Falling for Angels - Hazel Hunter Page 0,10

handle it. Even after we jumped back in time to Scotland I worked out daily to maintain my strength and flexibility.

That also kept me ready for Cha-Cha.

Marina Chavez had been the squad’s former Frequent Flyer before me. After she’d taken a bad spill Coach Jennings made her a spotter and promoted me to flyer. Then, when we’d dropped into the fourteenth century, we’d both fallen for the same guy, who made matters worse by refusing to choose between us.

Now Cha-Cha came every day to the courtyard to work out with Val, while Stacy and I did the same—like it was a grudge match or something.

“If looks were daggers, Gracie, you’d be calpa bait,” Stacy whispered as we finished our warmups.

I glanced at my rival. I’m a short, brown-eyed, stick-straight blonde built for speed; Cha-Cha had the blue eyes, black curls and hot curves I’d always wanted. At State she’d won gold for her floor routine in gymnastics, while I nabbed it on the uneven. She had a rep as a tough girl, too. She’d nearly gotten kicked off the squad twice for getting into shoving matches with loudmouths from opposing squads.

Before we’d come to Scotland I’d avoided her so she wouldn’t find out what I’d been fighting. Now that we were stuck in the same castle, and on the same highlander, things were coming to a boiling point.

Cha-Cha stood staring at the gallery, where I saw Finlay watching us. He usually led patrols around the island, so he was probably off duty. From the way his gaze kept going back and forth he still hadn’t made a choice. I turned my back on him and concentrated on the new stunt we’d been practicing. Stacy planted her feet and braced herself with one hand behind her, and I launched into a flip off her knees and over her head. I landed in front of Cha-Cha just as she executed the exact same stunt with Val.

“Watch your ass,” she said, not moving an inch.

I showed her some teeth. “Isn’t that your job?”

“That’s enough, you two.” Val stepped between us. “Gracie, go cool off.”

I stalked outside to take a run down by the loch. By the time I reached the bank I felt comfortably loose, but I still hadn’t shaken my anger. I heard a rustling behind me, and spun around.

“You really want to do this?” I demanded as I glared at Cha-Cha.

She batted her big blue eyes like she was flirting. She’d figured out my secret.

I launched myself at her, knocking her onto her back and pinning her to the ground. She bucked under me, stronger than I’d ever imagined, but I was done playing nice. I slapped her so hard my palm exploded with pain. I would have done it again, but she tossed me off. I flipped over and scrambled up, but she grabbed me. Cha-Cha grunted as I kicked her, and then started dragging me toward the water.

One thing I couldn’t do was swim, so I went nuts. Down we went again, punching and kicking each other.

Dimly I heard Val and Finlay shouting, and someone yanked me off Cha-Cha. I turned to shove away who I thought was Val and looked into big blue terrified eyes.

“Calpa,” the other Cha-Cha shrieked as she dragged me back.

Finlay stepped in front of us and rammed his sword into the Cha-Cha I’d been fighting. She made a horrible noise and then started melting into a big pile of twitching goo. One of the other clansmen came running with a torch, which Finlay used to set fire to the remains.

Cha-Cha turned me to face her. She looked so scared I wanted to hug her.

“Oh, God, you’re bleeding.” She hugged me and dotted the side of my head with kisses. “Somebody get Doc Ivers.”

“I’m okay.” Confused now, I drew back and glanced at the blackened mess on the ground. “It looked like you, Cha-Cha.”

“No, it didn’t.” She frowned and put her hand to my cheek. “You were fighting yourself. I couldn’t tell who was my beautiful girl until I saw you bleeding.”

My beautiful girl? I thought, stunned. What the hell?

Finlay came and took us back to his chamber. There I sat staring at Cha-Cha while he warmed some water so I could clean up.

“I should have told you about my feelings before now,” she finally said. “Don’t hate me, okay?”

“I don’t, Marina.” I’d nearly died today because I was afraid she’d find out how I felt about her, so I confessed. “I’ve had a crush