*Valka
*"Again."*
Sweat runs down my temples, my muscles burning with fatigue. To think he'd called this a honeymoon trip, when in truth, it's been nothing but torture in this past week.
We haven't heard back from any of the missives we sent and the restlessness to make a difference has driven me back here, again and again, even if it always leaves me so beat up, I can barely move from my bed the next day.
I run for the ledge and leap high in the air, managing to reach six feet high, missing the handle by three damned inches before falling hard against the training mat, nearly cracking my spine.
I remain there, arm arched over my eyes, and I feel more than see Lucien's figure looming above me as he hums pleasantly. "You're doing great--"
"Don't fucking patronize me."
"Someone's in a mood today," he croons and drops a water skin on my face, smiling knowingly when I catch it with lightning fast reflexes. "What's crawled up your ass this morning?"
"A bug named Lucien."
