He came back to the center of the hall, his tall figure reflected in the black marble floor and in the four walls surrounding us. I caught snippets of myself as well, and of Preceptor Nomura standing on the edge of the training space, which was marked with a thin line of white paint that glowed whenever one of us crossed it.
“Hey, I’m better than I was a month ago!” I retorted.
“Watch yourself, Crowley! You lose points if you leave the training space,” Nomura interjected.
Wade gave him a quick glance, then shifted his focus back to me. Sometimes it was difficult to concentrate with Wade Crowley looking at me. His deep green eyes seemed to pierce through my very soul, and in combination with the large curls of his black hair and the way his dark blue pants and vest hugged his athletic figure… well, I had to put in additional effort to focus on his magical abilities so I didn’t get plastered all over the floor.
“Come on, Merlin. Hit me. I just lost ten points dodging instead of blocking your fireballs,” Wade said. “Attack me again so I can get them back.”
I laughed mockingly, then put my hands out again. He took great pleasure in riling me up—I could feel it in my chest. There were definite perks to living with Empathy. When we trained, Wade focused more on the action and less on his emotions, which allowed me to read him accurately. Outside the training halls, he was guarded, aware of my ability to feel him. He’d been practicing emotional control over the past couple of weeks. I could feel that, too. He didn’t like me knowing how he felt.
“I don’t know about that, Crowley. I’ve got you running around like a monkey already. It’s only a matter of time before I get you all hot and crispy!” I replied.
I produced over two dozen small fireballs this time and worked on perfecting my aim as I released them at Wade. Some he dodged with smooth and fluid moves. Others he swatted away with his hands. Without his ten Esprit rings lighting up orange to prevent his skin from burning upon contact with my fire, he had to use his raw Fire Elemental ability to protect himself.
“Well, for someone who, up until a month ago, didn’t even know what a magical was,” Wade said, “you can hold your ground. I’ll give you that.”
“I could do a lot more if someone would just let me use my Esprit!” I shot back, gritting my teeth.
This was a non-Esprit training session. Only our raw powers were allowed, and I hated it because even without his rings, Wade was a fearsome adversary.
He ran toward me, grinning like the devil.
Like the rookie that I still was, I froze.
He moved so fast that I didn’t even have a second to react. He stopped about ten feet away from me and released another fireball at full strength. I gasped and crossed my forearms in front of my face. I summoned my own fire to protect me, but I moved one split second too slow.
Wade’s fireball smacked right into me. The force of its impact threw me backward. I landed on my back with a painful thud, then slid past the training circle.
Thanks, physics!
Once I stopped, I stared at the black marble ceiling for a few moments. I heard Nomura click his teeth.
“Too slow,” he said.
“Gee. You think?” I replied dryly.
Wade showed up in my field of vision, smirking as he looked down at me. He offered me a hand. I slapped it away, then shakily got myself back up and wiped the soot from my face. This wasn’t the first time I was getting my ass handed to me, anyway.
“If it’s any consolation, you’re slightly better than last week,” Wade said, trying to encourage me yet again. It didn’t happen often, and I knew he meant it, so I gave him a soft nod in return before I frowned at Nomura.
“I’d be a lot better with my Esprit, you know,” I said.
Nomura shrugged. “And I told you that the Esprit is useless if it’s taken from you. Harley, you must be able to defend yourself and deliver strong attacks without it. The power is inside you already, and we’re training you to master it without the aid of a trinket.”
“There’s not that much power in me to begin with,” I murmured, then pointed two thumbs at myself. “Mediocre, remember?”
A month had passed since the gargoyle debacle, and the coven had yet to arrange a second Reading for me. It wasn’t exactly a regular custom, and it had taken them a while to find a new physician willing to relocate to San Diego. Still, I was wiser and better trained than the first time I’d set foot inside the San Diego Coven. I knew a little bit more about myself, too, even though it broke my heart. Harley Merlin was my real name. It sounded better than Harley Smith, I had to admit, but it carried a dark and painful history.