1 Sword Play

My decision was easy. I chose both items.

"Nicely played." Keegan said with a smile. "Either one you chose, I would have chosen the other. So you picked both."

I shrugged and watched his smile turn sinister.

"I still get Morigan though."

"What!?" Morigan cried jumping to her feet, "The freak guessed correctly."

Keegan spun on her, "But I had to show her. The deal was find them yourself!"

Morigan went meekly back into her seat as he continued.

"The next clue is I spy a keeper and if you can't figure this one out on your own," Keegan's eyes suddenly turned cold as ice, "Florence is next."

Then he was gone along with the Creeper and Morigan.

When Stefan, Elena and Madelyn home followed Joan and my aunt, I immediately dashed into my aunt's arms. She led me to the couch and I lay in her lap accepting her gentle hands stroking my cheek.

"What happened." Florence quietly asked Julian who sat quietly beside us.

"Keegan took Morigan and told us you're next." Julian replied.

Florence sighed as I huddled up closer to my beloved auntie.

"This Keegan is coming to be a trial." She told us.

I whimpered as everyone began planning other things. I thought about what Keegan might be doing to Jasmina, Morigan, Moria and Branton. All sorts of tortures ran through my mind.

Having every bone in the body shattered one at a time. Have all the hair slowly ripped from the body a strand at a time. Or worse, simply being locked in a small dark room.

I felt a cool hand smooth my hair back from my face and looked up to see Damon kneeling beside me.

You won't lose her, he told me. I'll make sure of it.

I saw the serious and determined look on his face. Sensed when Damon was like this, he'd get the job done. Then he smiled briefly, making me lose all hope.

Then we'll talk about enjoying another kiss.. or more, Damon added wickedly.

I glared at him and snuggled closer to my aunt. I would not dignify that *clown* with a snappy retort. He didn't deserve it.

"It'll be alright precious." My aunt told me and patted my head, "This nice boy here'll help us."

Damon beamed at the compliment as I hopped out of Aunt Florence's lap and walked off out of the room.

I wandered the house for what seemed like a short time before I discovered the gym area. In front of me lay a huge carpeted gymnasium. Through a set of French doors to my right lay the reflections of water. To my left was a shelf of towels and a sign that read: Showers.

I smiled and walked inside, gladly taking in my surroundings. In one corner lay an exercise bike. In another was a wall with nubs sticking out made for climbing.

Across the room in the remaining corners were the objects of my sole attention. On the right was a punching bag, on the left was a shelf of swords.

My eyes danced as I jogged over to the swords and carefully examined them.

The first I picked up was Small Alphonso X sword. A one-eighth-inch thick carbon steel blade with a cast metal guards and pommel.

The next I looked at was a Colada Del Cid sword. It was a beautiful twenty-one and a half-inch blade that was an eighth of an inch thick. It had the look of a rapier but very much was a sword.

"I didn't realize Joan was the sword type." A voice said directly behind me.

I spun bringing the sword up toward the throat of the one and thankfully only Damon Salvatore.

He brought his hands up over his head, "Didn't your family ever teach you to not play with sharp objects."

I glared down the sword at him, Who said I was playing?

Quicker than I could react Damon had knocked the sword from my hands and had it now pointed at my throat.

I slowly backed toward the sword case and Damon followed carefully keeping the sword tip at my neck.

"The tables have turned." Damon observed as I hit the case and wrapped my hands around the Alphonso behind me.

"You have not once, but twice attempted to kill me and now you think to cut my head off."

I vigorously nodded my head appearing to be an innocent child.

He chuckled, "Do you think acting like an innocent youth is going to save you?"

No but this will, I replied ducking under the blade and rolled to the side bringing the small sword up.

"Good choice for a tiny siren." Damon said turning to face me. "Shall we see if you are able to take my head?"

I am and *will*, I growled swung at him.

He easily avoided the swing and our little duel had begun. Our swords clashed echoing in the empty chambers. He laughed when we locked blades and drove me backward with a slight push.

When we again locked blades I did something Damon wasn't expecting. I kissed him. While he was dazed I pressed my advantage and took his legs out from him. I followed him down and pressed the blade into his throat.

He hands bled where he grabbed the sword to prevent me from decapitating him and pushed the sword up over his head then rolled on top of me. Moments later I found my hands pinned at my side and Damon inches from my face.

We looked at each other breathing hard from our exertion. I felt myself falling into his dark eyes and before I knew it we kissed.

I felt Damon's hands tangle in my hair and my own pulling his head closer. My breath left me and I felt faint.

I breathed in the scent of him and his blood and my vision turned red. I ripped my mouth from his and pierced his neck with my teeth.

I heard Damon cry out and reveled in the taste of his blood. Coppery, sweet, rich, everything I craved and more.

He weakly tried to free himself but I only bit harder bringing him more pain and a bit of pleasure.

Stop, I heard him gasp in my mind. Stopstopstop.

I came to senses and pushed him away in shock. While Damon slowly regained his senses, I was heaving everything and my stomach up on the floor.

"You, you bit me." Damon gasped a moment later.

You taste good, I replied before I could stop myself.

"What?" he cried snapping up and looking at me.

Uh, um… I got out before being saved by four charging feet. Moments later Julian, Madelyn, Elena and Stefan came in and took in the scene before them.

Two swords lay scattered across the gym, Damon sat on side and I stood on another next to a puddle of blood. They came to the obvious conclusion.

"Why do you keep biting her?" Madelyn exclaimed throwing her hands up in the air.

Stefan looked at Damon and tapped Madelyn on the shoulder, "I think this time big brother is the victim."

Julian walked over and knelt beside Damon, "He's right. Smiley here has a chewed up neck."

I dashed out of the room and made it before hurling up more blood on a suspiciously expensive looking rug.

The next morning I still couldn't get the taste of Damon's blood out of my mouth, despite guzzling two quarts of cherry Kool-Aid. To add to my humiliation, Damon proudly displayed the marks I left to Joan and the staff.