“I would take off your head.”
“With what?”
“The blade.”
“But that’s in my heart.”
“I would pull it out and …” I stopped. If I pulled it out, he would recover and I would be dead. “I would use another blade to take off your head.”
“Which one?”
I quirked my brow up and said smugly, “The one I carry.”
There wasn’t a grain of surprise on his face. He folded his muscled arms. “So, you like to saw through your meat, then, Amelia?”
“No.” I scrunched up my face. “That’s gross.”
“Killing usually is.”
“I’d use the sword on the ground to take off your head, then.”
“Better.” He paced a few feet away and turned back. “It still wouldn’t kill me, but other vampires do not like it much when their heads are removed.” He picked up the sword, running his fingers along the flat part of the silver blade. “Burn their bodies after just to be sure, or at least make sure their heads can never reconnect. The good news is with a witch, you can stab them just about anywhere and it would do the trick.” He tossed the sword in the air, caught it, and pointed it at my heart.
Such condescending arrogance.
“Perhaps you should have brought me the ash blade, then, to make this dual a little fairer.”
A smile bloomed on his face. “I’m not that easy to get rid of, so you are stuck with me, witch.”
I stepped forward, and he lowered the sword to his side. I wrapped my free arm around his back and murmured, “I’m happy to be stuck with you.”
Light danced in his eyes, like flecks of starlight. “And I you.”
He stiffened slightly as his eyes flicked over my head to a point in the forest where birds took off in a rush, then he relaxed. He kissed the tip of my nose lightly and stepped back like the kiss singed his lips.
“But first, I need to teach you how to fight. Show me what Ethan has taught you.”
Ethan taught me to fight hand-to-hand combat without weapons. He taught me to take my opponent by surprise. He watched as Dahlia taught me to throw a blade with my power and I guess he thought her training was enough to keep me safe.
“Well?” he said.
“I don’t know what you want me to do?”
“I want?—”
I hurled the blade just right of his shoulder. It landed with a twang into the tree behind.
He cocked an eyebrow and drawled, “Oh, you can murder trees. The forestry division will be thrilled to know.” Before I could inform him I meant to miss, he moved behind me, the sword pressed against my neck. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me, but with the blade so close, my heart began galloping. His warm breath tickled my cheek, but his voice was gruff. “You are dead. The only weapon you had gone. Wasted.”
“That’s not fair,” I protested. “If it was a real fight, I’d have sunk it into your heart or thrown you.”
He let me go and stepped back. I turned to face him.
“You wouldn’t have had time to throw him, Amy, after you hurled the blade. The element of surprise was gone,” a deep voice said. My eyes shot above to find Kenneth and Monique seated on rocks halfway up the waterfall.
My mouth fell open. I didn’t hear them, nor did I feel them. I guess having a sword pressed to your neck was the distraction they needed to slip in unnoticed. Karson didn’t look at all surprised. Was this the reason he’d stepped away so quickly? Why did Monique bring Kenneth? Did she want him to find out about us? Or did he already know?
I turned to face him, placing my hands on my hips. “The element of surprise was gone because the blade was in my hand.”
