Blood of the Merciless

Chapter Nineteen

19.

Savia woke up as the first light from Ysgafyn's twin shone through the mountains. Savia could never sleep more than four hours each night. A side effect from growing up on the streets of Isern. Every soul that walked into Isern was a potential enemy or competition. She could not allow them to get ahead of her. She glanced to her side. Alaric laid there softly snoring. She thought about killing him many times already but there was something about him that stopped her. She could not quite place the feeling. There had been no reason to keep him around. He would eventually betray her like everyone else. She watched how he leaned as he slept. Thoughts of the previous day passed through her mind. He had protected her against the blue and he had stopped Lady Gwen from slapping her. What is his true goal? Does he just want my body like all of the others? Why do I feel safe when I am with him? Safe...I am definitely not safe. She stopped him from leaning too far forward. She analysed his face. She then pulled out one of her daggers. One swipe and it is all over. He confuses you. She couldn't do it. She hid her dagger again. He promised he would free her, she had seen many empty promises before. Men that ensured her that they would whisk her away from the street life only to disappear without a trace. Leaving her alone to fend for herself. Her mother's words rang through her head. 'Savia, one day someone will come for you. Do not shy away from their love. They will give to you what I couldn't.' Many claimed they loved her over the years. None turned out to be true. She just wrote her mother off for being delusional. Alaric began shifting alongside her.

Savia swiftly stopped staring at him.

"Good morning," He said in his morning voice.

Savia nodded. "You are not...surprised...that there is...not a dagger in your chest?"

Alaric chuckled. "I think that would be an honourable way to go out." Alaric stood up and began stretching. "You know that is a strange question to ask someone who just woke up."

"You are the one who is strange." Savia stood up imitating him.

"Perhaps."

Alaric had been tall compared to Savia. Despite him towering over her, he never seemed hostile towards her. Even when they have been fighting in her home.

She was dragged out of her thoughts when he spoke. He had been looking toward the sky.

"It is probably too early to look for Florian. How about we have a spar?"

"Spar?"

Alaric nodded then stared at her. Those stupid blue eyes.

"We need to kill time and we need to sharpen our skills before the operation," He explained, cracking his fingers. "Few rules though, no casting and no causing major injuries."

"Can I use my daggers?" She asked.

"Of course."

They faced each other standing a few metres from each other. It was Alaric that moved first. He dashed forward and swung a boot at her. Slow. Savia easily dodged it. She used his body's momentum to shove his leg away from her. She aimed a tame dagger at his chest. She hadn't expected him to reverse kick her with the same leg. His boot hit the back of her head. Alaric had withheld some power but it was still enough to daze her slightly. She had been facing the ground on all fours. He baited me. Instead of waiting to get back to her feet, she balanced herself on her arms and swung her body in an impressive manoeuvre. Her legs swiped Alaric's out from under him. Alaric fell on his tailbone. She did not stop, with her daggers firm in her hand she charged the prone figure. He laid on his back as he caught her wrists before they reached him. She struggled to free her wrists. She put pressure on his abdomen with her knee. With an incredible display of strength, he flung her over himself. She landed painfully on her back. He kept a tight grip on her wrists. She was getting to her feet when he let go of her.