The woman was shaking with rage, constantly twirling her blade in a circle as if to rid her body of the excess energy she’d stored.
“Who are you?” I asked, my voice deceptively calm despite my growing desire to simply hack her head from her shoulders. It’d be difficult considering the shape of my spear, but I would find a way.
I always did.
“Goddess, you’re simply dumb, aren’t you?” She laughed mirthlessly. “I’m Sasori, Lex’sfirstBonded. Hisfirstchoice.”
She said it like it was something she was proud of, despite the way their time together ended. I furrowed my brow and adjusted my grip on my spear. Sasori clocked the movement, not as lost to her rage as I’d originally thought.
“I know who you are,” I admitted. “Though the details I know of your time together are . . . different.”
Sasori scoffed, beginning to circle me. My feet matched hers, always keeping her directly in front of me.
The beginning of a dance to the death—I felt it in my bones, and my soul ached for it.
“Of course he’d tell you something different. All he wanted was to put that mark on you, solidify his control, and stick his dick in you any chance he got. Does Ilyas join in, too? Have you been stuck with both of them yet? Gods, they’re disgusting.” The vileness in her tone should have shocked me, but I forced down my growing animosity.
Howdareshe speak of Ilyas and Lex in such a way.
“They have been nothing but kind?—”
A mirthless laugh exploded from her chest, cutting off my words.
“Of course they have. They’ll be kind until you buck against his control. Until it pits you against his preciousGeneral. Then we all know where his loyalties lie.”
I hummed. There was so much anger in her, so much hate. Though I wasn’t sure who she hated most: the General, Lex, or herself.
It was clear Sasori was a broken woman, molded and shaped by a world that spat in her face and forced her down.
But that wasn’t my problem to solve.
No, she was simply an obstacle that now stood between me and my loves. And no caustic words, no brandishing of her sword, could convince me that Lex was anything butgood.
When I refused to rise to her bait, Sasori lunged, blade held high with a grunted cry of frustration. I moved at the last minute, swinging my spear to the right. Wood and steel connected as I pushed her away.
Sasori stumbled, growling as she nearly fell before tossing her weapon to the other hand and charging once more.
I fell into a crouch, sidestepping or parrying each of her strikes. I bided my time, waiting to engage when it would have the most impact.
“Fight me, you bitch!” Sasori screeched, sword careening toward my neck in a large slash. I fell backward, leaning until my braids touched the blood-soaked ground. I popped up with a growl, finally moving into an attack maneuver.
Sasori’s eyes went wide as I struck in countless high arcs, my spear a spinning whirl that was nearly invisible.
I danced around Sasori, my spear a flashing blur in the hazy light as I jabbed and thrusted in random intervals.
Twice I struck skin, her armor protecting her from the worst of my hits.
But she was rattled and off-kilter. Her steps faltered as she slowly retreated, sword clumsily and lazily blocking each of my strikes.
With an undercut from my spear, I dislodged it from her grasp, sending it to the earth feet away.
Sasori’s arms whirled in a circle as I stopped suddenly, kicking out with a foot that connected solidly with her chest. Her breath left her lungs with anoomphas she fell heavily to the wet ground below.
In an instant, I was upon her, throat pinned beneath my boot with the tip of my spear thrust in her face. I said nothing, simply looked down upon her with an unreadable expression.
Rage contorted her features as she fought and writhed beneath my weapon, scratching her cheeks with every movement.
I pushed down harder with the heel of my boot, crushing her windpipe beneath my foot.
