Pulled to the Dark (The Siriena Series) (41 page)

"How many can you kill?" he asked. "Ten? Twenty? Fifty? I have that many now, and I'm recruiting more."

"So much work," I said. "Wouldn't it be easier to let us leave? Perhaps you would care to make another proposal in which no one dies."

"Give me the castle and allow me to watch
Renea
die, and the rest of you can walk away," he said. "Otherwise you can all lose your little retreat and join the vast majority of humanity in mortality, and I'll still get the castle and know that
Renea
is dying or dead."

I looked away for a minute. "There's nothing you want instead?"

He leered at me.

"Right, like you'd give up your revenge for a night with me."

"Who said anything about one night?" he asked. "I was thinking a year."

"You're insane."

"A year of you as my obedient little sex slave in exchange for immortality for you,
Renea
and all your friends. But I still get the castle."

"You'd let them all go if I promised myself to you for a year."

"Oh no," he said. "You give me a year and at the end of it, I let them go."

I laughed. "I believe we have a trust issue over that agreement."

"But you expect me to trust you?"

"They would have a year to escape your spies. I'd be buying them time to get far enough away from you."

"Interesting. No, I don't think so. As tasty as the possibility you would give me your sweet ass, I don't trust you enough to think you'd pay off."

I stared him in the eye. "It's too bad you're such a fucking pansy or we could enter into some far more interesting negotiations."

He glared at me.

"Afraid of a girl my size," I said.

"I could break you with one hand," he said.

"Yeah, right. Fucking. Pansy." I licked my lips. "You got off on bullying me when I worked here, but you're afraid of me now. You were worried I might try to kill you.
With what?
My bare hands?
I'm five-two and half your size, and you're afraid of me. Pansy."

"I'm not afraid of you, you fucking dyke."

"Big man, but afraid to prove it."

He slammed his fist on the desk. "Shut your smart mouth."

"Pansy." I spelled the word out. "Prove it. You and Jeremy
against Petra and me, a week from Friday, a nice little wager
settled the old fashioned way. Personal combat."

"Oh yes, your black belt instructor," he said. "I don't think so. You and
Renea
, now, that might be interesting." He paused. "We will wipe the floor with you." He looked away. "The castle is mine. You're fighting to leave. When we win, everyone else leaves, but you will give me that year. Your smart mouth around my cock sounds good to me."

"If I'm giving you a year, then everyone else gets to leave.
"

"Everyone but
Renea
."

"If we win, we walk away and you don't follow us."

"Agreed. Bitch."

"Fine.
Noon, a
week from Friday.
How about the field next to the village where Jeremy killed all the villagers? I think you know it.
Swords and knives only.
"

I got up and walked out. "Don't be late. Pansy."

I walked into Petra's office. "He bought it. But."

"But what?"

"He won't fight you. He wants
Renea
. You can summon Sally and Karen, so she should be able to summon me. Will she be able to defend herself while I kill them?"

She smiled. "Oh yes." She started laughing. "
Renea
has had almost fifty years in
Siriena
. She has magic that Vincent can't match and won't expect." She paused. "And his intelligence obviously sucks, as
Renea
is an excellent swordswoman, far better than I am."

"Well, I did make him angry."

She summoned Andrea to her office. The three of us discussed the details. I didn't tell
Petra
I'd promised to give myself to Vincent if we lost. We weren't going to lose, so why let her worry about it?

I turned to Andrea. "Boss, I would like time to visit my parents before next Friday."

They both stared at me.

"Please, don't make a big deal of this," I said. "Just, you know. In case."

Andrea looked at me kindly. "Of course, Felicia. Take whatever time you need."

"I'll go next Tuesday," I said. "And take the fast flight back Thursday morning." I turned to Petra. "You are mine on Thursday.
Plan on a lot of shared orgasms.
"
I paused. "Aren't we due in the dojo?"

* * *

We all popped to the castle that evening. We brought practice swords and teamed up,
Renea
and me against Petra and Andrea.

"You two go all out," I said.

"They aren't as good as we are," Petra said.

"I don't care. I'm betting Vincent can't throw Jeremy, and even if he can, once Vincent is dead, Jeremy is going to run or die. Which of you is Vincent?"

"I am," said Andrea.

"I am also betting Jeremy doesn't give a shit about
Renea
and wants me to suffer," I said.

Andrea and Petra started at one side of the courtyard.
Renea
and I were at the other. Kelly stood well clear and dropped a scarf.

I instantly popped home and
Renea
had me immediately behind Andrea, but I was facing the wrong way. By the time I spun around,
Andrea's
sword was at my neck. Petra didn't see I was out and rushed
Renea
. They performed a serious exchange before Andrea could call a halt. Petra and
Renea
glanced at me with Andrea's sword resting against my neck.

I walked back to
Renea
and told her what had happened. "Try it again," she said.

The scarf dropped, I ported out and began a spinning strike for an opponent behind me. I popped back halfway through the strike, but Andrea parried and readily disarmed me before I could even think to pop away from her.

I walked back to
Renea
. "Put me in front of her, a half step outside striking range. Expect me to pop away. If so, put me behind her. After that, pull me back and we'll work at her flanks and back."

Renea
nodded.

The scarf dropped. I popped home and began a series of lunging steps. I popped just outside striking range and did a hop-hop-lunge. I actually caught Andrea by surprise, but
she
recovered before I could strike and
I barely
parried.
I popped away and began a spinning strike for her behind me, which she parried easily and tried to riposte, but I presume her sword slipped through where I had been, as I popped home again. Next I appeared about midway to her, reviewed her stance, and immediately popped away, hoping that
Renea
saw the same opening I had. I began a strike for an opponent on my left, but
Renea
popped me to the
other side
. I barely avoided Andrea's swing and popped home.

Renea
didn't pull me back. Finally I was pulled back and could tell it
was Petra doing
it
. She put me
on the field opposite Kelly. I turned around and saw both Andrea and Petra in front of
Renea
,
Renea's
sword on the ground.

We consulted. "As soon as Petra engaged me,"
Renea
said, "I was no longer able to pull you. I was fighting for my life and couldn't spare the attention. Petra didn't need to beat me, just keep me busy until Andrea added." She paused. "The two of you are amazing together."

"They're better than Vincent and Jeremy," I suggested.

"Probably," said
Renea
. "But we can't count on it."

"Andrea, would I have beaten you eventually?"

"I don't know," she said. "Maybe. I'm fighting at the edge of my limits already. This is like fighting an insanely fast opponent but with poor technique." She paused. "Sorry."

"No, you're right. I'm outclassed," I said. "And not enough time to fix it. Petra could easily beat you with this advantage?"

"Oh yes," Andrea said. "No contest."

I walked away and started to quietly cry. I got it out of my system. They let me. I turned back.

"If Vincent weren't a fucking pansy," I said. "This would be easy. I could go for less lethal blows, and I know I can land those. It's that I have to make it a single killing blow that is hampering me."

They looked at me. "You're going for one-shot kills?"
asked Petra.

"We all know if I get the upper hand, he'll just leave.
We can't prevent that.
"

"I wonder what his men will think if he runs from a girl," Andrea said. "Honey, try to beat me slowly."

"You fight your hardest," I told her. "If you let me win, I'll know."

"That would be dishonest," she said. "And dangerous. I promise I will do everything I can to beat you."

Renea
and I consulted. "This is going to take too long. Petra will be on you."

"I'll pull you back to help with Petra," she said. "I held both of them off for fifteen seconds, I'll last against any swordsman long enough to pull you back, and you won't be expected.

I nodded.

The scarf dropped. I popped and
Renea
put me behind Andrea. I did a hamstring shot that landed. I instantly popped away and was in front of her. I got a slash on her off hand.  I popped away and was immediately across the field from Andrea. I didn't even
look,
I just did a spinning slash and barely pulled it before nearly taking off Petra's head. "You're dead, Petra," I said. I popped and barely missed a swing from Andrea, but the next pop took her sword arm.

"Did you let me win?"

"No. I didn't even let your landed blows affect me. That hamstring would have been the end of the fight with real steel. If you go for small blows, you will kick his ass."

We all consulted. "Was that a fluke?"

"I don't think so," said Andrea. Neither did
Renea
.

We did it three more times. The details were different, but
Renea
and I won easily each time.

"What if they both concentrate on me?" I asked.

They kicked my ass. Andrea managed to parry my first slash, and when I popped the second time, they both got me in a one-two.

I walked back to
Renea
. "When I pop, if they are both still standing together, then I expect to show up with an opponent on my right. Put me to the left. After that pop me around, always trying for a flank."

I never landed a blow. Andrea got in a glancing shot on my second pop, Petra on my third, and they both got me solid on the fourth. Both were bruises. I dropped my sword and hissed.

"I'm sorry," said Petra.

"No," I said. "Help me with the tunic and heal this, please."

Petra healed my bruises for me then we consulted. "If they're even halfway good, they'll kick my ass. I'm just not strong enough a swordswoman even with the advantage."

"Sorry, honey," Petra said.

I walked over to Kelly and grabbed
a water
she was holding. I poured it over my head. She offered a wane smile.

"I'm not letting you die!" I told her.

"I know," she said.

I collected
Renea
. "If they wait for us, we advance together. Throw me past them on Petra's far flank, our right side, as soon as I pop, and attack Andrea. I'll draw Petra off. Can you beat Vincent?"

"Probably. I don't know about Andrea."

"If I pull Petra off, can you bring me back behind Andrea?"

"Yes, just once. Yell loudly before you pop out, I won't be watching you."

I waved to Kelly. She dropped the scarf. Andrea and Petra waited for us. We approached cautiously.

Just outside of lunging range, I popped and began a hamstring swing. I popped in. Petra managed to block it, but she was off balance. So was I, but I retreated from her and she followed after me. I retreated faster, barely putting enough distance between us, then yelled, "Now" and popped.
Renea
put me behind Andrea. I readily took her sword arm, pulling the blow.

"Damn," said Andrea. "That hurt." It was her turn to get a healing from Petra.