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Ainsley
Ifollowed Killian onto the main deck of the Phantom Saber. He barked out an order to his crew to sail for the Hall of Knowledge as we passed one of his men—Jasper, I believe—on the way to where he decided to take me.
The confident way in which he moved held my attention the entire way there. I needed to shake this pirate from beneath my skin. He was cocky, arrogant, and simply a means to an end. I’d do well to remember that.
He paused abruptly and I fell into him, earning a chuckle from some of the crew standing around as witnesses. I cleared my throat, taking a step back, as the pirate in front of me smirked in a way that carved a dimple in his left cheek—one I had not noticed before—near his upturned mouth. How had I not noticed it until now?
“You say you were trained in sword fighting.” Killian turned and tossed a weapon my way. I hadn’t been expecting it, and though I caught it, I stumbled a few steps at its weight.
The murmurs of his crew began again, and I suddenly felt embarrassment rising within me—something I needed to squash before Killian made me a laughingstock in front of his men.
“I saved you from Gretta, did I not?” I tossed Killian’s sword to the side and unsheathed my own blade. “I prefer my own weapons, thank you.”
Killian’s eyes glided over me, revealing he found me amusing in a way, which did not help the anger building from my earlier discomfiture. “I’m not entirely sure that’s what happened, but nevertheless.” He removed his sword from a sheath at his side and slowly approached me, seemingly to taunt me as he circled where I stood. “We need to find a way to focus that heated personality of yours, Lady Lilstrum.”
Killian swung and I blocked, drawing a surprised gasp from one of our onlookers. I turned my body to face him as he proceeded to stalk in his predatory rotation. However, I never allowed my gaze to stray from his movements: watching each step, the way in which he handled his sword, searching out tells of when he would strike next. Just as my father had taught me.
Drawing my cutlass upward, I attempted to bring my blade across his right side. He stopped me easily and chuckled. “I know you can do better than that,” he taunted with an arch of his dark brow. There was laughter in his voice, and I wished to cease it immediately.
Narrowing my eyes, I inhaled slowly. If it was a fight the pirate wanted, then a fight would be what I’d give him.
I advanced on him abruptly, spinning around his wide stance, before lunging to clip his other arm. Killian danced around me with such grace and precision, unlike any sword-wielder I had ever encountered, even during my training with the duke.
“You really mustn't get discouraged, love. I’m an expert swordsman.” Killian’s tease brought with it a tingling sensation to my hands.
He clearly noticed.
“There it is. What’s next, Lady Lilstrum?”
I held my palm up, away from the arm clutching my cutlass. Turning my hand back and forth, I examined it up close at a slow, uninterrupted pace for the first time. The sparks of magnificent light were fascinating, flowing and ebbing along my fingertips.
Glancing toward Killian, suddenly, a small lightning bolt streamed from my hands, striking the side of the ship. Oops.
“Hit the deck!” he shouted at his crew.
The stray bolt blasted a chunk of wood from the railing, but thankfully, it hadn’t done anything further. I trembled, balling my hand into a fist. Many of the crew scampered away from us, or perhaps they simply moved elsewhere to watch the freakshow that I had become.
Killian approached, grasping my wrist, and bringing my hand back to my blade. “Try to focus that energy you feel into your weapon. Let it radiate into your movements—on your terms.”
His eyes held patience, but his words brought on more fear. “Metal conducts electricity, Captain Flynn.” I jerked my hand from his grasp. “I’d dare say, it would likely be more dangerous to shove sparks through a sword.”
His quirked brow lifted higher and higher, and he leaned against his sword, watching, and assessing me. “Oh, so now you are an expert?”
“More than you. It is my magic after all.” I flung my hair back, removing my glowing hand from the blade and lunging toward him again.
“Try it,” he bellowed as he effortlessly grabbed the hilt of my sword, drawing me in close. “Please.”
We paused, both breathing heavily as we stared at one another defiantly before I lost the battle, knowing I, at least, needed to try it Killian’s way. The crew remained silent around us. The wind blew past my face and I closed my eyes, taking a small step away.
Risking a glance down at my hand once more, I brought it to rest on the hilt, just beneath my other one. I inhaled slowly and allowed the tingling sensations to trail from my palm and into my sword. I stared in awe when the crackling magic shone brightly as it moved down along the entirety of the weapon, lighting it up and shimmering as I slowly shifted it back and forth.
I looked back to Killian, who observed my actions in what appeared like amazement. I raised the weapon and struck forward. He blocked my efforts but jumped back the moment our swords clanged together.
Then he grinned at me. “I felt that one.”
We continued to spar further, and while I could somewhat perceive that my blade was stronger now that it had been imbued with my magic, Killian still refused to give up. There was a slow cheering coming from behind me, and I knew we had captured the attention of his men once more.
Killian’s strikes became more consistent and aggressive as time went on, never seeming to tire, and I held my ground, matching him blow for blow. That was, until I recalled a little trick the duke had taught me ages ago.
