The Claimed: Rashika's Resistance

Chapter 26: Dangerous

The second day of training brought noticeable improvement. Postures aligned, grips loosened, and footwork grew more precise. I also instructed with more confidence and focus, though heat stirred in my belly whenever I watched Izra too long and remembered some little moment from the night before.

However, two of the physically strongest fighters failed to improve. Jek blatantly ignored every suggestion I made, and Plu crumbled under even the slightest pressure.

    When dinner time arrived, boisterous chatter flooded the room. Navi demonstrated a new move he had learned for Alira, and Janafir and Jek followed Zander's direction to arrange the tables and chairs. I caught Plu sitting alone while Ru grabbed food, and I strode over to her table.

    "May I join you?"

    Plu offered a smile halfway to a wince. "Oh, hi, Epsa. Of course you can."

As I lowered myself onto the seat, Plu aggressively sawed at a chunk of tough meat, knife screeching against the plate. I lifted my gaze from her plate to her face.

"I'm guessing you know what I want to talk to you about."

She dropped her fork and knife. "I've always been this way, Epsa. It's not like some little pep talk can change me."

"Always been what way?" I asked.

She released a breath that deflated her shoulders. "A coward. Whenever I face something scary, I just run or hide. Just look at me with..." Her head tipped the direction of a table on the other side of the room.

I side-glanced the indicated table. Alira chatted with a few other middle-aged women and men, while Navi repeatedly attempted to stab a miscreant pea with his fork. He jutted his lower jaw forward and puffed out a breath that fluttered through the dark curls hanging over his eyes.

I raised my eyebrows at Plu. "You find him... scary?"

    She hunched low and whispered the words to her food. "Scary cute."

    I sighed. "Well, your personal life is your own choice, but in the training arena, I need you to step up. Lives may depend on you."

    Another plate rattled on the table, and Ru plopped into the seat beside Plu and glanced between us. Plu sifted her fork through her rice and bit her lip.

Ru narrowed her eyes at me. "Epsa, what's this about?"

"I'm trying to help Plu stand her ground. She can't keep backing down."

Ru hissed out a breath and ran her finger tips through the shaved hair at the sides of her head. "Different people have different strengths. We don't need every person here to fight."

"We might," I said, "And we definitely need Plu. She is one of the strongest here."

Before Ru could respond, Izra slipped into the chair beside me. I tried to ignore the way my body reacted to her proximity and focused on loading a fork with food.

Plu flashed Izra a bright smile. "Hello, Izra! Good to see you are eating tonight. I was worried when you both missed dinner yesterday."

Izra's eyes darted my way and then away. "Oh, we ate later in the bedroom." Then pink sponged her cheeks. "I mean, we brought food to the bedroom."

    I choked on my food.

Izra flicked a wrist. "Now, what were you saying before I came?" Her voice came out a little strangled. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

Ru huffed a breath and stabbed her fork into a chunk of meat. "Can we just change the topic? I think Plu has heard enough."

"No," Plu muttered, almost a sigh. "Epsa's right. I need to learn how to be brave." Her teeth trapped her lips once more, and her eyes fastened to Izra. "Izra, how do you do it? How are you never afraid?"