“I got stronger,” I said with a shrug.
“That’s not possible! You can’t… HOW?”
Enough of this. I’d recovered enough to get to my feet, and I faced her down, stare for stare.
“Doesn’t matter. I won, and unless you’re going back onyour word, I’m free to stay here on campus and live my life… aren’t I?” I made sure to say this all loud enough so the whole crowd could hear me.
This was it. Would Saldrea keep her word or break it in front of all of these people?
Hatred seethed behind her perfect blue eyes as she considered her options. I was fairly certain one of the options she considered was killing me and breaking her word and showing everyone what would happen if you fought against her. God… she was crazy enough that she just might do that.
I backed off a step, suddenly afraid.
She smiled, a grim thing… but then, through her gritted teeth she smiled wider. Her shoulders unbunched a little. She turned to the crowd, not me.
“Let it be known that I am an elf of my word and this half-breed is safe here on campus until the end of her schooling. Then she shall be escorted back to the human realm as an exile!”
I hadn’t missed how she’d emphasizedthis half-breed is safe… as if to say, all my friends and any who followed me… they were fair game.
Fuck.
I should have seen that coming.
And Saldrea confirmed it when she turned back to me and whispered words only I could hear,
“I can’t touch you, but that doesn’t mean your friends are safe. I’ll crush everyone close to you, everyone who helps you. I’ll make your life a living hell without ever touching you… just you wait and see.”
I’d won this battle, but I’d started an all-out war and my friends would be the casualties.
BAYN
I wantedto ask Saldrea who this Izzy person was — other than some upstart half-elf — but I suspected the princess wouldn’t answer me, she was too worked up, lost in her own world, probably plotting vengeance. One thing was certain, once we were away from prying eyes, she’d take her fury out onme.
For now, I could only guess who Izzy might be.
I was one of the strongest earth magic users among the titans. Hell, even among elves there were few who could match me. Saldrea and her mother were among those few… now there was one more.
I’d felt the final clash of the half-breed’s magic against Saldrea’s and Golana’s. It should have been no contest, no way for her to win against them… but she had. The raw strength Izzy possessed was on a scale I hadn’t seen since… Queen Leastrine.
Absolutely stunning!
Which meant…
If I recalled correctly, Leastrine had had an even morepowerful daughter who’d married a nymph and been exiled to the human realm. And this Izzy was half-elf and half-nymph… who’d come from the human realm. It seemed only logical to assume she was the child of that lost princess.
And Saldrea had no idea.
If she’d known, she’d not have gone through the pretense of a dominion match, she’d have killed Izzy outright and been done with it.
I had to smile. The Tyrianel family — Saldrea and her mother — seemed to have a blind spot when it came to royals, so certain they’d killed every last one of them. Saldrea couldn’t see what was right in front of her.
I considered — for half a heartbeat — telling Saldrea who Izzy was in exchange for freeing my sister, but that wouldn’t work. Once I’d told her, she’d kill Izzy and not free my sister. And saying I knew of some “secret royal” and would only tell her who it was after she freed my sister was a longshot. She had no reason to believe there were any secret royals and wouldn’t free my sister without proof, which I didn’t have without giving Izzy’s identity away.
I decided then and there, I’d never tell Saldrea the truth about Izzy.
Which meant… there was an old human realm saying:the enemy of my enemy is my friend. But trusting an elf, even a half-breed who was clearly against Saldrea and her mother, was not something I was comfortable with. Hell, I didn’t trust anyone, not fully. Trust only led to betrayal, as my parents and the woman I’d once loved had shown me.
But maybe I could forge some sort of alliance with this Izzy? One where I got everything I wanted. Anything less and it wouldn’t be worth it.
