Refuge(40)

They came together in a clang of metal, and I caught myself holding my breath more than once as they parried and thrust, dancing around each other with deadly grace. Eric was a skilled swordsman, and once or twice I thought he was going to get the better of Tristan until I realized that Tristan was just toying with him. Tristan might not hunt as much as he used to, but he was as good a warrior as anyone else there, which he proved when he suddenly disarmed his opponent.

I clapped and cheered with everyone else. Tristan’s eyes met mine in the crowd, and I gave him two thumbs up. “Wow, he’s so good!”

Josh’s face glowed with excitement. “You haven’t seen anything yet. The main attraction is just about to start.”

“What could be better than that?” I asked a second before I felt a soft telltale flutter against my mind. You have got to be kidding me. I fumed as the last person I expected to see walked through a doorway at the far end of the room. All eyes were on the commanding figure who strode toward Tristan, muscles rippling beneath his T-shirt and a sword grasped in his right hand. His mouth was curved into a brotherly smile for Tristan.

Around me, the trainees and younger warriors were riveted on Nikolas and Tristan, and their excitement was almost palpable. All I could feel was anger. I couldn’t forget how I felt when I found out he’d left after dumping me on someone else like I was their problem now. I shouldn’t care what he did, but for some reason it bothered me more than I wanted to admit.

No longer entertained, I turned to push back through the crowd, but Olivia grabbed my arm. “Where are you going? You don’t get to see Nikolas fight every day.”

“I’ve seen him fight plenty.”

Terrence turned to give me an appreciative look. “That’s right. You’ve seen him in action. Man that must be something.”

“It is,” I replied grudgingly.

The ring of steel on steel stopped me when I would have taken another step, and I stood there for half a minute, refusing to look until I heard small intakes of breath around me. Unable to help myself, I turned back toward the room.

It was immediately clear which of them was the superior swordsman – not that I was surprised after seeing Nikolas fight more than once. Tristan was a fine fighter, but where he moved with the smooth grace of a fencer, Nikolas’s movements were like a lethal dance, so beautifully controlled that you could not take your eyes off him. His long blade glinted in the sun shining through the tall windows as he rained blows on Tristan, keeping his opponent on the defensive and circling him like a lion preparing for a kill. If I didn’t know this was a friendly duel, I would have been afraid for my grandfather’s life at that moment.

Nikolas saw an opening and moved in, bringing the tip of his sword to Tristan’s chest and just like that it was over. Tristan smiled and bowed, then slapped Nikolas on the back as everyone clapped. The two men stepped aside to let the next pair duel, but it was anticlimactic after the thrill of watching them. I couldn’t help but notice that my companions were more interested in watching what Nikolas was doing than the current fight.

“Someday, I’m going to be that good,” said a worshipful voice beside me.

I turned to face Jordan, who stared at Nikolas like he was a rock star. “Good and when you are, you can kick his ass. In fact, let me know so I can be there to watch.” She looked at me like I was nuts, and I shrugged. “Spend a month with him and you’ll sing a different tune.”

Jordan started to respond but stopped when her eyes went to something behind me. I turned to see Tristan and Nikolas walking through the crowd toward us. My jaw clenched. I had plenty of choice words for Nikolas, but this was not the place to share them. His expression as he approached was neutral, but when our eyes met I saw the familiar arrogant gleam and it fed the angry embers smoldering inside me. Did he really expect me to greet him as if all was well between us?

Tristan stopped to talk to someone, and as soon as he and Nikolas turned their heads away from us, I was out of there. I ducked through the crowded room in an effort to put as much distance as possible between me and Nikolas. If I confronted him now, I might start yelling at him and end up looking like an idiot in front of everyone.

At the door, I looked back and saw Nikolas wearing a surprised scowl as he searched the room. Not very nice when people just take off like that, is it? I thought with intense satisfaction and left before he saw me.

If I knew one thing about Nikolas, it was that once he set his mind on something it was almost impossible to shake him. I had seen the look in his eyes, and he was not going to let me give him the slip that easily. He also had an uncanny ability to find me, which was great when I was in danger, but not so much when I wanted to avoid him.