“You can get huffy all you want,” Clyde scoffed, “but the fact of the matter is you’re still only human. Get used to being a damsel in distress.”

“I thought you wanted to teach me how to defend myself?” I asked.

Clyde straightened his back, really showcasing how utterly he towered over me in this form. I couldn’t help but gulp audibly. “That's like teaching a mosquito to defend against an arm slap, Aria. I’m just teaching you how to be too annoying to deal with.”

I ...