“It’s a unique way of fighting, I suppose,” I say, tilting my head side to side as I process all the information and try to decipher more. “Why does Silas do that?”
“Do what?”
“He shifts a bit as Cassian strikes. It’s like he bobs and weaves, as if the strikes are hitting him, but they don’t. They’re subtle movements, easily missed if you aren’t paying attention.”
“He’s counting Cass’s punches with his body. He’s growing bored, ready to counteract Cassian’s moves and wrap this up. He knows exactly what to expect now, making this an easy win.”
“Why doesn’t he just fight? He already knows how predictable Cass is, he’ll win it, no questions asked. There’s no effort on his end.”
“That’s just the way Silas is, Lia. Boredom sets in pretty fast with him, if you couldn’t tell already.”
“You told me to watch, observe them and their moves… Silas isn’t doing shit.”
Almost as if he heard me, he delivers the final blow to Cassian’s stomach, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to call it quits. With a devilish smile on his face, Silas helps his brother up before wandering off to the gun range.
I watch as Silas takes aim. The bullet leaves the chamber, but no noise erupts through the room like I was bracing myself for.
“I thought guns made a loud noise?” My statement comes off as a question.
“Soundproofed room,” Cass says, walking towards us as if the dried blood that decorates his skin is there for show, and he wasn’t injured. “When we train, we don’t want gunshots to interrupt us.”
That’s smart. Nothing to disturb them.
“You did good,” Remi says. “You surpassed my expectations. What else have you got?”
“What else have you got to give me?” I counter.
He laughs, directing us to the shooting range. The moment we step foot inside, Silas rings up his target, yanking it off the clip it clings on and removing himself from the room.
“What’s up his ass?” I ask, scoffing as the door shuts behind him.
“He doesn’t like people,” Cass says with a shrug as he grabs a pair of protective headphones. “You might need these.” He places them on my head, offering me a flash of his sweet smile. Removing them, he places them around my neck. “I’ve got this, Remi. Let me show her what I’ve got.”
“Sure, I’ll be out there if you need me.”
With Remi gone, Cass follows for a second before revealing himself again, two magazines and a gun in hand.
“We can share. A magazine each,” he says, inserting the first one with a loud click. “Watch what I do, and mimic my moves, okay?” He gets ready, holding himself in a stern stance.
“Don’t you need some?” I ask, my hands finding their way to the headphones.
He shakes his head with a laugh escaping him. “In the outside world, you don’t have time to put that shit on, Lia. You eventually get used to it, but right now, you’ll need them.” He flashes me another charming smile, putting the headset back on my ears.
He feels like such a comfort here. In the last few minutes he’s made me feel more accepted than anyone else has in days—besides Kat and Elaina, of course. Already, he’s doing everything he can to make me feel accepted in some weird way.
His mouth begins to move and I slide the earpieces off. “Mimic my stance and my outstretched arms. Nothing more, nothing less.”
I nod, putting the earpieces back and doing as he asks. With my right foot less than a step in front of my left, I outstretch my arms and wait for him to shoot. As he does, I hear the bullet leaving its rightful place in the chamber, and a startle rocks through me.
I watch as his mouth moves, his words muffled, but he hands me the gun, insinuating it’s my turn.
Placing my hand out, he places the gun in it. His mouth moves again and I huff, removing the headset once more.
He laughs. “Take the old magazine out and replace it with this one.”
“How do I do that?” I ask, staring at the gun. “This is all so new to me. I don’t—”
He picks the gun back up and clicks a small button on the side, making the magazine drop into his hand before he clicks it back in place. “Now you try,” he says, placing it back in my hand.
