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“Morning,” I said to Lazlo when I walked into the gym at the crack of dawn.
He looked up at me and studied me with a frown.
“Something is different about you.”
“A lot is different about me,” I said.
Lazlo grinned. “Colter told me a lot happened the past couple of days, but seeing the difference isn’t the same as hearing about it.”
“You can see a difference?” I asked.
Lazlo rubbed his chin in contemplation. “Maybeseeingisn’t the right word. I cansensea difference. You hum with power.”
“I need to learn how to use it.”
Lazlo nodded. “That’s what I’m here for.”
I glanced around. “Where’s Mykel?”
Usually, the two men trained me together, worked as a team to get me ready to fight. Mykel was nowhere to be seen.
“I have no idea,” Lazlo said. “He should be here. Maybe he’s just late.” Lazlo shrugged. “Let’s get warmed up. We can train without him.”
I nodded, and we fell into step next to each other, running a couple of laps around the gym to warm up before our session.
When it was time to get down to business, I fell into the battle stance Lazlo had shown me from the start. Lazlo came at me the same way he had before, but this time, I knew I could easily take him.
I blocked two blows when he attacked and spun around, sweeping my foot low to the ground. I kicked Lazlo’s feet from underneath him, and he fell to the mat with a cry. I was on top of him in a second, straddling him, and aimed for his face. Lazlo was strong enough to block the blow, and he twisted to try to get out from underneath me, but I was stronger than that. I held him in a twisted lock with my legs around him and managed to get his head in a chokehold, too.
After trying to get out, Lazlo tapped his hand on the mat.
I grinned and let up.
“Holy shit,” Lazlo said when he got to his feet, gasping after the effort of our fight. “I didn’t think it wasthisgood.”
“Yeah?” I asked, blushing.
Lazlo laughed and nodded.
“Yeah, it’s impressive. You’re going to be a force to reckon with when you learn to really apply yourself. You still have a long way to go, but you’ll get there.”
I deflated a little. A long way to go? I’d hoped I was in a better spot, one where I could feel confident that I could look after myself. Of course, Lazlo had lived in this world with enchanted beings and magic for a very long time. He knew what he was talking about—Colter had chosen him to be a part of my training for a reason.
“Come on, let’s go again,” Lazlo said.
I nodded, and I let him tell me what to do and how to do it. The training session was a good one, and even though I wasn’t nearly as good as Lazlo when it came to my knowledge of fighting, my raw power was stronger than his. The rest, I would learn. I was determined now.
About an hour into our training, Mykel arrived. His power preceded him, dark and irritated.
Lazlo and I stopped sparring.
“Where have you been?” Lazlo asked.
Mykel glared at Lazlo. “That’s not any of your business, is it?” His tone was defiant, and his face—usually mischievous with a permanent grin—had a scowl on it.
“Calm your tits, man. I was just asking. We were supposed to train more than an hour ago.”
“Looks like you’ve been doing just fine,” Mykel said.
