The fight wasn’t long. Their blades crashed together as thick smoke billowed between them. But Ved was used to fighting in worse conditions by that point. He was used to fighting more dead than alive.
Gav hadn’t said anything that night. He’d known he was a dead Xaal. When Ved took his blade to his throat, he’d died as easily as anyone else.
The only thing he hadn’t done was take his helmet off.
The world stopped.
“You weren’t in your room that night?” he asked now.
“I wasn’t,” Gav confirmed.
“But your armor…”
“Pik’s was similar to mine.” Pik had been Gav’s bruvya. “Similar enough that in the fog of war and through smoke and flames, we could easily be mistaken for each other.”
“You did it on purpose. You let him take yourfate.”
Gav shrugged.
Ved strode forward, rage and revenge fueling each step, but when Gav shallowly dragged his blade across Isobel’s neck, he stopped cold.
“There was never a universe where you made it out of this alive. You know that, right?” Gav said. “You are weak—always have been. I’m surprised Cleave stood as long as it has. But playing pretend can only get you so far. When it’s mine, I’ll return it to its original title—Clan Victor.”
His brother pulled Isobel’s hair back until she cried out. “Your mate will make a great slave. I’m sure the clan will love using her.”
Ved’s vision went red. His hearts ached, his veins burned. Gav was touching his Isobel. Hismate. Everything he’d tried to prevent was happening.
And he couldn’t stop it.Weak.
“Ved,” Isobel said, her voice thick with emotion. Her lips trembled, and his hearts broke.
“Keep your eyes on me, Isobel. It’s going to be over soon. I’ll—”
Gav jerked her hair again, making her whimper in pain. But she didn’t take her eyes off him.
“Itwillbe over soon,” Gav crooned in her ear before looking to Ved again. “A millennium ago, Kreked destroyed his brothers on this very island. And tonight, I will destroy you.”
He was delusional if he thought himself anything like the First Qon. Ved recognized the bloodlust-fueled insanity lacing Gav’s words. “You’ve done nothing but act dishonorably,” Ved snapped. “You are no Kreked.”
“Dishonorably?” Gav hissed. “I’m the one who was born to rule. And you’re the one who went against the fate of the stars. Xaal like you shouldn’t be given the chance. You should have been stomped out the night you were born. Then you turned against yourclan—”
“It was no clan of mine, you made certain of that.” There was no reasoning with Gav. He couldn’t see the hypocrisy of all this—so blinded by whatshouldhave been that he couldn’t see he hadn’t earned his title. He truly believed he was fated to be the qon of their old clan. There was nothing left of him but his obsession.
Gav tightened his hold on Isobel, and she let out a squeak of pain.
“Let her go. Fightme,” Ved said through gritted teeth.
“You aren’t qon here,” Gav spat. “Yield, and I’ll even let you die on your knees instead of your back.”
There were enemies on all sides of him. There were six Raxans still standing, weapons ready. That didn’t bother Ved—there could be a thousand Xaal and it wouldn’t alter his goal. The real issue was rather simple. So simple it was maddening. He simply wouldn’t be able to make it to Isobel before Gav killed her.
And above all else, she had to live.
Ved got down on one knee, then another. “I yield,” he said, tossing his weapons aside.
“Ved,” Isobel cried, struggling against Gav’s hold.
“No,” Kravis yelled. “Stand up and fight!”
