He’s a better swordsman than I am. I know that. But he also has a disadvantage: he can’t kill me.
Flinging the blood off his fingertips, he advances on me and thrusts straight for my stomach. I parry his blade, knocking it to the side, then come down hard on his shoulder.
He yells and backs away, his eyes flashing with rage. “What the fuck?” He glances at his shoulder, then shakes his head. “Is that all you have? I thought you’d been practicing.”
I aim for his throat, slicing sideways, then spinning and bringing my sword lower.
He parries then grabs the front of my shirt, yanking me to him. “You can’t kill me, Moira. I’m a god.”
“You’re an asshole.” I headbutt him, pain blooming on my forehead as blood spurts from his nose.
“Moira!” He howls and reaches for me again.
I slash my sword against his arm, cutting deep and drawing more blood.
“Stop this!” He fights off my next slash, then slices my leg and brings his blade to my throat. “Stop, I said.” He wipes the blood from his nose.
I lean against his blade, the metal cutting my neck and sending a rivulet of blood racing to my collarbone.
He pulls it away. “Not so fast.” He tsks. “I won’t kill you until I’m finished with you. It’s going to be a long,longtime.”
I stab for his heart.
He parries me.
I step back, then almost fall into the water.
Taking the opening, he grabs me again and wraps his arm around my waist, his other hand going to my wrist and squeezing until I’m forced to drop my sword. “There. That’s better. You’re done, Moira. You’re mine. You can’t beat me. You’llneverbeat me. And I’ll never let anyone else have you.”
He’s right, of course. I can’t beat him. Not in a fair fight.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a vial of fairy dust.
As he does it, I pull the blade Bill gave me from behind me and stab it into his neck.
He screams and shoves me away.
I run forward to grab the knife and finish the job, but he swings his sword up, catching me in the chest. The blade goes through, piercing me so swiftly I barely feel it.
His eyes widen with horror, and he pulls his sword free.
I stumble and fall backwards, the water catching me and pulling me into the depths below.
ChapterTwenty-One
The water doesn’t scare me this time. If anything, it’s comforting. Like soft hands cradling me and pulling me along to whatever’s next.
I close my eyes and drift, my heart beating a strange new rhythm.
“Moira.”
Curling in on myself, I ignore the soft voice in my ear.
“Moira, sweetheart. Wake up.”
I know the voice, but it’s a lie. It’s not my mother. It’s the island.
“Moira, please.”
