CJ England's FREE READ: The Watcher's Guild: Sweet Nephilim Ch. 16 Pt. 1

Hey all,

By the time you read this, we'll be in Santiago Chili. Hopefully I'll have internet access, but we've been told the hotel doesn't provide it. WTF? In this day and age???? But they are trying to work it out, so I still may be able to get online. We're just not sure yet.

So I put this installment up ahead of time in Buenos Aires. I'm writing as I go, so if you don't see an installment for a couple of weeks, you'll know it's because I can't post it. Hopefully, I'll get a bunch done then if I can't get online at the hotel, I'll go to Starbucks and post blogs for several weeks. That's the plan, really. So if you don't see me, you're forewarned as to why.

Cross your fingers that it all get's worked out! Until then, let's enjoy what we have already!

The Watcher's Guild: Sweet Nephilim

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Chapter Sixteen

A Secret Weapon

Eran paced away from her and then back again. “I cannot believe I missed something so easy…so basic. Forgive me, Amaris. I was right. It is my fault you are not moving forward with your training.”

She moved away from the tree and shook her head. “Okay. You’ve got me curious now. What did you miss?”

He grinned. “Did you know you are female?”

Amaris let out a gusty sigh, rolling her eyes. “Wow. News flash there. Thought you’d figured that out long before what we almost did against the tree.”

The memory of how he’d pushed away from her a few moments before made his cheeks go ruddy. He took her hand and pulled her closer. “I am sorry, little angel. You know I wanted to do more, love you as I should have. It was most difficult to stop, but this is important. I promise I will make it up to you later.”

She pouted a little. “Well. I guess I’ll forgive you this time. So we’ll sheath this sword—” sliding her hand back down his thigh, she gave his cock a quick squeeze, “—for the moment and move on to mine. What does me being a woman have to do with anything?”

Eran gritted his teeth at the flare of heat her brief touch had caused. He pushed back the need and took a deep breath to cool himself. “I am a fool. I have been treating you like any other Nephilim I’ve trained. And that was wrong.”

“Why?” she queried. “I am a Nephilim, just like everyone else.”

“And that thinking was our first mistake,” he responded, excitement filling him. Finally, he knew where he’d gone off track. He would be able to do his job and more importantly, Amaris would learn how to protect herself and be safe.” “You are definitely not like everyone else.”

“Just because I have breasts shouldn’t matter, Eran.” Her eyes were troubled. “Maybe you’re behind the times, but men and women can do the same things.”

“Yes, little angel,” he agreed. “This I know. But they often don’t do them the same way.”

She frowned. “Explain.”

Releasing her, he walked over to where their swords lay and picked them up. “You see this?” He held up his weapon then hefted Amaris’ smaller blade. “Two swords, yet compare them. Why are they different?”

She raised one elegant brow. “It’s obvious. You’ve got a good hundred pounds on me. I can barely lift your sword, let alone fight with it. I’m not as strong as you.”

“Exactly. And that is just one of many differences between us.”

“Well, duh.”

He could see she still didn’t understand. “Amaris, I was teaching you as if you were male Nephilim. But you are female and you have the limitations of being a female.”

Her eyes snapped blue fire. “Are you trying to make me mad?”

A laugh burst from him. “No, love. Don’t you see? I have limitations as well. Because I’m a male. The secret is working within those limitations and more importantly, finding the benefits of being what we are.”

She stared at him. “Keep going. I’m getting a glimmer here.”

“You are special in many ways,” he explained. “And what makes you more special than any other I have trained is that you are female. You do not move like a male nor do you think like one. But we both ignored that salient fact and I trained you as if—” he gave a little grin, “—you didn’t have breasts.”

Amaris snorted out a laugh. “Okay, we’ve both established I have breasts, but so what? All they do is get in the way when I fight.”

“Exactly.” He tossed her sword to her. “Let us try that move one more time. But this time when I say the word, stop where you are. Freeze in place. I want you to see something.”

Shrugging, she got into her stance. “If that’s what you want, but I don’t see how it’s going to help.”

Eran got into his fighting stance and waited. After a couple moments, Amaris attacked, her sword slicing through the air as she dodged and feinted. Purposely, he moved with her, allowing his little angel to get into the rhythm of the fight. Then, when he felt she was battling well, he deliberately dropped his guard.

It didn’t take her long to pick up on it. She did just as he’d trained her. She didn’t look at him or his weapon. Nor did she look at her own. Amaris did everything right, but still he knew she was coming before she made the final charge.

“Stop!” he shouted. “Do not move!”

Amaris came to a panting halt, her sword held aloft and slightly to the side. She stared at her mentor. “So? What do you see?”

Eran grinned. “Look at your arm, little angel.”

She looked down and saw her elbow was pointing straight at Eran. Disgusted, she dropped her stance. “Damn it. I thought I’d pulled that in.”

“You did.”

“Obviously not,” she muttered. “I could have stabbed you through the eye with the thing.”

He chuckled. “Love, you pulled it in as best you could. But unlike myself, you have…something that gets in the way.”

She puffed out a tired breath. “Huh?”

“Go back into the stance.”

Amaris did so.

“Now, very slowly move your arm forward as if you were going to attack me. Watch what happens.”

Still confused, she did as requested. Her arm moved forward slowly as she turned the sword for its final lunge. Bringing her elbow in close to her side, she pivoted and then made a deliberate stabbing motion at Eran.

And finally understood.

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Darn. What did she understand. I hate cliffhangers. How about you? Hopefully I'll be back next weekend with the rest of the story.

Until then!!!

Hugs,

CJ England