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“Stand down,” Nicole said. “Stand down, Clive. You have no basis to demand Satisfaction. The AAM’s business here is concluded.”
“No!” Clive said, throwing out an arm as if throwing off her authority. “I have personal reasons. She does as she pleases and it will stop.”
“Clive—” she said again, the word a threat, but it was my turn.
“I accept.”
The words echoed across the lawn, so there was no doubt of my intentions. I felt magic blossom behind me, knew Connor and my parents didn’t like it. But this was my fight.
Nicole’s brows lifted. “It is unnecessary. Our business is done.”
“My business with Clive is not done,” I said, shifting my gaze to him as the same slow, maniacal smile I’d seen on Levi’s face spread across his. “He has accused me of murder, of being a rule breaker. I’ve read the Rule of Satisfaction, too,” I said, and enjoyed the shock in his face, probably that I knew anything of theCanon.
“I elect to fight with blades,” I said, then looked at Nicole. “Does the AAM object?”
Nicole looked at me, then at Clive, and considered. The moment stretched so long crickets literally began to chirp in the intervening silence. I suspected her internal debate was simple: Would this fight rid her of one problem or create yet another?
After a moment, she nodded. “The AAM has no objection. The demand for Satisfaction may proceed.”
***
I moved back and held out a hand, assuming someone would press a katana into it, and felt Connor’s fingers brush against mine as he handed me my scabbard. “We protect each other,” he whispered. “Go get him.”
Clive unsheathed his sword.
“I will destroy you,” he said. “I will fight for everyone who follows the rules and still gets fucked in the end.”
“Life isn’t fair, Clive. Welcome to immortality.” I unsheathed my sword, light catching and sliding across the blade. “I’ll fight for Levi,” I stated, “because he didn’t need rules. He needed help. I’ll fight for Connor, who he attacked. I’ll fight for Blake, who he killed. And I’ll fight for Carlie, for every time I defend her life to you and those like you.” I leered at him, disrespect dripping from my tone. “It was still worth it. It will always be worth it.”
Clive screamed, and as I knew he would, lunged forward, blade outstretched.
Keep the eyes hidden,I told the monster,and we’ll fight him together.
That had a thrill moving through me.
He swiped and we successfully blocked, but the blow ricocheted through my shoulder. If the monster could feel the pain, it ignored it, pushed back and swung again, pulling my dagger with my free hand. Clive swung again, and we used both blades to block this one, then push it back toward him. He grunted, reset, came forward again.
Some vampires fought like lovers—seduction with a blade.Some fought like dancers, blade and body sinuous and smooth. Clive fought like a hammer—useful as a blunt instrument, but not much finesse. He had strength enough to issue blow after blow, but with the monster behind me, we were all but tireless.
He lunged forward and we flipped backward, then came up with a spinning dagger slice that cut a stripe across his shins. He cursed, struck downward. We jumped over the blade, hit the ground and rolled, and came up with sword and dagger crossed.
“Try again,” I said, in that half voice that wasn’t quite mine.
He looked confused, but wasted no time in jumping forward. This time he feinted left with the blade, but used a side kick that hit my left flank and pushed the air from my lungs. I jumped back, sucked in a breath, heard Connor growling beside me with growing impatience.
My fight,I thought.My rules.But he had a point. So I took the advance, using the katana to block while I stabbed at Clive with the dagger, catching his arm this time, then spinning away before he could strike back.
“For a favorite child of the AAM,” I taunted, “you aren’t especially good at fighting, Clive. Is that why you stood by and watched last time?”
“Traitor,”he muttered.
“Hmm. That sounds like something Levi would say.”
“You aren’t fit to speak his name,” Clive roared, and he struck again, the blow forceful enough to send the dagger to the ground, hidden now in dewy grass.
“Brat,” Connor murmured behind me. A warning that his patience was near its end.
“You never let me have any fun,” I murmured and brought my blade down. Clive blocked it, and I saw his muscles quiver with the reverb of sword against sword.
