Tabula Rasa

Chapter 48

Calina crouched down, circling the opponent in front of her.

A kick came at her left flank but she rolled to the right, dodging the strike. She sprang back to her feet, her hands up in front of her face in a classic defensive pose. She darted away from another lunge, using her quick, agile grace to duck and dance away from the danger.

That's when her attacker started to get frustrated. Sloppy. The next punch was so telegraphed that Calina had time to follow up her side-step with a kick of her own. The top of her foot whacked the outer thigh of the woman opposite causing her to stumble back with a muttered oath. "Dammit, Calina."

Calina just shrugged.

Katya rubbed at her leg, and turned to complain to the other Widow doing stretches in the training room. "She's no fun to spar with."

Yelena raised her eyebrow. "And this is news to you? Its been like this since we were kids. She's too quick."

"You always managed to get some hits in," Katya reminded her.

So did Matt, Calina thought, before banishing the memory of the fun they'd had fighting together in Fogwell's. She didn't need a reminder of that place. And she was trying her best to push all thoughts of Matt to the deepest recesses of her mind.

Otherwise she'd curl up on the floor and start crying.

Which she couldn't afford to do right now. Not when they were so close to finally putting an end to Volkov's operation.

To keep her self sane, she'd suggested training to Katya...but it wasn't doing the trick. She needed a better opponent - someone who would keep her mind more engaged. Someone she always had a hard time besting.

She needed Yelena.

"I don't know," Calina said to Katya, goading the woman in the corner. "That was a long time ago. Maybe she's gone soft."

Yelena took the bait. She sprung up from the floor and strode over to the sparring area. "Be careful what you wish for."

Calina took up her defensive position again. "Bring it, shorty."

Katya sucked in a sharp breath. "You've done it now, Calina."

Calina just grinned. She knew what she was doing. Taunting Yelena about her height was a sure fire way to rile up the other woman and bring out her vicious side.

And that's just what she wanted.

Yelena launched herself at Calina, catching her around the waist and wrestling her to the ground, where she had her pinned in seconds.

Calina shook her head as she got to her feet. It was always the same with Yelena - no preamble, no easing in to a fight. Just straight to brutal offence.

Calina met Yelena's smirk with a wry smile. "Beginner's luck," she commented.

Yelena shook her head. "Nope. I'm just better than you."

The next round ended when Yelena tumbled to the floor after Calina sweeped her leg. "You were saying?" Calina taunted.

Yelena's glare signalled a change in the tone of the fight. Banter was replaced by steely-eyed focus. Punches that were pulled now landed with full force. It took all of Calina's concentration to dodge and evade Yelena's attacks...and she wasn't always successful.

There was a reason Yelena was their best fighter.

As Calina took another bruising tumble to the floor, she wondered if this was what she really wanted. Not the distraction from her thoughts, but the pain.