“Really, Lyr?” He shook his head and made a clicking sound with his tongue. “That’s the move?”
He dashed around the cart for me, but I raced in the opposite direction, letting him chase me until I turned, and stabbed, just barely catching his arm.
He jabbed at me, nearly landing a hit to my stomach, but my own steel came down at just the right moment. Metal slid against the sharp unyielding crystal and I forced him back, breaking free of the hold between our blades for a quick slash of his other arm. And then more rocks began to fall, crashing into the broken wall behind us, where even more akadim were digging tunnels to escape. My heart thumped. I could feel myself growing tired. If Rhyan didn’t catch me with the blade of the shard, a falling boulder was likely going to be my demise. I had to end this soon. I had to disarm him, get the shard back. And I needed to know what had happened to Auriel.
I thrust again, aiming for his shoulder and Rhyan blocked, barely having to move that time. Angling myself I feinted to the left, and stabbed right, but Rhyan saw it coming and merely stepped back.
“I thought this was a serious fight.” He shook his head, both eyebrows furrowed. “But you’re not even aiming for my heart. I don’t know, Lyr,” he said with a disapproving frown, “it doesn’t feel like you’re really trying. I thought I taught you better than that.”
“You taught me nothing,” I snapped.
“You wound me.” He pressed a hand to his chest, and made a sound of mock pain. “I taught you everything you know.Everythingyou know,” he said, his voice suggestive.
And then he lifted the red blade, sliding it back into the sheath he wore on his back. Snarling, he ran for me, no longer holding back. I held out my sword, but I was so afraid of actually hurting him, of getting his heart with the wrong weapon that I missed and he knocked the sword from my hand.
I yelled out as his hands wrapped around my arms and he lifted me into the air before slamming me onto the ground.
“No!” I yelled. But he’d forced my hands over my head, crawling over me again.
“Well, you weren’t fighting. So I thought it was time for something else.” His nostrils flared as his eyes zeroed in on the bandage on my neck. He ripped it off and I cried out just as his tongue licked across the bite marks he’d left behind.
I kicked, but it was fucking useless against his muscles.
“Remember how it was between us? How good?” he asked. “Remember how many times I took you our last night together? Again and again in the Palace. And then on the rooftop in Thene.”
I shook my head. “Don’t. Don’t.”
“Don’t what? Remind you of every time you came because of me? Or don’t do it again?”
My chest heaved and my eyes zeroed in on the blade at his back. If I could free a hand, I could reach it. I’d have to hurt him to get him off of me, get into position.
Even now, even in this form, and knowing damn well everything he’d done to me, the idea hurt. But I had no choice. If I was going to save him, I had to be ruthless.
I met his cold soulless gaze. “Can akadim even kiss?” I asked.
He laughed. “We can do all kinds of things.” He leaned in. “If you want, we can start with kissing.” He skimmed his nose against my neck, then lifted up to meet my eyes again.
“Can I?” he asked.
I want to kiss you. Can I?
I bit back a cry, the backs of my eyes burning. How dare he! How dare he tarnish that memory for us.
But I nodded. I knew what I had to do. “Yes.”
“See?” he purred. “It was only a matter of time before you gave in.”
His mouth pressed against mine, and I almost recoiled in disgust. His lips were cold and hard. Nothing remotely like Rhyan’s. In a way, it was freeing—it wasn’t him. Not at all. Any lingering confusion I’d had the day before was completely gone. I could still feel Auriel’s kiss, soft and gentle and full of love and passion. It hummed under my skin, reminding me of the truth, of what Rhyan actually felt like— what he was like when he had his soul. When his heart beat against mine.
But this Rhyan forced his tongue into my mouth, his fangs scraping against my lips. I softened, willing myself to remain calm, to go along with him.
One of his hands still held mine together above my head.
A tear rolled down my cheek, as my fingers reached for his wrist, stroking his cold skin. I lifted my chest, undulating under him, pressing my hips against his.
I met his tongue with mine, and pulled back, just enough to whisper, “Touch me.”
It had the effect I wanted. He released my hands and slid his down my torso, as he kissed me deeper.
