Page 40 of Seduction in Blood
I staredat the array of hand weapons displayed on a table of white linen. If the linen was meant to dampen the deadliness of the weapons, it wasn't working. I didn't like carrying weapons, terrified I might kill someone—or myself. A few quick spins and kicks had always gotten me out of scrapes before.
A glance at Sergi confirmed that Devon wouldn't take no for an answer. I was grateful for the shortened sessions with Anna, who'd changed her lessons from which fork to use at any given time to which ensemble to wear at a particular event. All of it was boring as hell, but I wasn't convinced time with Sergi was a fair trade.
For the last hour, he'd grudgingly discussed in excruciating detail each weapon Devon had considered appropriate for me. There were three different pistols and various sizes of knives, and if those didn't provide a solid opportunity to kill myself, the throwing stars would definitely get the job done. Instead of one or two sharp edges, they sported several.
"I don't like any of these. I'm better off with the moves Devon and Lucas are teaching me." Though my gaze lingered on a bone-handled dagger that had fit well in my hand. I couldn't do all the fancy moves Sergi had demonstrated with the knives, but the weapon was beautiful enough to steal for a private collection.
He grunted, a deep sound that, combined with his brows moving into a straight line, clearly conveyed his dismissal of my opinion. "Vampires are twice as strong as you. And while martial arts will work in distracting and evading many, if not most, situations, there will come a time when you will simply be outmaneuvered. You won't kill a vampire with any of these weapons, but you'll do enough damage to escape."
I nibbled my lip as I considered his words. After watching Devon and Lucas spar, no amount of training would make me vampire fast. And witty remarks wouldn't work like they might with human security patrols.
"Here." He picked up the bone-handled dagger and handed it to me hilt first.
The hilt was cool to the touch, and like before, fit as if made for me. I considered Sergi's wry smile. He was rather charming when he did that, yet it irritated me. "What?"
He shook his head and packed the remaining weapons into a duffel. "Devon said you'd choose that one."
"I didn't select it. You handed it to me."
He grunted. "You've been ogling it since the first time you picked it up."
I opened my mouth to object, then grunted back.
His lips quirked, and his smile widened. "Protect yourself."
I'd dragged my sorry ass off the mats enough times to know these vamps meant business. I immediately stepped back into a fighting stance, my new dagger held out in front of me.
His smile morphed into a leer as he circled me. I turned with him, never giving him my back. Something didn't feel right, and his gaze watched my hand with the dagger. I was holding it wrong. Or maybe he was psyching me out.
He licked his lips. "I think we're going to miss lunch." Then he dove for me.
* * *
The leaves rustledwith the ocean breeze, and I mentally surveyed my body as I stared up from my prone position on the grass. Every muscle ached, and I took advantage of the day's warmth in hopes of restoring my body after the earlier session with Sergi. I wouldn't have thought learning to wield a dagger could be so exhausting or that I would discover new muscles that even Devon's training hadn't uncovered. They must have been dormant since my birth.
With my body melting into the grass, I was left with nothing but my thoughts. For the first few minutes, I replayed the sparring session, trying to understand what I did wrong and where I could have done more damage, making notes for the next session. It didn't take long for the garden dream to worm its way into my conscious. Try as I might, there wasn't anything I could do about it other than face it.
If I closed my eyes, it brought me closer to him. The heat of the sun as searing as the touch of his hands. He reeled me in as if the dream had never been broken.
I opened my eyes and focused on the stirring leaves, the sound similar to the scrape of cloth on cloth, then skin on skin. His lips roving over my breasts, the feel of his tongue, then fangs. His scent drifted over my wrought senses—so close, so familiar.
"Is this where you hide?"
I sat up quickly, throwing a hand across my chest as if I were naked. My aching muscles made me grimace. When I stared up at Devon's bemused expression, there was a glint of intimacy that made me wish I had a jacket to cover myself as his eyes roamed over me. It wasn't a leer but a glimmer of appreciation, which didn't make me feel any better.
"That's me. Hiding in plain sight." I forced my fingers to release the tight grip on my shirt and attempted a weak smile.
"Or maybe this was as far as you could crawl after a session with Sergi?" His sensuous lips curled into a knowing smile.
"I found new muscles I didn't know I had." I scowled. As expected, my complaint slid off him like rain off a slicker.
"Sergi likes to push, especially if he thinks he has a student who won't give it their all. He tells me you were a sufficient student."
"Sufficient. Thanks."
Devon leaned against the tree, arms folded across his chest. "High praise coming from him. I wouldn't be so hard on yourself."
I shrugged a shoulder. "I'll be better tomorrow."
