Chapter 8 – The First Strike
1257 Words
The east wing smelled faintly of wax and cedar. Adrian led me into another chamber I hadn’t seen before—wide, high-ceilinged, its floor covered with worn mats. Swords and staffs lined one wall, neatly arranged like a private armory.
I stopped dead. “Let me guess. This is where you teach poor, confused girls how to fend off bloodthirsty assassins?”
His expression didn’t flicker. “Something like that.”
He stepped to the center of the room. “Take off your shoes.”
I stared. “Excuse me?”
“You need to feel the ground,” he said. “Balance comes from contact.”
“Right. Balance.” I kicked off my sneakers, muttering, “If I break an ankle, I’m suing.”
He ignored me. “Stand here.”
I obeyed, arms crossed, trying not to look ridiculous. Adrian circled once, silent, eyes sharp like he was measuring my entire existence. My pulse jumped with every step.
“Your stance is weak,” he said finally. “Too much weight on your heels.”
“Well, forgive me for not being born a ninja.”
Without warning, his hands caught my shoulders, pressing them down until my knees bent slightly. Then his palm nudged my spine straighter.
Heat shot through me at the contact. My breath stuttered.
“There,” he murmured. “Centered.”
“Is this training or a posture correction class?”
“Both.”
He moved to the wall and picked up a staff, then tossed it to me. I fumbled, nearly dropping it.
“Seriously? What am I supposed to do with this, poke them until they get bored?”
“You’ll learn. Hold it higher.”
He stepped behind me, adjusting my grip, his chest brushing my back, his breath warm near my ear. “Like this.”
My heartbeat nearly drowned out his words.
“If you’re trying to give me a heart attack, congratulations,” I muttered.
He ignored that. “Now swing.”
I did. Badly. The staff thudded against the mat. Adrian caught it mid-motion, steadying it. “Again.”
The second swing was smoother. The third, almost decent. Each time, his touch corrected me—a tilt of my wrist, a shift of weight. My arms ached, sweat dampened my back, but something electric hummed in my veins. For once, I wasn’t thinking about hunters or seals or the word midnight. I was just moving.
Then Adrian’s voice cut through. “Good. Now defend.”
“Defend against wh—”
He lunged.
I yelped, raising my staff just in time. Wood clashed, the vibration jolting up my arms.
“Again.”
Strike after strike came faster, harder. My blocks were clumsy but held. Pain flared as one blow grazed my shoulder. I bit back a curse and swung wildly. To my shock, my strike connected, knocking his staff aside.
Silence.
Adrian’s eyes met mine, silver bright, unreadable. Then he lowered his weapon.
A rush of triumph filled me. “Ha. Did you see that? I actually—”
The door banged open.
Marla’s voice cut through, sharp as steel. “They’re moving.”
Adrian stiffened. “The hunters?”
She nodded once. “Closer. Testing the wards again.”
The brief glow of victory died.
“Training’s over,” Adrian said. “You’ll need every ounce of this tonight.”
He dropped his staff and strode across the room. “Come with me.”
I followed, legs shaky, shoulder throbbing. “Do you ever explain things before dragging people into danger?”
“No.”
We cut through dim corridors. Servants moved briskly, arms full of candles, salt, jars filled with something dark that shimmered under the light. The house itself felt alive—floorboards groaning, candles flaring higher as though bracing for impact.
Finally, we stopped in a long gallery lined with tall windows. Outside, the east grounds loomed. Trees swayed, shadows shifted unnaturally.
“They’re closer,” Adrian murmured.
I pressed toward the glass. At first, only forest. Then a figure stepped forward. Hood low, face hidden. Another followed. Then another. A dozen shadows melted into place, watching the mansion with a patience that chilled me to the bone.
“They’re not attacking,” I whispered.
“Not yet.” Adrian’s tone was grim.
“Then what are they waiting for?”
His eyes flicked to me, silver catching the faint light. “You know.”
The word midnight echoed without being spoken.
Marla appeared behind us, her voice calm but cold. “The wards are holding. For now.”
“For now,” Adrian echoed. His gaze snapped to me. “Elena, listen carefully. Tonight, you do exactly as I say. No hesitation. If I tell you to run, you run. If I tell you to fight, you fight. If I tell you to close your eyes—”
“Let me guess,” I cut in, nerves sharpening my tone. “I close them.”
His mouth twitched like he might have smiled in another life. “Exactly.”
I exhaled hard, hugging myself. “Do you realize how insane this is? A day ago, I was worried about exams. Now I’ve got hunters at the door and some magical countdown hanging over my head.”
“You’re still here,” he said quietly. “That tells me you’re stronger than you think.”
The words slipped under my armor, warming something I didn’t want warmed. I looked back at the figures in the trees. They hadn’t moved. They just stood there, waiting. Watching.
“Why me?” I asked, the question spilling out before I could stop it. “Why am I the one marked? Why not someone else?”
Adrian didn’t answer right away. His gaze stayed fixed on the forest. “Because fate doesn’t bargain. It chooses. And once it chooses, there’s no undoing it.”
Anger bubbled through the fear. “That’s not fair.”
“No,” he agreed softly. “It isn’t.”
The silence stretched, heavy and thick. My pulse hammered. Somewhere outside, an owl cried, sharp against the night.
Finally, Adrian stepped back from the window. “Enough watching. You need rest before tonight.”
I nearly laughed. “Rest? With a crowd of creeps camping outside? Sure, I’ll just tuck myself in.”
Marla’s gaze cut to me, cold as a blade. “Mocking won’t save you.”
“Neither will glaring,” I shot back.
Her eyes narrowed, but Adrian’s voice cut through like a whip. “Enough.”
He turned to me again, tone brooking no argument. “You’ll stay in your room until I come for you. No wandering. No secrets. Understood?”
I opened my mouth to argue, but the fire in his eyes stole the words.
“…Understood,” I muttered.
His shoulders eased a fraction. “Good.”
Marla swept away, muttering under her breath about reckless girls and wasted time. Adrian lingered a moment longer, eyes locked on mine.
“Elena,” he said softly, almost like a vow. “I’ll keep you safe tonight.”
Something in his voice made me believe him, even when every part of me wanted to call him a liar.
He left, his footsteps fading down the hall.
I turned back to the window. The hunters were still there. Silent. Patient.
And as the moon climbed higher, a single truth carved itself into my bones.
Midnight was coming.
And whatever it brought, I wasn’t ready.
- Writer
