Till Our Souls Wilt (Age Gap)

Chapter 33

Chapter 33

~We have two more chapters after this one! I will be posting them together when they're finished because making you wait for that last chapter would be torture.~

Althea's POV

"Arms up Thea!" Cain hounded as Levi came directly for my neck. I scuffed and hesitated before blocking him. Cain screamed at me the hardest of our two combat trainers. It irritated me but in some way drove me to push through my exhaustion, I blamed it on the rage I felt every time his voice seared my ears.

Levi wasn't as good of a fighter as me, but he was quick and calculated 100% of the time. He truly listened to the trainers, and had the endurance to never fall slow when exhaustion coursed through him. Everyone had their strengths and weaknesses here.

The past couple of weeks have been exhausting, I felt like I was constantly behind on sleep. Weekends were independent training days, but Brais never let me sleep in. He woke me at five for a run to the cliffs and back. It always took most the morning but only because he would sit in silence once we got there, enjoying the cold sea breeze while I complained about my fatigue. It wasn't until the sun would rise and glimmer it's rays through the sporadic clouds, lighting the sea, that I would finally feel the run was worth it.

I had a feeling Brais took these runs alone the first four summers he spent here. I suspected he took me with him out of fear of what might become me if I were to be alone in that camp for even a minute. He was dramatic, he and I both knew I could easily defend myself, yet he refused to believe that in his core. So instead I stayed a delicate flower that he dragged to the cliffs each Saturday and Sunday morning.

Some days I ate with Brais and his close friends, but others I would sit alone. Sometimes socializing felt too difficult on days Arlo would invade my mind. I've learned how to feel his emotions from this far away. He was a calm person most the time, but sometimes a small amount of rage would seep into me from him. I would always wonder what got him upset, then I'd remember that Jake is still staying with him. So Arlo's rage usually brought a smile to my face, picturing Jake say or do something that he knows would piss off Arlo made me feel closer to home.

"Good match." Levi smiled up at me, his dirty blonde hair was matted and sweaty. My hand was placed firmly on his chest when I pinned him. I nodded and helped him up.

"You're the only one here that can wear me out that quickly." I complimented through my panting. He chuckled.

"Well it's obviously not enough, you still pinned me." He nudged me before we hopped down from the stage. I was glad there was someone other than Brais that didn't look at me like I was a piece of meat. Levi had a lot of little sisters, and I'm assuming that's where his caring demeanor came from.

"Thea, you're working footwork and blocking tomorrow. Levi, you need to get out of your head, fighting isn't a math test." Cain informed us. I rolled my eyes at his grouchy tone and grabbed my sweater, heading back for lunch.

"The advice he gives me isn't helpful at all." Levi admitted once we made it to the woods. I chuckled. Cain was an asshole but he wasn't wrong. Levi was extremely calculated, there was a name for every move he made, he didn't lift a foot without intention.

"I think he means to say, let loose. Fight me with your body, not your head." I grinned up at him and knocked my knuckles on his skull. He laughed and gazed down at me with the purest smile.

"You've become really comfortable here." He stopped his walking. I halted too.

"Thanks to you and Brais." I finally looked over again, this time seeing that same intention in his eyes. He was bottled in his head as if he were thinking something through. I saw his gaze land on Arlo's mark. He opened his mouth to say something but our moment of intimate silence was abruptly interrupted.