And then Vander charged.
I hit the floor with a crash, all the air squeezing from my lungs in a sharp smack. My head bounced off the mat and stars danced across my vision. Son of a witch!
When I opened my eyes, Vander stood over me grinning. “Because I was going easy on you.”
“Bastard dog,” I snarled.
He raised his hands up, that grin still plastered across his handsome face. “I was told to work you, so I’m only doing as instructed. Talon taught you well. I know it’s in there somewhere.”
“Talon trained me?”
“He did.”
“I thought you weren’t telling me stuff about him.”
He backed away and leaned on the mirrored wall. “That’s only the tip of the iceberg, Azara.”
“Will you tell me about us now?”
“After one move?”
I flashed him my best smile. “Please… I’ve been through so much, Vander. My cousin held me captive for months, and I don’t even know what he did to me.” I laid the whineyness on thick.
His warm smile melted into a scowl, and a flash of darkness scurried across his irises. “We’ll make him pay for that, Azara, I promise you.”
I believed him for some reason. I may not have remembered the guys, but they all elicited the warm and fuzzies from me. Which was weird considering I hadn’t felt much of anything for as long as I could remember. “So will you tell me?” I added in my puppy dog eyes this time.
His face softened like putty in my hands. Sucker. “Fine. But after that, back to training.”
“Deal.”
I sat wide-eyed on the thinly cushioned mat as he recounted the story of his mission as my secret bodyguard. When he was done, I was left with even more questions. “But why would my dad have an SIA agent watch me for two whole years?” I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that Vander was in the SIA. Though he didn’t come out and say it, I figured his Triad buddies were too. I was finally starting to put the pieces together of the strange running of Darkblood Prison.
“You’re special, Azara. It was obvious from the first moment I saw you.” Flecks of citrine lit up his hazel eyes, and a goofy grin curved his lips.
For the first time in forever, I actually felt special, felt loved. My parents hadn’t just abandoned me in the Underworld after all. And from the look in Vander’s eyes, there was still more to our story. “So is that everything?”
A noncommittal sound squeezed through his lips.
“Aw, come on, no fair. Talon’s already holding my information hostage for no apparent reason.”
“Some of our story is tied to his. It wouldn’t be fair to bring up my part without explaining Talon’s.”
“And you can’t do that…”
“Nope.” He popped his P, and the quirk was oddly familiar.
“So now what?”
“Back to training.”
I rolled my eyes, and he grabbed my hand and yanked me up. His hand was soft and warm against my own. Vander was so different than Drayax—so different than any of the warlords my cousin was trying to force on me.
At least one plus side for having escaped.
“Okay, enough stalling, Azara. Come at me.”
My pleasure, wolfie. My she-demon purred in my mind. The moment I’d entered the training room, I’d felt her. She was faint, thanks to the metal bangle on my wrist, but she was there. I wasn’t certain if that was a bad thing, but I hadn’t mentioned it to Vander. For now, she’d be my little secret.
I lunged at my trainer, swinging my gloved fists like mad. I got in a few good punches before Vander started to fight back. I ducked and jabbed, my muscles on autopilot. As we sparred, my mind whirled with all the new information I’d learned from Flix and Vander.
I’d discovered a lot in a short time, much more than my cousin had ever divulged. And somehow, I could feel it was true. My parents were important, and I was too. Otherwise, why would Thax have orchestrated my imprisonment at Darkblood. The hushed words I’d overheard between my cousin and Remy back at the castle swam through my mind.
“…My visions have changed. Azara no longer poses a threat.”
Remy sure as hell was wrong about that one. The dark lord would pay for what he did to me. I just had to wait for the right time. My demon chuckled. Once I knew everything, I’d break out of here and steal the throne right out from under his lying nose.
Vander’s leg swept out behind my knees, and I lost my balance. Dammit. I reached for him and grabbed his shirt, tugging him down with me. My back smacked the mat with a sharp crack, and Vander toppled down on top of me. Squeezed between the floor and his hard body, all the air evacuated my lungs.
I sucked in a breath as he hovered over me, his big arms trapping me on the floor. “Get off me,” I growled.
His lips cracked into a smile. “Make me.”
I couldn’t help but laugh as the big idiot loomed over me. Until the door slammed open, and an overpowering presence sucked the fun right out of it.
Talon stalked in, his fiery glare shooting daggers. Vander jumped up so fast I was sure he’d given himself whiplash. The scaredy wolf ran his hand over the back of his neck, his eyes fixed to the floor. “Hey, T, we were just sparring and Azara fell and…”
“Whatever,” Talon barked then shot me a withering glare. “How’s she doing?”
“She is right here,” I interjected. “And I’m doing great, thanks.”
“The question was for Vander, and I was asking how you were performing physically.”
I smirked and ticked my head at the cowering wolf. “Well, go ahead and tell him.”
He cleared his throat and finally met his surly leader’s glare. “She hasn’t seemed to have forgotten much combat-wise in the past three months. She’s a little out of practice, but I’m sure it’ll all come back once she’s had a few more sessions.”
“Good.” The frown engraved into Talon’s face only deepened when he turned to me once again. “Let’s see it then.”
I trudged toward Vander with my gloves up and ready to go.
“No,” Talon snapped. “Not him. Me.”
A shiver of excitement rolled through my spine. Finally. My she-demon whispered in my ear.
I lunged, hitting the dragon with my favorite—or at least I was pretty sure it was my favorite—combo, a one-two punch and roundhouse. I nailed the first hit to his rock-hard abs and bit my tongue to keep from whimpering, he blocked my second hit and grabbed my leg as I went for the kick. He twisted my knee, so I had no choice but to drop to the floor or break it.
“Asshole!” I gritted out as I hit the mat hard.
“What did you just say?” Talon was on me so fast, he was nothing more than a dark blur. His hands fisted the collar of my jumpsuit, and he forced my face inches from his.
“I called you an effing asshole,” I growled.
The ghost of a smile hitched up the corner of his lip, but it was gone a second later. I’d probably imagined it. I doubted the dragon douche canoe knew how to smile. He straightened, leaving me on the floor without so much as offering his hand.
“You’re wrong, Vander. She’s way out of practice.”