Zoé is a young immortal. She is only 186 years old. Currently, she works in an incredible library of the occult, located in Budapest and curated by a very old immortal called Ikshan. Unfortunately, one day she stumbles upon a terrifying monster in a...
I avoid the first punch and push on my left leg to bounce and stand behind my opponent. The sorcerer fends off the attack and turns around to face me. Our blades cross and I put my hand on his sword to give the extra weight I need to push him away. My hand bleeds but just for a moment.
These sorcerers are old-fashion. The Akandjat used to be an organization of warriors, trained physically and mentally, as well as magically. And these ones clearly follow that traditional way. They move quickly. They are accurate. They are strong. But they are human. And when they bleed, they cannot heal like we do.
My attention is divided. I fight the sorcerers in front of me while keeping an eye on Zoé, who handles hers very well while cursing every ten seconds in French. But all my thoughts are turned towards Leno. He fights beautifully. He's very strong and his efficiency is fed by a grace that is so him.
He wounds the sorcerer's legs and side until he falls to the ground. Leno doesn't want to kill. He didn't tell me, but he didn't need to. I know it. The goal is to neutralize the leader. Zoé and I try to free space for Leno to reach him.
Jan doesn't move until Leno faces him. He draws a sword and walks calmly towards Leno. Their duel is close. The sorcerer becomes more and more aggressive as his hits miss their target again and again. Leno is focused, accurate, but his movements are fluid.
The sorcerer, frustrated, pushes Leno and closes his eyes for a second. He says two words and I can feel the amulet vibrating against my skin. I get rid of my last opponent and Zoé's, wounding them enough to incapacitate them temporarily, and reach out for Zoé's hand to maintain the power of the spell. She understands immediately and concentrates.
Leno seizes this opportunity to attack the leader and wound his hand. Leno then grabs him from behind and holds his sword on the sorcerer's neck. The other sorcerers freeze with fear in their eyes.
Jan Ostenson breathes heavily. "Even if you kill me, the other factions will always find you," he snarls.
"I'm not going to kill you," Leno says calmly. "I just want you to leave me alone."
"Why would I do that?"
"We may be alone today," I say, "but, you know, Leno has powerful and devoted friends now. I'm sure you are aware of the existence of Elise Chaceney, for instance. Do you really want a war with immortals, vampires, magicians?"
Jan's jaw tenses.
"No offense, but the Akandjat is not what it was. You are a handful of sorcerers dedicated to the cause now. So if you want your organization not to be crushed definitely, you should probably forget all about this."
"Withdraw my status as an enemy of the Akandjat and we'll let you go. You and your archaic rituals turned me into your enemy. You destroyed my family," Leno says and I translate.
"Tradition is tradition. Your punishment was legitimate. You decimated a whole faction."
Leno opens his mouth to speak but before any sounds come out, Jan continues: "However, the strategic balance between supernatural powers must be maintained. I'm not a fool. We won't go after you. But consider we're even. If you attack again the Akandjat, we will retaliate."
"I won't," says Leno, letting go of his grip on the sorcerer's neck.
We leave the building in silence, panting, and when we reach an empty street far enough, we stop, look at one another, and smile.
"We did it!" Zoé screams. "Double high five!"
We laugh and do it before Leno hugs Zoé, her smile erased immediately from her face while she squirms out of Leno's arms. "Yeah, yeah, okay. Go give your affection to your soulmate here."
I can't help but blush at her words and turn to Leno. I don't speak but I cup his face and kiss him. "I'm so proud of you," I whisper in his ear before holding him tightly against my chest.
"Thank you so much. For everything."
And we kiss again as I lose myself in his scent and the sensation of his lips against mine, and the colors of his eyes and the heat of his body and...
"And that's my cue to leave," says Zoé, rolling her eyes.
Leno and I laugh again and I lean my forehead against his, our hands intertwined.
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