Page 84 of The Blackened Blade

She twirls around before twisting into a backflip while thrusting the daggers outward midair. Her form and execution is almost near-perfect.

Her rosy gold-toned hair flutters with her quick movements, brushing back and forth about her cheeks as she moves.

Her piercing blue eyes are fixed on an unknown enemy before her, so focused, unnervingly so.

What was she seeing? What, or who was she fighting?

And why did the thought make me want to pick up my own blades and join her?

My brows furrow, my gaze still fixated solely on the small figure whose movements held so much strength.

With some help and some more training, she could become a threat bigger than whatever darkness plagues her now.

The thought has a small grin stretching at my lips.

I had seen the fight in her eyes when she fought those boys during class. She was a warrior, a fighter. She would push through whatever lay ahead, no matter how dark or bloody. They were the eyes of someone in battle, constantly watching their back, waiting for the next attack.

But the problem with constantly being on guard, is that there's no rest, no place to find comfort or peace. And she didn’t seem like the type to want someone to save her.

No.She wanted to protect herself.

And I could help her with that.

Her movements were good; strong, agile and quick, but she lacked experience.

She needed a strong partner. Someone to spar with and help her grow to a higher level.

Just from looking at her movements and how she works in class, I could tell she would learn quickly.

I take a light step toward her, and then another. The nearer I get to her, a strange feeling slowly begins to build within me.

I watch her movements quicken, almost to a blur as she pours everything into them. Her own rhythm forms as she loses herself to it and falls into another world.

Stalking closer, I stick to the shadows. I get as close as a few yards from her, before she twists around, her gaze narrowed to the shadows where I lay with the blades flicked in my direction.

Never before had someone so quickly noticed my presence when I did not want them to.

I step out of the shadows and enjoy the way her eyes widen, the fierce glare she wore just seconds before now filled with surprise and…worry?

Her gaze flickers to her hands.

Ah, my daggers.

She palms them, a hesitancy in her as she clutches them tighter. I could tell she didn't want to part with them.It seemed she also had good taste in weapons.

She quickly straightens herself and meets my eyes.

I take another step closer, when suddenly she speaks up.

“I know how this looks…” Her gaze shifts from me to the daggers still clutched in her small hands.“I didn’t–I mean…” She sighs before shaking her head, “I had my reasons for taking them, but I know it still wasn't right. I’m sorry, sir.” She slowly lifts the daggers, a hesitancy in her movements as she extends them toward me, her little blue eyes never leaving my elven daggers as she hands them over.

I take them from her, holding back the grin wanting to stretch across my lips at the small slump to her shoulders and slight pout to her rosy lips.

“I’ll take whatever punishment you deem fit.” Her chin tilts down, a small frown lacing her lips.

I flip the daggers in my hands, a wistful look making their way into her gaze with my small movements.She must really like them.

I twist them back around and hand one to her, keeping the other.

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