I don’t think.
I don’t feel.
I simply am, an impenetrable fortress.
Teasingly I say, “You think you’re the first man I’ve been with since the start of my journey? Bah! You’re not the first and definitely won’t be the last.”
Anger flickers in his dark gaze for a fraction of a second. Yet he doesn’t attack me, and I don’t attack him. We circle each other. I tighten my grip on the dagger. Daegel doesn’t miss the small movement and before I strike, he does first.
His long blades are an extension of his body. He swings one of the blades at me. I arch my back, leaning backwards to avoid the strike. The blade whizzes past my cheek mere inches away. Before I can recover, sharp pain pierces my side.
Daegel’s second blade slides over my side, right above my left hip. I hiss from the pain and Daegel’s eyes widen with satisfaction. He doesn’t end me right then and there, using the moment I’m distracted. No, he retreats a few steps away, watching me with dark eyes.
My words have hit a sore spot, it appears. He wasn’t angry before, but oh, he is now.
He won’t finish me quickly. He will make it last, and make a show out of it.
My muscles tremble and I sink down on one knee, panting heavily. Half of the crowd cheers, while the other half chants my name. Daegel circles me like a predator circling its prey.
Every part of my body screams from pain. The wound is deep, and blood gushes down my side. I remain on one knee, following Daegel’s every move.
“You made a mistake signing up forVal’taz Ezkairin,” Daegel says. “I would have given you the world. You would have been my Taaslord, and we would have ruled side by side until the end of days. I would have burned Wetra to the ground, all you had to do was ask.”
“I already told you—claiming the blood debt I’m owed is my path, my destiny. I don’t need you burning the whole country of innocent people to ash. I won’t stand by you while Caligos whip you into the Ezkai General they need you to be.”
“All I ever did was worship the ground you walk on and that was not enough for you,” Daegel says.
“Since the start, all you ever wanted was to control me and I was too stupid to see it.” I laugh again; it’s a sound void of any humor and full of venom. “You hired an assassin to scare me, which almost cost me my life! When that didn’t work, you hired Jax to force me to drop out. When that didn’t work, you wanted to kidnap me and lock me away! Does that sound normal to you? Something one would do if they saw their lover as their equal?”
Daegel comes to a halt in front of him. There is no point in arguing with him—he doesn’t accept anything but his own beliefs.
“I did all that to protect you and ensure you remain mine,” he says quietly so only I can hear him. “And all you’ve done is tried to escape me. I heard what you said—to you, I’m a mere pit stop between different men. Who’s next after me? Jax? Or do you have other suitors standing in line? At least I took care of Roman.”
I’m startled by his words. “What? Roman died during a mission. What do you mean you took care of him?”
His eyes are cold as the deepest winter when he says, “I tipped the pirates off before the mission. I hoped they’d be smart enough to call for backup so we’d get overwhelmed. I was going to end Roman myself in the chaos. Nobody would know who stabbed who. But I didn’t even have to lift a finger.”
I’m all rage and fury. “How dare you! He was my best friend!”
He stands very close to where I kneel. He thinks my wound weakens me. Gives him an upper hand. That’s why he doesn’t expect it when I shoot to my feet and slam into him with full force. I don’t intend to knock him down. Instead, I aim for his left shoulder and give it my all.
A silent pop and Daegel roars with pain. His left arm goes limp, and he drops the blade. I kick it with my feet, away from us.
With a roar, Daegel swings his other sword at me. I dodge and curse because the pain in my side gets worse and worse each time I move. But I won’t let it stop me.
Our blades lock between us again, his sword lodged between my two daggers. That’s a mistake. Daegel realizes it a moment too late.
His eyes widen when I twist my daggers and he loses his grip on his sword. The blade flies away. Daegel is left with no weapons.
The crowd goes crazy, roaring all around us. The air is charged. From the fire burning in Daegel’s gaze, I know he’s not going to surrender. He will fight until his last breath.
I muster the last of my strength and charge at him just as he charges at me. Instead of colliding, I step out of the way at the very last moment and kick the back of his knees.
He stumbles and falls forward on all fours.
I approach him from behind and fist the hair at the back of his head. “You orchestrated the murder of my best friend and stood there beside me at his funeral. I turned to you for comfort, like a fool, when you were the reason for the pain.”
My voice cracks at the end. It’s too much.
