Chapter 49:

After a little while, I was able to turn the conversation back towards them, actually helping me work on the remaining homework assignments. They were both happy to help me until I couldn't physically take it anymore, but luckily, by then, it was time to head to dinner anyway. 

After we ate, I started to get up to leave, but they both followed me out of the dining room and down the hall towards the gym. "What are you doing?" I asked, looking over my shoulder at them.

"Going to train, of course. We all have matches tomorrow, so Genie and I figured that getting a bit of extra training in wouldn't be a bad thing." Lexi just grinned at me as I raised an eyebrow at her. Yeah, because that's why they were following me to the gym, they were going to actually train, and not just watch Xavier and me. It is an open gym, though, so it's not like I could deny them.  

"Fine, just behave, please. I haven't actually been able to train with him for like two weeks now, and I really need it if I'm going to be able to do anything in challenges tomorrow." I warned, and they both giggled. 

"So we're not counting your sideways workout as training? I mean, you had to have broken a sweat at least, he seems like the type to work you over till you pass out, or am I wrong on that one?" I almost walked straight into the door at that comment before sighing as I shook my head. 

"No, it doesn't count as training, and yes, he does tend to have that effect," I answered before pushing the door to the gym open as she grinned at her victory. 

The gym was a little more full tonight, considering everyone had challenges tomorrow, but in the center of the pairs was Xavier, and one of the guards who generally watched the outer wall of the academy. I watched as Xavier raised one midnight eyebrow at the man, completely dropping his fighting stance with an exasperated sigh as the other man continued to circle him. 

We continued to watch as we moved into the room, leaning back against the wall so as not to disturb the pair of them. "Do you know what's going on there?" Genie leaned in against my shoulder as she asked, and I just shook my head. 

"Sometimes he's sparring when I come in here, but this doesn't look like a sparring match," I told them as I watched the pair. The guard was far too beat up for this to just be a sparring match, and Xavier wasn't focused in the slightest; he looked more annoyed than anything. He crossed his arms over his chest, tipping his head back to look up at the ceiling as he seemed to pray for patience, not even bothering to follow the guard as he circled behind him. I just grinned as I watched. No, this was no sparring session. Xavier was teaching this man a lesson for some reason, completely destroying any sense of dignity the guy had left as he treated him like he wasn't even a threat. 

"Are you just going to dance around or actually strike? I suggest that you make up your mind because I'll only warn you once. I'm not a patient man, especially when you're the one who started this. I wasn't the one stupid enough to attack someone when their back was turned and not expect repercussions from said action. Are you going to try that little move again, or did you learn the first time?" Xavier taunted the man, but I was instantly confused. What was he talking about? Why would one of the guards try to attack him? They're here to protect us and warn us of an incoming attack. Did this man really try to attack Xavier? 

"Did I just hear that right?" Lexi asked, and I just nodded. "But he's a guard, why would he want to attack Xavier of all people?" 

"I honestly don't know," I answered just as Xavier turned, pivoting in our direction with a precision that only he was capable of. That sharp emerald gaze instantly snapped to mine as he raised one eyebrow, quickly glancing between Lexi and Genie before the other man launched himself at Xavier, who promptly took the man down. Xavier pinned him to the mat in one quick, smooth move as he pulled a knife, probably from his thigh, considering I didn't see any other blades on his body, and held it to the man's throat. 

"I'm all out of time to play today, so what will it be?" Xavier crooned down at the man, who was trembling in fear, but went deathly still as Xavier's blade nicked the skin of his neck and a small trail of blood leaked down the sharp edge of the blade. 

"Fine, fine. I concede. You win." The man chanted out, pure fear lacing his tone as Xavier's knife pressed just a bit harder against him, causing blood to drip to the mats. It wasn't nearly enough to kill him, but it was enough to leave a lasting impression. 

"And?"

"And... and I was stupid to try to jump you." The man called frantically, stumbling over his words. 

"That's a good boy, now, why don't you go and spread that word to all of your little buddies that thought they could help you with that bright idea." Xavier's tone turned cold and mocking as he chided the man before pulling his knife away and standing up as he picked the man up by the back of his uniform before tossing him like he weighed nothing off the mats towards the door. "Now get out. I'm fucking busy." 

"Warm and cuddly." Lexi teased with a giggle before pulling Genie away with her to one of the open mats. 

I just rolled my eyes at her before walking up to Xavier. "What was that all about?" I asked quietly, but he was still watching the door, making sure the man actually left.

Once I heard the door close behind the man, Xavier finally looked down at me. "A group of guards thought it would be a good idea to try to attack me while I was outside earlier, and learned the hard way that it wasn't their brightest idea. Then I called for an immediate challenge, allowing them to choose their strongest fighter, and well, you saw how that one ended." 

"Why would they attack you in the first place, though?" I asked, trying to search those hard eyes for any sort of answer, but they weren't the soft emerald pools I had gotten used to lately. They had gone back to that sharp, steely gaze that was all but impossible to read anything from. 

He leaned into me then slightly, lowering his tone to something that no one else would hear around us. "The commander more than likely put them up to it. He's still pissed off at me for leaving my post, then killing one of his professors, and finally taking some time off to recover. He's never had the balls to do his own dirty work, so he likes to find more creative ways to make my life a living fucking hell. Either way, it's nothing I haven't handled before, so enough of that. What do you feel like you need the most work on?" He asked, glancing behind me to where Bane and Nova were getting up to leave. 

"Probably more hand-to-hand. I'm better with my swords than I am with straight hand-to-hand." He just gave me a slight nod before starting to put me through my paces. 

I had finally landed a hit on him when he grabbed me, wrapping his arm around my waist as he twisted both of us to the side suddenly and snatched the hilt of a dagger out of mid air. My breath caught in my lungs the second his power flared in agitation, causing every single hair on my body to stand on end as it tingled over my skin. "Go over with your friends for a minute, princess. I need to take care of something quick." He told me, but by how hard he was grinding his jaw, I was surprised that he hadn't cracked a tooth yet. My heart felt like it was halfway to hammering right out of my chest and landing on the floor at his feet as I quickly realized that if he hadn't moved me, I would have just died there. Taking a deep breath, I quickly followed his order, walking over to where Lexi and Genie were both sitting against the wall, gawking at him as he turned that barely contained violence towards the guy who had just thrown a fucking dagger at my head. 

"Did he actually just...?" Lexi questioned, but slowly trailed off as I sat down with them and nodded.

"Yeah, he sure did," I whispered. 

"How the fuck?" Lexi asked, but I just shrugged as we just continued to watch him approach the other man. He held the dagger out between them for a moment like he was going to just hand it back to the guy who just grinned smugly at my warrior. However, with one sharp flick of his wrist, Xavier quickly changed that expression as he flicked the dagger directly through the guy's foot. 

"You know, there's a damn good reason that we don't throw things in a busy area. You run the risk of getting people like me, who tend to not take very kindly to having a fucking dagger thrown at their back." Xavier chided as he slowly stalked forward. "Generally, I might have let it slide with just a strong warning, but I find myself not feeling very forgiving tonight." Then, in one smooth motion, he buried his fist directly into the guy's stomach. You could hear the air rush from his lungs, even from all the way across the room, as the guy hit the ground. 

"Yeah... You're definitely the only person alive that finds that not terrifying." Genie whispered to me as Xavier turned his back to the sputtering guy, completely dismissing him. 

"You should probably go get that checked before I decide to use your face to wipe up the mess you're making on the mats," Xavier called over his shoulder before simply walking back over towards me. He was very obviously annoyed, but his sharp gaze still softened just slightly when he caught my gaze. He nodded back towards the mat under his feet. "Let's go, Ari. You're not done yet." I couldn't help but to grin as I got up and headed over to finish our session.