Chapter 30 The scent, the ravine
Naomi
At this point in time, I had no idea if this was a planned act or an accident. Why was she always paired with me each time we came out for training camp? There were other students I could be paired with, but it was always Calix. I had no idea if she made this plan with her brother just to torture me. But this time around, I was not going to leave without a fight if she tried anything.
I held my sword with two hands, my legs pinned to the floor and ready to strike. She stared at me with murder in her eyes, and I was yet to understand why she was always like this toward me.
"You keep hiding what you have with Mr. Rex, but I promise to find out one day. When I do, you two will have to face it."
Someone who wasn't used to her would be fazed by what she said, but I didn't care. I had no idea how she came to that conclusion.
She swung first. I dodged to the right. Surprise crossed her face. She probably thought she was going to put me down with just her first strike. But too bad for her; I was going to fight her. This was just the beginning.
"Hmmmm. Have you been taking some classes?" she asked. When she lurched at me with her fist, I ducked, her hand flying over my head.
She kept talking, but no words left my mouth. Like they always say, the best answer for a fool is to keep quiet. That was exactly what I was doing in this situation.
"You better stand still for me to finish this once and for all." She circled the sword in her hands as she walked around me, like a lion stalking its prey before it attacked.
She thought I was that stupid—that I would stay in one spot and watch her strike me? She was too full of herself. I aimed my sword at her legs, but she dodged it, which wasn't quite surprising given that she had been a fighter before all this.
She stopped and watched me for some minutes. I used that as my cue to strike. However, I didn't even get close to her when I felt a stinging pain on my forearm.
"Should I cut those blisters off, Naomi?"
While I was still trying to digest what she had just done, she sent her leg out and tackled me to the floor. I fell on my stomach first, my lips brushing the floor. I felt a sting on my bottom lip; I must have scratched it.
Several kicks landed on my stomach and face. "When I tell you to stop, you stop. You have no right to disrespect me."
She was dragged back, and she fought the person as if she were being dragged away from her favorite meal.
"That's okay." Julian pulled her to the side and stood next to her. "You have to up your game. This isn't how it is supposed to be. You look weak, and you have to work on that."
Julian spat his words as if what his sister did was right. This was training, not a boxing match, yet Calix had turned it into the latter.
I tried to get up from the floor, but my body ached in pain and frustration. Again, I knew that if I didn't get up, nobody was coming to help me. The students had already started to leave, as if nothing was happening. I stood up and cleaned myself, feeling cold liquid running down my nostrils. She had made my nose bleed.
This couldn't be happening. Calix must have done this intentionally. I needed to fight back. I had to tell Mr. Rex; he needed to intensify the training. I hated that everyone could fight to protect themselves except for me. I wanted to understand what I did to her that made her hate me this much—to the point where she went so far as to ask to be paired with me just so she could torment me. Was she satisfied?
After school, I went home and washed a few of my clothes before starting to prepare for work. Luckily, my face wasn't that bruised. I applied some powder and concealer to cover it up.
I went to work. The place was full today. It was like everyone in this part of the country had decided to eat at Dean's Diner. Mandy was taking orders and Alice was dishing out the food, while I walked around serving the customers.
We hadn't been able to sit down or take a rest as the orders kept coming. We served and served, and we received great tips as well. I had one customer who kept smiling at me, but I didn't give in. He even tried to ask for my number. The audacity of him.
Just when I placed the last plate in front of a customer, I smelled it. It was so strong and intoxicating. Without a word to anyone, I passed through the back door and into the busy night street. I didn't even know what I was doing at this point; I just kept following the scent, no matter where it took me.
My mind didn't tell me to stop; instead, it encouraged me, completely absorbed by the scent. My legs skipped over the little stream in front of me and into the forest. I followed it. It was like the song of a siren that lured sailors into her cage.
Then, a big stone caught my attention. There was someone on it. Their back was facing me. They were dressed in all black, the moonlight tracing every curve of their back. My mind should have screamed "danger" and I should have run away, but right now, I didn't care. The scent was all around me, screaming safety and comfort.
I tried to walk closer, but he lifted his hand, making me stop.
"Don't come close if you don't want to get burned."
When I looked around, I realized where I was: The Ravine. I didn't know what I was thinking. I had followed the scent right to this place. But here was the thing: I couldn't leave until the scent was gone. It was like I would lose touch with reality if I left while the scent was still here.
"Who are you, and what are you doing in this place?"
He didn't respond or even turn to look at me, which was quite rude. Since he was not going to talk, I looked around for a spot of my own. I fixed my dress and sat down as well. The scent was still there, moving from one corner of the ravine to another. I could tell it was not coming from the stranger, as he was sitting behind me. The scent was not steady.
"Don't you have work to go back to? Or do you want to be fired?"
My head snapped around to ask how he knew about my job, but he was gone. He left just like that. I didn't even hear footsteps or see the direction he took. Did he disappear?
My mind stayed on alert as I noticed the scent was starting to fade, indicating that it was time for me to leave if I didn't want to be fired.