Page 78 of Empire of Dark

Next to me, Venetia guffawed, jabbing the tip of her sword into the gravel of the training yard and then leaning on it.

Damen’s arms clasped across his chest. “Useful?”

“Yes. Come.” I waved him toward us. “We need your help.”

Arrogant ass that he could be, he, of course, sighed and looked put out for a moment—but only for a moment. Weneeded his help and a man like Damen could never resist a request like that. His long strides over to us sped so fast I had to stifle a giggle.

The heels of his boots crunched into the gravel in this part of the courtyard and then he stopped, looking from Venetia to me. “What do you need help with?”

I lifted my sword. “I am not left-handed. You and Venny are.”

“And?”

“And I’m having a hard time trying to show her how to spin out from a left-hander attacking using the Musashi tactic. It’s not natural for me pretending to do it left-handed, so I’m doing a shit job of teaching her.”

He looked to Venetia.

A smirk played at her lips. “She’s right. A shit job.”

“Hey.” I mock-glared at Venetia for a moment before looking back to Damen. “But I’m very good at teaching her everything else.”

Venetia laughed, knowing she got my goat. “True.”

I held my sword out to him and he took the handle, flipping it about in his hand as he measured the weight and speed of it. I walked over to one of the raised flower beds that lined this area of the courtyard and sat on the stone edge, grabbing the bottle of water I’d brought out and draining it.

He looked over at me. “Do you really think learning with real swords is wise? Venetia is just a beginner.”

My mouth pulled to the side. “Danger makes people learn quick. Real quick. And they’re not augentrum steel—she’ll just be hurt and bleed a bit if a blade catches her.”

He glanced at Venetia, then pointedly lifted his eyebrows at me. “Yet you think it wise?”

I met the challenge in his eyes, not letting it intimidate me. “I do think it wise and I also think you underestimate yourdaughter. She’s quick, and she’s an even quicker study. She knows how to avoid the sharp edge of a blade.”

“Fine.” He moved toward Venetia. “I need your sword for a moment.” She handed it to him and he walked over to extend it out to me. “We need to show her once. You need to be left-handed as I attack, but we go slowly.”

I moved to my feet and lifted the sword. Damen attacked, slow, but there was nothing slow about my feigning to jump aside and subsequent attack, even left-handed. I sprang at him quickly, the edge of my sword low and moving in fast at his waist.

He spun away with a step, just barely blocking the blow with the tip of his sword as his right and left foot landed, instantly setting him up for an attack. Without his strength, I would have had a direct hit.

“Minx.”

I grinned. “Venny picks up on things fast, I told you.” Switching my sword to my right hand, I motioned toward myself. “You come at me with the same thing so she can see how it looks attacking a right-hander.”

He thundered toward me, his swings brutal, and I had to use more strength than I thought to block the blows, only managing on his last swing to dodge in time to change my momentum. I swung out with my sword mid-spin and returned his last blow—quickly—and my blade nicked his neck.

His fingers went to the slice, touching the blood and he smiled, wicked.

We were in it.

Blow after blow upon each other, our slides and spins expanding to the full width of the gravel area until Venetia coughed loudly.

We both stopped and looked at her, our swords lowering.

She gave us sour smile. “Shall I excuse myself? You two look like you’re in the mating ritual of the praying mantis.”

For a second, we both stared at her, and then I laughed. Laughed hard, in my belly, where it shook my soul. I did love this girl.

Still laughing, I stepped over to her and handed her back her sword. “Go forth. Learn.”

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