Theognis of Megara
The next morning I stood in the middle of one of the sparring rooms facing my opponent, who also happened to be one of the Academy Grigori I most liked.
‘Morgan, I don’t want to hurt you,’ I said, after I pulled her up. Again.
Morgan shrugged. ‘I’m okay.’
And she was. Morgan was a great fighter, but I was better. On natural strength and speed alone I outclassed her. On top of that, Lincoln had trained me so I was also tactically more aggressive. The Academy taught from the one book of moves and it hadn’t taken me long to decipher their predictable pattern. Lincoln, on the other hand, drew from a number of different disciplines – kickboxing, judo, army-combat training – and had the final clear directive of winning at all costs, allowing for unsportsmanlike conduct when required.
It was an approach I shared wholeheartedly, one that many of the Grigori I was training with would no doubt share once they’d been fully exposed to the wrath of exiled angels.
I’d been allocated to an intermediate-level group since, according to the Academy, I was technically ‘untrained’. Griffin had recommended I go straight into Advanced Combat – the level Zoe and Spence now trained in – but Josephine had vetoed the suggestion. It quickly became clear that although my group were naturally fast and strong, they had little idea what to do with their Grigori strength.
Valerie was running the class and had thrown me into it first thing. That was three hours and five opponents ago. I could tell she’d planned on teaching me a lesson and putting me in my place.
Guess that isn’t going to happen.
I didn’t think it was okay to beat down people who had had significantly less training than me, but it did seem to be helping in my assimilation with the other students. The Academy was a place where strength was respected.
‘Cause strength means not getting yourself killed. Or anyone else.
‘Again!’ Valerie ordered.
Morgan pushed herself to her feet. In her training uniform of short fitted tights and black singlet top, the fresh bruises were clear to see. I’d already managed to send my first three opponents to the infirmary, before I’d stepped off the gas. I was glad Lincoln wasn’t around. If he’d seen me holding back he would’ve gone mental.
I frowned, thinking of him, knowing that he’d be busy with Griffin. We had agreed at dinner last night that while I was showing up to my Academy training and putting on a good face, Griffin and Lincoln would be out sourcing more info on Lilith and Phoenix.
It annoyed me that I wouldn’t be doing my bit, but they’d insisted that having me to concentrate on might keep Josephine from watching them too closely. In addition, Academy members in training weren’t permitted to leave the buildings without prior consent and before my testing was complete it was unlikely any of the teachers would grant me permission to leave. I added my house arrest to the extensive list of reasons I hated this place.
Morgan came at me. She was learning and avoided my right leg. She got in a few good hits, and I dodged rather than taking her out straight away. When I saw my chance I lifted her into a tackle, taking her down with as little force as possible. But at the last second, to make sure I wasn’t going to have to do it again, I landed on top of her.
‘It would be nice if you fought with a shred of honour. Ninety per cent of your moves are illegal,’ Valerie chastised me.
Suppressing a sigh, I stood up, offering Morgan my hand and helping her up. I glanced at Valerie and noticed Rainer standing near the entrance to the room. I wondered how long she’d been watching.
With a shrug, I explained. ‘In my experience, exiles aren’t so much concerned with honour as they are with ripping off my head. If it’s them or me, or if I’m trying to defend a human I’ll make any move I can to put them down and contemplate what kind of person that makes me afterwards.’
‘That’s one view. The other is that if you walk too close to the edge the lines between the monsters and yourself can start to blur. You risk waking up one day to discover you’ve become just the same as them.’
I stared in disbelief at Valerie as she waved a hand at the class.
‘We’ve seen enough today. Dismissed.’
As Morgan walked out with me I started to apologise.
‘Don’t,’ she said, putting her hand on my arm. ‘I learned more today, fighting you, than I have since Nyla was taking this class.’
I nodded, accepting the compliment with a sense of pride.
‘Did Valerie just call me a monster?’ I asked.
Morgan cringed. ‘She’s not as bad as she comes across. I think she was just surprised you were so strong.’
‘Isn’t that what you said about Josephine?’
She cringed again. ‘What can I say? I like to see the best in people.’