“Um.” She scratched the back of her neck. “I — I don’t know how I did it.”
His sharp gaze narrowed. “You’re telling the truth,” he murmured. “It’s not unusual for the first time.” He sighed. “We train until you discover how to use your power.”
Eden locked her knees to keep herself from retreating. “Train? Train what?”
“You,” Seren said.
“To do what?” she blurted.
“Kill,” Agone shouted from the rocking chair.
“Protect yourself,” Seren corrected. Out of nowhere, a sword appeared in his hand, one half the size of the sword he’d wielded.
She pointed at it. “What do you expect me to do with that?”
“I expect you to clasp it in your hand, for starters.” He walked toward her.
“And then?” she hedged, not wanting to touch it.
Seren growled low. Eden took the blade.Wow!It was light, and the grip fit her palm perfectly. She swung it around a few times. She brought it closer for a deeper inspection. The shiny surface showed her reflection. Damn, it was pretty.
“I gather you’re going to teach me how to use this?”
“Yes,” he said patiently.
“Wonderful.” She gave him her best winning smile. “In about two years, with intense practice, maybe I’ll be able to wound someone.”
Seren frowned, but Agone chuckled, which turned into a full, leg slapping laugh. “I told him the same thing.” He stomped off the porch and marched over to them. He snatched the blade out of her hand and tossed it aside, then took her hands and balled them into fists. “Your body is a weapon. We just need to hone it.”
“All right.” She liked that plan better than swinging a sword. “I was mugged once, so I took some self-defense courses.”
“This will be defenseandoffense,” Seren said. “The demons who attacked you want you captured, not killed. Your job is to make taking you as difficult as possible until one of us can save you.”
A sound plan. She nodded. “Okay. What’s first?”
Agone backed away, leaving Seren to step forward. “Show me what you know.”
Awkward. “Um. Well... Just attack you?”
“Yes.”
Eden shook her head. “That’s not how it works. I don’t go around attacking people. I usually wait for someone to attack me, then I defend myself.”
Seren nodded, seemed to contemplate his next move before saying, “Run.”
She blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Run,” he said slow enough to stretch the word into four syllables.
She still didn’t get it.
“Demons like to hunt,” he explained patiently. “Like with most predators, they chase their prey. You will definitely run from them. I want to see your reaction when they catch you.”
Eden planted her hands on her hips. “I didn’t run yesterday.”
“True,” Agone said, a feral grin showed a hint of fangs. “You didn’t flee. You stood your ground. Like a warrior.”
She couldn’t help responding with her own feral grin.