triumph fades. He unstraps his vest, shrugging it off into the dirt, then he removes the few sheaths locked around his thighs.