Collecting the Pieces of the Shandhi Sword (Book 2 of Mark Series)

Chapter 27

I looked around and narrowed my eyes while I grew tense when I didn't see anyone except for Korra and Samuel. "Who are you?" I asked and bared my teeth, taking a threatening step toward the voice. "And where are you?"

Samuel looked at me with a small worried look on his face before he bowed, hiding his face. He didn't say a word, and I had a feeling that he wanted me to bow too, but I wasn't going to; I'd be damned if they caught me bowing.

I narrowed my eyes further and bit back a small growl when the person didn't say a word nor showed themself. I stayed silent and stayed tense while I looked around, hoping that whoever was there would appear soon and tell me what the hell was going on and who they were.

"Hmph," the person said, and there was a small smirk in their voice. "I wouldn't be acting like that if I were you," he said, amused, and there was a slight warning in his tone.

I narrowed my eyes and scowled but didn't say a word. My heart beated steadily in my chest while I looked around, trying to come up with a way to see where this new person was and how to protect myself, Samuel, and Korra from this unknown threat.

The person chuckled and appeared from the shadows. He dipped his head before he looked at me, his eyes white and holding this kind of power to them that had the hair on the back of my neck standing at attention. "I won't hurt them, Shandhi," he said, his voice hard yet soft and filled with the same amount of power that he had in his eyes. "They work for me."

I raised an eyebrow and shifted a little on my feet. "And you are?" I asked, not caring that I was talking back to this person. I knew that he wasn't able to harm me nor kill me for whatever reason, and I knew that I was working on borrowed time, but I didn't care; I wanted him to know that I wasn't afraid of him.

"The Master," Samuel whispered with a small hiss in his voice. He kept his head bowed, and I could tell that he was trying to signal for me to do what he says. "Bow, Jaz. Show some respect to him because he could, and will, kill you."

I bit back a scoffed laugh and rolled my eyes because I knew that wasn't true.

This man wouldn't be able to kill me, no matter what he thinks.

"He can't," I said while I looked at Samuel before I looked at the male before us, giving him a pointed look, "and he knows that he can't."

The older male smirked and cocked his head while he studied me, amused. He made no move towards me, and I had a feeling that we both knew he wouldn't be able to land a hand on me unless he wanted to get into trouble with someone else, someone more powerful than him. "Are you sure?" he asked and raised an eyebrow before I nodded in confirmation.

"Yes," I replied and nodded, and he gestured for me to continue. I cleared my throat and stood taller while I looked at him. "You can't kill me because you know that if you do, then something bad will happen."

He raised an eyebrow. "And that will be..?" he asked with an inquiring tone in his voice while he raised his eyebrow higher.

I shrugged and bit back a small grimace while I folded my arms across my chest. "Innocent lives being killed is an option," I replied. "Darkness, death, disease, and destruction also come to mind, but I am sure that you know more about that than what I do."

The older male grinned and dipped his head, amused, and his whole body grew relaxed while I eyed him suspiciously and grew tenser. "You are a strong one, Young Alpha," he said with praise, and I raised an eyebrow in question. "I am glad that they were correct about that and how you could "potentially" react to me."