Blood Awakens (The Awakened Book 1) by Jessaca Willis

Author:Jessaca Willis [Willis, Jessaca]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Amazon
Published: 2019-06-25T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

Mara

The sharp smacks of wood colliding rung in the air, each blow vibrating down her apprentice’s untrained arms and softening her stance.

Mara could no longer count how many times she had instructed Graciela to keep her feet slightly farther than shoulder-width distance apart, knees bent, abs locked tight, eyes open.

“Again,” she told the shaky young woman.

Graciela’s gaze was pitiful and sorry. “I’m not sure how much more of this I can take. I can’t feel my elbows. I didn’t even know I had feeling in my elbows until I couldn’t feel them anymore.”

“If this were a real attack,” Mara said, “the person on my end of the stick would not relent. Ready your pole. Keep your back straight, shoulders down, eyes alert.”

Without further warning, Mara swung her pole at half speed, half strength.

Graciela raised hers just in time to deflect, but again her eyes blinked on impact, and she lost some ground.

Instead of parrying like she had been taught, Graciela stood there waiting for Mara’s next move. The newcomer didn’t have an offensive bone in her body. Not yet anyway, but she would once Mara was done with her. They just needed time.

Mara spun under the block and swiped her staff below Graciela’s feet. There was progress this time, because Graciela saw it in time to move, even if she looked about as graceful as someone running on hot coals.

Another swing hit Graciela across the flat of her back, arching her pelvis forward and almost making her fall to the ground. The inexperienced, yet determined woman latched onto her pole for support and propped herself back to her feet. Like an aged woman, she shifted to face her teacher, her attacker.

It baffled Mara to see someone with so much uncertainty and fear in their eyes. Most people, when hit, had a flash of rage or determination about them, a sudden change of demeanor driven by something primal inside of them. Not Graciela. She was about as menacing as a butterfly.

Resituating her grip, Mara held the pole with either hand and released a series of swift blows to either side of Graciela’s frame. Left, right. Left, right. The fury of taps were gentle but sharp, and Graciela tried tirelessly to block just one. Most hit her shoulders and sides, until the final blow thudded her thigh, a few centimeters above her knee.

She yelped through the pain and fell to a shin, all the while still death-gripping onto her weapon.

Mara gave her a moment to recollect herself. It was the least she could do for someone who had just spent a few weeks bed-ridden. In all actuality, Mara was impressed by her energy for that matter alone. Not many would be able to bounce back so well.

Gasping, Graciela finally forced herself back to her feet.

Butterfly or not, she didn’t give up, and that was something Mara could work with. “Okay. I think that’s enough for now.”

Graciela blew her lip out in relief.

“I want you to work on thinking about those countermoves I showed you.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.