Werewolves and werecats will rip your head off or eviscerate you. Sometimes, they’ll eat you alive once they’re done. Vampires want to break your neck and bleed you dry. Fae and witches are more ranged combatants, but I promise you, they know how to fight. I’m a close fighter. I don’t have many skills that make me effective at a distance. Based on your abilities, you would do well to learn some simple sword techniques. You could easily cut off limbs and heads.”
“Do you always talk about fighting and killing with such indifference?” he asked, taking one of the wooden swords from me. “It’s starting to worry me.”
“Yes.” I flipped the sword a few times, loosening up my wrist. I was tired from working out, but I figured I would still be faster. “If I got hung up on it, I would already be dead.” I had been desensitized to death for a long time. Kill or be killed. That was the world I lived in. “Should I feel guilty for surviving as long as I have?”
“You make it sound like you’re fighting for your life every single day.”
“I don’t see a problem with that,” I said softly. “Now, let’s get started. The sooner you get some of this down, the better.”
I started off with an easy spar, watching him wildly try to block me as I sent in attacks, seeing how he tried to defend himself. When I gave him a chance to attack, he missed it, and I knew I was dealing with a modern man. He wasn’t hiding some hidden immortality I didn’t know about. He was doing this for the very first time, and it showed.
“Okay, now I know where you stand. Let me show you a basic stance.” I went behind him and kicked his legs apart. “Shoulder-width apart is always a good idea. It will keep you balanced.” I moved his shoulders, putting his sword arm closer to an invisible opponent in front of him. “Keep your vulnerable side away from the attacker and make yourself a smaller target. Don’t give anyone the chance to go after you from a place you can’t defend.”
He nodded, and I corrected how he held the sword, moving his fingers. This was the first time I touched his skin and took a moment to consider it. It was blazing hot, like a heat rock with a sunlamp on it. I stomped on thoughts of curling up next to that kind of heat and enjoying it. Being so close made me come to terms with how much taller he was, probably six five.
“Were you always this big?”
“No. I went through a growth spurt while I was…there.”
“Have you completely adjusted to it? Growing up makes us clumsy.”
“Yeah, I have. It’s been six or seven years since I stopped getting taller.”
“Good,” I said, stepping away. “Now, just follow my movements. If you’re motivated, do these in your free time until you’ve memorized them. This should be muscle memory by the time you get into a real fight. We don’t have time for that, but maybe one day, you’ll be able to hold your own against someone with a blade.”
We worked for an hour, and I corrected him as we went, remembering how my father taught me. Hopefully, it would be enough.
You’re not allowed to die on me, asshole. Do you understand? More than just you and me are counting on you sticking around for a long time.
Even as I thought those words, I hated myself for them.
“We’ll continue practicing this while we wait for my people to get back to me,” I said, grabbing two fresh towels and tossing him one. “You have no talent for it, but oh well. As long as you have some idea what to do, with your strength, you should manage.”
“Thanks,” he snorted. “I really appreciate that vote of confidence.”
“Dawn is coming soon,” I said, looking out the small window in the door. “Try to get some sleep. Now’s the safest time.”
“What are we going to do tonight?”
“This. And I want to see more of what you can do. It might help me and my friends figure out what you are,” I said, wiping off my face. “Good night.” Leaving him standing in the gym, I headed for the house. I checked the security cameras with my phone, waiting for him to get inside, then locked the building down. Once he was in the guest room, I turned off the app and laid in bed, finally