“Whoa!” someone exclaimed.
“What the fuck?”
A few Lords were coming down the main stairs, but backed up when they saw Jathalion go flying—and not by using his wings.
“Holy fuck!” Lord Veker said. Then, “Nice one, Taroc!”
“Stop this!” I shouted at the men. “That's enough!”
Neither man listened to me.
Jathalion came hurtling back, spinning at the last moment to fly over Taroc's head. But this was a trick we'd all seen before. Maybe it would have worked on Taroc when Jathalion had first arrived at the citadel, but he'd been there a while now, training daily in the yard. Taroc had seen Jathalion fight many times. And Taroc had watched him, as he did everyone and everything.
Ducking out of Jathalion's reach, Taroc spun, straightened, and punched down with both fists. He hit Jathalion in the back, crumpling his wings. Jathalion slammed into the ground. Still, he didn't stay down. Rolling, he got to his feet and faced off with Taroc.
“Nicely done.” Jathalion spat blood on the floor.
“Aw, come on,” I whined and waved at the blood. “Someone's going to have to clean that up.”
“Ember?” Rath called.
I looked toward the dining hall and found a crowd gathered in the archway. My men extricated themselves from the group and hurried over to me.
“What's going on?” Kel asked.
“Jathalion was being an asshole, so Taroc challenged him.” I grimaced. “I tried to stop them, but you know what? This is kind of fun to watch. Fuck it.” Then I shouted, “Kick his ass, Taroc!”
Taroc glanced at me and grinned, but it cost him. Jathalion used the opportunity to jump-kick him in the belly. Taroc toppled backward to the ground and slid a few feet. The crowd watching made sounds of disapproval.
“Fuck.” I grimaced. Then called out, “Sorry!”
Taroc grunted as he got to his feet. “Don't you worry about me, Ember.” He focused back on Jathalion. “If Jathalion needs to use such trickery to land a blow, he's not half as good as everyone thinks.”
“Fuck you,” Jathalion said. “I'm twice as good as you, and that's all that matters now.” He ran at Taroc, did an acrobatic twirl, and punched Taroc in the face.
This time, Taroc bled and stumbled. But he shook it off instantly, grabbing Jathalion as he twirled by. While the onlookers made soft sounds of awe, Taroc spun with his opponent and lifted him, taking the Jathalion directly above him. Jathalion's wings were nearly as big as the rest of him, making Taroc's burden enormous. But Taroc hefted the weight as if it were nothing. Just a bunch of feathers. And Jathalion looked like a caught chicken about to be sent to the stew pot, his wings thrashing and limbs flailing, utterly flummoxed as to what to do.
“Put him down this instant!” General Rontor, late to the scene, pushed past the Lords on the stairs and strode down to the entry hall. “What have I said about fighting with each other?”
“Jathalion started it, General,” I said.
But Taroc was already following the General's order. He put Jathalion down . . . by tossing him into a wall.
“Oops,” Taroc said as Jathalion slid down the wall and crumpled into a mound of moaning feathers like a bird who had flown into a window.
“Damn it, Taroc!” Rontor snarled and marched over to him, not Jathalion.
In fact, no one went to help Jathalion. A fact which made me feel sorry for him. But he was the one who'd been getting more and more bitter and taking it out on everyone around him, not only me. He used to be lively around everyone other than me, quick with a joke or a story. But lately, he was alienating his friends. And it had gotten to the point where they enjoyed seeing him take a beating. Not good.
But he was still a Wraith Lord.
“Jathalion has been harassing Ember,” Taroc said to Rontor. “Someone had to put an end to it.”
Rontor grimaced and looked at me. “That true?”
“Yes, General. I've been avoiding Lord Jathalion lately, but he caught me on the stairs tonight, and we had a bad argument. I said some horrible things to him too, though.” I winced and shook my head. “Shit.” Then I went to Jathalion and gently eased his wing back so I could check on him. “Lord Jathalion? Are you all right? I'm so sorry for my part in this. Jath?”
Jathalion moaned, then came to. Shaking his head, he struggled to his feet. I helped him up, and he allowed it. Until he realized who I was.
