Vlad’s POV
I laughed as I ducked underneath Nico’s left hook with ease. After daily training sessions with him since our return, he wouldn’t let me address him as Elder Nico anymore. I wasn’t close to many people, especially after Malik’s betrayal, but I now consider him to be a close friend. We had dealt with each other over the years, but it had just been in passing, and I had never really gotten a chance to know him as well as I had since we came here. He was strong, loyal, kind and easy to get along with. Not only that, he was an amazing sparring partner.
For the fight ahead, I had to be mentally and physically prepared, and Nico was just the person to do it. He was nearly as old as Malik, and if it had come down to it, I bet he could have taken Malik out. I was stronger than I had e
