CHAPTER 5

I practiced weaving a shield after dinner but didn’t do much better than I had that afternoon. Then I had an idea. Instead of trying to weave the shield around an object, I wove it flat across the open closet door. That worked much better, and in less than an hour, I had a shimmering blanket of magic that was fairly tight.

Not that I doubted the Master, but I took my katana and tried to cut and stab the blanket. Nothing I did had any effect at all.

It was one o’clock in the morning when I dissolved the shield, brushed my teeth, and went to bed.

Unfortunately, Frau Buckner and I had different opinions on the best time in the mornings to study German. I understood her point that the restaurant opened at eleven and she had to supervise, but from my observations, it ran just fine without her micromanagement. I didn’t say that, of course.

She wanted to start my lessons at nine o’clock. I thought ten was far more reasonable. We finally compromised on nine—with the condition that I could eat breakfast during the lesson. As Master Greenwood used to tell me: pick the battles that count.

Master Adolphus’s housekeeper had been a German teacher in the Zürich schools before World War II. Although Switzerland was technically neutral during the war, it got dragged into it occasionally, and Frau Buckner’s husband was killed in an accidental bombing of Zürich by an American aircraft. She gave her house to her daughter and moved into the Master’s home shortly after that.

So, she knew German and how to teach it. The frustrating thing for a student—me—was that written German in Zürich, Switzerland, was basically the same as the standard German I had studied in the States, but spoken Swiss German was not standard by any stretch of the imagination. She told me to pay attention to the language in the books she gave me, since that was the kind I would see at the university.

Siobhan told me that was true, but the lectures might be in any flavor of German, depending on where the professor was from. At least that was the only academic subject I had to deal with that summer. I couldn’t believe how relieved I was at not having calculus problems thrown at me.

I hiked over to the Guild Hall after my lesson and sort of wandered around, scoping out the area. At two o’clock, Master Noah took me to the Enforcer building. I learned that it contained a barracks and training facilities, as well as their command and administrative offices.

“Kaitlyn, this is Colonel Sorento,” Master Noah said, introducing me to the top officer of the Enforcers.

“Ah, Master Adolphus’s new apprentice. Willkommen in Zürich .”

I dipped my head. “Colonel Sorento. Any relation to Amelia Sorento?” I asked. Amelia was Master Adolphus’s granddaughter, and my mentor in America.

Sorento smiled. “My sister. She mentioned that I was to look after you, if I could.”

I had to fill out a bunch of paperwork, and then Sorento started asking questions. I could read the form he was filling out, even though it was upside down to me.

“Age?”

“Nineteen.”

“Height?”

“One eighty-two.”

“Weight?”

“Sixty-one.”

He glanced up, ran his eyes down my body, then returned to his form. I was quite aware that I was thin. Siobhan probably had ten kilos on me, even though she was four or five inches shorter.

“Previous experience in any kind of law enforcement or military force?”

“I worked as a tracker for the Guild in Queen City for four years.”

“Training?”

“A black belt in Shōrin-ryū karate, weapons training in katana , nunchaku , short and long staff. I’ve also trained in standard Olympic-style saber.”

“Firearms training?”

I shook my head. “None. I’ve never even fired a gun. I have done a little bit of archery.”

“None?”

“Not terribly useful against strigoi,” I said.

He nodded. “Not with normal ammunition. We issue explosive incendiary rounds and silver-alloy rounds for use against the lycans. We’ll have to get you certified first, though.”

Master Noah explained that I was a student, and that Master Adolphus had restricted the amount of time I could give to the Enforcers.

“I think we can live with that,” Sorento said. “Good trackers are always an asset.”

He asked me to bring my sword with me the next time I came, so I unglamored it and drew it from its scabbard.

Sorento shook his head. “I don’t think we have anyone here who can work with you. I’ll check with the dojos here in the city and see if anyone takes katana students.”

A man in uniform, who was sitting in Sorento’s outer office, stood and stuck his head in the door.

“I don’t think that’s true, Luka.”

We all turned to him as he entered the room and stood over my sword.

“It’s similar in some ways to a Knight’s sword,” he said. “About the same curve, and single-edged.” He grinned and shrugged. “In fact, sparring with a Knight’s sword may be just what she needs.” He turned to me. “Do you need lessons?”

“Just practice, although it’s always helpful to have someone catch your bad habits.”

He smiled just a little. It seemed my answer pleased him. I had studied the katana since I was ten.

“Captain Jerome Le Pen,” Sorento said by way of introduction. “If you want to take her on, be my guest.”

Le Pen winked at me. “He isn’t known for doing me favors, but you’re certainly a lot better-looking than most of the people he usually gives me.”

The next thing I knew I was being fitted for a uniform. I was reminded of something Master Greenwood told me—a quote from Henry David Thoreau: “…beware of all enterprises that require new clothes.” It seemed every time someone offered me a job, I ended up with a new wardrobe.

“Are you an instructor?” I asked Le Pen.

“In a way. I’m the resident swordmaster. I’m also in charge of one of the three Enforcer companies of the Zürich Guild Hall. I am very curious about that sword of yours. Though, it’s probably better if you learn to use the arming swords the rest of us use.”

I drew my sword, laid it on the table, and said, “Touch it.”

He did, jerking his hand away as though he’d been burned. Wide-eyed, he looked at me, then put his hand out and touched it again.

“It’s spelled!” he said.

“It’s spell-forged. It will cut through most people’s personal shields, and it cuts through bone as easily as flesh. Never needs sharpening. I have no objection to learning your weapons, but don’t ask me to stake my life on them.”

He slowly nodded his head, then asked, “Where did you come by such a weapon?”

“It was my father’s. He worked with the finest swordsmith in Okinawa and cast the spells. It’s part of what I hope to study with Master Adolphus.”

Sorento and Le Pen wanted me on the afternoons I didn’t work with the Master. It seemed that my free time to explore my new home was going to be severely limited. The upside was that I would get an additional stipend for working with the Enforcers.