Page 77 of Infernal

It was as effortless and natural as breathing. The grip wanted to be in my hand. There was no other option but for me to catch it—to connect with it.

“That’s it. Nice and easy,” she said softly as she began to circle around me. I wasn’t sure what she was doing, and even though I wanted to follow her movements, my eyes couldn’t turn away from the blade.

One moment she was walking behind me, and the next she was on my back, whipping her arm around me in an attempt to grab the sword from my hand. Without hesitation, I clutched her wrist and yanked her over my shoulder, slamming her down hard against the concrete floor, all without loosening my grip on the sword.

I stared down at her, confused. Confused about why she’d just done that, but even more confused about how I was able to move so quickly to defend myself without even so much as loosening a finger around the hilt. I mean, I’d come a long way since moving to Hollow Hills, but that was beyond anything I’d learned in training. It was almost as though I’d seen the attack coming long before she even made a move.

Her lips pulled into a knowing grin as she looked back up at me. “Did you see that? That was amazing.”

“See what? What the hell just happened?”

“It’s exactly what the prophesy’s been saying all along,” she said and jumped back up to her feet in one fluid motion. I wasn’t even sure how that was possible with the skin-tight jeans she was wearing. “As long as that sword is in your hand, you will always protect it. Whether you want to or not.”

Whether I want to or not? I recoiled at her words, not liking the way they felt as they made their way into my reality.

I didn’t need another thing controlling me.

Another thing taking away my free will.

Shaking my head, I threw the sword down and stepped back from it. “I don’t like this.”

“Jemma, there’s nothing to be afraid of,” she said as her shoulders slumped. “The sword is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do.”

And that was precisely my problem.

“I don’t know how I feel about being controlled by a weapon that no one on earth can destroy.” Just saying the words out loud had me trembling. There was too much power in that sword for any one person. Especially when that person was a teenage girl who hadn’t even finished high school yet.

“You can’t think of it like that, Jemma.”

“Easy for you to say. You’re not the one that’s being controlled by it,” I fired back, unable to keep the cynicism out of my voice.

“Neither you nor the sword are in absolute control. You’re just a Slayer, and the sword is just a blade, but collectively, you’re a force that will not and cannot be stopped.”

I wasn’t sure if that was supposed to make me feel better or worse.

“You’re the girl that is destined to save the world, Jemma,” she said with a gleam in her eyes, “and this sword is going to help you do it.”

“I really wish you’d stop glorifying this like it’s some prize I won.”

“It is a prize,” she answered sharply. “Do you have any idea how many Slayers out there would give anything to have this fight? This honor? This is the ultimate battle, Jemma.”

“You think I’m going to feelhonorusing that thing on Trace?” I said as I tipped my chin to the blade. “You have no idea about the burden I’m carrying right now or the Hell I’m going to carry for the rest of my life if I do this.”

“Look, I know it’s hard for you, but—”

“No,” I quickly cut in before she could finish the sentiment. “You don’t know, and you know what, Tessa? I hope to God you never have to find out.”

Using this sword on Trace was the worst thing I could ever conceive of, and there wasn’t anything she could say or do that would ever make me feel better about it.

She folded her arms across her chest and met my determined eyes. “Duty will always come before love, Jemma. It has to. You have to think about the bigger picture here.”

“I’m so sick of everyone saying that to me! It’s easy for you to say. It’s not your life that’s on the line.”

“It wouldn’t change anything if it was,” she countered, looking like she really meant it.

“Really? So, you’d feel the same way if you had to use that sword on me?” I challenged.

“Yes.”

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