A week later

I was sparring with Guan in the training grounds, Chase and Dashi watching. Inhaling sharply, I twisted round and dodged his kick, my arms raised, fingers pressed together in a dagger of flesh, ready to either attack or defend.

"Hey, I'm back from vacation! Anyone missed me?"

A jade-green dragon with yellow scales descended from the skies and landed with a heavy thump on the training grounds. It proceeded to shrink to the size of a large lizard and raised its arms, waving wildly.

I took advantage Guan's distraction and grabbed his long black plait, twisting it round my hand and throwing him onto the floor. There was a i thunk /i as his face hit the ground. I hoped he broke a tooth.

The dragon winced. "That's some attack," it muttered, shuddering.

Guan got up. I was satisfied to see him nursing a bloodied nose. He threw me a dirty look.

"I should have known. You can't do anything unless you cheat." His voice sounded thicker than usual. "You're no better than the Heylin."

"You allowed yourself to become distracted," I countered. Internally I laughed. I am one of the Heylin!

"You okay?" Dashi asked Guan.

"I would be, if she leaves," he muttered, giving me yet another dirty look.

"This is some welcome," said the dragon.

"Sorry Dojo," Chase said apolegetically "You arrived at a bad time."

The dragon eyed me. "Who are you then?" he asked, curious.

"I'm Eva," I answered.

"The Dragon of the Earth," Chase added.

Dojo's eyes widdened. "Hey, you've got the whole set! You guys can go ahead and kick Wuya's butt now!" He punched a fist in the air.

"Wuya?" I murmured. The witch who destroyed my home, who changed my life forever... Yes, I owed her my gratitude for indirectly bringing me to the Heylin.

The novelty of living in any one place for any given time was wearing off. Staying at the temple also made me give up my habits. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't sleep every night.

Suddenly restless, I got off the mat that served as my bed. The others were deeply asleep. I glanced at Chase for a moment. With the silver moonlight that bathed him from the window, he looked more ghost than man.

We're too different,I realised. i He doesn't even know me, the real me underneath this goody two shoes facade. How would he react, if he knew who I truely am?

I went to the training fields with a soft sigh and picked up one of the practice staffs. The staff rose and fall in an impenatratable arc as I stilled my worries and frustrations into the rhythmic movement.

"What are you doing here?"

My calm mind immediately turned into a seething vortex at the sound of that voice.

"It's hardly any of your buisness, is it Guan?" I turned to face him, but he was gone.

Then the staff was pulled forcefully from my arms and something kicked me. I landed on the ground with a thump.

"So you're still sore about this morning?" I snapped. Before I could even make a move up, he pulled my wrists on top of my head and clamped them together with an iron grip.

"No," he panted. "It's not."

With his free hand, he begun tracing patterns on my forehead, my cheeks... And down my neck and abdomen, where he begun to untie the sash at my waist. I stopped struggling as I realised what he was doing.

"No," I breathed.

He chuckled. "Fire is passionate, after all. I fell for you the second I saw you, bloodstained and injured. You looked like a fragile doll then. I was afraid of my feelings, and hid them under a mask. When you said you would train at the temple... I wasn't sure how long my self-control would last... Even my martial arts skills began to slip... As I fell under the spell you cast... The desire to make you mine came... So long ago... It's a miracle my control lasted as long as it did..."

His flesh grew warmer, and his breaths came in quick bursts now. His eyes glowed in anticipation as he pulled off my blouse in sharp tugs and began to unwind the cloth I used to bind my chest.

No... No! I screamed mentally. My body seemed to have frozen in its place. I attempted to scream, but no sound came out.

"Guan?" The familiar voice was soft and uncertain. It was enough to pull me out of my reverie.

I kicked Guan in between the legs, aimed for the groin. It was enough to let him loosen his grip and I yanked his filthy hands off my body and threw him onto the temple wall. He slumped down, unconscious.

"What happened?" Chase demanded, eyes widening. He saw my opened blouse, the loose trailing cloth wrapped around my chest... I felt more naked than I had ever did in front of him then. A hiss escaped his mouth and I saw the hate cross his eyes as he glared at Guan's body.

"What did he do to you?" he snapped, his anger not directed at me.

"Nothing." I hastily tied my blouse together. I stopped when I saw the expression on his face, twisted with hate and rage.

Maybe we're not as different as I thought after all, I smirked.

You're not as good as you think, Chase Young.