“You know exactly what you called me,” I said. “It came out of your mouth.”
“Thirty laps now,” Paxton said. “And you won’t fight Demetra. I’ll give you Jack.”
I eyed the biggest guy in the class. He was like a year older than me. Judging from his size and muscles, I’d bet all my money that he ate, slept, and shit in the training room.
That jackal grinned at me malevolently.
He’d wanted to beat me up for a while, and a bigger villain had just granted his wish.
I pulled my lips back and flashed him a vicious grin as well.
“What weapons can we use?” I asked.
I was a weapon girl. Giving me a bow, a sword, a spear, anything, and I was golden. I’d found one that would give me the upper hand while I’d talked to Marie by the wall of weaponry.
“You won’t fight with a weapon,” Paxton said firmly. “The match will be hand-to-hand combat.”
My heart dropped to my stomach.
I’d never trained in fist fighting or wrestling. I didn’t like strangers touching me in any way, including in a street fight. Paxton must have known that I was good with weapons, so he’d stripped me of my advantage.
“If we have weapons, why would we want to use meaty fists?” I protested. “We aren’t going to win against demons by throwing a few meek punches here and there. It’s better to behead the demon fuckers with sharp blades. So I say Jackie and I go for a weapon match, unless he’s too chicken to lift a blade.”
The room hushed to complete silence.
What? They didn’t like me talking like a truck driver?
“Now you’re the instructor?” Paxton snarled. “One more word and you’ll be running forty laps.”
The clique sniggered, and Demetra giggled as she sent the Demigod of Sea a sultry, adoring gaze. But he wasn’t looking at her. He was too busy glaring at me.
The fighting ring formed quickly.
Nat went against George first. They were nearly the same height and build. Both good-natured guys threw a few punches at each other and delivered a variety of kicks.
No one got hurt, and then the fight was over.
Paxton waved them aside, calling it a tie.
I bit my lip, watching everyone’s moves as I calculated potential counterattacks against Jack. He was double my size, so I had to avoid any direct hits. I couldn’t allow him to pin me down either.
Once his dead weight was on me, I’d be done with.
Yelena charged Demetra as soon as they were both in the ring. After a few punches, they ended up grabbing each other’s hair. Demetra got the upper hand. She gave Yelena a black eye as she dragged my friend to the ground by her ponytail, shrieking in joy like a harpy the whole way.
Unable to watch quietly, I threw my friend an instruction. “Roll to your left and kick the nasty she-beast’s fucking teeth.”
But Yelena was too obsessed with making her foe bald to listen to advice. Cameron had to break them up after both girls kept tearing strands of hair from each other’s scalps.
And then it was my turn. I spared a remorseful glance at a wicked dagger hanging vertically on the wall.
That asshole Paxton wouldn’t cave. He wanted to see me fall more than anything. He didn’t allow me to have my boots on either, which I’d thought about using as a weapon at some point. The heels were hard, and with good aim, I could thrust them into Jack’s eyes to get him off my back if he ever got me in a bind.
I also stripped off the socks of different colors. I’d gotten plenty of snickers and giggles behind my back and to my face all morning.
Nat and Yelena glared at Jack because they dared not glare at the Demigod of Sea for the unfairness of the match. They were brave and loyal enough to stay friends with me and show me support. Others would have ditched me at the first sign of the demigod’s displeasure toward me.
Hadn’t Marie warned me not to talk to her?