Days bled into one another, each tick of the clock an excruciating reminder of her stalling. Watching the Princess was like observing a storm brewing behind glass - potent energy, yet curiously inactive. Athena's days were a monotonous routine of lethargic sword swings, her silver-furred companion trailing behind.
The princess's duel with Orion had been, to put it mildly, a lacklustre display. But gleaning any meaningful information from her required something more substantial than a single, poorly executed encounter. Callista clenched her jaw. Did this truly have to be her next move?
Their encounter in the changing room left her breathless and reeling. She was teetering on accepting Athena's offer, not for duty, but for something far more unsettling. Dmitri's lifeless face haunted her, a chilling reminder of the danger of these nocturnal desires.
Yet, enduring this daily charade, watching Athena go through the motions, was pure torture.
It was time to rip off the metaphorical bandaid.
Their eyes met briefly, a spark of something unreadable flickering in Athena's golden gaze before she swiftly turned to look at her werewolf. Callista's next action wasn't borne of frustration, but of a calculated gamble, a carefully constructed facade masking a churning mix of emotions.
"Princess Athena," she declared, her voice ringing with newfound resolve, "I challenge you to a duel."
Callista stood before Athena, a stark contrast in white shirt and short skirt. The princess, visibly surprised, glanced at Theo, whose silver eyes burned with annoyance. Callista, however, ignored him. His presence always inexplicably irritated her.
Except, she knew why.
The hunter wasn't one for drawn-out charades. This needed a decisive action, a way to shatter the emotional turmoil Athena evoked within her. A duel was necessary - a test not just of skill, but a potential key to their upcoming excursion, which Athena, they presumed, would be unwilling to miss.
Athena's laugh, soft yet tinged with confusion, echoed in the training hall. "A human challenging a vampire with superior strength and speed? Bold, wouldn't you say?"
"Don't underestimate me," Callista countered, her crimson gaze unwavering from Athena's amused golden eyes. The familiar flutter in her chest was ignored. "As a former fencing champion," she lied with a practised smile, "I might just hold my own."
A slow, predatory smile spread across Athena's face. Her golden eyes lingered on Callista's form before returning to meet her gaze. Her voice dropped to a husky whisper, sending shivers down Callista's spine. "Humanity versus vampire. Intriguing. But are you truly going to fight me in that... skimpy attire, Astra?"
Athena, clad in a long-sleeved white silk blouse and form-fitting leather pants, presented a picture of elegant control. In stark contrast, Callista stood defiantly, her black skirt skimming her thighs, mid-thigh stockings emphasising the toned length of her legs. The buttons of her shirt were strategically undone to hint at the smooth skin beneath.
Instead of blushing as intended, Callista's lips curved into a defiant smile. Her crimson eyes met Athena's darkened gaze head-on, unyielding. "Perhaps it evens the playing field, right, Princess?" she countered, her voice laced with unexpected confidence as she strode towards the arena, a wooden sword clutched in her hand.
Natalia, perched precariously on the edge of the bleachers, felt her jaw hit the floor. Callista, her roommate of all people, had gone rogue. Arguing with the princess on her first week was one thing, but challenging her to a duel? It bordered on suicidal.
Melissa, usually radiating haughtiness, landed beside her, disbelief etched on her face. "You kept the princess' true abilities under wraps? I thought this whole 'roommate' thing meant something!"
Natalia sighed, leaning back and scanning the rapidly filling seats. Rumours spread like wildfire here, thanks to the werewolves and their telepathic gossip sessions. "How was I supposed to know she'd pick a fight with Her Highness, the academy's undisputed swordmistress?"
Melissa's lips stretched into a predatory grin. "Care to wager? Hundred bucks she doesn't even last five minutes."
Natalia's stomach churned. Even five minutes seemed like an eternity for a human facing a vampire. Humans, after all, were the natural prey in this ecosystem.
A figure materialised beside them, the emerald eyes and smug smirk of Orion instantly setting Natalia's teeth on edge. "Astra versus the princess, huh? Interesting. Make that ten bucks on the underdog."
Natalia huffed, puffing out her cheeks like a disgruntled child. "Just because you managed to snag a win against Her Highness once, doesn't mean you can—"
"Sorry to burst your bubble, little birdy," Orion countered, her voice taking on a serious undertone, "but she wasn't entirely herself that day. When was the last time you saw the princess… sporting a hangover?"
Melissa jolted upright, her eyes wide. "Drunk? Her Highness was… drunk?"
A flicker of something unreadable crossed Orion's face before she schooled her expression into a mask of indifference. Her gaze darted towards the arena below.
The instructor's voice boomed through the arena, silencing the chatter and signalling the start of the duel. A hush fell over the crowd, broken only by the rasp of Callista's wooden sword scraping against the timber floor as she braced herself.
Across the arena, Princess Athena, stripped of her usual ethereal facade, stood poised and confident. Her golden eyes, devoid of their usual amusement, held a chilling glint. Leatherclad and lethal, she was a predator sizing up her prey.
Natalia squeezed her eyes shut, unable to watch further. Melissa's voice, laced with morbid curiosity, echoed in her ears, "Think, Red. Will she last five minutes?"
Opening her eyes, she met Callista's gaze across the arena. Doubt flickered there, but also a spark of defiance. A spark that ignited something long dormant within Natalia.
Maybe, just maybe, 'Astra' wouldn't be prey after all.
*****
Callista's amethyst pendant glimmered under the arena lights, catching a stray beam and reflecting it into Princess Athena's surprised eyes. The princess' playful demeanour had vanished, replaced by steely focus. The pendant, a temporary seal on Callista's true abilities, reduced her super speed and strength to human levels. This, as Indigo had insisted, was the challenge she craved.
Athena, a blur of motion thanks to her vampire speed, rained down attacks. Callista, fueled by adrenaline and honed instincts, kept up, her movements an impossible ballet of parries and dodges. Each strike sent tremors through her, pushing her back, but she held her ground. With a swift roll, she snagged another sword, the dual blades reinforcing her defense. One leg scraped the polished floor, anchoring her against the princess' relentless assault.
Then, a flicker in Athena's attack, a hint of frustration slowing her. Callista lunged for the princess' neck. But Athena vanished, a wisp of air whipping against Callista's throat. She spun, barely deflecting a strike that sang behind her back. The impact shattered her sword in half.
The audience gasped, their whispers morphing into awed silence. The initial disbelief melted into grudging respect for Callista's skill. A human, a mere girl, had been holding her own against the princess for ten minutes, defying every expectation.
Meanwhile, Athena's amusement had faded, replaced by a simmering frustration. She glanced at the audience, their enthralled gazes lingering on Callista with a mix of awe and... something more. Bets were exchanged with frantic whispers, the initial heavy odds on Athena shifting significantly.
The human was a distraction, a walking temptation in this academy, and now, with her sweat-slicked skin and battle-torn attire clinging to her curves, the temptation morphed into a carnal hunger that clawed at Athena's composure.
"Distracted, Princess?" Callista's voice, laced with a triumphant lilt, snapped Athena back to the fight. The human's sword pierced through Athena's defenses.
The princess barely deflected. The crowd erupted in gasps. A human, defying the odds, was matching the princess blow for blow. Natalia felt a spark of pride ignite within her, overshadowed by a gnawing worry. Melissa's bored facade cracked, replaced by a flicker of grudging respect as her gaze remained glued to the duel. Orion, ever the enigma, couldn't mask the twist of her lips – a mix of surprise and something deeper.
Pressing forward, Callista's attack was a flurry of graceful strikes, her movements blurring even with the limitations of the pendant. Athena snarled, her hand capturing the blade in one swift motion. With a flick of her wrist, it flew across the arena. Then, with a single, powerful movement, she pinned Callista to the floor, her hand clamping onto the human's wrists.
"Just playing with you, Astra," Athena purred, her voice laced with amusement as she straddled Callista.
The hunter gritted her teeth, her crimson eyes flashing defiance. "Playing dirty, are we?" she growled.
Athena leaned closer, her breath a warm whisper against Callista's ear. "Perhaps. But wouldn't want you to continue this little performance in such…revealing attire, would I?"
A victor's smirk played on Athena's lips as she lingered a touch too long, her fingers brushing fire against Callista's arm. The graze, a deliberate provocation veiled as amusement, sent a jolt through the hunter.
As Callista rose, a flicker of something akin to surprise crossed Athena's face. Their hips brushed, the cool leather of Athena's pants a stark contrast to the exposed skin of Callista's midriff. The thin fabric offered little resistance to the vampire's heat, which intensified with each shallow breath Callista dared to take. Their eyes locked, crimson meeting gold, pupils blown wide like moons in the dim arena.
The knowing glances began to flicker around the crowd, their eyes lingering on Callista and Athena, the unspoken tension now an open secret. A knowing grin stretched across Natalia's face. Melissa, a hint of respect replacing her disdain, let out a low chuckle. But Orion – her emerald gaze locked on the vampire princess – felt a growl rumble in her chest. Athena's reaction, a raw hunger that flickered across her face, was unlike anything Orion had ever witnessed. A hunger that was… passionate. And utterly out of reach.
The tension fractured as quickly as it flared. Athena, her face an unreadable mask, released Callista's shoulder and rose to her full height. She offered a hand, but Callista, her eyes burning with a fire that mirrored Athena's own, rose unaided. She turned, her fist clenched tight, a white-knuckled echo of the internal storm raging within. The playful duel, fueled by hidden agendas, had morphed into something far more potent, far more dangerous.