by Deanna Chase
He positioned himself in front to block any view Samil had of me and took my hand from behind, leading me forward. Adam locked me against him tight as a safe, and when I tried to move away, his arm corralled me back in.
“Council,” Justus greeted.
“This is a most unusual set of circumstances,” the older man, Samuel, said with a curious tone.
It was a rule that no conversations would begin on the matter until all parties were present. That meant the Council detained Samil on trust without explanation of the circumstances.
“Explain to us, Samil, why your Learner is not in your care and we have you in our custody?”
His thin lips peeled back. “I was attacked without provocation by the Mage you see before you and my progeny was stolen from me. They cannot take what is rightfully mine, I demand justice!”
My forehead fell on Adam’s back in anger. I stared at my boots and began to kick one of them as a riled-up mare might.
“With the challenge already set, what would be their intention if they know this would bring consequence?” Novis asked.
“I think it’s because they know they cannot defeat me and wanted to use her as much as they could. They covet her. They tried to kill me; do our laws not protect a Mage whose life is threatened?”
“Your life was in no danger, Samil. Otherwise one of the parties present would be dead and we would not be standing here,” Hannah interrupted.
I’d had enough. I tried to move around Adam when his arm reached to push me back. Shoving at it, I stepped out in the open.
“Justus, did you attack Samil and remove the Learner from his custody?” This time it was Sasha who spoke in her bright voice.
“I did. Ask me why,” Justus replied.
“Of course,” she laughed. “Do tell.”
I could have slapped her.
“In her Creator’s care, she was beaten, nearly raped, had her power prostituted out. That Mage stole her light with intent to end it. If we did not feel her life was truly in danger, we would not have interfered.”
Which was a lie. If he knew a fraction of what was going on in that basement he would have come in, guns blazing.
Samil waved his arms. “Lies. Why would I want to kill my progeny? After all that it takes to create a Learner, what he says is ludicrous.”
By his reply, he did not deny the other accusations, and it was noted on the faces of the Council.
“As you know, Justus, it is not our place to interfere with the relations of a Learner and their maker,” Hannah began. I heard a low growl, but wasn’t sure where it came from. “But I am interested in one small detail, Samil. You lent out your progeny for others to use? You are aware that we have laws against light stealing if it was against her will.”
“She is mine!”
“That remains to be seen,” Novis interrupted. “Learner, come closer.”
I looked up at the young man as Justus and Simon parted like the Red Sea. Closing the distance, I found myself side by side with Samil.
Novis watched me with eyes that sparkled in the dim light that emanated from Hannah as it illuminated the space around her.
A drop of rain splashed across my nose and I wiped it away.
“Silver, was his intention to end your life?”
“Yes.” But that was not the whole truth. I could tell Merc sensed this by the way his body swayed in protest.
“Would you care to elaborate?”
“Only if I can ask a question.”
I liked Novis. There was nothing condescending in his voice or expression when he spoke to me. He almost looked like Simon did when I would smart off to Justus. Of course, I knew it wasn’t appropriate with the Council, but something told me that deep down he really did like my outspokenness.
“You may.”
“Mage have been around for a long time, and on many levels are superior to humans only in that they have the advantage of time and power. You have more time to learn, to grow, to educate yourself. But in the short time I’ve been a Mage I can’t help but wonder, why haven’t we evolved?”
He didn’t appear to know how to answer. A few of them looked between each other and I shook my head and went on with the story.
“Yes, he took me in that field to kill me. It wasn’t until after he stole my light that he changed his mind and planned to keep me for himself—to use me. The only thing that man ever wanted to teach me was how to beg for mercy.”
“You motherfuck—”
“Silence!” Hannah barked at Justus. I was so shocked I turned to look at him because Justus never swore like that around me. Maybe once, but it scared the life out of me.
That admission had released Samil from any charges he might have faced with the Council. This was no human court of law where attempted murder would hold up. Either you murdered someone or you didn’t. What you intended to do held no importance.
Samuel mumbled impatiently, “Let’s get on with this.”
“Samil,” Hannah began, “the Council presented an open challenge in which the rights to this Learner could be sought after by any challenger due to the circumstance of her creation. As defined, the power will be leveled down to the weakest, making fair the fight. Is there any here who would challenge Samil for this Mage? Speak up, or this Learner will be returned to her Creator.”
“I challenge him.”
Adam stepped forward and allowed the Council to appraise him.
Sasha snapped her head around and glared at Hannah. “He is not Mage,” she nearly whined in her high voice, sounding like a teenager.
“No, I am not a Mage. My name is Adam Razor and I am challenging Samil to fight as a human. I want justice for what he did to her as a human and I will leave with nothing less.”
“Well played,” Samil bit through his teeth at my Ghuardian.
The Council recognized their gaping loophole that would allow a human to fight Samil. They set forth the rules and were bound by them.
“As a human, it is within my rights to challenge him to the death.”
Adam removed a dagger from the inside of his jacket and snapped his wrist, sending the blade slicing through the air until it plunged into the earth. He bowed his head and silenced himself. Simon had coached him well.
But my focus was not on Adam.
I stared at the handle of the dagger and my throat was dry, my palms sweaty, and my heart raced like a hummingbird. That was never part of the plan. If Justus thought I was going to sit back and allow this to happen, he had another think coming. While I was pretty clear on the “to the death” rule, the weapon added a whole new element of danger to the equation that I was not prepared for.
I spun my head around and charged him with an accusatory glare. “A dagger? When the hell were you going to tell me? This is not going to happen,” I hissed. But he already snatched an arm around me and clamped his hand over my mouth.
I struggled, kicking him in the shin. But his hand was firmly pressed and I wasn’t even able to part my lips enough to bite his palm. So instead, I stomped on his toe with my heavy boot.
He growled in my ear, “Feel better?”
I smiled in the palm of his hand. Actually, given the circumstances, I kind of did.
“The Council accepts,” Samuel said. “Merc?”
The large blond man took a slow stroll to Samil with eyes as ravenous as a lion.
“Samil, give me your hands.”
“How do I know you’ll give it all back,” Samil hissed.
“Our word is law.” Hannah looked annoyed at the accusation as her fingers began to tighten one of her hairpins that had come loose. “Do let us know if you wish to strike an accusation against the Council. We’ll make a note of it.”
As the transference of power began, the light became a strong aura that nearly burned my eyes with a white flash. The air crackled and I jumped when I heard a snapping sound like the crack of a whip. Samil doubled over and Merc stood up—his body was literally vibrating. Merc’s eyes rolled
to the back of his head and as he faced the night sky, he released a slow, satisfied breath.
Tiny droplets of water awakened the forest from its slumber. The trees stretched their arms and bowed to us. Merc pivoted around and stepped back into place. “It’s done.”
My wide eyes went to Samil, standing before me as a mortal. I could kill him myself.
“Silver,” Justus whispered harshly in my ear. I didn’t even notice that he was restraining me with his left arm wrapped around my waist. I had at some point lunged.
“Let go of me,” I mumbled through his fingers, shaking my head wildly as he pulled me tight to his chest. I let out a long exhale through my nose as a dragon might, giving him all the warning he needed with my gaze. His eyes dropped to meet mine.
“Do nothing,” he stressed in my ear before his hold released.
“Then let it begin,” Hannah said.
She motioned the Council to move back and they formed a wide semicircle. Hannah sent out energy in the form of light to illuminate the clearing. That was her gift, or at least one of them.
Adam’s feet took a vengeful journey toward Samil. He was dressed in black pants similar to what Justus wore in training and a long-sleeve black shirt with his combat boots. Samil also wore all black, so between them they looked like shadows, only Samil’s coloring was much paler, making him easy to identify.
Samil spat on the grass. “You have no idea what you just asked for, human.”
“You look like a scrapper to me, without all that power.”
“I’ve got hundreds of years on you. Don’t waste your breath with such feeble remarks. I could disembowel you faster than you can say amen.”
“Big words for a big pussy.”
Samil threw off his coat in a single movement. “All this for a whore.”
Adam moved so fast he could have been a Mage. His arm swung out, but not quickly enough.
Samil leaned back and struck out with his palm—Adam dodged it with ease.
Watching him from afar, I could appreciate his skills and truly see him as the fighter he was.
They cut a circle in the grass as they sized up one another… both eyeing the dagger a mere fifteen feet away. It was a game of who could get to it first; it was a game of keep-away.
When Samil rushed forward, the physical contact started. Adam ducked out of the way and struck Samil in the stomach with a hard blow. As Samil bent over, Adam knocked him hard in the jaw the way a street fighter would. I wanted to cheer and shout, but I didn’t dare distract Adam.
My arms were hurting when I realized that I was being restrained. I glimpsed at Simon, who was very much into the fight as if he wanted to join. He was dripping with pride when Adam moved the way he taught him.
Samil cracked a hard fist against Adam’s temple and blood sprayed out from the gash caused by the ring he wore. Some of it got on Sasha, who looked horrified as she tried to wipe her robe clean. The second strike went straight for the throat—fingers extended—and Adam staggered back, almost falling.
Samil went for the dagger. Adam snapped his leg out and made contact with Samil’s ribs hard enough that both men fell to the ground.
The fog thickened with the steady rain and thunder crashed overhead, sending me straight to my knees. I had a metallic taste in my mouth and although I was always a little afraid of lightning before, I sure as hell wasn’t warming up to it now.
Justus caught my arm and pulled me up, never taking his eyes from the fight. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I’m okay—it’s nothing.”
Adam looked like a predator with arms spread wide and his body bent forward. Samil stayed low to the ground and I couldn’t predict what would happen next. Saying I was on pins and needles would be an understatement—it was more like daggers and spears.
“Watch his hand,” I heard Simon whisper in a quick voice.
I looked up and at first didn’t notice anything, but then my eyes shifted to Samil. His hand was in the mud, raking up as much earth as he could in a slow drag. I surged forward with all my strength and was tugged back. “Learner, you cannot interfere!”
Samil swept his leg, knocking Adam off balance. Adam took some hard blows to the head, including one that rammed mud into his eyes. He bared his teeth and grimaced as Samil took the palm of his hand and shoved it in hard.
Not for long, because Adam hit him so hard in the jaw that I thought it cracked as Samil groaned and leaned back, holding his face.
Once again they were fighting, Adam blocking the attacks with complete concentration.
Blind.
His eyes squeezed shut and he grimaced in pain. Samil tossed a rock in the opposite direction, hoping to throw him off and gain the advantage by confusing him. In a blur of movement, they were in hand-to-hand combat once more.
My respect for Adam went through the roof as he was every bit as good fighting blind as he was seeing. Each chance he got, another fingerful of mud was scraped from his eyes. This went on for five minutes… ten minutes… I stopped counting.
Adam’s hand came up fast and hit Samil under the chin, knocking him back. Before Samil even hit the ground, Adam took his wet shirt and rubbed his face until his vision was clear again, leaving a smudge of mud across his cheeks.
Once Samil hit the ground, he rolled and knocked Adam down, leaping on him. Each man held the throat of the other—Adam was on his back.
“What use could you have for a Mage? Humans and their stupid notions of nobility—I hope she is at least fucking you for this.”
Adam’s face tightened. “Who is he? What is the name of the other Mage!”
Angry hands squeezed Samil’s throat with choking force.
“Rot, human,” Samil spat.
I knew he got what he was looking for… a way into Adam’s mind, a way to break down his defenses. He found the crack in the foundation and was exposing its weakness.
I pulled free from Justus and stood very still. The rain was chilling me to the bone, plastering strands of hair to my face. My teeth chattered uncontrollably, but I was hardly even aware that I was cold.
Samil growled through his clenched jaw, “You haven’t had her, have you? What a pity.”
Those jeweled eyes deliberately rose to mine and venom poured from my stare as a laugh escaped him.
“She tastes every bit as sweet as she looks.” His tone was calculating as his gaze crawled up my body like a plague. He was slowly inching his way in, looking for Adam’s breaking point.
“You sonofabitch!” Adam shouted.
In a swift move, Adam threw off Samil, who stood up and retaliated by kicking Adam in the ribs. I winced when I heard a bone snap.
His pain was my doing.
I wiped the rain from my brow with my trembling hand.
Samil strolled over to the dagger as if he were already the victor. He gave a nod to the Council as he pulled the handle and unsheathed the blade from the muddy earth.
Bright red blood poured from his nose and forehead. Most of the Council looked on with bored interest.
Bastards.
Samil stalked in my direction with Adam between us, holding the knife at eye level to be sure he had my utmost attention as the tip of the blade waved at me. “You should have begged.”
A surge went through me when I threw my arm out and the knife suddenly plucked free from his hand flew into mine.
Sharp end in, of course. In those moments, I knew it was just a regular knife, not a Stunner.
I might have made a sound, maybe shouted, but it was all a blur. I didn’t even bother to remove it as I pulled back my arm, aimed, and sent it flying back at my enemy.
Samil’s expression went to shock as it penetrated his leg. I had never thrown a knife that distance, but I had to give myself credit where credit was due. At least I hit my intended target and not a tree.
I knew I had broken the rules, not that those particular rules were ever verbally said in front of me by the Council. Nevertheless, I was prepared.
But not quite prepared for what I saw next.
Samil pulled the knife from his leg and sailed down on Adam, planting it firmly into his chest. He never once took his eyes off me.
Adam’s mouth opened wide in horror as the knife sank in to the hilt.
“No!” I screamed. It was as if the world were moving in slow motion. “You can’t do this to him; I won’t let you!”
Adam turned his chin so that I saw him more clearly. I saw him more clearly than I ever had since the day we met. A man who gave me everything and asked for nothing. That’s when I lost all feeling and my knees gave in, sending me to the wet mud.
“Little girl, this is the price of disobedience!” Samil took a few steps in my direction. “Look at your human now—did you think you could win?” He laughed. “He is but a weak speck of nothing. Now you will live with that speck on your conscience for the rest of your days.”
My hand smeared across my face as I wiped away strands of wet hair from my cheek. I would never go back to him. I had a few remaining moments to decide what I needed to do. I felt hopeless and lost to a fate I did not choose.
Samil’s eyes went wide and his mouth opened in silent surprise. He lifted his arms and his knees buckled, sending him to a hard fall. When he fell to his knees, it was Adam who stood behind him, holding the knife.
The knife he pulled from his own chest. The knife he used to cut the throat of my maker.
My Creator collapsed, trying in vain to stop the blood from pouring out of his jugular as he crawled on the muddy earth.
Adam did something unexpected when he grabbed Samil by the hair and straightened his head to face me, opening his wound even more. He bent over and the words that came from his mouth were filled with vengeance.
“Look at her! I want her face to be the last one you ever see.” His voice weakened, becoming raspy and thick with blood. “You lose.”
Samil was on his way to meeting his maker and I hoped he was as big a sonofabitch as Samil was. His eyes glazed over, becoming dull, his skin paled even more than it already was, and Samil took one final gasp before hundreds of years of wasted living fell facedown in the mud and died.
Adam stood the victor. But he didn’t stand for long.