Eyes of Amber 13

Chapter 13

They had been going over different fighting techniques for the past week now and Amber had turned out to be a very fast learner. Picking up the moves after being shown once, and usually added some moves of her own in the process, surprising Michael and Gabriel, as well as herself.

“Ok, Amber you’re doing very well, but you just need to hold your hands a little higher when defending your face,” said Michael as he walked around Amber and better positioned her arms.
“Look like this,” he said as he struck the manikin with two jabs, a cross punch, and a bolo punch. “Now you try.”

Amber stepped forward and struck the manikin, two jabs to the head, a cross punch to the head, bolo punch to stomach, then a hook kick to the head using the heal of her foot spinning low getting ready to swipe the feet of the attacker.
“Stop their, Amber!” shouted Michael
“Why what’s up? What did I do wrong?” said Amber stopping herself before swooping the manikin and knocking it over.

“It’s not what you did wrong, It’s what you was about to do, that isn’t a real person, it’s a manikin and it’s attached to the floor you’ll break it, plus I didn’t show you them moves, where did they come from?” said Michael as he threw Amber a bottle of water.

“I don’t know, it just felt like that’s what I needed to do.” said Amber catching the bottle of water. “Like, I just know.” She said while getting ready to strike the manikin again.

“I think we’ve done enough damage to the poor old manikin today, Amber plus I want you to practice Tai Chi Chaun. It will help strengthen your mind as well as your body.” said Michael smiling at himself. She’s a fast learner thought Michael and she uses her instincts that’s good she will need that. Michael walked over to the weapons cabinet while Amber stood in the middle of the room moving slowly pushing the air around her meditating like he had showed her, she was focused. But how focused thought Michael as he opened the cabinet and picked up a dagger and threw it at Amber with as much force as he could.
Amber spun around quickly and caught the dagger midflight, instinctively sending it back in the direction it came from. Michael caught the dagger and placed it back in the cabinet.

“What the hell was that?” shouted Amber.

“A dagger!” replied Michael with a smirk on his face, “I needed to know if you could sense it.”
“You could have killed me, what the hell were you thinking!”

“I would not have done it if I didn’t think you could.”

“You threw a dagger at me! Shouldn’t you start by throwing something a little less likely to kill me the first time you try that, like I don’t know, a pillow maybe?”

“You caught it didn’t you? You’re alive and unharmed,” said Michael as he walked up to Amber making the first real eye contact that he’d made since the vampire attack over week ago.

“I would never do anything to harm you, Amber you must trust me,” said Michael as he touched Amber’s arms with his hands.
He didn’t know why but he had feelings that he could not explain for this person. His heart ached when he was apart from her, and he felt that he needed to touch her, to run his hands over her body, to comfort her when she was in pain and do whatever was in his power to make that pain go away, to protect her, to love her? Don’t be silly Michael thought to himself what would Amber want with a fallen Angel, it is not allowed anyway, it is forbidden.

Michael stepped backwards from Amber purposely avoiding her gaze.

“We will continue tomorrow, Amber. I am not feeling myself,” said Michael as he turned around picked up his long leather jacket, leaving the building. Amber’s skin burned where Michael had stroked her arms, she didn’t know why but she wanted to run after him. She missed his touch, burned for it, yearned for it. Yet he wouldn’t even make eye contact with her when they were together and the few times he did, he usually left like he just did, or looked the other way changing the subject.

“Where’s, Michael?” said Gabriel as she entered the training hall.

“Left about two minutes ago,” said Amber between gritted teeth as she began to square up to the manikin again, throwing two jabs to the head while grunting. Why did she feel so angry with Michael he hadn’t done anything wrong, he’d just touched her arm and made her burn like no guy she had ever met before made her feel! He was just giving her support. She told herself, because she was still discovering her own powers and strengths, nothing more, what would someone like Michael want with me anyway thought Amber, he’s tall good looking, all the right bits in all the right places, toned, kind, strong and an ex angel, and I’m what a twenty year old half angel half human who can’t hold down a job, has a piece of shit car and no money to my name, yea I can see the appeal thought Amber as she hit the manikin again with more force this time.

“Eemmm, he’s been doing that a lot lately, the disappearing act.”

“Thought he was always like that?” said Amber as she stopped jabbing the manikin and looked at Gabriel “The tall mysterious type!”
“Yeah that must be it,” Gabriel smiled.
“Well actually I kind of shouted at him for throwing a knife at me, well a dagger actually,” Amber confessed. “Then he left pretty much straight after,”
“I’d better go find him,” said Gabriel as she walked towards the main door.

“Don’t forget to lock it behind me, we don’t want any unexpected visitors, and remember,” began Gabriel before Amber cut her off

“To check through the slats! I know, Gabriel I’ll be fine you go, I’ll hold fort for a while.” Replied Amber as she returned to pummelling the manikin.

Gabriel stepped outside the building and waited until she heard Amber bolt the door before leaving to locate Michael. He had been acting strange since Amber had arrived. This wasn’t like Michael to leave and not tell anyone where he was going; it wasn’t like him at all. Plus, Gabriel didn’t know if Amber knew or not, but she and Michael could both read her thoughts and the fact that Amber had such strong feelings for Michael maybe hard for him to accept.
Gabriel stopped walking and sniffed the air, eyes widening she reached out with her mind, “Are, there you are” whispered Gabriel as she located him.

“What do you want, Gabriel?” said Michael as she sat next to him on the park bench.

“Just to see how you are, you don’t talk to me much these days, Michael and you seem troubled, you know what they say a problem shared is a problem halved.” said Gabriel while smiling.
Michael shuffled where he sat, not liking the way this conversation was going.

“I haven’t got a problem,” replied Michael as he looked in the opposite direction from where Gabriel was sitting.

“Oh no you haven’t got a problem, Michael plus I know what all this,” she said while looking Michael up and down and gesturing with her hand “is all about,”

“Oh yeah do you now, Jeremy Kyle!” Michael was being sarcastic. “And what exactly is this, all about?” he said mimicking her gesture.

“Amber, and the fact that she has feelings for you,” said Gabriel as she stared at Michael. “But that’s not the problem now is it? It’s the fact that you have feelings for her too?”
“Amber, doesn’t have feelings for me, Gabriel we both know that!” said Michael as he stared back at Gabriel. “That’s ridiculous; I think I would have picked that up from her thoughts. But yes I do feel something for, Amber, but nothing more that protection which was something that we both swore to her father we would do!” he growled.
“Yes she does, Michael; she practically screams it every time you are near her. How is it you’re not picking that up? Plus lying never was one of your strong points, especially not to another of your kind, so don’t start now!”
Gabriel stood up and stared down at Michael who was sat on a bench with an expression on his face like a child whom had been put on the naughty step for telling lies. “You’re only lying to yourself, Michael!” said Gabriel as she walked away from Michael, back towards the old church.
Michael sat on the bench thinking to himself, about his past about the present and even if he had a future. If Amber has feelings for me and is thinking about it why can’t I hear her thoughts? Thought Michael I haven’t heard her thoughts since the third day actually he thought as he stared around himself. How strange. He should be able to hear her thoughts, maybe she was getting stronger, maybe it was because she was getting stronger mentally, all those Tai chie exercises. That had to be the explanation she couldn’t have any real feelings for him, he wasn’t worth it. He wasn’t worth anything in fact. He was worthless, and after what he had done all those years ago he was soulless as well, and so was Gabriel thanks to him. He didn’t deserve happiness or love or anyone to feel anything for him. He didn’t want it any of it, didn’t need it, he had done just fine all these centuries, and he deserved no better than the life that he had. Hell he should be glad he had a life at all.