A knock sounded at the door, and he finally dropped her nightgown. He turned to block her from view as she smoothed it down again, and the door opened to expose Brightan.
The Kint soldier glanced between the two of them and then settled on a glare. He tensed in the doorway, and when he spoke, his voice was clipped. “The Zane?”
“He just left,” Delaney said, wondering how he’d managed not to pass by him. From the annoyed look on Brightan’s face, she guessed he’d probably lost his way in the maze. “He was all right.”
The Kint lifted his upper lip in what could only constitute a sneer, and then motioned toward the room at his back, where Pettus and the others were still dealing with the bodies.
“If you’ll show me the way out then, Ander,” he said, confirming her suspicions that he’d gotten lost. “I’m sure you’re eager to get the Lissa the proper medical attention.”
Ruckus stiffened almost imperceptibly. If she hadn’t been standing directly behind him, close enough to his spine to actually see, she would have missed it. His voice, however, was even when he addressed Brightan, agreeing with him.
Delaney tried not to look as they passed through the room, but her eyes were drawn one last time to the soldier Pettus had shot.
She couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
CHAPTER 16
“She managed to stave off the Tars,” Pettus said from where he huddled with Ruckus less than five feet away from her. He kept his voice down, almost as if he were attempting to keep her from overhearing.
“I am standing right here,” Delaney pointed out, shaking her head. Feigning disinterest even though they were still talking about her, she turned in a slow circle, taking in her new surroundings.
The room was large, around the same size as her high school gym, with a few areas sectioned off with different-colored floor mats. The forest-green mat she was currently standing on squished beneath her as she turned back around to face the Vakar still deep in debate. Neither had said as much aloud, but it was pretty obvious why they’d brought her here.
“I took a few self-defense classes,” she informed them, waiting for both of them to glance up at her. “But it was a couple of years ago, and like I said, it was only a few.”
“Did they teach you how to fight aliens?” Ruckus asked.
“Nope”—she rocked back on her heels—“but a dick’s a dick, right?”
He blinked at her and she felt her cheeks heating, already wishing she’d kept her mouth shut and just let them continue their little debate about her “skills,” or lack thereof.
“That came out wrong,” she tried, but it was too late.
“As adorably awkward as this just became,” Pettus said, and clapped his hands loudly, causing her shoulders to stiffen, “we don’t have all day.”
Ruckus turned to him. “I’m pretty certain that’s my call.”
Pettus nodded once in agreement, then stepped over to Delaney. Once in front of her, he lifted his arms, placing both fists before his face. His feet shifted, and within a second it looked like he was going to attempt boxing with her.
“I assume they taught you as much in self-defense class?” he asked. When she agreed, he added, “Show me.”
Feeling a bit ridiculous, she did as told, trying not to glance over his shoulder at Ruckus.
“Our physiology is very similar to humans,” Pettus went on, either unaware of her discomfort or outright ignoring it. “Almost the exact same, in fact.”
“So if I wanted to knock you out, I’d hit your temple or your jaw,” she said, thinking it over, “really, really hard.”
“Let’s stick with attempting to disable,” Ruckus said. “You won’t be left like you were in the shelter again. I don’t intend for you to be alone long enough to need to worry about knocking an attacker unconscious. Only holding them off long enough for Pettus or me to get to you.”
“By the time I got there, you already had two of them on the ground.” Pettus lifted his chin. “Show me how.”
“Well, I scratched one of their faces. Like a girl.” He probably didn’t want her to demonstrate that part.
“Like a cat,” Ruckus corrected, the corner of his mouth turning up slightly.
“You have to use what you can.” Pettus nodded. “Claws work. What next?”
“I took out his knee. And then with the other guy…” She moved forward and demonstrated what she’d done, careful not to actually punch Pettus or step on his toes. Once she’d fully executed the move, she pulled back and waited for his input. Admittedly, when she’d been dragged to the classes by Mariana, she hadn’t actually believed for a second she’d ever need what she’d learned.
“That’s good.” Pettus reached for her and then repositioned her arms and legs back into a fighting stance. Then, without warning, he brought his knee into an arch toward her side.
Instinctually, her hands slammed down, shoving his knee away. But before she could blink, he had his right fist pressed against the curve of her jaw. If this had been real, he would surely have taken her out of commission with that one.
She pulled back and grimaced.
“Here.” Ruckus motioned for Pettus to step aside and then took his place. “Let me show you.”
A couple of hours later she’d learned enough to be moderately more sure of herself or, at least, of the fact that she could successfully get away if attacked. So long as it was hand-to-hand combat. Ruckus had attempted to teach her a few moves to avoid the sharp edge of a knife or the barrel of a firearm, but she hadn’t picked up on those techniques as easily.
Between the two of them, however, she was starting to get a better picture of the Vakar army, and why they were so willing to allow their Lissa to spend her denzeration virtually alone.
“Does Olena know how to do all this?” She blocked one of Ruckus’s punches and ducked his swinging arm. They were moving at a quicker pace now, not needing to slo-mo every move to avoid hurting her.
“She was taught,” he confirmed, shifting back onto his right foot so that her elbow met with air. “Regents are trained at a very young age. It’s important that members of the royal family are capable of defending themselves. Of course, even though she knows how to, she rarely bothers. Olena isn’t the type to enjoy fighting her own battles.”
Delaney snorted and twisted to the left, out of striking distance. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
“The Basileus and Basilissa would like a word with the Lissa,” Pettus told them, giving her an apologetic look. His head was cocked to the side, and he appeared to be listening to something. Obviously someone was contacting him through his fitting. “They’ve already been escorted to the Green Room and are awaiting your arrival.”
“Now?” Ruckus straightened. “I alerted the Basileus earlier about my training intentions for the day. He agreed it was important that she be prepared.”
“I tried to explain that you weren’t done with your session, Ander,” he said, “but they insisted.”
Of course they did; they were assholes.