Chapter 24

Lucian's pov

I had decided last minute to make it an outdoor training session. I needed to work off a lot of the anger I felt and get a more positive emotion.

It turned out that training with Selene only served to make me even more frustrated. I crossed my arms, watching her as she made her way across the fields, leaves rustling underneath her feet. She picked up the wooden staff, but she was a bit too slow for my liking.

"Be quick about it, we have more rounds to go," I barked, and she flinched.

She turned to face me, the staff outstretched, although I could see her hands trembling slightly. I paid no heed to that. We had no time to take it easy on her—she had much to learn and so little time. The operating school could begin almost any moment, and she needed to be equipped before they came.

Her stance was stiff and uncertain. Worse still, she wasn't ready for anything, not for the base, not to survive. It seemed without using her ultra-speed powers and quick reflexes, she was powerless.

"If you freeze up like that in a real fight, then you're dead meat," I said bluntly, stepping closer to her. My shadow loomed over her, and she stared at me with fire in her eyes now.

"In a real fight, I would be allowed to put my powers to good use. Forgive me for being noble enough to not use them now," she snapped.

"Stop complaining and focus," I replied, temper fraying. I pushed off the thoughts that I'd commanded her not to use her powers just so that she would be easier to defeat. I justified myself by saying that she had to know how to defend herself when her powers were numbed.

Without warning, I struck out with my staff. The sharp crack of wood against wood rang through the air as she barely managed to block the blow.

She stumbled, balance precarious, but I did not let up. There was no time to go easy on her.

"Again!" I said, immediately swinging low and aiming for her feet this time.

She gritted her teeth, twisting just enough to avoid the strike, but this time she had pushed herself too far. She landed face-first on the floor.

"Don't just stay there!" I snarled. "Get up and prove yourself worthy!"

I could feel her frustration as though it was my own, sharp and biting, as she turned, still on the floor, and glared at me. If looks could kill, I would surely be dead by now.

Before I could even blink, she was up and in front of me, swinging her staff so fast that I actually found it a challenge to keep up.

"I don't need to prove anything to anybody!" she growled, at superhuman speed. She was breaking my rules—I told her no powers.

Well, I wasn't very bothered. I was prepared for any sort of scenario, including vampires. I blocked all her ferocious attacks, waiting for one moment of vulnerability.

Finally, I found it when she struck a bit too high. I maneuvered my staff around hers, and while she was too busy trying to keep hold of it, I pushed slightly and she fell.

But she hadn't given up this time. She went down on one knee, still striking against my staff.

Every move, every strike reminded me of a different opponent. Memories rushed to the surface—memories I always tried to keep suppressed. My opponent in these memories was way worse than Selene, his words more cutting than the swords he used.

"You'll never be strong enough, boy," his words, merciless and cold, echoed in my mind as his sword cut into my arm and I cried out.

But he didn't care. I was to continue fighting, whether injured or not. Instead, he had a smile on his face.

"Show yourself, prove yourself worthy," he had said.

I found myself saying the very same words now to Selene, my grip on the staff tightening as I pushed the memories to the back of my mind where they belonged.

But they would not stay there, because I was acting just like him right now. My only mercy was that I wasn't using an actual sword.

With a grunt, I pushed back from her. I shut my eyes tightly, but what I could see was my father's cruel eyes, his mocking sneer, the scent of blood, sweat, and fear written in the air. It was all too much, too real.

I exhaled sharply, popping my eyes open to see her standing there, watching me with a very conflicted expression on her face. Well, seeing she hadn't taken a swing at me when I was vulnerable, I might as well take advantage of the situation.

I swung, this time harder than I intended to, and she yelped, taken back by surprise, the force of the blow knocking the staff from her hands.

She stumbled backwards, wide eyes locking onto mine, and for a moment I saw something that made my stomach twist.

Fear.

So tangible, so intense. I shook my head immediately. It was never my wish to have anybody look at me that way. Was that how I looked at him when, despite my pleas, he would not give me a breathing space during training?

"It's all for your own good," he would say, but I was sure even he knew that there was a breaking point for everybody.

Had I pushed Selene to her breaking point?

Just as the thought crossed my mind, another emotion flashed across her face, replacing the fear. Pure anger. Her fists were curled up by her sides.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded. Although her voice was shaking, it did not undermine the expression on her face.

I struggled to take in a deep breath as I took a step backwards. I immediately wished I could turn back the hands of time and restart this session in a better frame of mind, but the damage had already been done.

I was just like my father.