Fallen 2. Torment(68)

her foil from Francesca. Luce didn't even know how to hold it. She fumbled with the

handle, wondering whether to put it in her right or left hand. She wrote right-handed,

bowled and batted with her left.

Lilith was already looking at her like she wished Luce were dead, and Luce knew

she couldn't afford the time to test out her swing in both hands. Did they even call it a

swing in fencing?

Wordlessly, Francesca moved behind her. She stood with her shoulders brushing

Luce's back, practically folding her narrow body around Luce and taking Luce's left hand,

and the sword, in hers.

"I'm left-handed too," she said.

Luce opened her mouth, unsure whether or not to protest.

"Just like you." Francesca leaned around her and gave Luce a knowing look. As

she repositioned her grip, something warm and tremendously soothing flowed through

Francesca's fingers into Luce. Strength, or maybe courage--Luce didn't understand how it

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worked, but she was grateful.

"You'll want a light grip," Francesca said, directing Luce's fingers around the hilt

under the guard. "Grip too tightly and your direction of the blade becomes less nimble,

your defensive moves more limited. Grip too lightly and the blade can be spun out of

your hands."

Her smooth, thin fingers guided Luce's to hold the curved grip of the sword's hilt

just under the guard. With one hand on the sword and the other on Luce's shoulder,

Francesca galloped lightly sideways one step, blocking out the move.

"Advance." She moved forward, thrusting the sword in Lilith's direction.

The redheaded girl ran her tongue across her teeth and glared at Luce with

something like middle child syndrome.

"Disengage." Francesca moved Luce back as if she were a chess piece. She

stepped away and circled to face Luce, whispering, "The rest is just gilding the lily."

Luce swallowed. Gilding the what?

" En garde! " Lilith practically shouted. Her long legs were bent, and her right arm

was holding the foil straight at Luce.

Luce retreated, two quick galloping steps; then, when she felt at a safe enough

distance, lunged forward with her sword extended.

Lilith dipped deftly to the left of Luce's sword, spun around, then came back from

below with her own, clashing against Luce's. The two blades slid against each other until

they reached a midpoint, then held. Luce had to put all her strength into stopping Lilith's

foil with the pressure of her own. Her arms were shaking, but she was surprised to find

she could hold Lilith back in this position. At last Lilith broke away and backed off. Luce

watched her dip and spin a few times, and began to figure her out.

Lilith was a grunter, making tons of effort-filled noise. It was a bit of

misdirection. She would make a huge noise and feint in one direction, then whip the point

of her foil around in a high, tight arc to try to get past Luce's defenses.

So Luce tried the same move. When she swung the tip of her sword back around

to get her first point, just south of Lilith's heart, the girl let out a deafening roar.

Luce winced and backed away. She didn't think she'd even touched Lilith very

hard. "Are you okay?" she called out, about to lift her mask.

"She's not hurt," Francesca answered for Lilith. A smile parted her lips. "She's

angry that you're beating her."

Luce didn't have time to wonder what it meant that Francesca seemed suddenly to

be enjoying herself, because Lilith was barreling toward her once again, sword poised.

Luce raised her sword to meet Lilith's, turning her wrist to clash three times before they

disengaged.

Luce's pulse was racing and she felt good. She sensed an energy coursing through

her that she hadn't felt in a long time. She was actually good at this, almost as good as

Lilith, who looked like she'd been bred to skewer people with sharp things. Luce, who

had never even picked up a sword, realized she actually had a chance to win. Just one

more point.

She could hear the other students cheering, some even calling out her name. She

could hear Miles, and she thought she could hear Shelby, which really egged her on. But

the sound of their voices was woven through with something else. Something staticky

and too loud. Lilith fought as fiercely as ever, but suddenly Luce was having a hard time

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concentrating. She backed up and blinked, looking into the sky. The sun was obscured by

the overhanging trees--but that wasn't all. A growing fleet of shadows was stretching

forth from the branches, like ink stains extending right above Luce's head.

No--not now, not in public with everyone watching, and not when it might cost

her this match. Yet no one else even noticed them, which seemed impossible. They were

making so much noise it was impossible for Luce to do anything but cover her ears and