Bloody Defiance

by Laura Hysell

  These men were linked to the weapons with magic. Their minds melded with the swords and knives, forever embedded within the confines of the blades. I am the blade, I am the magic, but I am also the man. And now I am you.

  I shivered as the knife tingled in my hand. What does that mean?

  We are together, forever. We are one. After your death, a part of you will still remain with the blade, as I have.

  That was ominous, and a little creepy. So, are you saying that you’re a part of the man who was originally linked to the knife?

  The knife is just a knife. I am the magic and I am Aidan. And now, I am Isabella.

  Creepy.

  The voice laughed and I shivered. The longer we are together, the closer we become. I can help you, Isabella.

  And how can you do that?

  For starters, I was trained in the arts of combat.

  “Queen Isabella?” a voice called from the other room. I sheathed the burning knife and left the bedroom, unsure of my chat with the voice. Aidan?

  Two men stood in the living room, dressed in matching cargo pants. Mark stood with his hands behind is back, staring at the two men. He looked at ease, but his fists tightened behind his back as he stared at the men in matching clothes. The testosterone in the room was thick enough to choke on.

  “I’m here,” I said, stepping between Mark and the two muscular men, hoping to defuse the situation. Mark moved around me easily, standing between me and the men once more.

  “The King has requested we train you in the arts of guns, knives and hand-to-hand combat,” the first man said. He was large, with dark hair and a thick beard. His partner was slightly taller and leaner, with brown hair and a similar beard.

  “It’s about time,” I responded, eager to get away from my room. “Let’s go.”

  I will help you, the voice whispered in my mind. It might have been my imagination, but the voice sounded excited, and just a little bit cocky. I took a deep breath and followed the men out of the room, with Mark close on my heels. Great, I had two meat heads in front of me, one behind me, and now one in my head. What next?

  Chapter 12

  We took the elevator down to the human living areas, where men dressed in black roamed the halls. My two trainers, named Raoul and Paul, escorted us to a large training facility. A large mat covered the floor, and weapon racks lined the walls. The men led me to the middle of the room, with Mark following close on my heels.

  “First, we wanted to go over some basic hand-to-hand combat,” Raoul, the shorter one, said. “Weapons will come later. Your bodyguard needs to back up though.”

  I nodded and turned to Mark, who was a mere two steps behind me. “Subject 17, you will stand aside and let me train.”

  Mark bowed his head and took up his bodyguard position across the room. I turned my attention back to the two men too slowly. Raoul kicked out at me, sweeping me off my feet. I landed with a thud on my back, the wind knocked out of me. I stared up at the ceiling, waiting for my lungs to fill back up with air. Raoul leaned down over me, hands at his hips.

  “Lesson one: remain aware of your surroundings at all time. You never know when or where an enemy will be. You won’t always have a bodyguard at your back,” Raoul stated.

  I nodded my head and rolled to my feet, keeping my eyes on Raoul. Paul was nowhere to be seen. I shifted my stance and moved just before Paul raced at me from behind. I grinned as I spun away from him. Paul looked back at me, an approving grin on his face.

  “Good moves,” Raoul said, leaning back on his heels. “You learn fast. That’s good. Let’s not play around and get straight to it, shall we? What do you want to learn?”

  “I want to even the playing field. Get me up to speed so I can fight vampires.”

  “Vampires? You do realize your King is a vampire, and you are in a building surrounded by more vampires. I’m not entirely sure how happy our Master would be to hear you want to fight vampires,” he said slowly, looking around as though one would jump out at any moment.

  “And who is a vampire’s biggest threat?”

  Paul chuckled and said, “A bigger vampire!”

  “Exactly. You know who we are going after.”

  “Petrivian,” Raoul and Paul said in unison.

  “So you’ll help me?” I asked, crossing my arms.

  Paul nodded solemnly and said, “The King has asked us to help train you, for whatever you wish to be trained on. When it comes to fighting, there are two big differences between humans and vampires: strength and speed. You can’t battle their strength, and you can’t outrun them. So, you have to outthink and outmaneuver them.”

  “If you manage to land a punch or a kick, you won’t do much more than irritate a vamp,” Raoul added. “If you’re going to fight one, you’d better have a weapon to kill it with, or a strategy in mind to get away.”

  “We heard you’re fast, and strong,” Paul said, eyeing me.

  “Not vampire speed, but I’m not bad. And I’m stronger than your average human.”

  “How fast do you heal?”

  “Also faster than your average human,” I replied slowly. “I’ve held my own against vamps before, but I either had guns or werewolves with me.” No need to mention knives, magical or otherwise. I had to tread lightly with them. Who knew how much control Henri had over them. Was he sharing blood with them as well?

  Raoul nodded and stepped back several steps. “Good to know. We’re going to start with basic fighting, but we won’t have time to go slow. If you understand a skill, we’re going to move on fast. We’ll add weapons as fast as possible.”

  “Why’s that?”

  Raoul shrugged his shoulders. “King Donovan said we have three months to get you ready.”

  Three months. I wonder what Henri had planned for three months from now. Was that when he planned to attack Petrivian? What happened after that? And what about the werewolves? I shook my head, and focused on the man before me as Raoul began running me through attack forms.

  I was drenched in sweat, and aching from head to toe by the time we finished. Everything was done by vampire time, so we finished for the day just a few hours before sunrise. The quick healing granted to me from the vampire blood had come in handy, particularly when Paul had landed a swift kick to my midsection, shattering two ribs. I had spent my lunch break spitting up blood and drinking my meal through a straw.

  Mark, Subject 17, had remained against the wall through the entire training, never flinching. Apparently I wasn’t in any danger, so he had no need to intercede. Not that I would have let him anyway. Mark obviously wasn’t home. The real Mark never would have stood still and let someone break my ribs, even if I had asked for it. The real Mark would have ripped Paul to shreds.

  Henri was waiting for me when I made my way slowly back to the apartment. The initial look he gave me was mixed shock and anger, until I waved my hand at him and assured him I was fine. The last thing I needed was him killing Raoul and Paul because they had done exactly what he had ordered them to do. I had asked to be trained, and Henri had provided trainers. Paul had seemed genuinely apologetic after my injury, and extremely worried. Although I was pretty sure he was worried more about his own neck than my broken ribs.

  Henri sat with me while I shoveled food into my mouth, asking me about my day and the new fighting techniques I had learned. I got the feeling he was waiting for me to regain my strength so he could drain my blood, but I was exhausted and made that very clear. As soon as I was done eating, I made my way to the shower, taking my time. By the time I had finished, Henri was nowhere to be found and Mark was standing quietly outside my bedroom door.

  “Did Henri leave?” I asked him. I had wrapped myself in a large towel, with my damp hair pulled back in a messy bun.

  “Master has retired for the day.”

  I nodded and pushed past Mark. He followed me into my bedroom, but I was too exhausted to pay attention to him. My bed had been neatly made with fresh sheets. I pulled back the sheets and s
at down in my bed. Mark had closed the door behind me, and now stood staring at me with his arms crossed over his chest.

  “Mark,” I said softly, watching him for any reaction. Mark’s eyes flickered to my face, and I felt my heart flutter in my chest. Did he understand me, or was he just reacting because I spoke? “Mark?”

  “Izzy,” he breathed my name.

  I bounced to my feet, all exhaustion gone in a moment of adrenaline. “Mark!”

  He looked at me, his eyes golden ringed indicating his wolf was close to the surface. “Izzy,” he said again.

  I raced toward him, throwing my arms around his waist. He stood still before slowly wrapping his arms around me. Relief overwhelmed me, and I sobbed against his chest, murmuring his name over and over again. After my sobs subsided, I leaned back and looked up at his face. Golden eyes greeted me, but the look on his face was decidedly confused.

  “Izzy, where are we?” he asked slowly, his hands holding me tight around the waist, and his nose wrinkled as though he smelled something unpleasant.

  I swallowed, not sure if I wanted to get into those details yet. “What do you remember?” I asked him instead.

  Mark frowned, struggling to remember. “I don’t know what’s dream and what’s real. I remember you with…” he stopped talking, his eyes taking in the room. “It seems I know this place, but I don’t really. And I smell vampires. Please, Izzy, where are we?”

  “Some place very dangerous,” I replied softly. “But you’re here now. We can escape.”

  “Escape? Why do we need to escape? Why are you wearing a towel?” he frowned as he fingered the towel I was wearing. “I’m not myself, Izzy. It’s like my head is full of stuffing.”

  “That’s the vampires,” I whispered. “They did something to you. They’re controlling you, and playing with your mind.”

  “I’m a werewolf, Izzy. Vampires can’t control werewolves,” he replied, shaking his head. A frown suddenly creased his forehead, and he looked down at me. “Henri. I remember Henri. He’s here, isn’t he?”

  You’re losing him, the voice said suddenly. I looked up at Mark’s face in surprise. His eyes were losing their golden wolf color, receding back to normal.

  “Mark, please, stay with me,” I urged, cupping Mark’s face in my hands. “Look at me!”

  Mark looked down at me and touched my cheek tenderly. His hand suddenly dropped from my face, and he backed away from my touch. His eyes turned blank, staring at a spot above my head. I stood still, waiting, but he said nothing more.

  The vampire is back in control, the voice said.

  Obviously, I responded angrily, storming back to my bed. Tell me something I don’t know!

  I believe his wolf helps him gain control.

  His wolf helps him? That was something I definitely didn’t know, although it made sense in a way. How would that help me though? I pulled off my towel and shimmied under the covers, casting a last glance at Mark. He stood near my door with his arms crossed, eyes scanning the room.

  “Turn off the light, please,” I asked as I tucked the blankets under my chin.

  Mark flipped off the light, and I was drenched in darkness. Sadness threatened, and I felt tears welling in my eyes. Don’t, the voice chided. You are strong.

  Not strong enough.

  Not alone. But you aren’t alone. Not any longer. We are one. We are strong. We are powerful.

  You, me and a knife? I asked, chuckling to myself.

  Yes, he responded, not that I had expected the response. I closed my eyes and snuggled under my blankets, my sadness forgotten for a short time. At least I wasn’t alone. You mentioned the name Aidan. Is that your name? I asked.

  Yes, the voice responded.

  Goodnight, Aidan.

  Goodnight, Isabella. Sleep well. I will protect you. The knife thrummed against my side, and I drifted off to sleep, suddenly reassured. Even if he was just in my head, I felt safer. And Mark would be there, watching over me while I slept. He couldn’t protect me against Henri though.

  The next evening, I awoke to an aching body. Despite my excellent healing, my entire body was covered in bruises of various shades. I carefully dressed, making sure to hide any visible marks. If Henri saw the bruises, he would probably kill my trainers then feed me more vampire blood, and I didn’t want that. My connection with the knife helped me fight off Henri’s control, and the last thing I wanted to do was give Henri any more power over me by drinking his blood. If I could fend him off for a while, maybe I could sever his connection completely. There was a downside of course. Without vampire blood raging through my system, I would eventually heal like any other human. The bruises would get worse then.

  I left my room and ran into Mark, standing guard outside my bedroom door. He had changed clothes at some point, but he hadn’t shaved. I glanced at him, but followed my nose to the kitchen table and the plates of food. Henri was thankfully nowhere to be found. I sat at the table and scarfed down the protein-packed breakfast. Mark declined food, but said nothing else.

  Raoul and Paul arrived just after I had finished eating, and led me back to the same training room. We spent the first half of the day running through the techniques I had learned before and fixing my forms. After lunch, Paul and I sparred. He was much more careful this time, and I ended the day without breaking any bones.

  My days continued that way. Mornings were spent going over techniques and learning new skills, while afternoons were spent practicing those skills. After two weeks of steady repetition, Raoul decided I was ready for a change. We practiced as usual in the morning, and when we came back after lunch, the room was full.

  I followed my two trainers to the center of the room, where a large sparring circle had been drawn. Men filled the room around the circle, eager looks on their faces. I recognized a few of the men from my first day. They looked just as unfriendly as they had on that day. The man I had dubbed Goliath was among them as well, standing at the far edge of the room.

  Mark followed close on my heels as we moved to the center of the circle. Raoul and Paul backed everyone up so there was more room, and Mark shoved himself into position in front of the crowd. I stood uncertainly in the center, dressed today in black running leggings and a tank top. In addition, I wore comfortable tennis shoes.

  Raoul quieted down the crowd, then pulled a younger man forward. He was roughly my size, with sandy blond hair and a baby face. The man couldn’t be old enough to drink. I crossed my arms and frowned at the young man, sizing him up. My body was fit and lean, and my muscles were nicely defined, although not large. This man, boy, I amended, had smaller arms than I did.

  “Queen Isabella, meet Shawn. Shawn has been here for five months, training. Last week, he was caught trying to sneak out of the compound. Apparently, Shawn has a girlfriend here in town,” Raoul said, and the men in the crowd snickered and laughed at Shawn’s blushing face. “As punishment, Shawn will be first to spar Queen Isabella.”

  More laughter greeted this remark, but I felt a slight smile touch my lips at the mention of him having a girlfriend in town. A girlfriend meant there were still humans in town, and that was a good thing. I crossed my arms and attempted to keep a straight face as they continued to harass the young man.

  I wasn’t sure if they meant to humiliate me or Shawn more. The boy might look scrawny, but he had been training for five months and I had been training only a few weeks. I hadn’t expected any of this. Raoul had mentioned getting new sparring partners for me, but he had failed to mention the crowd of men watching. The last thing I needed was to have my ass handed to me by this scrawny kid in front of everyone.

  I squared my shoulders and settled into a fighting stance. Raoul grinned and the crowd of men roared with delight. Shawn blushed and turned toward me, panic clear on his face. Even if I’d only been learning fighting techniques for a few weeks, I still had real-life experience. How many vampires could Shawn say he had faced and lived to tell the tell? Plus, I was the Queen, and it was always har
d to say how Henri would react.

  As soon as Raoul and Paul backed to the edge of the ring, Shawn attacked. He caught me by surprise, speeding in at me and landing a solid hook to my chin. I spun around from the impact, and immediately raised my guard. Shawn grinned and raced in again, but I was ready for him. I jumped to the side and swept my leg out, but he managed to jump over it and bounce away. He raced in again, fists flying. I rolled away without a scratch.

  Shawn was scrawny, but he was incredibly fast. I spent the first few minutes dodging his quick attacks. Every assault was the same though, and I quickly noticed his pattern. The next time he came racing in, I stepped toward him and kicked out, taking him in the stomach. He expelled a whoosh of air and fell backwards. I raced after him, slamming my fist into his jaw while he was struggling back to his feet. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he slid to the ground, out cold.

  I stood up and looked around at the silent room. Suddenly, one man yelled and the room erupted in a chorus of shouting and clapping. Paul handed me a water bottle, then drug Shawn off the mat. I drank the water slowly as I looked around the room, taking in the crowd. Goliath was the one who had cheered for me, and I found him watching me with a wide grin on his face. I smiled behind my water bottle as I watched Raoul bring the next man into the ring. He was somewhere in his thirties, with a shaved head and tattoos running down his arms, chest and back. He wore a pair of black shorts and no shoes, as he bounced around the ring on the balls of his feet. This man moved like a fighter, and his body was fit and muscle-bound. Not bulky, but strong. I found the smile slipping from my face.

  Here was my real test. The man was handsome, despite the nose that had been visibly broken several times. I handed Raoul my water bottle and moved into the circle. The other man bounced on his feet as he sized me up. He had just watched me fight Shawn, but that fight had been more Shawn running at me and me moving out of the way.

  “Queen Isabella, meet your opponent, Killian. Killian used to be on the MMA circuit. Are you ready?” Raoul asked.

  Great, an MMA fighter. I nodded my head, got into my fighter’s stance, and waited. Raoul backed out of the ring silently, but my focus was all on Killian. The man bounced on his toes, circling me before stepping in with a quick jab. I easily averted his jab, and we danced around the circle once again. He darted in again with a couple more quick jabs, then lashed out with a roundhouse kick. I rolled past the kick and turned, pivoting on one foot to sweep under his leg.