The Templar's Curse by Sarwat Chadda (classic books to read TXT) 📕

the tarmac, barely pausing between blows, the morning air echoing with the sharp thwacks of leather upon leather.

She’s better than me.

Billi had to be honest, arrogant fighters fell harder than the rest. Erin’s technique was flawless and her commitment a hundred percent. Just slightly taller than Billi she made the maximum use of her long legs and dancer’s flexibility — she had clearly done some ballet before turning to martial arts — squeezing an extra few centimetres of reach with a subtle tilt of the hips and the upper torso.

“I’m hogging all the fun,” said Erin. “Let’s see what you can do.”

Billi tossed the pads over.

Billi’s technique was stripped down bare. Nothing fancy. Timing, accuracy, power. Hit what you’re aiming at and hit hard. Billi fumbled over the high kicks, swapping to punches and hand strikes where her feet couldn’t reach. She darted in closer, brought in her attacks a little faster, a little sharper with flurries of three and four punches, jabs as well as big hooks powered from the shoulders and a solid, twist of the core.

The session ended sooner than she’d have liked, even though they’d been at it an hour. Erin handed the pads back. “You fight mean and nasty.”

Billi grinned. “Thanks.”

“You got any plans?”

Yeah. To get an ancient artefact off you that I could use to save my boyfriend.

“Nothing much.”

“We could get cleaned up and then maybe some brunch?”

She was so trusting. More than that, Erin wanted friends. Why? Because her trio wasn’t enough. Erin was a warrior from a long, long line of warriors. Fighting was in her blood, she and Billi had that in common. It wasn’t something she could share with her three witches, was it?

“That would be great,” said Billi.

They collected their bags and were chatting, just like girlfriends did, as they made their way out of the courtyard, passed a couple of guys with their bags filled with their training gear. Billi slipped through but Erin just barged between them as they refused to give her space.

“Watch it, you stupid cow,” snapped the first fella.

“A gentleman would have stepped aside for a lady,” said Erin.

He smirked. “Lady? I just see two slags.” That done he laughed with his mate and they went in, dropping their bags down against the fence.

Billi took Erin’s arm. “Come on. What about that brunch?”

“You willing to let that go?” Erin asked.

“That? Yeah. Arseholes are gonna be arseholes.”

Erin smiled, but that smile did not go to the eyes. They were icy and hard. “I’ll just have a word, then we’re off.”

Uh oh. That sounded ominous. “Erin, it’s not worth it.”

“Here, hold my bag.”

Damn it. Billi dropped them both but Erin was already ahead, those long legs covered the width of the courtyard in moments.

The guy was squatting over his bag when he realised Erin was standing over him. His mate had the skipping rope out and was already doing his drill.

“What do you want?” snarled the guy.

No warning. From smiling to savage in an eye-blink. Erin slammed the flat of her foot into the side of his head, driving it into the fence. He clawed at it, trying to pull himself up but his legs wobbled and Erin grabbed him by the hair, and rammed her knee into, and through, his jaw.

The second guy tossed his rope away. “You psycho bitch! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He surged forward, to find Billi blocking him.

“Leave it,” Billi warned.

“Did you see what she just did?”

She certainly had. “Yeah. That was brutal. Want her to do it to you too?”

Erin jogged over, all smiles. She hooked her arm through Billi’s. “Shall we be off?”

The second guy blustered. But that’s all he did. He stepped aside. He waited till they were back out of the courtyard before he rushed to his semi-conscious mate lying on the tarmac.

“Next time you plan something like that, do warn me,” said Billi.

“Where would be the fun in that?” Erin looked back at the two men. “No manners any more.”

Who are you, Erin FitzRoy? Who are you really?

“That was some switch flip, Erin. Are you okay?”

“Perfectly fine.”

She was. After something like that you’d expect to be excited, heart rate up, flushed, breathing a little harder. Adrenaline would be surging through and yet Erin was calm and steady, as if nothing had happened. Arthur would be proud. “There’s more to you than meets the eye.”

Erin drew Billi closer, close enough to whisper in her ear. “I was thinking just the same about you.”

***

Wow. Now this was a shower. Maybe it was because the plumbing at the Temple was almost two hundred years old but back home the water dribbled and spat like a faulty hose, but this? The jets hit her from three directions, left, right and above. The shower was more like a chamber, sleek black marble, frosted glass and gold fittings. She’d never felt so... purged.

“Billi? I’ve got a change of clothes for you. We’re about the same, aren’t we?”

Billi peered through the steamed-up glass. “Erin?”

“This will suit you. Might as well make the most of what’s left of the summer, eh?”

The towel was in the room. Now what?

Girl up, Billi. You’ve got nothing to hide.

Yeah? How about those scars down my arm? The bite marks on my shoulder? The puncture wound by the ribs? Elaine really botched up the stitching on that one. And aren’t there claw marks down my back? And I haven’t shaved my legs since... bloody hell, since January. And her armpits were early Madonna. She quickly searched the shower for a razor. No luck.

She heard Erin rocking back on the chair. She wasn’t going anywhere.

It’s only a seduction if you both play along.

Or was she totally mis-reading it? Maybe this is what girlfriends did. She wished she’d had some to learn the rules. Clothes sharing was a thing.

She stuck her head over the glass.

Erin wasn’t paying any attention. She had her feet up on the bed while she rocked on the back legs of the