the butterfly effect | l. garmadon

forty-two

  I truly was confused. I pointed at Lloyd beside me, because, well, we were already in the middle of a lesson. "Him?"

  Dareth glanced at Lloyd and squinted thoughtfully. "Hm. I suppose he'll do."

  Lloyd's brows raised. "Thanks for your vote of confidence, Dareth."

  "Of course, Lloyd, anytime." He approached to grab his shoulders and squeezed them in intense camaraderie. "Us teachers need to help each other so our students may flourish like the beautiful doves they are destined to become."

  Like the beautiful doves? I could barely understand what he was trying to say. This workout had turned into exercising my brain instead of my body, and I was genuinely struggling to keep up. Dareth turned and patted me twice on the cheek.

  "It was good to meet you, young pupil," he said. "May you one day save the world as much as I."

  When Dareth left the dojo, I turned to Lloyd and sent him a baffled look. I had no idea what happened, no clue what ever had been inferred, but I hoped I'd see him again soon. Dareth was a fascinating person.

  Lloyd sighed with an exhaustion that one mortal man shouldn't bring upon him.

  "Just go along with him," Lloyd said. "It's what we all do. He's a family friend."

  "He's fun," I commented.

  "That's one word for him." Lloyd shook his head to recompose himself and nodded for me to join him on the mat. "Show me how much of the kata Kai taught you. My offer still stands." He kissed the tips of his fingers before blowing it toward me with a lazy-eyed grin.

  I followed him with a grumble and a flush of my cheeks. It was a miracle I could do anything around him without crumbling to the floor from how often he made my knees weak - but I would be holding him to the promise of kisses. I never joked about kisses.

  "Alright," Lloyd said as he handed me a wooden katana and I got into position before him. The dog began barking up chaos out in the garden. "Begin."

  I moved into the first position. "Did you come up with a name for the dog?"

  "Pay attention, princess." Lloyd moved my foot into the correct position with a nudge of his toe.

  Jesus. How was I supposed to focus when he called me that? Or any of his pet names? I had to focus twice as hard just to remember which order my arms swung to get into second position.

  "Kashu," Lloyd answered. "It means 'skilled singer.'" The dog let loose another string of yips and howls, and he snickered. "I thought it was appropriate."

  I smiled and moved into the next position. Lloyd straightened my sword arm and rotated my hips a smidge more. A drip of sweat running down from my temple tempted me into wiping it away, but I didn't dare move from my kata.

  "Kashu," I echoed. "I like it. It sounds like cashew." His coat was the colour of cashews, too.

  Lloyd grinned and adjusted me though my next few paces of kata, noting where I'd need to improve. The shakiness of my arms beneath the weight of the wooden sword didn't go ignored. General fitness and strength was the front runner.