“Shit, I should have been recording,” he says. “Could you do it again, Celine, so I can show Sheena later?”
Celine laughs, and Gideonjumps to his feet, somehow twice as excited as he was before he got tossed on the floor.
They go a few more rounds, but Gideon doesn’t make the same mistake again. He’s a skilled fighter; Celine is just better. Facing him in his preferred animal form would present a bigger challenge for her, but the nice rubber mats wouldn’t survive it.
They take a water break, both pouring sweat, and Gideon glances at me. “What if we fight in pairs? Quaid and me against the two of you?”
Celine shakes her head. “I don’t think it would be a fair fight. Riven is lethal.”
My chest puffs up.Idiot, that wasn’t a compliment for you, it was a warning for them.Except the way Celine said it sounded nice. Pushing that from my mind, I focus on the human. He’s big, and he carries himself like a soldier, but he doesn’t have supernatural gifts.
I clear my throat. “Do you think the two of you could defeat me and Quaid?”
We’re play-fighting. Children grappling in a facility designed by someone with adult money. It should feel like a waste of time, but it doesn’t. Quaid called it training, and I guess he’s right. It’s just different than what I’m used to.
Gideon bumps his giant knuckles against Celine’s and bounces on the balls of his feet. “This is going to be good,” he says. “It’s been forever since I kicked Quaid’s ass.”
Quaid rolls his eyes. “If by forever, you mean never.”
“That’s because you always pair with Sheena and hide behind her wishes.”
A muscle in Quaid’s jaw ticks, and I squash the smile that wants to escape.
This will be a good match.
Quaid waves me over, and we turn our backs onthe other two. “I’m good on the ground,” he whispers. “Gideon has a hard time waiting. If you toy with him long enough, he’ll try to force an opening.”
I nod. “Celine is strong; try not to let her get her arms around you, and if she brings her wings out, stay away from them no matter what.”
He grunts. “What about you? Any weaknesses I should know about?”
I raise one eyebrow. “None I’m willing to share with you.”
“Fair enough.” With nothing else to say, we turn to watch the other pair. They’re whispering andlaughing. Gods, are they planning to fight or gossip?
I roll my head in a loose circle until I hear the familiar crack of my neck. If I don’t want my joints to pop, they don’t, but something about the bad habit has always been especially satisfying to me. My own quiet rebellion.
They erased my true form, but I refuse to be silenced.
Celine and Gideon face us; everyone nods, then the fight begins.
They’ve chosen to stand close together, forming a wall of muscle to prevent us from getting behind them. Our strategies couldn’t be more opposite, with Quaid and me hugging our respective sides of the padded floor and giving each other plenty of room to work.
I’ve watched Gideon fight enough now to have a pretty good idea of his rhythm. Enough to mess with him, at least.
I signal to Quaid, and we swap sides.
Gideon grins, breaking formation with Celine to face me. I pretend to lunge and toss a loose uppercut at his midsection. He dodges, and Celine scoffs. “Don’t fall for that, Gideon, he’s?—”
Quaid charges her, moving faster than I would have expected from a human of his size. He sweeps his right leg into Celine’s ankles, and she barely manages to jump clear of him, toodistracted giving her new friend pointers to pay attention to her opponent.
The move catches Gideon’s attention too. I duck in while he’s watching them and drive my knee into his gut, pulling back at the last second to avoid breaking his ribs. He wheezes, air leaving his mouth in a whoosh, but he doesn’t panic, not even for a second, grabbing my knee and forcing me to the mat.
He’s a much tougher opponent on the ground.
Bigger than my standard form, determined, and strong. I enjoy the challenge of the size mismatch for a few minutes, then mirror his moves, a flicker of magic running through me.
Thirty seconds later, I’ve got him pinned.
