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"Wait," Jamik said, pulling our group closer so we could all lower our voices. "You intend to have them move into your suite?"
I was nodding, liking this idea more and more. "Sure. I've always been an exhibitionist." Then I grinned. "Won't tell you about Nari, but I have a feeling people will buy it."
Jamik groaned, shoving his hands over his face. "You're just making yourselves the center of attention, Eladehl. What happens when people assume she's more interested in Wraythe than you? Or that you're more invested in Talin than her?"
"Then we talk loud enough to be overheard," I explained. "Laugh at Wraythe about needing to leave the room because he couldn't take it. Poke at Talin because he must like how much it hurts. Tell them they need more practice. Play up the friendships, and I have no problem with groping my girl more in public. Jamik, she's already a freak. She's covered in lace and everyone knows it. Do you honestly think that pretending to be normal is doing her any favors? If so, why did you take her shopping?"
"So we rub it in their faces," Wraythe said, glancing over to check Nari again.
I turned as well, surprised to see she was almost holding her own. However, for each improvement she made, Harlin just pushed her a little more. Nari was glistening with sweat, breathing hard, but unwilling to stop. For a moment, I just let myself appreciate her.
In school, she'd honestly believed she was nothing special at all. I had a feeling that was because she'd always been the youngest. Being so far behind the curve made her humble, always feeling like she was rushing to catch up but never quite able to get there. Interestingly, it had also given her a drive to push just a little more.
And now it was finally paying off. Being tired wasn't an excuse to her. She wanted to make a point, and she wasgoingto learn how to grapple. It was like Irila and Harlin could see it, so they were matching their pace to hers, and Nari had actually come a long way. She fell into her fighting stance naturally now. Her blocks were much better, if still weak. At least they were properly executed. She'd need more strength training, and alotmore practice, but the girl kicking out at her opponent was not meek or timid.
She looked like a guardian.
"By Zeal," Wraythe breathed. "She's fucking gorgeous."
"Ok!" Jamik snapped. "You two against each other. No more talk about my little sister. Let's go!"
Wraythe chuckled as he beckoned me. "Come get a piece of this, Ela. You know you wanna."
"Oh, don't I ever," I taunted, lifting my hands to wait for the call.
"Go!" Jamik said.
The only reason I had a chance against my own guardian was because I knew him so well - and because he was my guardian. I got a jab in at his hip, but left my arm open. The big lug hesitated, giving me the chance to pull it out of the way. That didn't mean he took it easy on me, though. Yet, when he missed the third time, Jamik had enough.
"You will never help him if you can't get in there, Wraythe," he snapped.
"He's trying," I countered.
"Sorry," Wraythe said, setting up for another try.
"I want his face in the sand," Jamik ordered.
Wraythe nodded, but when we connected again, he missed again. Together, we hit the sand. I rolled, he grabbed, but not hard enough to keep me from pulling free. We both knew he could, but he still didn't.
"Enough!" Jamik snapped. "Stop babying him, Wraythe. Eladehl's not going to break."
Wraythe's shoulders slumped, and I shot to my feet. "Lay off," I warned Jamik.
"I am here to train him," Jamik reminded me. "That means laying off is the last thing he needs."
"Yeah?" I countered. "So why do you forgive Talin when he can't throw Nari around, huh? This ismyguardian."
Jamik just stormed into my face. "Yeah, he is. And you are nothing like Nariana. You are the kind of man who'll need to be stopped, who'll have to be hauled out of a situation, and Wraythe is going to have to learn how to handle that. Even if it means hurting you a little to save you a lot."
"Actually," Wraythe said, climbing back to his feet, "that helps. I..." He looked quickly at me, then back to Jamik. "Yeah, I can manhandle him for his own good."
"Then let's do it again," Jamik said. "Go!"
This time, Wraythe finally put his all into it. Still, I wasn't exactly a fragile man. I came at him hard, slipping in a punch to his shoulder, a jab against his thigh, and trying for a kick to his leg. Wraythe either absorbed the full force of my hit as if it had never happened, or he blocked it hard enough to make my skin sting. So I pushed harder, and he rose to match me.
I'd been near the top of our combat class as an acolyte. I knew what I was doing, but so did my best friend. He also knew me better than I knew myself. It felt like every attack I tried, he was ready for it, and every defense he simply powered through. Whatever switch Jamik had flipped was working, and I knew it even before Wraythe tackled me to the ground.
I slapped the sand, panting so hard I couldn't admit defeat any other way. For a moment, Wraythe just lay there, his arm across my waist, proving he'd had to work for this, but it wasn't Jamik who chuckled at us. It was Talin, and the sound was almost sensual.
