With the front leg successfully dislocated, Jinx let go and backed up. She had no intention of giving the Were a chance to grapple on the floor and possibly rake her belly with his rear claws. When the wolf got back on his paws, Jinx started circling toward the dislocated shoulder, then darted in, feinting attacks on that leg. When the Were tried lunging to grab her on one of her feints, Jinx spun quickly and, using her shoulder to brush aside her enemy’s muzzle, Jinx darted past and grabbed the rear leg opposite the useless front leg. This time Jinx yanked, backed up, and shook while grinding her teeth into the bone as hard as she could.
Jinx had to give the wolf his due; he stayed on two feet longer than she expected. Suddenly she got the right angle on his leg, and, putting all her weight and strength into a savage twisting motion, she heard a satisfying crack! The Were yowled with pain and finally lost his footing and went to the floor, where Jinx continued to savage the leg in her mouth.
Anne was watching her friend make the fight look easy when a man grabbed her arm. “Call her off!” he begged.
Anne looked at the man and noticed a resemblance to the Were that Jinx was fighting, so she shrugged and proclaimed, “He made me swear to stay out of it.”
Anne. The voice in her head belonged to the Empress.
Fine, Anne replied, but just so you know, I’m rolling my eyes at you.
Brat was the reply as Anne moved forward to put a hand on Jinx.
I’ve been informed that playtime is over, Anne told her friend as she walked her fingers along Jinx’ back to her neck.
Not quite, Jinx growled as she released the Were’s leg. She pounced on the wolf’s tail, and with a single chomp of her massive jaws, she bit off about three inches. Jinx carried the end of the tail over to the spot that had been poisoned and dropped the slobbery mess there.
If it doesn’t regrow, he’ll be Stumpy. If it does regrow, it will be a different color, and he’ll be Tippy. Jinx’ voice sounded extremely pleased.
“The challenge has been won by Jinx, and I sentence you—” Bethany Anne was interrupted by Anne’s voice.
“Guardian Silvers!”
Bethany Anne had to bite her lip to keep from laughing; her young friend had a better sense of Saint Payback then she did. “What do you mean?” she asked out loud.
“He becomes a Guardian recruit and has to spend five years training under Peter Silvers.” Anne’s voice rang through the cafeteria.
“I accept your recommendation, and may God have mercy on him because Peter won’t,” Bethany Anne proclaimed officially.
Chapter Eleven
As Anne waited for her tablet to connect, she wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans and took some deep breaths.
“Baby girl?” Her dad Mason had answered her call.
“Umm…” Anne hesitated as she wondered how to do this. “Would it be possible to meet with you and Mom today?”
“What’s wrong, Anne?” Mason’s concern carried over the call.
“I’m okay,” Anne hastened to assure her father. “Just, something’s come up I need to talk to the two of you about.”
“Where did you want to meet?” Mason asked.
“Well, if you come to my place, Mom doesn’t have to deal with Jinx in her space, and my security team won’t have to travel.” Anne bit her lip as she let that nugget of information out.
“Security team?” Mason’s eyes opened so wide that his eyebrows almost made his hairline.
“After some thugs attacked us, trying to dognap Jinx, the Empress thought we should have security.” Anne tried to word it as unthreateningly as possible.
Thanks for throwing me under the bistok’s hooves, Jinx whined.
Oh, pish, Anne replied. What I’m doing for Bethany Anne is secret, so that excuse is the easiest to use.
“Pish?” Jinx snorted the question.
Hush. It was in a story I read recently, and I liked it, Anne defended before returning her attention to her father.
“I heard something about an attack, but I didn’t realize it was serious.” Mason frowned at the thought that his daughter had been in danger.
“They figured it would be a snatch-and-go,” Anne diverted. “They didn’t expect John Grimes to show up.”
Mason winced. “Oh, that must have hurt!”
“Yup. One dead, two in custody,” Anne replied, failing to mention that she had been the cause of the death, while Jinx had taken on the other two assailants.
“Oh, and just so you know, we’ve moved,” Anne threw in casually.
“We?” Mason asked, his expression a mix of confusion and concern.
“Jinx and I, Daddy. What did you think?” Anne asked with exasperation.
Mason looked contrite. “You wouldn’t be the first young woman to be swept up in new love,” he tried to explain.
“Eeww.” Anne’s nose wrinkled in disgust. “Jeeze, Dad, I’m only sixteen!”
Mason just looked at his daughter and shrugged.
Anne shook her head. “No, no! Just no!”
Mason, not wanting to continue the current conversation, informed Anne, “I have just over an hour left at work, then I’ll pick up your mother, and we’ll come visit.”
Anne smiled at her father. “See you then.” She gave her dad a quick wave before disconnecting.
Did you do that on purpose? Jinx asked.
Yes and no, Anne replied as she reached over to scratch behind her friend’s ear. You should know by now I think of us as US. I can’t help it if Dad doesn’t understand that.
Okay, I’ll concede the point, Jinx allowed, and it was effective at taking his mind off of other things.
When Anne greeted her parents, she was surprised to find she had calmed down considerably.
“Hi, this is E, one of our security team.” Anne introduced her parents to the Guardian Marine. “Come on in.”
Sheila Jayden looked at Jinx and sniffed as she entered the apartment.
“Hello to you too, Mother. That’s why we’re meeting here where Jinx doesn’t leave hair in your space,” Anne remarked as she waved her parents to a couch that she had just finished putting a fresh sheet on to alleviate any dog hair comments.
“Can I offer you something to drink? There’s water, Coke, or what passes for orange juice,” Anne inquired pleasantly.
“We’ll pass,” her mother decided. “It’s not like it tastes like real orange juice.”
“Okay,” Anne responded, “but if I hadn’t offered, you’d have complained to Dad all night.” Anne was already tired of her mother’s attitude.
Mason jumped into the conversation, hoping to cut off an argument. “What did you want to tell us?”
“Well, the treatment that was used to cure me has some side effects,” Anne stated cautiously. She wasn’t sure how much Bethany Anne would want someone as disgruntled as her mother to know.
Mason put an arm around his wife to forestall a panic reaction. “Is there a reason you are bringing this up now?”
Anne nodded. “Actually, yes. You see, someone tried to poison Jinx at school today, and neither of us took that very well. You will undoubtedly see some posts on social media about the encounter, and I thought it would be better if you heard it from me.”
“Better for who?” Sheila was working to turn her fright into anger.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Anne growled in frustration.
Seshat, are there any obstructions in front of my parents’ apartment?
>>No, surveillance cameras show everything clear.<<
With the confirmation that it was safe, Anne darted behind the couch, placed a hand on each of her parent’s shoulders, and stepped through the Etheric to return them to their front door. Anne turned her father and gave him a quick hug. Looking at her mother, she stated, “When you feel like being a mother and not some sort of prosecutor, we can talk some more.”
Both of Anne’s parents were so shocked by the event that they stood silent as their daughter spun and disappeared.
&
nbsp; With the break from school, Anne could finally devote time to other things. First on her agenda was getting Gina trained for her new job.
“Hey, Cheryl Lynn,” Anne chirped as she and Jinx entered Bethany Anne’s office complex.
“Hello, Anne. Good morning, Jinx,” the cheerful woman answered. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company today?”
Anne looked somewhat embarrassed when she realized she hadn’t come just to be social. It was because she needed something.
“I know you’re busy, honey, so just spit it out,” Cheryl Lynn teased Anne with a smirk on her face.
“Thanks. I want to take on a young woman as a sort of personal assistant, but she doesn’t have any experience. I was hoping you could take her under your wing for a few weeks and show her the ins and outs,” Anne requested anxiously.
“You have an EI, don’t you?” Cheryl Lynn was puzzled.
Anne nodded. “An AI actually. Seshat, and she’s great. It’s just, I imagine there will be a lot of people who will feel more comfortable dealing with an organic being.” Anne shrugged. “Plus, she’s in a rough spot, and this will help her and her little boy.”
Cheryl Lynn’s maternal instincts kicked in. “How old’s her boy?”
“Not quite two,” Anne replied. “And she’s been hung out to dry by both families, so she’s trying to do everything on her own. I’d like to change that.”
“He really likes us four-footed ones, too,” Jinx added.
Cheryl Lynn sat forward and placed her crossed hands on the desk. “I want to suggest a trade,” she began. “I’ll train your assistant if you ‘hire,’” Cheryl Lynn unclasped her hands to make air quotes, “my daughter Tina.”
“Is Tina doing okay?” Anne asked, concern evident in her voice.
Cheryl Lynn giggled. “Yes,” she reassured Anne. “she had planned on improving her education once she was finished at the Academy. Unfortunately, the situation here on the Meredith is like it was on Earth. Teens fresh out of school, no matter how good their grades, have trouble finding a situation willing to offer them an opportunity. Working with you will pad her resume.”
Anne moved to the front of Cheryl Lynn’s desk and extended her hand. “Deal!” she exclaimed. “I have enough things that need figuring out that another brain involved would be welcome.”
Anne felt like skipping as she left Cheryl Lynn’s workplace. Not only could she help Gina, but she could also help Tina. Maybe being a business tycoon wouldn’t be too bad, after all.
Once Anne and Jinx were settled on the tram under the watchful eye of Guardian Connors for their trip home, Anne called Gina. All three of the travelers winced at Gina’s squeal of delight when she heard the news.
When Anne and Jinx arrived for their regular training session, she was surprised to see the training area empty except for Gabrielle. Anne came to a sudden halt when she noticed Gabrielle was holding two training swords.
“Did I get my dates mixed up?” Anne asked the other vampire.
Gabrielle shook her head. “Nope, you’re good. You have me for the next few lessons. Bethany Anne wants you trained with a sword.”
Anne shrugged. “Okay. Does this mean Jinx gets some time off?”
Gabrielle mirrored Anne’s shrug. “I wasn’t given any instructions regarding her, so I guess she can chill out and watch.”
Anne spent the next couple of hours learning proper stances and the footwork involved in sword combat. Gabrielle then taught her how to hold and control the sword properly.
After four hours of training, Anne was soaked with sweat. “Why do we use Japanese-style swords?”
Gabrielle’s eyes looked past Anne as she pondered the question. “Stephen had a special katana that he gifted Bethany Anne. I imagine that is where it started. Why?”
“Just wondered.” Anne shrugged and did some stretches in the hope she wouldn’t hurt too much the next day.
Chapter Twelve
“Hey, Jean,” Anne greeted Jean Dukes as she and Jinx entered the woman’s workshop.
Jean looked up from the bench where she was working on something that looked gun-shaped.
“Hey, Anne, Jinx,” Jean exclaimed with pleasure as she grabbed a rag to wipe her hands. “What can I do for you kids?”
Anne’s nervousness made her fidget a little before answering. “Bethany Anne has me learning sword fighting, and, well, I don’t understand why we’re using katanas.”
When Jean’s eyebrows went up significantly, Anne continued, “They might make sense if we were still human, with how well they cut, but I have problems getting used to the curve when I thrust, and it’s not like I don’t have the strength to wield a bigger sword. As small as I am, something like an English longsword would give me more reach.”
Jean found a clean spot on her rag and rubbed her forehead, considering the idea. “Have you looked into the differences?”
Anne nodded. “Yup. Seshat found lots of information. Some of the historical differences don’t apply because of our modern steelmaking techniques. And, as I just mentioned, the strength factor is not an issue for Weres or vamps. A longsword would give me two cutting edges, more reach, and superior thrusting capabilities.”
“So, how are you going to carry this monster?” Jean asked after listening to Anne describe what she wanted.
Anne did something with her tablet, then slid it across to Jean. “This was from a guy on Earth. His is a little crude, but as you can see in the video, it works fine. I’m hoping either you or Stevie can make something that works at least as well but is a little more elegant.”
“I’m certain we can come up with something,” Jean agreed. “I’ll message you when I have both combat and practice weapons finished.”
Anne spent several grueling days with Gabrielle, learning forms for attack and defense. She suspected she would have to relearn some when she switched to a longsword. Stevie had been able to mock up a replica of what her real sword would be, and Anne spent a couple of hours each evening following tutorials Seshat had found in files that had come from Earth.
“All right, let’s put it all together,” Gabrielle informed her student. “We’ll start slow and then speed things up as you get used to using the forms in sequence to attack and defend.”
“Now?” Anne squeaked.
Gabrielle laughed at the expression on Anne’s face. “Yes, now. You have learned your forms well, so now it’s time to actually see them work for you.”
Clang clang clang. Anne’s tensions eased when she was able to block each of Gabrielle’s strikes with the moves she had spent the past week sweating to learn.
Clang clang CLANG-clang. Gabrielle was pleased; her student had been working hard, and it showed. Now let’s see what you really can do, she thought to herself as she ramped up her speed. Clang clangclangclang.
GV, Anne shortened one of the Guardian Marines’ favorite curses. She had been feeling rather proud of how well she was doing against Gabrielle, then her mentor had slowly and inexorably begun to speed up.
>>Your pattern is falling behind.<<
I know. Even Anne’s mental voice showed her strain. What I don’t know is how she’s doing this.
Anne, I get a sense that Gabrielle is somehow channeling Etheric energy, which I think is allowing her to speed up, Jinx declared.
Oh, really? Anne was still backpedaling like crazy in an attempt to mitigate the damage she was taking from Gabrielle. Can you help me figure out how she’s doing her super-speed thing?
Possibly, but not in time to help you now. Jinx sounded ashamed because her person found herself backed into a corner with Gabrielle’s sword at her throat.
“Oh, Jean, it’s beautiful!” Anne gushed when Jean Dukes handed her the longsword that had been made for her.
“Well, since you had already decided to go against traditional convention, I didn’t see any reason to hold back on the build,” Jean explained as she held up the matching practice sword. “I was able to take the formula I make
our armor from and adjust it to give you something with an incredible yet durable edge, plus an extremely tough spine. Don’t practice with that,” Jean nodded to the weapon in Anne’s hand, “against a traditionally-made katana. You’ll slice the katana in two, and someone will be unhappy with you. Also, if you give it a shake,” Jean demonstrated by waving the blade on its flat axis, “you’ll see it has enough flex to help it withstand blows against solid objects like heavy armor.”
Anne stepped back to give herself room to work and went through some of the forms she had been studying at home.
Jean watched in amazement, working hard to keep her eyes from bugging out as Anne whipped her sword through several complicated forms. She marveled because there was no flash or unnecessary flourishes to Anne’s movements, just a blade being moved with deadly precision at a speed that made it a shimmering blur.
As Anne entered the training room, Gabrielle had to refrain from giggling. The girl had a hilt that looked to be at least ten inches long sticking above her shoulder, and it looked like the blade was protruding beyond her left leg so as to not impede Anne as she moved.
“Compensating much?” Gabrielle couldn’t help but tease. Gabrielle had to take a quick step backward when with a speed she had just come to recognize the girl was capable of, Anne had forty some-odd inches of shimmering practice sword in front of her.
“That’s not possible!” Gabrielle protested in shock.
Anne smirked and spun to put her back to Gabrielle. “Anything’s possible with the right innovation,” she informed her instructor as she returned the blade to a custom-made device that allowed a five-foot-four girl to carry and use a four-foot four-inch sword.
“How did you come up with that idea?” Gabrielle asked, very impressed.
“Truthfully, I didn’t,” Anne confessed. “When I was discussing wanting to use a longsword-type blade, Seshat did a search of all the files from Earth and found a man who had designed something like this to prove it was a viable concept. If you take a viable idea to Jean Dukes, you can just stand back and watch the magic happen,” Anne declared with a smile. “I believe you were around when these were the weapon de jour, so I’m hoping you can provide proper instruction.”
Etheric Adventures Boxed Set: Books 1-3 Page 32
