Page 32 of Empire of Dark

I dodged to the right, easily escaping the blow. I was fast—he’d just found that out.

He used the downward force of his sword to swing it around at my back and I slid my sword over my shoulder. Block. A nice one at that.

I swung my foot out, going for the back of his knee and he went down, his sword sliding along mine.

I hopped behind him, waiting for him to right himself.

It didn’t take him but a second and he spun on his knee, slicing his blade through the air. I blocked it and in the next instant he was on his feet.

Time to advance, and I sent my sword at him from four different directions, sending him several steps backward. He blocked them, one after another, but it still drove him back four steps.

He was good. I was better.

But I wouldn’t get a good workout in if I put him down right away.

I pulled back, my blade angled upward and waiting for his next move.

A heave of a breath and he was on me, swinging with all his might at my head. Again and again and again, the clashing steel rang in my ears. I held my ground this time, challenging, and he kept striking. Excellent.

I liked his movement—random and not what one would think from a man sized like him.

But as much as his blows landed on my sword, he was growing frustrated. Following me a step slower than he should.

He was going to have to do better if I was going to be able to drag this out.

I moved in on him, giving him the proximity he needed to kick a leg out and he swept my feet. I landed on my right knee, whipping my sword up to block his next blow at my head when a mass in black shot by me, slicing Jacob’s forearm clean off.

So fast, Jacob didn’t even have a chance to blink. To breathe.

Fuck.

I jumped to my feet, my sword drawing back to strike, ready for a real battle with whatever had just sliced Jacob’s arm off.

The mass turned to me.

Damen.

Damen heaving, his bloody sword hanging at his side.

Jacob slumped, sinking down to his knees and then thudding into the grass.

“What the hell are you doing?” My screech echoed, bouncing off the exterior castle walls and the adjoining cliffs.

I attacked Damen, my blade swinging for his neck and he just barely got the tip of his sword up in time to deflect the blow. Again. Again. Again. His body quick, jabbing back and forth against my speed, but retreating.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I yelled even louder. “What the hell are you thinking?”

I pushed him back far enough from Jacob and spun around, throwing myself down to the side of the man crumpled onto the grass and writhing, my body over his to protect him from the raving lunatic that Damen was turning out to be. My free arm over his back, I had my sword up at a long angle, ready to block any blows.

“Are you trying to escape?” Damen thundered, his sword high and ready to attack. “Are you trying to get killed?”

Two strides and he was over me, bearing down on me with death in his eyes. “Get off of Jacob.”

My hands spread wide to cover Jacob from any angle Damen might find, my voice vicious. “No. He’s just a human. He was only helping me train—I asked him.”

Damen stopped, his eyes flickering. “What?”

“He was sparring with me—nothing more.”