know into the fight.”
I blinked, confused at what he was telling me.
“I’ve seen you fight before. You’re a scrapper. You know how to be quick, sneaky, and fight dirty. That’s exactly what you need to do here.” He leaned in close, whispering while his tawny eyes took on a mischievous glint that made my heart flutter. “Throw out jabs. Trip him. Scream to startle him. Don’t focus on mechanics and style. Fight like it will be your last chance. Because in real life, it very well could be.”
I frowned, but thought on Sawyer’s words. Unlike him and Riley, I hadn’t learned how to wield a sword as a child. Luck had been my only skill when I’d previously fought Hellions. But I did know how to evade capture. I glanced at Gemma, who had a knowing look on her face. When she fought, she was a riot of motion. Jumping, kicking, weaving, screaming, doing things I couldn’t understand or keep up with. Yet she confused her opponents, often defeating them. If she was caught and Nash couldn’t get to her, she struggled and found a way out.
Gemma nodded at me with a small smile. Taking a slightly more confident breath, I turned back to Riley and lifted the sword.
Sawyer’s hands curled around my shoulders. I tensed, my heart skipping a beat.
“Relax,” he said, his voice weaving into my hair. I tried to follow his instructions, but he made coherent thoughts difficult when he slipped his hands to my waist, just above my hips.
“Center your weight,” he continued, nudging his foot against mine and pushing them outward. “Keep your feet light,” Sawyer instructed. “Always be ready to move, and never stop.”
He leaned in again, so close that his chest brushed my back. “You surprised me at the tavern. Now surprise him.”
I didn’t reply as he stepped back slowly, but took his advice when Riley struck. I met his block, then swept his sword away and moved around him. Riley followed me, swinging the sword at my side again. I blocked him and suddenly rushed forward, lightly driving my fist into his stomach. He grunted, but wasn’t hurt, and lashed the sword at my head again. I dropped into a crouch, letting the wooden blade cut through the open air above my head. Staying in the crouch, I lunged and grabbed Riley’s legs.
He grunted when his back hit the deck, and I scrambled forward, about to put the sword to his neck–
Riley grabbed my wrists at the last second. He hooked my ankle and pulled me off balance, forcing my spine onto the deck, and trapping me. I twisted and wiggled, but Riley was too strong. He squeezed my wrist, making me drop the sword in surrender. I was completely helpless.
“Sawyer forgot to mention that you should never scrap against anyone bigger than you,” advised Riley. “Speed and tricks are excellent, but if you’re pinned by someone with more weight and muscle than you, you’re going to lose. And trust me, I’ve never seen a small Hellion.”
His eyes were blue fires, more intense than I’d ever seen them. I nodded my understanding and he pushed off of me. He gently took my hand and lifted me to my feet, checking over the wrist he squeezed to ensure it wasn’t hurt.
“You are improving, Claire,” he encouraged. “We’ll find a middle ground for you. When the Hellions do come back, you’ll be ready.”
The smile he offered was kind and warm, and brought a flush to my cheeks. I felt another set of eyes on me, and caught Sawyer glaring at us. The longer I looked at him, the more I realized it wasn’t me he was angry at, but Riley. His knuckles were clenched tight, and he looked seconds away from hitting something. Riley tensed beside me.
I was about to tell Sawyer that I was fine, I wasn’t hurt at all and that I’d taken his advice to heart, when a scream came from the cabin.
Everyone froze. It took another second to recognize the screams weren’t just coming from Abby, but Nash as well.
Gemma was the first one to reach the door. She threw it
I blinked, confused at what he was telling me.
“I’ve seen you fight before. You’re a scrapper. You know how to be quick, sneaky, and fight dirty. That’s exactly what you need to do here.” He leaned in close, whispering while his tawny eyes took on a mischievous glint that made my heart flutter. “Throw out jabs. Trip him. Scream to startle him. Don’t focus on mechanics and style. Fight like it will be your last chance. Because in real life, it very well could be.”
I frowned, but thought on Sawyer’s words. Unlike him and Riley, I hadn’t learned how to wield a sword as a child. Luck had been my only skill when I’d previously fought Hellions. But I did know how to evade capture. I glanced at Gemma, who had a knowing look on her face. When she fought, she was a riot of motion. Jumping, kicking, weaving, screaming, doing things I couldn’t understand or keep up with. Yet she confused her opponents, often defeating them. If she was caught and Nash couldn’t get to her, she struggled and found a way out.
Gemma nodded at me with a small smile. Taking a slightly more confident breath, I turned back to Riley and lifted the sword.
Sawyer’s hands curled around my shoulders. I tensed, my heart skipping a beat.
“Relax,” he said, his voice weaving into my hair. I tried to follow his instructions, but he made coherent thoughts difficult when he slipped his hands to my waist, just above my hips.
“Center your weight,” he continued, nudging his foot against mine and pushing them outward. “Keep your feet light,” Sawyer instructed. “Always be ready to move, and never stop.”
He leaned in again, so close that his chest brushed my back. “You surprised me at the tavern. Now surprise him.”
I didn’t reply as he stepped back slowly, but took his advice when Riley struck. I met his block, then swept his sword away and moved around him. Riley followed me, swinging the sword at my side again. I blocked him and suddenly rushed forward, lightly driving my fist into his stomach. He grunted, but wasn’t hurt, and lashed the sword at my head again. I dropped into a crouch, letting the wooden blade cut through the open air above my head. Staying in the crouch, I lunged and grabbed Riley’s legs.
He grunted when his back hit the deck, and I scrambled forward, about to put the sword to his neck–
Riley grabbed my wrists at the last second. He hooked my ankle and pulled me off balance, forcing my spine onto the deck, and trapping me. I twisted and wiggled, but Riley was too strong. He squeezed my wrist, making me drop the sword in surrender. I was completely helpless.
“Sawyer forgot to mention that you should never scrap against anyone bigger than you,” advised Riley. “Speed and tricks are excellent, but if you’re pinned by someone with more weight and muscle than you, you’re going to lose. And trust me, I’ve never seen a small Hellion.”
His eyes were blue fires, more intense than I’d ever seen them. I nodded my understanding and he pushed off of me. He gently took my hand and lifted me to my feet, checking over the wrist he squeezed to ensure it wasn’t hurt.
“You are improving, Claire,” he encouraged. “We’ll find a middle ground for you. When the Hellions do come back, you’ll be ready.”
The smile he offered was kind and warm, and brought a flush to my cheeks. I felt another set of eyes on me, and caught Sawyer glaring at us. The longer I looked at him, the more I realized it wasn’t me he was angry at, but Riley. His knuckles were clenched tight, and he looked seconds away from hitting something. Riley tensed beside me.
I was about to tell Sawyer that I was fine, I wasn’t hurt at all and that I’d taken his advice to heart, when a scream came from the cabin.
Everyone froze. It took another second to recognize the screams weren’t just coming from Abby, but Nash as well.
Gemma was the first one to reach the door. She threw it
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