Chapter 38
Sword Fight
We took a path through a gate in Karson’s backyard, one I’d missed when I’d tried to find a way to escape the first time he brought me to his home. It was built for a dog, I assumed, or a child, because it was small, etched into the brick and shielded by vines behind a sprawling tree.
We made our way through the forest behind his estate, along an old, worn path that was overgrown with shrubs and weeds. I drew in a deep breath, savoring the crisp air, and felt my body relax. I always felt a peace slide over me whenever I was in nature, as if I was born to dwell amongst the trees.
Karson walked ahead, his eyes scanning the forest, on guard. My eyes fell to two swords he had sheathed to his belt. A flare of anxiety marred the peace.
“I don’t know how to fight with swords.”
“I know, that’s why I brought them.”
The path inclined and we began to climb upwards.
Before Sarah attacked, I would have been able to run this track with relative ease, but I had lost a lot of fitness and soon sweat rose on the nape of my neck, my breathing became jagged, and my legs burned.
My ankle was fine, at least; Karson had given me a bottle of cream to help heal it.
Not as good as a healer, but better than anything you could buy off the shelves.
He too had witch contacts, it seemed. I peeked up through the tumble of the green pine trees.
Ahead, the landscape rose sharply, blocking out the skyline. Fucking great.
“Is this part of the training, torturing me by climbing up a mountain?” I panted.
Karson glanced over his shoulder and his eyes danced at the sight of my hot, sweaty face. “Yes.”
“Fantastic.”
“I thought so.” He carried a loaded backpack, but he walked fast, his legs gliding up a sudden sharp incline as if he was floating over flat ground.
“That was sarcasm.”
“I know.”
Trying to draw enough air to stay alive took any further response from my mouth. Even though my legs screamed, I enjoyed the trek. The enjoyment ballooned when we reached a flat area.
“Thank God.” I bent over, puffing, my hands on my knees, relieved to be free of the climb. The sound of water falling filled the air and a damp breeze tickled my face.
“Keep walking,” he grunted.
I straightened and followed him between fat, towering boulders.
We stepped out into a grassed clearing, the rocky mountain face rolling up into the sky, a thin waterfall tumbling over the edge, splashing into a circled pond, and running off in a river that disappeared into the tree line.
Small pink flowers dotted the vibrant green riverbank. This place was stunning.
Karson took off his pack, reached in, and tossed me a water bottle. I caught it and gulped it down as I wandered to the water’s edge, watching two ravens gliding across the mountain face.
The sound of the sword being drawn had me turning. Silver glinted against the dull of day. The sword was nowhere near as long or chunky as the ones in movies, and it was finer in design, but it looked lethal. I sat my drink bottle against a tree.
“I had these custom-made to accommodate your size.”
I scowled. “I’m not large but I am strong.” Or I was …
“I’m sure you are,” he responded dryly.
He placed the sword on the ground and handed me a blade. It was longer than average but surprisingly light.
“I assume you know where to place it to kill a vampire?”
I nodded.
“Show me.”
“What?”
“Where would you put it?”
“In your heart.”
“And then what?”
“I would take off your head.”
“With what?”
“The blade.”
“But that’s in my heart.”
“I would pull it out and …” I stopped. If I pulled it out, he would recover and I would be dead. “I would use another blade to take off your head.”
“Which one?”
I quirked my brow up and said smugly, “The one I carry.”
There wasn’t a grain of surprise on his face. He folded his muscled arms. “So, you like to saw through your meat, then, Amelia?”
“No.” I scrunched up my face. “That’s gross.”
“Killing usually is.”
“I’d use the sword on the ground to take off your head, then.”
“Better.” He paced a few feet away and turned back.
“It still wouldn’t kill me, but other vampires do not like it much when their heads are removed.
” He picked up the sword, running his fingers along the flat part of the silver blade.
“Burn their bodies after just to be sure, or at least make sure their heads can never reconnect. The good news is with a witch, you can stab them just about anywhere and it would do the trick.” He tossed the sword in the air, caught it, and pointed it at my heart.
Such condescending arrogance.
“Perhaps you should have brought me the ash blade, then, to make this dual a little fairer.”
A smile bloomed on his face. “I’m not that easy to get rid of, so you are stuck with me, witch.”
I stepped forward, and he lowered the sword to his side. I wrapped my free arm around his back and murmured, “I’m happy to be stuck with you.”
Light danced in his eyes, like flecks of starlight. “And I you.”
He stiffened slightly as his eyes flicked over my head to a point in the forest where birds took off in a rush, then he relaxed. He kissed the tip of my nose lightly and stepped back like the kiss singed his lips.
“But first, I need to teach you how to fight. Show me what Ethan has taught you.”
Ethan taught me to fight hand-to-hand combat without weapons. He taught me to take my opponent by surprise. He watched as Dahlia taught me to throw a blade with my power and I guess he thought her training was enough to keep me safe.
“Well?” he said.
“I don’t know what you want me to do?”
“I want—”
I hurled the blade just right of his shoulder. It landed with a twang into the tree behind.
He cocked an eyebrow and drawled, “Oh, you can murder trees. The forestry division will be thrilled to know.” Before I could inform him I meant to miss, he moved behind me, the sword pressed against my neck.
I knew he wouldn’t hurt me, but with the blade so close, my heart began galloping.
His warm breath tickled my cheek, but his voice was gruff.
“You are dead. The only weapon you had gone. Wasted.”
“That’s not fair,” I protested. “If it was a real fight, I’d have sunk it into your heart or thrown you.”
He let me go and stepped back. I turned to face him.
“You wouldn’t have had time to throw him, Amy, after you hurled the blade. The element of surprise was gone,” a deep voice said. My eyes shot above to find Kenneth and Monique seated on rocks halfway up the waterfall.
My mouth fell open. I didn’t hear them, nor did I feel them.
I guess having a sword pressed to your neck was the distraction they needed to slip in unnoticed.
Karson didn’t look at all surprised. Was this the reason he’d stepped away so quickly?
Why did Monique bring Kenneth? Did she want him to find out about us? Or did he already know?
I turned to face him, placing my hands on my hips. “The element of surprise was gone because the blade was in my hand.”
His eyes dropped to my waist as if he could see the blade. “Right, but normally you would wear it concealed.”
How many vampires knew witches carried concealed blades? I didn’t ask the question burning through my mind. I didn’t trust him to admit I carried one. Sometimes.
Kenneth tucked one knee up and wrapped his arm around it. “Had you tried to stab his heart, he would have stopped you. You should have thrown him, then as he flew out of control, hurled the knife at his heart or used the sword and sliced it through his neck.”
A shudder ran over my skin. That was the way Sarah’s brother had been killed. Enraged, Sarah had thrown the blade at Georgie, but he’d dived in front of her—
“Monique,” Karson’s voice was a low growl, “please tell me you are here because you have news and you are not just wasting your time watching Amelia train.”
Monique leaned back against a rock and linked her hands around her folded knees. “The cameras had been disabled at the library, but I have a team looking at every camera in the area. If anyone followed her from there, we should know who the culprit is by the end of the day.”
“Who exactly do you have searching?”
“Pixie, Leyton, Leon, and a few others.”
Karson’s mouth pinched.
“The same ones we had search for Georgie,” Monique stated before he could protest. “You’ve already questioned them.
” Her gaze sharpened as if she wasn’t impressed with the way there were questioned.
“They are loyal.” She took a flask out of her jacket pocket and unscrewed the lid. “They want a pay increase, by the way.”
Karson arched a brow. “Having my protection is payment enough.”
He handed me the sword and unsheathed another, pacing a few feet away.
Nerves rattled in my stomach. “You seriously don’t expect me to swing a blade at you?”
“I did not give it to you to carve dinner.” He raised his sword. “Now, lift it and stand like you would if you were in combat.”
Before I could protest, Karson stepped forward and swung the sword down at me. I gasped, jerking my arm up at the last second. His blade struck mine with such force it twanged up my arm and knocked me backwards, and I dropped it.
His jaw clenched. “I told you to get your balance.”
I grumbled a curse under my breath and picked up the blade.
He swung again. I moved quickly to place more weight on my back foot and lifted my blade. This time I wasn’t knocked off balance, but the force sent the sword flying off and it skittered across the grass.
“Hold it tight, don’t just lift it to meet my blade. Put some power behind it.”
I held up my hand and called the sword back, and it floated through the air and landed in my palm.
“No powers allowed. Use your human skills.”
“That’s not fair, you’re using your vampire speed and strength.”
“He’s not actually,” Kenneth called out.
I looked up. Kenneth was taking a sip of whiskey. “Shut up, Kenneth.”