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  “Match point!” two of the corner judges hollered as they whipped their flags high.

  Eren and the girl returned to their places behind their lines and waited at attention. The five judges conferred briefly and the head judge came forward and took one of Eren’s hands and one of her opponent’s. The judge thrust Eren’s hand into the air. Among the boos and protests that erupted, she could hear the cheering of her family and friends.

  The rest of the morning went pretty much the same way as Eren fought through one opponent after another. Few of them were even able to leave her winded. It wasn’t that they were totally without skill; Eren was just that much better. Being a Rector meant she was stronger and faster than most, so her grandfather had said. Turned out he was right.

  Before the end of the morning, most people stopped booing.

  Now she understood the look of pure pleasure on Aiden’s face when he fought. It felt like she was built to do this. Fighting came as easy as breathing. Her body moved to respond almost in time with her thoughts. It was amazing and exhilarating, and she never wanted it to end. Soon she had worked through every opponent until only one was left; Patli.

  Anticipation pulsed through Eren as she waited during the mandatory break between matches. She wasn’t tired and she resented having to wait, but she tried to hide it as she took a damp towel from Caitlin. It felt cold and wonderful against the back of her neck.

  “You’ll need to use your head a lot more against Patli. She’s a Rector too, Eren. She won’t be so easy,” Caitlin warned.

  Amid all the adrenalin, Eren searched for her calm center. She slowed her breathing and relaxed her body, muscle by muscle. Her eyes found Aiden’s steady gaze amid the press of the crowd. The pride and confidence pulsing in his energy relaxed her and slowed her heart to a steady beat. He smiled and winked.

  The corner judges began to gather at the ring and Eren rose to her feet.

  Caitlin took the towel from her and clapped her on the shoulder. Her dark red lips were arched up into a smile. “Go kick her ass!”

  Eren smiled and would have laughed if she wasn’t so afraid of what her sudden explosion of nerves had done to her voice. Instead, she swallowed hard and entered the ring after Patli’s menagerie of swinging braids. They faced each other and bowed. Patli had the intense, almost blank stare of a determined fighter and her eyes never wavered from Eren’s. She exuded an air of confidence that would have been intimidating if Eren hadn’t prepared so much.

  The command to begin was given and the whistle blew. Crouched in a fighting stance, Patli circled Eren, watching her every move. Eren did the same, waiting patiently as she studied Patli. She held her right hand just a little too high, leaving an opening, but that could be a ploy. One thing she couldn’t fake though was how she led with her right foot. Most likely that meant she wasn’t very good at protecting her left side. Eren was discovering that a lot of fighters weren’t.

  Eren tested her theory by throwing a few front kicks and then whipping around for a round kick aimed at Patli’s left side. It came close to landing, but Patli was fast. She got her arms up in time to block and prevent Eren from getting the point. Before she could draw her foot all the way back, Patli threw a flurry of punches at her midsection, forcing her to block. Rather than allow it to throw her balance off, Eren kicked her raised foot back and shifted her stance.

  Patli must have taken that to mean she was being forced back because she exploded with an assault of punches and strikes. Eren remained calm and let her instincts take over as she blocked and moved around Patli, forcing her to constantly readjust her stance. This slowed Patli down and allowed Eren to throw a few strikes of her own. A solid punch landed in Eren’s abdomen and another in her ribs. They stung a bit—Patli could really hit—but she didn’t let it distract her. She saw an opening in Patli’s left side and shot for it, landing three punches one right after another.

  As if from down a long tunnel, Eren heard all four corner judges yell, “Point!”

  She and Patli returned behind their lines and waited in a ready stance as the judges deliberated. Patli was awarded a point and Eren was awarded a point and a half. This time when the whistle blew, Patli shot in for the attack. Eren sidestepped and thrust out with a kick that caught Patli beneath her left arm. Recovering almost instantly, Patli grabbed her leg with an iron grip and threw it up over her head with ease. The ground heaved to meet Eren and she barely got her hands out in time to stop her face from crashing into it.

  Rather than collide full force with the gym floor, Eren did a shoulder roll then kicked out at Patli from a crouched position. The air whooshed from Patli as Eren’s foot connected with her stomach. A flip brought Eren to her feet, and then she thrust out with a front kick that slipped through Patli’s flailing arms and hit her in the chest. As Patli stumbled back a whistle was blown and someone yelled, “match point!”

  Standing behind her line, chest heaving, Eren tried to recount all their points and recall if she’d been hit again. She knew the throw counted as a full point but couldn’t be sure whether or not she’d taken any other hits. She wanted to kick herself for not thinking of something like that. Her mind still thought in terms of what would be possible for a normal girl, and Patli picking her up and throwing her over her head and to the ground was not normal. She would have to change her way of thinking.

  As the head judge came forward and grabbed their hands, Eren held her breath. He paused dramatically and it took all of Eren’s restraint not to reach over and strangle him.

  Triumph shot through her as he raised her hand high and announced she was the winner. Eren wanted to jump for joy but shock kept her rooted to the spot. With a deeply creased brow, but the beginnings of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips, Patli stepped forward and offered Eren her hand. Bowing low with respect, Eren shook it and smiled.

  The crowd went wild and this time Eren heard more than just her friends and family cheering for her. When she turned to leave the ring, Caitlin practically bowled her over with a hug. She was still struggling to catch her breath when Caitlin pulled back and high-fived her.

  Grabbing her hand, Caitlin leaned close and whispered, “You should have seen the look on Bridget’s face. It was priceless.”

  That was a story Eren definitely wanted to hear, but it would have to wait because Aiden stepped up and took Caitlin’s place. The joy and pride in his eyes was so powerful that Eren couldn’t bear looking at him without blushing. One of his arms wrapped around her and he lifted her chin. His smile grew and his fingers traced the blush that was roaring its way through her cheeks.

  “You were fantastic,” he told her.

  “I was lucky. I’m going to have to prepare twice as much if I don’t want to embarrass myself next month,” Eren disagreed.

  A hand patted her on the back and she turned to see Fane grinning at her. “Aiden’s right, Cuz. Considering the amount of training you’ve had, you did brilliant.”

  Caitlin’s dainty arm reached through the guys and grabbed Eren’s hand. With a good tug, she pulled her free of them. “Alright boys, let the champ hit the showers so we can get to that pizza.”

  Before she could be pulled completely from his reach, Aiden lifted Eren’s other hand and kissed it. The tingling his lips left behind re-ignited her adrenalin and it rushed to the center of her body. It was wonderfully distracting, but all she could think of as her fingers slipped from his was what Caitlin had called her; Champion. She had done it.

  The gravity of those words was still hitting her when she walked into the locker room and nearly ran right into Bridget. Startled, Bridget took a step back. Rather than go around, Eren mirrored her, blocking her path. Bridget took another step back, and another. A pressure began building in Eren’s chest as she backed her up against the lockers. She didn’t realize her hands were glowing until she caught sight of her clenched fists. Bridget’s eyes grew wide and she began to tremble.

  “Someone has been following me. You wouldn’t know
anything about that would you?” The calm tone of her voice sounded hollow and scary even to her.

  “What? No, why would I?” Bridget snapped.

  Her angry indignation tightened Eren’s focus. This girl had no right to step in and try to ruin the life she was trying so hard to rebuild. Eren leaned closer, enjoying the way she cringed.

  “Because you want something of mine and you’re trying to scare me off.”

  For a moment she saw the truth of it in Bridget’s eyes, then a well-practiced mask covered it and she simply looked annoyed.

  “Yeah I do like Aiden and he deserves to be with someone of pure blood. But you’re delusional if you think I’m following you. It could be anyone, you’re not exactly well liked here,” Bridget snapped.

  She shoved past Eren and tried to go for the door but Eren lashed out and grabbed her by the arm. Her power burned into Bridget’s flesh like it was warm butter. Bridget’s eyes went so wide Eren could see white all the way around them and it made her smile.

  “If I’m followed again—and I don’t care who it is—, I’m coming for you.”

  Before Bridget could yank away and do more damage to her arm, Eren drew her power back in and let her go. Bridget’s bobbed hair flew in a crisp arc as she spun away. A heartbeat later, she was out the door.

  “That was sweet,” Caitlin exclaimed as she high-fived Eren hard enough to sting.

  Though she laughed along with Caitlin, something about the encounter bugged Eren. Bridget had been really scared of her, scared enough that it didn’t make sense for her to be stalking Eren. And yet she was—whether directly or indirectly—of that Eren was certain. Obviously Bridget liked Aiden, but it didn’t seem as though she liked him enough to risk Eren’s wrath. Much as Eren wanted to be the ‘big bad’ that had Bridget shaking in her designer boots, she knew she wasn’t. Something else had Bridget scared half out of her mind. Something, or someone.

  “To use one’s power in battle is the

  ultimate thrill for a warrior channeler.”

  ~from Life In A Society

  Chapter 27

  April passed in a whirlwind of activity. Every free moment Eren had was spent honing her spear fighting skills in preparation for the tournament at the end of the month. The problem was, between school and helping at her grandfather’s store, there wasn’t much time for her and Aiden. Part of her felt like she was neglecting him but he insisted she wasn’t.

  Whether it was with her instructor, Fane, Caitlin, or her grandfather, Aiden showed up for every practice he could. Most of the time, when she had to work at the bookstore, he showed up there too. Still, Eren worried that she wasn’t dedicating enough quality time to him, especially when there was another girl vying so hard for his attention. She would have preferred to spend every waking moment with him, but that wouldn’t exactly improve her fighting ability or make her a better Rector. As much as she hated it, sacrifices had to be made and he seemed to understand that.

  Was part of her subconscious trying to put off the progression of their relationship? Maybe, but she would only admit that to herself. The smiles of approval Aunt Sylvia often gave her let her know it was being noticed by others. This made Eren watch Aiden for any sign that he was getting tired of waiting, but she never saw one.

  The small green buds of spring were starting to push through the last traces of snow as the day of the April tournament arrived. Eren stared out the window at the persistent greenery as she checked the leather straps that held the blunt piece over the tip of her spear. They wouldn’t be allowed to cut or pierce each other’s skin, which was a little comforting. Still, that didn’t stop Eren’s stomach from churning. She hadn’t thrown up this time, yet.

  “It’s almost time, better get out there,” Caitlin called as she walked out of the bathroom.

  The world swam and Eren’s stomach lurched as she rose to her feet. One hand thrust out to the lockers to steady her, while the other grasped Caitlin’s shoulder. Her spear clanged to the ground.

  “Whoa there! Deep breaths. You’ve got this in the bag girl, you just need to relax,” Caitlin said.

  Obediently, Eren took several deep breaths and bent down to pick up her spear. As Caitlin helped her stand back up she felt something like an electric charge pass from Caitlin’s hand to hers. It tingled as it spread up her arm in a warm flush. When it reached her stomach, it washed away her anxiety and left her feeling confident and charged. Eyes wide, she raised an eyebrow at Caitlin.

  “What was that?”

  “I’m not sure. Are you okay?” Caitlin asked.

  “Yeah, I feel great now.”

  Great didn’t really describe it, though. It felt like she had just downed a potent energy drink and could now take on the world, at warp speed. After a moment of thoughtful silence, Caitlin grabbed her by the hand and pulled her toward the door.

  “I think that might have been the power sharing thing,” Caitlin said.

  “Don’t I have to be wounded for that?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe it was enough that you weren’t feeling well. I was thinking about making you feel better and then I felt the energy move out of me and into you.”

  Eren hesitated at the door, more out of interest in their conversation now than because of nerves. “But when Fane gave Aiden his energy, it wiped him out. You don’t even look tired.”

  Caitlin shrugged. “Probably because I didn’t give you much.”

  With a big smile, she let go of Eren’s hand and turned to open the door.

  “Interesting,” Eren murmured. This was something she would have to think more on later.

  Only one ring remained set up and the attention of everyone in the overflowing bleachers was riveted upon it. Just outside the ring, Patli stood with a group of Maya girls who were helping her stretch. Since Eren was the champion of last month’s tournament the only person she had to fight today was the winner. Of course, it was Patli; Eren had known it would be.

  “Remember, no limits,” Caitlin whispered as they approached the ring.

  A smile worked its way across Eren’s lips and the last of her anxiety vanished. She did remember. Last month her narrow-minded thinking had nearly cost her the match. This month she would not make that mistake. Even Aunt Sylvia had been helping her practice, pushing her beyond her comfort zone and forcing her to do moves that she wouldn’t have thought possible.

  The judges stepped into their places and called for her and Patli to do the same. Eren gave Patli a smile and a respectful nod and was surprised when she returned both. It occurred to Eren that maybe, under different circumstances, they could have been friends.

  Thoughts of friendship fled as the judge blew his whistle. Rocking up on the balls of her feet, Eren held her spear like a staff and began to circle Patli. Not a trace of the anxiety remained. Eren was relaxed and patient as she sized Patli up, waiting for her to attack. She found that Zen-like state that Fane was always preaching about. This was the same feeling she got when she ran, kind of like the world slowed down and came into focus. It shocked her a bit to find the same pleasure and peace in fighting that she found in running.

  Right away Eren noticed that with a spear in her hand, Patli protected her left side better. Without that weakness to exploit, she’d have to find a new one. Eren thrust first at her left side, then at her right, carefully gauging her reaction. Patli blocked the right strike by raising her spear vertical, then the left by swinging it down in an arc. Eren saw a flaw, a very slight one, but a flaw nonetheless. When Patli swung down to block she overextended a bit, going beyond the line of her body. It left her open for a second.

  With a thought, Eren sent power humming through her body. She wasn’t allowed to use it to heighten the strength of her strikes, but it was legal to use to increase speed and to push and pull with.

  Patli exploded with a combination of strikes, forcing her to react instead of think. Wood rang solidly upon wood as they danced back and forth, blocking and striking, neither landing any points.
Patli faked a thrust and turned it into an attempted sweep, but Eren saw it coming and leaped easily over the swinging spear. In mid-air she kicked out with her front foot and hit Patli in the chest, pushed off her and into a back flip. As she landed, she swung her spear to catch Patli hard on the left shoulder. It all happened so fast it felt like one incredible movement, as if her body was water and Patli was gravity.

  Several judges yelled point and a whistle was blown.

  Patli looked impressed and frustrated as she stared at Eren from across the ring. It wasn’t hard for Eren to guess what that look meant. Patli probably hadn’t expected her to improve so much with only a month’s practice, which now meant Eren had lost her element of surprise.

  Oh well, she hadn’t really been relying on it anyways. Now maybe the match would get interesting.

  She was awarded one point, half for the kick and half for the spear strike. The command to begin was given again. Excitement shot through her at getting the first two scores, but she stifled it and maintained her focus. Now was not the time to get cocky, especially since Patli looked like she was about to take the gloves off and get down to business.

  This time, Eren advanced first, faking a swing to Patli’s left and then going in hard to her right. But Patli was ready and she batted it aside and came back strong. For a few moments it was all Eren could do to block both the flesh and wood that flew at her from all directions. Somehow Patli got around behind her back and too late Eren saw a sweep coming. Rather than try to jump it and risk getting the back of her ankles smacked, she bent to absorb the strike. Using its momentum along with her power, she did a back flip and came down across Patli’s back with her spear before landing. Patli thrust for her ribs and she had to whip sideways to avoid it. When she did, Patli caught her in the side with a kick.

  The blow of the whistle gave them both a moment to catch their breath. Patli was awarded one point and Eren was given half. Eren cursed inwardly. Patli must have landed a strike Eren hadn’t felt because the kick was only worth half a point. She would have to be more careful, she didn’t want to blow it when she was this close.