Sweep of the Blade (Innkeeper Chronicles #4) - Ilona Andrews Page 0,71

were made of an advanced alloy that provided greater durability, and the vampire metalsmiths had developed weapon making into an art, but if one tried to chop a large tree down with a vampire sword, the sword would break before the tree did. Priming a weapon flooded it with rathan rhun, the shining blood. Not even her father knew exactly what rathan rhun was. It was red and glowing and it flowed through the weapon, emitting a telltale whine, spreading through the metal just like its name suggested it would. Once you heard a blood weapon being primed, you never forgot it. A blood mace wielded by a strong vampire knight would knock down a telephone pole.

Blood weapons were not used for practice. Arland had just suggested a fight under battle conditions, to the point where combatants were out when they were unable to continue.

“Primed weapons?’ Tellis asked.

“You are the one who wanted exercise.” Arland looked at Tellis. “Was my lord under the impression that the fight at the Road Lodge was an exhibition bout? You asked for an accurate demonstration. I have honored your request.”

Tellis opened his mouth and clicked it shut.

Arland raised his head and bellowed, “Bring our guests their weapons!”

13

This was stupid, Maud decided. In fact, this was one of the dumbest things she had seen Arland do, and he was, by no means, a stupid man.

Arland eyed the two Serak knights that stepped forward to join Tellis. Both held themselves with the seasoned confidence of veterans. They had fought before, they had won, and they didn’t find Arland’s presence or his reputation especially intimidating. In a word, they seemed ready, and Maud didn’t like it one bit.

Arland raised his voice. “Are these the only brave knights House Serak has to offer?”

What is he doing?

He looked around, spreading his arms. “Is there no one else?”

Two more knights stood up from their tables on House Kozor’s side, Onda and a grizzled male knight who looked like he would knock a charging bull out with one punch. Great, just great.

“We are up to five,” Arland said. “Fantastic.”

Maud grabbed her glass and drank.

“The Road Lodge offered me seven, but if five brave souls is the best your two mighty Houses can scrounge, I’ll make do.”

What? The wine went down the wrong way, and she choked.

Four more knights stood up, two from Serak, two from Kozor.

“That’s more like it,” Arland declared.

Nine opponents. He’d gone insane. That was the only explanation.

The weapon racks were being brought onto the lawn. The knights armed themselves. The sharp whine of blood weapons being primed sliced the quiet. Arland hefted his mace. Their stares crossed and he grinned at her.

“He’s gone mad,” she muttered.

“Nexus,” Otubar said.

She glanced at him. “I don’t follow, my Lord.”

“We have advanced quite far from the days when this castle was built,” Ilemina said. “These days, the conflicts between Houses are decided in space. Ground battles are precious few. I doubt either Kozor or Serak has ever truly fought in one.”

“Nexus permits no air battles,” Otubar said. “On Nexus, ground is fought for and won inch by inch, watered with blood and fertilized with corpses.”

“I knew I would have to send my son to Nexus twenty years ago.” Ilemina smiled. “His father and I did everything we could to make sure he came back alive. This is what he does best. Trust him.”

A young knight ran up to Arland and held out a round shield, about eighteen inches across, made of the same dark alloy as the syn-armor. A half-moon indentation had been cut out on one side, just large enough to trap an arm. He planned to use her buckler.

She had shown him the buckler and blade technique during one of their practice sessions at Dina’s inn. He had asked about Earth sword fighting and she had gone through several different styles with him. At the time, he’d scoffed at the buckler. Vampire shields were obsolete. The syn-armor offered superior protection without encumbering and the only shields still in use were massive and designed to protect the wielder during bombardment. Vampires either dual-wielded or favored enormous two-handed weapons that made the most of their strength and stamina. Why defend when you can attack? After she’d stabbed Arland a couple of times, he had changed his tune. They had sparred with bucklers the entire time they’d spent in space on the way here.

Arland gripped the buckler with his left hand. The shield whined, priming. Veins of red streaked it, and as he