“That’s a long drive,” Valerie replied. “The tunnel will be closed. Only the auto train gets through the border at night.”
“We’ll take the coast highway. We can still be in the city by morning.”
Valerie searched his face. “What’s your plan?”
“Justice,” Henry snarled. “If Charlotte is too blind to see that Jasper is swindling her, it’s on us to defend our family’s honor.”
“How will our honor help us?”
“You know how.”
She glanced at the sword. “You expect to duel the entire House of Sterling till you get our land back?”
“If Jasper wants to steal our future, then I’ll take it back in the court of steel and blood. The only court that will be on our side.”
“He’s the son of our liege lord. You’d be pitting our family’s honor against centuries of tradition.”
Henry’s jaw clenched. “All I know is, father left me a sword.” He focused his stare on her. “And he left you a car.”
Valerie looked into his eyes for several long seconds, then reached for the five-point harness and buckled it across her chest. “This thing really moves. You’d better hold on to something.”
Henry smiled.
Valerie shifted into gear and stepped on the gas.
4
Arrival
They reached the city walls at sunrise. Valerie had made only one stop, needing fuel for the car and herself. The coffee cup now sat empty in the cup holder between the seats. She had also made an impulse decision to buy a pair of boots to replace the sandals she had previously had on and a jacket to cover her bare shoulders. She was still in her cut-off shorts and her bathing suit peeked from beneath the shoulder straps of her tank top, but at least her feet now looked like they were ready for the business at hand.
Henry had been asleep for the last several hours and Valerie hadn’t wanted to wake him. He would need his energy.
She flashed her signet ring to the guards at the North Bay bridge gate, though the car went just as far to clarify their status as nobles. If there was any place where the dividing line between the nameless and the high families was easily defined, it was on the elevated roads of Port Hyacinth.
The highways of the “Silver City” stretched from hilltop to hilltop and island to island, linking the bay’s various walled fortresses. The fortified high roads kept the sights and smells of Port Hyacinth’s less-desirable underside a distant and infrequently thought of concern.
From the height of the Bay Bridge, Valerie could only make out a few details of the scattered rim villages hidden in the shadow of the city walls. Shanties clung precariously to the cliffs, and twisting roads that were little more than animal trails connected junkyards and dumps.
She returned her focus to the pristine highway awash in the dawn light. When they crossed the last bridge into the city proper, they climbed a series of winding streets toward the commerce district.
It had only been a few months since she’d last been to Port Hyacinth—on a shopping trip with friends—but now she eyed the tall buildings with darker purpose.
Henry stretched and opened his eyes. “Oh wow. We’re here already?”
“You missed the dark parts of the drive.”
When they reached the city center, Valerie pulled into a parking space outside Sterling Tower. It stretched skyward over thirty stories, the highest point on the hilltop. “You’re sure you want to do this?”
“You think somehow a few hours have changed my mind?” Henry asked.
“I don’t know. It’s morning. Dad used to say the morning was for making new plans.”
“I have a plan already. Make Jasper Sterling pay for his crimes.” Henry snatched up the glass bottle of tea Valerie had purchased for him at the roadside store and drank. When he had wiped his mouth and tightened the lid back on the bottle, he reached for the sword.
Valerie climbed out of the car, tugging at her cutoffs. She wished she would have taken the time to change. The air was cool and her bare legs prickled with goosebumps.
Morning sun was reflecting in the glass of the tower across the street. The glittering spire was the home of the Sterlings’ power, but they would need to get Jasper outside to face them. Those were the rules.
Henry fastened Durendal to his belt and shook out his arms. Then he picked up their father’s mask and hung it over the hilt of the sword.
“You’re positive you can beat him?” Valerie asked.
Henry gave her a derisive glare.
“I’m just making sure,” Valerie said.
“I’ve beaten him before,” Henry replied. “I beat him when I was only a sophomore in prep school and he was a college senior.”
“That was a school tournament. This is the real thing.”
“And I’ve won three district championships since then,” Henry said. “I think I’ll be able to handle myself.”
Valerie popped the trunk of the car and walked around back to look inside. There were several miscellaneous dueling blades attached to the trunk lid. She pulled one of the unnamed swords from the rack and carried it with her.
“What do you plan to do with that?” Henry asked.
“You need a second, don’t you? A second needs a sword too.”
“Not unless things go badly.”
Valerie accompanied her brother across the plaza toward the doors of the Sterling building. The lower two floors of the tower were sheer concrete and fortified with an iron gate. Several armed guards lingered just inside the bars. Beyond them, antique wooden doors granted access into the building.
“We’ve come to settle a grievance with Lord Jasper Sterling,” Henry said as soon as he reached the gate. “I demand that he show himself at once and face the consequences of his dishonorable actions.”
The guard at the door was nonplussed. “His lordship isn’t to be disturbed unless you have an appointment.”
“I have a grievance that is a matter of highest honor. Lord Sterling has wronged me and my family and must account for what he’s done. If necessary, I shall fetch a magistrate, but a gentleman would not hide from his actions. Are you suggesting your lord and master is a coward?”
The guard blinked and seemed to contemplate the corner he had been backed into. “He’s . . . I’ll send word of your request.”
“It’s a challenge, not a request,” Henry said. “Tell him Henry Terravecchia III demands satisfaction.”
“Aye, m’lord. I’ll tell him.”
The guard mumbled something to his companion, who then took up the forward post at the gate. The first guard rapped on a small door built into the larger wooden gate and was admitted. He vanished inside.
Henry and Valerie were obliged to linger in the plaza outside the building.
A few early morning arrivals crisscrossed the plaza, headed for various offices in the buildings around them. Some approached the Sterling Building and were admitted by the guard after displaying their appointment cards.
Valerie and her brother drew curious glances from passersby, and several people lingered on benches, eyeing their swords and waiting to see what trouble might be brewing.
Henry drew Durendal and felt the balance of it in his hand, then made a few quick slashes in the air.
“You think it will come to an actual fight?” Valerie asked.
“I don’t know. If he’s smart, he’ll admit to being a shark who preyed on our family and make amends. If not, he’ll be facing my steel.”
“You won’t really demand satisfaction, will you?” Valerie asked. “You should fight to first blood, tournament style.”
“I’ll fight as the situation demands,” Henry replied. “I’m not scared of him.”
“Well, I am. And you getting yourself maimed or killed won’t do us any good. Fight to first blood or not at all.”
Henry scoffed, but after searching her face, he nodded. “As long as honor is served and he admits to defrauding our family, I don’t need to see him seriously
injured. I just want our future back.”
Valerie pulled her jacket tighter and tried to ignore the fresh goosebumps on her skin. She didn’t know if it was the wind whipping through the buildings or the thought of the fight ahead. Her body was tired from the night of driving, but she was too nervous to relax.
She fidgeted with the sword in her hand, pulling it from its scabbard and finding that the blade was still shining and clean. No rust had formed and she could see her own reflection in the steel. Her hair was a mess and her mascara had smeared. She used the sleeve of her jacket to try to wipe at the corner of her eye.
“Well, aren’t you two the most eager fools I’ve ever seen.”
Valerie spun around to find a trio of vehicles pulling up behind them. The silver limousine had tinted windows, but the rear window was down and Jasper Sterling had one arm hanging out. He smirked at Valerie. “Did you miss me so badly that you had to drive all night to see me again? That’s sweet. Love the outfit.”
Valerie scowled at him, but Henry was the first to speak. “You have a lot to answer for, Sterling. You’d best wipe that grin off your face.”
The other two cars continued around their position, encircling them inside a ring of vehicles.
Jasper opened his door and stepped out. He was wearing an expensive navy suit but no tie. His shirt hung open at the collar. He sized up Valerie. “You should have taken me up on my offer. We had a wild night.”
“Where’s Charlotte?” Valerie asked.
“She went home early. Couldn’t keep up.”
A few of Jasper’s companions stepped from the other cars, several men and one woman. All of them were still dressed in their clothes from the night before and most still looked intoxicated.
Jasper straightened his jacket sleeves, then reached inside the limo for his sword. He slid the scabbard into the extension on his belt. “Now what seems to be the trouble, dear Henry?”
Henry stepped up to Jasper and stood toe to toe with him. “You know what you’ve done. You’re a thief. I demand that you give back the property you’ve stolen from us.”
“A serious accusation, boy,” Jasper said. “You’d best reconsider your words.”
“I don’t know how you got Charlotte to buy into this lie of yours, but it won’t work on us.”
Several of Jasper’s companions closed in around them. Valerie recognized one of them as the lawyer she had encountered at River House. He met her stare with an expression of disdain.
“Your stepmother is in love with me,” Jasper said. “Her generosity can hardly be considered my fault.”
“You’re playing her for a fool,” Valerie said.
“Such an unkind thing to say about Lady Charlotte. You think she has nothing to offer? You’re quite wrong. I’m sure you could learn a lot from a woman with her . . . experience.”
Valerie wrinkled her nose. “You’re disgusting.”
“Stop evading the issue, Jasper,” Henry said. “That property you sold is our inheritance. Did you think you could steal from us without facing the consequences?”
“Perhaps if you had ever taken the time to endear yourself to Lady Charlotte instead of making a spectacle of yourself all over the country, you might have been the recipient of her generosity as well.”
“More words from a rat looking to escape retribution,” Henry said.
“You should be thanking me,” Jasper said. “I’ll be a better husband to Lady Charlotte than your father ever was. She says he was sadly unimpressive once you saw behind the mask.”
Henry growled. He turned and walked a few steps, then pivoted to face Jasper, brandishing his sword. “In the view of these witnesses, I name you a thief. You’ve dishonored the title of gentleman and I challenge you to admit your wrongdoing or face the consequences.”
Jasper Sterling glanced at his companions and smiled. “Do you think any of these witnesses find your grievance sufficient for a challenge of this kind?”
“I do,” Valerie said. “His challenge is seconded.”
Jasper glared at her. “Another challenge of no account from a child of no account.”
Henry aimed the tip of his sword toward Jasper. “Will you face me or shall all here present name you a coward?” He spoke the words loudly enough that the curious onlookers around the plaza could hear.
Jasper’s upper lip curled. “Very well. You’ll get your wish.” He reached into his jacket pocket and removed a pen. “If we’re going to do this, let’s make it legal.” He turned to his companions. “Blaise, fetch me a dueling contract.”
“What’s the matter, Sterling?” Valerie asked. “Is your word so worthless that not even your friends trust it?”
“I live in the real world,” Jasper replied. “A place you should visit sometime.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle this,” Henry said. He gave her a handkerchief from his pocket. “Mark a starting position for me.”
Blaise retrieved his silver briefcase from the car and removed a prewritten dueling contract.
“Blaise attended Huffington Law. He’ll soon be employed at the most elite firm in the capitol,” Jasper said.
“Well, bully for him,” Valerie replied, dropping Henry’s monogrammed handkerchief a half dozen paces away. She tried to ignore the stares from the other men in Jasper’s crew as she walked back to her brother’s side. He was leaning over the trunk of the limo reviewing the terms of the contract, a pen poised in his hand.
Valerie looked over his shoulder. The desired outcomes of the duel were listed in sequential checkboxes beneath one another. The most serious outcome was “To the death.” Henry’s pen hovered over “Until too injured to continue.”
“Henry,” Valerie whispered through her teeth.
“Fine,” Henry muttered and moved his pen down to “To first-blood” and checked the box. He then signed his signature at the bottom and handed the pen to Valerie. She signed her name on the line for seconds, then passed the contract to one of Jasper’s seconds. Three of the men signed as witnesses for Jasper before he signed it himself.
Henry squeezed Valerie’s shoulder. “Now we get justice.” He walked to the mark Valerie had dropped for him. Three of Jasper’s crew likewise dropped handkerchiefs to define the space for the duel. The limousines formed a sort of wall, barring interference from onlookers.
Jasper removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves but then proceeded to lean against the side of the limo.
“Are you waiting for a doctor?” Henry asked.
“Actually, Huxley can serve as doctor for this duel,” Jasper said. “He attends Canterbury Medical.”
Valerie rolled her eyes. “Must we wait for you to list the credentials of your entire playground circle then?”
Jasper smirked. “We’re waiting for your brother’s competition. But speak of the devil and he shall appear.”
Valerie blinked in confusion and turned to find a fourth vehicle arriving across the plaza. A sleek charcoal-gray Easton Blackbird 900 pulled up behind the circle of limousines and idled. She couldn’t see through the windshield, but the sight of the war car twisted her stomach.
“You plan to cower behind a hired sword in a duel of honor?” Henry asked.
“The dueling contract allows a surrogate to stand in my place if I am ill. I’m feeling a little dehydrated this morning, therefore, I have assigned my role to a champion.”
“Dehydrated,” Valerie said. “You mean you drank too much last night.”
“Among other things.” Jasper turned to the man standing in as doctor. “Hux, dehydration is a serious medical concern, isn’t it?”
“Most serious,” Huxley replied. “I can’t recommend a duel in your current condition.”
Jasper held up his hands as though that settled the matter.
The door of the Blackbird opened and a masked figure stepped into the sunlight.
The man stood several inches taller than Henry. His dueling mask was a thing from a nightmare, black eyes rimmed with silver, and
a slice of crimson that cut through the black from above one brow and all the way across the right cheek. The mouth of the mask was a void that could swallow the world.
The swordsman was dressed in all black. Even the metal armor that studded various parts of his jacket had been painted black. The only other splash of color the man presented was the bright red of his sword hilt.
“I trust you’ve heard of the Sword with the Red Hilt,” Jasper said. “Legend says it belonged to Lancelot and also Sir Balin. Crafted by Merlin himself. A worthy match for your Durendal, wouldn’t you say?” Jasper eased himself off the limousine. “You had to know I wouldn’t face the sword of Orlando without a legacy sword of my own. What sort of fight would that be?”
Valerie turned to her brother and found his face had gone pale.
“They knew we were coming,” Valerie said. “He was planning for this. You shouldn’t go through with it.”
“Oh, I think he should,” Jasper said. “Your brother knows the code as well as any. Three-time regional champion, wasn’t he? I trust he will remember all the rules. Especially what happens if he backs out now.”
“No one is backing out,” Henry said, shaking out his sword arm. “A named sword and a mask don’t make a swordsman. Only skill determines that.” He squeezed Valerie’s shoulder, then approached the man in the mask. “May I have your name, sir?”
The figure remained silent.
“He doesn’t talk much,” Jasper explained. “But he calls himself the Red Reaper. I think it suits him.”
Henry set his jaw and walked back to his place. “Let’s have it over with. You’re merely delaying justice with your gutless tactics.”
Jasper smiled. “By all means. Let justice commence.”
Valerie took her position next to her brother, noting the eyes of the Reaper following her as she moved.
“I don’t like this,” she whispered.
Sword Fight Page 5
