Page 29 of Jack of Diamonds

He demonstrated the sequence with the Vorpal Sword, his movements a fluid dance of lethal elegance. Every step, every strike was purposeful and precise. It was poetry in motion to watch his beautiful, powerful body move.

For a moment, I forgot to breathe.

“Now you try,” he said, taking a step back. “Mimic what you just saw me do. Feel the rhythm...feel the flow of the movement through your body.”

I took a deep breath and started again, trying to copy Jack’s seamless combination of elegance and combat. My feet stumbled and my strikes were uncoordinated, but I refused to give up.

Jack watched for a few moments before stepping in again.

“You’re still too focused on your speed,” he pointed out. “Focus on your precision. Slow down and concentrate on each movement. Speed will come in time.”

“What if I don’t have a lot of time?” I argued.

Jack replied with an unapologetic shrug.

“Then expect mass casualties. If you can’t hit your target, it won’t matter how fast you are. Now slow down and do it properly.”

I nodded and tried again, this time taking as long as I needed with each step and strike. It felt awkward at first, but gradually my movements became smoother and more fluid.

“Better,” Jack said approvingly. “But don’t forget to keep your guard up while striking.”

I lifted my elbow a few inches.

“Like this?”

“No.” He sheathed his sword and stepped over to me.

Fuck. He was close.

Like...reallyclose.

Close enough to feel his soft breath on my bare shoulder.

“Close your eyes,” he said, his voice low and serious as he curled his hand around my upper arm. “I want to show you something.”

I hesitated for a moment before closing them, but he was my mentor and I was his apprentice. I did as I was told, although my heart was thumping wildly in my chest. What the hell was he about to show me that required me to close my eyes?

Be cool! Act normal! Don’t let him know that deep down, I think his leather armor would look a lot sexier on the floor next to my bed. Or maybe he could leave it on. And definitely don’t let him know that he smells fucking amazing.

I felt Jack shift behind me, then a soft rustling sound as he moved something nearby. Suddenly, a cold, hard object was resting against my throat– the tip of a blade. My eyes flew open in surprise and I immediately started to pull away.

“Don’t move,” Jack warned in a low voice, holding me tight. “Just feel.”

My heart pounded in fear and strange excitement as I waited for whatever surprise Jack had in store for me. Was he going to slice open my neck and drink my blood? Was he waiting for me to scream? Was this some kind of mental resilience drill, or torture preparedness training?

“Do you feel that?” Jack asked gently, nudging the blade slightly so that it grazed over my skin.

“Yeah, I fucking feel it,” I replied breathlessly.

“That’s the potential of your power,” he continued. “But you won’t possess it until you can wield a sword with both speed and precision. I will accept nothing less.”

“Do you talk to all of your Alices this way, or just me?”

A low, amused hum rose from his chest before he lowered his sword and put it away.

“Just you.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “I’m serious!”

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