Page 57

Despite my admiration for the efforts of my Second, I couldn’t help but pay closer attention to the quickness in which Cecelia perfected his moves. With my hiding in the shadows and Cece unknowing, I knew she would allow herself the space to be vulnerable in front of Warren. She let her guard down around him in a way she hadn’t with me, and that vulnerability made her more focused. I watched as her reaction times became more and more spot on, and nodded in pride as she raised an arm to an open palmed offensive move he’d tossed her way. Although it was slower than the average speed of a vampire, it was still an impressive feat to watch. I chuckled under my breath as Cece grumbled at him and punched him lightheartedly on the shoulder. It wasn’t justherthat had a gleam in her eyes, it was Warren, too.

Friendships were too hard for me in this life, so I was happy he’d found someone worthy of his.

She was quick on her feet, her close association with me and frequent interactions with other Known working in her favor. She already knew how I moved, and I’d become less careful around her, moving about as I would around any other vampire. Her instincts and reaction time was strong enough to cause a lift in my lips to a tight smile. It would not be enough to fully incapacitate Narcissa, but it was a start.

It was when she had a stake in her hand that everything in my stomach curled in on itself, the smile disappearing as fast as it had appeared.

They’d left for a moment, escaping the courtyard. I thought their departure had meant Warren was finished torturing Cecelia, and so I stood from my crouched stance and readied myself to walk away…until they returned. I watched in disbelief as Cece walked back out into the garden with several stakes of various sizes, colors, and shapes. My eyes widened in obvious concern.

I had no doubt Warren knew exactly what to do with those, but giving them toher? The sight made me squirm. She looked so natural with it in her hands, her fingers wrapping around the wood and twirling it about with fine precision. She was as clean as a trained vampire hunter, and the vision made me viscerally sick to my stomach. Warren was less worried than I was, correcting her posture and manipulating her body to perform the movements perfectly. I’d imagined it was me at the end of those swings, and the thought made me so uncomfortable that I’d remembered why I was so against the session to begin with.

“Throw it, harder!” He scowled at her, dancing around in a small circle as she tossed the stake halfheartedly in his direction. The wooden spike landed on the ground sadly.

"I can't!" Cecelia complained, while my lips pursed in consideration.

"You will not hurt me," he promised, picking up the stake and walking it back to her, placing it in her already outstretched hand. I bristled at the way her tiny hands swallowed it. "Again.” he ordered. Cecelia nodded, more determination in her gaze as she watched Warren drop down into a crouch. He stalked her and she traced his every movement, dancing together in the garden. Every instinct told me to launch in front of her, but I resisted. Warren would not hurt her, and if he did, I would not hesitate to snap his neck.

"You will aim for the heart," Warren reminded her, continuing to circle. He crossed his hand in an ‘X’ motion across the left side of his chest. Cecelia's arm lifted behind her head in anticipation. My eyes scanned the stake, taking note of the slight waver in her hand as if she didn't want to make a move against Warren at all.

You are going to need to be more sure of yourself, I screamed at her from the pits of my mind. She didn't hear me, of course, and her arm continued to shake as Warren approached her. With a predatory grin, he feigned a lunge, causing Cece to scream while she threw the sharpened wood at his chest. My heart dropped to the floor, even knowing Warren could easily sidestep out of the way. Watching them train would very easily be the death of me, not Narcissa, or Carlisle.

"Not fast enough," Warren chided again. Cecelia looked at him sheepishly, shrugging her shoulders.

"It's hard when I don't want to hurt you," she reminded him. Warren's frown deepened.

"Mercy must have done a number on you," he mocked in disappointment, "You must always fear a vampire. You must always want tohurta vampire. It is the only way to make sure you are kept safe."

She thought about that for a moment, taking her time to gather the stake from its place limp on the ground. Warren dropped into another crouch when she retained her stance.

"Again."

The dance continued for another twenty minutes. My skin was on fire now, blistering itself. I could only imagine the pain Warren had to have been in. Even still he persisted, restarting Cecelia time and time again, until her exhaustion was flaring her own anger.

"I'm done!" She screamed after a particularly slow attempt that ended in Warren's nails poised at her throat. He dropped his hands, panting.

"You are not!" He yowled back at her.

"You're going to die out here," she said more seriously, fear coating her as she took in the extent of his injuries from the sun. Warren looked down, and shrugged it off.

"The longer you keep me here, the more likely I am to die," he said, an addictive glee marking his tone. I hoped Cecelia would take his threat seriously, I was worried he'd pass out by now, too.

I moved myself quietly through the brush until I found a shadier location under one of the many trees circling the garden. I licked my palm, rubbing saliva on multiple blisters, the coolness relieving the burn almost immediately.

"Come on now, Queenie," he teased, "You don't want me to die now, do you?"

"You say to the girl you're training to stake vampires."

"I love the adrenaline rush. Go again."

This time Cece's frustrations focused her. She dropped into the now familiar offensive, eyes following Warren like a hawk. Instead of reacting to his movements as she had been, I saw a shift in her strategy. Cecelia was familiar with Warren now, knew his moves, and I watched as her brain anticipated his next step.

She threw the stake as hard as she could just a few feet from where he was standing, and I watched as it flew through the air. I heard his yelp of surprise, and the audible ‘thud’ as he was caught mid sprint in the direct spot Cece had thrown her stake. She hit her mark. I jumped out from hiding, worry clouding my features. My presence shocked the both of them, and Cece’s face went pale when she saw the fear streaked across mine. I sprinted to her side to caress her face, to shield it from what she'd done before I realized she hadn't pierced him at all.

Warren had the stake pointed to the right side of his chest. The tip poked threateningly at his t-shirt, his hands torn apart from splinters. But his grip held firm, and no vampires were dead.

He was grinning like a maniac.

"Good girl," he beamed.