Free Indignation by Celinda Santillan Page B

staircase. When he reaches the bottom he finds her in the middle of the room. Her hands hold multiple Kukri knives with the fire imprint. His eyes narrow as she is attacked by five stimulated dummies that are evidently electronic.
    She penetrates the heart of her frontier attacker as she kicks the one from behind, giving her time to turn around and decapitate him. The other three dummies move in on her, leaving her little space to move. Alyssa kicks one away and does a smooth roundhouse kick that stuns the dummies bodies. She runs to the other end of the room and steadily stands in a firm stance. She narrows her eyes as she throws Kukri after Kukri, making each blade puncture each dummy until it no longer moves.
    Julian balls his hands into fists. This is the woman he knows all too well. Then he expects to have mercy for a woman who prepares herself for a kill. This is what he should have noticed before. How her eyes would scan around each room, her eyes observing the smallest detail. She is calculating and very manipulative. He can tell by the way two of the Followers appraise her skill with the Kukris’. His eyes follow her every move as she walks over to the weaponry board and takes a Katana to battle with one of her appraisers. 
    “King Julian.” He turns toward the immortal. His black beard making him seem older than he really is. 
    “Jag.”
    “What do we owe the pleasure, my king?” He never understood the way the Followers still treated him as a king, even when their loyalty remains to Hades, The God’s brother.
    “Who is she?” He nods toward Alyssa. He needs to divert the man’s attention away from his real motives for being at The Jag.
    “That is the Proelia . She satisfies Hades.”
    Julian raises his eyebrow. They call her Proelia, meaning ‘battle’. “How does she satisfy Hades?”
    “She has no difficulty holding the cursed Katana.”
    “Explain.” He has no patience for the follower’s dramatic tone.
    “The Katana of Selene. It is blessed with her blood, but no mortal or immortal could touch it without being taken to the underworld, except her. The Proelia is the only one.”
    “I can see.” He notices how the follower, battling her, cowards away from the Katana. Of course she would be able to touch the Katana of Selene. She is what her past has brought.
    “My king.”
    He turns toward the follower. “Yes?”
    “Do you wish to send a message to Hades?”
    “Actually I do.” Julian right hand wraps around Jag’s throat in a fluid motion.  He strangles the follower five feet off the floor. “Tell Hades I’m one step closer.” He drops the follower on the floor, not bothering with the body that won’t move.
    He hides in the shadows of the corners, observing Alyssa’s movements. Hades is interested in her. They don’t know that the Proelia is his, and he doesn’t share.
     

Making the Dent
     
     
    “I want answers, Hans. Find them at once or you will have to deal with me, understand?” Julian threatens the lycanthrope through the phone.
    “I will personally find them, my king.”
    “Good. Now go pay Jag a visit. I have unfinished business with him that needs to be cleared by midnight.” He disconnects the call without further explanation.
    Julian isn’t a man of patience. He doesn’t like that Hades has his eyes set on Alyssa, and he doesn’t know the real reason why. It couldn’t be because she is able to hold the Katana of Selene without disappearing into the underworld. He is able to do the same. What does Hades really want from her?
    Julian’s hunger for answers ends when he sees Alyssa holding Brandon’s hand in a carefree manner. The love shows in her violet eyes that are covered by her hazel colored contacts. The students pass him with caution as he continues to stare at the entwined hands of her with that human. She’s shadowed by her own lies. She acts like the possibility to be normal is a reality that can be achieved. Her act is easy to see pass. He