Michel's intentions in the tiniest movements of his muscles, the smallest change in direction in his line of sight, and the way he tenses.
I throw myself at him, my wooden blades slamming him on the side of his head and he's like a statue. I dive and roll, then rebalance, my wooden swords poised. Time returns to normal and I watch him respond, stumbling and then righting himself.
"Commendable," he manages, raising his swords once more.
He challenges me and the time thing happens again. I lunge at him, aiming my swords at his in an attempt to disarm him. His response is too slow and my blades strike a direct blow, knocking a sword out of his hand and it goes flying. Now he has only one sword.
I can fight .
I land, use my momentum to pivot, plant my feet, blades up and at the ready, and then I feint to the left. Michel responds but I jump at him from the right, knocking away his other sword and then, with my wooden swords crossed, I catch him against the neck before he can respond. The force of my weight knocks him backwards and he stumbles. Together, we fall back on the mat.
If my blades were real, he'd be without a throat. Only after we come to a stop with my wooden blades still at his neck does time return to normal for me. Michel raises his arm behind my back, but it's more of an embrace than a threat.
" Beautiful ." There's real pleasure – and some admiration – in his blue eyes.
I'm lying on top of him, my face just inches away from his and he's so beautiful with those perfect blue eyes and dark lashes, the full lips, and I have the most irrational urge to just lean down and kiss him.
For a moment, I'm tempted and he just looks in my eyes, lips parted as if waiting. I move closer, my heart racing, and Michel's eyes close, but then the man from the table pulls me off him and the moment passes. I adjust my clothes, which are all out of shape from the struggle. I'm barely out of breath.
"What do you think?" the man says, his hands on his hips as he examines me. "How'd she do?"
" Perfect ," Michel says as he stands, and he sounds truly impressed.
"What the hell is going on?" I say, glancing between them. "I thought I was here for an interview."
"This was the first test," Michel says. "We had to see if you could fight and beat me. Beat a vampire."
I can beat a vampire… The thought does something strange to me, a thrill goes through me, but I remember what my mother said to me when I'd have nightmares as a child. She said she was faster than the monsters and could kill them.
Now, I know what she meant.
"What happened to me? It was like time slowed down for everyone except me."
"You have the ability to see a few seconds ahead of current time when you feel threatened. You have what's called 'fight sight'. The only way a vampire can overcome you is before you feel threatened."
"There are other tests?"
"Yes." Michel picks up his swords and puts them on the table and then takes the wooden practice swords from me.
"That was the most important one, but yes, there are others."
He comes back to my side. In his hand is a dagger, which he places in my hand, closing my fingers around it.
"When you hold this, what do you see?"
I frown and try to pull my hands away, but he holds them firmly.
"Just let your mind blank for a moment. Remember the connection I showed you the other night. Think of how it felt. Open yourself to the knife. Let the images come to you. Don't be afraid."
I relent and focus on the dagger, its steel blade shining in the overhead light. I remember when Michel touched me the night we met and that strange connection that formed between us. I glance down at my hands on the blade and try to imagine forming that kind of connection with it.
The ivory hilt has strange symbols etched that resemble letters from the Russian Cyrillic alphabet. I turn it over in my hand and close my eyes, trying to blank my mind as Michel instructs. Then I feel as if the ground beneath my feet heaves and my stomach
I throw myself at him, my wooden blades slamming him on the side of his head and he's like a statue. I dive and roll, then rebalance, my wooden swords poised. Time returns to normal and I watch him respond, stumbling and then righting himself.
"Commendable," he manages, raising his swords once more.
He challenges me and the time thing happens again. I lunge at him, aiming my swords at his in an attempt to disarm him. His response is too slow and my blades strike a direct blow, knocking a sword out of his hand and it goes flying. Now he has only one sword.
I can fight .
I land, use my momentum to pivot, plant my feet, blades up and at the ready, and then I feint to the left. Michel responds but I jump at him from the right, knocking away his other sword and then, with my wooden swords crossed, I catch him against the neck before he can respond. The force of my weight knocks him backwards and he stumbles. Together, we fall back on the mat.
If my blades were real, he'd be without a throat. Only after we come to a stop with my wooden blades still at his neck does time return to normal for me. Michel raises his arm behind my back, but it's more of an embrace than a threat.
" Beautiful ." There's real pleasure – and some admiration – in his blue eyes.
I'm lying on top of him, my face just inches away from his and he's so beautiful with those perfect blue eyes and dark lashes, the full lips, and I have the most irrational urge to just lean down and kiss him.
For a moment, I'm tempted and he just looks in my eyes, lips parted as if waiting. I move closer, my heart racing, and Michel's eyes close, but then the man from the table pulls me off him and the moment passes. I adjust my clothes, which are all out of shape from the struggle. I'm barely out of breath.
"What do you think?" the man says, his hands on his hips as he examines me. "How'd she do?"
" Perfect ," Michel says as he stands, and he sounds truly impressed.
"What the hell is going on?" I say, glancing between them. "I thought I was here for an interview."
"This was the first test," Michel says. "We had to see if you could fight and beat me. Beat a vampire."
I can beat a vampire… The thought does something strange to me, a thrill goes through me, but I remember what my mother said to me when I'd have nightmares as a child. She said she was faster than the monsters and could kill them.
Now, I know what she meant.
"What happened to me? It was like time slowed down for everyone except me."
"You have the ability to see a few seconds ahead of current time when you feel threatened. You have what's called 'fight sight'. The only way a vampire can overcome you is before you feel threatened."
"There are other tests?"
"Yes." Michel picks up his swords and puts them on the table and then takes the wooden practice swords from me.
"That was the most important one, but yes, there are others."
He comes back to my side. In his hand is a dagger, which he places in my hand, closing my fingers around it.
"When you hold this, what do you see?"
I frown and try to pull my hands away, but he holds them firmly.
"Just let your mind blank for a moment. Remember the connection I showed you the other night. Think of how it felt. Open yourself to the knife. Let the images come to you. Don't be afraid."
I relent and focus on the dagger, its steel blade shining in the overhead light. I remember when Michel touched me the night we met and that strange connection that formed between us. I glance down at my hands on the blade and try to imagine forming that kind of connection with it.
The ivory hilt has strange symbols etched that resemble letters from the Russian Cyrillic alphabet. I turn it over in my hand and close my eyes, trying to blank my mind as Michel instructs. Then I feel as if the ground beneath my feet heaves and my stomach
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