The Spy Wore Silk
Chapter One
Steel clashed against steel, the blades flashing like quicksilver
fire in the afternoon sun.
But this time, there would be no errant sparks, no flare of flames.
This time, the wolf-faced Italian would not goad an explosion of
temper-
"Porca miseria!" Spinning with deceptive quickness, Il Lupino
punctuated his curse with a flurry of lightning slashes that sent
the opposing saber clattering to the courtyard cobbles. "Non, non,
non-is all wrong!" he snarled. "You must slide to the left, then
counter with a punta sopramano."
Damn.
"And your thrusts must be deeper and faster, Volpina. Like so ..."
The Italian's swordpoint cut through the air with a lethal whisper.
Soft but deadly.
"Grazie." Volpina watched its sinuous dance.
"Like a man making love to a beautiful woman." Finishing with a
flourish, he raised his weapon to the en garde position. "Now try it
again-this time with more passion." A smile flashed, the crescent
curve a mocking reflection of the hard-edged steel. He was being
deliberately provocativ ... read full excerpt from: The Spy Wore Silk ebook