“Not at all…” she said, ripping an arm away from the minion on the right. “I’ll do it myself”—she snatched her knife from its sheath—”you miserable fuck.”
She spun on newly strengthened legs and dragged her blade through the air. It opened a red line across the minion’s chest.
He started as the knife turned into a dagger, her favorite weapon. She withered both of their magics, then turned and stabbed Minion Two through the heart. Back again and she evaded a punch. These things didn’t have any weapons.
Slipping behind him, she grabbed his hood and tugged it lower, over more of his face. Her knife sliced across his throat.
Magic, the king’s, ballooned in the chamber. She latched on and sucked it in as hard as she could. He didn’t get to stay in control. He didn’t get to fight like he normally might. He would learn what it was like to be at a human’s mercy.
The diamond chalice pulsed power into her. More strength. Speed.
Where had this been when she was crossing the fringe?
The king snarled as he bounced up from the bed. His leathery body was like a badly tanned animal hide covering bone and sinew.
“Fucking hell, you’re gross,” she said, pulling more magic, forcing him into a frenzied state. “No wonder the queen doesn’t object to your finding different bed partners. She probably encourages it. She doesn’t want to touch you.”
The king ran at her, jerky and halting, his hands out like claws. Drool dripped from the corner of his mouth.
He was fast, though. Very fucking fast.
She stepped forward to meet him and slipped on the blood around her feet. Thankfully, because of the last few days, she was used to fighting in such conditions. She righted herself as his body barreled toward her.
She stepped at an angle and caught him with one hand. The other peppered him with knife strikes. Stab, stab, slice—she got in as many as she could before he bellowed and turned for her. His arms caught her skin but slid off, the surface slick with blood. He’d been trying to create lube with the blood, but instead had made it harder for him to combat her.Suck on that, donkey fucker.
His nails clawed down her arms, leaving fire in their wake.
She gritted her teeth and didn’t bother acting this time. She would never act for him again. She’d kill him or he’d kill her. There was no other outcome of this fight, not since she’d yanked at his magic.
A loud thump hit the chamber doors. The doorknob jiggled as someone tried to get in. Another thump, someone ramming it with their body. She had to get this done before they got in to help the king.
“You…will…fuck-ing…die,” she grunted as she yanked back his hair and stabbed at his throat.
He spun at the last moment,sofucking fast. Thank the miserable gods he was out of his mind with frenzied panic. He wasn’t relying on skill or training, just animalistic brute strength and manic clawing.
She yanked more on his magic, as hard as she could. She stabbed at his side. His nails raked down the side of her face, and she took the pain as she lined up another strike. A normal person would’ve gone down, even a fae. This creature wouldn’t succumb to the destruction.
She grappled one-handed to ensure the other held on to the knife. He grabbed her throat. Another slam hit the doors. Wood cracked. They were forcing their way in.
His hands squeezed with incredible strength, cutting off her air supply. She didn’t stop. Couldn’t. She pummeled him, holding his shoulder for leverage. Black spots danced in her vision. Still she stabbed, ruining his chest. She hit his heart and still the fucking creature would not go down.
Why isn’t he dying?
Her lungs burned. Blackness crept closer. Blood drenched them both.
She went after his neck with more force, trying to sever his head. Her knife turned into a saw.
He ripped her down, and they fell, but neither of them quit. She sawed into his neck. The diamond chalice fed her strength. It was the only reason she was still conscious.
The door burst open. Time was up.
33
Daisy
Violence will set you free.
The king should’ve been dead. Punctured heart, half a neck—this creature should’ve been dead.
