As if he could feel my gaze on his back, he turned.
I sucked in a harsh breath. Renwell. Of course that gods-damned murderer was here. He loved to get his hands dirty.
My gut tightened with sudden fear. He’d come from the direction of the village.
Kiera.
I stalked toward him without thinking. His pale face hardened with recognition. He ripped his black sword from its sheath.
A few Wolves tried to get in my way, but he shouted, “Leave him! Kill the others.”
Rage whitened the edges of my vision as I charged, my remaining sword and knife in each hand.
I raised my sword as if I’d be stupid enough to let him see my strike coming. He lifted his sword, no doubt eager to slice mine in half with his gods-damned sunstone.
At the last moment, I changed direction, ducked under his sword, and sliced for his knees. He whirled out of the way andstruck for the back of my neck. I rolled on the rough ground and vaulted back onto my feet.
“After I kill you, I’m going to shred you into so many pieces, there will be nothing to burn or bury,” Renwell snarled, his eyes glittering with hatred, as we circled each other.
I’d seen him pissed, but always in control. This Renwell was not in control. He looked unhinged. Perhaps because of the blood coating his side. Or perhaps because he hadn’t been expecting this much of a fight.
Either way, I could use it to my advantage.
Sweat poured down my face and back as I tried to hide my limp. “This is, what, the fifth time you’ve tried to kill me, Renwell?” I taunted him. “Perhaps you should learn your lesson and crawl back into the dirty hole you came from.”
Renwell sneered. “I never thought my little apprentice would kill you. I just wanted her to see the murderer she was stupidly coming to care for.”
I almost stumbled on the uneven beach. “I would never kill Kiera.”
“I knew that, too. But you’ve killed others, and I wanted her to see that. To understand.” His face twisted with a grimace, part pain, part fury. “But it doesn’t matter now. She’ll come back to me willingly. Once you’re dead.”
She’s still alive.
Ibarely had time to register that thought before Renwell attacked. He moved like a warrior half his age. I evaded his strikes the best I could while preserving my blades from his sunstone and slicing any part of him I could reach. Which wasn’t much.
Pebbles flew beneath our boots. Our breaths grew shorter and harsher. I could see nothing but this battle.
Him or me.
He swung wide, and I stabbed for his chest. He recovered just in time to sweep upward and sever my knife at the hilt.
Roaring, I threw the hilt at his face. He ducked with a savage smile and came at me harder.
I called on every bit of training I’d received over the years. Sadly, none of my mentors had taught me how to avoid ever touching my enemy’s sword with my own.
But this man had murdered my mother. He’d orchestrated Brielle’s demise. He’d hunted down and killed Rellmirans during the People’s Council rebellion. He was responsible for so many deaths in the mine and now here.
He should not survive this night. Or me.
I set my teeth and fought back harder and faster, using every trick I could. I jabbed my elbow into his jaw. I kicked his wounded side. When he knocked me to the ground, I grabbed a rock and smashed it into his knee.
But then he swung his sword so fast, I had no choice but to block it. My sword broke into jagged slivers.
I shot up and rammed my shoulder into his chest. We crashed to the ground, rolling. I seized his sword hand and slammed it on a rock, over and over.
He grunted and dug his free hand into my leg wound. Blinding pain made me rear back with a bellow. He kicked me in the chest, sending me sprawling.
My leg shook. My chest felt as though it were caving in.
