Eight of Hearts: The Rift Blade - Book 1

Chapter 21

James looked up and saw Tobias falling from the portal, way up in the sky. He had naively assumed Aisa was merely testing them, but that kind of fall would be fatal. Maybe if he could find another invisible walkway he could get high enough to safely catch Tobias, but that would be asking too much of his luck. So instead he turned to face Aisa, who was again standing ready to meet whatever attack James had planned.

James charged, but this time as he came near he threw his sword, point first at his enemy. Aisa slashed the air, creating a gash that consumed the projectile, and as James hoped, the second portal appeared behind him. He ducked past the first, passing Aisa who seemed ready to meet his headlong charge. But instead of meeting him then, James continued, passing into the second opening that still hung in the air behind Aisa. As he'd hoped, this took him directly in front of Aisa, catching him off guard. He grabbed the arm that held the rippling blade, then slammed his knee hard into the wrist, breaking Aisa's grip on the sword handle.

Pushing Aisa away, James caught the blade as it fell, then leapt away to put some distance between him and the golden warrior.

"I'm impressed," Aisa laughed. It was a hollow sound, coming from him. "You used my own weapon against me well enough. But can you wield it against me?"

James hefted the strange blade, testing its weight and balance. He swung it twice for practice, then slashed through the air, opening his own gash in the air between them.

Aisa was about to congratulate him on figuring out how to generate the portals, but he was cut off as Tobias burst through the opening, catching him by the waist in a bear hug. The collision sent them flying back, with Aisa taking the brunt of the impact as they skidded across the rocky surface.

"How do you like it?!" Tobias crowed.

They crashed into a rock, and Aisa's helmet split from the force of the impact. Tobias lay heavily on top of him, pinning him down. He seemed just as stunned by the ordeal as Aisa was.

Aisa lay still, unresisting as James approached, holding the rift blade proudly forward.

"I've always been a fast learner," James said as he knelt next to the golden warrior.

Aisa had blood smeared across his forehead, but his expression remained passive as he met James's gaze. "You haven't won yet, James Garland," he said.

James stabbed the sword into the ground next to Aisa's head. "You don't get to decide the terms of victory," he said, then he turned to help Tobias to his feet.

As they began leave him, Aisa called after them. "The blade of rifts!" he shouted. "You must kill me to prove you own it, or I shall take it up and strike you down again!"

"We never wanted your stupid blade!" Tobias yelled back. It felt good to win against Aisa, and it felt even better to turn his offer down. Granted, if he had been alone, he might have accepted it. But seeing James so confident in his victory made him feel elated. Their friendship was secure; nothing else mattered at this moment.

"How could Holmes trust the most suspicious person here? Jonas asked Watson once they were safely away from the house. "Cecil is obviously more involved in things than he's letting on. Didn't Isaac mention he was at that club earlier too?"

"If that is true, then Cecil has no desire to see Adriana come to harm," Watson explained, keeping his voice low so Isaac and Adriana couldn't hear them. "He has a plan, and it would only put you three at risk to undo it before we understand his intent. Sometimes it is better to play along with the villain than to call him out the moment you find the truth."