Alicia was quick to look at Alex, afraid that what she blurted out might have displeased him. She wasn’t really sure how much Alex wanted Abigail to know and she had spoken before she thought about it.
Gladly, the man didn’t seem to be too bothered by it.
“D-dragon scales?!” Abigail still could not believe it and it was evident in her expression and tone.
“Yes. The grip and the scabbard are made of dragon scales,” Alex replied.
Abi blinked at him and then she looked at the sword again. She noticed that its pommel and cross-guard were also made of gold.
She gazed up at Alex again and asked. “Is this yours?”
“It was. I gave it to Zeke but it seems it has come back into my possession yet again,” Alex answered.
“Can I hold it?”
Alex didn’t expect that she would be so interested in the sword so her words caught him off guard. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that because that sword had killed countless lives. At first, Alex wanted to say ‘no’, but his little lamb seemed to be so fascinated by it that he didn’t have the heart to refuse her request.
“Sure,” he agreed. “Just be careful. Don’t take it out of its scabbard. The blade is extremely sharp,” he couldn’t help but add especially because he knew his wife was somewhat lacking in coordination.
A smile broke on Abi’s face as soon as she heard Alex’s acceptance. She held the hilt first and then took it from Alicia.
“Wow! I thought it’d be heavy. I can lift it, Alex! Look!”
Intrigue and excitement were gushing from Abi’s eyes as she held the sword, while Alex and Alicia both had the same expression. They just looked confused and bewildered.
“Are you going to use this to fight, Alex?” Abi asked as she tried to swing the sword.
“Maybe,” was all Alex replied. “Give the sword back to Alicia, Abigail.”
His words made Abi halt and she faced him. “You’re not going to hold it?”
“No. I will only touch that if it’s absolutely required.”
“Then, let me keep it for you, Alex. I can watch over it. I promise I will take good care of it,” she said excitedly.
“No, I can’t give you any extra baggage,” was his swift reply.
“It’s okay, it’s not that heavy. And I should probably arm myself with something useful, don’t you think?”
Alex’s brows pulled together before a sigh escaped from his lips. He held her arm and led her a few steps away from Alicia – not that it mattered as Alicia was a master at reading lips. But knowing that Alex wanted to have a private word with Abigail, Alicia turned and walked away from them to give them some space.
Facing Abigail, Alex leaned his face closer to her. “Are you planning to fight, Abigail?” he asked. His gaze was serious and probing.
Abi couldn’t answer for a moment. “If… if needed, I would like to be able to help too,” she answered honestly. Abi had been thinking about this for a while now. She hated the fact that she couldn’t do anything; that she was just a mere human who could do nothing but watch and cry. Even before Alex had forgotten her, she had always wanted to learn how to fight for herself too, to save and help her loved ones, especially Alex. Or at the very least, she could learn how to defend herself. She didn’t like that she was always the damsel in distress that needed protection. She didn’t like it. She wished she could fight alongside them as well instead of being a burden.
But Alex didn’t seem to favor that idea. “So you’re saying you want to kill?” he asked her, his expression firm and serious. It was obvious that he didn’t like Abi holding the sword, let alone having her use it.
“I…” Abi stammered.
“If you want to fight, you will need to kill,” he told her almost ruthlessly, but then his face became gentle as he held her free hand. “These hands of yours… I don’t want them to be tainted. Leave the fight to us.”
Abi’s grip on the sword tightened. Her heart actually shivered the moment she heard him say that she had to kill. But…
“I will just use this like it’s a wooden sword then,” she didn’t give in. “And at least I might be able to help by holding your weapon for you and to give it to you when you need it. I just want to help, Alex.”
The willful look in her eyes made Alex bite his lips and he put his hands on his waist.
“Fine. Don’t ever remove the scabbard,” he warned.
Abigail’s face lit up upon hearing him.
“And if I see that you’re having trouble carrying it, I will ask Raven to take it from you.”
“I can carry it, Alex. Trust me. It’s not really that heavy.”
Realizing that Abigail was determined not to let go of the sword, Alex could only sigh again in surrender. Why couldn’t he say no to his wife? He shook his head, making fun of himself but when he saw her smile at him like he was the best husband in the world, he stopped berating himself. He really enjoyed it when his wife was happy.
Abigail couldn’t believe it. She was finally going to be able to do something useful!
She walked a few steps away from Alex and she started to swing the sword against an invisible enemy. “We still have time right, Alex? How about you train me for a while?”
“No, conserve your energy.”
“Just a few tips, then.”
“No.”
Abi puffed her cheeks and she looked away, eying the vampire men who seemed to have finished their preparations and were sitting idly by a tree. Of course, Alex immediately knew what she was thinking so before she could move, he pulled her towards him.
He placed his hands over hers as he stood behind her.
“This is the best thing I can teach you with the time we have so pay attention,” he said, his lips so close to her ear.
In the next moment, he helped her lift the sword.
