Zach’s answer to that question was a smile.
Daniella moved her head and neck to test how tight his grip on her throat was. She found that it wasn’t so firm after all, though nonetheless, it was still uncomfortable.
She asked, “Please, remove your hand from my throat, my lord.”
Zach was amused at the demand and asked, “Why?” His eyes flicked to the blood-red sword.
Daniella noticed him staring at the saber still in her hand and said, “I won’t use it. I promise. I’m here to negotiate. There’s no need for violence.”
She knew it was ironic for her to say that last sentence since she had been the one who sneaked into his room with her sword drawn after all.
Zach gave her an expression that told her he didn’t believe her words.
“I mean it,” she said, annoyed all of a sudden that he should question her sincerity. “I’m here to negotiate. We both know Maiko-dono and John have nothing to do with the attempted murder. We both also know your father, the earl of Middlemarch, is not the culprit, and I personally might have a clue as to who that person might be, or at least know a person who can lead us to the real culprit behind the entire charade.”
Zach was, of course, interested in what the young Master Dan had to say. However, for the moment, his urge to tease overrode his thirst to find out more about the attempted murder. Hence, he asked arrogantly and rhetorically, “You expect me to believe a street urchin masquerading as some noble Chinese lord in order to steal?”
Daniella was offended and said, “You’re asking for it.”
Zach knew his teasing had worked to rile up that adorable temper, and his eyes glinted with expectation.
In a flash, Daniella swung her blade up toward him.
Zach, however, was quick. He pulled back from his crouching position, flipped backward, and landed cleanly on his feet on the floor.
Daniella jumped off the bed after him, her sword in the air and pointing at him. Of course, she realized just how ridiculous the current situation was, that she, a small female whose head barely reached this man’s chest, was threatening him with her saber. She had no doubt that this Lord Zachary Hasting had the power and the ability to knock the saber from her hand and take her down without breaking a sweat.
Despite the vast difference in their body size and possibly their fighting experience, because she knew he had much, she wasn’t afraid of him. The reason behind this was she didn’t feel any sort of menacing qi emitted from him, directed at her, which she usually felt from an opponent who had an intention to harm her.
Zach cocked his head to one side and said softly, “That’s an odd sword, isn’t it? Are you sure it’s yours?”
That outraged Daniella. “Of course it is. How dare you insinuate that I would steal such a precious thing?”
Zach chuckled and then said, “But surely you are a thief, no? And how it is possible that you came to own such a thing? Do you even know how to use it?”
Daniella, so furious that her face turned bright red, forcefully emitted her life qi to her hand and thrust her sword toward him, intending to teach him a lesson by harming him.
Zach, however, saw it coming. He smoothly shifted his body just so, evading the sword and the burst of qi that was directed at him and was intended to throw him back.
Daniella swung again. And again, Zack effortlessly moved out of the way.
Swish! Swish! Swish! She sliced her sword left, right, and then right again. She rotated on her spot and then struck again, left, left, right, left, and then right.
Zach moved according to the swings, intentionally missing being hit by an inch.
“You seemed to have not been properly trained, Master Dan,” he said. “Would you like me to teach you? I promise to be gentle.”
Daniella was flabbergasted by his suggestion. How dare he mock her in such a way?
She demanded. “Please stand still and let me strike you, my lord.”
Zach couldn’t help himself and laughed. He had evaded the sword once again and was now standing behind the sofa, which acted as a barrier between them. “What man would stand still and let a boy as puny as a little rabbit strike him with such a menacing-looking sword?”
“I am not a puny boy, my lord,” she snapped. More calmly, she asked, “So you agree that my sword is powerful, then?”
Zach eyed the weapon and nodded without hesitation. He could feel the strong qi emitting from within that extraordinary saber. At the same time, however, he also felt there was something else there as well, a magical seal of sorts that was controlling and holding back the full strength of the potent qi, limiting its release and preventing it from lashing out.
He frowned as he tried to understand what sort of seal it was and, indeed, what type of qi the seal was restraining.
Zach was so concentrated on the abnormal qi hidden and confined within the depth of Daniella’s body that he let down his guard.
Daniella took the opportunity and charged at him.
Zach’s reflexes took over and overrode his control of his own strength and abilities. Years of being in the Militia and in countless treacherous situations had trained his body to simply take charge when danger presented itself, such as at that moment, because his subconscious and body knew if he didn’t react, he’d be struck down.
As Daniella swung her sword toward him, he smoothly rotated backward behind her, powerfully grabbed her wrist with one hand, and with the other, he wrapped it around her neck.
Within a blink of an eye, Daniella found herself entrapped in his hands. She noted, too, that his grip on her wrist and throat this time around was indeed tight and powerful, suffocating and hurting her so that she found it hard to breathe.
She groaned in pain as tears brewed in her eyes. It was then that Zach realized what he had done. He immediately loosened his grip on her and was about to apologize when he felt a powerful qi directed at him from behind, intending to harm him.
In an instant, a body came flying through the window, breaking the glass.
Zach reacted in a flash. He snatched Daniella’s sword from her hand, braced his leg, and pushed Daniella away from him as a sword enveloped with powerful qi came toward him.
As Daniella fell onto the bed behind her, Zach twisted slightly and swung Daniella’s sword up, striking a katana of the same blood-red color.
Bright sparks were emitted as the two weapons clashed, retreated, and then collided again.
Cling! Cling! Cling!
Before him, Zach noted that it was the young Japanese man named Ren, who currently looked as dark and enraged as the very devil himself.
Indeed, Saito Ren, who had come rushing in through the window when he saw Zach’s hand on Daniella’s neck, flicked his eyes to the bed. There he noted Daniella’s pale face and the red marks around her throat, jaw, and the side of her cheek. Instantly, wrath erupted within his being.
With powerful qi, he struck again, clashing his katana, Murasame, to Daniella’s sword. Then he retreated as he took a few steps back.
Zach stood on guard as he watched Ren, his eyes narrowed as he noted the fiery qi exuding from the young man’s body. Indeed, he had no doubt that this man was furious, and he knew exactly why and with whom.
He flicked his eyes to Master Dan and wondered how these two were related. Not brothers, surely? Master Dan was a half-breed of the east and west, whilst this Ren was Japanese. Friends? Aye, they must certainly be friends. But the fervor in those smoky eyes told Zach there was something more than just friends, and indeed, it both intrigued as well as irritated him, which of course was odd in itself.
When Ren swung the katana again, Zach was only too pleased to accommodate the man. This time, he felt he had no reason to hold back and gleefully sliced Daniella’s saber, Divine Blade, against Ren’s Murasame. The two powerful swords crashed against one other, causing sparks to fly. Cling! Cling! Cling!
“Give back Dan’s sword,” Ren demanded darkly.
Zach expertly spun the
sword about in his hands, which shocked not only Daniella, but Ren as well. How was it possible that he was able to hold someone else’s Claymore weapon? According to the manuscript written by Dr. Adam Claymore, the famous blood alchemist in the sixteenth century, it was basic knowledge that a weapon transmuted by one blood alchemist could not be used and operated by anyone else, even if that person was a blood alchemist himself. So why was Lord Zach Hasting able to handle and use the weapon? The sword should have melted and dispersed into a pool of blood the moment he laid his hands on it.
Zach smiled pleasantly and said, “Why don’t you try retrieving it yourself?”
It was a challenge, and Ren narrowed his eyes, his face dark. He grunted in displeasure and charged forward as he swung his katana. Swash!
Zach braced for the attack, and in a split second, their weapons clashed. Clink! Clink! Clink!
Daniella watched in awe as the two fought, clashing swords with one another. In fact, they were so fast and powerful that her eyes almost couldn’t keep up. One second they were on her left, slicing through sofa and armchairs with the swords, and then the next, they were on the other side of the room, and she had to rotate herself to see what was happening. Then Ren sliced his katana through Zach’s magnificent thick oak bed, splitting it in half, which caused Daniella to collapse along with it, onto the floor.
Thud! She puffed out as she landed, her body tensed from the fall.
Zach was chuckling as he swung the sword toward Ren. “Be careful. We don’t want to hurt our Master Dan, now do we?”
The words our Master Dan caused Ren to snap in irritation. He said darkly, “Leave Dan out of this. Dan has no relation to you, Lord Zachary.”
As he clanged his sword against Zach’s, Ren exerted a powerful qi to his palm and bashed Zach in the chest, sending the man flying back and smashing against the wall of the room.
As Zach crash-landed, he lost his grip on the Daniella’s sword. Divine Blade rolled out of his hand to land on the floor by his side.
Ren came over to the beaten Zach and pointed his katana at the man’s chest where his heart resided.
“You lost, Lord Zachary Hasting,” he said. “Please return Dan’s sword.”
Zach raised his eyes to Ren, a smile playing about his lips. “Well done, Saito-sama.”
Ren stiffened, not only at the compliment, but at the fact that Zach had referred to him as –sama, which he’d rarely received since he and Shin had migrated to the British Empire. It was a form of respect when addressing someone back in the Kingdom of Japan.
Zach effortlessly picked himself up as he straightened his clothes and dusted debris off himself. Then he retrieved Daniella’s sword and came over to where she was still lying on the broken bed.
Daniella hastily sat up as Zach handed her the sword. “Thanks,” she said as she took it.
Ren, who had been watching his movement in case he did anything nasty, said, “Care to explain why you were hurting Dan?”
* * *
Daniella stood up as Zach said, “I truly apologize for the incident and for hurting you, Master Dan.” He came closer, which surprised Daniella and caused Ren to stiffen.
Zach said, as he inspected the red discoloration on Daniella’s neck and delicate jawline, “It looks bad. Please, allow me to treat it.”
Daniella shook her head. “No, it’s fine.” She tentatively touched her jaw where the bruise was located and felt that it was rather tender. She eyed Ren and gave him an apologetic smile, understanding that she had messed up again, which of course she knew worried him.
Back to Zack, she continued. “This is nothing, and it can be treated back at home. Father Li’s concoction works marvelously well. The bruise will disappear in no time.”
Zach shifted his gaze to her eyes and asked, “Father Li?”
Daniella nodded. “One of my foster fathers,” she said, giving him a lovely grin.
Ren came forward and grabbed Daniella’s wrist. He then gently pulled her back to his side as he addressed Zach. “Will you explain why you hurt Dan? I have reason not to trust you after witnessing such an incident.”
Zach nodded in understanding. “Reflex. Surely, you of all people understand what that means. I was in the military, and when my subconscious senses danger, my reflex takes over.”
It was then Daniella blushed and said, “I think it might have been my fault as well, Ren. I charged at him first. If he hadn’t reacted, Divine Blade would have sliced him in half, which isn’t something we want.” She paled, only now realizing that if Zach’s reflexes hadn’t taken over and moved his body to retaliate, she might have murdered him.
Ren asked, “Why would you charge at an unarmed man?”
That caused Daniella’s blush to intensify. All of a sudden, she felt like a child who had done something disastrously wrong. She licked her lips and said, “I was angry, I think.”
Ren raised a brow in surprise. “You think you were angry and so decided to charge at an unarmed man with a Claymore weapon?”
That in itself sounded extremely erroneous and deceitful. After all, raising a Claymore weapon against the civilian was one of the many violations of the blood alchemist rules.
Daniella stammered, trying to come up with an explanation that would satisfy Ren. “I was angry. I honestly couldn’t help myself.” She turned her eyes to Zach. “Lord Zachary Hasting insinuated that I must have stolen Divine Blade and that angered me, and I couldn’t help myself and charged at him. I lost my temper.”
It was then Zach couldn’t help himself and laughed loudly, which drew both Daniella’s and Ren’s attention.
Once he managed to stop, he said, “Then it’s also my fault, Saito-sama. I was teasing Master Dan.”
Daniella turned to glare at him. “You were teasing me? How vile. I might have truly killed you, you know, and your teasing would have made me a murderer.” Her whole body shook in trepidation. “God, just the thought of it makes my blood run cold.” She was obviously upset with that notion and went quite pale and sick.
Ren placed his large, strong hand on her head and petted her. “It didn’t happen, so ease your fear.” He turned to look at Zach and said, “Regardless of whether you charged at him or not, I’m certain Lord Zachary can look after himself.”
There were hidden meanings behind his words. Firstly, Ren respected that Lord Zachary Hasting was strong, as his sword-fighting ability was indeed powerful. Secondly, he could sense that there was something more to the man than what he presented to the world. Indeed, Ren’s instinct told him that the future earl had a certain type of unique qi, though weak and dim, that both blood alchemist and the paranormal creatures should and must appreciate and fear.
Daniella nodded in agreement with Ren’s comment, especially after she had seen the two dueling moments before. Lord Zachary Hasting was certainly strong, in a league above her, in fact, which clearly explained why she couldn’t even put a scratch on him when he had been teasing her and causing her temper to rage.
Zach noted that Ren’s hand was still on Master Dan’s head and wondered how long the man was going to keep petting the youth. He noted also that the affectionate action clearly warmed and eased Master Dan’s worry, because he could sense the color of the qi changing. He didn’t miss the blush appearing on those rather adorable cheeks either. Suddenly, he wondered if this was how the eastern people behaved when they were close friends, though he personally doubted it.
Ren finally removed his hand from Daniella’s head and touched her jawline and the nape of her neck instead. He tilted her face to the side so he could have a look at the bruise properly. He said, as he examined the marks, “You never get angry with me when I tease you.”
Daniella muttered, “That’s because I can never get angry at you. And it’s not in your personality to tease me anyway.”
Ren had to agree with that by nodding as he gently stroked the tenderness of her bruised skin.
Daniella groaned, and Ren immediately remove his hand. “S
orry, did I hurt you?”
Daniella blushed, but didn’t reply.
Zach cleared his throat, which drew the attention of the two of them to him. In fact, he was rather irritated that they were acting in such a fond manner toward each other in front of him. He thought their behavior was certainly uncalled for. They are both men, for God’s sake. But then again, he had never minded when his brother Connor was acting in such a way and, at times, even displayed some very adult scenes with his casual male lovers in front of him. So, why, when Ren was treating Master Dan in such a tender way, did it bother him? Yes, he knew that he was fascinated by and took a deep liking to Master Dan and wanted to the tease the youth mercilessly, but that didn’t mean he should be annoyed when someone else was touching the youth.
Zach decided that even the very thought of that right now aggravated him and said, “How about we get started and talk about the negotiation you mentioned earlier, Master Dan?”
Daniella tentatively nodded.
A few moments later, after the trio had managed to put the room somewhat in order by rearranging sofas and armchairs, the ones that hadn’t been destroyed from the dueling, and turned on the gaslight lamps, which brightened up the place, they sat down to begin their discussion.
“I’ve come to offer you a proposition,” Daniella began in a businesslike tone.
Zach raised one shapely brow as he looked at her. “Go on.” He encouraged, leaning back against the armchair.
Daniella licked her lips and then said, “I saw the man who shot the culprit—I mean, Mrs. Turner’s husband—the man who attempted to kill King Francesco II.”
Zach narrowed his eyes. “Let me get this straight. Mr. Turner, who is Mrs. Turner’s husband and her accomplice, the man who shot King Francesco II, is dead?”
Daniella nodded. “I saw him being shot dead in Hyde Park on the night the incident happened.” She turned to Ren who was sitting beside her. “Ren can attest to that. He arrived on the scene and saw the culprit as well.”
The Blood Alchemist Chronicles: An Intended Murder Page 17