Free A Hunters Promise by Gwendolyn Cease Page B

as she was ready, her parents had shipped her off to school. Most holidays, she hadn’t even gone home. Her parents thought it was best she stay at school. Whatever, they just hadn’t wanted to bother or be bothered. If they hadn’t wanted kids, she always wondered, then why had they?
    She wiped her face off on her shirt and picked her weapon up. No more thinking. That part of her life was over. She was never going back there. This was her new reality, and she was going to enjoy the freedom.
    “Ready?” He asked.
    “Yes, but this time, can you have a weapon, too?”
    “I have one,” he said, holding out the staff.
    “No, I want you to have one with a blade. When someone comes at me, they aren’t going to have a stick. I want to see what it feels like to fight against a truly armed opponent.”
    Charon hesitated, and she thought he would refuse. If so, she knew he would never let her go out. If he truly was preparing her to fight, he’d give her the opportunity to see what true combat felt like. After a long moment, he threw the stick down and pulled two blades. It happened so fast, she wasn’t sure where they came from, but the blades were impressive. They were large and triangular-shaped with H-shaped handles instead of regular grips. The blades themselves were ornately carved and obviously sharp on both sides.
    “These are called katar .” He held them up for her inspection. “They’re my preferred weapons, and I’ve had them for a very long time.”
    She let out a small laugh. “Charon, you’re not much older than me so you can’t have had them very long.”
    “How old are you?”
    “I’m twenty-two.”
    He nodded slowly. “You’re not even close to my age.”
    “Okay, old man, what are you, thirty? Thirty-three?”
    He laughed. “This year, I will turn two hundred fifteen, and I’m the baby of the Hunters.”
    “Two hundred? That’s not possible.”
    “I’m an Ancient, a vampire. Of course it’s possible. Vampires live a long time; Ancients live much longer.”
    She was silent for a long moment as the new reality set in. Okay, if vampires exist why couldn’t they live far longer than humans? She finally nodded. “Okay, grandpa, I’ll go easy on you. When we’re finished, I’ll get you some broth and a shawl so you can rest.”
    He smiled and shook his head. “Keep talking, Irish, because once I wipe the floor up with you, I’ll take you back to my room and make you scream a different way.”
    She rolled her eyes and laughed. “Sure, you will.”
    Before he could say anything in reply, she and the naginata were in motion. She realized immediately he was incredible to look at as he moved with the blades. She forced herself to stay focused since she didn’t want to lose part of her face. The man was utterly lethal, and she was prepared to defend, attack and dodge. As she moved, she was in the zone. She didn’t need to think about what to do next, her body just seemed to know.
    But, of course, she couldn’t keep it up. She was human and had limitations. One moment, she was swinging her weapon, and the next, a sharp line of fire lit across her arm. She stumbled and went down hard. The room came back into focus, and she was laying drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. She tried to rise, but her arms were shaky, and one hurt.
    Charon knelt next to her and pressed a towel against her upper arm. “Fuck, Irish, I’m sorry. I got you.”
    “What?” She glanced at her arm and saw blood. “Crap, I was too slow.”
    “Hold still,” he said and before she could protest he licked the wound. His tongue was hot against her sweaty flesh, and she shivered. Instead of the process grossing her out or scaring her, it actually turned her on. She watched transfixed as he moved his tongue over her arm, just as he had licked her nipples and between her legs.
    He looked up, and the two of them locked eyes. Slowly, so slowly she could have easily moved to avoid him, he leaned over her and pressed