"Go Wolborg," Tala's said.
Wolborg landed next to Cerberus and spinned against it with all its might. Tala didn't call the beast immediately, letting just the metal blade do the work.
"Come on Nikita! Do your magic!" Hilary called.
"Yes, call your beast and throw Wolborg out!" Tyson said.
Nikita nodded with a determined stare and mumbled something. Cerberus rose again but before she could do anything Tala smirked.
"Now Wolborg!"
The wolf jumped out of the beast and started sucking... Power. His beast sucked out a blue mist from Cerberus who howled in pain in return.
"What is he doi-" someone from the crowd spoke in a disturbed voice.
Yes he was sucking out power from Nikita and her bit beast. Taking away the power would be illegal and I am sure he wouldn't dare do that. However just knowing the exact power of Nikita would be a big reveal for the final match.
If Tala knew Nikita's power he would easily defeat her whenever they fought in a battle.
I gasped and turned back to Nikita. Her chest was heaving rapidly and her legs staggered.
"Ugh! You want power? Then you shall have it!" She yelled so loudly that it resonated within the gym. A few others flinched but no one moved a muscle.
She extended her arms forward like pushing something and the blue mist exploded like firework. Her knees buckled and her legs gave way. She collapsed on all fours, sweat dripping but power and strength still radiating from her.
I became aware that any more power loss might result in her losing her beast.
"Drigger knock out Tala!" Ray acted just when I was about to launch my blade.
The sudden interference broke Tala's concentration and the bond broke. He looked almost afraid of her. Her stare. Her mere existence.
"You are so-" he began.
"Powerful?" She offered with a bitter laugh. "Remember this Tala Ivanov. The actual match will be worse."
Tala turned away with his broken blade in hand and walked out urgently.
"Nikita!" Ray said. "Are you okay?"
"I can... I can talk and walk-" her voice slurred and she fell back down like a bag of bricks, out before hitting the floor.
"Yeah we saw that!" Max remarked as we all ran to her.
"Is someone going to help me pick her up?" Johnny asked from somewhere behind Kenny.
"Her head's bleeding!" Tyson squeaked.
Johnny lifted her and walked out. Glad those muscles were of some use. I always thought of him as the boy with anger issues, muscles and no wit.
I picked up her blade and left with my team.
The infirmary was set up all the way opposite from the gym, near the big gardens shaded by big flowery bushes. The evening was still young and warm, and the grass bed looked tempting as hell.
I kept her blade and launcher on the bedside table as the nurse calmly inserted an IV in her palm and taped it. How on earth was she being calm as blood spilled down her head? My own blood boiled as she cleaned her wound.
Come on you ass. She's bleeding.
Tala's image from last year came back to me. In the hospital, not responding, on a life support. It was my responsibility as his acquaintance to come meet him but even then it hadn't been easier.
My own fight with Brooklyn had been a bloody affair. I didn't want her going through it—
"Kai let's go. We can go somewhere cooler to relax for a while," Tyson said. He looped an arm around my shoulder, the mere touch irritating me.
Why wasn't he getting how severe things were?
"Yes Kai. Come on buddy." Ray smiled stepping aside.
"What about her?" Hilary voiced my opinion, looking only mildly concerned.
"It's just a small bruise. You all can go. She'll sleep for a few hours at most before we release her," the nurse said.
"Are you sure?" I asked. It surprised me but... What if her head was permanently damaged?
"Yeah. The bruise isn't even nasty and the IV is just the glucose she needs."
Tyson lead me out, arm still around my shoulder. My mind wandered back to her. She had a nice forehead... it shouldn't be cracked.
"To an early dinner we go?" Max asked.
"To an early dinner we go!" Tyson yelled in my ear. I jerked his arm away and faced him. What I spoke next was confusing even to me.
"I am going back to the suite," I said.
"Why?" Kenny adjusted his glasses and looked at me like I was telling a lie about the biggest treasures on Earth.
"None of your business." His shoulders dropped slightly as I walked in the garden leading towards the side of campus of our rooms.
I saw them walk away towards diner and waited until they were just the size of a doll. I ran a hand through my hair as they finally disappeared from my sight. I dropped on the grass easily, letting the tiredness consume me. Just when sleep was about to take over me her face swam back in vision. Oh gosh what was wrong with me? Remembering her every minute?!
I focused on my thoughts for the first time in days. It was time I finally gave my thoughts a good look. Championship was starting soon and I needed to be absolutely clear in my decisions.
She was pretty. I knew that. Hell, anyone with eyes would know that. She probably put a lot of effort in her skincare - it was flawless. Her body was... no one of that age should have such a body! She was easily putting Mariah to shame and that's saying something.
But I wasn't attracted to her, was I?
"You are not going to step a foot out of line!" My promise, the one I made to myself everyday - I wasn't going to break it. "Stay more cautious!!" My conscience scolded me.
Finally after a lot more thoughts, that I don't remember, I fall asleep.
***
The night darkness had spread around by the time I opened my eyes. However, it wasn't because of the time. It was because of a terrible burning all over my shoulders, arms, face and neck. I cussed and pulled up my arm to see it was red and slightly swollen. Bug bites!
The best thing that can happen to a paper pale person! I am sure I looked like a red chilli at the moment. I quickly sat upright and dusted my clothes, catching sight of the infirmary just nearby. I marched there with quick strides.
However, I came face to face with the nurse and Nikita immediately. She looked kind of hazy but a smile played on her plump lips as soon as she saw my arms and face. How bad was I looking? I remained expressionless as the nurse came to me and asked me to remove my jacket - and hopefully, not the shirt.
"Sit here, dear, I'll bring something!" The nurse fussed with a motherly concern.
I sat down opposite to Nikita while she stifled a laugh.
"How did this even happen?" She hollered with laughter once the nurse was gone.
"How do you think shit Sherlock?" I mumbled but I think she heard 'cause she laughed harder.
"It's so damn boring here, you know?" she spoke. I didn't answer, or look up, but she continued. "I woke up like half an hour ago and she won't let me leave for even a look outside!"
The nurse came back and started applying something on my arms and neck. She continued speaking through this too.
"Alice, let me go?"
"No you'll stay until I am done with you," the nurse said. She was smiling. Probably enjoying Nikita's chattering - a lot.
"Kai convince her, no?"
I chose to ignore her bantering but my focus returned to her face. Again.
The silky, purple hair - slightly knotted now - swung as she spoke. Her round cheeks moving and dimples accentuating, the black tattoo on her cheek coming and going out of view.
"You can sleep for an hour and then clean this before you go lad!" The nurse patted my back and went back to working on god knows what in a cabin.
"She doesn't understand! You know I can blade right now. Again!" She pumped her fist in air giving a cheeky smile while I lied on a bed.
"You can't even stand," I said. I raised an eyebrow to challenge her.
She glared at me with a hint of amusement and swung her legs. As soon as she walked more than two baby steps, she was swaying.
"See?"
"You're the worst!" She turned away with a pout. Ten minutes later she was speaking again. However, I didn't find myself getting agitated.
Alice, the nurse, gave us both a clean chit by the time it was about 10'O clock already. The dinner would be about finished by now. Her stomach rumbled - since no one has control like me - and she groaned.
"I am hungry! I didn't eat anything!" She stopped short and stomped her feet.
"So did I, but the cooks don't know this."
"Well, I am going out to eat then. I can't sleep on an empty stomach!" She pulled out a few crisp notes from her pockets and ran towards the gate.
I would have definitely not followed her if she didn't have a head injury, but well fate doesn't like me anyway.
We walked for about a kilometre until we found a place to eat. I tried to keep my eyes straight ahead not speaking, tried being the keyword here. She spoke about everything and anything that came to her mind. The team, who she preferred over whom, how she and Hilary watched a movie, her school life, why she loved flirting, what she was going to spend the deal money when she won it – everything in short. I nodded, adding a few rare comments here and there.
Finally a local sushi bar came in sight and I felt bad that our walk was cut short. Almost.
She perked up as the smell of grease, and spices wafted out.
"Anything is good right now!" she said and pulled my hand leading me in the bar.
She ordered smoked salmon while I stuck to normal sushi.
"Do you like Japanese food?" She asked as the silence grew awkward because the damned waiter couldn't hurry.
"I don't know." I said.
"Are you a foodie?"
"Hn." I shrugged only realising too late that my tone was too sullen because her smile dropped for a second. She quickly forced it back though.
We kept quiet until food came and when it did I quickly forced it in my mouth to stay silent. I didn't want to be caught staring. By her out of people.
Everything was fine until she had something to speak again. She grabbed my hands and the chopsticks fell.
"I just love food!" She spoke with a very Tyson-like expression. Her eyes lit up and smile widened as she spoke about all the international cuisines and desserts she had tried till now.
"I learned to cook a tiramisu in Italy and this dish I forgot the name—" Her smile kept growing wider as the night progressed, her round face becoming relaxed and her cheeks turning a reddish brown as the spices got to her. I suddenly started noticing all the small details about her today as we ate together.
Her spare hand kept getting entangled in her hair and she swung her legs on the chair. She kept touching her legs, arm and T shirt fabric in a... what someone would call... cute manner. Every time her hand found mine to grab my attention a tingle ran down my spine.
And that's the story of how I realised, near midnight, while sitting in a sushi bar that I was crushing on 'The Heart-breaker.'
Guess I was indeed attracted to her.