The Flame and the Arrow

by Emigh Cannaday

  Chapter 41

  new eyes

  When they rode up to Ohan and Aghavni’s front yard, they were met by everyone, even Konstantin in his long black coat, sunglasses and gloves.

  “What was that strange light? Did you see it?” they were all asking, looking perplexed. But Finn’s wise eyes looked relived.

  “So…” he said, grinning wide, “Will we be calling you Annika Marinossian from now on?”

  “Is that what that was?” Hilda wondered, looking beyond insulted. “You snuck off and got married, and you didn’t even invite us?” Annika smiled to herself.

  “Trust me, you didn’t want to be there,” she said, trying not to blush, but it was too late for that. Hilda, Runa, and the others wrinkled their foreheads in confusion, but Finn stifled a laugh.

  “You really got married?” Yuri screeched in disbelief. “But…what, how?” She didn’t look nearly as happy for them as the others did. In fact, she didn’t look happy at all. Finn spoke up quickly before she drew too much attention to herself.

  “We can at least have a celebratory feast in their honor,” he suggested. “Now that’s something I don’t think any of us want to miss.”

  “I feel really bad that I ran away like that,” Annika told Chivanni while putting away dishes after their midday meal. “I didn’t mean to freak out, but it was really scary.” The red-haired fairy turned to her and gave her a wry little grin.

  “I can hardly blame you for it,” he said. “I would have run away too, if he came after me with that monster he keeps locked away under his belt.” She grinned and punched him in the arm, and was shocked to see him go flailing backwards, landing in a chair.

  “Owww!” he cried, looking at her with a puzzled expression as he stood up.

  “I’m sorry,” she joked. “I must not know my own strength.” She kept waiting for him to start laughing, but he was touching his arm gingerly and frowning at her.

  “Apparently you don’t,” his serious face stopped her laughing right away.

  “You mean I actually hurt you? But I didn’t even hit you that hard! I was just playing.”

  “It doesn’t hurt,” he said, looking a little miffed.

  “Annika, come outside, will you?” Justinian asked, having seen the entire episode. He and Sariel stepped outside, holding the door for her to follow them. Sariel disappeared into the barn while Justinian looked at Annika with a strange expression.

  “I saw what you just did to that fairy. I know he’s not the most…masculine one in the group, but you really don’t know how hard you hit him. Sariel told me that you know martial arts. Have you any experience with a sword?” he asked.

  “I’ve used a practice katana a few times. Why? What are you getting at?” she asked, but oddly enough she already knew. She could read his thoughts like a book, so much easier than before. Her amulet must have been working double-time.

  “I want you to fight Sariel,” Justinian said. Annika raised an eyebrow in curiosity and saw Sariel come back from the barn with her sword and the one she’d given Annika in the library the day they left the Marinossian’s home.

  “But what if I hurt her? What if she hurts me?” she said, looking at Justinian. Once again, she could hear his thoughts as if he were speaking aloud.

  You know she has tasted the blood of a unicorn. I doubt you’ll cause her any harm. And even so, I’m standing right here. There is no cause for concern, as long as no heads are severed.

  Sariel tossed the slender sword over to Annika, and she plucked it casually from the air the way one picks an apple from a tree. She looked at the menacing blade which curved to a point at the end. It was the same length as a katana, though wider and heavier. It felt good in her hand. She curled her fingers around the hilt and gave it a swing, cutting the air.

  “Are you ready?” Sariel asked with a smile. “I’ll go easy on you while you warm up.” Annika took a long breath and slowly let it out. She turned sideways and rest her weight on her left foot, standing en garde. Bringing the blade to her nose, she reflected for a moment, trying to picture in her mind how to go about her attack. She lifted the sword over her shoulder and leapt forward, swinging hard. Sariel blocked her with ease, pushing her backwards and coming at her left side. She turned the sword at the last second, smacking Annika hard with the flat side of it.

  “Oww!”

  “You left yourself wide open!” she shouted at Annika, then charged, swinging again. Annika blocked it, but Sariel’s strength was getting the best of her.

  “Choke up higher on the crosspiece—it will give you more power to push me away,” she huffed. Their weapons met a dozen more times, but Annika was afraid of hurting her friend, even though Justinian was there.

  “Are you certain that you’ve had training? I don’t think you know what you’re doing,” Sariel taunted. “I’m still mad at you for calling me a bitch, by the way! You know, you never did tell anyone exactly what happened that night Vaj died.” She swung at Annika and missed. “But I know all about it!” Annika’s eyes opened wide.

  “Shut up, Sariel! Nothing happened!” she yelled back. Sariel stepped back and gloated, which only made Annika’s temper flare.

  “You never told me that you actually propositioned Nikola. And what a gentleman he was, turning you down.” Annika’s blood was boiling.

  “Sariel, that’s enough!” Justinian shouted. Annika didn’t dare look to see if they had an audience or not, all she cared about was defeating her. She felt her anger roll up from someplace deep in her belly, and rise to her wrists as she lunged at Sariel with a fierce yell.

  The sword cut through the air behind her opponent; the tip grazed her back and then a thin line of red spread across Sariel’s back from underneath her blouse. She seemed shocked at this, but recovered quickly and rushed at Annika again, knocking her to the ground, and pressed the steel to her neck. Kneeling over her, she panted hard with a wild look in her eyes. This was what she lived for.

  “You aren’t part bloodwood by chance, are you?” Annika sneered. “You’re bloodthirsty enough to be one.” Sariel blinked and smiled victoriously, still panting. She didn’t move her weapon. Without warning she was thrown backwards by the same move that Annika had used on Talvi while practicing near the stables. Her swift feet had gone unnoticed as Sariel had been sidetracked by her comment. Now Annika was on them, and while Sariel was still on her back, Annika pinned her raised weapon to the ground. She stepped on the blade and raised her arms over her head, bringing her sword straight down with a ferocious growl. It sank deep into the ground only an inch from Sariel’s belly. Her glaring eyes met Annika’s, but only for a moment.

  “That’s enough!” Justinian yelled, separating the girls.

  “I was just trying to get her to fight harder,” Sariel snapped. “It worked, didn’t it?”

  Annika reached behind him and yanked the weapon out of the ground, stomping back towards the house. Nikola was standing under a tree with the wolves, where he’d been observing the practice session. She stepped in front of him and gave him a nasty look.

  “I thought we weren’t going to mention that to anyone, and I know that she can’t read minds!” she hissed. “It was you who told her, wasn’t it?” Nikola batted his blue eyes and smiled innocently.

  “Perhaps you can recall a rather loud argument back on the ship,” he said. “I have no need to boast of such things, not when you do it so well on your own.”