Page 89

“Come on, sunshine,” Ash grins. “Just you and me.”

Zander steps back, giving us space, but not without a knowing smirk. He crosses his arms over his chest, his blue eyes glinting with anticipation as they flick between Ash and me. “This should be fun,” he muses.

Ash cracks his neck, rolling his shoulders before settling into a fighting stance. “No distractions this time. Just you and me. Power against power.”

I meet his gaze, determination flaring in my chest. “Hope you're ready to eat dirt.”

He smirks. “Make me.”

Then, without warning, the ground beneath my feet shifts, no, not shifts, pulls. My stomach lurches as gravity twists under Ash’s command, dragging me forward as if an invisible hand has grabbed me. I barely manage to plant my feet against the relentless force, dragging me faster than I can react.

I have no choice, I let the pull take me, waiting until the last second before using it to my advantage. With a sharp twist of my body, I turn the momentum into a spin, sweeping my leg at Ash’s. But he is ready. The gravity around him reverses just as my kick should have landed, sending him airborne for a fraction of a second before he comes down hard, twisting midair to avoid my attack.

I barely have a second to think before he throws his hand out again, doubling the pressure. My knees buckle, my body feeling like lead as the weight of his magic threatens to slam me into the ground.

I’m not done yet.

I take a sharp breath and release a pulse of sound, focused and controlled. The air around me trembles as I direct the vibration at the ground beneath us. The earth cracks, the sudden shockwave disrupting Ash’s hold for just a moment.

It is all I need.

I push forward, closing the distance between us with a burst of speed. Ash barely has time to raise his hands before I send another soundwave directly at him. It isn’t enough to harm, just enough to rattle.

He stumbles back, shaking his head as if trying to clear it. “Damn,” he mutters, blinking. “That’s a nasty trick.”

I grin. “You’re just mad it worked.”

His smirk returns, sharp and predatory. “Oh, I’m not mad.”

Then the ground beneath me disappears.

A yelp tears from my throat as the gravity around my feet suddenly reverses, sending me up instead of down. I flail, trying to reorient myself midair, but before I can react, the force shifts again, slamming me back down toward the dirt.

At the last second, I let out another soundwave, cushioning my fall just enough that I roll with the impact instead of crashing into the ground. I am on my feet again in seconds, panting, my pulse racing with exhilaration.

Ash grins, eyes alight with a challenge. “Again?”

I wipe the sweat from my brow and smirk. “Oh, you know I’m not done yet.”

Zander chuckles from the sidelines, arms still crossed. “You two are going to destroy this whole damn clearing.”

“Maybe,” Ash admits, tossing a glance my way. “If she can keep up.”

I don’t even hesitate.

I let out another blast of sound, aiming straight for his chest. It is pressure, a focused wave of vibration I can shape with every bit of concentration I have. The fight isn’t over yet. And this time, I am ready.

I can feel the resonance in my bones as the blast shoots out, the frequency of it building as I focus on directing it. When I release it, the force of it slams into him with enough power to rattle the ground beneath us. The feedback echoes in my mind, but I’ve learned to control it, bending it to my will. The sound is my extension, my shield, and my weapon all at once, an invisible force that can disorient, incapacitate, or devastate.

Ash barely manages to regain himself before my soundwave hits again, forcing him to dig his heels into the dirt. The air between us vibrates, and for a moment, I think I have the upper hand. But then he twists his fingers in a subtle motion, and suddenly, I am yanked sideways as gravity shifts again.

I grit my teeth, adjusting as quickly as I can. I have learned that fighting Ash isn’t about resisting his power. It’s about adapting to it. The moment I let myself move with it instead of against it, I find my balance again.

We clash in the center of the clearing, exchanging blows between bursts of power. I send sharp pulses of vibration through the air, trying to throw him off, while he uses gravity to make every step heavier, every motion harder to execute. My muscles burn with exertion, but I’m not backing down.

Ash’s next move sends me flying back. I barely twist in time to land on my feet, skidding across the dirt. I am breathing hard, sweat dripping down my temple, but I am ready for another round.

And then Zander steps forward. “Alright, alright,” he drawls, rolling his shoulders. “You two have had your fun. My turn.”