174
Lucy
The early morning sunlight streamed through the windows of the training room, casting a warm glow over the mats and equipment. As I stretched and readied myself for another combat class, I caught Duke’s eye across the room. We exchanged grins. Everything had changed so quickly between us.
Family.
The room buzzed with excitement as students got ready to start the warm-up. I found myself a spot next to Duke, feeling more of a surge of comfort than usual. He bumped me gently.
“You’re practically glowing.”
I grinned at him. “You are too.”
Lucian came in, grinning at the class, dressed for a workout.
“Good to see you all so ready to get tossed around this morning! Gloves on. Let’s get started.”
We got through the warm-up before we paired up.
I adjusted the straps of my gloves as Duke approached, his easy grin.
“Ready, Lucy-Cat?”
I scowled at him, falling into step beside him as we headed to our designated sparring area. “You’re doing that on purpose.”
“I will gracefully allow you to throw me around if it’s in your heart,” he said. His eyes twinkled. “Jessie says it’s a wolf-kin pastime.”
I grinned at him. “We’ll be doing a lot of it now, I guess.”
His eyes turned misty, and he nodded. “Better get better at it, or we’ll both get bowled over.”
Duke raised his fists, ready to spar, and I lifted mine. “You doing okay?”
“I couldn’t be better,” I said. “With everything going so well…”
Our sparring started, the rhythmic thud of our moves echoing in the room. As we exchanged blocks and strikes, I couldn’t help but be proud.
Duke had been so shaken, but I could see his confidence and bravery growing. I could only hope mine was too.
“What are your plans, Duke?”
“Plans?” He asked, dodging my swing.
“For the future? After school.”
“I think Blue would like it if I gained at least ten pounds.”
I snickered and stepped aside from one of his punches. “Be serious.”
We danced around each other, trying to score a hit. “Well, I’ve been thinking about it. I won’t be going into the Enforcer Academy. Instead, I’ll be training with Lucian and the Hecate coven.”
I ducked under his attempted hook and countered with a swift kick. “Training? For what?”
Duke sidestepped my kick with a grin. “Defensive magic, magical technology, and I’ll also be Hito’s apprentice for healing. I’m thinking of becoming a Council handler, maybe even a social worker.”
“That’s incredible, Duke. You’d be great at it.”
“Better than my own stupid handler, for sure.”
I laughed. “I’m proud of you.”
“Hold!” Lucian said. “Take a break. We’ll move on to weapons next.”
We slumped down against the wall together with a sigh and drank water, sitting on the edge of the mats. We wiped away sweat and leaned together.
“Why healing?”
“I apparently have a talent for it,” Duke said. “What about you?”
“I’m joining the Enforcer Academy.”
He let out a whistle. “Officer Lucy-Cat.”
I nudged him, and he laughed. “I want to help make our world safer for all supernaturals, not just werewolves. There’s so much we can do to bridge gaps, provide resources, and ensure fairness.”
And maybe, there’s a chance that I could rescue someone the way Dagon and Yvonne rescued me.
Duke leaned back, considering my words. “That’s a big responsibility. But I think you’re more than up for the challenge.”
A mixture of excitement and nervousness bubbled within me. “I really hope so. I want to focus on fostering understanding between different species, getting werewolves….”
“With the times and off everyone’s shit list?”
I huffed. “Something like that.”
“Well, if I doubted anyone, it would be you. You’re already on the way.”
“How?”
Duke laughed. “How many werewolves can say they can call up a Council Forces Badass for personal favors?”
My lips twitched as I thought about Dagon. “I should get him a gift or something…”
“Dragons like good meat… and witches like good potions.”
“I’ll look into it.
“Let’s get started!” Lucian said. “Before I give you any sort of weapon, a quick lesson.”
We turned to listen as Lucian pulled out a long staff. Then, it began to glow in his hands.
He explained the principles of harnessing and channeling magical energy, emphasizing the importance of focus and control.
“Every one of these poles is spelled to be near unmoveable until you channel your magic through it. We’ll start with basic channeling first. Everyone, come get one.”
We walked up. Most of them were able to pull one out easily. For those that couldn’t, Lucian handed one to them. Duke took one with shaking hands. He clenched his jaw and held onto it as it flickered in his hands. I couldn’t even pull one out.
“Focus,” Lucian said gently. “Your mom had a hard time too, but she was a badass with a dagger.”
My lips twitched into a smile. “Thanks…”
I tried to focus, but I couldn’t feel what he was hoping I would. He picked one up, it glowed in his hands, and he handed it to me. My shoulders slumped as I got back to my seat beside Duke.
I looked down at the slowly fading staff and huffed. I wouldn’t fall behind. There had to be a way for me to figure out how to use my magic now that my restraint was gone. The training hall buzzed with energy as I adjusted the grip on my sparring staff.
“We’ll start slow. Slow strikes, slow blocks. I want you to get used to channeling if you can, and the movements before we get into anything more advanced.”
Luke showed us a combination of basic strikes. The energy in the room shifted as Duke, and I turned to each other. His staff was still flickering while mine held steady.
“Don’t feel bad,” he said, lifting the staff with a grunt. “This is hard as fuck.”
“You just don’t have enough practice,” Lucian said, drifting behind him. “It will get easier. First strike.”
“Ready?” I asked, my staff held at the ready.
Duke nodded, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
I stepped into position so our staves met. His staff trembled against mine, flickering as he panted.
“Second strike.”
We waved the staff slowly so they met near our knees.
“Third strike.”
I lifted mine slowly so the staves met in the middle. Duke shook, and sweat poured down his forehead. I couldn’t help but feel bad that he was so far ahead of me.
“From the top…”
With each movement, I tried to push some of my magic into the staff to try and channel, but it didn’t move. Duke’s staff flashed and flared as we went through the strikes. When it finally started to smooth out, the tension on his face faded a little.
As our sparring session continued, I found myself falling into a rhythm – a dance of strikes, blocks, and counters. The sound of our staffs colliding created a rhythm of its own, Duke struggled to speed up, but the glow of his staff never faded.
As the class drew to a close, I looked down at the staff in my hand with a huff. I hadn’t progressed at all. Duke slumped against the far wall, panting, looking exhausted, as did a bunch of the other people in the class.
“Don’t look like you’ll never get it,” Lucian chuckled. “You’ll break my heart.”
I pouted. “I’m just frustrated that I didn’t seem to get anywhere.”
“Be patient with yourself,” he said. “You haven’t had full use of your magic most of your life. You’re not even at full—“
The door opened with a sharp sound. A man stood in the doorway with a scowl on his face. He wore the emblem of the Council on his uniform, his expression a mix of annoyance and superiority.
“You,” he said, looking at Duke with a loud and impatient voice. “You will come with me to report to the Council Hall immediately.”
My stomach churned. Duke glanced at me. My worry was mirrored in his eyes. After the last time, no one wanted to step foot in a Council Hall if we could help it.
Duke frowned up at her. “What for?”
“Do you make a habit of questioning authority?” She asked.
He smirked. “Whenever and however I can.”
She scowled. “The Council has determined that you need to meet with your handler at Council Hall.”
My stomach plummeted, not liking the sound of it. Then, I heard the Moon Goddess laughing at the back of my mind. Duke went pale and still. An uneasy tension hung in the air.
Then, Lucian stepped forward between us and the representative.
“Duke has been released from handler care. If there is something to resolve regarding his case, reach out to Trent of the Blood Moon Pack, Riley of the Hecate Coven, or Dagon of the Blue Scale Clan.”
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