Devil's Cut: A Blade Master Chronicles Novella

Chapter Eight

Chapter 8

Morgan Demeter flexed his hand and kept one eye on the storefront. He had gotten a perverse pleasure out of egging on the gorgeous brunette he had faced in the antique shop. He knew exactly who she was but he hadn't been told anything about her connection to the blade. He should have just taken the sword when he had the chance, but seeing her standing there, practically naked holding that ridiculous stick, had sparked something in him.

Rodolfo had been willing to let him take the blade for safekeeping but he had been killed before Morgan could touch base with him.

How was he going to explain to his father that he hadn't gotten it? Did it even matter now?

Morgan cursed under his breath and closed his eyes reflecting on the power he had felt emanating from the sword. He had tried tapping into to it but had been unsuccessful. Rodolfo's granddaughter obviously had not. His hand still stung from his attempt to take the blade from her. The force he had felt upon touching it was astounding. It had to be the blade they'd been searching for. As the Order's seeker, Rodolfo had been privy to all of the ancient texts so he knew better than anyone for whom the sword was meant.

Morgan had promised Rodolfo that he would take care of his granddaughter. Make sure that the Order didn't use her but he might have ruined the opportunity with his attempt to get the sword.

He took out the envelope he carried with him and pulled out Rodolfo's letter. It was clear that the blade belonged to Katerina DelaVida. Unfortunately, his father's thirst for power over the Order had corrupted them all. Somehow his father had found a way to tap into the energy of the blade's in the Order's possession. In order to maintain that he had to make sure that no one existed who could take that power away from him. Kat's very existence was in direct opposition to his father and the Order as it existed today.

Morgan knew the darkness that ruled his father. He had been the brunt of that darkness for years. The only reason he hadn't left before was Rodrigo, and yes, Kat. He was sure she wouldn't remember but they had met when Kat was only eleven, at her parent's funeral. He was fourteen years old and had fallen for the little girl's endearing smile. Her hair had been dark as a raven's and her tremulous smile when he was introduced to her brought a light into his life that he hadn't known wasn't there.

Rodolfo knew. Morgan was convinced the old man had picked up on his childish feelings for her. Seeing her now...

"She's beautiful," he muttered, "and she hates you."

He went over his last conversation with Rodolfoagain and tried to figure out a way that he could still keep Kat safe and keepthe sword away from his father. He looked at the letter again. There was a way.