This room is the crux and where we plan everything.” Andris pointed to the screens.
Ling tapped on a keyboard, along with several other people, none of whom even looked up when we entered.
“Wow.” I didn’t have to know a lot about computers to know this equipment was not only imported, but probably extremely expensive.
“This way is the training room.” Andris moved quickly, peering into the room. About twenty people worked out on the mats, perfecting moves. It reminded me a lot of my training at HDF, but here they looked more to be self-training, and there didn’t appear to be one lead instructor.
A huge guy darted for a girl only about five foot two on a mat. In two moves, the girl twisted his arm and flipped him over on his back.
Damn.
“Birdie?” Andris called to her. “Come here for a moment.”
She blew a piece of loose hair from her face as she strolled over, regarding me with annoyance. She looked to be about my age, short, thin, but had a solid frame, with heavily lined light blue eyes and white-blonde hair, which hung to her ass even in a ponytail. She had a nose ring and piercings up each ear. Wearing all black, her entire persona was defensive and challenging. Ready to fight you, as if she had spent her life proving she wasn’t weak, and being a pretty girl didn’t make her a target.
Something I understood. It didn’t make me like her, though.
“Birdie, Brexley.” He introduced us. The fastest forced smile slipped on and off her lips like water.
“Hi.” She placed her palms on her hips, then tilted her head. “Wait… Brexley as in the Brexley Kovacs?”
“One and the same,” I replied dryly.
“She’ll be staying here, and I thought you two could room together.” He seemed to ignore the tension between us. “She could follow your schedule.”
“What?” she exclaimed, already shaking her head. “Oh, hell no. I finally have a single room.”
“Birdie.” His tone was filled with the warning I remembered so well from my childhood.
“You know I don’t get along with people.” She glowered at him. “I’m not roommate material.”
“Neither am I.” I stared her down.
“I think you two have far more in common than you think.” He patted our arms. “Brexley, will you be okay? I have a few things to deal with.”
“Sure,” I replied. Birdie and I continued to glare at each other.
“Okay, I’ll check in with you later.” He rubbed my arm before strolling off.
Birdie crossed her arms, sizing me up. “Guess I thought you’d be… I don’t know… more. The illusive Brexley Kovacs seems a bit of a letdown.” She shrugged. “What kind of name is Brexley anyway?”
“What kind of name is Birdie?”
“It’s not my real name, but it fits me.” She took a step closer, testing me. “While people are busy cooing about how cute and small I am, wanting to stroke my feathers, I swoop in and kick their ass. Want me to show you?” She gave me a pointed look before swiveling back to the mats, shoving a guy out of her way.
I changed my mind. I think I liked her.
An hour later, sweat dripped down my back as I reached over and grabbed a cup of water. I had jumped into training, peeling off my top layers, leaving me just in pants and a tank.
It felt good to work out at that level of intensity. It had been a while. And Andris had made sure everyone here drilled at a high level, even more seriously than HDF. They were not fooling around.
“You already done, X?” Birdie bounced on the mat, her face dripping with sweat. Somehow her eyeliner still held in place, but her hair stuck to her face. She had taken to calling me “X” for some reason. The fae believed names held power and intimacy, and it had leaked into our generation. Plus, it would have been stupid to link your real name to a radical group. I doubted anyone here used their given name.
“Not at all.” I wiped my forehead. My muscles burned with fatigue, and I loved it. Birdie was small, but damn, the girl could fight. I knew she was fae, which made her faster and stronger, but I did my best to keep up.
“Have to say, you’re better than I thought.” She moved back on the mat, making room for me. “Especially for a human.”
“Thanks,” I replied dryly. “You too.”
She smirked.
“What are you anyway?”
“Don’t you know it’s rude to ask?” We started circling each