Caught Between Them

The morning sun peeked through the trees, casting dappled light on the training grounds. My body still ached from the previous day’s battle, but the lingering unease about Sage gnawed at me far worse than any bruise. I clenched my fists, determination hardening my resolve. I wouldn’t let her scare me.

As I approached the clearing, I saw Brock and Sage already locked in a training session. Sage, clad in a sleek black training outfit that hugged her curves a little too revealingly for my taste, moved with a grace that belied her ferocious fighting style. Brock, ever the patient instructor, was guiding her through a series of sword techniques.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“There you go,” Brock chuckled as Sage parried a blow. “See? You’re getting the hang of it.”

Sage flashed him a dazzling smile, one that sent a shiver down my spine for reasons completely unrelated to the cool morning air. “Thanks to your amazing teaching skills, of course,” she said, her voice dripping with a sweetness that made me want to gag.

My arrival must have caught their attention because Brock turned, his gaze landing on me. “Hey, Amelia,” he said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “Feeling better today?”

I nodded, trying to ignore the way my stomach did a little flip-flop. “Much better. Ready to get back at it.”

We began our own warm-up exercises, the clang of practice swords against wooden shields creating a rhythmic counterpoint to the chirping of the morning birds. Every so often, I’d steal a glance at Sage. She was a constant motion, her movements fluid and efficient, her eyes glinting with a focus that bordered on obsession.

Then, as if sensing my scrutiny, she turned towards me, a sly smile playing on her lips. “Hey, Amelia,” she called out, her voice laced with a faux-casualness that set my teeth on edge. “You know, Brock here is an amazing fighter. Do you… happen to have a girlfriend?”

The question hung in the air, heavy with a veiled hostility. I didn’t miss the way Brock’s jaw clenched for a fleeting moment before he answered.

“Yeah,” he said, his voice gruff. “There’s someone.”

Sage’s smile faltered for a second, just a flicker before it returned, though it lacked its earlier warmth. “Oh,” she said, her voice flat. “Lucky her.” The last two words were barely a whisper, laced with an undercurrent of something dark and dangerous.

I met Brock’s gaze, a silent exchange of confirmation passing between us. He wasn’t oblivious to Sage’s veiled threat, but he wasn’t going to be intimidated either.

“Just focus on your training, Sage,” he said, his voice firm. “Leave personal lives out of it.”

Sage bowed her head slightly in acknowledgement, but I saw the spark of defiance flickering in her eyes. This wasn’t over, not by a long shot. The battle lines had been drawn, and I had a feeling the war for Brock’s trust, and maybe even more, had just begun.

I suppressed a triumphant smile. Maybe Brock did have a soft spot for the newcomer, but that soft spot was clearly hardening. And with each passing day, I was determined to make sure it stayed that way.

The morning sun peeked through the trees, casting dappled light on the training grounds. My body still ached from the previous day’s battle, but the lingering unease about Sage gnawed at me far worse than any bruise. I clenched my fists, determination hardening my resolve. I wouldn’t let her scare me.

As I approached the clearing, I saw Brock and Sage already locked in a training session. Sage, clad in a sleek black training outfit that hugged her curves a little too revealingly for my taste, moved with a grace that belied her ferocious fighting style. Brock, ever the patient instructor, was guiding her through a series of sword techniques.

“There you go,” Brock chuckled as Sage parried a blow. “See? You’re getting the hang of it.”

Sage flashed him a dazzling smile, one that sent a shiver down my spine for reasons completely unrelated to the cool morning air. “Thanks to your amazing teaching skills, of course,” she said, her voice dripping with a sweetness that made me want to gag.

My arrival must have caught their attention because Brock turned, his gaze landing on me. “Hey, Amelia,” he said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “Feeling better today?”

I nodded, trying to ignore the way my stomach did a little flip-flop. “Much better. Ready to get back at it.”

We began our own warm-up exercises, the clang of practice swords against wooden shields creating a rhythmic counterpoint to the chirping of the morning birds. Every so often, I’d steal a glance at Sage. She was a constant motion, her movements fluid and efficient, her eyes glinting with a focus that bordered on obsession.

Then, as if sensing my scrutiny, she turned towards me, a sly smile playing on her lips. “Hey, Amelia,” she called out, her voice laced with a faux-casualness that set my teeth on edge. “You know, Brock here is an amazing fighter. Do you… happen to have a girlfriend?”

The question hung in the air, heavy with a veiled hostility. I didn’t miss the way Brock’s jaw clenched for a fleeting moment before he answered.

“Yeah,” he said, his voice gruff. “There’s someone.”

Sage’s smile faltered for a second, just a flicker before it returned, though it lacked its earlier warmth. “Oh,” she said, her voice flat. “Lucky her.” The last two words were barely a whisper, laced with an undercurrent of something dark and dangerous.

I met Brock’s gaze, a silent exchange of confirmation passing between us. He wasn’t oblivious to Sage’s veiled threat, but he wasn’t going to be intimidated either.

“Just focus on your training, Sage,” he said, his voice firm. “Leave personal lives out of it.”

Sage bowed her head slightly in acknowledgement, but I saw the spark of defiance flickering in her eyes. This wasn’t over, not by a long shot. The battle lines had been drawn, and I had a feeling the war for Brock’s trust, and maybe even more, had just begun.

I suppressed a triumphant smile. Maybe Brock did have a soft spot for the newcomer, but that soft spot was clearly hardening. And with each passing day, I was determined to make sure it stayed that way.