Blood of the Watcher (The Dark Ability Book 4) Read Free

you’re attacked. You use one of your abilities at a time, when you’ve got two.”
    Haern rolled, sending another knife at Rsiran and then leaping toward him.
    Rsiran Slid to emerge behind him. If Haern wanted to play at an attack, then he suspected he would have to oblige him. He pulled a pair of knives from the table and sent them spinning toward Haern, blunt end forward. Rsiran didn’t want to hurt Haern, but he wanted to prove that he was capable enough.
    A short sword appeared in Haern’s hand, and he swatted the knives from the air. Rsiran had never seen Haern with a sword, and was surprised to note the bright gleam to the steel. It was finely made, but not one of his.
    “That might work, but you forget that I can See.” He jumped toward Rsiran, the tip of his sword stabbing toward him.
    Rsiran Slid two steps to the side. “I thought you couldn’t See anything involving me.”
    Haern spun and darted toward him again. A tight smile spread across his face. Haern didn’t seem winded, and actually seemed to be enjoying himself. “Can’t See you , but when you send knives at me…”
    Rsiran had another pair of knives ready and sent them flying toward Haern. The man spun, his steps quick, and slashed the knives out of the air, before spinning back toward Rsiran, and jumping with more agility than Rsiran would have expected. He landed in front of Rsiran, his sword nearly stabbing into his chest.
    “You see, you hesitate,” Haern said, jabbing at him with the tip of the sword. “What would have happened had I wanted to hurt you?”
    Rsiran Slid a step back, but Haern had been ready. When he emerged, Haern’s sword remained stabbed toward his chest. “I think that I could get away.”
    He eyed the sharp edge of the sword and noted how close it was to him. In spite of his ability to Slide, it was still dangerously close. He thought of when he’d been attacked by the Forgotten Sliders after they’d poisoned him. He hadn’t been able to do much more than escape then. What would have happened to him—to Jessa—had they been even slightly more capable?
    “There are times when your abilities fail,” Haern said. “Times when you either can’t—or don’t want to—run. You need to know how to use your combination of abilities, because I assure you, there are others out there who have honed their gifts and will not hesitate to do what they need to do in order to survive.”
    Rsiran met Haern’s eyes. “I’ve done what was needed to survive.”
    Haern laughed darkly and slipped his sword into an unseen sheath. “You mean those men you fought in Asador? Or Thom when he Compelled me?” Haern grunted. “Jessa thinks you’d do what is needed, but she also thinks you fear it’ll turn you into something else.” Rsiran hadn’t known that Jessa had discovered his concern. But then, she knew him better than anyone. “Trust me when I tell you that I’ve lived with darkness, Rsiran. There are things that can break a man, but you have to be willing to be broken. From what I’ve seen, you keep yourself too grounded for that to happen.”
    “I don’t think I’m grounded.”
    Haern swept his hand around him. “No? You don’t think this place gives you some purpose? It might not be what you expected, but I’ve seen the way you look when you talk about your work. And Jessa. Even if you never stood in front of your forge again, I think that girl would be enough to keep you straight.”
    Rsiran turned away from Haern and stepped in front of the anvil. He lifted one of his hammers and slung it over his shoulder. There was a reassuring heft to the hammer, a familiarity that had come from all the years he’d spent pounding with it. “That’s the problem, isn’t it? I’d do anything to keep her safe.”
    “And you fear what that means,” Haern said. “You think that just because you killed Shael, and were willing to kill others, that you might have to do it again. And I can’t say you won’t, not with