Uriel.
Acting completely out of character, I threw myself to the side. I didn’t do what he’d always taught me and aim for his body. "I knew I fucking saw you tonight," I snarled, managing to get my arms and legs free. He grabbed a handful of my hair, but I was happy to lose those strands to get away.
"Always warned you about this," he said when I was on my feet facing him, a lock of blond grasped in his closed right fist.
"Yeah, yeah, always trying to cut my hair off like the sociopath that you are."
One of those creeps that killed and kept body parts. While I didn't know that for a fact, there was every chance Uriel had a hidden collection somewhere.
"I'm going to kill them, Violet," he said conversationally. And what the fuck did you know, he stuffed my hair in his pocket. "I'm going to kill them and make you watch. Then I'm going to tie you to my bed and torture you until you're as broken on the outside as you are inside."
Sick of his fucking monologuing, I attacked. Using the point of my heel as a weapon, I sliced it across his side, landing a decent hit. He’d let me, of course, so I'd come into his reach, but I'd known he would want that. As he grabbed for me, I latched onto his right hand and wrenched a finger to the side.
His sharp intake of breath was the only indication I'd hurt him, and the slam of his fist into my chest was the result because I'd had to drop my guard to get both attacks in.
As I hit the wall, I cushioned the blow as best I could and had no regrets. His finger was at least dislocated, if not broken. That was a significant injury to fight with; I just had to make sure I didn't end up with anything as debilitating.
"You can't beat me," he said, stalking toward me. As he got closer, I could see his face clearer. The darkness was almost completely encompassing, outside of a small light Uriel had attached to his collar. As it brought his face into focus, I was surprised by the gauntness in his features.
He looked exhausted. Weaker. He'd not escaped that attack on his compound with no consequences, that was for sure.
"What are you even doing here?" I asked, slipping away from the wall so I wasn't boxed in. "Shouldn't you be trying to take down the monarchy before they destroy the legacy you've been building?"
His snarl was animalistic, and that, more than his appearance, was telling about his current mental state. Gone was the cool, calm, and hyper-focused sensei, and in his place was someone who’d totally lost touch with reality.
"I can't do it without you," he bit out before launching into a roundoff flip that landed him right before me. He slammed a punch into my side, while I managed to smash two more into his chest. One landed solidly against his right ribs.
There might have been a crack, but I didn't get a chance to test that theory before a shout echoed from behind me. "Violet!" Jordan roared.
Uriel had taken me off the main path, no doubt so that he'd have no interruptions as he beat me into submission. Jordan had found me though.
I opened my mouth to shout, but a hand slammed over it, and I was pummeled back into the wall, rocks biting into my bare skin above the dress’s neckline. "Don't get your lover killed," Uriel whispered, his face right near mine as he held me. "Best to come with me now, and that way no one else will get hurt."
Just as he knew my fighting style, I knew his psychological warfare. He was trying to freak me out, wanted me to give in. But my boys could handle themselves, and now was my best chance to escape while he thought I was distracted by Jordan.
My power drive landed in the same rib I'd hit before in an uppercut of sorts, modified by the current angle he held me. There was a crack this time when my shot landed, and Uriel actually cried out. It was clear that he'd had no suspicion I was going to hit him. The old Violet wouldn't have. He'd been able to use friends and acquaintances against me, and I'd always complied.
That Violet had died long ago though, and this one would fight to the bitter end to save them—not by conceding, but by killing a motherfucker.
"Violet!" Jordan shouted, sounding closer.
"Over here," I hollered back.
Uriel straightened before falling into his favorite fight stance, the one that gave him the most movement and power to all four limbs. I dove out of the wall space I'd been in, heading for the opening that Jordan would have to use to get into this section of tunnel.
He'd be at my back, and together we could take this bastard down. Once and for all.
"You've hurt your last person,sensei," I spat. "I'm going to take great pleasure in destroying you."
Uriel showed no discomfort now, but I knew I'd hurt him.
His next series of strikes were so fast that even in full light I would have had little chance of blocking them all. As it was, I managed to block two, deflect one, and the fourth whipped across my side, knocking me almost to the ground.
From that position, I swung out my leg and crashed it into Uriel's, throwing him way off balance. Swinging up with my fist, I glanced a hit off his balls, and when he cursed, I had to smile.
"You always told me to find the weakness in my opponent," I muttered as I got myself back into a fight position.
"Weak, Violet. You've always been weak and pathetic."
