The House (9 page)

“I’d like to
see you try,” Hercules smiled.

“Alright …
when and where do you want me to beat the crap out of you?” I felt
a smile turn the corners of my mouth as well - nothing like a good
fight to take your mind off a moody newcomer. Even if it does come
with some inherent risks attached. I realised that if I wanted to
avoid Eddie I would keep having to come up with ever more inventive
things to keep me occupied, but at that moment I didn’t care. The
shopping trip had distracted me until we got home, maybe a fight
would distract me until the bruises faded.

“Ooh, you have
to do it properly,” Stripes put in. I’d forgotten her and James
were there as they were so wrapped up in each other. “James can
officiate and we can set it up in the garden.” She smiled
expectantly at James who shook his head but said he was in. Nobody
mentioned Marie or Eddie. Hercules and Stripes both started calling
shifters from town. I suddenly regretted making the challenge. If
he beat me I’d never hear the end of it, from him or anyone else.
If I beat him nobody would say anything. I was true-born. It was
expected.

Of course,
before we could do anything else Marie got wind of it. Not that it
would have been particularly hard for her since we were all
standing outside debating where to put the ring. We’d started
staking out the circle when Marie wandered up. She didn’t even ask
what we were doing, it was too obvious. There had been some fights
that Marie had practically organised herself. It was a good way to
let off steam.

I understood
that she’d been in a few in her youth as well. She didn’t say
anything, just shook her head and retired inside again. We took
that for confirmation that we wouldn’t get in trouble. I had a
feeling Marie would even watch from her windows; it was always good
entertainment. I felt a twinge of hope that Eddie wouldn’t think us
all barbarians because of it and quickly dismissed the thought. He
could take us or leave us as we were. It was none of his business
anyway. He’d come to us with his issues eventually and in my own
way I was even more patient than Marie. I didn’t believe in forcing
people to join in; I just expected them to be civil to the rest of
us in the process.

We set out the
ring about two hundred metres from the main house in a small
clearing. There were woods along one side and the back of the
garden that normally served as a place to run around in our other
forms without being seen. It was also good for hide and seek,
especially when most of us hid up in the treetops. Although we had
to ban people from changing shape because some of the canines just
tracked us using scent. We had decided that was unfair. It also
gave a distinct advantage to those with smaller second forms, or
second forms with lots of camouflage. A rhino for instance would be
rather easier to spot than a panther or leopard. Even my own tawny
coat was rather obvious against the dark greens. Lions are designed
for the plains not the forest.

We’d told
everyone to arrive for five thirty. That way we’d have enough time
to set up before everyone got there. We also told them to bring
snacks and they didn’t disappoint. By six, the area around the
marked out ring was buzzing with people high on sugar; there was
even a good amount of alcohol there, although it does little with
our metabolisms. It was like what I imagine a BBQ would be to a
normal person, with beer and food and good spirits. I felt
unerringly safe surrounded by so many of our friends. I knew every
face around me and they knew mine. There was no hiding ourselves;
it made a nice change to everyday life for most of us.

Unfortunately,
along with the invited guests and a few tag-alongs we were always
happy to see, Eddie followed the crowd out to where we were
entertaining people. His face in that moment was a picture. He
arrived just as I was squaring off to Hercules and thinking that
maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea. He pushed his way to the
front of the crowd. Before anyone could say anything, James started
the party off by reading the rules and I had to focus on the
problem at hand.

I wouldn’t
have enough attention to spare for worrying about what Eddie
thought. Marie could deal with him if something happened, but I had
a feeling that he would stay to watch. His attention was rapt and
unwavering on us. I could feel a strange mix of confusion and
excitement, like he wanted to enjoy himself and didn’t think he
should at the same time. I blocked him out of my head; he was an
enigma to be dealt with later. I may have been dismissive of
Hercules before but I would need my concentration on the fight to
prove my point. I really hoped he wasn’t hiding some training in
martial arts or something or I was going to be destroyed.

“Since the
fighters have different animal forms complete shifting is banned –
however, partial shifts are allowed. Fighters are not allowed to
leave the ring. Leaving the ring will be a sign that the fighter
concedes the fight. The fight is over when one fighter concedes or
is deemed too injured to continue. Fighters may concede at any
time. This is not a death match … play nice you two.” The last part
was a formality these days but our play fights had stemmed from a
tradition of real fighting amongst shifters. Not for several
hundred years, thankfully, but the memory remained in our
collective consciousness the same way it did with other cultures.
We had had more of a society once and only the strongest would
lead, or even survive, in some places. I had a moment to wonder if
it would have been nice to be part of a more organised and wider
society, then James stepped back and we began. I had no time for
idle thoughts then.

Fights in
films always look really dramatic but that’s because they’re
choreographed. Real fighting is messier and not everyone always
stays on their feet. Hercules is strong - he was strong before he
was changed - but like me he had very little actual fight training.
Giving me the advantage. I’m stronger and faster - not that it
meant that it would be an easy fight. Hercules had his own
gifts.

Hercules
attacked first, as soon as James had stopped talking. He caught me
by surprise and managed to grab me by the arms. He actually threw
me to the other side of the ring and I mentally noted that he had a
big weight advantage. I turned in mid-air, intending to land on my
feet like any good cat, but I over-compensated, landing on my butt
just inside the ring. I stood up as soon as I was down and we
started to circle.

Perhaps people
who are trained to fight do this better but I think we did ok. The
crowd was definitely into it; I could barely hear myself think. The
noise didn’t help but hopefully it would distract Hercules as well
and not put me at a disadvantage.

There are a
few key differences between shifter fights and normal street
fights. One of them is that shifters can take considerably more
damage without a trip to the hospital. I intended to put this to
good use but unfortunately Hercules got there first. I felt his
fist slam into my side. The pain broke my concentration momentarily
and I felt his other fist slam into my ribs.

Out of the
corner of my eye I saw him move his foot, transferring his weight.
He’s not flexible enough for a high kick so I knew his intention
was to smash my knee in. I didn’t give him the chance. Ignoring the
pain in my ribs - I wouldn’t have been surprised to find that one
of them was cracked - I swung my leg into his head. He’s taller
than I am and I had to touch the floor to get my leg high enough
but it sent him careening to the floor while I swung back upright
and ready to fight. The move was the only thing I’d ever managed to
make look impressive. I’d learnt it in a dance class years ago.

Before he had
a chance to get up himself, I lifted him bodily off the floor using
the momentum of my leg coming down and my own strength. I threw him
across the ring; he landed a foot away from Eddie. The surprise on
Eddie’s face was absolutely hilarious but I couldn’t stop to admire
it. I doubt anyone could have seen me as I moved towards him.
Hercules was up by the time I got there, having landed on his
knees.

I saw him
coming up to hit me; one good hit to the head and even I’d be out
cold. I braced for the impact and moved minutely a split second
before his fist would have connected. I grabbed his arm as it moved
past me - his own momentum throwing him off balance - and aimed a
kick for his stomach. I didn’t go for his crotch because we hadn’t
started to fight dirty yet, but I thought it was time to up the
anti just a little. I had realised that I could beat the crap out
of him all I wanted and he could take it.

“If this was
all there was you’d probably be able to beat me,” I whispered into
his ear. At the same moment, I lifted my leg up then smashed it
down on his back. He hit the floor with a grunt and I took a step
back to let him up and give myself a moment to compose myself. A
sane person might have backed off then.

As soon as he
was standing he rushed me. There was nothing I could do to defend
myself; I’m faster but that doesn’t mean he’s not fast. Like I’d
said, if this was all we’d do he would beat me simply because he
could take more damage than me. Hercules healed faster than anyone
I’d ever met.

I focused on a
part of me that I normally try to ignore in either form. The part
of me that was power. I felt it. Burning through me, filling me.
It’s not exactly painful but it’s not the most comfortable
experience. Power flowed over my skin, unable to be held within my
body any longer.

I couldn’t
feel my sore ribs and many bruises as power washed from me to
Hercules. It called his own power - something that I really
shouldn’t be able to do - and I saw him fight it. A rookie’s
mistake. It’s like trying to fight a part of you and all it does is
hurt you more. I felt my hands shimmer as I shoved them up into
Hercules’ exposed belly. My claws were unsheathed and slid easily
into the soft flesh.

The stab
wounds healed as I pulled my claws out; Hercules has some abilities
of his own. I wouldn’t have used them if I hadn’t known he’d heal
almost instantly. It did put him off kilter for a moment though. I
used my power to call to his. If I could force him to shift
completely I’d win but I knew that wasn’t going to happen. He was
much stronger than you’d think. I wasn’t even sure it was possible.
It wasn’t supposed to be, but my power was acting strangely. Then I
realised that demonstrating power that’s supposed to be impossible
was not going to win me any friends. It was probably cheating
anyway.

I was across
the ring before anyone could blink and I stood there composing
myself. Psyching myself up for what I was about to do. I don’t like
causing people pain and pain wasn’t what was going to win me this
fight. I had other options. I’m about ten times more powerful than
he is. I felt it then too. I could feel his power - feel it as mine
was swallowing it, pulling it from him. It must have hurt but you
couldn’t tell from his face.

I felt him; I
could feel his mind, everything that made him himself. In that
moment I could have taken it all - every memory, every thought and
every feeling he had ever had. I could have left him a vegetable; I
could have filled his head with whatever I wanted. Instead, I put
him to sleep. Not a deep sleep, just … sleep. He’d wake up in about
30 seconds; I couldn’t leave the ring until he woke up to concede.
He wasn’t actually too injured to fight so James might not call it.
I supposed I could have taken the time to throw him out of the ring
but I wanted to hear him say he gave up.

He woke up
just as my mental countdown reached two. Two seconds off wasn’t
bad. He shook his head and stared at me like he’d never seen me
before in his life. I’d helped him and guided him when he first got
to The House and even told him snippets from my own messed up
childhood. But he’d never seen this side of me. The audience
couldn’t have known what happened, couldn’t have known the
possibilities in those fleeting moments. They would have ideas but
I doubted any of them would dare to put them into words.

“I concede,” Hercules said, and just like that it was over; I
think I let my competitiveness get the better of me. I could have
beaten him to a pulp and won but I didn’t. He needed showing what
true power is, and it has nothing to do with being able to
pulverise your opponent. Power is about control, respect, love and
fear – they’re the
only
ways to gain power - and only fear will give you
control. It does make people rather unpredictable though and I
hoped that he wouldn’t actually be afraid of me. He was my friend
and I wanted it to stay that way. If I was honest, I’d actually
scared myself; I wasn’t entirely sure I should have been able to do
that.

“You did well.
I trust you won’t be judging any more books by their covers.” I
smiled and it reached my eyes. Relief flooded through me and pushed
my power back to the little corner of my consciousness it normally
hides in. Hercules took my hand and I helped him up. The crowd
cheered loudly as he stood and I glanced quickly at Eddie. He was
scowling intently and clearly thinking too hard. I ignored him. Let
him think whatever he wants. He was a problem for another day and I
had a party to enjoy.

The fight had
got everyone’s spirits up. The energy seemed to have spread around
the group. There were only twenty or so people all together, but
for shifters it was quite a crowd - nearly every shifter in Devon.
Some were from even further afield, visiting family or friends. I
spotted one person that I hadn’t expected to be there. We got on
like a house on fire, yet rarely saw each other because she lived
up in the Lake District. It was just too far to travel on a regular
basis and neither of us was very good at calling.