Devil's Cut: A Blade Master Chronicles Novella

Chapter Three

Chapter 3

Kat's mind drifted back to the sword as soon as she washed around the cut on her shoulder. It was still throbbing and warm to the touch, she wondered if it was getting infected.

She didn't realize how long she let the water stream over her until she felt it go cold. Turning off the water, she grabbed her towel and started to pat herself dry when she heard a noise in the living room.

"Spencer?" Kat wrapped the towel around her and stepped into the hallway wondering if she was mistaken, but then she heard it again; heavy footsteps in her living room that most certainly did not match Spencer's gait.

She stepped back into the bathroom and looked around before grabbing the plunger. She didn't have anything else to use for protection and her gut told her she needed it. She quietly unscrewed the rubber end and hefted her makeshift weapon in her right hand before stepping out.

Kat was silent as she made her way down the short hallway, stopping short at the sight of the man in her living room. She knew it was a man because of his build, but not much else.

A balaclava that also concealed his hair color covered his face. And, he was big, at least a head taller and looked to be all muscle. She stole a glance at her puny stick and wondered what good it would really do.

She watched as he looked under the couch cushions and wondered what he was looking for. He straightened up and looked past the couch.

Kat saw his body stiffen as he sucked in his breath. It seemed he had found it, whatever it was.

His heavy steps shook the floor under her bare feet and she cursed under her breath when he picked up the sword she had left on the table.

"Put it back." She didn't realize she had even stepped out. 
She silently thanked her parents for the martial arts classes they had made her take and held her stick up ready to defend or attack.

The man turned around sword in hand.


"I said, put it down." her demanding tone a futile attempt to disguise her fear. What was she going to do against a large man with a sword?

She watched as he considered her. Kat knew she didn't look like a threat and she certainly didn't feel like one standing there in just a towel and holding a stick. Her surprise when he put the sword on the back of the couch became shock when he charged her.

Kat managed to step aside just in time, striking him with her stick on the back of the head as he passed. He moved like a cat and was already moving toward her again. She scrambled back trying to keep some distance between them to no avail. His hand struck her in the chest knocking her into the back of the couch. The clatter of the sword hitting the floor captured their attention and they both scrambled for it. Kat got to it first and this time, it didn't overwhelm her. When her hand wrapped itself around the hilt the feeling was almost electric. The violent images were still there but they were running in the background. She felt the man's hand wrap around hers and watched in stunned silence as he yanked his hand back with a yelp of pain. He didn't waste a second, turning tail and running out the way he had come.

Kat stood there breast heaving and stared in wonder at the blade. The cut on her back throbbed with every beat of her heart but she wasn't feeling it.

That was how Spencer found her almost a half hour later.

When he tried to get her attention she pushed his hands away and raised the sword.


"Kat! Kat dammit, it's me!"

Kat looked at the sword in her hand and the other wrapped in Spencer's shirt and dropped the sword.

"Spencer?" Kat dropped to her knees, sweat dripping along her face, unable to do more than focus on his face and breathe.

Moments later, Spencer draped a blanket over her shoulders. She hadn't even realized he'd stepped away. Then he picked her up like she weighed nothing and carried her to the couch while she gripped his collar never once uttering a word of protest.

"Kat." 
It was the desperation in his voice that filtered through to her.

Kat opened her mouth to answer him but someone else's words came out instead, "The sword, hand me the sword."


"What?"

She pushed him out of the way and grabbed it again. This time Kat understood. This was her sword. Her shoulder was throbbing and her breath was still while she felt the power of the blade wash over her, but it was too much, too soon and she collapsed into Spencer's arms, sword forgotten.