The Steele Wolf (Iron Butterfly #2)(52)

“Come on, Thalia. I’ve finally found someone to spar with and you won’t even give me a chance. No one else will. Mona hates anything physical and I’ve been bored. What do you say?” he pleaded. I looked over Xiven and saw a familiar look of anxiousness and something else. It was similar to how I felt earlier when I was about to explode.

“Fine, but just one round.” I shook my braid over my shoulder and squared my feet, adjusting my hands around both sticks. Xiven was a ball of pent up energy and he danced around on the balls of his toes and did a few feints before engaging. He was fast and I was constantly trying to keep him in sight. I would swing towards his arm but then he was gone. I aimed for his head but I was two seconds too late. I was hit in the back by Xiven and a verbal taunt that I was slow.

I shook my head and tried to clear my sight to focus on him but it seemed as if I were trying to fight through mud. Again I barely brought up my arm to block an overhead hit, but then his other arm shot out and jabbed me in the solar plexus. Gasping, I bent over and tried to regain my breath; I saw stars. Biting my lip to hold back my anger, I stood up and was knocked clean on my rear. Once again I was staring at a spinning ceiling. What was going on? How come I couldn’t even touch him? Rolling over I crouched, sticks up in a defensive stance, and this time I concentrated on Xiven.

Xiven was slightly strained. I could tell by the sweat beading on his forehead. And then it hit me; Xiven was cheating. I couldn’t see the flow of Denai power he was using on me but I could see the effects on his physical body. He was hampering my fighting. I instantly reached for Faraway but hit a wall. Those stupid mists were blocking me from using Faraway’s strength. I had no way to counter any of his attacks; I was on my own.

Gritting my teeth, I focused my sight and tried to see what he was doing but once again I was blind to the energy he was using. Xiven came forward and swung at my face and I brought up the stick to block and countered. I tried to move offensively and keep him moving while I thought of a plan of attack. Pushing him around the room, I desperately tried to think of a way to hinder him.

But because of the veil, there was no power, no energy for me to grab except for what I saw pulsing deep within his body. I hesitated and felt sick at the thought. But Xiven swept at my arm with the broken end of the stick. I gasped as a long cut ran down my arm and blood started to pour out of it. I looked at Xiven’s face and was disgusted by the look in his eyes. I thought to see sorrow or sympathy in his deep brown eyes but instead I saw excitement. He enjoyed making me feel pain. Unable to control the rage, I mentally reached out and grabbed at the white pulsing light in the center of Xiven’s body and watched as his eyes widened in shock. I took enough power to push Xiven hard away from me; he sailed backwards and used his power to stop himself short from hitting the wall. The fuzziness in my mind and mental block I felt I was fighting through disappeared when I attacked him, proving that I was right.

“Finally, a worthy opponent. You’re my perfect match.” His eyes were black and his chest was heaving from the physical exertion. He looked wild and feral; his grin was crazy as if he were enjoying this too much.

I hesitated a moment too long as he rushed me and when he punched me there was extra power behind it. This time I flew into the wall and dropped to my knees. Xiven’s face was pale and I knew he was struggling as much as I was to gain control of power. Because of the mists it was harder for him to use it, but I didn’t know his limits.

“Xiven! Stop! This isn’t right; we shouldn’t be fighting like this.” I yelled at him, trying to keep my distance.

“Why not, Thalia? You are the only one that has even made this interesting for me. You need to prove you’re a powerful Denai to Gloria and this is one way to do it. Beat me and I will personally vouch for you to marry Joss.”

“That’s not the point,” I tried to reason with him. But he interrupted me.

“What was it that you did to me? I never even saw you use power.”

“It’s hard to explain.” I needed to talk Xiven out of this fight because the only way to defend myself against him would ultimately hurt him in the end.

“Doesn’t matter, because you won’t get to do it again.” Xiven moved and rushed me and I grabbed at his energy again and used it to push him to the side so he missed me with his charge. His face was becoming pale; he was tiring and I could see the exertion of keeping Hemi immobile was wearing on him. I was feeling sick to my stomach from the use of power. It affected me worse than it does a normal Denai.

“Xiven, you have to stop, NOW! I don’t want to hurt you.” Xiven ignored my scream and gathered together all four broken broom handles in his hands, point sides down. They looked like stakes that floated menacingly above his hands. What had started as a physical exercise turned into a duel between Denai. The only problem was I couldn’t fight fair. Xiven looked up at me and what I saw terrified me. He was serious. Xiven was in this too far, and it was no longer a game. It was war and he wasn’t going to lose. Just trying to access as much power as he did in such a short time was unsettling his mind. He was drunk on power and maybe a little mad. I could see it in his eyes.

I could feel the blood drain from my face as I saw all four stakes fly towards me. Desperately I tried to deflect it like I they had taught in the arena, but it didn’t work. In a last ditch effort I tried to drain everything I could from Xiven to make him pass out or give up but it was too late. I barely was able to throw up a wall between the flying stakes and me. Three of them hit barrier and disintegrated and I watched in horror as Xiven paled and collapsed to his knees. I screamed his name and ran to him.