chapter Four
I GRABBED JACE’S ARM. “Don’t.”
He jerked out of my grasp and sidestepped me. I huffed and jumped in front of him, pressing my hands against his chest. “Jace, he only wants to get a rise out of you. Don’t do this. Please.”
Nick planted himself in Jace’s path. “Dude, this will not end well. Listen to Dez.”
I looked over my shoulder, silently thanking Nick, and he nodded. Jace relaxed his stance, but I kept my hands on him, scared to lose contact.
“Come on,” Lana said. “Let’s walk right past. Don’t even look at them.”
“What? But I just ordered my food.” Nick threw his hands up.
Jace blew out a deep breath. “You see.” He nodded his head once toward the Narcos. “This is what I meant. They’re waiting for the bottom to fall out. Then they’ll make their move.”
I didn’t know if Jace was right, but if the Narcos wanted the Shythe to restart the feud, they picked a good target. Jace wouldn’t be able to tolerate this much longer.
“Nick, go get the food. Lana,” I said, glancing out the window, “help Nick and meet us at the levibikes. We can have a picnic, instead.”
Jace crossed his arms over his chest as I finally dropped my hands. “Great.” He hung his head, kicking the leg of a chair. “Then we just give them what they want? Run like cowards. Let them think they can treat us any way, huh?” His blue eyes met mine.
“No,” I said. “You said they want a fight, right? Well, walking away and ignoring them is not giving them what they want. You have to get a hold on your temper.”
Jace’s lips curled into a side-grin. “You’re being the voice of reason?” He grabbed my hand. “Funny, coming from the girl who decked a Narco just last night.”
My mouth dropped open. “I—” I snapped my mouth shut. He had a point. “But that was different, Jace. I was caught off guard. And that guy…” My eyes shot toward the window as I tried to complete my thoughts on Reese. He was still watching us. Heat crept up the back of my neck. What was it about him that got under my skin?
Jace arched an eyebrow. “Different? He baited you and you took it.” He smirked. “It’s cool, Dez. We can make an exception for your temper.”
“Shut up.” I bit back a smile. “Come on. Let’s just get out of here.” I glanced over to see Lana and Nick at the counter paying for the food.
Jace laced his fingers through mine and tugged me behind him. As we approached the doors, the Narcos stepped aside, allowing us to exit. I kept my eyes on Jace, making sure he wouldn’t do something stupid. We were almost to the levibikes when Reese called out.
“Hey,” he said, nodding in my direction. “I was thinking we could finish our dance soon.”
Jace halted. His fingers gripped mine, and I squeezed back reassuringly. I glanced between the both of them. Reese smiled, his red eyes beaming. Jace’s eyes ignited, glowing a wild blue. I shook my head and led Jace toward the levibikes.
“Come on,” Reese continued. “We were so rudely interrupted last night. But I have to admit, I liked that love tap.”
I shot my head around, and Reese rubbed the side of his jaw. Jace dropped my hand and stalked toward him. I took off after Jace, but it was too late. He grabbed Reese by his jacket collar and pinned him against the window. The other two Narcos watched with amused expressions.
“So you like to dance, do you?” Jace snarled. “How about with me? Think you might find my love tap a little more convincing.”
Reese laughed. “Dude, I thought she was better trained. She should have known not to run.” He glanced at me. “It’s instinct. I honestly wasn’t going to hurt her.” Then his eyes burned fire red as he stared into Jace’s. “But you and I will be a different story if you don’t take your hands off me…right now.”
The doors pushed open. Lana ran over to me, and Nick grabbed Jace’s arms, wrenching their death grip from Reese. I took a step, wanting to help Nick, but Lana grabbed my hand, holding me back.
“Come on, dude. He’s not worth it,” Nick told Jace, finally breaking them apart.
Reese smoothed out his collar. “You’re just going to have to get used to us. We’re not going anywhere.”
Jace whirled on him. “Touch her again, and I’ll shove that stupid Treaty Act right up your ass.”
One of the other Narcos came forward. “You better watch your mouth, Shythe.” He rubbed his hands together, and red sparked in their center. “We’ve been given clearance to defend ourselves if we feel threatened.” He leered at Jace.
“Just stay the hell out of our way, and we’ll stay out of yours,” Jace said. “Don’t even think of going back to Cogs.” He laced his arms over his chest.
Reese matched Jace’s stance. “That sounds like a threat.” He looked around at his buddies. “It’s not your club. We have every right to be there.”
Nick stepped forward. “We were there first!”
Jace rolled his eyes, pushing his brother back down. “Let me handle it,” he said under his breath. He turned back toward Reese. “Don’t go back there. And if I see you so much as look at Dez, I’ll knock those beady red eyes right out of your skull.”
“Dez?” Reese raised his eyebrows and looked at me. “I like it.” He winked.
Nick latched onto Jace right before he bolted toward Reese. He hauled him back to where Lana and I stood. “Jace,” Nick said. “Let it go, man. They’re just looking to get us into trouble.”
“Dammit.” Jace gritted his teeth. “I can’t wait until we get our full power. Screw the Treaty Act.” He climbed onto his levibike and fired it up.
He offered me his hand, and I took it, seating myself behind him. Lana and Nick took off ahead of us. Jace gave the Narcos one last glare before we sped off. I glanced back, and Reese was staring at me, a grin on his face. I couldn’t understand why he was singling me out. If Reese wanted to get Jace to fight, why was he picking on me?
I shook my head and stared at the cobbled roadway ahead of us. Whatever his tactic, it was working. Jace was pissed. And come next week, after his change, I was scared Jace really would end the Treaty Act.
We decided on Haven Community Park for the picnic. I wanted the soothing effect of nature to help calm Jace, but he wanted to calm down in his own way. Sparring. We both agreed the woods were the safest choice. It was secluded, and we’d be able to train without being seen.
We rode past the iron gates and parked next to the bike ramp.
Lana bounced off the back of Nick’s levibike. “Well, that was fun.” She adjusted her mini-corset and grabbed her leather duffle and the food.
I straightened my blouse, watching Jace from the corner of my eye. He was still fuming. I’d always known how he felt about the Narcos, but seeing him react fully to their presence unnerved me. It made me fear the possibility of him discovering my secret that much more.
I grabbed my small canvas satchel from the side of the levibike and followed them into the woods. After a while of walking, we chose a small clearing about a mile past the park. The ground was hard and covered with pine straw. It was perfect, and practicing outside in natural elements was something we had yet to do.
I trailed behind Lana farther into the woods while Jace and Nick ate their lunch. We couldn’t spar in corsets and blouses, so we always packed a change of clothes for the club basement. Of course, at the club, we had a bathroom to change in.
Releasing a frustrated breath, I realized I hadn’t packed any clothes because we hadn’t planned to spar today. Crap.
“Hey, Lane.” I glanced around the woods. “I don’t have anything to wear. And even if I did, where are we supposed to change, anyway?”
“I have something you can borrow. And I guess, behind a tree?” She shrugged and stalked off behind a large pine. My shoulders slumped as I followed her, missing Cogs. I was starting to despise Reese.
Lana handed me a tiny tank and too-short shorts. “What are these?” I asked.
She glared at me. “Sparring clothes.”
“For who? A baby?” Lana was smaller than me—petite. I wasn’t tall by any means, but over the past few months, I’d developed some major curves. And my normal sparring clothes were leather breeches and a baggy shirt. Why did my best friend have to be such a girl?
She huffed. “You’ll look fine. Better than fine. Someone might actually notice you’re a girl in those.” She rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on, Dez. It’s just us. What haven’t my brothers seen before? We used to bathe together.”
“Yeah, but we were like five then.” I sucked it up and stepped into the tiny shorts.
After we changed, we headed over to where Nick and Jace were packing away their empty wrappers. Lana sat down and dug her food from the bag. Jace and Nick moved to the center of the clearing and began stretching out.
“You know,” I said, coming up beside them, “if we were really attacked, you wouldn’t have time to stretch your muscles.” I lowered my nose at Nick and Jace.
“True, but…” Jace began, but his words trailed off. His illuminated blue eyes flicked down my body. He cleared his throat and looked away. “But it wouldn’t do us any good to get hurt now would it?” He raised his arms over his head, bending from the side. “Nice outfit, by the way. Will you be going for the diversion tactic with the Narcos?” He asked with a smirk.
I smiled at him, envisioning how I was going to punch that cocky grin right off his face. After the stunt he pulled last night, I definitely had to show him up today.
Nick and Lana sparred first. No weapons. Just hand-to-hand combat since we couldn’t carry any at the Academy. I sat next to Jace, cross-legged in the pine straw, discussing which tactics we should take with the Narcos.
“Their power is Flame,” Jace said, tearing pieces of straw apart. “The stronger the Narcolym, the farther his Flame can reach.”
I furrowed my eyebrows. “But I thought it was like magic fire, not real flames. I don’t understand what kind of damage it would inflict.”
Jace drew a deep breath. “Flame is magic, but it burns just the same. And because we’re creatures of myth”—he gave me a lame smile—“we suffer the effects of their Flame the worst.” He paused, going into deep thought. “The Academy will explain it a little more in-depth. Like all scientific and stuff. We just have to know how to counter it with our Charge.” He avoided my eyes.
I didn’t want to go to war. But it was a possibility. The Narcos outnumbered us. My stomach clenched. Fighting Jace, Nick, or Lana, or even that stupid Reese at Cogs, was different than the full scale bloodbath that war would bring. We’d all heard the horror stories. The visions of them swam in my head, making me feel ill until Jace pulled me from my thoughts.
“We’re up, Rug Rat,” he said, using his old nickname for me and extending his hand after he stood. “Don’t you owe me a mark?” His voice was playful, but the look in his eyes made me shiver.
I couldn’t imagine actually putting my lips to his neck, although I knew I had to practice. Our power source was in the ink gifted to us by the ancient sorcerers. I had to learn to protect my future power source, as well as take it from my enemy. But after the change, if I became more Narco than Shythe, how would I feel? I shook the thought from my head.
Lana and Nick plunked down in our spots, breathing heavily. I gave Lana a knuckle bump for beating Nick. “She’s beaten you almost every time this month. What’s up, Nick?”
He scowled at me. “I’m reserving my energy to take on Jace.” He flung himself hard on the ground, pouting.
Squatting down in a defensive stance, I stared at Jace as he circled the clearing, studying me. He circled me once more, then turned toward Nick. “Hey, you haven’t fought Dez in a while. I think she should have a go at you this time.”
“What?” I straightened up and squinted at him. “But he’s whipped from taking on Lane. Look at him.”
Nick sat up. “I have to concur with her on that one. And besides, I thought it was agreed that she had to beat you first. She’s kicked our asses, already. You’re the only one left she has to beat.” He gave Jace a playful frown. “Those are the rules, oh great master.”
Jace exhaled audibly. He turned back toward me and made a bring-it-on gesture with his hands. “Fine.”
“What the hell, Jace.” I threw my hands in the air. “What’s your problem with me?”
He gave my attire an apparent once over and sighed. “Nothing. Let’s go.” He lunged at me before I could counter his attack.
He grabbed me around my waist and lifted me off the ground. I hated when he did that. He knew I couldn’t get traction from the ground to get out of his hold. He did it just to piss me off. My arms were pinned by my side, but instead of letting him squeeze me to death, or burn me up, the way a Narco would if I’d been fighting one, I wrapped my legs around his midsection and tightened with all my strength. His eyes widened, and I grinned.
He released an exasperated grunt, and his arms loosened. I wiggled one arm free and jabbed him in the ribcage. He dropped me to the ground, and I scrambled to my feet. Before he regained his attack position, I kicked his legs from under him. I immediately went for my Charge Dagger, which wasn’t strapped to my leg, and cursed.
Jace flipped onto his stomach and was almost to his feet by the time I realized I didn’t have my weapon. Without another thought, I jumped onto his back. He was stronger than me. I wouldn’t hold him for long, but it was enough of a blow to knock him down again.
Wrestling his arms behind his back, I told him, “I’m using Charge, by the way. You’d at least be stunned for a minute, don’t you think?”
He let out a breathless laugh. “For a minute, but then I’d do this—” He jerked his arms out of my grip, pushed them under his chest, and rolled over beneath me. I tried to grab his hands, but they latched onto my thighs and he flipped me onto my back. I expected him to go straight for my arms and pin me the way he normally did. But his hands lingered on my thighs as he bit his lip and stared down at me.
For a moment, I was shocked—unable to move. His touch sent shivers rippling over my skin as his eyes held mine. His weight bearing down on me felt intimate. His face hovered above mine, but then he moved in, lowering, and I remembered him marking me. His lips parted as he slowly dipped his head. Panicking, I backhanded him across the face, and he flew off me in a slur of profanity.
Before he could regain composure, I jumped on top of him and pinned his arms above his head. I sank down, burying my head into his neck. My insides tingled as my tongue grazed his skin. He tasted salty and a bit sweet at the same time. Forcing myself to remember what I was doing, I bit down.
“Dammit, Dez. I think you got me,” he shouted, half-laughing.
I sat up and stared down at him. His features held a mix of excitement and awe over my victory. Heat rushed my cheeks as I checked out the imprint of my teeth on his neck. I quickly stood.
Lana ran up to us. “Oh, my God, Jace. She totally kicked your ass!”
“Dude,” Nick said, walking up and extending a hand to Jace. “What was that?”
Jace allowed Nick to help him up. He glared at me for a moment, then turned toward Nick. “Unfair advantage,” he said. “That’s what that was.”
I looked around, perplexed. Anger welled in my chest. He wasn’t going to admit I’d beat him fairly. “What are you talking about? I won, Jace. How was there an unfair advantage?”
He looked me up and down, but then he glanced down at the pine straw. “Terrain. I guess you’re just an outside fighter. I didn’t take into account the slick pine straw.”
I blew my bangs off my forehead. “Whatever. I kicked your butt, and now you’re the one sporting the nice hickey.”
“What hickey?” Jace said. “You bit the hell out of me. At least I was nice enough to…” But he didn’t finish, and his face turned bright red. He was blushing again, and it made me uncomfortable with Nick and Lana there.
I covered for him. His embarrassment was mine, also. “Well, I wasn’t going to suck your neck. That’s not how it’s done at war, is it?”
“Touché.” Jace gave me a side-grin, making my insides squirm. “I’ll remember that next time.”
Glad the awkward moment was over, I headed to where we’d set our water bottles. Now that I’d finally beaten Jace, I could fight Lana or Nick again. I was relieved and a little down about that fact. Jace was the best fighter. Going against him had made me better, and I wanted to be at my best if I ever had to go up against a Narco.
I reached down to grab my bottle and swore as something moved in the brush. I paused, holding as still as I could—not breathing. I waited to see a rabbit or deer move. Nothing. There was nothing there. Maybe just a squirrel or another small animal. But for a moment, I had the strangest feeling that something was watching me.
I took a sip and walked back to the clearing, joining the others. But the eerie feeling stayed with me.