Dark Empathy by Archibald Bradford (best books to read for women .txt) 📗

That concerned him, his brow furrowing as he puzzled over what could possibly unsettle the young Amazon warrior.

Since he held her heartstone in his hand, Escrya’s emotional landscape was laid bare to him, so without really intending to he quickly discovered her greatest fears, chief amongst them that he would do just that.

More than anything else in the world, she was afraid that he would never come to see her as she saw him, returning the love that burned in her chest and yearned for his touch.

And, much more insidiously, that he would accept her but never as anything more than a replacement for Kar, the Brael Amazon that died protecting him.

“As I said, I have no expectations, but you have yet to...” She trailed off as she took in the shocked look on his face.

Suddenly she did not look so composed.

It was plain to see that he had just discovered the one thing above all else that she hoped to keep from him, and she could not hide her mortification.

Her eyes narrowed and her jaw tightened as she held out her hand.

“Escrya, I would never-”

“This was a mistake. I shouldn’t have-” She gestured once with her fingers, her voice growing thick with emotions that he couldn’t help but share; “My heart, give it back to me, please.”

He pressed his hand into her palm, but did not release the stone. He could not, not with her in such pain.

Leaning in and looking up at her downturned face, he tried to meet her eyes with his.

“Escrya, you are not Kar! I have never thought of you that way.”

She turned away, her cheeks burning with shame and humiliation.

“Please let me go.” She whispered.

The agony inside of her was almost too much to bear, and he strongly considered holding on to her heartstone, if only to help her overcome it.

But it wasn’t his right, as much as the Amazons told him it was, so he released her stone into her hand and she left the room quickly, saying nothing more.

Still standing in naught but a towel Nameless sat on the bed with a heavy heart, trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

__________

While Nameless was sulking in their dorm room, two monsters were going head to head on the cold dirt floor in one of the many training salles at the academy.

The ground shook as Nina’s hammer fell, leaving a deep divot where Milly’s head had been a half second prior.

Her weapon was the reason that they were practicing in one of the salles that didn’t have a padded floor.

“Not bad! But you’re reacting too much!” The giant shouted as the Minotaur rolled into a tumble to escape; “Keep changing the pace. Force me to react to you! And don’t roll again: you’ve done that twice already so you have to know I’ll be ready for it!”

She lunged, but Milly couldn’t stop herself, her instinct said dodge and so she flung her torso towards the ground... and ended up flat on her belly with a giant’s foot resting in the small of her back.

Through the daze of her sudden take-down she heard Nina’s pointed words.

“Thought I told you not to do that?”

Milly’s eyes watered and she sneezed at a bit of dust tickling her nose, her face bouncing off the ground with force at of the involuntary movement.

“Ouch.” She said plaintively as she rubbed at her nose.

Her bond-sister chuckled as she helped her to her feet.

She handed Milly a water pail and waited as the parched girl drank deeply, only stopping when water poured over either side of her mouth and soaked down her front, making her flinch back as her nipples peaked from the sudden chill.

The salle wasn’t heated, the intense training usually more than enough to keep the occupants warm.

“Years ago, you just stood and took what I had to give, took what every girl in the arena dished out. Now look at you-” Nina dramatically wiped at her brow; “Making a Gigas work to kill you.”

Milly was somewhat distracted as she sought to get the wet fabric clear of her sensitive breasts, but Nina’s words made her sigh heavily.

“For days now all you’ve had me doing is dodge. I don’t understand how any of this helps me win against you, or Evadne.”

Her bond-sister’s eyes narrowed.

“Are you kidding? In what world do you think you can beat me?”

The Minotaur opened her mouth to protest, but Nina was on her again, this time bowling her over, the pail soaking her further before clattering away.

The Gigas ended up with her tiny feet on either side of Milly’s head, sitting on the cow’s wet breasts while she lay flat on her back.

“I’m not training you to win, I’m teaching you how not to lose. Big difference. If you can dodge my hammer, then maybe, maybe you can dodge whatever shit Evadne might throw at you. The fact is you can’t beat her, any more than you could beat me.”

“But I stabbed her!” Milly protested.

Nina nodded as she followed the cow’s logic through.

“And then she kicked the crap out of you. The moment that fight started it was simply a matter of time. She is too old, too experienced. Eight Amazons and a Valkyrie fought her and lost. A hive of Hornets fought her and lost.” Nina’s jaw tightened as she continued ruthlessly; “Kar fought her and lost. The Chimera is too powerful for you, any of you, to face.”

There was a long silence as Milly soaked in the hopeless words, feeling a sharp pain of remembrance at the death of her first combat instructor.

“Then why are we doing this?” Her voice was miserable.

Nina shifted on top of her, placing her hand on the