Chapter 19

The sun had only began to rise when Cam shook Luce awake. "Why do you people get up so early" She mumbled and rubbed her eyes from the light before sitting up and looking around. The cave was completely empty. No one was there except Cam and Luce.
"Where is everyone?!" Luce was suddenly panicked, had they all left her and Cam was the only one willing to stay?

Cam smiled "You worry too much. You heard what they said yesterday, they've split up to find the sceptre and orb. Molly's finding an area for us to train in today".
Luce sighed in relief, she really did worry too much. But after what's been happening she thought she was allowed to.

"Let's get going then, long day ahead of us" Cam said as he handed her some water and breakfast.

Luce had breakfast and used the water to wash her face and freshen up. Luckily her clothes weren't too dirty, and there was still another spare set in the bags. Molly arrived back with a location a short distance from the cave. It was veiled between the dusty orange mountains, and hidden from any roads or possible tourists exploring the area. Cam lifted his backpack for Molly to carry, before flying Luce to the training location.

Luce felt safe and happy in Cam's arms, wishing she could have stayed their longer. Slowly she reached out and touched Cam's golden wings, which she'd been so desperate to do for days. They were softer than anything she'd ever felt, and she could feel the power they had. Looking closer she could see small flecks of white which scattered through them, although they were mostly golden. He shivered with the pleasure and smiled at Luce, holding her tightly enjoying the moment. Luce couldn't help but think, 'im really falling for Cam'. As caring as Daniel was, Cam felt more than just a friend.

Cam enjoyed Luce touching his wings, he never let anyone else touch them, but he was getting closer to Luce in this lifetime than ever before. He felt more protective over her, and more caring.

When Cam reached the location Molly was leading them too, Luce stepped away from him trying to hide an obvious blush. Cam's lip turned up at the corners trying to hold in a smile at her. He walked over to a nearby dead tree, scorched by the sun like everything else, and pulled off 3 good sized, thick, wooden sticks. Making sure they were smooth with no sharp edges, and light enough for Luce to handle.

"Right, if the outcasts come, you'll need to use what's to hand. Today we'll use sticks" Cam handed her and Molly one.
Luce looked at it confused. "So what you want me to do? Hit you?".
"No. Defend yourself" Luce looked at Molly confused.
"First we'll teach you how to defend. Then we'll teach you how to attack" Molly sighed, already frustrated with Luce.

"I'll go first" Molly smiled walking up to Luce with a menacing look.
"Alright, Luce I'll tell you what to do" Cam walked over to a rock on the side and sat down lazily, twirling his stick in his hands.
Luce turned back to Molly who's wicked smile had grown. Before Luce could ask what she was meant to do, Molly had swung at Luce, missing her stomach by an inch.

"Molly!" Cam growled, sitting up straighter.
"What? You think the outcasts will go any easier!" Molly snapped back.
Luce gripped her stick tighter and swung towards Molly, who quickly ducked out the way and caught Luce's feet, yanking them back and making her fall flat on her front.
"Erghh..." Luce stood up and dusted herself off, but Molly had already started her next attack, hitting (quite hard) Luce in the back, completely knocking the wind out of her. Luce winced in pain, doubled over, and turned to Cam. "Thought you were meant to be helping me?"

Cam stopping glaring at Molly and started laughing at Luce "I will, I need to know what I'm working with first."
Before Luce could comment back Molly grabbed Luce's stick, twisting it out her hand and locking her arm behind her back.
"OW!" Luce shouted. This day was just going to get worse.
"Alright, you have the defence ability of a 5 year old" Molly smirked. Luce tried to struggle out her grabs but it was too tight, almost crushing her bones. Using her legs Molly pulled Luce's legs from underneath her causing her to fall flat on her face.

"Ok, that's enough! My turn" Cam growled and hopped off the rock and gave Luce a hand up. She could see a nice bruise starting to form where Molly had gripped her and sighed. Molly had walked over to where Cam had been and had a triumphant grin on her face.

"Don't worry, I'll be gentle" Cam gave her a cocky smile and nudged her with his stick.
"Ok...so first assess any possible weakness the outcasts have. They don't actually have any sight so..."
Luce put her hand up "Hang on, they can't see?!"
"They're completely blind, they see souls, and unfortunately they see yours shining bright. But they do move slower than most"
"You mean slower then you, I'm not an angel remember" Luce put her hands on her hips and turned to Molly as if to prove a point.
"Which is why we'll help you" Cam smiled.

Before Luce could ask any more questions Cam had jumped behind her, and tried to pull a similar move like Molly, taking hold on her stick. Luce reacted quickly and pulled it out of his reach, and turned round.

Unfortunately Cam's legs were already pulling hers out from under her, making her begin to fall. Shutting her eyes tight she waiting to roughly hit the floor again, but it never came.
Opening her eyes she saw Cam was holding onto her, stopping her from falling. "Told you I'd be gentle" He grinned.

The rest of the day was tiring and hard. Although Cam tried to be gentle, Luce still managed to get battered and bruised everywhere. Cam and Molly forgetting she wasn't an angel, she was weak and fragile compared to them.
At one point Molly hit her in the face, but Cam quickly grabbed her by her collar and held her up, threatening her if she did it again.
Molly went in a mood, but then again Molly always seemed to be in a mood. They only stopped to have lunch, before continuing. By the time they were done, the sun was starting to go down, and Luce had a nasty bruise appearing on the side of her face, arms, stomach, legs, everywhere!

"I think let's call it a day" Cam said, noticing Luce's battered appearance. He felt guilty, but she has to learn how to defend herself, and by the end of the day she'd made quite an improvement, only being caught out once or twice, especially with Molly's dirty moves.

Molly gathered their sticks and threw them under the burnt tree, before spreading her wings and flying back to the cave. Cam walked up to an exhausted Luce, she was breathing heavily and had a sheen of sweat across her forehead.
"Sorry if we were a bit rough".
"A bit rough?! You pulverised me!" Luce would have shouted if she wasn't so sore.
"But you got 100% better. Think of the positives" Cam tried to lighten her mood.
"Yeah I guess" Luce agreed reluctantly. She still liked Cam, but who wouldn't be a bit moody after an entire day of being beaten up.

"You'll sleep well tonight at least" Cam laughed, wrapping his arms around her waist. Luce gasped in pain as he pressed into a nasty bruise which was forming on her ribs.
"Crap! Sorry" Cam loosened his grip more. "You'll have to hang on firmly if you don't want me to hold onto you tight" Cam suggested.
Luce wrapped her hands around his back and squeezed as tight as she could.
"Haha, I'm still not going to let you fall though" Cam gave her a grin.

They returned back to the cave and all Luce wanted was her bed. After Cam had practically forced her to eat something, she collapsed on her blanket and shut her eyes instantly falling to sleep. Cam shuffled over and folded his hoodie, lifting her head gently he slid it under for her to use as a pillow.

"Think we went too far?" Cam used his thumb to stroke the bruise on Luce's face gently.
"Like I said, the outcasts aren't going to go gently on her are they? We held back as much as we could be. Least I was"
"That was you holding back?" Cam gave her a stern look.
"Well I'm not going to be doing what you did, catching her every time she tripped" Molly scoffed back at him. Cam quickly straightened his back.

"I mean I get that she's fragile and weak, but come on Cam! What are you doing?!" Molly looked at Cam.
"She may be weaker and fragile physically, but her mind's got potential. Look, she hasn't broken yet has she? After everything's that's happened!" Cam glared up at her. "And its different this time, she looks at me the way she usually looks at Grigori" His voice went softer near the end of the sentence. "Maybe him flipping her off at the start did put her off slightly" Cam continued stoking Luce's peaceful face, focusing on her lips.
Molly sighed before settling down on her blanket. "Yeah I've seen, I think everyone has. Even Daniel".

Cam felt guilty, Daniel was a good guy, but this lifetime maybe Luce wasn't destined to be with him. After all, this lifetime had changed. Lying down near Luce, he stared at the ceiling in the cave, using the torch for light. Slowly his eyes closed, resting would be best if they were training again tomorrow. Molly had also fallen into a light sleep at the opposite end of the cave.

Cam was half asleep when he heard a whooshing noise nearby, but mistook it as the wind outside. Then suddenly thought, the noise had been from within the cave. Snapping his eyes open, he quickly looked over and watched in horror as Luce was being pulled into an announcer, which had created itself near her.

"LUCE!" Cam screamed, diving for Luce and Molly snapped her eyes open and closely followed. They managed to follow Luce through the announcer, Cam gripping onto Luce's arm as she was just beginning to wake up.
They landed in the same place they had been training today. Luce quickly looked around and panicked, standing closer to Cam and Molly. Both had their wings out, ready for an ambush.