Ventus by Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder / Ventus / Page 214
as Calandria had advertised, or else he would be dead by now.
It wasn’t enough to prevent loss of blood and deep bruising.
He had to hope Turcaret didn’t realize just how close to
collapse he really was.
He threw the pot. Turcaret dodged it easily. Axel's
reflexes were still pathetic, but the dizziness was passing.
"I'll kill you," Axel told the controller, trying to sound
confident. He stepped into the center of the room. Turcaret
backed to the window. Axel stared at his stolen possessions,
laid out on a piece of cloth on the table top as if they were for
sale. They were going to plant them wherever they killed Yuri,
in case they didn't get Axel himself. Good plan.
Turcaret stepped to the window and shouted "Men! Get
up here!" loudly.
"Oh, right--" Axel began, but just then the door behind
him burst open. Four large men with swords spilled into the
room. They stopped their onrush when they saw Axel, bloody
by the table, and Turcaret backed against the window.
The leader's eyebrows hopped up and he sneered at
Turcaret. "Shall we finish him, sir? It’s well past time for--"
He had laid himself wide open, so Axel put a side kick
into him. The man sailed across the room and shattered a fine
lacquer cabinet. Axel staggered and nearly fell over.
A sharp blow to the shoulder drove him to his knees.
This time he had the sense to roll forward, and came to his feet
on the far side of the table. The man who had tried to chop his
head off was looking at his sword in surprise.
Two of them came around opposite sides of the table.
Axel hopped onto it and let one stab him in the chest. He
reached out and took the man's wrist; Axel twisted it and took
the sword out of his hand while the other bodyguard watched
in confusion.