Kiss Me Deadly

Chapter Six

"Where are we going?" I ask Lailani as she pulls me through the confusing halls of the facility. She doesn't answer, but I didn't really expect her to. I'd asked that same question multiple times since we left Archer only to be answered by silence.

Archer. A blush creeps into my light cheeks as his name invokes a warm feeling in the pit of my stomach. I almost kissed him. I'd wanted to kiss him so badly and he'd wanted to kiss me too. Why would he want to kiss me? As far as he knows, I really could be here to take his powers, so why would he give me such a great opportunity to do so?

A new thought occurs to me; was he testing me? Trying to see if I was telling the truth about not wanting his powers? I frown. Yes, that must be it. Why else would a guy like Archer try to kiss a girl like me? He's too good to want my rotten soul. My frown deepens. The thought causes an uncomfortable tightening in my chest.

I shake my head to rid myself of the traitorous feelings those thoughts invoke.

Sighing heavily, I look up and find myself in a dark room. "Uh, Lailani?"

"Don't freak out, okay?" Her voice glides from the darkness, soft and hesitant. I can tell by the tone of her voice that's she's wringing her hands nervously.

I don't say anything, suspicion immediately setting in.

The lights flicker on, the drastic change in lighting momentarily blinding me. Once I blink the sight back into my eyes, I take a guarded look around, part of me expecting to be surrounded by werewolves again.

Instead of werewolves arresting for my crimes against the supernatural race, I find a small, padded arena lined with weapons surrounds me. Through a glass wall, I can see a large track with practice dummies sprawled about inside it. My eyes narrow when I realize where I am; a training room. It may be practically archaic compared to the training facilities at Grimm Have, but it's a training room all the same.

I turn to Lailani with a tight expression on my face, only to be met with wide, hopeful eyes. The look momentarily jars me from my irritation. Was there ever a time when I looked to innocent? Was there a time before my parents ruined me with their darkness that I actually had the courage to hope? Tears prick my eyes. I blink them away quickly, hating the weakness.

"No," I say to her unvoiced question," no way. Dax would never allow it and he already wants to feed me to the wolves."

If possible, her eyes get even wider. "He doesn't have to find out!" she says fervently, wringing her hands again in that nervously excited way she has.

I roll my eyes.

"What if he does?" I retort. If I do this, I could lose the closest place I've had to a home in a long time. As unfamiliar and vaguely unwelcoming as it is, I feel safer here than I've ever felt before. I can't give that up just to train some nice girl I barely know.

"We'll just have to be careful," Lailani says pleadingly. She bites her lip and bounces on the balls of her feet, the epitome of hope and innocence.

I just look at her. Am I really going to risk everything I've worked so hard to accomplish just to teach a girl I barely know how to fight? I purse my lips. It is incredibly dangerous for her not to know how to fight when she's living with not only the missing piece of Octavian's collection but his favorite weapon as well. If no one here will teach her, it would be cruel of me to deny her the tools to her safety.

"Please, Viridian?" her voice cuts through my reverie.

I break.

"Fine," I sigh in resignation, knowing with certainty that I'm going to regret this decision later, "but if I say we're done, we're done, okay?"