flown in.”
“Ah. Okay.” Ava bit her lip in the silence that followed, making a mental note to herself that fertilizer wasn’t the best topic to keep a conversation going. “Anyway – I heard you’re into laser blades.”
Nicolas stared at her in surprise. “I am! Your dad taught me how to do sword fighting, actually.”
“He taught me too.” Ava smiled when Nicolas shot her an even more astonished look. “He always said it was good practice for the body and the mind. You know how zen he could get sometimes.”
Nicolas chuckled. “Yeah, that’s true. I always thought he might have been a Jedi master in an alternative movie universe. When I was a kid, Colin was my hero. Of course, the fact that my dad hated my half-brother made it even more exciting to hang out with him.”
“ Ooh. You little rebel, you,” Ava ribbed him cheekily. She’d had a glass of wine during dinner, and it made her strangely relaxed and even a bit flirtatious around him. “Well, why don’t we put your new practice room to use so I can show you how it’s done?”
Nicolas started grinning. “Excuse me? If anything, I’ll show you how it’s done, my dear, sweet Ava.”
“Challenge accepted,” she shot back, blushing a bit because of his words. He’ d never called her that before. “Prepare to meet your equal on the battlefield, Mister Carter.”
With a large smirk on his face, he led the way to the practice room. Suddenly, Ava couldn’t wait to start moving around, lunging, parrying – her muscles had been dormant for way too long. Engaging Nicolas in battle would wake them up again.
When Nicolas showed her his collection of blades and switched some of them on, Ava couldn’t believe her eyes. “These swords are one of a kind,” she mumbled. “You had them made?”
“I did. Used to be a big hobby of mine.” He took out a smaller blade from the rack. At the push of a button, it flashed green, buzzing with energy. “Here, use my old blade. It’s just about right for your height.”
“The color of rebellion,” Ava whispered in awe. Somehow, she couldn’t imagine Alistair Carter giving a blade like this to his son. “Did your parents agree with you having this as a child?”
“Never showed it to them,” Nic mumbled, a defiant light in his eyes. “It was Colin’s gift to me. I was eleven at the time.” He paused for a few seconds. “A few months later, he married your mother, and my mother officially disowned him.”
“It’s beautiful,” she gasped. “A fitting parting gift.”
Nicolas looked down at her, his emerald eyes flashing in the light of the green laser blade in her hands. “It’s yours if you want it,” he said. “Colin would have loved to see you wield it.”
“Are you sure?”
He nodded. “Yes, I’m sure.”
“Then I’ll gladly accept.” Ava smiled up at him. “Now let’s fight.”
“Can’t wait to get your ass kicked, can you?” he teased her. Turning around, Nicolas got a laser blade with a black grip from the rack. It lit up in a menacing, deep-blue color when he pressed the button.
They took their positions . A pleasant shiver ran through Ava as she and Nicolas started circling each other. In her mind, she could hear her dad’s voice. Always keep your feet shoulder- wide. Keep the blade close to you when you parry . Somehow, remembering his instructions made her feel grounded.
When Nicolas lunged forward and swung at her from the left, she countered and kept her chest forward. This was familiar territory – he wanted to trick her into turning sideways, so she’d be vulnerable to an attack from the other side. It was a good thing they’d both had the same teacher, so she saw through his ruse. Obviously, she was no match for Nicolas. He was taller, stronger and far more experienced. Compared to him, she was a novice. Still, Ava was quickly able to assess Nicolas as an opponent – he was tall, so he sometimes left his legs exposed. When he swung at her again,
“Ah. Okay.” Ava bit her lip in the silence that followed, making a mental note to herself that fertilizer wasn’t the best topic to keep a conversation going. “Anyway – I heard you’re into laser blades.”
Nicolas stared at her in surprise. “I am! Your dad taught me how to do sword fighting, actually.”
“He taught me too.” Ava smiled when Nicolas shot her an even more astonished look. “He always said it was good practice for the body and the mind. You know how zen he could get sometimes.”
Nicolas chuckled. “Yeah, that’s true. I always thought he might have been a Jedi master in an alternative movie universe. When I was a kid, Colin was my hero. Of course, the fact that my dad hated my half-brother made it even more exciting to hang out with him.”
“ Ooh. You little rebel, you,” Ava ribbed him cheekily. She’d had a glass of wine during dinner, and it made her strangely relaxed and even a bit flirtatious around him. “Well, why don’t we put your new practice room to use so I can show you how it’s done?”
Nicolas started grinning. “Excuse me? If anything, I’ll show you how it’s done, my dear, sweet Ava.”
“Challenge accepted,” she shot back, blushing a bit because of his words. He’ d never called her that before. “Prepare to meet your equal on the battlefield, Mister Carter.”
With a large smirk on his face, he led the way to the practice room. Suddenly, Ava couldn’t wait to start moving around, lunging, parrying – her muscles had been dormant for way too long. Engaging Nicolas in battle would wake them up again.
When Nicolas showed her his collection of blades and switched some of them on, Ava couldn’t believe her eyes. “These swords are one of a kind,” she mumbled. “You had them made?”
“I did. Used to be a big hobby of mine.” He took out a smaller blade from the rack. At the push of a button, it flashed green, buzzing with energy. “Here, use my old blade. It’s just about right for your height.”
“The color of rebellion,” Ava whispered in awe. Somehow, she couldn’t imagine Alistair Carter giving a blade like this to his son. “Did your parents agree with you having this as a child?”
“Never showed it to them,” Nic mumbled, a defiant light in his eyes. “It was Colin’s gift to me. I was eleven at the time.” He paused for a few seconds. “A few months later, he married your mother, and my mother officially disowned him.”
“It’s beautiful,” she gasped. “A fitting parting gift.”
Nicolas looked down at her, his emerald eyes flashing in the light of the green laser blade in her hands. “It’s yours if you want it,” he said. “Colin would have loved to see you wield it.”
“Are you sure?”
He nodded. “Yes, I’m sure.”
“Then I’ll gladly accept.” Ava smiled up at him. “Now let’s fight.”
“Can’t wait to get your ass kicked, can you?” he teased her. Turning around, Nicolas got a laser blade with a black grip from the rack. It lit up in a menacing, deep-blue color when he pressed the button.
They took their positions . A pleasant shiver ran through Ava as she and Nicolas started circling each other. In her mind, she could hear her dad’s voice. Always keep your feet shoulder- wide. Keep the blade close to you when you parry . Somehow, remembering his instructions made her feel grounded.
When Nicolas lunged forward and swung at her from the left, she countered and kept her chest forward. This was familiar territory – he wanted to trick her into turning sideways, so she’d be vulnerable to an attack from the other side. It was a good thing they’d both had the same teacher, so she saw through his ruse. Obviously, she was no match for Nicolas. He was taller, stronger and far more experienced. Compared to him, she was a novice. Still, Ava was quickly able to assess Nicolas as an opponent – he was tall, so he sometimes left his legs exposed. When he swung at her again,
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