Chapter Twelve
“I knew you couldn’t stay away.” Nik smiles and I know it’s meant to be disarming. He’ll want my guard down so we can re-lay the ground rules and repair our working relationship. “You don’t have it in you to quit.”
Nik was expecting me. I’m not surprised. I’ve gotten to know a little of him and his work ethic during our sessions. It’s only natural that he’s gotten to know me as well. Just as I knew he’d be here during our regular training time, he knew I’d show up for my lesson. And here he is sitting on the bench by the blood cooler waiting for me.
“Yeah, well, it wasn’t your good looks and quick wit that brought me back,” I grumble, unzipping my hoodie and stripping down to the tee beneath.
“What was it then? What’s left?” he questions feigning confusion.
“Anya.”
“Well isn’t this an interesting turn of events.” He actually does look surprised now. I’m secretly pleased to have caught him off guard. So much for predictable!
“No more interesting than Blaine trailing along behind you everywhere you go,” I return sarcastically.
“Ouch! You hurt my feelings Katia.” He wags his finger at me as a warning.
“Doubtful.”
“I told you he wouldn’t bother us anymore. I meant that.” His tone is earnest and his blue eyes have a depth I’ve never noticed before. He seems sincere, but I still have my doubts.
“What’s the deal with you two anyway?” I honestly am curious about their weird friendship. They’re as different as night and day from what I’ve seen. Hell, I can’t understand any of his friends.
“Truce?” he asks, offering me his hand.
“Fine,” I concede. I’d agree to almost anything right now for a peek at his thoughts. Besides, even I’m getting tired of my salty attitude. I resolutely shake his extended hand, ignoring the tingle creeping through my fingers and making its way up my arm as our hands touch. Probably it’s my imagination, but his grip lingers a little too long creating a feeling of intimacy. I quickly withdraw my hand and twist it behind my back and out of his grasp.
“Blaine, Jade, and I have been friends since we were kids. We didn’t grow up on the same continent, but our parents run in the same elitist social circles. Always have. We’ve been thrown together more times than I care to count over the years. That friendship was solidified when we came to Crossroads.”
I say nothing and stare at him expectantly. No way is he getting off that easy.
“They really aren’t as bad as they seem,” he says, ducking his head sheepishly. It’s a good look for him. He wears humility well. I definitely prefer this to the arrogance. “I know they’ve been unbearable to you, but your presence makes them uneasy. You’re an unknown. You come from a powerful family. And, you make no attempt to fit in. They’re afraid of you.”
“Me? I’m hardly a threat to them. Besides, it’s not me that makes them nervous. It’s you. I see how they look at you. Both of them.” He may be able to ignore it, but I’ve seen their hungry eyes. They both want more than friendship and more than he’s evidently willing to give.
“They’re my friends. Nothing more,” he says raising his eyebrows. “Nothing less. Both have been loyal to me over the years and both have proven reliable. Are they shallow? Yes. Can they be a pain? Hell, yes. But, I wouldn’t trade them for the world.” His solemn demeanor does me in. I find that I actually want to believe him. Whether I like them or not, it’s reassuring to know that he won’t sell them out just to get close to me or win my approval.
Of course he wouldn’t. He accepts them for who they are, no matter how flawed. Whatever they’ve done to earn his respect, it won’t be easily shaken. This discovery is both encouraging and discomforting at the same time. It’s good to see Nik as an individual, a real person, instead of just a means to an end. But, it could be dangerous as well. I have to be careful. I don’t want to give too much of myself away in order to get what I want.
“What about you?” he asks, turning the tables. “You come here and you barely interact with anyone. We’ve been working together for weeks, and I hardly know anything about you. All you care about is becoming an elite fighter. Not exactly girl next door behavior you know. What’s that all about?”
I shrug. “I know what I want. Is there something wrong with that?”
“Wrong? No. Intriguing? Yes. I’ve never met anyone like you. You’re so driven. So focused. I just wonder why?”
“Why?” I’m stalling. I know it. He knows it. But it doesn’t matter. We both know I’m not going to answer him truthfully. Not completely truthfully anyway. He may be comfortable baring his soul, but I’m not. Not by a long shot. “I don’t know. When I went to live with Aldo, I began training with his Linkuri guard, Viktor. It was empowering. It felt right. I’ve never lost that feeling. And, if I want to be one of them, I have to be the best.”
“I should’ve guessed,” he says, shaking his head in wonder. I watch as he anxiously rubs his hands over his well-muscled thighs.
“What?” I’m totally confused. I have no idea what he’s talking about.
“It’s so obvious. We’re so much alike.” He laughs then, his face alight with excitement, his blue eyes locked on mine. I like him this way. Relaxed. Serious. Real. Not the smartass relying on his charm and physique.
“It’s complicated,” he starts. “My parents have high aspirations for me. I’m their only son—their legacy. Crossroads is fine for Anya, but for me they have a grander plan. They’ve had a different set of expectations since the day I was born,” he says wearily.
I remember what Anya said about how Nik used to be close to his parents. It’s clear why she used the past tense. There doesn’t seem to be any love lost today.
“They believe that one day I will sit on the Consiliul de Batrani. Their expectation is that I will someday join the Elders. I, however, have my own ideas. Whether they approve or not, it’s my life. Everything I’ve ever done is to prepare myself for the Linkuri. It may not have as much prestige as the Council, but it’s what I want. It’s what I’ve always wanted.”
“I’m lucky, I guess. Aldo will support me in whatever I do. He would never push me into a life I didn’t want. I guess I didn’t realize how important that was until now. Things must get pretty tense when you’re home.”
“Only when the subject of school, politics, or my future comes up,” he jokes, standing up. “Ready to get to work?”
“Always.”
“Good. I was thinking of trying something new today. Are you up for it?”
“I’m up for whatever you can throw at me. I just hope that today it’s weapons training. I’ve been dying to get beyond hand-to-hand.”
“You’re in luck then,” he says, clapping his hands together excitedly.
We walk to the back wall of the training center side by side. Before I can stop myself I’m sighing with contentment. It’s a thing of beauty. The wall is lined with weaponry. It starts at the floor and stretches up over my head. There are weapons of all kinds. It would be impossible not to find something you like. As I admire the sight, Nikolai sweeps his hand over the wall in a broad gesture. “Ladies choice.”
I don’t even know where to start. I’d love to master the katana sword, but logic tells me I should start simple. Maybe a bo or the sai. A knife would be good, but there’s no doubt in my mind that I probably want a weapon that can put more distance between Nik and me until I’m more comfortable. I’m willing to endure a little pain for the sake of training, but I have no interest in getting cut to pieces today. I run my hands lovingly over the protective case of the sword and promise myself that I will graduate to this weapon eventually.
“What do you recommend?” I ask finally. It’s clear I won’t be able to choose on my own. Besides, he’s been through all of this before, so he probably knows where I should really be starting.
“Let’s start with the bo. It’ll give you a longer reach and can easily be incorporated
with your martial arts training.”
“Start basic and work our way up to the marvels of modern man?” I ask, eyeing the locked arsenal.
“Katia, I promise that by the time I’m done with you, you’ll be able to pick up any weapon in this room without a moment of hesitation.”
“I like the sound of that,” I say pulling a bo from the wall and spinning it in my hands to get a feel for the weight. “Let’s get started.”