she ducked and lashed out at his right knee. Startled, Nicolas stumbled backward and pivoted away from her. When she righted herself again, he suddenly ran toward her, though, raising his sword to hit her shoulder. Ava cried out when the electric current of the laser beam zapped through her bones. Gritting her teeth, she sidestepped his next blow and retreated a few steps to catch her breath.
“That’s quite a lethal setting you have on that thing,” she panted. “Are you trying to stun me or something?”
“Sorry.” He grinned roguishly. “I’ve never fought a girl before.”
“No?” She cocked an eyebrow at him. “I thought you and Clea were sparring partners.”
Nicolas tensed up. The dual sense wasn’t lost on him. “Not like this,” he summarized, warding off the blow she directed at his stomach.
“Well, maybe you should ask her some time,” Ava grunted, a bitter smile on her lips. “She might like the crap beaten out of her.”
Then, they carefully danced around each other in silence, the only sound being their heavy breathing. When Nicolas moved forward to swing at her again, he mumbled: “Not gonna happen.”
Ava blocked his attack. “You sure?” she puffed.
Nicolas stepped back. “Yeah. It’s over.”
His words hit her like a punch to the head – they completely paralyzed her. “W-what’s over?” she stuttered, her voice catching in her throat. Could it be true?
Nic didn’t reply. His eyes bored into hers, the long, dark lashes around his eyes making him look almost innocent. When he slowly took a step forward, her knees trembled. Suddenly, the sword felt lifeless and blunt in her hand. His hand slipped over hers. “Give me that,” he mumbled with a frown, avoiding her question. “I’ll adjust your setting, too. There’s no way you can beat me like this.”
Ava wouldn’t let go of the grip. “There’s no way I can beat you anyway,” she whispered, refusing to hand over the blade. “Just let me fight.”
Nicolas ’s gaze softened. “That’s stupid, Ava. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Well. It’s too late for that.” Her voice cracked.
“I’m sorry,” he said hoarsely, helplessly.
She closed her eyes for a moment. “Why is it over?” she then blurted out.
“It had to be.” Nicolas looked down on her, still holding her hand. “It wasn’t real.”
She had no idea why he’d decided to break up with Clea so soon after that night the two of them had danced to Sinatra. She wasn’t sure she wanted to think about it. Somehow, the idea that she had such power over him frightened her a bit – because it meant she really might have a chance with him.
“Let’s just fight.” Ava pulled away from his grasp, raising her sword again to challenge him to another round.
A look of frustration crossed Nic’s face, but he accepted her invitation without saying another word about Clea. For the moment, she was done talking as well. Her muscles were screaming for a good struggle. No matter if her blade was weaker than his, no matter if he would hurt her again – she wouldn’t step down.
The fight continued. Nic’s gaze didn’t leave her as he studied her face. Ava’s heart beat faster when she stared deep into his eyes, drawing him out by taking small steps back , edging toward the back door of the shed while parrying his blows.
“Where are you going?” he finally mumbled with a sly smile. “Are you trying for the emergency exit?”
Ava laughed, slightly out of breath. “There’s no emergency,” she said with a wink.
“Oh, but there is,” Nicolas taunted her. “You’re about to be beaten by your father’s favorite student.”
“Maybe not,” she replied. “Maybe I have some tricks up my sleeve.”
When she felt the wall in her back, Ava lowered her sword, sucking in her breath when Nic came to a stop right in front of her, the blue of his laser blade illuminating his gorgeous face and dark-brown, shiny hair.
“I think you’ve lost,” he
“That’s quite a lethal setting you have on that thing,” she panted. “Are you trying to stun me or something?”
“Sorry.” He grinned roguishly. “I’ve never fought a girl before.”
“No?” She cocked an eyebrow at him. “I thought you and Clea were sparring partners.”
Nicolas tensed up. The dual sense wasn’t lost on him. “Not like this,” he summarized, warding off the blow she directed at his stomach.
“Well, maybe you should ask her some time,” Ava grunted, a bitter smile on her lips. “She might like the crap beaten out of her.”
Then, they carefully danced around each other in silence, the only sound being their heavy breathing. When Nicolas moved forward to swing at her again, he mumbled: “Not gonna happen.”
Ava blocked his attack. “You sure?” she puffed.
Nicolas stepped back. “Yeah. It’s over.”
His words hit her like a punch to the head – they completely paralyzed her. “W-what’s over?” she stuttered, her voice catching in her throat. Could it be true?
Nic didn’t reply. His eyes bored into hers, the long, dark lashes around his eyes making him look almost innocent. When he slowly took a step forward, her knees trembled. Suddenly, the sword felt lifeless and blunt in her hand. His hand slipped over hers. “Give me that,” he mumbled with a frown, avoiding her question. “I’ll adjust your setting, too. There’s no way you can beat me like this.”
Ava wouldn’t let go of the grip. “There’s no way I can beat you anyway,” she whispered, refusing to hand over the blade. “Just let me fight.”
Nicolas ’s gaze softened. “That’s stupid, Ava. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Well. It’s too late for that.” Her voice cracked.
“I’m sorry,” he said hoarsely, helplessly.
She closed her eyes for a moment. “Why is it over?” she then blurted out.
“It had to be.” Nicolas looked down on her, still holding her hand. “It wasn’t real.”
She had no idea why he’d decided to break up with Clea so soon after that night the two of them had danced to Sinatra. She wasn’t sure she wanted to think about it. Somehow, the idea that she had such power over him frightened her a bit – because it meant she really might have a chance with him.
“Let’s just fight.” Ava pulled away from his grasp, raising her sword again to challenge him to another round.
A look of frustration crossed Nic’s face, but he accepted her invitation without saying another word about Clea. For the moment, she was done talking as well. Her muscles were screaming for a good struggle. No matter if her blade was weaker than his, no matter if he would hurt her again – she wouldn’t step down.
The fight continued. Nic’s gaze didn’t leave her as he studied her face. Ava’s heart beat faster when she stared deep into his eyes, drawing him out by taking small steps back , edging toward the back door of the shed while parrying his blows.
“Where are you going?” he finally mumbled with a sly smile. “Are you trying for the emergency exit?”
Ava laughed, slightly out of breath. “There’s no emergency,” she said with a wink.
“Oh, but there is,” Nicolas taunted her. “You’re about to be beaten by your father’s favorite student.”
“Maybe not,” she replied. “Maybe I have some tricks up my sleeve.”
When she felt the wall in her back, Ava lowered her sword, sucking in her breath when Nic came to a stop right in front of her, the blue of his laser blade illuminating his gorgeous face and dark-brown, shiny hair.
“I think you’ve lost,” he
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