Sorry I haven't updated in a while - I've been on holiday but here's the next chapter. I hope you like it but I'll only know if you R&R so please tell me. Oh, ALL CHARACTERS AND BACK STORY BELONGS TO KAREN CHANCE.
Cassie left so Pritkin and I could do a proper training session. Cassie had improved over the couple of hours we'd been training but I was anticipating the challenge Pritkin would give me. He would push me really hard first and then slow the tempo down to improve a few things.
"How much running did you do at school?" he asked.
"None, why?"
"Four times round the path that circles the house." He nodded in the general direction. "Go on, it's only a mile."
"But I ran a mile yesterday!" I complained. I wanted to fight not run.
"There might be a time when you have to run. Do your laps and then we can do some sword fighting."
I thought he'd at least give me a five minute break before we began fighting. Instead he ambushed me on the path and left my weapon twenty meters away on the lawn. I'd just spent quarter of an hour running with the heat of the setting sun beating down on me and he decided to ambush me. I fell to the floor and had to grapple with him for a couple of minutes before I could break free and sprint for my sword. He was upon me in a flash but my blade met his and the metal clashed in mid air. I swung my blade around first and we circled each other trying to anticipate the other's next move. Light step after light step sounded. The sun began to wane and Pritkin made his move lunging for me as fast as a cobra. I jumped out of the way and brought the flat of my sword down on his back and kicked him to the floor. He rolled over before I could 'kill' him and sprang up.
With narrowed eyes I waited for him to come for me which he did much sooner than I expected him too. This time I brought my weapon low and slammed it against his shins. He cursed and paused before turning round. It was enough time for me to do the same to the back of his knees and then 'slit his throat'.
He lowered his sword to the ground and let me come face to face with him before doing anything. Instead of going straight back to training I sat in front of him cross legged.
"Why did you send me back to the car park by myself when there could have been any number of black mages waiting for me?" It was a curious question, not an accusation.
Pritkin crossed his legs too; more like folded them beneath him since he was so long. He looked just over my shoulder for a moment as if he was analysing his past actions. The sun had set and the moon only filtered a little weak light onto the ground. It made his hair seem lighter than before and sparkled in his mysterious eyes.
"I believed you could look after yourself."
"Only believed? You don't think that anymore?"
"You're a good war mage especially to have survived the trials but you still have a lot to learn. Let's do some physical combat you haven't shown me much of that yet."
I stood up and shook the tension out of my right ankle. "Where do we start?"
He stood too. "Kick me." he raised a hand which would serve as a target. No protections or anything just his bare hand.
I raised my brow asking if he was being serious. He nodded once and waited for me. I guessed that even if I did injure him he'd be able to heal it in a couple of seconds being an Incubus and all. I took a breath and reached for his hand which was waist height. He barely flinched and motioned for me to do it again no doubt with a little more effort. I kicked him twice this time and then a third time when he looked bored. I narrowed my eyes at him and kicked him again.
"What are you wearing ballet shoes? Step it up twinkle toes."
Twinkle toes? I narrowed my eyes at him and glared. There was no way he was getting away with calling me twinkle toes. I was a war mage not a dancer and most definitely was not a ballet dancer.
"You might want to do the ribbon of your slipper up before you carry on."
I looked down and saw that he was right. I narrowed my eyes at him some more and stooped to do the lace up. And he was chuckling.
I quickly stood again and kicked his hand as he was raising it. This time I thought back to the day before yesterday when we were down in the basement and brought forward the same anger as then and channelled it into this one kick. He stumbled and dropped his hand instantly brining it into his chest cradling it.
"Gonna stop calling me twinkle toes?" I asked hiding my worry.
He glanced up at me with sharp pain flashing through his eyes. I gulped now realising just how seriously I may have injured him. He lowered his hand to his side to try and appear normal but I knew he wasn't okay. He also tried to hide the pain in his eyes but it didn't fully go away. I looked at his hand and saw that it had gone a shade of purple. I took a step towards him. He flinched. I looked into his green eyes and slowly extended my hand to take his.
His skin was burning, already swollen. I tried to turn it over to examine the palm but Pritkin winced and pulled his hand back.
"It'll be better in a few minutes." He said gruffly trying to not let on how much pain he was in.
"Pritkin, it's broken. If it's not in the right place now it'll heal wonky. Let me help you." He tried to protest. "Let me help you." I said more firmly. "Where were you when the circle did the first aid class?" I muttered the last.
"I was around before the invention of the circles." He snapped.
I shied away from his burning eyes and looked to the floor for a couple of seconds before looking back at him. He was still in pain but looking down at me with sadness in his eyes like he was sorry for what he'd just said. How he'd just said it. He offered his hand back to me. I could see that it was already improving – the swelling had gone down and some of the colour had faded.
"You're the expert. Will you be alright?" I meekly asked.
"In a short while." his brusque manner was back which was a good sign.
I breathed a sigh of relief momentarily letting my eyes close. He took his hand back and flexed his fingers making something crack. I openly winced and shuddered. He seemed unaffected by it and carried on with the lesson.
"We'll try punches in a minute. I take it you've done this before?"
"Would I be a war mage if I couldn't throw a punch?" I shook some tension out of my right ankle and raised my fists in a defensive stance.
He moved his fists with lightning speed and sometimes tried to hit back with precision accuracy. I blocked him only to find the target I'd been after had moved and I would have to block another punch and then go for it.
By the time we were finished both of us were panting and dying for something to eat. I began to wonder if Mircea could keep up with the shopping bill or if he would chuck me out with the rate of my food consumption. Hopefully he would kick Pritkin out too, he might be a pain in the ass but I'd rather have a handy side-kick than have to live out there all by myself. Okay, so I'd not seen much of the world but if the black circle were crazy enough to try and kidnap the Pythia in broad daylight then the world must be a dangerous place indeed.
I headed inside but Pritkin had to go on watch. I was instructed to go and see Lord Mircea. I wasn't particularly looking forward to it especially since what happened last time I saw him hadn't actually been a dream. I asked if I could go to bed instead – I really was beat but Pritkin seemed to work on a thirty-six hour clock. Giving him one last narrow-eyed glance I reluctantly walked back to the house.
I didn't know the way to Lord Mircea's rooms but another vampire – this one called Rafe – took me there instead. I didn't like being in the proximity of the vampire. I knew I had nothing to fear but I didn't like it all the same. I'd been brought up to hate vampires and think of them as low, vulgar creatures and a life time's worth of teaching and thinking wasn't going to change anytime soon. He didn't talk to me, perhaps sensing my unease, but just lead me there.
He left me at an ominous looking door. It was a shade of white that had some peach in it. I pushed it open. Lord Mircea was stood about a millimetre away from the swinging door. He looked pleased to see me and motioned me into the room by way of walking back into it. I immediately took my trainers off before stepping in and left them the other side of the door which I closed behind me.
I'd never been into this room before and, honestly, I didn't take much notice of it because Lord Mircea's presence dominated the room. He was powerful, that much I'd learnt, but learning and experiencing are different things. I felt myself shaking in my socks and I had a job looking into his coffee brown eyes. He dominated the room making everyone in here, i.e. me, know who was in charge. He was lord and master here, he didn't need a thrown to make people know that. He held himself with a serene poise that was graceful but menacing at the same time and his eyes spoke legions – he was proud of what he owned. He worked hard to get here and he wasn't afraid to defend it. Wasn't afraid to kill for it. I gulped and sat in a chair as soon as I was motioned to it.
"You're settling in well." He observed.
"I'm doing my best, Lord Mircea." I replied.
"You're training well with John?"
"He says I need to work harder but I'm doing my best, sir."
"You had fun with Cassie did you not?"
"Yes, sir. Well for a while."
"Until you let her be in danger." His voice went hard and his eyes narrowed slightly. I did not like the way this was going.
"I did what I though was best."
"But not what John told you to do I understand."
"We both judged the situation differently." I evaded.
"But surely he, a man with centuries worth of practice, would know better than a girl who's only just graduated and not seen anything of the world."
What could I say t that to defend myself? I stayed quiet.
"Well?" he asked in a honey smooth voice. I would have preferred him shouting at me.
"Yes, he would." I answered meekly.
He rose to his feet and circled my chair. Then he knelt behind my right shoulder and spoke in a low voice, his breath against my ear. "Then I fail to see why you endangered my Cassie's life the way you did."
I couldn't see him but I knew he was crouched like a panther ready to take down his prey. He stopped breathing and I was left on the edge of my seat waiting for the next breath, waiting for the next blink of his eyes. He was unnaturally still. Silent. I didn't dare move or make a sound. Even statue still I was still louder than he was. I was sure he could hear the erratic beating of my heart, my ragged breath, my tumultuous thoughts.
"Defend yourself." He ordered, his voice not even a whisper.
I jumped at the silent sound, the rush of air as it passed my ear when he spoke. I refused to scream. I gave myself a moment to restart my heart. There was nothing to say. I stayed silent.
"Normally I would gain your unwavering loyalty by taking some of your blood but I won't do that – Cassie asked me not to. You have much to thank her for because I would have made it hurt. I don't think it will be necessary after our calm discussion will it?"
"No, milord." I said just managing to keep my voice from shaking.
He stood up and sat on the couch opposite me, perfectly composed. "John has given you the rest of the day off. I suggest you use it wisely."
I stood and inclined my head towards him and left as swiftly as I could but trying to not look like I was rushing out. I strongly suspected I failed but by the time I was out the door it didn't really matter because tears began to run down my face. I wiped them away and put a brave face on.
Cassie shifted Mircea back to court. She hated that he'd done that to Ava but she knew that he would only have done the same thing when he got back from the business trip. She left him there and shifted straight back and went to Ava's room. She was already asleep but didn't look like the angel she was used to seeing. She had tear stained cheeks and puffy, red eyes. Cassie had known that Mircea would scare her but not enough to make her cry. Although she'd only known Ava a short time she knew that she'd be a tough nut to crack, almost as tough as Pritkin.
She didn't stay long. Only long enough to realise how tired she was form the long day and then went to her room. She didn't like being in the bed without Mircea – it was empty without him. To try and comfort herself she wore one of his shirts and lay on his side of the bed where the sheets smelt more like him. The scent was only faint but it was there. It was enough.
A few hours later she woke with a start. Sweat covered her brow, soaked the back of Mircea's shirt. She could hardly breathe for the confused thoughts tumbling through her mind. Fear quelled within her making her heart race. The situation had suddenly got more complicated.
