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Chapter 11
Aurora
After the altercation with Misha and his friends, Abbie dragged me to a restroom so I could wash the blood off my face.
Which means we’re late for our first training session with Instructor Nikolai.
Just freaking awesome.
I can’t believe Misha smeared blood on my face.
I knew I was taking a risk slapping him, but my pride couldn’t let him get away with hurting me. I’m not someone who goes looking for fights, and honestly, I’d rather avoid them altogether. But I had to stand up for myself.
Last night I was too shocked to react, but in the early hours of the morning, my heartache made space for anger.
It didn’t feel good slapping him, but it restored some of my wounded pride. Now he knows I won’t take his shit.
No matter how scary he is.
Walking into the studio where combat training takes place, the class is already in full swing.
Dammit!
There are four other students paired up and practicing fighting stances.
Instructor Nikolai doesn’t even look our way as he continues with the lesson.
“We’re in trouble,” Abbie whispers, a too wide smile on her face. We quickly move closer and try to copy what the others are doing.
They’re all taking up fighting stances, and I position my legs slightly apart, bending at the knee. Then one of us has to punch while the other blocks.
Abbie and I punch at the same time, and it has her letting out a burst of laughter.
Instructor Nikolai slowly walks closer to us, not looking impressed at
all.
“First, you disrespect me by being late, then you’re disruptive in class,”
he murmurs, his tone sounding deadly as hell.
I swallow hard on the nervousness tightening my stomach. “I’m sorry.” “It was just five minutes,” Abbie states. “And I wasn’t aware we were
not allowed to laugh.”
Jesus, help me with this girl.
I try to give her a look, silently telling her to stop, but her eyes are locked on Instructor Nikolai.
He nods, then stares at her until I feel awkward for the both of us.
“It seems I first have to train you in the seriousness of combat,” Nikolai says. He gestures at one of the attendees, then at me. “The two of you will fight.”
What?
I can’t fight to save my life!
My wide eyes lock on Abbie as she argues, “It’s unfair for a man to fight a woman.”
Nikolai lets out a chuckle as he points toward an open mat. “There’s no such thing as fairness in our world, Miss Sartori.” His eyes flick from me to the guy. “Fight or leave my class.”
Shit.
Abbie realizes the shitty position she’s gotten me into and asks, “Why Aurora? Why not me?”
The corner of Nikolai’s mouth lifts. “You’ll find out soon enough.” He nods at the guy and me, warning tightening his features.
He’ll probably kick me out of the class if I don’t fight, and I can’t embarrass my father like that.
My stomach churns with nerves as I walk to the mat.
Crap, I don’t even know how to start this fight. Do we shake hands? Do I glare at the guy?
He comes to stand across from me, a sadistic glint darkening his eyes.
I’m just about to do something stupid, like greet him, when he propels his body into the air. I don’t even have time to admire the move when his foot slams against the side of my head, and I’m sent sprawling over the floor.
I think I hear Abbie shout, but I can’t be sure.
Holy shit, it hurts.
I shake my head, trying to get rid of the dizziness as I push myself up off the floor. A kick connects with my side, and as I fall onto my back, the guy is on top of me, his fist slamming into my face.
Jesus!
Intense pain engulfs me, and I think I lose consciousness for a minute or hours. It’s probably only for a second, but it feels much longer.
At some point, my head snaps to the right from a hard blow. Blood spills down the side of my mouth, and I lock eyes with Misha.
He’s just standing in the open doorway, staring at me with zero expression on his face.
I hate that he’s seeing how I’m getting the ever-loving shit beaten out of me. Embarrassment and heartache fill my chest.
Another blow slams into my jaw, agonizing pain splintering through my entire head. My vision darkens around the edges, framing Misha so he looks like an avenging angel that’s come to take my life.
“Enough!” Instructor Nikolai snaps.
The guy gets off me, and it’s only then all the pain registers. My lips part as I try to breathe past the relentless ache in my jaw and the pounding headache.
Nikolai points at me, and with rage etched on his face, he tears into Abbie. “You did this to your friend. If you could fight, you’d be able to protect her. If she could fight, she wouldn’t have had her ass handed to her. Next time you walk into my studio, you better take the lessons seriously, or one of you will be carried out on a stretcher. Do. You. Understand. Me?”
There’s none of Abbie’s sass to be seen anywhere, her face ghostly pale as she nods. “I understand.”
“This is not a playground for a socialite,” Instructor Nikolai bites out. “This is where you learn the difference between staying alive to fight another day or dying.”
She nods again as she starts to walk toward me.
I have zero strength to get up off the floor. She can just leave me here to die of embarrassment and pain.
God. Misha watched it all.
Please let the ground open up and swallow me whole.
When Abbie kneels next to me and pushes her arm beneath me to help me into a sitting position, the enormity of what just happened slams so hard into me I can’t keep the tears from falling.
I felt so freaking powerless as the guy went to town on my ass. I hated it. There was nothing I could do to stop him from hitting me.
And Misha saw it.
And he didn’t care that I was being beaten up by a man. Why the hell am I surprised?
With Abbie’s help, I manage to climb to my feet. I lean against her, not sure I can stand on my own.
Sedately, Abbie asks, “May we be excused from class?”
“Yes,” Instructor Nikolai mutters, and turning his back on us, he continues with the lesson.
As we reach the door, Instructor Nikolai says, “I knew it would hurt you more to watch Aurora being beaten. By using the person you love most, I taught you a lesson you’ll never forget. Do you now understand why I didn’t let you fight?”
Abbie glances over her shoulder, her arm tightening around me. “Yes, sir.”
“Good,” he murmurs.
Abbie has to drag me into the hallway, and as if life hasn’t shat enough on me today, Misha and his friends are leaning against the wall.
Alek has a satisfied smile on his face as he looks at me. “Now’s your chance to taste her blood, Misha.”
I don’t have any strength to face them, and not wanting Abbie to start a fight with them, I say, “Let’s just go, Abbie.”
I try not to look at Misha, but, as always, I fail. When our eyes lock, and I see the intense rage burning in his gaze, I begin to feel irrationally scared of him.
If the guy in the class could hurt me so much, what would Misha be able to do to me?
Misha would probably end my life without much effort, seeing as he’s twice the size of the guy I just faced.
I’ve been stupid for trying to fight Misha. I should’ve gone with my first plan to ignore him.
Abbie tugs me past them, and I hold my breath until it’s clear Misha’s not going to take this chance to have another go at me.
Thank God.
When I realize Abbie is taking me to the infirmary, I say, “I want to go to my suite.”
“You need first aid,” she argues, guilt lacing her words.
“I just need an ice pack. I want to go to my room so I can figuratively lick my wounds where no one can see.”
“Okay.”
We change direction, and when I’m finally in the privacy of my suite, I pull away from Abbie and slowly make my way to the bathroom.
As I open the faucet, Abbie murmurs, “I’m sorry, Ra-Ra.”
I can only shake my head while clenching my aching jaw so I won’t burst into tears.
She grabs a facecloth and wets it beneath the water before gently wiping the blood off my face.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispers, her voice thick with tears.
Unable to keep it back, a sob escapes me, and I dart into her arms. Abbie holds me tightly as I cry, but none of the tears ease the embarrassment and pain I’ve been subjected to today.
And it’s only day one.
What else lies in store for us during our four years here?
“We’re in over our heads,” I say as I pull back. “We thought we were going to have four years of spa days and relaxation. We were wrong.” My eyes lift to lock with hers. “It’s going to be brutal.”
There’s no sign of my fun-loving friend as we stare at each other because, let’s face the facts, neither of us is prepared for the training.
My face crumbles as Abbie says, “And our parents had to have known what the training would entail. They knew this would happen, and still, they had us come here.”
God, there’s no giving up and going home.
I nod, and knowing there’s no other way through the next four years but to head straight through it, I lift my chin. “We’ll make it. Together.”
Abbie nods, the guilt of what happened to me because she mouthed off to Instructor Nikolai still etched on her face.
“We’ll learn everything and train hard,” I say, my voice cracking over the words because now that I’ve had a taste of the pain, I’m so not looking forward to any of the classes.
Not actually believing the words, I whisper, “We’ll get through it.”
God, it’s going to be hell, and I’m not sure we’ll survive.
And even if we survive, will we be the same two women standing here today, or will it change us irrevocably?