Page 82 of Brutal Fae King
He pauses. “Uh… steady.”
“Steady?” I ask slowly. “What does that mean? My barrier’s expected to crumble in a few days—are you going to be ready before then?”
Vicmar looks away.
“I’m not sure, to tell the truth.”
“Well, I can replenish the barrier,” I say confidently. “You don’t need to worry if you can’t.”
He smiles and nods softly.
“Yes…” He says slowly, then sighs.
“What is it?”
“I wish I didn’t have to send you back out into battle,” he mutters. “If your powers weren’t essential to our battle strategy, then I’d have been so much more comfortable with you being kept somewhere safe.”
“Well, we found out the hard way that there isn’t anywhere safe in the castle,” I answer. “Not until we discover how he got inside its defenses in the first place.”
“That is true,” Vicmar grunts.
“I’m glad I am going to be out there,” I say. “I want to help. I want to protect you as much as you want to protect me, Vicmar.”
He gives me a crooked half-smile.
“Is that so?” he purrs.
With that, he turns and strides off. He goes over and picks up two practice swords from the rack—both rapiers this time. He easily tosses the blade from one hand to the other before holding the handle toward me.
“En garde, then!” he says, smirking. “Show me what you’ve learned!”
I sigh. I put down my sharp sword, and take the practice one from him.
“Fine…”
I hold my own sword out. The first thing he does is thrust forward, but I block the blade and roll it off, swinging my sword up toward his chin. Vicmar leans his head back, taking a step back—but then he pushes off his back leg, pivoting in a circle, bringing his own blade toward me. I dart backward, givingmyself a little distance to think. He doesn’t let up—he steps forward and slashes toward me again. I parry this one, moving his blade aside with my own before launching a front kick. It hits him right in the stomach, and he wheezes, stumbling back.
He grimaces in pain for a second, then looks up at me with a dark grin.
“Are we doing that, then?” he wheezes.
“You wanted to know what I’d learned,” I answer back. “I’ve learned that sometimes, you need to do what you have to in order to win a sword duel.”
Vicmar grins wider.
“But I didn’t know we were doing these things in this spar!” he laughs. “If that is how you want to spar, then let us spar like that!”
Uh-oh.
He comes toward me again.
I hold my rapier at the ready, and Vicmar surges toward me. I keep my gaze actively on his face, but in the periphery, I watch his hands. They move in from my left, and I hold my own sword down to block it. I tip my blade up and roll his sword away. I pivot on the balls of my feet and then slide away. He turns without a moment’s hesitation, and the sword hurtles toward my head. My knees buckle, and I feel itswishover my head. It tousles my hair.
But I’m stuck in a squat—when Vicmar pulls his sword back and thrusts toward me, I can’t get out of ducking soon enough to escape, so I just let myself fall backward. I hit my back on the floor, and my head smacks into the ground.
But I don’t stop moving. As I hit the courtyard, I force myself to roll back until I can scramble onto my feet again.
“Sloppy!” Vicmar barks at me. “Keep your balance!”
