I block it again and stumble back away from her. She advances, and I’m floored at how quickly she moves. She can’t seriously want me to fight her, can she? I mean, she clearly has some tricks up those cobwebbed sleeves, but Getta the granny wouldn’t stand a chance in a real brawl. Fuck, I’m worried if I breathe too hard on her, it’ll break something.
She swings for me again and misses.
“Getta, I don’t know what your deal is, but if you keep swinging at me, I’m going to defend myself. I don’t want to hurt you,” I explain, looking at the others in hopes that they’ll help me convince this senile old bat to activate her chill. One minute she’s being carried around like a baby, and the next she’s going fullKung Fu Pandaon me.
The giant black haired male leans back against the house like none of this is a big deal. Tawv watches what’s going on with rapt attention. Ryker and Bastien have joined Knox’s giggle fest, and Valen just gives me a thumbs up like the worst soccer mom ever, just chilling on the sidelines.
“What’s the matter, girl, afraid I’m going to kick your ass?” Getta taunts me, and I let loose an involuntary laugh.
I reel back just in time, barely dodging a swing aimed for my head. I glare at Getta, my patience with her bullshit starting to run real fucking thin.
“Fine. You want a fight? I’ll give you a fight. Don’t accuse me of elder abuse or say I didn’t warn you,” I growl between clenched teeth when Getta jabs at my stomach with her staff and nails me once.
I feel awkward as fuck wanting to beat the shit out of this little old woman, but it’s clearly what she’s aiming for. I stop running around the packed dirt yard on the defensive and swing a couple offensive strikes out at Getta. She blocks them with an excited hoot that convinces me she really and truly has lost her damn mind and wants to fight.
Is this going to be me when I’m a billion years old? Just taunting anyone who walks by because I’m itching for a good match?
I’m equally amused and horrified by that thought. I can just picture my Chosen shouting at me from the house, telling me to bring my wrinkled ass back in and stop taunting the neighborhood kids.
Fuck it. Let’s go, Wrinkle in Time.
I stop pulling my hits and go balls to the wall at Getta. She screams with delight and meets me move for move. I’m not sure what to think about the fact that this woman, who is clearly older than time itself, is keeping up withme. I call on my runes and pick up the speed. I’m a blur as I spin, twirl, flip, slash, jab, and whack at Getta.
And holy motherfucking shit, she’s also a blur as she dodges, parries, blocks, loops, and redirects my hits. I spin, punching out with one hand at the same time I bring my staff down toward her with another. She dodges my fist, but I just clip her with my weapon.
I keep from celebrating my hit with an excited shout and feel kind of bad. I’m about to ask her if she’s okay, when she looks up and smiles at me. And then in a flash, Getta stops fucking around and shows me what she’sreallymade of.
17
In a haze of movement, Getta and I attack and defend like we’re in some epic fight scene in a martial arts movie. I’m all Crouching Tiger to her Hidden Dragon as we race all over the back yard, trying to beat the shit out of each other. I block a hit so hard that my arms vibrate from the force. I call on my runes for strength and deliver my own bone jarring hits, blow for blow. I don’t know how long we go at each other, streaks of movement in the morning light as the sound of our staffs smash together in a rhythmic soundtrack that accompanies our grunts and whoops and shit talking.
I hear my guys cheering and commenting on the action, and it spurs me on. I gotta give it to the old coot, her game is on point. But I know she’ll start to lag and tire at any moment, and that’s when I’m going to fuck the old bitch up. Sweat trickles down the back of my neck as I bend, rotate, retreat, and then press forward.
And just when I think I’m about to gain the upper hand, Getta shows me that she’s got more in the tank than I thought.
We’re creating a dust tornado as we speedily circle each other and look for an opening. Getta leaps at me like a fucking spring chicken, and then suddenly it feels like I’m Neo inMatrix Reloadedwhen he’s fighting a fuck-ton of Mr. Smiths. Getta is fuckingeverywhere. I haul ass to keep her from connecting a hit anywhere on my body, but it’s a pace I know I can’t keep up forever. Getta uses her staff to pole vault over me, and I swing for where her trajectory says she should be landing. In a move that defies gravity, she changes direction and kicks me square in the chest so hard I see stars.
I’m thrown back and land hard in the trough, the cold water coating me in even more humiliation. The guys go silent, like the shock of what just happened has struck them completely mute. I stare at Getta, dumbfounded. How in the fuck did she do that? Mr. Smith is not supposed to kick Neo’s ass. She walks slowly over to me, as if each of her bones are suddenly feeling her age. I don’t blush, but I feel my body heat with embarrassment. I can’t believe that I just lost a fight to the Crypt Keeper. I haven’t fucking lost a fight in...I can’t even remember.
My humiliation goes beyond my underestimation of Getta though. I needed to win in order to be worthy of whatever the fuck she could tell me. I’m once again so fucking close to the answers, but this time, I only have myself to blame for losing them. Getta stops just in front of me and leans on her staff. Her cloudy white eyes land on mine, and she stares at me like she can see right into my soul.
“Are you worthy?” she asks me again.
My eyes sting as I look away. “I guess not,” I admit, and I feel something in me crack at that admission.
“As you say,” Getta agrees, and then she jerks her chin at Issak.
He lumbers over and scoops her up like something that’s precious to him. Her staff disappears in her hands, and she rests her head back and closes her eyes. I watch Issak’s back as he carries Getta away, and I feel like the last of my hope goes with them.
I pull myself out of the trough, ignoring the hand Valen steps forward and holds out for me to take. I can’t even look at him or any of the guys. I don’t even want to know what’s written on Tawv’s face right now. I had a shot to get myself and my Chosen some real answers, and I blew it. I wasn’t good enough. Water drips off my skin in rivulets, and I wish it could take my shame with it.
Siah steps toward me, opening his mouth to say something, but Knox stops him and shakes his head. For a moment, all I want is to be wrapped up in a hug, but I shove that shit away. I fucked up. I don’t get to be coddled and ask for lies about how this is all going to be fine. None of this is fine.
Tawv turns his back on me and moves away from the tiny cottage. I follow him. Maybe if I train harder, I can come back and try again. I can’t bring myself to ask him if that’s possible though. I just shutter everything up as Tawv leads us silently away. I don’t look back over my shoulder as we widen the distance between us and Getta’s house. That place will forever be burned in my brain, the mortification seared into my soul. There’s a good chance I might never be good enough to beat her, and then where does that leave us?
My Chosen are all silent as we make our way back, and I’m simultaneously sad and grateful for that. The castle comes into view, and the restless itch just underneath my skin is almost overwhelming. I need to move. To run. To train. To beat this humiliation and loss out of me, and I need to do it right now. I hope these fuckers have a gym. I need to not feel less than, and that’s the only place I can do it.
* * *
