Deadly Daggers

ISBN: 978-0-425-23644-4

From Berkley Prime Crime

“This is it.” Daisy wiped her tears with her hands again.

“Here. Use this instead.” I handed her the apprentice shirt Portia had given me, knowing a little makeup wouldn’t matter compared to what I’d get on it later.

She wiped away most of the makeup and tears then handed it back to me. “Thank you for being here, Jessie. It means a lot to me. We shall triumph, forsooth, for our cause is righteous.”

There wasn’t enough language in Ren speech for me to express what I was feeling. “Go over there and kick that jerk’s ass!”

She smiled at me then ripped the rest of her gown away from her legs. A swordswoman wouldn’t want to get caught up in blue silk while she was fighting. It was a waste of a truly great costume. I could feel Portia cringing somewhere in the crowd. It would be a long time before she’d have something like that for Daisy again.

Alastair took his sword from his second. The light that surrounded us caught on the blade and reflected back at us. It was very impressive.
Daisy took her sword from me and saluted him by waving it once to the side then bringing it to her face. There was no plastic safety tip on either sword like there usually is during duels in the Village. The metal blade made a whooshing sound as it went by a few inches from my nose. I touched my face to make sure it was all still there. Sometimes duels could be a messy business for the seconds too.

They advanced on each other across the grass. The crowd realized the moment was on them and everything got quiet. The air was still and hot around us even though it was nearly nine pm. It wouldn’t really cool off until after midnight, a fact those of us who’d lived without air conditioning were well aware of.

Alastair took wide, masterful steps and was the first to charge into the duel. Daisy only defended momentarily before she pushed into his assault. The swords rang in the silence. It was only a few minutes before both duelers were sweating and grunting in the heat. Swordplay was best in cooler climates. That’s why our early ancestors knew they needed guns as soon as possible.

“I will flay the flesh from your bones, harlot!” Alastair called out in grand dramatic fashion typical of most Village duels.

Hearing his Ren speech made me feel a little better. Usually there was no real tension in these mock battles. Alastair seemed to consider this an opportunity to impress his fans.

But Daisy didn’t return his banter. Her eyes were fixed on his face. Her movements seemed directed at wearing him down. I’d seen her fight many duels before. She was never this intent. This was the real thing for her, which was kind of scary considering she had a few hundred witnesses and an unprotected blade.

Like a sledgehammer, she brought her sword down on his. I could see the tremors as metal hitting metal caused his arm to shake. At that instant, she pressed her advantage and had him down on his knees fending off her assault. I had a twinge of concern about the murderous look on her face. What if she really meant to kill him?
 

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