by Laura Hysell
Killian stumbled and turned, and I jumped up, darting in with my fist. I landed my first blow to his jaw and quickly moved out of the way as he retaliated. Killian bounced back, grinning at me and working his jaw. After that, play time was over. Killian darted in with a fury of blows, and I stumbled backward under the assault, fending off punch after punch.
He landed a solid punch to my shoulder, spinning me sideways. That’s when his leg kicked out, and his foot made contact with my stomach, expelling my air with a whoosh. I stumbled backward, trying to keep my balance and regain the ability to breath all at the same time. Killian was relentless, and I hurriedly regained my footing under his attack. Punch after punch landed, and I found myself on the defensive, just trying to stay upright.
I managed to back away long enough to gain my balance and analyze my opponent. His skill far exceeded mine, so I needed to use my own skills to fight him. What were my skills? I dodged in quickly, striking a quick blow to his stomach, then darted back out. Killian turned, trying to follow my movements. I was definitely faster than him, and I healed faster. That wouldn’t necessarily be enough.
Killian dashed in again with his fists, checking me on the shoulder once more, and kicking out with his foot. I was ready for it this time, and managed to spin away from the kick so it just glanced off my ribs. He grinned again and came at me. Once again I found myself on the defensive, fighting off his fists. Just before he kicked out, I saw his eyes dart downward. As his leg whipped out, I spun and moved toward him.
I jabbed at him in a flurry of movement, then slashed a hook to his jaw. He stumbled back, and I lunged at him, hooking him again in the jaw before kicking him in the knee. His knee buckled and I used my full strength, punching him under the jaw. He flew backwards, landing with a thud on the ground at the edge of the circle. I moved toward him, ready to finish the fight, but Killian’s eyes had rolled back in his head and he was out cold.
Raoul moved forward to stand beside Killian, looking him over. It only took Killian a moment to regain consciousness, but the fight was already finished. Paul came up behind me, patting me roughly on the back as Raoul helped Killian to his feet. The crowd in the room had gone strangely quiet, and the men eyed each other uneasily.
“Looks like we have a winner,” Paul announced loudly.
Silence greeted his pronouncement, and I grimaced at the glares that greeted me. So much for making friends. Killian stepped forward, shaking off the men who tried to steady him. He looked at me squarely for several minutes, his face blank and unreadable.
I breathed uneasily, meeting Killian’s stare. He blinked, nodded his head, then held his hand out to me. “Good fight, Queen Isabella,” he said, forcing a smile. “I have to admit, you surprised me.”
I shook his hand and grinned. “You’re good,” I said in response.
“Not good enough,” he said, and I sensed his chagrin.
“I almost didn’t win. You had me on the defensive, and I was losing.”
He nodded and I heard the muttering agreements of a few other men behind me. “So, what changed?” he asked me, seeming truly curious now.
“I knew you were a better opponent, and better trained, so I had to play to my skills. I’m fast, but not always fast enough. Really I just had to figure out your tells, and predict your next move. And I had to go on the offensive,” I added.
Killian nodded, the smile playing at his lips growing wider. “Going on the offensive would definitely help you out. You’re incredibly strong, so use that strength. And you are fast,” he said. “I’d like to work with you, if Raoul and Paul don’t mind.”
“I was actually hoping you’d say that,” Paul said, stepping in. “I’m tired of getting my ass handed to me by this tiny, little girl.”
Killian stifled a chuckle, and I turned to punch Paul in the stomach playfully. The atmosphere in the room lightened considerably after that, and the rest of the day was spent in light sparring matches with various opponents. I learned a lot about myself that day, and the next day Paul promised we’d move on to new techniques, complete with weapons. The knife practically thrummed with excitement at the prospect.
Chapter 13
I spent the next two weeks working with sticks, long and short, to simulate weapons. The knife had gone silent after the first day I had been handed a piece of wood shaped to look like a knife. I got the distinct feeling the knife, or Aidan as the voice called himself, was pouting. He was far too eager, but it really shouldn’t surprise me. A knife was made to be used, not sit in a sheath. And this knife was made to kill vampires.
With all the time I spent fighting and training, my time with Henri was limited. I was exhausted most of the time, and Henri had brought in a couple women to satisfy his needs. That didn’t mean I was off the hook. As his token Queen, he still sought to parade me about in front of his vampires on occasion. He would hold the irregular meeting in his throne room, where I sat at his side, usually dressed in something skimpy. He drank from me still periodically, and made me drink his blood, which kept our connection intact. There didn’t seem to be a way around that, although it felt as though the blood sharing wasn’t nearly as frequent as it had been.
Mark, on the other hand, was with me all the time. His blank eyes watched me with detached wariness. The more time we spent together, the more worried I grew about the werewolf. He played the role of bodyguard to a tee, but there was nothing more to him. He stood unobtrusively in the corner of the room, watching me and my surroundings, not speaking or interfering. My heart ached when I thought about it.
My freedom had grown over time, and I no longer needed to be accompanied everywhere I went. That didn’t mean Henri didn’t have people watching me, but the more time passed, the more freedom I gained. I made my way down to the training ring, with Mark silently walking behind me. Today, Raoul had promised to step up my training. He wouldn’t elaborate more than that, but the grin on his face had me anxious to begin the day.
I stepped into the training room and stopped as the knife suddenly shot fire down my leg. Vampires filled the room, along with humans. I scanned the room, counting the pasty faces. Eight vampires and seventeen humans stopped what they were doing to look at me. The knife pulsed again, warningly. Raoul met me as I walked toward the middle of the room. His face was grim, and his usual excitement was gone.
“Raoul,” I said by way of greeting.
Raoul bowed before me, startling me. I kept my face blank as he straightened. “My Queen, there has been a slight change to today’s training schedule. My plan was to introduce you to real blades today, but the vampires wished to have a hand in your training. Let me introduce you to Wesley,” he said, turning to the vampire who had moved up beside him.
The vampire, Wesley, bowed to me slightly. He wore a black Gi, complete with a black belt with red markings on it, and bare feet. His long brown hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. “I will not sugar coat things,” Wesley began. He had a strange accent I couldn’t place; a trait I noticed among the older vampires, as though they had been around so long they had collected accents and merged them over the years. “We are going to war. The humans will fight, and die. The vampires will fight, and die. The werewolves will fight, and die. Some will live. If you wish to be among the living, you need to learn fast. The humans train you too slowly. You’ll be fighting vampires, not humans. We are stronger, faster and we come with decades of experience. Your best chance of survival is to become one of us.”
My heart thrummed in my chest at his words and I inadvertently stepped backward. The knife pulsed angrily, and Aidan whispered a litany of curses in my head. “Woah, that wasn’t the plan,” Raoul said suddenly, moving between me and the vampire.
“My King wishes her to be his Queen forever, but he is indecisive about turning her into one of us,” Wesley grinned, flashing his fangs at me. “The decision to become one of us is up to you, Queen Isabella. You will fight one of us. If you win, you stay a human until you choose to join our ranks.
If you lose, you will become a vampire today.”
Kill them all! Aidan screamed in my mind, drowning out all coherent thought. We will not become one of the undead! Unsheathe the knife and plunge it into his chest. I will guide you.
Quiet, let me think, I said, and the voice quieted immediately, much to my surprise.
“I have had no training yet against a vampire. That hardly seems fair,” I stated.
“That is why I am here. We will demonstrate and you will have the opportunity to train before your match,” Wesley added.
“Who am I fighting?” I asked, silently praying it wasn’t the black belt in front of me. I doubted I’d have a chance against Wesley as a human, let alone Wesley as a vampire.
“You will fight Pierce, to the death. When your body begins to die, Henri will ensure your transition.”
“Pierce?” I asked, looking around the room and trying to ignore the surety in Wesley’s voice.
“Pierce is out of favor with our King, so he fights you to regain his place. If you somehow manage to kill him, it is no less punishment than he deserves,” Wesley said as he turned toward a group of vampires. What was with vampires and their fights to regain favor?
A lean vampire stepped away from the others and looked at me with coal black eyes. He wore gray shorts and a white tank top, and his body was littered with tattoos, including a distinct teardrop tattoo near one eye. His blond hair was short, and spiked up in the front. My guess was he was a newer vampire, if the tattoos and hair were any indication.
Wesley had apparently had enough small talk. He turned and walked back to the center of the room, pulling a vampire with him. There was no warning as the two vampires began sparring, attacking one another at lightning speeds. They kept to the center of the makeshift ring, moving at speeds so fast I could hardly track them.
Raoul moved up beside me, and placed his mouth beside my ear. “I had no idea this was going to happen. I am so sorry. We sent someone to get Henri, but he hasn’t returned.”
I turned to look at Raoul, and his face was sincere. “Any ideas on how I can win?” I asked, turning my eyes to watch the fight.
“You’ll have to catch him by surprise. Go on the offensive right away,” Killian whispered, coming up on the other side of me. “He’ll underestimate you. Use that to your advantage.”
Raoul handed a knife to me, and a cross necklace. “The knife is blessed, and the cross will help against newer vamps.”
Why are there so many vampires here? They want to kill you or turn you. Don’t trust this to be a fair fight.
I frowned, thinking about Aidan’s words as I looked at the vampires in the room. Two were still sparring, Pierce was glaring at me, and the other five vampires were looking at me like I was their next snack. “Do you have my back?” I asked, looking at Killian and Raoul in turn as I pulled the cross necklace on.
Paul walked up then, nodding his head. “We got your back, Queen Isabella.”
They want to become vampires. Don’t trust them.
I looked at the three men I had been sparring with the last several weeks. How much did I actually know about them? Could I trust them? “Why are you here?” I asked them.
“You don’t trust us?” Killian chuckled, rubbing his bald head.
“I don’t trust anyone. If I want to become a vampire, I’ll make that decision. I don’t want it forced on me.” I added, crossing my arms pointedly.
“I’m good as a human,” Killian said, crossing his arms. “My reasons for being here are my own, but I won’t let them turn you if you don’t want it.”
“I want to stay human as well,” Raoul said softly, looking around the room. “At first, I was eager to join the undead ranks. It is hard to deny the appeal, but I am decidedly less eager now.”
“You two are nuts,” Paul said, shaking his head. “Why wouldn’t you want to become a vampire? Faster, stronger, better, and you live forever. But, if Isabella isn’t ready for that yet, I respect that. It should be your choice.”
I was thankful for their honesty, but decidedly less assured. There was a new vampire sparring Wesley, and the two moved slower and with more precision. I watched the vampires fight as I fingered the knife Raoul had handed me. “You heard the conditions of the fight. Not that I have any choice in the matter. All I ask is that you guard my back from any other attacks,” I said, looking pointedly at Paul.
“You know we will,” Paul said, and the other two nodded their agreement.
“Do you want to work out?” Raoul asked.
“Just a little,” I said, moving off to the side of the room with the three men. Mark followed behind me, and I stopped him when we reached the far corner. “You’re my bodyguard. Protect me. If any of those blood-suckers try to bite me, I want you to defend me. Don’t let them turn me into a vampire.”
Mark nodded his head once before moving to the wall to take up his position of guardian. I wasn’t too sure if he would actually do anything against the vampires or not, but I felt better nonetheless. Raoul ran me through drills with the knife, pointing out key areas of weakness on vampire opponents. Killian, Raoul and Paul were all equipped with blessed knives and guns. I eyed their guns jealously. With a gun, I could easily level the playing field.
After a brief practice, we moved back to watching the vampires. I didn’t feel like I was learning much from watching them fight, but I was prolonging my own battle. Part of me couldn’t believe Henri had agreed to such a thing, while part of me was not surprised at all. Henri did whatever he wanted. But why wasn’t he here, if this was his idea? It seemed like if he wanted me to become a vampire, he’d do it himself.
Perhaps the vampires play a game of their own?
Perhaps they did. Any ideas? I asked Aidan.
With the knife in hand, we are stronger. Shed vampire blood, and we grow stronger still. I will assist as I can.
What do you mean we grow stronger shedding vampire blood?
The knife was made to kill vampires. Each kill strengthens the magic inside the blade, and in turn strengthens us. We are the blade. We are one.
Wow, that’s nice and cryptic, I stated sarcastically. There was no response to that, and I didn’t have a chance to talk any more. Wesley and his current partner had stopped fighting, and now he walked toward me. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.
“Are you ready, Queen Isabella?” Wesley asked, with a sneer as he said my name.
No, I wasn’t ready. Was he nuts? I nodded my head anyway and moved toward the fighting ring. Pierce had done no preliminary fighting, so I had no idea what to expect. He was bare-handed and stood at ease, confidence oozing off him. I held the knife Raoul had given me in my left hand, leaving my main hand free as I assumed a fighting pose.
“Queen Isabella, you will win this fight if Pierce meets true death. Being only a human, you are allowed to use blades only. Pierce, you will win this fight when Isabella’s heart has stopped beating. You are not allowed to use any weapons. There is no time limit on this fight, and there are no other rules,” Wesley stated.
I nodded my head and glanced at Mark, who had taken up a closer position. Pierce nodded once, then moved toward me slowly. The vampire darted in at human speed, and I bounced to the side. He darted in repeatedly, putting me on the defensive right away. My plan to get on the offensive was already ruined. I could barely keep up with his speed as it was. Pierce moved in again, faster this time, and I spun away from him, using the opportunity to pull out my knife. The blade reverberated in my hand, as though it were a tuning fork at just the perfect pitch.
Yes, yes, feel the blade. Be the blade.
The magic in the knife pulsed down my arm, and I relished in the feeling. Strength flowed through me, and I smiled at the vamp. Pierce had been grinning, flashing his fangs at me, but the smile slipped from his face. I didn’t know what my face looked like, but it was enough to startle the vampire. I used his confusion to my advantage.
I ran at him full speed, both knives held
outward. Just before I reached him, I sliced out with my left hand and spun around. He reacted with me, darting away from the blade before it touched him. I didn’t wait for him to respond before slashing out with my right hand, then my left. Back and forth I moved toward the vampire, pushing him out of the ring as I pursued him relentlessly. I didn’t dare back down.
Aidan’s voice whispered in my mind, and I let the magic of the knife pulse through me, guiding me. Right, left, attack, turn, left, left, spin, duck, right, over and over we danced. Pierce’s black eyes were wide as he backed away from my constant assault. Then it happened. I slashed out with my right hand, nicking his arm with my blade. He screamed as the blade bit his skin, and I struck again with the other blade.
The single, small cut was the vampire’s undoing. He stared at his arm, where the skin burned and blackened. Don’t wait. Kill him. The knife burned in my hand and up my arm. With a scream, I slashed out at the vampire with both blades, hacking at his skin. Pierce held his arms over his face, but the blessed knife and the magical blade took their toll on the vampire. Skin burned and blackened, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air with a putrid scent. He stumbled backward, and I took the opportunity to finish the fight. I pulled back with my right arm, then plunged the knife into his chest. He screamed as the blade’s magic turned his body to char.
I started to pull the knife out, when Aidan’s voice stopped me. No, the blade grows stronger with vampire death. Leave it until the end. Do not let go. I obeyed the voice in my head, and held onto the blade as it sucked the life out of the vampire. The knife quivered and seared with unnatural heat as the body blackened bit by bit.
