138
Lucy
My heart surged with hope as we got to the room just as someone screamed. I jumped back as the large man crashed to the floor and groaned. He was at least half a head taller than the man who had thrown him and the rest of the room looked stunned.
“Anyone else?”
“Luke?” Duke and I asked.
He turned around with a brilliant smile. His hair was tied up and out of his face. His eyes were bright.
“I was wondering if you two had gotten lost. Come on in, we’re about to get started.”
We shuffled to the back of the room, looking nervous as Luke hauled the large man off the ground and clapped him on the shoulder.
“Hopefully, that teaches you all that your size means almost nothing. Welcome to your first day of the Basics of Magical Combat. You can pick up your syllabus after I’ve had a chance to observe you all and develop plans for you. By the end of this course, you should be fit enough to take the Enforcer Academy’s Basic Training Course, and do well enough to get yourself a spot. Let’s start with the basics.”
We settled on the floor with the rest of the students as Luke started the lesson. It was so different than our private classes with him. Everyone seemed excited to listen, though it didn’t seem like anyone was taking notes. Duke seemed just as nervous as I was when Luke decided it was time to start with some drills. We put our things to the back as Luke divided the class up based on experience. Duke and I were in the least experienced group.
“We’ll start with striking stances and technique.”
He showed us the proper way to throw a basic bunch and came around to correct our forms. It was strange. I had never learned how to fight. I didn’t know anything about fighting either. Duke seemed even more awkward than I was but Luke was patient with him. He tutted.
“Your left leg is weaker than your right,” Luke said, eyeing Duke. “Did you injure it that you can remember?”
He went pale but he nodded. Luke bobbed his head. “I’ll take note. Lead with your right leg for now.”
Once we had the technique down, he put us in front of punching bags to practice. We moved from basic punches to kicks. By the time he paired us up, everything in me seemed to be aching. Across the room, a young woman about our age was paired us with a larger guy. She threw him to the ground easily. Luke nodded.
“Good job.”
A timer went off and he clapped his hands. “Good job, everyone. Not bad for your first day. Your syllabi are up here. Grab one, they’re all enchanted to display the plan specifically for you. Lucy and David hang back a second.”
I grabbed my bag, watching the rest of the class filter out. They looked excited as they chatter.
“I can’t believe I got in.”
“This is going to look so good on my application…”
The door closed and left us alone with Luke. Duke looked at the floor seemingly ashamed. Luke clapped him on the shoulder.
“You did well,” Luke said. Duke lifted his head a little. “Honestly. This is will be quite the journey for you. Not every step is a step forward, but so long as you keep trying, you’ll get better.”
He bobbed his head and Luke looked at me.
“You, dear Lucy, are generally just out of shape.” I shuffled my feet. “That’s not your fault. The restraint has suppressed a lot of the benefits of being a werewolf in you and as I understand it, neither of you have had much of a chance to work out.”
He handed us both pages that slowly filled with words in our hands.
“I’m going to keep you paired for most of the time since I’m going to be asking a lot of you. You have a lot of catching up to do, but I think it’s possible.” He looked at Duke. “Next time you have a sleepless night, tell me. Had I not smelled the potion you’re taking, I might have pushed you too hard. I’ve already called your escort to take you home.”
His shoulders slumped. “I feel okay.”
“You need rest,” Luke said. “And I’ve already taxed you enough. The stuff for the rest of your classes should be waiting for you when they come for you. You’re fine.”
He sighed. “Okay.”
“Any developments otherwise?” He peered at Duke. “Are you going to be okay for out… field trip?”
His eyes twinkled. It’s okay If we have to change plans.”
“I told her to go away and she did.”
Luke grinned. “That’s a good start. Wait until you figure out how to make her stay and listen to your complaints.”
We said goodbye to Luke and I walked Duke to the front foyer. As promised, the clerk at the front had a stack of information for Duke and Thomas was there looking at Duke wryly.
“Wore you out, hm?” Thomas chuckled. “Luke’s pretty good for it.”
“We know he’s the magic specialist, but… he seemed like more than that.”
Thomas grinned. “Luke’s a magical combat specialist, actually. The magical maintenance is just part of the job. The Council only pulls him out when shit is really hitting the fan.”
He wrapped an arm around Duke to steady him as he started to sway, grabbed the bundle from the desk and guided Duke out to the awaiting car. I waved them goodbye and headed to my next class.
As I sat down for lunch alone in the magical cafeteria, I looked around. There were people from my class that morning there together, pouring over books. There were other groups of people I didn’t recognize and others I had other classes with.
They all looked so happy and free. They looked like they didn’t have a care in the world.
“Hey.” I looked up as one of the seniors from Helping Hands came to my table. He nodded at the chair. “Do you mind?”
I shook my head and he set his tray across from me. “Thanks. Lucy, right?”
I nodded. He offered his hand. “Jordan.”
I shook his hand blinking at him. There was something about him that I couldn’t place. He smiled.
“You’re looking at me like you want to know my inner secrets.” He leaned forward. “I’m deathly afraid of spiders.”
I laughed. “I promise not to tell anyone.”
“Oh, don’t bother. Everyone already knows,” he laughed. “What’s eating you?”
My lips twitched. “I… Well…”
“Is it about those guys that showed up at the garden?” He asked, cocking an eyebrow at me. “Crappy family?”
I shook my head. “We aren’t related… Not really.”
“Same species then. That’s rough. Well… Based on their actions, they’re werewolves, right?”
I nodded. “How could you tell?”
“They got really growly, and there was a lot of posturing. One of them punched a barrier. Stupid. Only werewolves tend not to have basic magic knowledge like that.”
I blinked at him and thought back to my dream. “Punched… a barrier?”
He nodded. “If you have a little bit of magical knowledge, you’d know that a ward can be moved, shifted, and changed at the least provocation of the caster. David’s been casting our barriers for a while now. I wouldn’t try punching a barrier he put up. I’d be nursing a broken hand for weeks.”
I bit my lip. Was that white wolf in my dream Tony? Did they know that they were there? Did the Moon Goddess bring them? If not, did it mean that I really did have a connection to them?
“You… know David well?”
He shrugged. “Well, enough. He joined Helping Hands during his freshman year. He’s got a crazy schedule, but if he says he’s going to be there, he’s there every time. Dependable.”
He chuckled. “I remember thinking that he’s going to be an asshole. Werewolves have a bad rep’, you know? But he’s not at all like people warn you about… Neither is that Duke or you.”
“Thanks.”
“Speaking of, I was under the impression that you and Duke were pretty inseparable,” he said. “Odd to see you here without him.”
“He had to go home,” I said. “He had a sleepless night, so… it was better that he went home.”
He nodded. “Makes sense. I’ll be sure to check in on him later. So, what’s got that look on your face?”
“A look?”
“Yeah, like everyone’s having ice cream without you.”
I shook my head. “I guess it feels like they are.”
He chuckled. “Well, get yourself some ice cream!”
I laughed. “I don’t think it’s that easy.”
He laughed. “A lot of things are simpler than you think they are. If you’re too busy worrying about how hard it’s going to be, you’re never going to give it your all.”
I stared at him and found myself smiling. Maybe he was right. Maybe it would be simpler than I thought.
“Thanks, Jordan.”
“Any time,” he said then vanished as if he were never there.
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