2020, August 5th
(Imperium, Warlanda)
AIDEN
"No one likes a show off, Kei," I complained.
I was already at the end of my rope. My mind kept looking for reasons not to keep enduring the torture. Just when I started getting comfortable, she upped the ante. She did it so seamlessly, I just wanted to grab her and kiss her out of frustration.
"It's called multitasking. I'd be super bored playing swords with you if that's the only thing I was doing."
Keira was seated on a chair. She flipped the page of the manga in one of her hands while lazily holding off my rookie sword attacks with the other.
"What she means is you're improving," said Nathan, coming up behind her, swiping the sword out of her hand and striking up his own sword fight with me.
"Sure as shit doesn't feel like it," I said with a grin, willing myself to keep my eyes open to defend against Nathan's malicious attacks.
He swung his sword expertly through the air, as though it were my penance for fucking his sister.
"No really, you are. It takes her a lot longer to turn the page these days. All the… research is paying off," said Flynn, taking the spot next to Keira to watch Nathan be a show off.
Keira closed the manga and gave Flynn and Cameron the stink eye.
"If I find so much as a scratch on him from all of your research—"
"Boys will be boys?" Cameron grimaced.
"Okay, time out," I panted, laying the sword down and dropping next to it. "Man, you're worse than her."
"She's way too nice to you," Nathan said with a grin, sheathing Keira's sword and handing it back to her before walking back to me to offer me a hand.
KEIRA
I watched Nathan and Aiden with affection. Contrary to appearances, Nathan didn't accept newcomers into the fold easily. Aiden was a rare exception. They got on like a house on fire. Nathan took Neil's passing the hardest, so it was good to see him take to the party like he used to. Nathan had finally found someone who could drink him under the table in Aiden, often making their budding bromance more trouble than I cared for. Nevertheless, it warmed my heart.
The last few days had passed by so idly and peacefully that it was difficult to believe I was really back home. With the exception of Grayson, the house seemed to come to life for Aiden. It was probably his naiveté about what we did here that drew people to him, but that didn't matter. He was safe from Kate and that was all I cared about.
AIDEN
"Think she'll let up if I win—"
Nathan chuckled like I was making a joke, while handing me a water before cracking one open for himself.
"Fine, last thirty seconds against you?"
Nathan gave me a skeptical look, then shrugged. Crazier things, right? I was the man that got to Killshot after all.
"Forget me, that's the guy to beat. House of Assassins' number four assassin, Grayson Hunter. Ranked number one for swordsmanship. Last thirty seconds against him and you can take anyone in a sword fight. Even Katie. Do that and maybe, maybe she'll let up a little."
We moved away from the people practising their swordsmanship and opted for hand to hand combat instead, where we were somewhat more evenly matched. Owing to Mary's insistence, I was skilled in several styles of fighting, making me light on my feet. I often gave Nathan a run for his money in hand to hand combat.
"Well that's not happening. Give that guy five seconds and half a rearson and he'll gladly behead me or run me through," I said with an eye roll.
I was distracted by watching Keira and Grayson, which made it likely that I was going to take a beating today. Nathan caught my wrist in one swift motion, twisted my arm behind my back, and swept his leg behind my knees. I hit the floor before I could even gasp. He pinned me beneath him as an act of mercy.
"Yeah, he really hates you, now more than ever. First you stole his girl and now his number three ranking for marksmanship. Dude's real competitive about those stats."
Keira Dormer wasn't anyone's girl, at least as far as she was concerned. She most certainly wasn't that to Grayson Hunter and she never would be. I tapped out absentmindedly as Keira took to light banter with Grayson before they started sparring.
They were striking swords. Grayson's hands were nowhere near her. She was completely focused on ripping him a new one and there was still too much happening there for my liking. She couldn't do this with me, not the way she did it with Grayson. There was never something that we didn't do well together. Until now.
"What stats?" I asked, a quiet fury creeping up inside me.
"Looks like the hate's mutual," Nathan said with a chuckle, giving up on the fighting and shaking his head as he got off of me.
NATHAN
Aiden had it really bad, maybe even worse than Grayson. The latter had been trying and failing to engage Keira's romantic attention since her engagement to Ethan fell through. Honestly, I was relieved. There was something off putting about Mr. Perfect. Grayson earned his number four spot through and through. He did our job better than me. Gray had zero chill though. Even his intended romantic attention towards Keira was methodical and stiff.
I was keeping a close eye on The Casanova of Caspira. As long as he kept looking at Keira and just her like that, Aiden was definitely a better choice for her than Grayson. She laughed, danced, even goofed off with Aiden.
He made her happy. It would even be okay if they somehow left all this shit behind for Aiden's world. He could give her the life Ethan was supposed to, the one she wanted. Maybe at least one of us could finally get out.