I didn’t want to waste any of Becky’s time, so we were set to start training that next morning super early.
She grunted as I shook her awake.
“Go away,” she mumbled, so I shook her again.
“Becky,” I hissed, “wake up. Unless you don’t want a dragon.”
She startled awake by those words. “Okay, I’m up, I’m up.”
We entered the Parthenon Dome ten minutes later, dressed in tight training pants and long sleeve shirts as the mornings were colder.
I taught her Tai Chi that Micha had taught me, and she nailed the movements super-fast. Then we did some physical training, running laps and climbing the rope.
Becky didn’t huff and puff the way I thought she would. She was seriously fit.
For the last half an hour, I helped her with her reflexes. I knew we needed to train in projection release too, but I needed a dragon for that. I might have to ask Tabitha for her help with that one, as I was sure that George was going to change the ring into a place he dominated.
Around seven, we stopped.
“Meet me right here at two o’clock.”
Becky nodded as we walked to the bleachers to get our towels and water bottles. I chugged half the contents of the water from my bottle in four gulps.
“You are fantastic, Elena.”
“I had to claim the Rubicon. I didn’t tell the idiot to submit.”
“Yeah, I doubt George is going to submit.”
“You’ll be ready when I’m done with you.”
We walked back to the academy, took showers, and before I left my room, I grabbed my Cammy.
I had like five missed calls from Blake and a few text messages.
I couldn’t help the pull-action happening in my stomach as I opened the text.
Where the hell are you?
My fingers glided over the texts.
Helping Becky train to claim George. I’ll see you in a few minutes.
I hit the send button and grabbed my bag as Becky was also ready to go.
She kept asking me questions that had to do with her reflexes, and I answered them the best I could.
“We can focus on that. If you think that will help you more in the ring.”
She nodded. “Thanks, Elena. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you didn’t offer to train me. I’m not nearly where I should be to face a dragon.”
“We’ll get you there, promise.”
We entered the cafeteria, and I found Blake sitting with the guy that had carnival red hair. I think his name was Brian. The guy loved to speak in third person, which was annoying. Annie was sitting next to the guy.
I went over and kissed Blake on top of his head. The smile on his lips and the way he stroked my arm put me at ease.
He was okay.
I dished up and plopped down on the seat next to Blake. He was almost finished with his meal.
“Where were you this morning?” Annie asked.
“Oh, training Becky. Or trying to help her for Thursday’s claim. It sucks that they only give her a week.”
“She has his abilities,” Blake answered. “She’ll be fine.”
I dug in my meal and chewed the mouthful of eggs and piece of toast that danced on my taste buds. I swallowed as I looked at Blake. “Well, I’m helping her the rest of the week, too.”
Blake groaned as he looked up. “How many times a day?”
“Three. She really needs it, Blake.”
“So, I will not see you for like the entire week.”
“You can come with me.”
“I told you why I can’t. The guy is going to see me as a traitor.”
“Then suit yourself. She needs my help.”
Blake shook his head but didn’t reply. I hated the vibe that was forming; my gaze met Annie’s, who was looking with squinted eyes and furrowed eyebrows at her cousin.
I hoped he would not be like this the entire day.
The next few days flew by.
Becky caught on fast, and she was getting faster with her reflexes, too. I missed training for something like this.
“You know what? I think you might need a session or two in Lu’s simulator.”
“You think so?”
I nodded.
Her excitement washed from her face pretty fast. “You think he will let me use his simulator?”
“Lu is awesome, of course he will. I’ll ask him tonight and then we can go this Saturday.”
“Cool. Thanks. You are a real star for going out of your way.”
“It’s not out of my way, besides that’s what friends do.”
She giggled as we rushed up the stairs. I quickly went to take a shower and when I got out, I glanced at my watch. It was half past seven, and I still had time to sneak to Blake’s room. Not that sneaking was one of my specialties.
I also still needed to ask Tabitha for her help with that projection thingy the dragons did, changing the scene. She was great at pulling off snow scenes. Maybe she could pull off the desert, too.
I put on a pair of yoga pants, sneakers, and a long sleeve shirt and said goodbye to the roomies as I rushed down the stairs. There was no sign of Master Longwei but plenty of students speaking in the foyer and sitting on the stairs having a discussion.
I climbed past them and rushed up the stairs toward the seventh floor.
Blake’s room door eventually came into view, and I knocked on the door.
Lu opened. “Hey, Elena.” He stepped out of the way, and I entered. Blake was playing a PlayStation game with his headphones on. A cigarette dangled from his lips.
I thought he’d given it up. The door closed behind me as Lucian plopped back down on the couch, taking up the second remote.
I sat on the chair diagonally from them.
Blake sucked in his cigarette, making Lu laugh.
“Ew, that is disgusting,” I yelled.
Blake laughed as he took it out of his mouth and pressed the cigarette bud into the ashtray.
“I thought you quit.”
Blake chucked the remote on the table and brushed his fingers through his hair and answered, “Nope. So, you’re finally gracing me with your presence?”
“Don’t be such a baby. It’s just for this week.”
Lu chuckled.
“It’s not funny, Lu. He makes me feel bad.” I waved in Blake’s direction and remembered the simulator. “I need to ask you a favor. Can we use your simulator this weekend?”
“You train her on weekends, too. Elena!” A grunt passed through Blake’s lips.
“It’s just till Wednesday. It’s not forever. I’m here now, aren’t I?”
Lu gave me that look. The one he gave when he hated to be in the middle of things.
“Can we?”
“I’m too scared to answer that one.” He looked at Blake.
“Do what you want.” Blake sounded pissed off, and I pushed myself from the couch and fell on top of him, planting kisses all over Blake’s face until he started laughing.
I hated the grouch version of Blake. He made me feel as if I walked on eggshells and that wasn’t my Blake at all.
“Should I leave?” Lu asked.
I laughed at Lu’s question but gasped when Blake told him yes and then grabbed my lips with his, pushing his tongue into my mouth.
The click of the door reached my ears as my hormones climbed. The kiss stopped, and Blake grunted. “I miss you.”
“I’m sorry. She really needs the help. It’s just until Wednesday.”
“Fine.” He planted his lips on mine again and, with greedy hands, pulled my shirt off. Things quickly got pretty steamy.
Saturday morning, we had breakfast together in the cafeteria. When Becky and I finished, I kissed Blake on his head. “I’ll see you later.”
“Where are you going?”
“I told you. To use Lu’s simulator.”
His face slacked before every line hardened. “Fine, go.”
I stared at him and shook my head. He wasn’t my boss, and he definitely would not tell me what to do, either. That command thing works both ways. I got up and literally stormed out of the cafeteria with Becky on my heels.
Lu was already at the palace, and I needed to speak to him. I didn’t like this side of Blake. He was mean and a bully.
The elevator ride was quiet, and the doors opened at the palace.
I climbed out as Becky followed. She moved cautiously around me too whenever Blake was a grouch and taking his frustrations out on me.
Lu entered the room. “You made it. I thought Blake—”
“He is not my boss.”
“Okay.” Lucian lifted his hands as I stormed out.
“Don’t ask.” Becky’s voice reached my ears as they followed me toward the simulator.
Blake made me so mad, and to make me feel bad all the time because I was trying to help someone else—what was that about?
Becky gasped as we entered the simulator and took the steel steps toward the operating room.
Everything was just as they’d left it.
“Are you going to keep it now that you have your dragon?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Dad asked me the same thing, but I actually got quite used to it being here. I mean, what else would this place become if it’s not the simulator?”
“Dungeon,” Becky said, eliciting laughter from both of us.
It was a good laugh and made me realize just how little I’d laughed lately. I got the setup ready as Lu helped her prepare. He went in with her for the first time as I sat in front of the computer.
Lu showed her more or less what it would be like when she faced George on Thursday and how to claim the beast.
She nodded, and then in the next session, he handed her the ropes. The door opened, and Lu took off his helmet and plopped it on the table. The chair next to me wheeled toward him, and he sat into it.
“So what happened?”
“He was mean again. I don’t know, Lu. Sometimes I don’t know if I actually like him.”
A chuckle escaped Lu’s lips. “Yeah, I know what you mean, especially when he is demanding things.”
“He wasn’t like that at the beginning.”
“Nobody shows their true colors in the beginning, Elena. What is strange is the way you two fight. That is not normal between Dents, or so we learned.”
“Oh, like you and Tabitha. You are not even friends yet, Lu.”
“Because we are still in our impasse stage. That is normal. What you and Blake go through isn’t. Still, he is the alpha and the only dragon that there isn’t data to know whether this is normal.”
Great, so that was his true self shining through. I didn’t like it. He was so possessive and bossy.
We had lunch at the palace, and Becky’s eyes almost popped when she saw how informal Lu’s mom and dad were with us there.
For the last few hours of the afternoon, we let Becky train again inside the simulator. She still hadn’t claimed George, but she was holding out longer. It was a great exercise for her, and I was sure it took a bit of the edge off.
Around five, we said goodbye.
When the elevator opened in Master Longwei’s office, I went straight to the room.
Sammy wasn’t in the room, and a strange silence followed.
“You okay?” Becky asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine. You learned something today?”
“I learned tons. Wish I could’ve just had him once, but I guess it will come with more training.”
I nodded. “You did great. I was a mess the first time I went in that ring.”
Silence lingered again.
“Is Blake okay with you helping me?”
“To be honest with you, at this moment I don’t care what he thinks. He can be such a jerk. I thought that maybe something was wrong, like something had happened to him, but Lu just confirmed that it’s who Blake is. Do you think that Dents might actually grow out of liking each other?”
Becky chuckled. “I get your meaning. I don’t know, but I’m sure there is a first for everything, especially with the Rubicon.”
I huffed. “He wasn’t like that in the beginning. He was sweet and really lovable. Lately,” I stroked my hand through my hair and shook my head as the tears pricked, “I don’t know how I feel most of the time, and I do not know in what mood he will be the next morning. It feels as if I’m walking on eggshells.”
“I’m sorry you go through this.”
“I just need to speak to him. Maybe it is the amount of time he is seeing me. I don’t know.”
I could only hope that it was linked to that and not that Blake was a gigantic asshole.
