Page 47 of Cut of the Dark Elf's Blade
He cocks his head, his smile wavering. “You just seem…out of it.”
It strikes me how odd it is that I don’t immediately want to tell Rhiucra what is going on. We’ve been close for so long, and all of a sudden, it feels like I don’t really know him. Is it all in my head?
Or am I letting someone put that distance between us?
“Will you teach me self-defense?”
I blink, stunned that the words just came out of me. I didn’t really think it through before I said it. Between Rhiucra’s warnings and my conflicted feelings about us being pushed apart, it should have been a fleeting thought.
But then I said it.
I’m about to take it back when a wide grin splits across Rhiucra’s face and guilt punches me straight through the gut. I don’t know why his excitement makes my skin crawl. When did I get so uncomfortable around him?
“I would love to.” And then something seems to occur to him and his lips curl down as his brow furthers. “Is there a reason you want to learn?” He takes a step forward, and my leg itches to edge back. I fight the impulse, though, not wanting Rhiucra to read into this more than he already is. “Didhedo something?”
“No!” Gods, I need to get control of myself. Trying to calm myself, I shake my head. “No, I just…thought it would be a good thing to learn.”
“Right.” Rhiucra’s eyes scan down my body, and I can see the disbelief written clearly on his face. “Let’s go.”
He turns on a heel, and I blink, waiting a few steps before darting after him. “We’re going now?”
He shrugs one shoulder, though the movement is a little too stiff. “Why not?”
My skin tingles as we step outside, and instantly, I know I’m being watched. My body heats, and it coils in my stomach. An idea forms in my head. “Yeah.” I grin. “Why not?”
* * *
“Watch your right foot,”Rhiucra says as he knocks it out from under me. I slam to the ground in a kneeling position, sweat dripping down my face.
This has not been fun or helpful. In fact, all I’ve gotten out of this lesson is the desire to kill Rhiucra. Too bad the dull sword in my hand would do nothing against the elf.
Even if I could hit him. Which I can’t.
“I’m. Trying,” I spit at him through gritted teeth. I push back up to my feet, gripping the handle tightly in my palm. “It’s a lot to learn!”
Rhiucra is grinning, which makes me want to take a swipe at him anyway. The blade is real, even if it’s not sharp, and I’d like to think I could do some damage.
“Here.” He props his sword against the wall. “You can get a lot of power from a good stance.” Rhiucra comes up behind me. “If you learn to move in one fluid motion, the rest of it will click into place.”
I’m a little surprised when his arms come around me. Rhiucra’s hand readjusts how I’m holding the sword, tucking my elbow in and shifting my hand up. “Oh,” I whisper, already feeling a difference.
“See?” I can see him grinning from the corner of my eye, but I’m not sure why. “You can swing a sword if you don’t know the proper stance.”
I nod, but I’m too focused on Rhiucra’s hand on my hip as he shifts it back. His foot taps my ankle, moving my stance, and his hand stays wrapped around my hip to help push me into place.
My throat constricts as Rhiucra’s palm moves across to my stomach, pressing lightly. “You should feel your center of balance here. You keep your feet right under you, not leaning too far forward where you can easily be thrown off.”
I nod, but I’m paying too much attention to how close he is to me. Is this normal? I want to think that Rhiucra is just trying to help, but I’m growing more and more uncomfortable as this lesson goes on.
Suddenly, my skin prickles, and I gulp at the familiar feeling. I know that I’m being watched, and there is no doubt in my mind that it is Luocre. I can only imagine what he must think with Rhiucra wrapped around my body.
The first time Luocre kissed me flashes through my mind.
“Who else have you said that to? Rhiucra?”
“Does he make you hot and needy? Do you think of him when you cum at night?”
I hadn’t thought about it since, but it’s clear now that Luocre was jealous of Rhiucra. He must have thought something had happened between me and his brother.