CHAPTER 20: DRILLS - R

REILIN

Mom told me to prepare for the chill of the École de Voyou’s gymnasium. The underground space, dedicated to gymnastics, climbing, and weapons training, did not disappoint. They kept it at a tit-pebbling chill. Pincering the tip of my tongue between my incisors, I cursed my choice of wardrobe and seated myself at the base of the bleachers. Things were quiet.

A few girls, upperclassmen dressed in skin-tight leather harnesses, took turns on the balance beam. Outside of that crew, I had the place to myself.

Moments prior in the locker-room, I’d corralled my freakish behind into one just like it. It bit close to my curves as I’d not yet broken its leather in.

I stripped my heels and began wrapping my ankles as cool air filled my chest. The sting across my bottom and the ache in my core still held.

Where she took me, crazy... I can’t believe she finished inside.

It was so good though, hidden in the clouds, taking every bit of her girl-cock. I could still feel her pulse, and my hips rocked on their own, wishing she’d appear, drag me to the locker room, and make me do filthy things.

What the fuck am I doing? Shut up.

My body didn’t want to; I was still so raw, wet, and inflamed. The scene played out in my head, wrapping her in my thighs atop a slatted bench, running my nails down her chest as she pumped into me.

Her thickness spreading me to my limits... Someone could stumble in on us as I’d pretend not to notice... milk her til she spills in me... again...

My nipples peaked against my harness’s soft interior, and I let myself savor the imagined sensation just a moment longer, grinding my spot against the bleacher’s corner edge.

You’re in public.

I bit the inside of my lip and snapped myself out of it. For now, I’d have to settle for hot and bothered until I found some time alone with her or Enchevet’s glassy throb. Ser’s was better.

My leash and Enchevet within it lay ready at my side.

Worthless bauble.

I set a palm to its handle and spoke her name. She hesitated, arriving before me as little more than a shimmer in the air. Her voice came like ringing glass, "Rei?"

The sight of her tripped me up, a reminder of worse events earlier in the morning.

"You embarrassed me this morning," I said and moved on, wrapping my other ankle. I was supposed to be better than that. Cechele, the jealous bitch, managed to get the drop on me, and that shouldn’t have happened. She used the same trick she’d pulled on Ser in their defi, turning my world black. Before I knew it, I was in the washroom, disarmed, having my face painted like some idiot.

Enchevet’s face peeked across the veil, glassy eyes downcast, "I know, sorry. I didn’t expect her to-"

"You’re a Carillon," I wouldn’t let her off the hook that easily, "Your purpose here is to detect trouble," I rose to meet her nose to nose, and she shirked, the gym beyond warping through her flesh.

What’s the point of a tangled-up wind-chime?

I set off toward the sparring dummies and whipped the leather cord against my thigh, setting my teeth at its sharp sting. She seeped back into its weave and the fibers tightened then snapped straight, crystal wind surrounding them in a stiletto’s shape.

As I walked, we ran through our drills, my wrist dipping and stretching to and fro in a series of eight defenses. They’d become more tic than forceful movement, something I did subconsciously.

"I was wrong to let my guard down," she said, each word running a shimmer along her length, "I won’t let that happen again."

"Haa-" I huffed and flung her at the dummy. Connecting, its copper shell hummed as she clattered to the gray marble floor. I hoped she felt that and understood my disappointment.

The hell were you doing anyway?

"Here," I extended an open palm and set the other to one of the dummy’s horizontal poles, shouldering into it. The thing whirred as it spun, gathering momentum. My leash rose from the floor and settled back in my hand.

"We had an agreement," I said, giving the dummy a third wind, then a fourth. Something tripped within it, and it held the pace with a rhythmic thud, thud, thud, "You’re supposed to protect me."

I’m not returning to that keep.

That was the deal. They thought this was a mistake, an unnecessary risk after recent events at home. I shut my eyes and ducked forward into the dummy’s whirling radius.

"Rei, hang on," Enchevet said as her caress rolled down my limbs. The sensation was akin to someone standing behind you, a soft breath brushing your skin. I shivered as the tingle brushed my leg, then hopped, cresting over a spinning arm. Right after, another caught me in the gut.

"Unh-" I fell flat on my ass, winded, a harsh sear blooming in my side.

"The hell was that?" I said and got back to my feet, refusing to open my eyes. Enchevet’s dull hum told me things were starting to sink in.

"You’re going to get this right, Chev."

I dipped back in and delivered a trio of strikes to the dummy’s side before another bar clipped my bicep, knocking me back outside its grasp.

This isn’t spite, I told myself. I had a damn good reason to put us through this. If things went south here, I’d be returning home, back to the keep.

A memory resurfaced as I continued my drills. Nestled in my bedsheets in the dark of night, I suddenly pulled awake. Something felt off. It took me too long to recognize the silhouette.

I tried to reassure myself. Plenty of girls had admirers, and Bloom’s halls were just as safe as the keep’s, probably more so. They understood the issue and had failsafes in place. My Dad’s men were ineffective; they’d already proven that.

Battered again by the dummy, I receded to catch my breath. Enchevet pleaded, "Rei, can we figure out the pattern first...", but I ignored her, intent on proving my point.

"Step it up," I said, throwing myself in again, with a duck, a hop, two strikes. Whack, it slapped into my chin, and I collapsed to the ground.

I felt sick, claimed by vertigo, "Fuck." I couldn’t take my mind off that looming shadow. It was more clinging dread than an actual person. They said I did the right thing, running for help, but it didn’t make the situation any better. The guards hadn’t found him.

Trying to get up, the floor tilted and pulled me back onto my hands and knees.

"Let’s take a break," Enchevet said and lit at my back, fingers gripping my shoulder and stroking the side of my head.

"I don’t have time for that." If another incident happened here, if I didn’t handle it myself, they’d call me home. They didn’t care that they couldn’t stop it, that he’d already shown up twice. They just wanted me close. I wanted him dead. I’d told him as much the second time, then screamed as he drew closer. When the guard posted at my door burst in, lantern in hand, no one was there.

That’s why I lost my nerve. When Cechele wrapped me in darkness, I should have fought back. Instead, I retreated. At first, I thought it was him, that he’d followed me, was brazen enough to nab me in the halls. It was too late when I realized that wasn’t the case. I’d already shut down, made myself numb to their actions. Then, it took me too long to get back up.

Wobbling, I pulled a foot back underneath me, and then the other. Those girls were staring.

"Damnit, Chev, what did I tell you?" I said, placing my palms to my knees and shaking my head.

We have to improve.

"Not to- not to baby you?" her hair tinkled as she rescinded, dangling in the air.

Right. I can’t keep playing the victim.

"So you do listen." I locked eyes with her, dared her to protest. She was supposed to be an edge. When she offered her help, I thought I had a solution.

"One purpose, Chev. You’re not going to make me look weak."

Right?

She hunched in on herself, scrunched her eyes shut, glass-beaded locks chiming in tumult.

Cut that out.

Again, I held out my open palm. "Chev?"

"Nnnn-" she shivered, her glass losing its shape.

Quit being so worthless!

Then she was gone. "Gahd-!" I snatched my leash from the floor and threw it against the wall.

One of the girls stepped towards me, brushing her hair over her shoulder.

I don’t need your shit right now.

"Are you okay?" she called.

They’re all going to think I’m batty.

My family already did, same with the guards. If he was real, he’d somehow breached their defenses and was reason enough to keep me at home. If he wasn’t, it was just a night terror, which meant I needed guidance. It was just another reason to keep me close.