The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 517

I end each of my days with Blaze, who finally begins to teach me how to deliver a blow instead of just dodging them. Luca diligently comes along to all of Blaze’s lessons, sitting quietly and studying while I work with my instructor and, afterwards, allowing me to practice on him in his incredibly different style. It’s remarkably different, using the skills Blaze teaches me on a man nearly double my size and weight, but also very, very helpful. This, after all, will be my likely opponent if I ever get into a jam and need to use these skills – though Faiza has warned me to keep them as secret as I can. Apparently, my creampuff image will dissolve immediately if people sense that I can punch their lights out.

Tonight, Luca helps me practice an advance. He’s been instructed to block my blows but not deliver any of his own – just as I’ve been practicing with Blaze. My entire goal is to land a single blow anywhere on Luca’s body that’s not his hands and arms.

Unfortunately, Luca is crazy good. I snarl, frustrated, as my attempt fails for the eighth time.

“You’re cheating,” I scowl, crossing my arms as Luca grins at me.

“You want me to go easy on you?” he taunts, clearly pleased.

I sigh and shake my head, because obviously I don’t want that. “Come on,” I say, nodding back to the center of the room and heading in that direction. “Let’s start again.”

“You’re signaling your next blow too clearly,” Luca says, following me and setting up in his usual boxer’s stance. “I can see it coming from a mile away.”

“Yeah, well, my usual opponents aren’t going to be boxing champions, are they?”

“You never know,” he replies, his eyebrows going up. “Maybe you’ll meet that big guy from Atalaxia that I fought – he’s military too, after all. Then you’ll be glad I didn’t go easy on you.”

I snarl a little, still rankled by the fact that I can’t get anything by Luca and his long wingspan, his lightning-fast hands. “So, what do you recommend?”