Honorbound Read Free

Accidents. You’ve gotten hurt. The sword won’t stay in the sheath either will it?”
    If he couldn’t hear my heart pounding before, I’m sure he could then.
    “What’s going on?” I asked.
    “Tomorrow. Four o’clock at the coffee shop on the corner of 6th and Vine.”
    Before I could say anything more he hung up.
    Mom was waiting with Sarah when I got back. I don’t remember what we talked about on the way home. All I could think about was the phone call and my meeting tomorrow. As soon as we pulled up to the apartment Sarah jumped out and raced inside to let her Dad know where she’d been.
    Most of the groceries were still on the counter. She offered me dinner as she put them away and cleaned up the glass, but I just didn’t feel like eating. I didn’t bother putting the sword away this time, I just left it lay there on my dresser.
    I’m really not sure when I fell asleep, I could’ve laid there in the dark for hours staring at the blade or maybe just a few minutes, but it was morning before I realized.
    For one blissful second, when the daylight through the window first pried my eyes open, I thought all of it might have been a bad dream. The stabbing pain from my foot killed that right away. I went through the motions getting ready for school, absentmindedly shoveled down breakfast and hurried downstairs to meet Sarah.
    She gave me a weak smile when she saw me come down the stairs and we started off to school.
    “Are you alright?” I asked. “You look like you’re getting sick or something.”
    “I’m fine.”
    “I have to meet somebody later at the coffee shop by school, will you come with me?”
    “Meet somebody? Who?”
    “Just, somebody. Will you come?”
    If I told her who I was meeting she would think I was crazy. She stared down at her shoes.
    “No. I can’t. I’m grounded. I have to go right home after school.”
    I couldn’t understand why she sounded so angry.
    “Is this ‘cause you got home late last night?” I asked. “I can have Mom call your dad.”
    She might as well have not heard me. We walked the rest of the way in silence. I couldn’t understand it but it seemed like she went out of her way to avoid me the rest of the day. I didn’t have much chance to worry about it though. As it got closer to last bell all I could think about was my meeting.
    I didn’t see Sarah leaving after school, but I guess with how she was acting that didn’t surprise me. I checked my phone. Three thirty. I was going to be early. It only took me a few minutes to get there, so I ordered a coffee and sat down. The waiting felt like forever, and I thought about going and walking around the block once to calm down. Before I could get up, he came in.
    He was wearing the same wrinkled tweed suit from the auction. He had thrown a tie on, probably to look more sane, but it only accentuated his disheveled hair and rumpled suit making him look less sane than ever. I waved as he scanned the room. He practically ran to the table to sit.
    “You’re the one with the sword?” he asked.
    “Yeah.”
    “Why a kid?” he muttered to himself. He took a deep breath and pushed his thin—rimmed glasses back up his nose.
    “Look, I’m going to tell you something extremely important. It’s going to sound crazy. I realize that, but you have to hear me out, ok?”
    I nodded. I didn’t like where this was going.
    “The sword is cursed. Honorbound . If you draw the blade from its sheath you cannot return it there until it has taken a life. The longer you wait the more impatient the sword gets. Accidents will keep happening, until…” He looked away.
    “Until what?”
    “Until it takes the life it requires from you.”
    I didn’t know what to say. “You’re crazy. Completely crazy.”
    He slammed his fist on the table. “This is not crazy! I’ve seen it!” He paused until everyone stopped staring and returned to their drinks. “Alfred. My colleague Alfred Stamford, that thing killed