I'll Be Damned (Anna Wolfe Series) (37 page)

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think anyone else was awake,” he says shyly.

I clear my throat, trying to keep my voice steady. “Oh, no problem. Sorry if I was too loud,” I reply, pointing to the coffee maker.

“You weren’t.” He walks to the table and sits down.

I finish measuring the coffee, hit the
Start
button and take a seat across from him. I look only at his ears, averting my eyes from his fantastic muscles. Deciding I should probably share my Micah morning with him, I begin to dread another overreaction, but I don’t want to hide anything from him either.

“So, I had an interesting morning,” I start. Maybe if I add a little humor, he won’t be as irritated. “I couldn’t sleep so I went outside to practice,” I say, pausing. “Micah just appeared... he was impressed at my skills and knew Roman taught me. I threw an energy orb at him without thinking…”

“You what!?” he shouts. “You initiated a fight with Micah?”

I was taken aback by his outburst. I know it wasn’t smart, but my body was on autopilot. I wasn’t being cocky or impulsive, I was surviving.

“I say, job well done,” Roman interjects. Apparently, he walked in the room while I was speaking. Obviously, I need to pay more attention to my surroundings.

“Well done?” Valen snarls. “She could have been killed, Roman, or taken!” he finishes.

Roman just grins, enjoying the friendly banter he and Valen are about to engage in. Some people live for controversy. “Valen, she needs to learn how to defend herself. We’re not always going to be here to protect her, you know.”

“Speak for yourself,” Valen spits. “Your teaching approach is going to get her killed!”

Roman waves his hand dismissively. “It will not. She has proven herself extremely well in training and is quite capable of holding her own… even against Micah.”

“I don't like this. It's becoming too dangerous. One of these days, he'll try to kidnap her and succeed...then what, Roman?”

“Then we'll have to save her,” he replies nonchalantly.

Martello pads into the kitchen, still half asleep. I offer him an apologetic grin for the rude awakening. He waves me off and pours himself a cup of coffee. Good idea. I walk over to the cabinet and pull out my favorite yellow mug, which I bought in Savannah when I first moved here. The memories of better days fill me with joy, but I wipe them away. I have to accept that my life is different now. I fill the bottom with creamer before smothering it with a coffee downpour. Martello and I lean against the counter, watching Roman and Valen argue over everything.

Martello leans his head into me. “Girl, they looks like an old married couple, don’t they,” he snickers.

I chuckle. “You have no idea.”

I hate adding more fuel to the fire, but realize I should tell them that Micah also knows what I am. “He knows I’m a Grand Witch,” I announce boldly. Both Roman and Valen’s expressions show shock and concern. “He hit me with a spell that encased me in some sort of giant ice cube... I thought I wouldn’t be able to break free, but I did. And quickly too,” I add with a little arrogance. "He was surprised, to say the least."

I sip my hot coffee, enjoying the warmth as it slides down my throat. I wait for the crapstorm to begin, but nothing happens. Valen slumps into himself and Roman walks to the door, staring vacantly out the window. I glance at Martello, who just shrugs his shoulders as if to say
oh well
.

“We need to make sure you’re ready for him,” Roman finally says.

Valen nods in agreement. It’s amazing how their mindsets change in light of my latest information. I wish my mindset would. Maybe it isn't such a bad thing. So what? Micah knows what I am, big deal. The only negative that I can see is he probably won’t underestimate me ever again, so I no longer have the edge of surprise.

“Since he knows you’re a Grand Witch, he’ll disregard the rules of the Treaty,” Roman surmises.

“I know. He told me something along those lines,” I murmur.

Roman looks at me. “What did he say?”

“He said he has a little red tape to unwind, but after that, he'll be back.”

Roman shakes his head. “I assume he's referring to Lucifer. He must prove to him that his intentions are important enough to risk breaking the Treaty in light of his superb find,” Roman says with a hint of sarcasm.

I ignore it. “So, what can we do?”

Roman clears his throat. “The only thing you can do is more practice. The most important tools when facing Micah are blocking his power and influences. He fights dirty and will use nasty spells to take you. I further suggest that Valen teaches you some other forms of hand to hand combat as well.”

“Okay,” I agree. Chugging the remainder of my coffee, I grab a water bottle from the fridge. “Can we get started?” I propose.

Roman frowns. “I have business to attend to this morning, but as soon as I’m back, we'll continue your lessons. In the meantime, it’s in your best interest to practice more extreme fighting skills with Valen,” he says, winking at him.

I moan my disappointment. This will be pleasantly awkward. Roman exits the house without so much as a goodbye and Valen heads out back.

“As much as I would love to stay an’ watch this soap opera unfold, some of us hafta work,” Martello says. He finishes the last of his coffee before sauntering towards the bedroom. “Have fun,” he shouts as he slams his bedroom door shut.

Who knew Martello wasn't a morning person? I head outside, dreading the long hours I must spend alone with Valen. It’s not that I don’t want to spend time with him alone... I do... which is the torturous problem. I lightly jog to the middle of the field where I find him stretching.

“So what did Roman mean by more extreme fighting?” I ask, bending at my hips, and immediately wincing at the resistance while pulling my hamstring.

“You need to learn different styles of fighting. You have to keep in mind many demons and Netherworlders have been around for centuries. They know all forms of physical combat in addition to their supernatural abilities,” Valen replies.

“So, you're referring to martial arts kind of stuff? I didn't think it was around that long.”

“Martial arts have existed for centuries, some since the beginning of time. Many combat sports evolved over the years, but it’s important you know them all,” he says.

This is going to be a long couple of days. I have no idea how my brain can store and recall so much information as I’ve been cramming into it over the last few weeks. I must have superhuman brain plasticity too.

“First, I want to teach you Tai Chi,” he says, grinning.

“Tai Chi? Isn’t that sluggish movement? Shouldn’t I be learning something more bad ass, like mixed martial arts or kickboxing or something?”

Valen rolls his eyes. “Yes, it is. Right now, it’s where you need to start. The art of Tai Chi focuses on balancing your mind and body. The way you maneuver must be light. This will help you become more fluid as you transition between movements. Mental clarity will increase your power focus, helping you eventually control it. Maintaining your calmness and control are critical when practicing magic. You need to think before you act. Acting on impulse can get you killed," he says like Mister Miyagi. "You can’t run before you walk," he finishes.

That’s what he thinks. I cross my arms, awaiting further instruction.

“We’re going to start with standing poses to help with your balance. Watch me first then you try,” he says.

Valen adjusts himself, standing in a lunge with one leg in front of the other. He bends down and raises his arms to shoulder height. He closes his eyes as his chest rises and falls with deep breaths. His features relax, permitting him to look even more radiant than usual. He begins to flow through the motions perfectly. His arms transform into an extension of himself, gently crossing in front of his body. His palms are fixed in a stop position as they move sideways, then down, then up, ending with his hands together at the centerline of his chest. I remember the first time I saw him in my shop, and how fluid his movements were. Now, I can guess where they came from.

“Breathing is the most important,” he says calmly. “You need to synchronize your breath with your movement.”

I can do that; after all, I took a few yoga classes. I close my eyes, bend my knees and inhale deeply. My breath fills my stomach, soothing my muscles, as I raise my arms slowly and begin. My energy calmly circulates through my body, allowing me to focus on my surroundings. In another deep breath, I sink further into my lunge. My palms are facing upward as I navigate them through the exercise.
Sideways, down and up
I repeat as I encircle myself with movements. The world melts away and my arms glide through the air. My powers settle into a state of stillness, allowing me to study them. I try strengthening the connection by wielding them into tangible objects, and making them easier to control. I can feel every internal movement in my body as I concentrate on breathing. My body moves on its own, positioning itself into different stances. My magic is snapping into place like building blocks, and now rests firmly inside me, awaiting my summons. I feel my strength growing with each movement. My arms are steady, but moving more swiftly. I continue to regulate my breathing while granting my body complete control.

"Anna," I hear Valen calling me.

My body ignores him, and I proceed through my personal library of fighting techniques. I try to open my eyes, but feel opposition. My body is moving rapidly on autopilot, like a puppet against the will of its master. Minutes feel like hours, before finally, my eyes pop open. I glance around, relieved to find I'm still in my backyard. I look at Valen, who's studying me like a specimen under a microscope. It gets uncomfortable really quick.

"What?" I ask.

He continues to stare at me quizzically. 

"Valen, why are you staring at me like that? What's wrong?"

He clears his throat. "I'm... I'm... shocked," he stammers. "You just moved through eleven fighting styles using perfect execution. I can't believe it," he finishes in awe.

He begins pacing back and forth. This can't be a good sign; he only paces when he's angry or nervous. Deep down, however, I'm beaming over my accomplishment. I have no idea what I did, but it feels great. Endless possibilities grow in my mind like dandelions, infiltrating my lawn of self-doubt. I hunger for more. A satisfied grin pulls on my mouth just as Valen looks at me.

"Anna, this is incredible. Do you have any idea what this means?"

I think I might have a small inkling. "I can learn fairly quickly," I respond shyly.

"Fairly quickly?" he repeats doubtfully. "Your learning is abnormally accelerated. It's like nothing I've seen in my entire lifetime."

So he hasn't seen anyone like me, what does that mean? Roman's face pops into my mind. He has to know something or at least met someone like me. I can't be the only one.

"Roman will most likely have a theory," I reply.

"We'll find out when he's back, but for now, let's continue," Valen states.

I sigh, wishing for the day to be over already. Hand to hand combat is our next lesson and I dislike every minute of it. I don’t enjoy it as much as the martial arts; it’s too personal. Valen teaches me the proper defense moves and how to use timing to attack at the perfect moment. Although I do well, I can’t find any motivation. The idea of having to physically challenge Micah, or any Netherworlder
for that matter, scares the crap out of me. I may be strong, but I’m still a woman, and one good punch on my face by a man would mean lights out. Valen isn’t holding anything back either. His punches rock me every time.

“Okay, enough,” I yell out, rubbing my ribs, just to make sure they're still unbroken.

Valen drops his stance. “What’s wrong?” he asks with a hint of sarcasm.