I closed my eyes and tried toconcentrate. I breathed as Em had taught me, in through my nose, outthough my mouth. I felt the world start to melt away and I was alonein my head, blocking out everything except my own heartbeat.Suddenly, I felt someone shove me. I opened my eyes to protest, butbefore I could even open my mouth, I saw I was in the otherworld.
"Smooth," I commented,looking around for any sign of Balthazar.
"You've no idea the mistakeyou've made, pet!" He appeared in front of me.
I took a defensive step back."Can we skip the threatening banter so I can kill you and get backto my ruined marriage and try to undo the damage you did?"
"Being here won't help youget rid of me. The only way out is to let me in again and this timeit won't be nearly as pleasant," he growled.
"It was too quick for mytastes. Kind of anti climactic, too," I taunted, trying to egg himinto a fight. It worked. He moved quickly to stand in front of me andbackhanded me in an instant.
"You will learn respect," hegrowled.
I spun my stinging face backtoward his, my fist following. I connected with his cheek, my fistabsorbing the impact and ricocheting through my body to my other armas I used the energy to make my second punch that much harder. Hestaggered back and I said. "Youshould really learn respect. Hitting a woman is a coward's move."
"If you truly wish to fight,pet, that can be arranged." He closed his eyes and in both my andhis hands, a shiny, well balanced sword manifested.
I grinned. "Oh, now that'swhat I'm talking about." I flipped the sword in an arc, bringingit to a halt in front of me and spreading my feet for balance. "I'msogoing to kick your arse," I growled confidently.
He appraised his sword as if hehadn't made it perfectly and turned his blue eyes threateningly onme. "You won't last five minutes!"
He came at me first, chargingquickly and stopping just short of my reach. He lashed out violently,but without discipline. I'd pissed him off and he was alreadymaking mistakes. I dodged his attack, batting his sword away. "You'regoing to have to do much better than that," I said resetting myform. I hoped if I kept talking, he would keep making mistakes.
Our battle continued and Iallowed him to keep coming at me and dancing out of the way. I hadbarely broken a sweat when it started to rain. He breathed heavily,his breath puffing out in clouds in front of his face. By the way hisshoulders slumped, I could tell he was tiring. I decided it was timefor me to start fighting back.
The next time he came at me, whenI spun out of his way, I extended my reach and swiped at him, takinga chunk of skin from his sword arm. "So we're serious now?" heasked, raising an eyebrow.
I nodded grimly. The fight begangetting more intense, with fewer gaps between his charges and moreinjuries on both sides. To gain any advantage, you have to take somerisks. Soon we were both covered in superficial cuts and bruises andstill neither of us was close to defeating the other. Still we foughton.
Suddenly, a good bit into thefight, I barely was able to duck out of the way of his sword as Ifelt a sharp stabbing pain shoot across my forehead. Marl must havestarted his exorcism. My only advantage was my balk had thrown himout of form as well as he moved to block an attack that didn'tcome.
We both recovered and went at itagain. Again, I was assaulted with the same sharp headache. I knewthat would be the last time he would be thrown off guard by mystrange behavior. I had to find a way to compensate for the pain orthe battle would go south for me pretty quickly.
I took a deep breath to recovermy wits and my chest burned. My wounds were all bleeding down my armsand legs. I tried to keep my hands pointed up to keep the blood fromgumming in my hands and making the sword hilt slippery. I was failingmiserably. The next swing I took connected with his sword, jarring mygrip. The sword flew from my grasp and landed behind him.
