Ivory Guard by Natalie Herzer

with the talk and time to fight. At first her mind was too much into it, overthinking, and making her movements less fluid and sometimes hesitant. At first she had also feared she wouldn’t be able to kill, but in a battle where it quickly became clear that her adversaries really wanted her dead it ceased to be an issue. It was survival now.
    W ith the warmth creeping up her muscles and settling into them, she became more and more aware of her body. As a weapon. Forgetting all the theories and the thinking of what to do, how to do it, she let instinct take over. It was a dance now. Of strikes and thrusts, that were parried and blocked. Weaknesses were revealed and used. On both sides. 
    Soon Lillian was breathing hard. She was still trapped between the two – time to remedy that. When they attacked simultaneously she jumped, willing her wings into being – and although she couldn’t fly they gave her the little extra boost she needed – and she rammed her sword down and into the Ebony’s neck while kicking out with her leg, bringing the female demon to fall.
    Lillian chanced a glance at Raz. Oh boy.
    It was like looking into the eye of the storm, complete calm bursting with power. Fluid movements, fast, he was a fantastic fighter and a sight to behold. But it was his eyes that did it; they were filled with a level-headed serenity that unhinged his opponents and made her heart stumble.
    Unfortunately Lillian didn’t have the luxury to enjoy the show since the woman was quickly back up on her feet, and they started circling each other, weapons raised.
    The demon’s daggers had a closer range and had therefore a small advantage over her long sword for which she needed more distance and space to work with. But she would do with what she had; at least she had most of the clearing by now since Raz had cut down his enemies to one. The Richard Gere wanna-be from earlier had joined in.
    They attacked until nothing existed but the lethal symphony of singing steel. Lillian’s attention focused on the woman before her – mind, body and soul. She was one with her sword, dancing with it. But then she made a fatal mistake. A beginner mistake.
    She slid in a puddle of black blood from the fallen.
    S he could almost hear Raz’s voice echoing inside her head. Even though she never lost sight of her adversary, she had lost it of her surroundings for just one moment. And it could cost her the fight, her life even.
    The demon didn’t hesitate and used that moment, going for Lillian as she was on the ground. Straddling her , the woman instantly crossed her daggers and pushed them down against Lillian’s neck. Lillian almost tsked. The bitch should have gone for her sword first. She still had it and in the last moment managed to put it between them, metal clashing against metal. But the demon was strong and using all her weight to push those daggers down. Even gravity was on her side. Lillian’s arms screamed with the effort. She grit her teeth as the demon leaned in even more.
    L osing wasn’t an option here.
    She was too young to die – and besides, it was downright embarrassing to go meet her maker as a brand new Ivory that was bested by a mediocre demon bitch in her very first fight. That woman wasn’t even an Ebony for crying out loud. With determination and the will to live fueling her, she let her arms loosen up a bit, let the daggers get a taste of her blood. Then she roared and pushed upward with all her might, using the demon’s rash presumption that Lillian was done for and the fight over against her. Lillian shoved her away and rolled to the side, using the momentum to get back on her feet.
    White fire sheathed the sharp length of her sword, which she hadn’t even noticed before. A smile spread across her face. She had done it. The flaming sword. Her lingering gaze nearly cost her.
    The demon was up again and attacked, but Lillian was quicker, already moving and swinging her sword in a wide arch. The demon’s head