speak again but halted when Fernando began giggling again. Apparently, he was excited to watch a messenger and her guardian bickering and it made Eran pause. Then, very slowly, his head tilted, a look of absolute disgust in his expression.
“ It is incredible how annoying that is!” he said in astonishment. “Has anyone ever told you how annoying that is?”
Fernando had his hand arched over his mouth again, shyly, quietly sniggering. “Yesss,” he stuttered, his answer trembling between his hissing laughter. “Yesss.”
Eran rolled his eyes and then turned to address me. “Magdalene, get back…please.”
Just then, during that moment of distraction between Eran and me, Fernando changed and I saw for the first time why he had been hired as a hit man by wealthy executives. In an instant, he stood to his full height and dropped his hand from his mouth to his hip where he’d stowed a handmade weapon, a gun, rutted by daggers for close combat. His sniggers were gone now, replaced with rigid and determined attention. In fact, I was still processing my surprise at his complete metamorphosis when he lunged.
I stepped aside just as Eran came forward, directing his own weapon at Fernando. Simultaneously, Eran’s hand reached out to move me backwards and behind him, designed to protect me. That motion gave Fernando just enough leverage to take advantage of Eran’s open torso and his gun exploded, the bullet racing from its chamber and towards Eran’s waist. Evidently, Fernando wasn’t aware of Eran’s ability to control metal because he was stumped when the bullet stopped in midair and fell to the ground, never piercing his skin.
That shock became my opportunity and, immediately, I attacked Fernando, our bodies becoming entangled as I swept him off the ground and through the air. Suspended, we both sought for an opening. He found one and sliced a dagger from the side of his gun into my flesh just above my hip. It was shallow but I felt the sting nonetheless. Then Eran was on top of him, spinning through the air, slamming against the crumbling rooftop of Fernando’s dwelling. Boards flew aside, lanterns crashed to the floor, neither Eran nor Fernando noticing.
They had taken the fight out over the water by then and I sprang off the ground, intending to join. They moved fast, ramming through the wall closest to them and into the one room house.
With the broken lanterns releasing kerosene across the floor I entered the house following Eran and Fernando through the gap they had created and found myself surrounded by flames. Fire licked the kerosene, across the floorboards and up the walls, against one of which Eran had pinned Fernando.
Fernando was putting up a good fight, preventing Eran’s blade from getting any closer to his heart. Then I reached them, took the handle and shoved it deep inside Fernando’s torso. Its handle quivered as it sunk with Fernando’s body to the burning floor below.
Eran, for the first time noticing we were hovering inside an inferno, retrieved his sword, grabbed my hand, and pulled us to safety.
“ What were you thinking?” I demanded once we’d reached the middle of the river. My senses were still heightened and, despite his efforts a moment ago, I smelled the sweet fragrance of his body. It diverted my attention but only for a moment.
My appendages were making short, abrupt movements to help me stay aloft while his were flapping lightly every once in a while. Eran, clearly, felt he was in the right about having intervened.
“ You said you’d stay back,” I stated angrily, knowing it wasn’t the response he was hoping for.
“ I didn’t say a word, Magdalene. You didn’t give me a chance,” he reminded delicately, but his tone didn’t save him from my wrath.
“ I didn’t believe I needed to. This was my battle, Eran. Mine! You were supposed to remain at a safe distance.”
“ Safe distance,” he scoffed. “You have no idea what you are asking your guardian to
“ It is incredible how annoying that is!” he said in astonishment. “Has anyone ever told you how annoying that is?”
Fernando had his hand arched over his mouth again, shyly, quietly sniggering. “Yesss,” he stuttered, his answer trembling between his hissing laughter. “Yesss.”
Eran rolled his eyes and then turned to address me. “Magdalene, get back…please.”
Just then, during that moment of distraction between Eran and me, Fernando changed and I saw for the first time why he had been hired as a hit man by wealthy executives. In an instant, he stood to his full height and dropped his hand from his mouth to his hip where he’d stowed a handmade weapon, a gun, rutted by daggers for close combat. His sniggers were gone now, replaced with rigid and determined attention. In fact, I was still processing my surprise at his complete metamorphosis when he lunged.
I stepped aside just as Eran came forward, directing his own weapon at Fernando. Simultaneously, Eran’s hand reached out to move me backwards and behind him, designed to protect me. That motion gave Fernando just enough leverage to take advantage of Eran’s open torso and his gun exploded, the bullet racing from its chamber and towards Eran’s waist. Evidently, Fernando wasn’t aware of Eran’s ability to control metal because he was stumped when the bullet stopped in midair and fell to the ground, never piercing his skin.
That shock became my opportunity and, immediately, I attacked Fernando, our bodies becoming entangled as I swept him off the ground and through the air. Suspended, we both sought for an opening. He found one and sliced a dagger from the side of his gun into my flesh just above my hip. It was shallow but I felt the sting nonetheless. Then Eran was on top of him, spinning through the air, slamming against the crumbling rooftop of Fernando’s dwelling. Boards flew aside, lanterns crashed to the floor, neither Eran nor Fernando noticing.
They had taken the fight out over the water by then and I sprang off the ground, intending to join. They moved fast, ramming through the wall closest to them and into the one room house.
With the broken lanterns releasing kerosene across the floor I entered the house following Eran and Fernando through the gap they had created and found myself surrounded by flames. Fire licked the kerosene, across the floorboards and up the walls, against one of which Eran had pinned Fernando.
Fernando was putting up a good fight, preventing Eran’s blade from getting any closer to his heart. Then I reached them, took the handle and shoved it deep inside Fernando’s torso. Its handle quivered as it sunk with Fernando’s body to the burning floor below.
Eran, for the first time noticing we were hovering inside an inferno, retrieved his sword, grabbed my hand, and pulled us to safety.
“ What were you thinking?” I demanded once we’d reached the middle of the river. My senses were still heightened and, despite his efforts a moment ago, I smelled the sweet fragrance of his body. It diverted my attention but only for a moment.
My appendages were making short, abrupt movements to help me stay aloft while his were flapping lightly every once in a while. Eran, clearly, felt he was in the right about having intervened.
“ You said you’d stay back,” I stated angrily, knowing it wasn’t the response he was hoping for.
“ I didn’t say a word, Magdalene. You didn’t give me a chance,” he reminded delicately, but his tone didn’t save him from my wrath.
“ I didn’t believe I needed to. This was my battle, Eran. Mine! You were supposed to remain at a safe distance.”
“ Safe distance,” he scoffed. “You have no idea what you are asking your guardian to
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