off balance when he thwacked her again. For a heartbeat her head swam and she swayed, slipping, trying to catch herself and failing. Her breath came hard and fast in her throat and she slid down the roof stomach first, hands in front, scrabbling. Her shinai clattered into the gutter. The slate glossy with frost, Bridget couldn’t find a purchase and wondered if she’d survive the impact with the alley.
Jimmy grabbed Bridget’s ankle, stopping a slide that would have sent her off the roof. “Sorry, boss. I didn’t mean to—”
Bridget righted herself and regained her balance. She laughed. “No, no. You did good, Jimmy. That was unexpected. You did good.”
Jimmy looked nervous.
“Good job, really.”
Jimmy appeared to relax, but only slightly. “We done, boss? Can we go back inside? You know, witch’s tit and all that. Brrrr.”
“Not yet.” Bridget managed to climb back up to the peak, straddling it and walking to the chimney. She leaned against it and looked out over the city. In the distance, she saw barges on the river, wisps of smoke coming from buildings everywhere, adding to the grayness of the sky. She saw delivery trucks on a street to the north, their lights glowing warm yellow. She heard Jimmy climb up behind her. Still, there was no sign of the monster. She thought that just under the scent of smoke and grime she could smell the river.
Without warning, Bridget spun and leaped, twisting in midair and landing lower on the roof. “Jump,” she told Jimmy. “Just make sure you land on your feet.”
“Oh, crap. Really?” Clearly hesitant, the young man crouched and sprang, not making it half the distance Bridget had but staying upright nonetheless. “Wow.” Jimmy paused. “Double wow. I am getting better, huh boss? Maybe I can go out with Marsh and Rob and them next time.”
Bridget didn’t answer, not one to hand out too many compliments. Jimmy had the body of a thief, compact, hard, lean, and he always appeared eager to learn. Bridget thought the young man would do well and advance in her illicit organization. She wanted Jimmy to take a few college business courses come the fall semester so he could understand bookkeeping, a pertinent component to the smuggling trade.
Leg muscles bunching, Bridget lunged at Jimmy, swinging with her fist. Jimmy staggered back, avoiding the blow, then turned and whacked Bridget with the bamboo, again hitting her with a considerable amount of force.
Bridget could swear she saw stars behind her eyes, but she didn’t stop. She pushed off and leaped for the eaves, as close to the edge of the roof as she dared. Jimmy followed, and Bridget’s hand reached, grabbing the young man’s arm, lifting, and spinning him out over the side of the building, holding him suspended.
“Holy Christ!” Jimmy’s shinai fell in the alley and he reached up with his free hand, finding Bridget’s arm and holding on. “Shit and two is four, boss!”
“And four is eight,” Bridget returned.
“You ain’t paying me enough for this!”
“You’re fine, Jimmy.” Bridget dragged the young man up to the roof, where they boxed for a few minutes.
Spent, they sat side-by-side at the very peak, watching delivery trucks motor down side streets and spotting the flashing lights of an ambulance speeding through intersections before being swallowed in the silhouettes of taller buildings.
“I’m filthy,” Jimmy said, looking down at his sweatshirt. “I’m bleeding. And I’m cold.”
When a church bell bonged “one,” Bridget stood and inched her way to the drain pipe. She shimmied down and crept along the ledge until she came to the open attic window. Jimmy was several feet behind her. She stepped inside and took a deep breath.
The stench was gone.
She looked into the darkest corner and didn’t see the beast’s eyes.
Bridget’s heart raced with the possibility she’d somehow shaken the monster. Maybe the ward had a duration. Maybe the magic was used up and the beast
Jimmy grabbed Bridget’s ankle, stopping a slide that would have sent her off the roof. “Sorry, boss. I didn’t mean to—”
Bridget righted herself and regained her balance. She laughed. “No, no. You did good, Jimmy. That was unexpected. You did good.”
Jimmy looked nervous.
“Good job, really.”
Jimmy appeared to relax, but only slightly. “We done, boss? Can we go back inside? You know, witch’s tit and all that. Brrrr.”
“Not yet.” Bridget managed to climb back up to the peak, straddling it and walking to the chimney. She leaned against it and looked out over the city. In the distance, she saw barges on the river, wisps of smoke coming from buildings everywhere, adding to the grayness of the sky. She saw delivery trucks on a street to the north, their lights glowing warm yellow. She heard Jimmy climb up behind her. Still, there was no sign of the monster. She thought that just under the scent of smoke and grime she could smell the river.
Without warning, Bridget spun and leaped, twisting in midair and landing lower on the roof. “Jump,” she told Jimmy. “Just make sure you land on your feet.”
“Oh, crap. Really?” Clearly hesitant, the young man crouched and sprang, not making it half the distance Bridget had but staying upright nonetheless. “Wow.” Jimmy paused. “Double wow. I am getting better, huh boss? Maybe I can go out with Marsh and Rob and them next time.”
Bridget didn’t answer, not one to hand out too many compliments. Jimmy had the body of a thief, compact, hard, lean, and he always appeared eager to learn. Bridget thought the young man would do well and advance in her illicit organization. She wanted Jimmy to take a few college business courses come the fall semester so he could understand bookkeeping, a pertinent component to the smuggling trade.
Leg muscles bunching, Bridget lunged at Jimmy, swinging with her fist. Jimmy staggered back, avoiding the blow, then turned and whacked Bridget with the bamboo, again hitting her with a considerable amount of force.
Bridget could swear she saw stars behind her eyes, but she didn’t stop. She pushed off and leaped for the eaves, as close to the edge of the roof as she dared. Jimmy followed, and Bridget’s hand reached, grabbing the young man’s arm, lifting, and spinning him out over the side of the building, holding him suspended.
“Holy Christ!” Jimmy’s shinai fell in the alley and he reached up with his free hand, finding Bridget’s arm and holding on. “Shit and two is four, boss!”
“And four is eight,” Bridget returned.
“You ain’t paying me enough for this!”
“You’re fine, Jimmy.” Bridget dragged the young man up to the roof, where they boxed for a few minutes.
Spent, they sat side-by-side at the very peak, watching delivery trucks motor down side streets and spotting the flashing lights of an ambulance speeding through intersections before being swallowed in the silhouettes of taller buildings.
“I’m filthy,” Jimmy said, looking down at his sweatshirt. “I’m bleeding. And I’m cold.”
When a church bell bonged “one,” Bridget stood and inched her way to the drain pipe. She shimmied down and crept along the ledge until she came to the open attic window. Jimmy was several feet behind her. She stepped inside and took a deep breath.
The stench was gone.
She looked into the darkest corner and didn’t see the beast’s eyes.
Bridget’s heart raced with the possibility she’d somehow shaken the monster. Maybe the ward had a duration. Maybe the magic was used up and the beast
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