His Fire Maiden

Chapter 14

"Reginald!"

Vivienne leaned over the rail in time to see him land sure-footed as a cat three stories below and then race off.

"Christ almighty," she breathed. Her heels clattered, echoing off the marble walls as she raced down the stairs, holding her skirts higher than propriety allowed. The only trail left was irate pedestrians glaring in the direction Reginald had taken when rushing past.

Outside, the dusky light of new evening colored the streets soft purple and black. She stopped for a breath and scanned the crowds. A hansom swerved wildly, its driver shouting at someone to "watch your soddin' arse!" Reginald. She ran down the portico steps, weaving past vendors and cabs. But Reginald disappeared into the fold.

The black flick of a coattail spied out of the corner of her eye brought her round and down a narrow street that twisted and turned like a crack in old granite.

Hard cobble bruised her soles, her boot heels clicking loudly with every step. Mud and muck splashed her shins, the smell of sewage clogging her nostrils. Pain pinched her side, the boning in her bodice restricting her breath, but she could not falter. Grunts and thuds of fighting sounded beyond the next corner. She rounded the corner, her heels skidding on the wet stones.

Reginald and the dark villain exchanged blows so rapidly that for a moment it seemed a vision. It had to be, for their movements were a blur. The two men, covered from head to toe in black, danced their strange dance, coming together and falling apart, their fists flying, legs kicking. Though the attacker was smaller than Reginald, he had the strength and speed of a panther.

His slim leg rammed up between Reginald's. Reginald grunted but threw his shoulder down and slammed the fiend into the brick wall behind him. A snarl tore from the villain's lips. With a cold ringing of steel, he pulled a curved blade from his belt.

The wicked edge of the dagger flashed silver in the dusky light before slicing toward Reginald's neck. Reginald jumped back, the blade tearing through the side of his coat with a sharp ripping sound. He grunted and then ducked the next attack with neat economy.

Lashing in a wild rage, the villain came at him again and again, Reginald narrowly missing the blade each instant. Moving with a blur of speed, he grabbed hold of the villain's arm and brought his fist down hard into the smaller man's gut.

The dark devil staggered, but then spun round and swung his leg out in a wide arcing sidekick. Reginald's head snapped back with a sickening crack as the heel connected.

"Reginald!" The scream left her mouth in a dry rasp as he dropped.

The villain's arm reared back, his dagger ready to plunge straight into Reginald's defenseless chest. Vivienne heard herself shout as she charged, her parasol going up and opening into the villain's face. The long blade slashed through thin, bronze silk before hitting the steel frame with a clang. She jerked the umbrella closed and wrenched both it and the knife hard to the side. The masked man's eyes flashed and her heart lurched, but she was ready when he swung his fist toward her face, dropping to the ground, just as Reginald growled out a vicious curse and kicked the villain hard in his shin.

The man hurtled sideways, landing with a whoosh of breath, his head knocking with a meaty thwack on the cobbled road.

Reginald surged upward, ready to attack. In an instant, the man was on his feet and racing down the lane where shadows claimed him. Vivienne expected Reginald to give chase but he Bent and gently helped her up.

The patter of rapidly retreating footfalls rang out of the gloom, and then the night faded to silence, the swirling eddies of mud-brown fog along the cobbles the last marker of the disturbance.