“But where’s the fun in that?”
Theo and Esaias circled Isabel. How had she escaped the jail? Isabel feinted a lunge and laughed as Esaias stumbled. Twirling her blades, she seemed more amused to toy with them instead of drawing blood.
“Fight us,” Theo shouted.
“Maybe I like to play with my prey before I kill it.” Her golden eyes burned bright, imprinting deeper into Theo’s mind as they flared with her smile.
“Enough of this.” Esaias slashed with his sword, but she rolled out of the way, caking herself in mud as she slid to a stop. With a growl, he charged, and the ring of their blades pierced Theo’s ears.
Theo lunged forward, hitting her other sword to spare Esaias his left flank.
“You’re no fun,” Isabel pouted.
“What do you want?” Theo gritted his teeth.
She inclined a brow, stepping back, but she held her guard with both swords trained on them. “Wealth, power, pride. Take your pick.”
“Pride in what?” Theo snapped. “Killing innocent people?”
“You call yourselves innocent?”
Caught in the shock in her voice, Theo was too slow to block her foot as she slammed it into his knee. He buckled, falling to the ground in a heap as pain and bursts of agony shot up his leg. Isabel raised her sword to end his suffering, but Esaias was there and blocked her blow.
As Theo cradled his knee, attempting to breathe through the pain, Esaias drew away her assault. He gritted his teeth, looming over her like the warrior he was. His next swing sliced her leg and split open her trousers, spilling blood.
Isabel bit her lip, containing her scream as Esaias stepped closer, going in for another attack. Isabel parried his blow, but her footwork was off as she limped and favored her leg. Esaias spun his sword, blocking her next few swipes as she threw whatever she had into the fray of their duel. With a single move, Esaias disarmed her of one blade.
Theo tried to stand, forcing the pain in his knee behind what was left of his mental shields. With a hiss, he took one step, but his leg buckled again. He couldn’t stuff his pain down. Isabel watched his movements but regained her focus as Esaias went in for a kill shot. Isabel ducked, but Esaias clipped the edge of a braid, slicing through her hair.
She reached for the severed end and screamed. “Godwin is falling. While the noble bastards spend their time drowning themselves in luxury,everyone else is left to fend for themselves. People are dying, and you’re too proud to see it!”
“I wouldn’t think someone from Deavopan would care what happened to the common people of Godwin,” Esaias grumbled.
“Who said I was from Deavopan?” Isabel smirked.
“You’re from Godwin?” Esaias staggered from his quest of vengeance.
“I see these countries for what they really are. They’re run by people who only care about lining their pockets.”
“If you truly cared about people dying, then why attack?”
“Casualties are a part of life. These rulers didn’t seem to care when they shipped off good people to war.”
“Did you know someone?” Theo asked, forcing his leg to hold him up, to push the swelling away as he hefted his sword up and angled the blade at her.
Isabel ground her teeth, and the knuckles around her sword burned white. “You all deserve to burn!”
Isabel slid under Esaias’s next attack, but he caught her with his leg, pinning her to the ground. Their blades struck as he pressed her into the mud. She ground her teeth against his crushing strength. Blood leaked from Esaias’s lip, dripping along her forehead.
Theo raised his sword to take the final blow. The cold metal between his hands froze. The rain washed the remaining dye from her hair, and her bright orange shown through. Her golden eyes widened as he approached. Theo sucked in a breath, his feet unmoving as he took in the familiar sight, those eyes once again filled with fear before the light faded from them.
Isabel’s gaze darted between Theo and Esaias. She took Theo’s moment of reprieve and slid her leg out from under Esaias and kicked Theo’s knee again. His scream and collapse snapped Esaias’s head up, but it was all she needed. She drove her legs into Esaias’s chest, grabbed her other sword, and began her stumbling retreat.
“Elizabeth!” Theo screamed after her.
She whipped around, her feet taking slow steps back as her chest heaved. “It’s Isabel now.”
“Elizabeth, as in Harwood?” Esaias gasped.
