Chapter 633

Blaze lashes a back-handed fist at me so fast that I barely have time to dodge, stumbling back and raising my right arm to block the blow I know is coming next.

But my teacher outwits me, as he so often does. Constantly, if we're being honest. His left foot lashes out, hooking deftly behind my knee and tugging me forward. His right hand comes next, but it's already too late - I'm off balance and out of options.

He hits me hard with the palm of his hand against my turning shoulder blade, sending me flat to the floor, which I hit with an oof.

"Slow today, little bird," Blaze says, standing above me. I groan, rolling over and staring up at him, an apologetic grimace on my face. “You need more sleep."

I sigh, and nod, agreeing as he holds out a hand to pull me to my feet.

"I know, I'm sorry," I say. "I'm...distracted too."

"Life is full of distractions," he says, quite kind. "As is war. You must learn to put them out of your mind and concentrate on the moment. Or else..." "Yeah, or else I'm flat on my ass," I sigh, nodding to him, knowing he's right.noveldrama

"Flat on your little princess butt," he says, smiling warmly at me before wrapping his arms around me in the hug that always ends our practice. "What?" I ask, surprised. "Are we...done already?"

"Oh, I sense that you will not be improving today, my sparrow," Blaze says with a happy sigh, pulling away from me. “Plus that one," he points to Luca, sitting on the floor in his usual space, “is buzzing to speak to you. I will not torture him further.”

"What!?" Luca gasps, looking between us. "I - I didn't do anything!"

"You did not need to do," Blaze says, giving Luca a kind grin as he turns towards his door. "You simply were. It is not bad, boxing boy, you just have an energy that is easy to read."

I call my goodbyes to my teacher, smiling after him, as Luca gets to his feet and begins to stretch his arms, frowning after Blaze. "My energy?" he asks, confused. "Can be read?"

"Yes," I say, peering at him curiously. "Your aura is very frazzled today - azure and purple instead of its usual sunshine yellow..."

"What?" he gasps, staring at me in shock, clearly thinking that I'm serious. "Did you did you get new magic? Is this something you can -"

I burst out laughing and give him a little shove, interrupting his panic Luca's face breaks into a smile when he realizes I was teasing him, and he grabs me to him, pinning me to him with my back to his chest.

I just laugh, pleased to be in my mate's arms, happiness racing through me despite my rather abject failure at hand-to-hand and the strange day I had.

"I missed you,” Luca murmurs, dropping his head to nuzzle my neck a bit, planting a kiss or two there before loosening his grip so that I can turn in his arms, smiling up into his face.

"Missed you too, handsome," I say,

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reaching up to tuck a strand of his glossy hair back behind his ear, taking in the contours of his gorgeous face. I mean, I know that Faiza teased me today about may harem, and she's right that all of my coffected boys make a handsome group. But out of all of them? Luca for sure has the prettiest face.

His face bursts into a dimpled smile as he senses the direction of my thoughts, and I blush a bit to be caught up in them.

“So," I say, moving on from those thoughts and lacing my fingers behind Luca's neck and nodding towards Blaze's closed door. "Was he right? Do you want to talk to me?"

"I do,” Luca says with a sigh, looking around. "Though, do you want to practice first? I don't want to take away from your education.”

"No, Blaze is right," I say, dropping my arms and taking Luca's hand, tugging him with me as I settle cross-legged on the ground. "I'm going to be any good today - too. distracted. And even more so now that thear you have something to say." Luca comes with me sitting the same way across from me, our knees touching.