Steel

Chapter 7

"How the hell do you expect me to go faster?" I snarled, panting as I wiped the beading sweat from my forehead with my forearm. 

Siena slicked her hair back with her hands and tightened her ponytail, panting as well but resuming her fighting stance. We'd been sparring for hours now, and Barachiel was critiquing both of us on our form and technique. It had pissed Siena off to no end, so he'd moved on to me. I couldn't say I was taking it much better. 

"You're being too reactive. You need to anticipate their next move and use that against them. Your reacting to them is slowing you down and prevents you from making any good shots," he replied, his burly arms folded across his chest. 

His glowing white wings were folded elegantly behind his back, the tips of the feathers trailing behind him as he walked around us in a circle. His wings were beautiful. I often caught myself admiring them. They were shaped like a hawk's- designed for speed and agility. He was a weapon if I ever saw one. 

Siena and I often received odd stares when Angels saw our wings. We stood out like outcasts. I didn't know if Grey felt the same way, as the most he'd communicated with me since our last conversation was a growl if I ever got too close to another male. I couldn't decide whether I found that endearing or if it pissed me off. 

The fact that my thoughts always seemed to wander in his direction when I should be thinking about something else- now that pissed me off. 

"I'm not psychic, Bar," I snapped coldly and he rolled his eyes. 

"Watch her micro-movements; how she shifts her weight when she's about to throw a punch or a kick and how her center of balance shifts in accordance with that. Once you start seeing that, you'll be faster," he explained, eyeing Siena. 

"So you're saying I'm giving away my moves?" She growled fiercely, her eyes blazing as she glared at Barachiel. 

He merely huffed and ran a hand through his fiery locks. "You both are taking these critiques too personally. Stand down," he motioned with a wave of his hand. 

He sauntered over to Siena and placed his hands on her shoulders. She narrowed her eyes at him in irritation and he patiently waited a moment for her to fizzle out. 

"You're throwing your punches from up here. You will get much more power if you throw from down here," he moved his hands down to the base of her shoulder blades. "Try to watch your footwork. Whenever you throw a right hook combo, you give it away by stepping first with your left foot and holding your balance higher than you should. You're good at anticipating moves, but once you decide on what you think they're doing, you eliminate all other possibilities and sometimes it gets you in a bind. Stay more open minded."

Barachiel removed his hands from her shoulders and walked over to me, his emerald eyes slowly rolling up my body. 

"You naturally have a higher center of balance than Siena, so you need to lower that by crouching down lower when you see her trying to throw you off. Watch her footwork, watch her balance, watch her eyes. Stop relying so heavily on your reflexes. You're an Angel. Start acting like it. You can sense her micro-movements. Hone your senses and use them. Also your left hook is weak in the follow through," Barachiel added with a wink and I grumbled in response. 

"I think I need a break. We've been at this for hours and this is the 8th day in a row I've spent sunrise to sunset at this damn training pitch. I just need-," I huffed, throwing my hands up in the air and resting them behind my head as I pressed my lips together anxiously. 

"You're fine, doll. I'll be here whenever you're ready to come back. Don't burn yourself out," Barachiel offered me a crooked smile. 

"Thanks," I nodded in gratitude as he turned back to Siena and began to demonstrate some new footwork for her combo hits.