The Apprentice

“I’m going to enjoy watching you die,” the tall man said softly.

“Yeah, well. Sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t plan on dying,” I growled. I’m sure my words would’ve sounded more confident if I hadn’t been lying on the floor with his sword tip kissing my throat.

His lips twitched. Great. I had amused the scary assassin. Just what I needed. “Yeah?” he murmured. “Just how do you plan on stopping me?”

“You know, maybe we can start over. There’s no need for . . .” I tried to look down at the razor edge of his blade, nestled comfortably against my fluttering pulse, but it was too close to view.

“Violence,” I finished weakly, as he twitched and I felt the edge cut ever so slightly into my skin. The sudden flash of pain made me angry.

“What did I ever do to you, you bastard?” I knew I looked defiant, but I couldn’t help it. If I was going to die, it wouldn’t be with a whimper.

“Nothing,” he said calmly. “But you must’ve done something to my employer. She paid a handsome fee to have you dispatched quietly.”

The words made my stomach flip flop. Sure, I was a wise ass. I tended to speak before I thought and I annoyed a lot of people. And scared a bunch more. But no one had ever been so pissed as to hire someone to kill me.

Trying to look as though it were my choice to be lying on the hard stone floor under a sword, I smiled politely and shrugged one shoulder. It was embarrassing enough to be caught in my own tower, warded and spelled to keep uninvited visitors out, but to be mocked before dying? Well, that was just going too far.

“Who’s your employer?” I demanded.

The man shook his head slightly. His features were lean and dark, body rangy and long, with eyes as cold as a winter sky. And just as devoid of life. He wasn’t going to lose any sleep over killing me. He looked good at his job.

“Enough. I have played with you for too long already. A shame though.” The eyes raked down me, appreciating. It made my stomach roll again, this time with disgust.

“You shine with–” His eyes drifted down, back up again. “Potential,” he finished.

“No potential for what you have in mind,” I growled.

He smirked, looking amused– dammit– again. “You don’t know what I have in mind. You’re beautiful. But you know that already, and I wasn’t interested in that. I meant the way your magic. You likely have some Talent in Swords.”

His words made me pause. “You’re a Swordmaster,” I murmured, giving him another glance over. I’d underestimated him and insulted him by simply thinking he was just an ordinary killer. No, that’s why he got past my wards. His magic was in fighting just as mine lived in Mother Earth.

He grinned and it made his features almost handsome. “Enough, little witch. I’ve delayed this long enough and you are honorable prey for my blade.” There was regret in that gaze. “It’s too bad, though. You would’ve made a worthy apprentice.”

I wanted to keep talking. I was curious about his statement and I wanted to know what he saw in me. But I realized that this was utterly ridiculous. I was having a conversation with an assassin Swordmaster from under his sword. Anger suddenly burned in my chest, made my eyes glaze over as I dipped down in my psyche, reaching for Power.

“They didn’t warn you about me?” I asked softly, my voice full of shadowy silk and glowing embers. Power pooled instantly in me, coming when I called, a vast hot pulse that made my skin flush. Outside in the dark, thunder rumbled eagerly, and I could see the clouds roiling with anticipation from my view of the window. The Mother always answered me. His employer hadn’t given him enough info on me.

I saw the moment he felt my Power. Pale eyes when wide, knuckles turned white as he tightened his grip on his sword. I watched, almost dispassionately, as he tensed and started to plunge the blade through my throat. Power erupted, making the room glow a soft blue. Sword hit Power and Power won.

Wind came to my call, whipped from nowhere and blew the Swordmaster across the room. He hit the wall with a grunt and fell heavily to the floor. I scrambled to my feet even as he quickly leaped back to his. He had never lost hold of his blade, a blade that would answer only to him since he had his own brand of Talent. He was moving towards me again before I could even blink.

I sank down into a fighter’s crouch, ready even though I looked defenseless, hands empty and waiting. He wasn’t stupid. He knew I wasn’t really without weapons and he moved carefully. I had an utterly insane thought; admiring the smooth, deliberate way he moved, like a cat stalking me. Then I shook my head. Right. Back to business.

“I should’ve killed you quick,” he muttered, circling me.

I turned, keeping him in front of me. “Why didn’t you?”

His lips quirked. “I was curious.”

“About what?”

“You. There are very few women born with the Talent of Sword. But you don’t carry a blessed blade so I knew you hadn’t been trained in our Arts.” He shrugged, his sword dipping low. “So I was curious.”

I dropped my hands. “We don’t have to do this.”

A bark of a laugh. “The fee I was paid says I do, little witch.”

“Fine. I want to offer you payment,” I said impulsively.

It was enough to stop his constant moving but his eyes stayed distrustful. “Are you serious?”

“Sure. I’ll pay you half of whatever your employer’s paying you just to stop for a second. I just want to talk. If you don’t like what I’m saying, we can go back to trying to kill each other.”

His sword went down and he straightened up. “Let me get this straight. You will pay me to stop . . . but just for the moment . . . and to talk to you.”

“That’s right.” I crossed my arms, releasing my hold on the Power.

“How do I know this is not some weird witch trick?” he asked suspiciously.

“Look, we can keep fighting now if you want. But I have some questions. If you like money, fine. I have plenty of it, thanks to my father. So, I give you some of it, and you talk to me. We can decide on the fighting later.”

He tilted his head, regarding me warily. The quiet spilled between us for so long that I got ready to pull for more Power in case he was going to launch back at me. But he suddenly lifted his sword and slid it into the sheathe strapped to his back in one smooth, practiced move.

“Fine.” He crossed his own arms. “Twenty gold marks. Right now. Or we begin our dance again.”

“Our dance?” I shook my head. “Oh. That’s right. Swordmaster’s call fighting a dance.”

“Two hundred marks, witch.”

I scowled and brushed my hands on my leggings. “Fine. Come on down to my common room with me. I’ll get you your damn . . . wait! Someone paid you four hundred gold marks to kill me?!”

He looked patiently annoyed.

I smiled wonderingly. “Damn. I guess I really pissed someone off, huh? Well, come on. I assume you want to stick close to me until you have your money in hand.”

He said nothing, just loomed like an angry, tense shadow on my heels as I marched down my tower stairs towards the main area of my home. This was a small manor, one of my father’s less appreciated gems, and I was happy it was all mine. I could feel his stare on my back as I whistled, walking with a skip in my step. Hey, I’d just survived an attack from a Swordmaster. No small feat.

I opened my bureau, dug out the correct amount of marks, handed them over solemnly. He took it, making sure not to actually touch my skin, then lifted an eyebrow.

“How do you know I won’t just kill you now and take all of your money?”

I shrugged one shoulder. “Then we’ll be back to square one. But you look honorable to me. So I feel safe.” It never hurt to pay someone compliments even when they didn’t deserve them. I squinted at him, finally getting a good look at him.

He was dressed in travelers leathers and brown was a good color on him. His hair was an unruly golden-red mop and his skin tone wasn’t much different, making his pale eyes startling against the tan. He wasn’t exactly handsome. The lines of his face were a little too severe, but there was a beauty in the graceful way he moved that made the eyes want to linger.

He smirked and tucked his money away. “Fine. What do you want to talk about?”

I waved a hand around. “This room is too stuffy. Let’s go sit and grab something to drink like civilized folk.”

I led my assassin to my kitchen and made him sit while I grabbed two mugs of ale. He rose expressive eyebrows. “You . . . you’re a strange little witch.”

I plopped onto the bench seat across from him. “You know, I gave you a compliment and you call me weird.”

“Not weird. Just . . . odd.”

Funny. I’d been told that before. “Why am I so odd?”

“I was hired to kill you. Now we’re sitting and drinking ale.” He looked down at his drink.

“What? I didn’t poison you.”

“I didn’t think you did.”

“Then what?”

He shook his head, took a healthy swig, then turned to me, looking very comfortable in my kitchen. “You’re a nobleman’s daughter. You’ve got more power than you seem to let on to other people. You have no servants, no butlers, no guards, but you’re rich and you know it. And you drink ale like a soldier.”

I shrugged a shoulder. “Hey, the ale’s quality stuff. I have it delivered.”

He shook his head agin, eyes flashing. “You paid me to talk to you. Before we get back to my contract. So . . . talk.”

I rested my chin against my fist and smiled at him. “Why were you going to enjoy killing me?”

“Excuse me?”

“You said you were going to kill me and you were going to enjoy it. Why?”

He grinned suddenly, and it made him handsome. His was a face designed for smiles and it looked like he rarely did. “I haven’t met a challenge yet that actually thrilled me. This seemed like another easy assignment. When I got into your manor and tracked you up the stairs so easily, I was pretty much bored with all of this. And then you turned and you saw me. And I knew.”

“Knew what?”

“You didn’t scream. You didn’t gasp. You didn’t even jump. You moved right into defense and automatically tried to go on the offense. Not to mention– you shimmer with the potential of my own Art. It’s not that I wanted to kill you. I was enjoying the chance to go against you.”

I nodded slightly. “And honored enemy, right?”

He tilted his head. “How’d you know that?”

“I know how to read, you know. I’ve heard how Swordmaster’s are always in search of the perfect enemy, the perfect sword mate.”

He sat back, looking relaxed. “So, you want to know who hired me to kill you.” Even while not moving, he seemed to thrum with energy.

I waved my hands. “Yeah. Maybe later. Right now I would like to discuss a business proposition.”

“Oh? And what would that be?”

I leaned towards him, and knew that my smile was slightly feverish. “I would like to buy your contract from your current employer. I want you to work for me.”

He looked amused again. “Yeah? And then what? You want me to go return the favor to my employer? Kill them for trying to kill you?”

“No. I want you to explore the possibility of my Talent in Swords. Become my teacher.”

He didn’t looked amused anymore. He looked sharp, thoughtful, interested. “Yeah?”

“Become my teacher. I’ll be your apprentice. And if I’m good enough, I’ll go kill your employer myself.” I took a sip of my ale. “What do you think?”

He drained his cup and studied me, watched me for so long my skin started feeling itchy. Finally, he dropped those pale eyes and I could breathe again. “I think . . . that I’m interested. And intrigued despite myself.”

“Do we have a deal?”

“I did just try to kill you, you know,” he pointed out. “Why me? You could hire anyone to teach you. They’d be happy to take your money.”

“I want a Master, not some wannabe. You got past my wards. And I’ve got great wards. You almost got me. I want someone that good to teach me.” I willed him to agree with me, sitting forward. “So? Do we have a deal?”

He stood up and I scrambled to my feet. He was a head taller than me. He was silent for a long moment, before sticking a hand out to me like a regular soldier. I shook his hand as he said, “Fine. You’ll pay double what my employer has paid for me to give up my contract.”

“Fine.”

“Then, it’s nice to meet you, my little witch-apprentice. I’m Callyx.”

I grinned, triumphant. “This is going to be a lucrative partnership, Swordmaster Callyx.”