Free Lord Protector by T C Southwell

them with swift strides. His hands flashed towards Storm's throat, but he threw himself aside, warned by the same built-in alarms Blade possessed. Storm whipped around, curved knives appearing in his hands, and dropped into a fighting crouch.
    Blade flicked a dagger with a short, sharp motion. Storm jerked aside, and it struck him in the shoulder instead of the throat. Blade threw the other one, but again Storm moved too fast, and it opened a gash above his eye. Blade bent and yanked the daggers from his boots, then flung himself sideways as Storm leapt at him, his boot skimming past Blade's cheek. Blade skipped back and retaliated with a kick that hit Storm on the chin and sent him staggering away.
    The Cotti crashed into a table, sending it skidding across the floor with a screech. He whipped around as Blade closed with him again, blood pouring down his face and chest. Blade leapt, lashing out with a stiffened leg, and his boot-tip narrowly missed Storm's chin as the Cotti jerked back. He threw himself aside, sent a chair grating across the floor and forced Blade to swing around to face him.
    The brawl still raged in the middle of the room, but many of the men close to the assassins had noticed the strange fight and stopped to gawp, some still clutching their former opponents. Storm swept up a tankard and hurled it at Blade, who ducked, allowing it to sail over him and smash against the head of a man behind him, who dropped with a grunt. The Cotti made no move to attack, and Blade guessed that he had too much respect for his enemy.
    The knowledge that Blade had defeated Ice in a duel and two Contara assassins at once, to say nothing of his own defeat at the Match, undoubtedly weighed heavily on Storm's mind. The fact that Blade had already injured him twice added to his caution, which, in this case, was his enemy. Blade had no such qualms. Although he preferred to use defensive tactics, he advanced again with light, dancing steps, alert for the slightest hint of movement from his opponent.
    Storm retreated, then swung and grabbed a gawping patron, stepped behind him and held a curved dagger to the man's throat.
    "Come any closer, and he dies."
    Blade stopped and straightened, letting his arms fall to his sides. "Afraid to fight me?"
    "Only a fool would not be afraid of you, and I'm not one."
    "You were a fool when you accepted this mission, and an even bigger one not to kill me when you had the chance."
    "I'm still going to kill you, but not like this."
    "Because you know you'll lose."
    Storm inclined his head. "Perhaps taking this job was a mistake, I'll grant you that, but I'm not going to fight you."
    "And you think that this will stop me?" Blade gestured at the terrified man. "You think I won't kill him to get to you?"
    Blade became aware that the brawl had stopped, and the men stared at the assassins. Storm jerked his head at the spectators. "That might be ill advised. He's a friend of theirs."
    "And you're the one with a knife at his throat."
    "Walk away, and he lives."
    "And give you another chance to try to kill me in some dark corner?"
    Storm shrugged, wincing. "That's my job. You shouldn't have made so many enemies."
    "Well, now that I have a client it's my job to kill you." Blade smiled. "And they paid me just one silver coin. That's all you're worth."
    "I didn't think your skills could be bought so cheaply."
    "Usually I'm a little more expensive, but you, I would have killed for free."
    Storm backed towards the door, dragging his human shield. Blade followed, keeping the same distance between them. The Cotti paused by the door and considered his next move, then turned his head, his eyes fixed on Blade.
    "Open the door," Storm ordered the men who stood next to it.
    The men hesitated, glancing at Blade, who bent to pick up his fallen dagger and sheath it in his belt.
     
    Storm watched Blade, aware that he was vastly more experienced, and his legendary reputation was enough to strike fear into the most courageous