emanates from the darkness near the door. I can just make him out, a tall shadow breaking apart from the others and advancing towards me. âYour body,â he explains when he gets nearer, âyour body is your primary weapon. Focus on that. The rest will come.â
âHow do you propose I do that?â
âTraining,â he replies simply. âTomorrow I want you on the track field at 6.30.â
I return the Hanbo to the corner and run my hand longingly down the Bo staff.
âIt will come back to you, Rebecca.â Kwan is right beside me. âGive it time.â
âI donât have time! Kenneth Williams wants our community gone, he wonât stop until he destroys us all and eliminates the opposition.â
âHe wonât find us here any time soon,â he reassures me. âBut I donât believe that is the real reason you are in such a hurry.â
âI want him gone.â
âBecause of what he did to you?â
âYes!â
âRevenge is no way to win a war.â
âIâm not in the mood for your ancient philosophies right now, old friend.â I turn back to the Bo staff.
âYou are in a dark place, Rebecca. I can see it. I hear you told Jethro you intend to kill his brother.â
âHis brother almost killed me. Itâs nothing less than he deserves.â
âThat may be true,â he concedes, âbut did you consider the fact that Jethro may need some time to come to terms with it?â
âYouâre saying I should have softened the blow? Been more sensitive to his feelings?â
âYes.â
âYouâre not listening to me. I donât have time to tiptoe around everybodyâs feelings.â
âThat includes Reed and Aidan, Iâm guessing.â
âI donât want to talk about them.â
âOf course you donât. But tell me, Rebecca, how do you propose to win this war without Reed?â
âReed will fight. He believes in the cause.â
âHe believes in you ,â he corrects. âAs we all do. Without you, the Legion would fall apart. How can you expect them to follow you when they donât even like you?â
âWhoâs being insensitive now?â I raise my eyebrows.
âYou need to let go of your fear, only then will you make peace with what has happened. There is a darkness in you, Rebecca. It will fester and grow and, if you allow it to, it will consume you. Stop holding on to it or it will destroy everything you have worked for.â
âIâm not afraid. Are you going to help me or not?â
âTomorrow,â he sighs. âAt 6.30.â
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chapter 6
T he following morning I am waiting on the outdoor track field when Kwan arrives. Michael is with him.
âHi, Rebecca!â Michael calls, cheerful as ever. He is completely impervious to my grey mood.
âHey,â I raise my brows in question at Kwan.
âMichael trains track,â he replies nonchalantly. âAnd Iâm needed in the dojo. Youâre in good hands.â
âSo, shall we get to it?â Michael rubs his hands together to ward off the cold.
Twenty minutes later I want to scream with frustration. Michael is running circles around me, all the while keeping up a running commentary of encouragement. I am slow, far too slow. I could probably still outrun Jenna, and my natural fitness is resurfacing, but my abilities are nowhere to be seen. Michael has always challenged me, determined to best me in a race, but even he seems disappointed by the lack of competition.
âSo, you really took a knock, huh?â He runs his hands through his tousled blond hair and gives me the kind of look you reserve for someoneâs deathbed. I scowl, and he quickly rearranges his features into a carefree, goofy grin. âItâll come back, of course. I bet Iâll be eating your dust in no time. And you did really well, considering,â he adds