Training time with Aisha

The rest of the week was a blur. At college, I spent time with Jen, Trish, Liam, Tyler, and Yumi, loving hanging out with my besties and boyfriend, and introducing Liam and Yumi properly to our group. I had a wonderful time at the soup kitchen, I loved feeling useful and helpful to others. And being with Tyler made it even more fun. The tutoring also went well, I got to know more about the quirky but studious teen I was helping with homework. And the other two cheer practices were as ecstatic as the first, it was such a thrill to be a cheerleader, and the captain of the team at that.

On Wednesday, I received a text from Mother, or well, Kate, asking me to come to a specific address on Saturday morning at 9 and to not be late. She also specified that I wear something sporty. I gathered from interrogating Yumi that it was the place where Aisha lived, and I really wondered why Mother was sending me to meet her all of a sudden. Yumi didn't want to say anything to not ‘spoil the surprise’, but she seemed amused as always.

It was now Saturday. I arrived at the place, another fancy house in the suburbs of the city. It was maybe a dozen blocks away from my parents’ manor, and while not as extravagant, it still screamed luxurious.

That's where Aisha lives? Did she choose this place on purpose because it was close to Mother?

I rang the bell, waiting a few minutes in front of the gates before spotting Aisha, dressed in a workout outfit consisting of tight yoga pants and a sports bra revealing a toned and fit body I couldn't deny finding sexy even if her skin was probably past her forties. She didn't seem much pleased seeing me, but she nonetheless opened the door.

“You're early,” she flatly said, not bothering to greet me.

I smiled. “Amber and I both dislike being late.”

She just huffed. “Follow me, Edward.”

I flinched hearing my former name. “Please don't use this name again. Just call me E, at least for now. I'm still thinking of another name to use.”

She observed me for a few seconds before speaking. “Alright, E. Come, don't waste any more of my time.”

I still didn't know what this meeting was all about, but I followed her inside the house. The entrance was nicely decorated, with a fancy carpet, paintings on the walls, and statues and flowers here and there on pedestals.

Crossing a vast living room, I saw a man sitting comfortably on a leather couch watching TV. “Is it the guest you informed me of, Nadia?” he asked in a posh British accent.

“Yes, Lionel. Please don't bother us,” Aisha replied, not even bothering to glance in his direction. “Since I assume you're gonna ask, he's my husband.”

“I see.”

She led me to a large room which had been turned into a gym. It had everything: weights, dummies, lifting bars, bikes, and even wooden swords and poles on a rack in the back.

Aisha turned to face me, crossing her arms. “Mother wants me to train you. Told me you almost died facing a hunter. She must have been quite sloppy if you're still alive.”

“Y-yeah. I got lucky. I only survived because she didn't know I was a skinwalker.”

It seemed to surprise Aisha. “She attacked without even knowing what you were?”

“I don't know how but she at least knew I wasn't human.”

“Strange. But it also proves my point. Attacking a monster without confirming its nature is reckless at best and suicidal at worst,” Aisha answered disdainfully before taking a fighting stance. “Anyway, show me what you got, E.”

Aisha appeared to be quite knowledgeable when it came to monster hunting and fighting. I might still not fully trust her, but Mother clearly did if she instructed her to train me. And if there's one thing I knew about Aisha, it was her utter devotion to Mother.

She was waiting for me to make the first move, so I obliged, rushing towards her before bobbing and weaving while trying to go for an uppercut. She easily dodged, grabbing my arm and twisting it, slamming me into the ground. Her knee was pressing hard against my back and my arm was hurting.

“Sloppy. This might work against common bullies, but a trained human wouldn't even break a sweat fighting you.” Her tone was harsh, but I could only admit that she had the upper hand. I couldn't break free at all. “Try harder.”

She let go and took a few steps back, allowing me to move again. I stood up, cracking my back and caressing my arm. I didn't expect to be beaten instantly. She was skilled. In just that short sparring, I understood why Mother wanted her to train me.

I raised my guard and tried to focus, I couldn't underestimate her. There was one advantage I had now compared to when I was fighting Aurora: thanks to Amber, I was a lot more nimble and agile. I had to use it.

“Now I'm going on the offensive,” Aisha declared before running at me. She threw a high kick aiming for my head, a kick I narrowly avoided, but I wasn't expecting her to follow with a spin kick. Her heel hit me square in the face, sending me flying back to the ground I left just a minute ago.

Fuck, she's strong… I thought, trying to stop my head from spinning. Touching my face, I saw drops of blood falling to the floor. “Damn, how I'm gonna explain that to Amber's parents?”

“You'll heal fast enough.” Aisha was unperturbed, her arms crossed again while glaring at me from above. “You're pathetically weak. I dealt with far more dangerous creatures before I even reached adulthood.”

“Before adulthood?” I repeated, confused.

“I killed many monsters when I was still human, even skinwalkers,” Aisha stated, stunning me.

I got up, grabbing a tissue to try to stop the bleeding. “You were a monster hunter?”

Her skills immediately made sense. If she used to be a monster hunter, she has had a lot of training and experience facing various creatures far more dangerous than humans. And coupled with her better reflexes as a skinwalker, it made her the perfect teacher for me.

Aisha snickered. “Surprised a monster hunter could end up loving the life of a monster?”

“I mean, yeah? Wasn't it hard to abandon your family and friends?”

She frowned and gritted her teeth. “They'd already abandoned me anyway. But we're not here to talk about me. Stop wasting more of my time and focus.” Aisha rested a hand on her hip and pointed a finger at me.

It seemed to be a sore topic, one she didn't want to share with me for the time being. I certainly didn't expect Aisha to have been a former monster hunter. And yet she appeared so loyal to the coven and Mother. And the way she was clinging to Mother, even calling her ‘Mother’, it led me to believe her past wasn't a happy one.

“You might have been a decent boxer, but hunters are generally trained in various martial arts. Countering one specific fighting style is easy. Try using your elbows, shoulders, knees, feet, and stop only relying on your fists.”

I decided to follow her lead, getting back into a fighting stance. Despite her initial lack of enthusiasm at the idea of training me, the fact she could punch and kick me with no repercussions seemed to have been enough of a motivation to keep going for most of the morning. I saw the sparks of sadism in her eyes, she was enjoying the superiority she held over me.

We stopped shortly before lunch time as Aisha's phone rang. I was utterly exhausted, my body hurting all over, so the interruption was a godsend.

“Come, E,” Aisha said after reading the text. “Mother is here.”

“Mother?”

I followed her back to the front door. She opened it, revealing Kate standing outside, smiling at us. Mother was most likely wearing her to be more discreet.

“Good morning, my children,” Mother said.

“Morning, Mother,” Aisha and I replied almost at the same time. She frowned at me while I just shrugged.

Mother looked at me. “Minh and Kate informed me that you preferred to be called E, is that right?”

I nodded shyly. “Y-yeah… I'm, hmm, still figuring things out.”

She pulled me into a hug, surprising me. “Do not be ashamed. It pleases me to see you finding yourself, my child. Take the time you need.” After pulling back, she smiled. “You're not the only one who's been through what you're going through, don't worry.”

“Why are you here, Mother?” Aisha asked before neither Mother nor I could say anything else.

“I wished to attend your training. How is it going?”

“E is lacking in many aspects. They will need rigorous training before being able to defend themselves efficiently,” Aisha answered right away.

It made Mother chuckle. “It's to be expected. I can see Aisha has been fairly rough with you, my child?” She commented while examining me.

“It's a tough training,” I said, wiping my mouth and nose with my hand by reflex, even if I already stopped bleeding. “But it's helping me realise how overconfident I was in my own strength.”

“Would you like to spar with me?” Mother then asked.

“Uhh, sure, why not,” I awkwardly replied, not expecting this.

She grinned. “Good. I will go easy on you.”

“T-thanks.”

I remembered Mother's insane strength when I returned. I was completely powerless against her back then. And I knew now that even Aisha was far from being as strong as Mother. Mother's grip was like iron, impossible to break free from without ridiculous inhuman strength.

We returned to the gym, Mother standing in front of me. She was wearing some sweatpants and a baggy shirt, she probably already planned to spar with me from the beginning. She did some stretches to warm up before taking a fighting stance. I did the same, even if I was feeling a bit nervous.

“Are you ready, child?” Mother asked.

I nodded, clenching my fists harder. “Y-yeah, I am.”

In an instant, Mother rushed towards me. She was so fast I could barely react when she grabbed my throat and lifted me effortlessly. It only lasted a few seconds before she let me go, though.

While I was catching my breath and caressing my sore throat, Mother simply chuckled. “I tried to go easy, I'm sorry. Are you alright?”

I coughed before looking back at her. “How… How are you so strong?”

Mother approached the window nearby and looked outside, holding her hands behind her back. “You remember what Minh told you about how skinwalkers could evolve?”

“Through unique and powerful desires, yeah?” I hesitantly answered.

“Well, I too have an evolution. But it isn't brainwashing like Minh. And it happened fairly recently, too, considering my long life.” Mother's gaze turned melancholic and remorseful. “Seeing Auguste and Yvonne's bodies, shortly after their execution, something snapped within me. It was that moment I realised just how much I cared for the coven, for my family…” She then glanced at her hand, clenching her fist. “All I wished was to be strong enough to make these hunters pay and protect my coven from any threat. And my wish was granted, giving me strength and agility far beyond that of common skinwalkers and humans.”

I was stunned. Hearing the emotions in my mother's borrowed voice and seeing her so **** as she told me what led to her evolution was something I still wasn't used to. But she was absolutely sincere, and these events affected her deeply.

“Oh, I see. I… I would probably feel the same should anything happen to Claire… or you,” I admitted more quietly.

It was so weird to say it out loud, but I was starting to really care about Mother already, despite two prior decades of resentment towards her. She's been nothing but caring and supportive since I returned.

Mother's eyes widened briefly when she heard me, but she then smiled the warmest smile I've ever seen her make. “Thank you, my child.”

“Move your ass back here, E. The break is over,” Aisha yelled angrily, visibly jealous.

I chuckled and went back towards her, my motivation skyrocketing. “Alright. I'm ready, do your worst.”