Sorceress' Blood (11 page)

“Good morning.” He said without looking up. “I was
thinking we should play something else today; preferably something
with which I have a chance at victory.”

“Can I see Ashley today?”

“Ah. I'm very sorry but I sent word that you would like to see
her today and I received some unfortunate news in return.”

“What?” Rebecca's heart skipped a beat and her knees felt
weak.

“She's not there. Ashley and her tutor have gone travelling for
the day. I imagine they've gone to the mountains or maybe all the way
to the city. They could be anywhere, really. The thing about magic is
that it really can take you anywhere in the world in the blink of an
eye. Doing so is far from simple but the girl has a gift, so I'm
told.”

“Oh.” Rebecca took a seat and leant on the desk. “When
will they be back?”

“I can't say. Probably tonight so she can get some rest. Why
don't we try again tomorrow? I'll personally make sure they don't
leave the grounds after they get back.”

“Thank you,” Rebecca said. She stood up and walked over
to the window behind Lord Edward. From there she could see over the
entire estate behind the castle. Directly beneath her were simple but
elegant gardens growing a small variety of flowers. Beyond the
gardens was a row of vegetable fields, growing an assortment of crops
in unfenced patches. The crop fields were separated from the Castle
gardens by a wooden fence. Pas the vegetables the ground fell away
about a metre down and rice paddies extended from there to the
mountains that blocked the horizon. A brown, dusty path snaked its
way through the fields to the mountains and to the west where Rebecca
could see the first of the houses that formed the farming village.

“Impressive, isn't it?” Lord Edward asked. “I've
lived here my whole life and looking out that window still takes my
breath away.”

“Yeah.” Rebecca's voice was almost a whisper and Lord
Edward only understood what she said because of her slow nodding. “Do
you really own all of this? Do all these people work for you?”

“My estate goes even further than you can see out that window
and all the farmers work to provide food for the Order. The knights
here all work for me too and, of course, I work for my family's
legacy.”

“Do all these people know? The legend, I mean, and what you're
doing.”

“Yes. Magic isn't such a big secret as you might think. We
don't live in parallel worlds and we don't make grand schemes to
cover up when someone uses magic in public. There are a lot of fakes
and a lot of con-men and of course there's a lot of illusionists
working in Vegas and calling themselves magicians.”

“Illusionists?”

“Stage magic.”

“Oh.”

“Chances are, though, if you visit enough new age stores then
eventually you'll find someone selling more than just quartz
crystals. I’ve even met with some sorcerers pretending to be
illusionists. You really never know who knows the truth.”

“Then why didn't I know about it until now?”

“For the same reason most people can't and never will cast a
spell. Even before the time of The Sorceress we were happily falling
into the background and letting scientists discover the secrets of
the world. A lot of people don't believe and cannot bring themselves
to believe in real magic. Even those new age gurus flipping their
tarot cards don't really believe in magic nearly as much as they
believe in selling their product. We do the impossible and that's
difficult for most people to accept. Something in our very nature
does not want us to accept it but sometimes, like in my family, blood
fights back and we understand that there's no such thing as the
impossible. Every once in a while, like with Ashley, impossible isn't
even a comprehensible idea. Sorcerers aren't dying out and we're not
trying to keep it a secret from the world. Most of us keep a low
profile because we like our privacy but if someone sticks a gun in
our face, we’re not going to die before we turn the bullets
into feathers. The world doesn't want to see real magic and we're all
more than happy not to have people knocking down our doors every day
for a love potion or a curse on their boss.”

“Makes sense, I guess.”

“Of course it does. Here, I have something for you.”

Lord Edward put his hands on Rebecca's shoulders and turned her
around. He walked her back to his desk where a thin rectangular box
was sitting. Rebecca had missed it before but now she saw it and knew
what was kept in such a box.

Rebecca picked it up and opened it. Inside was a dress and she pulled
it up then held it up to examine it. The dress was floral and even
though Rebecca had never cared much for floral patterns it was pretty
and she liked the earthy colours. She was surprised and flattered
that Lord Edward had thought to get her some clothes that would
actually fit and even more surprised that he had gone the tasteful
route. The dress wasn't cut too low at the top and it wasn't too
short at the bottom.

“Thank you, Edward.” Rebecca said and she meant it.

“I can't imagine it'd been pleasant running around in the same
clothes for so long, especially when they're quite clearly too big
for you.” He began towards the door. “You can change
here. I'll wait outside and when you're done I'll take those other
clothes.”

“Actually...” Rebecca said and Lord Edward stopped. “I'd
like to keep the ones I'm wearing. Could you just wash them and give
them back?”

Lord Edward looked at her over his shoulder and his expression made
it clear he didn't understand why. But he smiled again none the less
and said: “Of course.”

Rebecca changed into the dress and folded up her other clothes. She
invited Lord Edward back into the room and he came with a servant who
took Rebecca's clothes. Lord Edward and Rebecca sat down at his desk
and began to talk.

“Thank you again for the dress.”

“There’s no need for that. I understand how out of your
hands things are. You’re my guest here. You need me. I’ll
take good care of you and Ashley, so don’t worry and save your
thanks.” Lord Edward shuffled cards for a while without
thinking but eventually put them down and never picked them up again
that day. Lord Edward wanted to know more about Rebecca and asked her
a lot of questions about her family and her childhood. Rebecca never
thought they were very interesting to talk about but she did anyway,
and she held Lord Edward's attention the whole time. Rebecca was glad
to talk to him and when the next day came she was just as happy to
talk to him about anything and everything.

Lord Edward was always polite and proper but at the same time he
managed to be casual and Rebecca always felt comfortable around him.
She had been tense for so long, even before all this started, that
she'd forgotten what it felt like to really relax. The thought
occurred to her that she might be here forever but it didn't feel as
if she was a prisoner of Lord Edward. She didn't even feel like she
was just there because of Ashley any more. Rebecca was there because
she was there and she was a personal guest of Lord Edward. No, that
wasn't quite right either. Rebecca was there because she was Lord
Edward's friend and he was a dependable kind of friend and, even
though he was the only one she had, that was fine.

On the fourth day Rebecca was dressed in her shirt and jeans again.
The dress needed washing now and she only had two things she could
wear. She considered asking Lord Edward for more but she didn't know
how to go about it and it didn't seem right, even if they had become
friends. Rebecca soon found out that she didn't need to worry about
that, however. When she arrived the receptionist looked up from her
computer screen, smiled and said.

“Lord Edward isn't in today. He's been called out but told me
to tell you that you are free to explore the grounds. Would you like
someone to show you around?”

“Oh,” Rebecca uttered and then took a moment to think.
“Yeah, I guess so. At least someone to show me where I can get
breakfast.”

“Alright.” The receptionist said something else that
Rebecca assumed was English but it might as well have been gibberish.
Then she picked up the phone and spoke to someone. The conversation
was short and when she was done she looked back at Rebecca and said

“One of the Knights is coming up.” Then she began typing
on her computer again.

“Thanks. I'll just wait here, then.” The receptionist
didn't answer her.

Rebecca watched the clock in the waiting room tick away the minutes
and exactly six and a half minutes passed before a Knight stepped out
of the elevator. He saw Rebecca, the only person in the room who
wasn't a knight or a receptionist, and approached her. The first
thing he said was something in Chinese and Rebecca wondered if this
athletic-looking man with a thin face, thick, scruffy hair and goatee
was expecting her to respond in English.

“Oh, sorry!” he then said. “I am not so used to
speaking English. They tell me on the way up that I need to but
sometimes I forget.”

“No worries.” Rebecca said and stood up. “I'm
Rebecca.”

“I am Jin Hào.” His voice changed when he
pronounced his name, as if he were speaking Chinese again and not
English with a couple of Chinese words.

“Jin Hào?” Rebecca echoed, trying to get her
pronunciation as close to his as she could.

“That is correct. Please call me Jin.”

“Just Jin? Alright.” The receptionist looked up from her
computer again and said something to Jin in Chinese then turned back
to her computer. Jin smiled at her without saying anything and then
turned to Rebecca.

“I will show you to the dining hall.”

“Thank you.”

Jin said nothing and he didn't eat anything. He just sat quietly and
waited for Rebecca to finish. Rebecca spent breakfast either looking
into her soup or looking out the window. Outside the window she could
see knights standing in the grass going through routines that
reminded her of Tai Chi but they moved faster and sometimes practised
in pairs. One would strike, one would block, one would get kicked and
then get thrown. They all moved smoothly and acted by rote. When
Rebecca had finished eating she watched them for a while until Jin
finally spoke.

“Would you like me to show you the castle?”

“I want to do that.” Rebecca answered.

“What?”

“What they're doing out there.” Jin looked out the window
and then at Rebecca.

“You want to fight?”

“I want to learn. Last time I was in a place like this I spent
a week sitting around doing nothing and it was boring. I want to do
something while I'm here and it might as well be what everyone else
is doing.”

“Oh.” Jin looked at Rebecca with the expression of a man
slowly translating words in his head. He was thoughtful and maybe
even a little puzzled. Then he stood up and nodded at Rebecca. “My
orders are to make you comfortable and, if you want to learn, then
that is what you get.”

“Thank you.”

“You wait for me outside the door. I will go and get what we
need.”

Rebecca did as she was told and waited out the front of the castle.
Jin arrived shortly after, holding a long knife in his hand. Jin
handed it to her and Rebecca held it up in front of her and examined
the blade. The edges were blunt but it was solid steel and she could
see the blurry reflection of her face in it. Rebecca took a couple of
steps away from Jin and stabbed the air a few times. Jin took it back
from her and swiftly swiped at the air with it.

“Have you ever used a knife like this before?”

“I've never even held one. The closest I've come is a carving
knife.”

“We use these ones for practise. They won't cut but they can
still hurt. Follow me.” Jin led her out into the long grass out
the front of the castle. Rebecca was glad Jin chose right there where
they were alone and had not taken her to join the knights training
nearer the farmer village. “First thing you learn is how to
dodge. You have got to keep your eye on me and move as quickly as you
can.” Jin took up a grounded stance and held the knife reversed
in his hand. Rebecca stood awkwardly and waited. “Are you
ready?”

“I guess,” Rebecca said and looked down her body. Jin
answered by raising his blade up, stepping forward and bringing it
down on Rebecca. She screamed in surprise. She flinched and threw her
arms up in defence.

“You were not ready,” Jin told her. “And always
focus on your opponent. Feel what your body is doing so you can watch
theirs.” Rebecca was about to ask him to go easier on her.
She'd never been in a fight and her only experience with a knife was
worlds away from this. The idea of learning like this was
intimidating and Jin wasn't making it pleasant by lecturing her at
every opportunity. She thought about telling him off and then
considered finding a library where she could read. Sure, that was
boring but at least it was safe and it was quiet. But if she was
going to do that, she might as well pack her bags and go home. A
weakling couldn't protect Ashley. Rebecca nodded to herself with new
resolve and prepared. She didn't feel like running away any more. She
didn't feel like running away ever again. When all you do is run you
get stuck in Middle-Of-Nowhere China with nothing to wear but some
men's clothes that are too big. What next? Stuck in Egypt with no
clothes? She'd run out of world, eventually
.
Rebecca kept her
eyes on Jin. She felt her weight lift up from her feet and she was
light. She clenched her fists and waited.

Jin came at her again, swinging his blade across. Rebecca could only
see the knife in the corner of her eye but she saw the way Jin
stepped and his shoulders swung. This time she jumped back and saw
the polished metal cut through the air and nothing more. Then
something happened inside her. Something primal, instinctual and even
a little familiar possessed her and, when her feet were back on the
ground, she leapt forward with all her strength. Her fist struck and
Jin stumbled, trying to regain his balance. Rebecca took the opening.
She swung again. Her fist travelled a full semi-circle. Jin found his
grounding just in time. He blocked with his free hand. Jin moved in
and struck Rebecca with the handle. She stopped her offence and put a
hand over her solar-plexus. She coughed and wheezed, swaying on her
feet. She wanted to scream at Jin or to start swinging again but she
just didn't have it in her. She was breathing heavily and that was
about all she could manage.