Boris smiled. “Just assuming you’re like your sister.”
I blinked, too taken aback to say more. “Oh.”
Chapter Thirty-two
Hayden
Boris watched from a spot in the far corner of the room, probably keeping his distance so he wouldn’t distract us. But his presence still weighed heavily on me, even after the thirtieth time Kyle knocked me down. Why such an interest in us?
Even with my back to him, I knew when Boris approached.
“You’re going about it all wrong, Hayden,” he said. Kyle backed away and Boris took his place. “Martial arts, especially aikido, can be very spiritual compared to, say, boxing or wrestling. As a sorcerer, you can take it to the next level. Let me give you a demonstration.” He dropped his arms to his side, feet together. “You try to take me down.”
I struggled to get past the fact that he knew which of the martial arts I used. He clearly knew his stuff. He also knew I had zero chance of getting the better of him on the mat. A guy like Boris only took bets he would win. But if I didn’t put myself out there, I’d never learn.
In an attempt to fool him, my arm shot out, but I put the real power behind my favorite kick. With a grunt, I ended up face down on the mat. I hadn’t gone down so quickly in years. But then I’d never sparred with a guy like Boris.
A week ago, the concept of protecting Tessa seemed as easy as making coffee. Now, the idea of failing at that scared the hell out of me. And the possibility of losing her was all too real. If I didn’t improve by leaps and bounds quickly, Tessa could die. And I would be at fault — because I couldn’t protect her.
“That should give you something to think about. I’d like to work with Tessa now.” He nodded and I knew I’d been dismissed. I stepped off the mat as Tessa replaced me.
“Now you try it,” Boris told her.
She backed up. “Seriously? Spar with you? Maybe we should start off a little lighter. Like on a day when all my energy isn’t being funneled off to digest my dinner.”
He chuckled. “I understand you don’t have Hayden’s experience and I will spar accordingly. I want you to come at me with all your strength, but don’t forget that the result will be in direct proportion to what you do here.” Boris pointed to his head. “You haven’t even begun to tap into your abilities. And while you’re concentrating on your physical skills, don’t forget that most of your battles will be won by out-powering your opponent mentally and spiritually.”
Watching Boris knock Tessa around the next half hour made me want to pummel him. I concentrated on gauging his powers and looking for weaknesses. I didn’t find any.
* * * *
Tessa had warned me about Chait’s collection of weapons but I couldn’t imagine, even in my wildest dreams, anything like it.
“This…” Chait gingerly lifted a sword from its place on the wall. “Is a Scottish basket-hilted broadsword, circa seventeen hundred. The baskets were designed to protect your hands in battle. This particular sword belonged to my mentor.”
I ran a finger reverently along the blade. “I’m speechless.”
“Hey.” Tessa squeezed between Chait and me. “Enough with the foreplay. I want to see the modern technologically advanced stuff. Like those bullets. Let’s hurry though because it’s getting late and I want to make sure I have time to see your library.”
“Hey.” I held her hand a moment. “Guess you’re not getting much time with Bree, huh?”
She shook her head. “No. But in the long run, maybe I’ll have more. I can hope.”
“You know,” Chait began, “our records are meticulously updated. Well, every few years anyway. We’d have everything from ten years ago, for sure. We log everyone by their original name and whatever they used later. Everyone changes their name eventually and since your grandmother is older, she’d have to be there somewhere.”
“Your grandmother?” I asked. “Why would she be in their record books?”
“Oh, yeah. Uhm…” Tessa squeezed her eyes shut a moment. “She was a witch. With everything that’s been going on, I didn’t get a chance to tell you.”
“Your grandmother was a witch and you forgot to tell me?” I shook my head, remembering that she’d also forgotten to tell me she’d quit her job. “But you found time to tell him?”
“Hayden,” she said, resting a hand on my wrist. “Chait and I had lot of time to talk on the way to the cemetery last night.”
My mouth dropped open. “And all the rest of the time, you’ve been with me.” I held my hands up in surrender. “You know what? Forget it. I don’t want to get into it.”
“Can we have a minute, Chait?” she asked.
“Sure.”
The door closed and Tessa draped her arms around my neck. “It doesn’t have to do with anything, Hayden. You and I have been doing other things like playing with Bree and… kissing. I wasn’t trying to keep it from you. I swear. In this whole mess, you’re the one I trust most.”
I nodded. Of course, I believed her sincerity, but it still bothered me how Chait had been getting so much quality time with her lately.
“Okay.” It wasn’t okay, not really. But I knew she meant what she said. I buried my face in her hair and tried to forget how screwed I was. I’d never before worried about my relationship with a girl or been jealous. Because the other girls never truly mattered. “How do you know she was a witch?”
Tessa grinned, then pressed closer and whispered in my ear. “Actually, was isn’t accurate. Grandma visited me the other night, but it’s supposed to be a secret. I left that part out when I told Chait that she was a witch. And she’s insisting on helping me financially, so I can spend more time with Bree. That’s why I quit Delia’s.”
“Hey.” Chait cracked the door open and peeked his head through. “All safe?”
“Yeah,” she said. “Why don’t you show me to the library, then you and Hayden can go crazy on each other?”
Chait came inside the rest of the way, then ducked his head back out. “The thing is,” he whispered, “you’re not supposed to be in the library. Not until you’re one of us. I’m going to get in trouble if I get caught. We have to be careful.”
“Let’s go,” Tessa said.
I kissed her goodbye, then returned to the wall of joy and fondled a thirteenth century poignard. Of course, I’d never have known what the dagger was called if not for the plaque below telling its history. Over six hundred years old, complete with a jeweled sheath. I sighed in longing for the dagger, then returned it to the display case on the wall.
“David would kill me if he knew I let you touch that stuff,” Chait told me, reappearing.
“Then why’d you let me?”
He laughed. “You would’ve done it anyway once I left. Same thing I did as a recruit.”
As much as I disliked Chait… oh, hell, I didn’t dislike him at all. If I were going to be honest, I’d admit — at least to myself — that Tessa wouldn’t be doing badly if she hooked up with a guy like him. She’d probably be better off with him than me.
Christ, I needed to beat the hell out of him. I was in the perfect place to do it, too.
It took me only five minutes to learn that I had a ways to go before kicking his ass. He gave me bruises to prove it.
Chapter Thirty-three
Tessa
I’d been through so many old, dusty books, I’d almost lost count. No record of my grandmother and nothing about sorcerers that I didn’t already know. I leaned forward and rested my chin in my palms. Where would I find the information? In all the centuries past, we couldn’t be the only family that had inherited powers.
Closing my eyes a moment, I listened to approaching steps beyond the door. In front of me sat a pile of books. Except for my legs, I was completely hidden from anyone standing at the door. The knob turned and I raised my feet then put up a shield around myself, blocking the intruder from sensing me. I didn’t know if it would work, but it was my best shot.