“You are not bad yourself either,” I returned the compliment and, having finished my food, I pushed the plate away.
“You are an excellent cook. I do not even know how to boil an egg. I might keep you; I need a chef. However, I hate it when you barge in my mind.” I sucked on my teeth, hoping that it would help me show off how badass I was. I was not. And he knew it.
“I solemnly swear not to barge in your mind again unless it is an emergency,” he nodded smiling.
“A life or death situation”. I frowned to make sure he understood how serious I was on that.
“Unless it’s a life or death situation,” he said and crossed his fingers. “However, I expect that my gift will expire soon. You need to learn how to block other people from entering into your mind.”
“Are there many of them?” I asked surprised.
“More than you would expect. But only a few have the special skill you have.”
“Time hopping?”
His fingertips slid on the scratched surface of the table before he answered. “The guy that was killed at the lakeshore and the one that I exterminated were both Time Hoppers.”
With an eyebrow raised, I looked at him baffled not knowing whether he was serious, or he was playing with me.
He put his hand in his pocket. “As I told you, those men were Time Hoppers__”
“And you’re a Time Hoppers slayer,” I interrupted him.
“No, I’m not after Time Hoppers. Not all Time Hoppers are dangerous. However, those men were members of a secret cult I’ve been investigating for a while. They were all wearing the same ring. A golden ring with a red stone. It is the symbol of their cult and their device for time manipulation.” He placed the golden rings with the red gem on the table.
“They’re beautiful,” I said.
“They’re dangerous,” he disputed. “But that’s all I know about them. I’m sure there’s more to find out.”
“How can you be sure that the guy last night was after me?”
“Because I had been following him for hours. I had seen him monitoring the crime scene, and I saw him following you.”
“Why would he follow me?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “What I do know is that the guy who bullied you in the classroom yesterday was a Time Hopper too. His name was Griffin and I had been monitoring him for a while.”
“Oh, I see.” I did not, actually. I had so many questions to ask. “That dagger of yours, what exactly is it?”
“It’s a family relic. It’s been in my family for centuries.”
“Quite a badass weapon,” I said.
“I’ve done some good work with it,” he bragged. “Now, here is the thing. I must go to the Academy. You will stay here. I will talk to Merlin about what happened yesterday, and I will reassure him that you are safer here than in the classroom. When I get back, we’ll decide what our next step will be.”
“Our next step? Regarding what?”
“Our partnership, of course. Don’t you want to become a Star Time Hopper?”
Of course, I wanted that. But he knew that before I even answered his question.
CHAPTER 10
*
I squeaked and struggled against his grip. A small cry came out of my mouth, as Arthur tighten his grip on my neck. The bastard smiled cunningly. With the press of his thumb, my muscles started shaking, forcing me to sink to my knees. Still smirking, he leaned forward, and hissed in my ear, “I’ve got you, little girl.”
We shared an intense glance before he released his grip. I would have crumbled to the ground if I had not used my hands as a shield to prevent a crash. I swore a blue strike when my shoulder bounced off the ground.
“Pottymouth,” he said as he gave me his hand and helped me stand up and steady myself when I swayed.
Self-defense training was one of the classes that I would have with Arthur. He brought me the news when he got back to his underground apartment. Merlin had agreed that I should stay out of the spotlight for a while and had accepted Arthur’s offer to train me on time manipulation and self-defense.
We had been training in an inner yard linked to his living room, that looked like a cave decorated with plants and a small fountain of water. I was in my Academy uniform, with the black-purple skirt and the black shirt. I had my hair twisted into two twin buns on the top of my head. Arthur insisted that I should not change into a sports attire, as he wanted to make sure that I would be able to defend myself even if I were in high heels. In fact, he requested that I wore high heels during our next lesson. I wondered if his request was made for training purposes, or he just liked kinky.
Before we started practicing, I sneaked into the bathroom to add some extra mascara and lip gloss using the makeup I found in one of the drawers. “Apparently, these are not Arthur’s,” I thought and laughed out loud.
I had not returned to my room yet since after the two attacks against me, Arthur would not let me wander around the campus yet. Nor I would risk it before we sorted out why I was attacked.
I was scared to death. I was still trying to process all those dangerous things that had happened to me in less than 48 hours. I tried to flash forward time to see what the next chapter in my life would be, but Merlin cast was still in effect.
After what happened, living alone in my room was a no-no. Arthur had offered me a room in his bizarre place to live until everything was over and I felt safe again. However, I was not sure how wise that would be. I had just met the guy, moving in with him did not sound decent to me. Not to mention that I did not fully trust him. Not yet. He was polite and well mannered, however, there were times I felt nervous with him around. One moment, I felt physically attracted to him, and the next, he made my hair stand up on the back of my neck.
“Ready for another round?” Arthur asked.
“You bet. This time I am going to gouge your eyes out,” I said while playfully batting my eyelashes.
“You wish,” he laughed loudly.
“Don’t kill yourself laughing. Because I’m going to kill you.” I reckoned I did not sound quite threatening as he laughed even louder.
With an unexpected movement, he grabbed my waist with both hands and dropped me down onto the ground.
“Am I hurting you?” he asked as he got on top of me and pinned my hands over my belly.
“You are a crazy bastard. Let me go!”
“You must earn your freedom.” He locked my legs between his thighs.
I tried to free myself from his strong grip, but he kept pushing me down with all the strength of his muscled body.
“Are you crazy?” I could hardly breathe.
“Stop talking and start fighting,” he said, pushing me down with his chest.
“You are batshit crazy!” I yelled as I was suffocating under the weight of his toned body.
“Try harder,” he whispered in my ear. His face was now so close to mine that our noses almost touched.
It was obvious what was on his mind. My arms held on tight onto his neck and when our eyes met, a ripple of excitement shot through my body. My legs were wrapped around his hips. My heart was pounding so hard that I thought it would jump out of my chest.
His gaze at me was so intense, that it took my breath away. I tried to utter a word, but not a single noise came out of my mouth. The heat of his breath fanned across my skin.
His lips moved and a shiver chased itself up my back as I thought he was going to kiss me.
Drops of sweat rolled down my nape and my breasts moved up and down when his lips touched the soft part of my flesh. As if he were hypnotized, he caressed my skin with his lips from my ear to my neck. My soul was conquered with feelings I could not explain, neither comprehend. What I felt was more like pleasure mixed with fear.
My heart pounded faster as he gently unbuttoned my shirt and I shuddered when his hand bared my shoulder. A small cry escaped my mouth and pulled him out of his dream.
“I’m... I’m terribly so... sorry,” he
stammered as he drew his head away from mine. Avoiding looking at me, he helped me get back on my feet. Hands shaking, I dusted my clothes off and straighten my shirt.
“What the heck just happened here?” My voice cracked.
“I am so sorry,” he said, bowing his head. “It is my fault. This should not have happened.”
He looked embarrassed like a child caught stealing sweets from the sweets jar.
“I humbly ask for your forgiveness,” he reiterated. “I have been inexplicably nervous since the moment I met you.”
“If anyone should be nervous, it should be me,” I replied hastily, covering again my bare shoulder, and buttoning up my shirt.
“You are right, Gwen. But do not worry, it will not happen again. I would never harm you. I swear,” he whispered, his head humbly bowed.
“You scared the shit out of me. Like I do not already have too much to deal with,” I groaned. “I trusted you and you did not have the decency to be honest with me.”
Walking at a fast pace, I headed back into the apartment with Arthur following me. “I trusted you enough to move into your place. I thought I would be safer here, away from those weirdos who tried to kill me. Obviously, you had an agenda and secrets that you did not want to be revealed. I do not think I will ever be safe with you around.”
My monologue continued as I climbed the staircase, and Arthur kept following me in silence. My face was flushed, and my eyes were wet out of fury and disappointment for the betrayal. “You know what pisses me off the most? That I always frowned upon those girls who so easily put their trust in a good-looking man only because he showed some interest in them. I am such a silly chick, and that is what I am mostly feeling bad for. How could I be so naïve? What did I expect to find in this place? Love? Respect? Wealth? You are obviously a rich guy. Look at this place. Half of it could be a museum of modern art and the rest of it could be Le Louvre. What are you? An antiquities smuggler? How did you come into the possession of all these? Did you steal them? Is that what you really are? A thief? A robber of dreams and hopes? And why did they let you have your own place on the Academy premises? Nothing makes sense to me, and I cannot keep it to myself anymore.”
I turned around to face him. “Or are you simply a bloodsucker who lures women into your glamorous house only to drain their blood? Out of respect, I did not wander around into your property while you were gone. I now wonder what I had found if I did. A crypt full of virgins in chains ready to offer their blood to you? A collection of ashes from those who you scorched down?”
I stepped closer to him and I looked him in the eye. “Who are you? La Barbe bleue? The so-called Bluebeard? The wealthy violent man who marries and kills one wife after another? Em?”
I wished I were a telepath. I would have spoken into his mind and that would have been more torturous to him. Having my angry shrill voice yelled into his mind, well, that would quite a punishment. But, on the other hand, me spurting those words out helped me vent and steam off. I felt calmer and prouder of myself.
He kept silent, following me while I was running and yelling around his own place, spitting out insults to him and provoking him. I wanted to know how furious he was with me. And I wanted to make sure my safety was still granted and that he was not going to attack me.
It was not fury or rage what I felt coming from his heart. “Does he even have one?” I thought. On the contrary, I felt humiliation, shame, and desperation.
He looked sad. He said he had regretted not telling me the truth from the beginning. He had chosen to keep silent and let his soul speak for him. And, darn, his soul was in pain.
Instinctively I opened my mouth to utter a word of comfort, but he put his finger on my lips in a signal to keep silent.
“Someone is downstairs,” he whispered. “Stay here and close the door. And don’t get out whatever happens downstairs,” he said as he moved carefully towards the door.
“I cannot use telepathy anymore; the gift is gone,” he said before he closed the door behind him. I stood there gasping in the empty bedroom, flabbergasted by the turn of the events, frightened to death.
I had suffered a major fail. I had seen nothing of those coming. I ought to allow myself to act, whatever that could mean.
A loud “bang” made me jump and my heart raced like a crazy horse. The entire building was shaken when its walls were hit by something massive, and glasses were broken in an eerie crunching sound. He needed my help, but I was not brave enough to get out of my hiding place. Me, the snarky, sarcastic, short-tempered gal who had just disgraced him, I did not have the guts to step out of the room that kept me safe and help him face whatever that was breaking the mansion down was.
Another loud “bang” was this time accompanied by Arthur’s cry of pain.
“That’s it. I’m going out,” I muttered and cracked open the door enough to take a glance at the battle that was taking place in the once luxurious living room. I could not see much though, so I took a deep breath and I stepped hesitantly into the corridor and tiptoed to the staircase. A bright light flashed the space as Arthur dragged his dagger out of his pocket to defend himself from a huge black-clad man’s knife attacks.
Arthur stayed still until his opponent got closer to him, and then with a quick move, he ducked and grasped him by the knees. With all his strength, Arthur pulled his opponent’s legs up and sent him flying onto his back. A quick move and he wrapped his arm around the man’s jaw. Trying to defend himself, the stranger attempted a thrust at Arthur’s chest right when Arthur rammed his dagger into his opponent’s neck. The man passed away without knowing that his own dagger had penetrated Arthur’s ribs. Once the stranger had given his last breath, his entire body was scorched down and disintegrated into a pile of black ashes.
With his dagger still flashing into his hand, Arthur lost his balance and collapsed.
“Oh my Gosh,” I cried and ran through smashed pieces of glass, and broken furniture to get to him.
“They’ve found us. And they want you.” The words came out of his mouth with a struggle.
I knelt down and gently I put his head on my lap. “You don’t look good,” I said softly.
“I got stabbed with a Carnwennan dagger.” He started coughing uncontrollably.
“What does that mean?” I asked but deep inside I knew what the answer would be.
“A Carnwennan dagger is one of the few things in this world that can cause the death of a Time Hopper,” he said.
I brushed his brown hair with my fingers and swiped a bead of sweat that rolled down from his forehead. “But that’s not the case with you. You are not going to die,” I whispered.
“I’m afraid the end is close for me. I am okay with that. I am only sorry that I will not be able to honor my promise to you. I promised to protect you, Gwen. I hope you forgive me.” His body shivered on my lap.
“This can’t be the end. This was supposed to be the beginning. We just met.” My eyes watered as I remembered the quarrel that we had only a few minutes ago, when I was ready to leave and shut the door behind me with a “bang”. Guilt took over my heart and my soul cried sensing the pain of his body and his heart.
“I’ve never met a girl like you. Believe when I say that. I am not flirting with you, nor flattering you. There is something deep in your soul, something that even you do not know exists that draws me to you. It is something in your past, Gwen, something that waits to be discovered. Something that our rivals suspect it exists.” Moving his hands with difficulty, he gave me his Carnwennan dagger.
“Keep this. It’ll help you protect yourself. No Time Hopper has ever survived from the wounds made by the blade of a Carnwennan. And I hope you will someday forgive me for not being entirely honest with you. I am sorry I did not tell you who I am. And I hope you’ll understand someday why I did that.”
“What are you talking about? Who are you?”
His body was shaking badly, and he could barely speak. However, that did not make him stop. It was then
when I understood how much I admired him. I admired his strength, his determination, his perseverance. There was one more thing that finally was made clear to me. I did not want him to die. He had just entered my life and I did not want him to be gone. That might be one of the few times in my life that I was not egoistically thinking. I did not need him to safeguard me. I needed him to teach me how to become a better person. From the moment I met him, he kept repeating that he would be by my side, to support me and to protect me. And that is what he did after all. When I was cowardly hidden in the guestroom, he was fighting against the man who had come to get me killed. And now, he was dying in my hands. No! That could not be the end. I would not let that be the end. There had to be a way to save him.
“Arthur, I can’t let you go! Just tell me what I need to do to save you. There must be a way.” I could not hide the desperate tone in my voice.
“Yes, there is something I need you to do. Please, go to that bastard’s ashes, get the ring he was wearing, and put it on your finger,” he said. “Please, do as I say. I’m running out of time.”
I placed his head carefully on the floor, and I went to what had left from the intruder’s body. I cleared the ring of the ashes and I put it on my finger. Then it hit me.
“Why are you still alive?” I asked him.
“Excuse me?”
I ran back and knelt over him. “You said that you have been injured by a Carnwennan. From what I have seen, once a Time Hopper’s skin is torn by a Carnwennan, their body is set immediately on fire and ashes is what’s left of them. But that did not happen to you. You’re still alive!”
“It’s because I’m still wearing my ring. Thousands of years ago, a protection spell was cast on this ring. This ring has saved my life many times, but I have never been hit by a Carnwennan before.”
“So, you are going to be okay.”
“No,” Arthur said dramatically. “Death will be slow but will eventually come. The power of Carnwennan is bigger than the ancient protection spell. I will suffer a slow death. I do not want that. I want you to take my ring off my finger and put it on yours. Then, I can die sure that you will be double protected. Please, at least give me the pleasure of knowing that I’ve done something good for you.”
The Cursed Sword Page 6
