Hell hath no fury

A woman waits eight years to exact revenge on the son of the man who destroyed her family. Her goal must be accomplished, even if they have both accidentally fallen in love

As he stepped into his home, he noted that it was quite still and dark. He started to walk across to the sofa. A hand came from nowhere and caught his arm. He flinched and turned instantly. There was Elres, looking beautiful with her hair done and smiling sweetly. James snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

He bent low and whispered in her ear, “Elres..” Her dark eyes gazed at his dark eyes. He swooped down to capture her lips with his in a passionate kiss. He moved his hands up her arms, to her hands, to her wrist....

To a clasped sword.

She stepped back a bit. Her eyes glinted and her lips curled in a cruel smile that sent shivers down his spine. He had never seen her like that.

“Amazing, isn’t it,” she said as though she was telling a casual story, “that after eight years of dreaming of hunting you down, you drop in, right in front of me?"

“Elres, what are you doing? What are you talking about?”

“I-AM-NOT-ELRES,” she said deliberately, “I have another name. Don’t you remember?” She moved the stole from around her neck. "I am Leslie Tylor."

And suddenly it dawned on him.

“You. Logan’s daughter. You are his daughter."

"Now you know.” She held out the sword in front of him. “Now you die.”

She cautiously stepped closer. Like a lioness stalking a prey.

“All that time, ever since you destroyed my family, your face was forever etched into my mind. I wanted to find you, kill you and exact my revenge. All that time, I had only one mission �" to see you dead.” She came closer still. He backed away.

“So what are you going to do �" kill me? I gave you a place to live. I trusted you with my home. I trusted you with my work. I trusted you-and now you are going to kill me?” He stepped back even more, backing onto the wall.

He felt the wall behind. There was no place to move. He was trapped. He ran a quick eye at the things around. He spotted the desk at his side, the chandelier above, the curtains all around, the swords crossed over a shield. 

He spat. And then with a lightening speed, he kicked the desk at her with all his might. Elres tried to stop it, but stumbled and fell. In another quick move, he jumped up and pulled out a sword. Now he was ready. Before he could do anything else, Elres jumped to her feet. 

Now they both held out a sword.

“And all this time I couldn’t see through you, because I was so-”

“Blind? Trustful? in love?"

“Damn you. Damn you,” he rushed at her, slashing. She blocked his move, and twisted her sword up and onward. He deflected it with a parry. The sound of sword on sword rose up, as two souls-one determined and deliberate and the other, betrayed and desperate- rushed at each other, wanting to either draw the first blood or defend. They lunged and slashed and parried. And then he had enough. She came at him and he slashed and cut at her sword continually, not giving her time to recover and fight back. Finally, she stepped back. 

“You think you can beat me with a sword? You learnt from me” he asked.

Elres gave a ghost of a smile.

“I learnt from you.”

In a sudden move, she flexed and moved and had her blade at his throat; but he did a rapid maneuver and had the same blade pointed at her throat. He looked into her eyes. His own were deep and dark. In a trice, he backed her away right onto a wall, taking her by surprise, pinned her hands above her with his, swords and all, and kissed her then and there. It was a passionate kiss, and he deepened it. For a moment, Elres, froze, too stunned to react.

But then she pushed him away, sending him almost stumbling.

He just stood as she again posed for the next attack.

“I love you,” his voice shook. " I won’t fight you again.” He threw down his sword. “You want me dead?” He kneeled slowly to the ground. 

"Go ahead. Kill me. I’m all yours. In death. In life...I loved you, Elres,” his voice felt husky, “And you loved me back, didn’t you?”

It was true.

She had seduced him to get his guard down. Quite by accident, she had also fallen in love with him, just as he fell in love with her.

She has lived for this moment almost all her life. She had prepared herself for it.

Can she do it?

There was a sound of thunder outside and the brief flash of lightening illuminated half her face.

The face of uncertainty...

Author's Note

one-shot !!!